…The most discussed part of Jim Zorn’s press conference was the awkward pause when he was asked if Jason Campbell could ever become a franchise quarterback. Zorn clearly does not view him in those terms. He’s being honest, but it’s also telling.
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“A lot of people want to label every quarterback, ‘He has to be a franchise player,’ ” Zorn said. “I don’t know if that is where he’s at. I don’t think it is. But he just continues to imrpove as a starting quarterback in this league.”
When asked if he could get there, Zorn said, after a couple second pause, “The way he works, his grit, his determination, he can. But in every instance the quarterbacks all have help from other guys. So that remains to be seen.”
That’s also a shot at the rest of the offensive talent. Again, a bit harsh but true. Campbell is the sort of quarterback who must be lifted by those around him as much as he lifts them.
“He still continues to improve,” Zorn said. “He showed that he could turn a receiver down and read a coverage, read a progression and get the ball to the right guy. I don’t think he’s been stuck on a single reciever like he was in the first year. Second, he’s really improved his explosiveness away from the line of scrimmage. His getting rid of the ball has been much quicker than when I first got here. He’s a threat when it comes to scrambling, not every play but when he takes off he can motor down the field and pick up yards. He hasn’t improved his sliding ability.”
We hadn’t noticed.
…Paul Fanaika, signed Nov. 24, could wind up starting at right guard in the finale. He worked with the first unit today and Zorn said he probably won’t settle on a starter until the weekend. That means they want to see how Fanaika handles his reps in practice before making up their minds. If he does start, he would be the sixth player to do so at right guard.
Yikes.
…Running back Ladell Betts said his goal is to return in time for training camp after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL. That would be approximately eight months from the time of the surgery, a reasonable goal. He will spend the offseason rehabilitating at Redskins Park.
He said he’s not worried about what this means for his career.
“The good thing is I had a chance to show people that I had a lot left in the tank,” Betts said, “and I’m still capable of playing.”
…London Fletcher on Brian Orakpo’s Pro Bowl bid: “He’s extremely humble and he’s done it in the right way. He’s very respectful. He pays attention in the meetings. He wants to get better every week. He’s had to learn two different positions, which is not easy. A lot of people have tried and failed, but he’s excelled at playing linebacker and end for us.”
…It’s too bad about Fletcher and he might still go if one of the top two linebackers has to back out. But let’s drop the line touted by Greg Blache, who says the reason Fletcher hasn’t made it is because he doesn’t draw attention to himself. Not sure I’ve ever seen Patrick Willis or Jonathan Vilma do that, so that’s clearly not the reason. In some cases it’s bad timing; he’s played for winning teams and he’s had years where he’s had more interceptions and big-play totals. He also has a lot of people lobbying for him. It could be just as simple as there’s always a couple players better than him. Thing is, he deserves something. He’s been too good for a long time.
