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From Billy's standpoint, it's really disappointing because he has put so much time and effort into becoming the starter, paying his dues for six years behind Steve McNair. Billy thought the job was his to lose, and then all of a sudden his world got rocked. But at the same time, as a veteran you learn over time to expect both the good and bad things about the league. There are times when it simply goes against you.
Ultimately, you can't worry about things that you can't control. You can only control your attitude, how you prepare, and how you play on the field. That's the way Billy needs to approach it. You just have to take care of business, and if someone else gets chosen over you, there's nothing you can do about it. You can rest by knowing you've done all you can to put yourself in the best position.
It's tough for Billy that the preseason didn't work out as well as everyone would have liked it to. However, I don't think you can put it all on Billy's shoulders. This is a case where Floyd and Jeff wanted to upgrade the roster. They have always been about trying to improve the football team, whether it's a popular decision or not.
For Vince, it's an eye opener being a rookie and seeing how personnel decisions can be made so late in the game. Vince needs to have tunnel vision about getting better. He's going to continue to do everything he can to become a great quarterback in this league. He has gotten a lot of reps during the preseason. He can learn a lot from Kerry Collins about different situations that come up and pose questions that he has to a veteran quarterback. That's where Vince can take advantage of this situation.
For Kerry, he is a proven guy that has won a lot of games and been to the Super Bowl in this league. He's experienced and I'm sure he's thankful for the opportunity to go suit up and compete again. He has the credentials to say, 'Hey, I'm in here to play. I didn't come here to hold a clipboard.' I think he's going to push everyone around here. He's a professional that has been through some tough times early on in his career. He can share some of those lessons that he learned with the younger guys on this team.
Anytime you sign a veteran in a situation like this, it's a wakeup call to everyone to let them know that they are accountable each and every day. Competition is a good thing for a young team that is rebuilding. It keeps everyone grounded and lets players know that if they don't do what they need to do, they can be replaced. Players can't take their situations for granted. While they should enjoy their time here, they need to put in the extra time to study, work extra hard, run a little further and just have a great attitude because it's not a right to play in the National Football League, it's a privilege, and younger guys need to understand that.
Ultimately, competition is a good thing because it brings out the best in you. It keeps you from getting complacent in certain situations and taking things for granted. Everyone needs to be hungry and understand that there's always going to be someone there to take your job. It's up to each individual player and how much they put into it that will determine how long they are going to last in this league.
