Another move the Redskins made on the last day of the NFL Draft is the trading of quarterback Jason Campbell. Campbell was dealt to the Oakland Raiders for a 4th round pick in 2012.2012????? Seriously?? That is all the Redskins could get for Campbell?? Wow, I know there wasn't a market for him, but come on?? There is a reasonable chance that the 2012 NFL Draft won't happen because of a possible work stoppage in the 2011 season. At least they could somehow received a late round draft pick for next season to avoid any possible screw ups in 2012.
Anyway back to the Campbell trade. This isn't surprising by no means. When Donovan McNabb was traded to Washington, everyone knew that Campbell tenure as a Redskin is over. The way owner Dan Snyder treated Campbell last offseason was also a indication. Either way, it was a bittersweet divorce between the Redskins and Campbell, who was a first round pick in 2005. He was a classy player and a hard-worker both on and off the field. Unfortunately, his nice-guy personality didn't translate to wins on the field and that what matters in the NFL. Campbell never led the Redskins to victories in critical situations.
Sure, the O-Line suck last season and in 2008, but remember what Campbell did in 2007. He had three tries to led them to victory in the 4th quarter against Philadelphia, Dallas, and Tampa Bay. Those games resulted in losses, and two of the three ended in interceptions from Campbell. Oh yeah, back in 2007 also, the Offensive Line was mostly healthy.
Look, I'm not trying to be criticize Campbell or be negative about him. But while his stats shows he is a top-15 quarterback, he was just an average quarterback on the field whether he had a good or bad offensive line. Campbell rarely threw the deep pass and when he did, it mostly results in interceptions or overthrowing his own receiver. Campbell also overthrows his receivers even in the short passing game. He often plays too scared and he's unable to read his receivers and the defense. I remember him throwing a short screen or slant pass on 3rd and long for a minimal gain, its a joke. It either the coaches doesn't trust him or he doesn't have confidence throwing the long ball. For the record, if Campbell never got injured on week 14 against the Bears , its highly likely that the Redskins wouldn't make the playoffs that year.
Despite his struggles, Campbell will go to Oakland as a starting QB, replacing JarMarcus Russell. Yes it's a upgrade for the Raiders and it could help the team in the long run. They had a good defense last season and had some very good wins against some playoff teams. So let's see if Campbell finally blossoms with a healthy O-Line and a young receiving core. One thing is certain. He is going from one dysfunctional owner to another.
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