Except for one problem: When Campbell was coming out of college, Shanahan, according to a Broncos source, was not high on him. His opinion could be different now.

But Campbell would like an opportunity to change his mind. Shanahan only won Super Bowls with John Elway running his offense. However, even without Elway, his offenses flourished. During his 14 seasons in Denver, no offense gained more yards than the Broncos.

Shanahan uses a lot of play-action passes — bootlegs and rollouts.

“I grew up watching John Elway and the one thing I used to love is the way he used play-action,” Campbell said. “He would keep the defense on their heels. It’s a quarterback-friendly offense.”

Shanahan said he would talk with Campbell at some point, but did not offer much of an assessment of him, other than, “I love the way he handles himself.”

But he did lay out what he wants from a quarterback.

“You have to be accurate,” Shanahan said. “You have to be passionate. You have to love what you’re doing and study the game inside-out. Some guys are talkers; others are quiet. I’ve seen people lead in a lot of different ways. … But you have to have a burning desire to be the best you can.”

If the collective bargaining agreement is extended, Campbell will be an unrestricted free agent. If not, he’ll be restricted. The free agent crop is thin, with Denver’s Kyle Orton being the biggest name.

Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford is the highest rated quarterback entering the draft, but is coming off an injury. Cincinnati’s Tony Pike has the arm strength and athleticism favored by Shanahan, but Russ Lande, who heads the Sporting News draft coverage and is a former scout, said there are concerns about Pike’s ability to learn an NFL offense.

The Redskins could draft a quarterback and play Campbell for another year.

“Given the right opportunity, Jason could be very good,” said ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth, who played for Shanahan in Denver. “One thing Mike looks for is athleticism and the ability to move around. He has that. He has plenty of arm. He’s a big tall kid. I don’t think there’s any question he could fit with Mike’s system. But he has to go through another learning curve.”

In Washington, Campbell has learned three different offenses and spent the past season playing behind a weak offensive line. He’s anxious for something different.

“I don’t know what he thinks of me as a quarterback, but I can elevate my game to another level,” Campbell said. “This year we were limited in a lot of ways based off the injuries we had … [But] I won’t second-guess myself. I know the things I can do.”

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