Aug 25, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Vince Young (10) on the sideline during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback Vince Young seemed to have fallen off the map after his brief period of success in Tennessee. The athletic star out of Texas seemed to be filled with potential. Who can forget the highly touted 2006 Rose Bowl. A showdown between two of the finest college prospects featuring Young and current Lion and former Heisman trophy winner, (emphasize former) Reggie Bush. Over 200 yards passing and rushing later (including a clutch game winning touchdown scramble) Vince Young had sealed his value in the draft. As irony would have it Young was selected by the Titans third overall in the 2006 NFL Draft.

The third overall pick in this year’s draft belongs to an Oakland Raider team that may very well be lacking a quarterback. Hue Jackson’s trade of the century has utterly failed expectations. Jackson’s golden child seems to be unwilling to take a pay cut making it only a matter of time before Reggie Mckenzie goes all Henry VIII on him. Add the fact that after another year of cleaning house in Oakland the roster is about as exciting as two hours of Ben Stein commercials. So, where does Oakland go from here? Assuming Palmer gets the axe will Oakland turn to Geno Smith? Smith is young, and might not be able to make an impact in week 1 leaving this Raider fan to say no. Using the pick up on Smith would leave the defense, well defenseless.

Using the draft to strengthen the holes found on the defensive line, in the secondary, at tight end, and for Darren McFadden’s insurance policy running back leaves Oakland down a quarterback. Enter Terrell Pryor. The former Buckeye seems to have become a hometown favorite. Every fan loves watching a quarterback who can cannon the ball down the field while having the athletic ability to outrun safetys. Despite playing a close week 17 game against the Bolts, Pryor still has much to prove that he can lead an NFL caliber offense to victory. The man may in fact be no more then a glorified backup for the rest of his career if he lacks the key decision making and accuracy a quarterback must have.

Suddenly Vince Young emerges onto the NFL market, displaying an impressive performance at the Texas Pro Day. After the last couple years of dismal performance as a backup, is Young even worth the time of an NFL GM? I believe he is most definitely worth the time of Reggie McKenzie. After experiencing the breakdowns and failures of the NFL the quarterback may be in the discount aisle of free agents. Who knows he might even become that one dollar movie at the gas station that is pretty good. Young will also make for a very heated competition come training camp time pushing Terrell Pryor to step up his game or continue his legacy as a potential filled backup.

The gamble on Young is simple. It is low risk with a possibility of a high outcome. It is truly hard to envision Reggie McKenzie leaving all of his buckeyes in Terrell Pryor’s basket. Of course if Carson Palmer realized he only won four games last season and in no way shape or form deserves the money he is asking for then maybe this discussion would be obsolete. Chances are he will end his career losing to the monstrous NFC West teams as a Cardinal. Leaving behind a legacy of stubbornness and what could have been while Vince Young or Terrell Pryor find themselves at the helm of Oakland’s offense.

John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Forget what you’ve heard. The Madden Curse is real. That is why it’s a really good thing that Sebastian Janikowski’s bid to grace the cover of football’s best video game ended as soon as it started. Seabass was eliminated in the first round of voting for the cover, losing out to Maurice Jones-Drew in a none-too-close vote.

MJD got 64% of the vote so Jacksonville’s odds of returning to Los Angeles increased with the potential to lose their best player remaining very much alive.

Over the years, men such as Eddie George, Barry Sanders, Daunte Culpepper, Marshall Faulk and Vince Young have all fallen victim to the curse in some form. Last season Peyton Hillis became the latest entry on video gaming’s most infamous list.

Hopefully becoming a perennial Pro Bowler will be a more welcome reward for Jano than becoming the first kicker to grace the Madden Cover.  It’s a curse both he and the Raiders don’t need.

Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Terrelle Pryor’s NFL future is mystery. The nature in which he entered the league put his career at the crossroads before it even began. There are plenty of questions to be answered. Is he Tim Tebow with talent or will he become the Vince Young of his generation? Will Pryor become the next Hines Ward or will he fall into the Brad Smith category? The latter, of course, would require a position change. But that might not even be in the cards.

According to Pryor himself, in an interview he gave back in his native Pennsylvania over the weekend, his days as a QB are here to stay. In fact, as far as he’s concerned the questions of his possible position switch are as non-existent as the San Diego Chargers Lombardi trophies.

“That’s not even a question. I’m still working to become the best quarterback.”

As far as Raider Nation is concerned Pryor couldn’t have been any worse a QB than Kyle Boller last year. Ironically it was Boller’s embarrassing start last season that shut the door on what would have been Pryor’s coming out party.

Raider fans might remember the only snap Pryor took as a rookie last season. It was a third and short situation against the Chiefs in which Pryor lined up wide, slid under center for what was supposed to be a QB sneak until the play was whistled dead before the snap.

According to Pryor that plays was only a small sample of what was to come that ill-fated afternoon.

“I had a whole package for that game. I was going to make a bunch of throws, but we ended up getting smashed and I was yanked. Who knows where it would have gone? I’m confident I would have been successful during that time. We were down, 21-0, and we didn’t run any plays.”

As it turns out Boller might have changed the fate of two quarterbacks with one wretched half of football. Pryor’s grand unveiling was shelved, never to be seen again while Carson Palmer’s debut was pushed up, forced into a turnover party that gifted an all-too-easy win to Kansas City.

For all we know Pryor could have become the silver and black answer to Jets current backup QB. Chances are a few gimmick plays weren’t going to change the tide of the season for the Raiders. I’m guessing that no matter how well Boller, Palmer or any man could have played under center last season it wouldn’t have mattered with the Raiders D being demolished each week.

But that is all in the past. Boller is no longer a Raider and likely out of the league. Pryor, meanwhile, is still learning to play the position at the professional level with hopes of being more than a NFL novelty. He’s been working out with Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford and Taiwan Jones while mixing in plenty of game tape to prepare for the upcoming season.

While the Raiders are still in the market for a backup for Palmer there is no reason to think they’ve already closed the book on Pryor. If what Terrelle says is true then every man on the roster will have to prove himself to new coach Dennis Allen.

“The new staff told us that all positions are open, so you have to battle for the position you want. There is going to be some good competition. Once you get the position, you have to keep fighting for it.