Taking the Washington Redskins into the playoffs and beyond could make retaining quarterback Todd Collins the team’s key offseason move.
Each victory earns the coming free agent a chance to start somewhere in 2008. Given Collins’ contract expires soon, the Redskins may find themselves bidding to keep someone who wasn’t even playing a month ago on their roster.
Collins could be the next Jeff Garcia, who parlayed a big finish last year with Philadelphia into a big-money deal as Tampa Bay’s starter. Veteran passers are perfect stopgaps for teams on the postseason cusp, and Collins could tempt someone into a bidding war over a quarterback who went a decade between starts.
The Redskins will have some spare cash because Mark Brunell and his $8 million salary look to leave after serving as the team’s third-stringer this season. The former starter is a luxury for a team entering next season more than $21 million over the salary cap. That leaves some money for Collins, who should have the common sense to stay knowing offensive playcaller Al Saunders’ system is the catalyst for his success.
Then again, maybe the deal has to include the promise of competing with Jason Campbell for the starting job. Certainly, Gibbs can be entrusted not to make it an empty promise.
The old axiom starters don’t lose their job to injury hasn’t applied in years. The NFL is all about what you can do today. Even if Jason Campbell is ready for the playoffs should Washington beat Dallas on Sunday for the final wild card, the Redskins shouldn’t jeopardize their chances simply because Campbell is healthy. Go with who’s hot and forget everything else. If Brunell played as well in the 2005 playoffs as Collins is now, Washington would have reached the Super Bowl,maybe even won it over Pittsburgh.
But each win could send Collins closer to leaving. Remember Neil O’Donnell parlaying a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh into a lucrative deal with the lowly New York Jets only to never succeed again? At some point, money always trumps success. Collins should be financially set after 13 years professionally, but he’s never earned starter money.
What a stark turnaround for Collins, who a month ago was the great unknown in Washington. He last started a decade ago and was supposedly around more to mentor Campbell over the system than lead a playoff charge. But preparation has met opportunity and Collins is suddenly the most enticing backup passer in a town that has loved them ever since Babe Laufenberg made a preseason bid two decades ago.
But here’s the problem — what if Collins is merely a late-season mirage, a stopgap and not a long-term solution? There is a reason why he sat on the bench for 10 years. Then again, Collins might be the second coming of Trent Green, who sat five years before turning one special season in Washington into another decade in the league.
Suddenly, a boring backup becomes one of the offseason’s biggest question.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
