The Case For Jason Campbell

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Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell is a riddle wrapped in an enigma.

There are some things everyone can agree on regarding the former Auburn signal-caller. Campbell is poised in the pocket, has a cannon for a right arm, has good feet, and is one of the classiest players in the NFL.

Good feet considered, Campbell has still yet to find a foothold in the NFL, and this is where the Jason situation gets dicey.

Campbell has been through three offensive systems during his four years as a starting quarterback, the last two being virtual polar opposites of each other. Despite this, his numbers have always been good, and he holds superior career statistics in completion percentage and touchdown to interception ratio.

The problem is, he never seems to make the big throws when they’re needed. With Campbell, there never seems to be a sense of urgency, nor the rah-rah attitude that’s associated with names like Brady, Favre or Manning (the elder, anyway).

None of this has translated into wins, and this is where the debate rages: Who is to blame, the player or the team?

There’s little consensus on this, even among the so-called experts. Many blame the system—they say Campbell isn’t a natural in the West Coast. Many blame the offensive line which, at its best, has been atrocious in 2009.

Still, others—most recently notable former QB collector Jon Gruden—have lambasted Campbell on air. Gruden made some interesting, if conflicting, comments regarding Campbell’s play during last Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Gruden both accused Campbell of rushing his progression and not stepping up into the pocket due to a lack of trust in his offensive line (well, duh…) and taking an extra half second to make his reads, often resulting in late throws.

Let’s pass on the offensive line comments; how could anyone trust that human piece of Swiss cheese?

Campbell’s reads are often coming late, almost like he’s still taking time to think and can’t rely solely on instinct. Combine this with what we heard about Zorn severely limiting his playbook last season and one question becomes clear.

How smart is Jason Campbell?

Football smart isn’t the same as actual smart; just ask former Redskin (and big-time QB bust) Heath Shuler. Shuler has been a successful businessman ever since he was a teenager, owning car washes by age 16, and is now in the US Congress (though this is not an indication of anyone’s intelligence).

Shuler also could never learn to read a defense. He was only successful in college because he was never asked to read more than half the field, and often his receivers simply ran under Shuler’s accurate deep ball.

Campbell is not nearly as extreme an example, but despite his team’s struggles and lack of continuity on the coaching staff, he should be farther along by now.

The other side of this is Campbell is simply not suited for the west coast offense. The WCO requires quicker reads, progressions and impeccable timing. Sound like a good fit for someone who has trouble pulling the trigger?

Don’t forget; Campbell was drafted to fit the Joe Gibbs/Al Saunders power-running/vertical passing offense. In a vertical game, Campbell would be afforded his extra half a second of reads, simply because it takes that much longer for his receivers to run 20 yards instead of seven to eight.

It also allows the field to open up more; Campbell takes care of his passes and is often reluctant to throw the ball into traffic. With the field further stretched out, Campbell can simply throw his balls over the traffic in the middle of the field and trust in his receivers to outdo the defenders for the ball.

Last question: How good would Jason Campbell and the Washington Redskins be if the team was still run by Gregg Williams and Al Saunders? (That one’s purely rhetorical).

Barring an incredibly dramatic turnaround, the Redskins will be completely rebuilding their offense in 2010 in yet another offensive system. With perhaps two viable starters, the offensive line is going to require the most attention which may (and should) preclude the team from drafting a quarterback with its first round pick. The team would then likely bring in a veteran signal-caller who is familiar with the system.

If Washington reinstates the vertical passing offense in 2010, Jason Campbell should be given a chance to compete for the starting job.

Campbell is in the final year of his contract but will not command a guaranteed starting job or a high salary on the open market. The team will likely be able to resign him to a more reasonable, shorter, incentive laden contract. That makes Campbell a low-risk/high-reward investment.

It’s likely Campbell won’t resign, given his history with the team and especially its owner, who has tried to replace him at least twice. But with the right offense, it may be his best shot at being a success in the National Football League.

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