He’ll be lost in this system. He’ll take a long time to learn it; he’ll hesitate on his throws; he’ll abandon the deep ball that serves him well. And Jason Campbell’s progress as an NFL quarterback will be stunted.
That’s the fear.
“Jason is a deep ball threat,” said one Redskins player. “I don’t know if he has the touch for the quick passing game.”
Then again, he’ll revert to his senior season at Auburn. The year that turned Campbell from disappointing college quarterback to first-round pick. The year he first played in the West Coast offense. And Campbell, once he’s used to the system — his third in four NFL seasons — will rocket past his peers.
That’s the hope.
“From what I’ve seen of Jason, he’ll be able to handle that,” said ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Ron Jaworski. “When I look at tape of him, I see steady growth. He won’t have any problems at all adjusting to this offense. In today’s game, with the offseason and minicamps, they’re much more ready to handle the nuances of an offense.”
New Redskins coach Jim Zorn will use the West Coast offense, short, quick timing passes with the occasional deep ball.
Fast decisions, accuracy and a willingness to be patient are prerequisites for a quarterback, who must hit receivers in stride to make them dangerous after the catch.
“If it fits any style, it’s that of a very accurate passer,” Zorn said, “and a guy who can make good decisions and who has good feet and can move.”
Accuracy hasn’t been a strength. In 20 starts, Campbell has completed 57.7 percent of his passes. However, at Auburn, he ran the West Coast with great success (69.6 percent completion; 2,700 yards, 20 touchdowns).
“He was a home run in that system,” said Russ Lande, a former scout with the Cleveland Browns who now is the publisher for GM Jr.’s draft guide. “In that system, he could be a real star. He’s very bright and hard-working. He can throw accurately, move in the pocket. It’s a matter of time.”
A secondary coach of a team Campbell faced this past season said the quarterback will be fine.
“He can run any type of offense because of his athleticism,” the coach said.
Seattle coach Mike Holmgren, who runs the West Coast offense, has said it takes a quarterback three years to understand the system. That was the case with his quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck. But Zorn said Hasselbeck thought he had it figured out in his first year and didn’t always do what they had hoped, which led to his benching.
“If Zorn spends time with him, he has a chance,” Lande said. “He has the smarts and talent to doit. That’s not an issue for them.”
