When the Tennessee Titans opened their offseason program Monday, their most prominent player was 750 miles away. Quarterback Vince Young was matriculating at the University of Texas in Austin, where he has been taking classes since the end of the 2007 season.

It's admirable Young that has returned to school to continue working on his degree. But that's not going to help him become a better NFL quarterback.

The best way to do that is to be in Nashville, working with his teammates and learning firsthand the offense of new coordinator Mike Heimerdinger.

The No. 3-overall selection in the 2006 draft, Young hasn't exactly taken the league by storm. He did go to the Pro Bowl as an alternate after his rookie season, when he started 13 games, completed 51.5 percent of his passes for 2,199 yards and 12 touchdowns (with 13 interceptions) and rushed for 552 yards and seven TDs.

However, Young's performance stagnated last season. Although he improved his completion percentage to 62.3 percent, he had an underwhelming 1-to-2 ratio of touchdown passes (nine) to interceptions (18) over 16 games, including Tennessee's playoff loss to San Diego.

Young, one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the league, played much of the season with an injured right quad and didn't exactly have a premier supporting cast of playmakers. But his accuracy and judgment still get him in trouble.

"In my opinion," says a scout from another AFC South team, "until he reaches a level of consistency, the Titans will be hot when he is and cold when he is."

The Titans made some offseason moves to try and ramp up an offense that scored one touchdown or less in nine games (including the playoffs) and ranked last in the league in touchdown percentage (.364) in the red zone last season.

Tennessee signed former Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler, a four-time Pro Bowl player who scored 35 touchdowns and averaged 13.3 yards per reception in his first seven NFL seasons. The Titans added former Jets wide receiver Justin McCareins and re-signed wideout Justin Gage, who led the team in receiving yards last season.

OK, so that's not exactly like having Tony Gonzalez, Steve Smith and Randy Moss as targets. But don't be surprised to see the Titans add another playmaker or two.

The most significant addition was Heimerdinger, who returns to replace Norm Chow, fired after three seasons. When Heimerdinger was Tennessee's offensive coordinator from 2000-04, the Titans attacked opponents downfield more than they had in the past. For that to work again, Young must get the ball in the right places and the receivers must win one-on-one battles downfield.

Rotoworld's Fantasy impact     NFL Player News Young goes back for his degree The Titans expect Vince Young to make intermittent appearances at the Titans' training facility until his degree at the University of Texas is completed in mid-May. More on Vince Young

Heimerdinger will tweak the offense and hone Young's game -- simplifying some things in the passing game and working on Young's footwork. Those changes would be easier to make with his quarterback by his side, so progress could be measured daily.

"It'd be nice to have him here," says Heimerdinger, "but I have a hard time telling a guy trying to get his degree that that's not important either."

Young is staying in shape in Austin, and the Titans have been sending him DVDs to study. He returned to Nashville during his spring break and hunkered down with Heimerdinger. And Young plans to attend most of the team's OTAs (organized team workouts) in May and June.

But right now, this is like a long-distance romance. And, as we all know, those don't always work so well.

I'm not saying Young is wrong for hitting the books. But the one he should be hitting hardest right now is his playbook.