Jason Campbell Is Not Jay Cutler: It's a Good Thing for Redskins Fans

(Photo by: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Quarterback Jason Campbell found himself in the same precarious situation Jay Cutler faced when each quarterback discovered that they were indeed expendable. Luckily, for Washington Redskins fans, Campbell is no Cutler.

Executive Vice President Vinny Cerrato and owner Daniel Snyder openly and aggressively pursued the disgruntled Denver gunslinger, making it perfectly clear Campbell was not their quarterback of the future.

He could have thrown a tantrum. He could have refused to talk with his head coach. He could have demanded a trade.

Instead, Campbell handled the situation like a man. He answered phone calls from Jim Zorn and met with Cerrato and Snyder.

It could have been a potentially nasty situation had the young quarterback followed Cutler's footsteps. Now the Redskins can get back to the business at hand, which is to win football games.

I have been hard on Campbell at times. I have often referred to him as a "deer in headlights" on my radio show, and perhaps rightfully so. The Washington offense was anemic at times last year, and much of that accountability has to be placed on the quarterback.

I was intrigued by the idea of going after Cutler. I'll admit it. The kid has a cannon and could potentially be a great quarterback in this league. Realistically though, he's still unproven in the NFL. I wouldn't call a 17-20 record as a starter spectacular, and Cutler has yet to lead his team to the playoffs.

The ‘Skins would have given up a lot to acquire Cutler. In essence, they would have given up on their work-in-progress, in Jason Campbell, to get another work-in-progress in Cutler. That doesn't strike me as a great trade for Washington, especially if they would have dealt Carlos Rogers as part of the deal.

This will be the first time Campbell will have had the chance to play in the same offensive system in consecutive years since, what, high school? Let's concentrate on tightening up that offensive line to give the man some protection. Re-signing Derrick Dockery was a good start.

I'm not saying Campbell is capable of leading the Redskins deep into the playoffs, but I certainly won't say he is not capable. Not yet.

The acquisition of Albert Haynesworth, although costly, should make the defensive line a lot better. Guys like Andre Carter and Anthony Montgomery will benefit from his presence.

The secondary will have a trio of great cover corners in Rogers, Fred Smoot, and DeAngelo Hall, along with two of the best young safeties in the game: LaRon Landry and Chris Horton.

London Fletcher is a playmaking machine at the linebacker position, while H.B. Blades and Rocky McIntosh are starting to come along nicely. The defense will undoubtedly be the backbone of this team next year.

With that being said, any consistency offensively will make the Redskins contenders in the NFC East. Campbell still has a lot to prove on the field; however, he has shown that he handles off-the-field situations with a great deal of class.

He is the Redskins' starting quarterback, again. He will have the opportunity to lead this team with the quiet fire he possesses, which is sometimes mistaken for a lack of leadership. Campbell has earned the much-deserved respect of his coaches and teammates.

So, back to the business at hand: Win football games.

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