Redskins Reconstruction: Quarterbacks

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

He's the west coast Jason Campbell...meaning he's had to deal with change every year...meaning I'm surprised you would so easily write him off

Campbell shows some upside...Smith had a great college career but has shown no ability to play at the NFL level.

JC never had a 1 TD. 11 INT season. Campbell can run, Smith is a statue. Campbell is tough, Smith is injury-prone. The only real similarity is their lack of a consistent offensive scheme.

JC = 68 TD/46 INT, 60.8 COMP%
AS = 51 TD/53 INT, 57.1 COMP%

I've given Campbell more chances because I've seen he can play. He had a great year in Oakland...better than our QBs.

Smith has looked like garbage every chance he's had. He's had a longer leash than I've ever seen, but a team will tend to do that with such a financial investment in one guy.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Monkeydad

Football is a business, feelings do not matter.

If the year is shortened or there is a lockout from training camp or even post-draft activities, any team who drafted a QB and can't work with them is already in for a lost year. Plus, there's uncertainty with FA and when it might happen and how and even so, it's a crappy FA year talent-wise at QB...one of the worst I can remember.

Teams with starter-caliber QBs already on the roster should be less-inclined to make a change. Like it or not, McNabb is still a starter in the league. He does know the playbook even if he didn't catch on quick enough last year and he's a professional...so you can bet he's been working on the playbook and not sitting on his butt like Haynesworth. He's also professional enough to say that he signed the contract, so he's going to play it out. I don't see him as the type to cry and bail on us. He wants to be on the field.

When he was benched last year, the season was already lost in terms of the playoffs. Mike Shanahan said that he was going to play bench players and evaluate talent for the next season if that happened and he did. Sure, they bumbled the process in the eyes of the media who was just digging for a new controversy since Fat Al was no longer a story...but he did what he said he would. I didn't see the problem or any handwriting on the wall that McNabb was off the team in the future.

I think it's way overblown and honestly, since this is not a normal offseason and could be a lost offseason for developing a new QB whether from FA or the draft. it would be the best route to stick with McNabb for another year. He'll be in year #2 of the system, he can't possibly decline from his disaster of 2010.

Lets use our draft picks on other, more urgent needs like both lines, possibly a WR and 3-4 LBs. We should be focusing more on helping the personnel transition to the 3-4. With a solid D and McNabb, we can win. With another 31st-ranked D and a rookie QB who couldn't work on the offense in TC, we're toast and will be wishing for another 6-10 season.

I think you're looking at it from a short term perspective. And in that sense, sure keeping McNabb or even Grossman would help. But in a way it would be a blessing if we were able to draft a QB this year who could just sit and learn for a season without any pressure to be thrown into the fire now. In the long run, we need to improve our QB position even it means passing on a quick fix at some other position now (for example taking Phil Taylor). I'd rather be 6-10 in 2011 and 10-6 in 2012. Then 8-8 in 2011 and 6-10 in 2011.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Monkeydad

Campbell shows some upside...Smith had a great college career but has shown no ability to play at the NFL level.

JC never had a 1 TD. 11 INT season. Campbell can run, Smith is a statue. Campbell is tough, Smith is injury-prone. The only real similarity is their lack of a consistent offensive scheme.

JC = 68 TD/46 INT, 60.8 COMP%
AS = 51 TD/53 INT, 57.1 COMP%

I've given Campbell more chances because I've seen he can play. He had a great year in Oakland...better than our QBs.

Smith has looked like garbage every chance he's had. He's had a longer leash than I've ever seen, but a team will tend to do that with such a financial investment in one guy.

Well I disagree with many of your points, but I don't want to turn this into a Campbell thread. So I'll just leave it at we disagree

[Monkeydad]

You're right, if we do draft a QB, he needs to sit for the year and learn. Even so, learning under McNabb may not be a bad idea.

He HAS been to a Super Bowl and a ton of NFC Championships. Would we prefer that Rex Grossman the blooper machine teach the future leader of our team?

From a mentoring standpoint, McNabb is still the best option.


I just do not see any scenario other than financial possibly, that would make sense to part ways with McNabb. We gave up a lot to get him, we might as well give it a chance to work, if even for one year as a transition to a young QB as a long-term solution.

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Given the choice I would definitely take Grossman. 3 years under his belt now in this system, he would be the better choice in the short run as a potential starter.

Ideally I would say Smith, but nothing is "ideal" about our qb situation, so I agree w/you that the 3 years Rex has in it would make him a better short-term answer. Bringing in yet another vet qb might be subtraction by addition; having a rookie learn w/a clipboard can't be as effective when the vet starter is new as well. Not to mention, it would change the chemistry of the team once again.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

How is Smith better than Grossman folks? Seriously

I am not sold on Smith and this response was my first response. However, perhaps Smith has greater upside than the Rexster.

We know what we are getting with Rex - good one week, a train wreck the next. Multiple turnovers. And Rex has hit his ceiling - he is not going to get any better.

Smith, on the other hand, could be one of those players who blooms with a change of scenery. He could get much better and really contribute.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Monkeydad

You're right, if we do draft a QB, he needs to sit for the year and learn. Even so, learning under McNabb may not be a bad idea.

He HAS been to a Super Bowl and a ton of NFC Championships. Would we prefer that Rex Grossman the blooper machine teach the future leader of our team?

From a mentoring standpoint, McNabb is still the best option.


I just do not see any scenario other than financial possibly, that would make sense to part ways with McNabb. We gave up a lot to get him, we might as well give it a chance to work, if even for one year as a transition to a young QB as a long-term solution.

I think the financial reason to move him now could be pretty significant. There's no better time than now to move him. It sucks because we gave up so much for him, but it may be the best of a bad situation.

[MTK]

Too early to write off Alex Smith. He was very young when he came in the league and hasn't had the best circumstances under which to develop in SF. Who knows, maybe Harbaugh keeps him and all of this is moot?

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Lotus

I am not sold on Smith and this response was my first response. However, perhaps Smith has greater upside than the Rexster.

We know what we are getting with Rex - good one week, a train wreck the next. Multiple turnovers. And Rex has hit his ceiling - he is not going to get any better.

Smith, on the other hand, could be one of those players who blooms with a change of scenery. He could get much better and really contribute.

Which is sort of my feeling as well. Yes, we're probably fine with Rex for another year. But what's his upside really? He's just a placeholder. But with Smith maybe, just maybe, we find a guy who as you say needs a change of scenery and will just be 27 years old

[celts32]

Originally Posted by Lotus

I am not sold on Smith and this response was my first response. However, perhaps Smith has greater upside than the Rexster.

We know what we are getting with Rex - good one week, a train wreck the next. Multiple turnovers. And Rex has hit his ceiling - he is not going to get any better.

Smith, on the other hand, could be one of those players who blooms with a change of scenery. He could get much better and really contribute.

Yes! This is the exact reason why Smith should be the choice over Rex. At best Rex will be okay and we could go 8-8. if were wrong and Smith is a bust then we win 5 or 6 games...whats the difference? It's better to roll the dice that Smith could turn into something good.

[Lotus]

^ 8-8 is right. I don't see us going anywhere meaningful with Rex. Ever.

[skinsfaninok]

Originally Posted by Lotus

^ 8-8 is right. I don't see us going anywhere meaningful with Rex. Ever.

WE won't go anywhere with any QB unless he's a rookie in this draft imo. Alex Smith has had 3 different OC's and he still sucks. Might as well have JC back

[GusFrerotte]

Originally Posted by Masshole

The other thing is, demand seems to be far outpacing supply for quarterbacks in this draft. If we could get Gabbert or Newton that's one thing, but they're not going to fall to us, so we're not going to get good value with our pick, and really, nothing would be worse than us REACHING during this draft, when we have so many needs to fill. And if 5 of the poorer teams in the league all draft quarterbacks this year, the 5 guys most talked about, plus Dalton and Kapaernick all going in the 1st 2 rounds, seems to stand to reason that demand for quarterbacks should drop next year, when the supply will be better. So we can get the best value rather than reaching for someone this year/trading away a key pick from next year to the Patriots to move from 41 to 33 (or 28), to take Locker or Ponder, who the jury is very much still out on.

Some mocks have us going with Ponder from FSU, which to me personally wouldn't be such a bad option. I know Sam Bradford looks like he will be a stud, but most of these high profile guys do not make an impact. Look at the two QBs with the most rings the past decade: Big Ben and Brady. Both were considered low end QB prospects. Big Ben did garner more press than Tom, but still wasn't near the ludicrous level of Cam Newton. This kid(Newton) has a huge ass head, but not too sure if he has much of a brain in it though.

[GusFrerotte]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

WE won't go anywhere with any QB unless he's a rookie in this draft imo. Alex Smith has had 3 different OC's and he still sucks. Might as well have JC back

I say draft a QB in 2011 and 2012. Going for failed free agents all the time is boring and usually is just a "treading water" strategy that leads us nowhere.

[skinsfaninok]

Originally Posted by GusFrerotte

I say draft a QB in 2011 and 2012. Going for failed free agents all the time is boring and usually is just a "treading water" strategy that leads us nowhere.

Yeah I'm sorry but the whole Alex Smith talk sounds ridiculous to me, idk how any skins fan would want Smith behind center next year.. Just keep Rex if thats the case