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Scaife Keeps Talking... Perhaps All The Way Out Of A Job?
Following up on an item in this week's Team Notes. ... According to Nashville Tennessean staffer John Glennon, tight end Bo Scaife said the controversy surrounding quarterback Vince Young and head coach Jeff Fisher may have played a role in the team's struggles this season.

But he doesn't think it should have.

"It's easy to make that excuse," Scaife said. "You try not to make that excuse because you get paid a lot of money to play this sport, but I'm sure it might have had a little something to do with it. Anytime you have any kind of (controversy) with the quarterback, that's the guy that leads your team, so that might have played a part. ... But everyone's got a job and they've got to do their job out there."

Glennon went on to advise readers that Scaife talked like a man who wouldn't be returning next season, but he said he hopes Young – his close friend and former college teammate at Texas – will be back.

"I hope he is. I know he wants to be," Scaife said. "He don't want to leave going out like this and having whatever was said being said about him. He wants to go out there and play, show everyone that he is a franchise quarterback. I think he has some unfinished business here."

Because Scaife was inactive last Sunday, he spent part of his time on the sidelines talking with Young, who came out at halftime and left early in the fourth quarter.

"I see Vince and I talk to him (regularly), so I was used to seeing him," Young said. "I'm glad he got to come out there. I know everyone wanted to see him. I know (the media) wanted to see him so you knew he's still alive."

It should be noted that Scaife was a healthy scratch against the Texans. He'd started 11 straight games, and had played in 27 straight. He was coming off the first two-touchdown game of his career.

Fisher said a lack of defensive line depth forced the decision to deactivate Scaife, along with the fact he wanted to play young tight ends Jared Cook and Craig Stevens.

But as Tennessean staffer Jim Wyatt noted, it was also easy to wonder if Fisher's decision might have had something to do with Scaife's comments last week, when he said he thought "the locker room might be divided up" over the rift between Fisher and Young.

On Thursday, Fisher said he expects Scaife to be active against the Chiefs on Sunday: "I would expect Bo to be up and playing for us, based on the way the inactives look now."

Scaife, a sixth-round pick in 2005, said he's had an "average" season (36 catches, four touchdowns). His best season in terms of receptions and yardage was 2008, when he caught 58 passes for 561 yards and two touchdowns. ...

Also of interest. ... Every player on the active roster participated fully in practice on Thursday, including kicker Rob Bironas (groin) and quarterback Kerry Collins (finger), who were held out Wednesday (see previous item).