Washington Redskins Trade Rumors: Should the 'Skins Go After Vince Young?

Donovan McNabb is out. Rex Grossman is unsigned. John Beck is the Redskins' current starter.

Regardless of your opinion on John Beck and whether or not you see him as a viable starter, the Redskins are in need of some quarterback help. A couple of free agent names like Carson Palmer and Kevin Kolb have swirled around, but it’s the latest rumored report that could scare and/or excite Redskins fans.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel “hears” the Redskins are the front-runners to land Vince Young this offseason. Young has not yet been released by the Tennessee Titans, but team owner Bud Adams publicly announced that Young would not be a part of the team’s 2011/12 roster. Redskins beat writer Rich Tandler also confirmed that he had heard talk of Young in D.C.

According to Rotoworld, Young is more likely to be released than traded, as he is due a $4.25 million roster bonus in addition to his $8.5 million salary.

A majority of fans would be skeptical to have Young as their team’s starter, and that’s well understood. But could he present the best option for the Redskins for next year?

Rex Grossman, who has always had trouble with consistency, showed a couple flashes of good play last season following the benching of Donovan McNabb, but nowhere near enough for coaches to instill full confidence. Grossman does, however, present a leg-up simply because of his familiarity with Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Even so, Grossman is not a starter in the NFL.

Mike Shanahan has apparent confidence in John Beck, as he has been a fan of Beck’s play since his college days at BYU. But with Beck not having thrown a regular season pass since 2007, Shanny has to be extremely cautious with placing the responsibility on Beck’s back. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised (or disappointed) if Shanny named Beck the Redskins’ starter for next season. Had there been a quarterback prospect in the 2011 Draft that impressed Shanny more so than Beck, he would have done everything possible to land him. He didn’t.

Vince Young’s career has been highlighted by ups and downs, both on and off the field, and wild inconsistencies. However, one key number on Young’s stat line is his 30-17 career win/loss record. Although his passing accuracy is sometimes suspect and his decision-making can lead you to scratch your eye balls out, the same could be said for Grossman.

Young also presents an ability to run, an attribute that fits very well with Shanahan’s offense and his frequent bootlegs. Young is coming off arguably one of the best seasons in his five-year career after playing nine games last year. Young posted a 98.6 quarterback-rating after throwing for 1,255 yards on 59-percent passing, 10 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He led the Titans to a 4-4 finish.

At the end of the day, Vince Young is a high-risk but with high-reward potential. From all indications, Shanahan and the Redskins could probably get Young for a reasonable and short-term contract, giving the team an NFL starter for this upcoming season.

And to note, former Titans coaches Jeff Fisher and Mike Heimerdinger are good friends of Mike Shanahan, and they may vow for Young and his needing of a fresh start with a new team.

For the right price, in the right situation, I'd support Vince Young-to-Washington with open arms.