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| Susan Walsh / AP Photo |
| Amid speculation he was on his way out, Redskins QB Jason Campbell has been more of a vocal leader this spring. |
BETHESDA, Md. -- The grass was rich green on this side when Jason Campbell maneuvered 18 holes last week with three others at a country club course. The trio had donated generous dollars to engage with Campbell at this Make-A-Wish Foundation charity event, dollars that will help fulfill the wishes of children facing life-threatening medical conditions.
So Campbell, sometimes hacking, sometimes stroking, said he jumped in because this cause was unique and worthy. He said that people in the Washington, D.C., region have invited him into their homes and hearts over the past four years. That makes him want to build long-term relationships and keep giving here.
But as Campbell enters his fifth season as a Washington Redskins quarterback and the final year of his contract, he is still mending in his mind and heart what he considers an offseason full of rejection and challenge from his franchise.
Campbell vs. Cutler
The Redskins reportedly made a strong move to get Jay Cutler in the offseason before the quarterback landed in Chicago. See how Jason Campbell's 2008 stats compare with Cutler's:
Jason Campbell Games/Starts: 16/16
Passer rating: 84.3
Passing yards: 3,245
TDs/INTs: 13/6
Rush yards: 258
Jay Cutler Games/Starts: 16/16
Passer rating: 86.0
Passing yards: 4,526
TDs/INTs: 25/18
Rush yards: 200
"It looked like they were trying to move me up out of here," Campbell said.
The first shot was Washington's March interest in the Jay Cutler fest that concluded with Cutler being traded from the Denver Broncos to the Chicago Bears.
"I was hearing I would wind up in Tampa in a trade involving us, Tampa and Denver," Campbell said.
Next was the April draft and Washington's flirtation with drafting quarterback Mark Sanchez, who landed with the New York Jets.
"You don't just think about bringing in people like that unless you expect those people to play," Campbell said. "I didn't understand it. It didn't make sense. You are down on the wrong person. Other stuff needs to be done and resolved before challenging me. Sure, a lot of quarterbacks have been through this in their careers. You have to look at it as sport, a business, a profession and understand there is competition all the time and nothing is in stone. No guarantees. But you still get mad deep inside. And how you handle that helps determine if you are going to make your career successful."
Bottom line is that Campbell is sure he is a "franchise" quarterback. But he is not so sure the Redskins believe it.
On that last thought, he is absolutely correct.
"Y-E-T," spelled Redskins general manager Vinny Cerrato when asked if the franchise believes Campbell is a franchise quarterback. "As in, yet to be determined. Hopefully he is. We have talked honestly. It's past and we are looking forward. We hope he can play 16 games like he played the first eight last year. Consistency throughout.
"I think he's made a lot of progress. What he has done is take charge and be more vocal with the team. It showed in his offseason and in the camps. We want that. Absolutely. He's more comfortable now in the second year of the offense with (coach Jim) Zorn. That should enable him to provide more leadership."
You get it? Campbell does. This is a huge season for this quarterback if he is to remain in a place he considers home.
"But you can't think like that, play like that," said Campbell, "Because one bad pass leads to another and one interception leads to another and the losses come. But I know I have to have a big year and have them come to the table or get more options for myself. You know, this is a big year for me, but it's a big year for the Redskins as a whole, as a group from top to bottom. Everybody has to come together. It's hard to win without coming together."
Let's keep this in mind about Jason Campbell, age 27:
He has played either in a different offense or under a different offensive coordinator for each of his last eight seasons, the four at Auburn and his four with the Redskins. He did not play a single down as a 2005 rookie. He has played only one full 16-game season and that was last season. In each of his Redskins years, his completions, completion percentage, passing yards, touchdown passes and passer rating have increased. In a career total of 36 starts, he has thrown 35 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions.
And last season, he set a franchise record of 252 consecutive passes without a pick. That helped the Redskins get off to a 6-2 start. But they finished 2-6, missed the playoffs and Campbell's play was as spotty as the record.
Consider, though, that his team faced Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the league's nastiest defenses, along with Dallas, Philadelphia and the Giants defenses in NFC East play over that stretch. That would have been a grueling task for any NFL quarterback.
Campbell needs more passing weapons. He needs second-year receiver Devin Thomas to rise. He needs more from Santana Moss and Atwaan Randle El and from newcomer Roydell Williams, a fleet receiver in from the Tennessee Titans. He needs a big rushing year from running back Clinton Portis.
Besides revamping his soft-spoken nature and attitude, the Redskins want Campbell to become less mechanical and play more relaxed. They want him to become more artful with his footwork in the pocket, not to run more, but to step here, step there, feel the rush, improvise and make those subtle moves that can be the whisker between a touchdown pass and a sack.
Maybe a second consecutive year in the same offense and under the same tutelage can help Campbell achieve that.
Jason Campbell has yet to emerge as a star on the fantasy scene in his first four seasons. Find out where Michael Fabiano has him listed in his 2009 fantasy rankings. More ... "People forget every year I had a different offense to learn and you see how important that is to a quarterback," Campbell said. "Peyton Manning was upset recently about his coaching changes and changes to his offense and that's after he's been in the same system more than 10 years. That's something I've done every year. You have to build those relationships with your coaching staff. Players have to build that and feel that.
"There are still double-standards in this league for African-American quarterbacks. You have to be great to be good. And others who are half as good are considered great. That is not an excuse, that is a fact. I don't make excuses. I was raised to understand it is not always about you. You have to give respect to get respect. You have to work. I grew up in Taylorsville, Miss., where the village raised the family. What you did, someone saw it."
So Campbell will not hide. How can he? He is still the quarterback who in 2005 was drafted by Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs after the then-Redskins coach traveled to Auburn to secretly meet him in a hotel before trading three draft picks to move up in the first round and select him. He is still the Washington Redskins starting quarterback. That means something among this franchise's fanatical base and, overall, in this jittery league of quarterbacks. No matter how fragile the trust -- on all ends.
"I have leaned on family, friends and, yes, even fan support," Campbell said. "I'm still a young quarterback, developing, still going through changes. I won't make excuses for myself. I try to be an athlete, a person, that what you see every day is what you get. A player who tries to keep everybody even. You know what you are getting. It's not fake."
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