Part One: Quarterback Breakdown

The Quarterbacks are the focal point of my first positional breakdown. We are in a very interesting position this year. Jason Campbell is now in his fourth year, in his third offensive system, and while he hasn't proven himself to be an elite NFL quarterback, has shown flashes of being a very capable quarterback. Unfortunately for him, he has Todd Collins' late season push last year casting a shadow on a promising season ahead. When Campbell went down with a knee injury, Collins stepped in and admirably led the offense to four straight wins and a wild-card birth in the NFC Playoffs. A promising start in Seattle fizzled out to bad mistakes and coverage lapses, and the Skins were eventually booted to the tune of a 35-14 loss. With a new coach and new offense, this is what we should look for going into this summer at the Quarterback Position:

Position Battle to Watch: Going into June, we have four quarterbacks (ignore Derek Devine) that are vying for 3 spots. Let's stick with Jim Zorn's belief that Jason Campbell is a solid #1 with no QB controversy. Essentially, it's a battle between second-year man Sam "Hollabackgirl" Hollenbach and Colt "I swear I didn't sexually assault that girl" Brennan for the 3rd QB position, and it should actually turn into an interesting battle during camp. As a recent Virginia Tech alumnus, I can honestly say my only major knowledge of Hollenbach comes from the two games I saw him play in as a Terp. The one that stands out most was a 55-6 egg that UMD laid in Blacksburg on a Thursday during my freshman year. Hollenbach had to put down his clipboard when the 1st string QB played his way out of the game and the 2nd stringer was knocked out cold. He actually played pretty gutty, and led the Terps on a nice FG drive, but that was about all I remember. He was very average in 2005 against the top-ranked Hokie defense, only managing a meaningless score in the 4th quarter in a 28-9 loss. Basically, I've heard he was an average quarterback in a very average program, and I don't see a lot of major potential. He has to have something going for him or the coaching staff would not have kept him around, but I'm not sure what it is. Brennan is coming off hip surgery, but the organization is already selling his jersey (which is an idiotic move for a #3 QB), so you wonder how high Jim Zorn must be on him. Once he's healthy, I'd put my money on Brennan because of his upside.

Progress Under the West Coast: We all know that Todd Collins success last year was greatly affected by his experience under Al Saunders' offense. He excelled in a system that he knew well. Redskins fans are keeping their fingers crossed that Jason Campbell will be able to recapture the magic he had in his Senior Year at Auburn under Al Borges' West Coast scheme. Campbell propelled himself into the first round by leading the Tigers to a perfect 13-0 record, a Sugar Bowl win over Virginia Tech, while throwing for 2700 yards, with 20 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. If he can have the same success under Zorn, things will look very good for the Washington offense in 2008.

Pocket Presence: Jim Zorn believes that Campbell's release is good, but that his footwork needs to be more efficient. Campbell has received a lot of credit in the past for his release form, but he always seems to hold on to the ball too long. He was sacked 21 times in 13 games, but many more plays seemed to be out of rhythm and turned out negatively (incompletion, batted down, fumble, etc.). Zorn is tweaking how Campbell stands in the pocket, and hopefully his reputation as a strong QB tutor will pay off. How Campbell responds to his teaching will go a long way to determining how this season will go.

Positives: Jason Campbell still has a world of potential, and his leadership ability and physical tools could eventually lead him to Pro Bowls, or maybe a Super Bowl. As long as he has the capacity to learn and adapt, the offense can do well. Collins proved himself to be a capable backup if Campbell goes down, and fans have a lot to feel good about. Brennan is a nice developmental prospect for a coach like Zorn, and keeping him on the roster could pay off down the road if he pans out as a solid player.

Negatives: While Campbell has always shown the willingness to learn and work hard, he has to be a little uneasy about how well Collins played down the stretch last year. If he stumbles early, how long will Zorn, or more importantly, Dan Snyder put up with poor play? His tendency to hold onto the ball needs to change, and change fast, or he could lose his job.

Grade Review:

• Skill- Campbell has strong throwing ability, but needs to improve on his short throws
• Athleticism- Jason Campbell has all the physical tools to be a top 10 NFL quarterback
• Depth- The Redskins have a strong starter in Campbell, with Collins being more than capable as a backup and Brennan in a good position to learn and develop
• Experience- None of the quarterbacks has been a healthy, consistent NFL starter, but the combined experience isn't too bad
• Intangibles- The potential for controversy is there, but it's ludicrous if people believe that Collins is a more capable quarterback. Campbell has a lot of incentive and tools around him to succeed, and the motivation should be enough
  

Overall: The position is solid, but needs to see improvement in order to carry the team further into the playoffs. Leadership will be huge in an offense with a great deal of star power (as well as ego), and Campbell has the potential to take the team to the next level. I look for Campbell to take a major step forward this year and possibly make the Pro Bowl. Unlike a lot of people, I like the hiring of Zorn, and think it will do a lot to stabilize Campbell's career.

Let me know what you think!

Next section: Running Backs

Your Weekend Update

I know it's been a few days since I've posted, so I figured I would give an update for anyone that's interested. I've been working on the layout of the blog (obviously), so you can now find my YouTube choices at the bottom of the blog, as well as a nice new format. I finally got my hands on Photoshop, so posts should be a little more exciting from now on. Look for some cool new additions for the next series of posts, which should begin within the next few days. If I can get this thing off the ground, we may have a few more writers come on-board to help me out. Anyway, OTA positional breakdowns will be coming soon! Thanks for reading!

HOF Weekend and Current Events

So I've just booked tickets to attend the 2008 Enshrinement ceremony in Canton, OH. Sweet. I always told my dad that we would go to see Darrell Green's induction together. Now it's actually happening and I'm completely pumped. My mom (and maybe my cousin) are also coming along, so it will be a family affair. The HOF weekend will be a nice break in the trend of the 18,000,000 weddings that Misha and I have to go to this summer (not that they won't be fun), and will be a nice way to kick off football season. We won't be going to the game on Sunday, but it's just a glorified pre-season game anyway, and I've seen waaay too many of those in my lifetime anyway. This trip is something I've been waiting for my whole life, and I'm way too excited about this to even begin to describe it. The pricing was actually very reasonable, which I was relieved to see. I'm assuming my dad is paying for the weekend, so that's just an added bonus.

On to some current events:

Owners opt out of current CBA through 2011- This is a really stupid move on the owners' part. I'm tired of hearing small-market owners whine about not making enough money. I agree with Chris Cooley, and maybe I'm a softie when it comes to competitive nature, but let's care about the team more than the money. NFL Franchises are more than investments, and football is something that Americans are passionate about. NFL owners exploit their players and fans enough, and this CBA disagreement is another example of this.

They're lovin' JT, and No I Don't Mean Justin Timberlake- There's a lot of buzz around Redskins Park about 4th Round Draft Pick Justin (J.T) Tryon. Many people are prematurely comparing him to Fred Smoot; both for his play and his mouth. I've done a little research on the guy, and watched a little video on him. I have to say that he completely reminds me of Smoot coming out of Mississippi State in '01. His mouth will probably get him into a little trouble as a young guy, but as they highlight in this video, his mouth is backed by his heart and passion for the game. I feel like he'll end up as a #2 corner in the NFL, as long as he bulks up to 195-200 lbs in the next year or so. His route recognition isn't strong, but he should do well as our nickel or dime (depending on Carlos Rogers' knee status) corner, and will move up in the depth chart once Shawn Springs hangs up his cleats. I personally do not see much of a future for Carlos Rogers in DC, which I'll address in a future post, so hopefully Tryon will live up to his billing and be a strong starter in a few years.

Non-Football Current Event: Pens v. Wings Stanley Cup Final- This has to be one of the best things to happen to the NHL in a really long time. I think that this final is one for the ages, if Penguins netminder Marc-Andre Fleury can keep up his tough play between the pipes. Having Sid the Kid in the Cup final is huge for hockey pub, and will only build upon the hype and coverage that these Stanley Cup Playoffs started with (having Crosby and Ovechkin in the same year). Hockey enthusiasts and underground fans should really come out of the woodwork for this series, and this guy is hoping that ESPN continues to amp up the hockey coverage above and beyond "The Mullet." I hate both of these teams (being a Caps fan), but I'm going to go ahead and predict a Red Wings Championship in six.

That's all I have today, look for a Redskins Roster Breakdown in the next few days. Please post comments!

There's Nothing Good about [a] New Jersey

The design of jerseys and team logos is something that has always intrigued me. I always thought I was the weird kid around because I used to draw new logos and uniform designs for the Redskins in my notebooks as a kid to kill time in the classroom. Apparently I wasn't alone. In the last few years, I've discovered the ESPN counterpart to my secret obsession in the Uni Watch, a much more detailed insight into sports outfits and regalia than I've ever considered. My thoughts have typically been limited to football, hockey and basketball, as I'm not that big into baseball, so I'm not as schooled in that area.
One of my old ideas (as the always critical Redskins fan) was to retool the old uniforms and make them a little more "modern." This idea, circa late 1990s, was to actually look into a more spear-based logo, similar to the 2002 (70th anniversary) design. My idea would have taken things a step further, with a white home jersey with a similar look, but no awful gold pants. The concept of the 2002 jerseys was OK, but the look was a little too different from the current jerseys, and the burgundy was too dark, almost like the Chicago Maroon that my Hokies wear.
Anyway, this article does have a point. I'm a huge fan of the 'Skins uniforms in retrospect, and I want them to stick to what they have. The more I've thought about it, the classier I think they are, and the more unique it is becoming in today's NFL. On the same note, I wouldn't mind seeing the Burgundy jerseys on the road a little bit more. I understand that the Skins, Cowboys and Dolphins are the only teams that usually wear white at home, but I feel like it would be nice to wear burgundy more than just the one Dallas away game every year (besides the random Eagles game last year of course). That's all I really have for tonight. Hopefully I'll be back into the swing of things within the next few days.

A Fresh Start

Like with all things, this blog is a new route for me. I've always tried to write more professional looking posts in other blogs, but that's going out the window here. Right now, I'm sitting one day away from graduating college. I have a month off, and then it's off to the "Real World" up in Falls Church, VA. While I'm about to put one part of my life behind me, which can be sad, I'm really excited about the opportunities that moving back to Northern Virginia has to offer. One of the coolest parts of this will be Redskins games. My dad and I had season tickets from 1991-2004 (the point when I graduated high school, moved down to Blacksburg and couldn't go to games anymore). He gave the tickets up and it was hard to see them go. I've had Hokie football to get me through my live football fix the last four years, and I have to say that it's been a hell of an opportunity to watch big-time college football every fall in one of the loudest stadiums in America. That being said, while I'm a Hokie, the Redskins were my first football love, and being estranged from them (geographically, not emotionally) the past four years has been absolute hell. Some of the best memories I have from growing up are at RFK and FedEx, and I can't wait to get back into the swing of live Sunday football again.

That being said, I've not given up on the Burgundy and Gold (or the maroon and black according to Coach Zorn) during my college career. Actually it's the opposite. College football has really unleashed a whole other football monster out of me, and it's really made me even crazier about the Skins than I used to be. Growing up (beyond the Super Bowl XXVI win) I was constantly rooting for mediocre-to-terrible Redskins teams, so I really only had major hope as a fan in Darrell Green. Since '04, my attachment to the team has gotten a little ridiculous. I'll admit that I have a closet man-crush on Chris Cooley, but in all seriousness, he really does a good job of making the fans feel like they're worth more to him than just his paycheck. Guys like Clinton Portis and Santana Moss give the team a ton of personality (sometimes multiple), and while they may not always have the best record, they're fun to watch, and fun to follow during the week.

Based on the draft, and the chemistry of the team, I feel pretty good about this year. I'll be coming back here periodically to offer a little personal opinion on what's going on with the team, DC Sports, or just life in general, but stay tuned!