Volek wants opportunity, Titans need backup for McNair
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans want a backup quarterback for co-MVP Steve McNair. Billy Volek, who had that job last season, is testing free agency to see if a better opportunity awaits elsewhere.
Bringing Volek back is the Titans’ preferred move. They signed Volek as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and he had a passer rating of 101.4 in seven appearances last season.
“I’m not sure we’ll get the opportunity,” general manager Floyd Reese said Thursday.
He has been talking with Volek’s agent over the past two weeks, swapping proposals.
Volek visited with Atlanta last week and went to Green Bay and Denver this week. Asked about a report that Volek would meet with Buffalo officials, agent Ken Staninger said nothing had been scheduled and there is no urgency for a deal.
“Billy is taking a look at what’s out there for him. As a young player, he needs to do that,” Staninger said.
With McNair and Jason Gesser, who was inactive all last season, the only quarterbacks on the roster, the Titans are keeping their options open.
They brought in Damon Huard, Tom Brady’s backup in New England last season, for a visit Monday.
Reese said they probably will bring in Doug Johnson from Atlanta and Anthony Wright, who started for Baltimore in a playoff loss to Tennessee in January.
With McNair heading into his 10th season, the Titans would prefer a younger quarterback. But Reese said they are ready to look at someone with experience willing to be a backup.
Then the Titans, expecting to have up to 14 draft picks in April, could pick a quarterback and let him take over at No. 3 and work his way up.
“The hard part with all this is it’s hard to find that guy,” Reese said. “I think Billy was actually our second or third attempt at trying to find a guy who could mature with us and work his way up.”
Tennessee replaced James Ritchey with Steve Matthews in 1998, then drafted Kevin Daft out of California-Davis in the fifth round in 1999. In 2000, the Titans signed Volek, who went undrafted out of Fresno State after questions about his arm strength.
Volek backed up McNair and veteran Neil O’Donnell for the first three years of his career and did not play at all in 2002. He beat out O’Donnell for the backup quarterback job last season as the Titans looked to save money under the salary cap.
In 2003, he pulled out a victory coming off the bench on Nov. 23 at Atlanta and completed 9 of 15 for 117 yards and a touchdown in a 38-31 victory. He made his first and only start Dec. 14 and led the Titans to a 28-26 victory over Buffalo.
He was 26-of-41 for 295 yards and two touchdowns without an interception despite playing most of the second half with a ruptured spleen.
Staninger said Volek started free agency hoping for the chance to start somewhere. The agent said the teams they currently are talking with don’t have that opportunity right now.
“What we have been talking about are people who want to develop Billy into a starter at some time in the future,” Staninger said.
And for now, that still includes Tennessee.
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