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‘Skins Need to Find Out if Campbell’s “The Guy”

July 19th, 2009

Jason Campbell and the Washington Redskins would’ve been the perfect guest-couple on an episode of Jerry Springer at some point over the past couple months.

The Redskins were flirting with other signal-callers all of season long, with Campbell just quietly going about his business all along. What’s most intriguing about the situation is that the team wasn’t even hiding its bachelor-like ways from its 27-year-old incumbent quarterback.

Washington wanted to go in a different direction under center. The team tried to keep it’s feelings under wraps, but the word got out and it spread around the league quickly.

Jay Cutler – who the Redskins tried to trade for – ended up getting dealt from Denver to Chicago. Mark Sanchez – who the Redskins considered trading up to draft – was selected by the New York Jets.

They were the two that got away, and as a result: the guy who didn’t have the Redskins had hello, Campbell, is still Washington’s starting quarterback. This after the team spent the majority of its offseason trying to ensure that Campbell wouldn’t be running the Redskins offense come September.

Like a mistreated spouse who remains in a bad marriage – with blinders on – “for the sake of the kids,” Campbell has continued to go about his business. He’s handled himself with class and said all the right things. He’s spent hours in the weight-room and even more time in the film-room.

This season is the last that Campbell is contracted to spend in Washington. He’ll be available to talk with other teams as of this spring. That’s assuming that the Auburn-product doesn’t register a career year, garnering a monster contract offer from the very team that was looking to replace him as recently as two months ago.

Although to be honest with you – I’d kind of like to see Campbell reach stardom as an elite player this year, only to tell the Redskins “thanks but no thanks.” But I’d need another column to get into that.

The chance of Campbell piecing together a career year isn’t unrealistic. He’s a candidate to record a breakout-campaign for a lot of reasons.

The Mississippi-native has made just 36 NFL starts. In that time he’s proven himself to be immensely durable, capable of protecting the football, competent at picking up yardage with his feet, and exceptional at dodging pass-rushers.

What Campbell has yet to prove is whether or not he can carry a team on his back. That’s as much the fault of his coaches and coordinators as it is the sixth-year veteran’s, though.

You see, if a child asks for a puppy and his parents say that they can’t get a dog because they aren’t responsible enough to care for it, how are they going to know if the child really is responsible enough or not?

The knock on Campbell is that he doesn’t make enough big plays or lead Washington on enough big drives. He’s been “a guy” in an offensive huddle for the past three seasons, but people want to see him become “the guy.”

The problem is that he can’t do that if Head Coach, Jim Zorn doesn’t allow him to. He needs to be let off the leash. Enough with the dinking-and-dunking and game-management.

Campbell’s got way too much talent to be treated like Trent Dilfer. Let’s see what he’s able to do at the helm of a wide-open offense, with a full playbook at his disposal.

At the same point in his career – after 36 starts – Peyton Manning had completed 59% of the passes he had thrown. Campbell’s been more accurate than that. He’s also thrown half as many interceptions as Manning did to start his career.

But Manning threw 121 more passes in his first 36 games, and chucked the ball down the field more. Campbell’s going to have to do that this season and Zorn’s going to have to let him do that.

I’ve got no problem with the Redskins deeming that Campbell isn’t their guy. If they think there’s another quarterback out there, who is a better fit in DC and they want to bring him in, it’s a business and that is their prerogative.

But why not give the guy who’s been working hard for you a chance to prove his worth before you decide that he’s not capable?

Why not let Campbell care for a puppy before you tell him that he’s not fit to raise one?

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General, NFL, Washington Redskins, Articles

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‘Skins Need to Find Out if Campbell’s “The Guy”

July 19th, 2009

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