The Washington Redskins made a surprise run to the playoffs last season behind backup quarterback Todd Collins, but the future of this club clearly is Jason Campbell under center, which was reinforced when the team hired Jim Zorn, a former quarterback and QBs coach, to be the head coach.
Zorn has asked Campbell to bend his legs more and be more athletic in the pocket while adjusting to his West Coast offensive style.
“What we're doing now, what we're learning and the work we're putting in, we're going to have the ability to be a fast-paced offense, a quick-strike offense," Campbell said at the recently completed minicamp. "We definitely have the talent to be that type of offense.
"The talent has been here, and now we're really going to give guys a chance to do a lot of different things. That's what you're seeing out there right now."The talent around Campbell certainly was addressed in the draft, as Washington selected big receivers Devin Thomas (Michigan State) and Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma). Last year, the Redskins’ receivers weren’t much of a threat. Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley led the team in catches. And running backs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts combined for 68 receptions, seven more than any receiver. It took almost three months for a Redskins wideout to catch a touchdown pass last year.
Campbell has shown flashes in his three seasons in the NFL. He made his first start in a regular season game during Week 10 in 2006, and he started the first 13 games last season before injuring his kneecap against Chicago.
He finished the season with 2,700 yards passing while completing 60 percent of his passes. Campbell had 12 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 77.6 passer rating. But he had to sit and watch as Collins led the team to a remarkable late-season turnaround in what turned out to be Joe Gibbs’ final season as coach.
The team brought back Collins, but Zorn has said he is committed to Campbell as the starter, and he has taken off some of the conservative shackles that Gibbs had placed on the former Auburn star.
"Now I'm in Coach Zorn's offense. It's a different offense and you have to do different things, and this is another change for me after only 20 games," Campbell said. "Now I have to change my whole mind-set again and go back and learn something new. That's fine. I feel good about what I've done. I think I've shown what type of quarterback I can be."
Washington is +3500 to win the Super Bowl at WagerWeb.com.
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