The QB Thread.

[illone]

Arizona, Chicago, Denver, Buffalo, Indy, Detroit, Green Bay, St. Louis, and New Orleans all carried two QBs on the 53 man roster last year.

New England, Tampa, and Washington all carried three guys.

Some of the above teams showed three QBs on the NFL.com roster, but after further investigation ALL of them had the third guy stashed on the practice squad. It seems pretty normal to me to have two QBs, and a third guy on the PS.

Even if it was standard, it makes no sense to me to tie up a roster spot with a 3rd QB.

[turbodiesel#44]

Arizona, Chicago, Denver, Buffalo, Indy, Detroit, Green Bay, St. Louis, and New Orleans all carried two QBs on the 53 man roster last year.

New England, Tampa, and Washington all carried three guys.

Some of the above teams showed three QBs on the NFL.com roster, but after further investigation ALL of them had the third guy stashed on the practice squad. It seems pretty normal to me to have two QBs, and a third guy on the PS.

Even if it was standard, it makes no sense to me to tie up a roster spot with a 3rd QB.

I don't have a problem with a #3 on the PS. But I don't want a rookie at #2. We need to pick up a young guy and bring him along while we still have both JC & TC. IMO.

[Voice_of_Reason]

Arizona, Chicago, Denver, Buffalo, Indy, Detroit, Green Bay, St. Louis, and New Orleans all carried two QBs on the 53 man roster last year.

New England, Tampa, and Washington all carried three guys.

Some of the above teams showed three QBs on the NFL.com roster, but after further investigation ALL of them had the third guy stashed on the practice squad. It seems pretty normal to me to have two QBs, and a third guy on the PS.

Even if it was standard, it makes no sense to me to tie up a roster spot with a 3rd QB.

Fair 'nough. Good research.

Probably can do it both ways. I agree, if you can stash somebody on your practice squad, that's fine. However, if you're drafting somebody that you think is going to be a #2 or possibly starter down the road, you probably have to put them on the 53 man roster so that somebody else doesn't pluck them from your practice squad.

[turbodiesel#44]

Fair 'nough. Good research.

Probably can do it both ways. I agree, if you can stash somebody on your practice squad, that's fine. However, if you're drafting somebody that you think is going to be a #2 or possibly starter down the road, you probably have to put them on the 53 man roster so that somebody else doesn't pluck them from your practice squad.

And that's one reason I don't think it's a big priority to get a guy this year. We don't want our QB guru coaching up a guy just to have him stolen.

[Burgundy Burner]

The 'Skins will draft a QB and it may be a higher pick than we can imagine. I wouldn't be surprised if it is a third round selection. Coach Zorn has indicated that he wants a young qb on the team - so we will have three on the roster.

[twobags95]

We will have 3. JC, TC & and a young QB to develop with Jason. I could also see a 4th in camp that will stay in the area durring the season if needed.

[illone]

The 'Skins will draft a QB and it may be a higher pick than we can imagine. I wouldn't be surprised if it is a third round selection. Coach Zorn has indicated that he wants a young qb on the team - so we will have three on the roster.

Do you recall when/where Zorn indicated this?

I'd be shocked to say the least if the Skins drafted a QB in the 3rd round.

[coyote4848]

Imo, we should carry 3, only because the 3rd guy is usually someone that is being groomed to be a future starter. Most 2nd string QBs are just that....2nd string. With Zorn at the helm, I'm sure he's going to want a prospect for the future. I'm not sure that anyone is totally sold on JC(optimistic yes, sold....not really.). So, we need someone that could potentially take over in a couple of years. Not a Brunell, a rookie with upside. Maybe a 6 or 7 pick. It wouldn't be a big cap hit and let's not make that big of a deal out of the extra roster spot.....does it really make that much of a difference when you think about it? Not to mention I'd rather have another young QB that could take the reigns in another year or 2 if he had to.

[illone]

Imo, we should carry 3, only because the 3rd guy is usually someone that is being groomed to be a future starter.

You think the Skins should groom TWO QB's?

You do know that Jason is still being groomed, right?

I think it's too early to groom another QB. Judging by Campbell's improvement in 2007, it's safe to say the team is fairly confident he will continue to improve.

After a year or two in the WCO, then the team will know where they stand with Campbell and the future of the QB position.

[PleaseBlitz]

You think the Skins should groom TWO QB's?

You do know that Jason is still being groomed, right?

I think it's too early to groom another QB. Judging by Campbell's improvement in 2007, it's safe to say the team is fairly confident he will continue to improve.

After a year or two in the WCO, then the team will know where they stand with Campbell and the future of the QB position.

What is the harm in grooming 2? You should know about hedging bets.

[illone]

What is the harm in grooming 2? You should know about hedging bets.

QB is one of those positions where I think the Skins can move forward with two roster spots. Collins plays well enough to stick around for a year or two in a backup role and that 3rd QB roster spot could be used on a lineman or pass rusher.

I'm all for hedging bets, just not at the QB position this season. It didn't do the Skins any good the past four seasons and I can't think of a time when it really mattered to a team.

Opportunity cost is more important than hedging;).

[SkinsMaster88]

the Redskins will most likely carry 3 quarterbacks and depend upon a late round selection Zorn believes will be an effective WCO operator in the NFL down the road.

with the way quarterbacks go down each season it is rare for teams to carry just 2 and with Collins at 36 it makes sense to bring in a player that can be Campbell's primary backup in 2009.

Agreed. And to those who say cap reasons for only carrying two QBs. Whoever we get for the number 3 spot won't have a cap number like Brunell's. It will be some 6th or 7th round pick most likely to groom into a reliable backup for Jason Campbell in the future. He'd make the minimum salary.

Jim Zorn understands the value of QBs. Often times when a team goes in the season with 2 QBs, they eventually will need to get someone for their 3rd QB sometime during the season because of injury or play.

I know there's been other articles in the past, but this is the first one I found:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/10/16/qb.situations/index.html

"Through six weeks of the 2007 season, 17 of the NFL's 32 teams (53 percent) already have turned to a backup quarterback (or two) for more than just mop-up duty in a game."

And this is just 6 weeks into the season, you can probably add quite a few other teams (including the Redskins) to that list for the entire 2007 season.

[gorebd82]

We'll definitely be looking at a QB for insurance in the later rounds. Vinny said we'd be looking to add a young QB. Earliest might be a 5th. Hollenbach is gone. Nothing against him, its just that if Zorn is gonna have a QB to groom on the practice squad, then he'll be hand-picked.

I think what we should do is carry 2 QBs on our roster for the next two years. 2 years will be the window to really evaluate Campbell (he'll have 3 as the starter though), plus Collins should have another 2 years in him because he doesn't have much wear and tear on his body. ARE can serve as the emergency QB if both are injured in one game. If the QBs go down during the season, we'll just pick up a vet off the street as the backup. If both go down, the season is over and we'll let the vet play (like Carolina did).

As for the young QB, he'll be on the practice squad for a couple of years learning the system and being evaluated. If we look up in two years and Campbell is not the truth and the young guy progresses, then we'll move him up to back up while Campbell gets a 3rd year as a lame duck. If neither is the truth, then we spend a high pick on a QB after two years and let him sit on the bench behind JC for that lame duck season. And the QB we've been developing has already been groomed as a backup.

[S4L]

We will have 3. JC, TC & and a young QB to develop with Jason. I could also see a 4th in camp that will stay in the area durring the season if needed.

Or we can take a page out of John Gruden's school of quarterbacks and carry 5 on the active roster.

That way if you don't like one or the other on any given week, just plug and play!

[Cyber Pimp]

We need to draft a qb late. JC is suspect, Collins is old. Therefore we need to have a young guy that Zorn can develop.

[PleaseBlitz]

QB is one of those positions where I think the Skins can move forward with two roster spots. Collins plays well enough to stick around for a year or two in a backup role and that 3rd QB roster spot could be used on a lineman or pass rusher.

I'm all for hedging bets, just not at the QB position this season. It didn't do the Skins any good the past four seasons and I can't think of a time when it really mattered to a team.

Opportunity cost is more important than hedging;).

I just dont think that keeping an extra roster spot is so important that you wouldnt carry a #3 QB, ESPECIALLY in the precarious QB situation the Skins are in. Hell, maybe they can groom on that is good enough in 2 years to trade FOR a pick or two if Campbell does what i think/hope he does. :yikes:

[Aston]

I was among the crowd that felt Bramlet would have been a perfect 3rd quarterback, but, ya know ... whatever.

I understand the reasoning why you wouldn't want or need a 3rd QB on the roster, but I think you almost have to. Yes, Randel El played quarterback in college, but having the ability to throw a football isn't the only prerequisite to playing quarterback in the NFL.

If Collins went down last season and we had no 3rd, can you guys really imagine how STUPID we'd look? Seriously. Imagine it. Collins down. Players looking around. Time out ends. Referee spots ball. Head coach looks at OC. OC looks at QB coach. QB coaches looks at head coach. Annoucers having a field day. Writers and analysts are giggling like schoolgirls coming up with clever punchlines. Photographers going crazy.

We'd be the laughing stock of the sporting world.

If Collins goes down mid-season, we can always call Vinny Testaverde or something, sure. But in the middle of the game, you always need at least 1 backup.

Whether or not we as fans agree with it, this business is entertainment first, sport second.

And the show must always go on. Without a QB, you have no show.

[nightbird]

We MUST have a 3rd string qb, end of story. I really don't understand the arguments against. People here really would prefer having Marcus Mason (or Espy or Anthony Trucks or whatever mancrush) instead of a young qb we are developing? Nuts. Let me count the ways:

1. More than half of all NFL teams last year (including ours) lost their starting qb at some point in the season. So let's say we have to go with Collins. Then who becomes his backup? Randle El? Randle El is already our STARTING WR AND PUNT RETURNER. You want to make him the primary backup qb too? If not, you have to go out and sign a qb who is on the street and get him to learn the playbook. Maybe you can get someone you cut in camp who knows some of the offense, but no guarantees.

2. Collins has what...one year left in the tank? What happens when he retires? I guess we should start all over and bring in someone new. What are you going to do, bring in Koy Detmer?

3. We are trying to BUILD something LONG-TERM with our new coach and his new offense. Isn't it worth it to find a qb towards the end of the draft...someone who maybe doesn't have the arm or resume to be a top pick, but a guy who's smart and accurate, someone Zorn and Co. think can be groomed into a long-term backup?

Because that's what it comes down to -- sacrificing the future of our qb position so we can have a 4th-string mancrush running back on the roster (or a 6th wideout, 9th o-lineman or whatever).

And if you think that we are toast because we have to go to our 3rd stringer for a game or two, you haven't paid close enough attention.

First of all, guys like Trent Green and Brad Johnson started as 3rd stringers.

Secondly, you think Tampa or Carolina may have been able to save their seasons if they had someone better than Bruce Gradkowski or Vinny Testaverde?

Thirdly, we have our own history. Google "Jeff Rutledge, Redskins, Lions, comeback."

[mistertim]

We need to draft a qb late. JC is suspect, Collins is old. Therefore we need to have a young guy that Zorn can develop.

You mean like Campbell, who the entire FO and coaching staff seem to have indicated will be Zorn's guy to work with? Or do you think we'll pick up a 6th round QB, have Zorn spend all of his time with that guy and let JC just sort of do stuff on his own?

[pjfootballer]

The only way I could see having only 2 QB's is if you have Peyton Manning as your starter OR if you have someone like Hollenbach as your #3, you can probably stash him on the practice squad without fear of someone picking him up. Otherwise, I think you need to go with 3. We actually had TOO many safties on the roster IMO even when Sean was alive.

I can't see us going into the season with only 2 QB's. Jason has had a couple of injury concerns (Pitt preseason game and Bears reg. game) and TC is 36. We'll bring in a 4th for training camp.

And regarding the practice squad. I'd like to see the NFL let teams protect their prospects on the practice squad without another team being able to pick them up. I think the teams need some players to develop since there isn't a minor league system in football.

[wyominghansen]

#2: I agree.

#3: 3rd QB isn't exactly going to break the bank, so I doubt cap space would be a legitimate concern. Guys like that are making minimum salary.

Unless it's Brunell (LOL):laugh:

[pvkeeper19]

Randle El is not a quarterback. A 3rd QB is necessary. If the first two guys go down and there's not a 3rd QB on the roster, you can count the season as lost immediately. If you have 3, at least yu have someone who has practiced the offense, even if he is not a top-tier QB.

[illone]

I just dont think that keeping an extra roster spot is so important that you wouldnt carry a #3 QB, ESPECIALLY in the precarious QB situation the Skins are in. Hell, maybe they can groom on that is good enough in 2 years to trade FOR a pick or two if Campbell does what i think/hope he does. :yikes:

You don't groom players just to trade them away in the future:laugh:.

Teams that end up with two starter capable QBs usually don't stay that way for long. See: San Diego and Atlanta in recent years.

I just don't see how the situation is precarious enough to where a roster spot needs to be used on that position. Other teams seem to do fine with it, so why can't the Skins?

I'd rather have a situational pass rusher like Chris Wilson, or a bubble player like Marcus Mason/Mike Espy on the roster than say Mark Brunell or Jordan Palmer.

:2cents:

[turbodiesel#44]

Randle El is not a quarterback. A 3rd QB is necessary. If the first two guys go down and there's not a 3rd QB on the roster, you can count the season as lost immediately. If you have 3, at least yu have someone who has practiced the offense, even if he is not a top-tier QB.

If the first 2 QB's go down, your season is done anyway. The #3 is almost always a developmental guy. You would likely be looking to trade or sign a FA in that situation anyway. I think we need a #3 for future development, but if Zorn wants to spend his time with JC and prove/disprove his ability as our franchise guy, I would be perfectly Ok with a Bramlett type on the PS. That is, if the roster spot is deemed more beneficial if used on another position.

[illone]

Randle El is not a quarterback. A 3rd QB is necessary. If the first two guys go down and there's not a 3rd QB on the roster, you can count the season as lost immediately. If you have 3, at least yu have someone who has practiced the offense, even if he is not a top-tier QB.

Is this really a concern, though?

If Campbell and Collins go down, is a 3rd guy really going to save the season?

Moreso than a guy like Vinny Testaverde or Trent Dilfer who basically wait by the phone every year for some banged up team to call?