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Jason Campbell (17) has posted a passer rating above |
BY RICH CAMPBELL
ASHBURN--
If the last two games are any indication, Jason Campbell is going to complicate things for the Washington Redskins' front office this offseason.It seemed a foregone conclusion two months ago that the Redskins would be justified in jettisoning Campbell after the season. He was benched during a galling Week 6 loss against Kansas City and generally languished at the helm of a lifeless offense.
But Campbell's two touchdown passes in Sunday's 34-13 win over the Oakland Raiders marked the latest evidence that the Redskins might be better off bringing him back for a sixth season to see if he could build on his recent personal progress and sustain the positive momentum the offense has generated in recent weeks.
At the very least, the Redskins' brass has an increasingly difficult decision to make.
"We're right in the middle of this football season, and as a head coach, I'm not going to try to speculate on where he is in the league as far as a franchise quarterback," head coach Jim Zorn said yesterday.
"I know for this football team he is playing very well. This is his second year in this offense, and you can see glimpses of what this offense can do. And he's a big part of that."
It's a sticky subject for Zorn, of course, because his future with the Redskins (4-9) is murkier than Campbell's. Zorn has been evasive--defiant, even--in the last two weeks when faced with questions about his and the team's futures. He's not eager to relive the scrutiny and speculation he confronted daily during the first seven weeks of the season.
But such questions are natural with the Redskins out of postseason contention. And judging from the team's recent ascent to competitive respectability, the future actually is worth talking about.
Campbell is central to the conversation. As he plays out the final three games of his rookie contract, he's poised to finish with career bests in almost every meaningful statistical category.
He's on pace for career highs in yardage (currently at 2,946), completion percentage (65.3) and passer rating (89.0). He already has thrown for a career-high 17 touchdowns to go along with his 12 interceptions.
He has led the Redskins to their first consecutive 30-point games in more than three years. He was 16-of-28 for 222 yards, two TDs and no interceptions against Oakland for a passer rating of 106.5--his third game in the last five over 100.
"Every week he continues to get better on the line of scrimmage," Zorn said. "He has had some poise. Since the Kansas City game, that was the turning point for him where he had to make up his mind of how he was going to play this game. He has been tough-minded, if you will, on the line of scrimmage, in and out of the huddle, getting hit and getting back up."
It's uncertain, however, whether Campbell fits into the Redskins' plans for 2010 and beyond.
There are many variables.
Campbell's free-agent classification will be a critical determining factor. If the NFL and the players' union extend their collective bargaining agreement by the March 1 deadline, Campbell would be an unrestricted free agent. He could sign with any team, and the Redskins would receive no compensation. He'd be more likely to leave in this improbable scenario.
But if the CBA is not extended (the likelier scenario), Campbell would be a restricted free agent. Then things would become tricky.
If Campbell is restricted, the Redskins could easily protect his rights. They could offer him a 1-year tender worth little more than $3 million to ensure that they could either match another team's offer to Campbell or receive first- and third-round 2010 draft picks as compensation for his departure.
Campbell is currently the highest-rated passer of any in the NFL whose contract is scheduled to expire, so protecting his rights might be the team's wisest course of action.
Of course, the Redskins could always draft a quarterback. They have more immediate needs on the offensive line and in the secondary, but that won't necessarily stop them from addressing another position.
And there's also the possibility that a new coach or personnel chief won't want Campbell.
With so much uncertainty, Campbell insists he's strictly focused on the present.
"Christmas is creeping into my head," he said with a smile last week. "But I'm just staying positive and continuing to move forward. I always look at each thing one week at a time. You've got to continue to progress each week throughout the season no matter what our record is."
Campbell has maintained such a calculated approach since owner Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato tried to replace him with Jay Cutler and rookie Mark Sanchez in the offseason. Both Cutler (75.2) and Sanchez (63.7) have worse passer ratings this season than Campbell.
"He's a fighter," receiver Santana Moss said. "Regardless of what you say about him, regardless of what you throw at him, regardless of what you say he can't do, he's going to keep doing it until it all works and then you have something better to say about him."
Notes
Cornerback DeAngelo Hall (left knee), defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (left ankle) and fullback Mike Sellers are expected to return to practice this week after missing Sunday's win over Oakland, Zorn said.
Redskins running backs coach Stump Mitchell recently took part in a preliminary phone interview for the head coaching job at Southern University, according to the Associated Press. The Redskins reportedly granted the school permission to pursue Mitchell.
Rich Campbell: 540/735-1974
Email: rcampbell@freelancestar.com
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