Originally Posted by dgack
One point that gets consistently missed in the Great Gibbs / Brunell Vs Campbell Debate is that (IMO) Joe did not want to put Jason in a position where he was set up to fail, long-term, as the QB and future of this franchise.
This is exactly what we did to Ramsey, regardless of whether that kid ever had it or not, and given that being an NFL QB is so much about your mental stamina and attitude, I think he absolutely did the right thing by waiting as long as he did, and here's why:
1). He gave the kid a solid year of apprenticeship, to watch and learn from a proven veteran in Brunell, who led the team through a lot of negativity last season and nearly completed a true Cinderella comeback in the playoffs. Great experience for Jason to learn from.
2). He knew once he made the move for Jason, Mark was done here, and all eyes (locally and nationally) would be on Jason as the future of this franchise. You can't play Campbell and then say "he's not ready". Once he goes in, it's on the line.
3). He didn't pull a Shanahan and put Jason into a position where he had to win to keep the team's playoff chances alive. Instead, he's getting valuable game experience, and chances to win games (and win real moral victories / confidence boosters) but in games that nobody really blames him for / cares too much about if we lose.
4). He's allowing Jason to build confidence, and setting the stage for what he knows is his most crucial test, which is next season. Why? Because he knows that next season, everyone will expect him to lead this team to the playoffs.
Being QB of any high-profile NFL team is a pressure-cooker, especially being the QB of the Redskins. Nearly every Skins fan has locked their "hopes and dreams-ometer" to this kid, and Joe knows it. He need only look at Eli Manning to know what happens when a sharp kid with the tools loses his confidence or composure, too. Or Kyle Boller, for an example of what happens to young promising QB's who never regain their own or their team's confidence. Or Ben Roethlisberger, to see what happens to a young QB who's had early success but let it go to his head (figuratively and literally). Or Heath Shuler, to see what happens when the next Savior of the Franchise just can't get it going.
So, I think Joe knows a thing or two about cultivating young QB's, and I think he knows a thing or two about the difference between breeding winners and losers. The way he's handled the Brunell/Campbell situation went down about how I expected to, and I think in time we will see this as a great move.
|