Washington Redskins: 10 Possible Quarterbacks for 2011 and Beyond

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

One thing that’s been made clear from the events at Redskins Park in recent weeks: The Washington Redskins and quarterback Donovan McNabb are heading for an offseason divorce.

This means that Washington will be on to its third starting quarterback in as many seasons. Given that NFL teams don’t give up franchise quarterbacks in their prime every day (unless Josh McDaniels is your coach), Washington is going to have to take a chance on someone, or draft a guy.

Check out our list of 10 potential starting quarterbacks for the team for next year and the future…we hope.

Rex Grossman

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Sexy Rexy is the other woman in this whole mess, and likely to at least stick around for 2011, though potentially as a backup or a seat warmer.

Grossman’s career has been defined by bipolar performances; he’s hot one week and way off another. He’s started in a Super Bowl, and admitted to not studying game film some weeks.

Grossman’s got an in with the Shanahan clan, however. Shanahan the Younger brought No. 8 up from the Houston Texans after a year of playing understudy to fantasy phenom Matt Shaub.

And we’re sure he knows the two-minute offense, right?

John Beck

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The only other quarterback on the roster is John Beck, who was acquired in a trade from the Baltimore Ravens on the eve of training camp.

Beck was highly touted coming out of college, and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round. However, that was the year of the 1-15 Dolphins, one of the worst in the history of the league. Beck saw some playing time, but eventually followed his coach and tutor Cam Cameron to the Ravens.

Baltimore, looking towards a Super Bowl, decided to bring Mark Bulger in to back up Joe Flacco late in the offseason, making Beck expendable.

Beck hasn’t gotten much of a fair shake in his career, but that could change in 2011.

Kevin Kolb

Al Bello/Getty Images

Could the Redskins trade for a second quarterback from the division rival Philadelphia Eagles in consecutive seasons?

Could be.

Kolb is the loser in the resurgence of Michael Vick. Once thought to be McNabb’s heir apparent, Kolb lasted all of a quarter at the starting quarterback spot for the Birds.

Vick is a free agent at the end of the season. It’s likely that he will be retained as the Eagles' starter, sending Kolb to a new home.

Kyle Orton

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

With Tim Tebow looking pretty decent in his Broncos debut last week, its possible that whoever is coaching in Denver next year may decide to stick with the kid.

That would leave Orton left out in the cold. Orton’s numbers in Denver have been above average overall, and he’s torn it up a few times. He’s generally consistent from week to week, protecting the ball and managing the game well.

Consistency at the quarterback position in Washington would be nice.

Andrew Luck

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The good news for the Redskins is that there’s a clear-cut franchise quarterback coming out in the 2011 draft.

Andrew Luck is a tough, pro-style quarterback who has completed over 70 percent of his passes.  He’s the total package.

The bad news for the Redskins is that they weren’t bad enough in 2010 to warrant selecting the soon-to-be Stanford alum.

Washington will have to move up at least 3-4 choices and possibly more to be able to snag Luck at the No. 1 overall choice. They’re still paying off the McNabb trade, but it might be worth it to the Redskins to secure a potential 15-year starter.

Then again, given Shanahan’s record to this point and owner Dan Snyder’s record as an owner, maybe looking long-term isn’t a viable option.

Cam Newton

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Newton is another rookie quarterback with some serious upside and huge athletic ability. He is also more likely to be available somewhere between No. 6 and No. 10 overall, which is where the Redskins are likely to be selecting.

Newton isn’t as polished a passer as Luck, but brings an entirely different dimension, with running ability that rivals that of Michael Vick.

Shanahan has never shown an interest in a running quarterback before and, given his rigidness with his offensive system, isn’t likely to change.

Jake Locker

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Once thought to rival Luck for the top spot in the draft, Locker has fallen to a potential late first-round choice after a poor 2010.

Prototypical size with a big arm, the knock on Locker is that his best numbers only come against poor opponents. With the game only getting faster in jumping to the NFL, that’s a serious red flag.

Locker would likely be a project quarterback, more for the future than 2011. With a bargain price tag, the Redskins might be able to trade down before snagging him, stockpiling some additional much-needed young talent.

Mark Bulger

Larry French/Getty Images

Bulger, like McNabb, is a former Pro Bowler who is past his prime and looking for another shot at a starting job.

Bulger was terrible his last season in St. Louis but, then again, so was everyone else. A year healing up on Baltimore’s bench may be just what he needs.

There’s little chance, however, that the team goes after Bulger without a longer-term plan in mind. Look for the team to snag a project quarterback to develop behind Bulger if they go this route.

Matt Leinart

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Leinart was the projected starter for the Cardinals entering 2010. Despite a solid preseason, he was released and has spent the balance of the season riding the pine for the Houston Texans.

He was run out of Arizona largely due to a personality conflict with coach Ken Wisenhunt. Wisenhunt is an old-school Steeler coach, while Leinart exudes the California cool style.

Leinart also has a significant advantage: He’s spent the last three months in a very similar system to Washington’s. And we all know how the Shanahans are about their system.

Donovan McNabb

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Stranger things have happened. And they usually happen in Washington.

Really, if McNabb started next season for the burgundy and gold, it wouldn’t even rank among the top five strangest things that have happened under Snyder.