Erik Ainge News

A Vols Fan Speaks on Ainge

Some of my good friends are rabid Tennessee Volunteers fans, and I had the chance to talk to one of them about new Jet Erik Ainge, and what he thinks of his former Quarterback. My buddy Jason’s thoughts on Erik Ainge below.

Q: Overall, any thoughts on Erik Ainge?

A: If the guy can stay healthy, he’s a gamer. Freshmen year he led UT on a dramatic last minute scoring drive against Florida to win the game (of which, he will always have my deepest admiration). Sophmore year was a disaster, he regressed and played horribly. Then David Cutcliffe, the QB and Offensive Coordinator at UT for Peyton Manning was rehired in his old position. (Between 1999 - 2005 he was the head coach at Ole Miss, but then got fired). Ainge blew up in his Junior year, completing 67% of his passes, breaking the completion percentage record (many thanks to Robert Meachem) set by Peyton.

Q: How does on OC Dave Cutcliffe’s relationship play into his development?

A: Cutcliffe does wonders for QBs, he was the head coach at Ole Miss with Eli Manning, and he is known for being a stickler for detail, game film and getting it right every time. I think he’s underrated as a coach, and just as Norm Chow is credited with Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, I don’t think he gets enough credit for the Manning brothers. As Peyton told Erik Ainge after Cutcliffe got rehired as UT OC, if you want to be a great QB, just shut up and do everything this man tells you to do. Unfortunately for UT, Cucliffe took the head coaching job at Duke this year … why I have no idea.

Q: So what’s your projection on Ainge?

A: Ainge had a great senior year, threw for over 3000 years despite having a completely new and green receiving corps at UT. Considering the numbers he put up, and the pedestrian receivers he had to work with (and the top flight defenses of the SEC), I think Ainge proved he’s extremely capable at succeeding at the next level. I think he’ll be a good pro, and he’s in the ideal situation where he can grow some into the role. In a year or two, he’ll be up for starting. Tennessee runs a classic pro-style offense. He’s 6′5, a big guy, I think the thing the pros scout knocked on him was his lack of “mobility” and not a great arm. That was also the same things people said about Peyton Manning, and why they put Cry’n Leaf ahead of him on some draft boards back in the 1998 draft.

Q: You’re making some bold comparisons here …

A: I’m not saying Ainge will be a Peyton, but an Eli? Yeah, he knows how to manage a game, played against top flight competition in college, was taught by one of the finest QB/OC in the college ranks, and can sit back and be groomed for two or three years. I know I’m a little biased, but this guy basically finished second in every significant passing category at UT behind Manning, and after watching him for four years I definitely think he’s a NFL caliber QB.

See More at www.thejetsblog.com

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