Todd Collins did not look crisp, and Jim Zorn seemed to be protecting him a bit in his comments to us. He went to great lengths to talk about the fact that Todd was working with the second team and facing the first-team defense, and Zorn even blamed himself for screwing up the call on a motion.
But still, Collins's body language alone conveyed frustration and, while it's still very early, it's also worth pointing out that he clearly is going through some learning pains in this offense after 10 years with Al Saunders. Collins has done things one way for a very long time, and Zorn is definitely an unorthodox guy who comes up with unique drills and takes on things; that dynamic is worth watching.
Longer article on the front page of the WaPo sports page here
Collins -- who played a key role in the team's regular season-ending four-game winning streak -- returned to the Redskins for a three-year, $9 million contract that included a $3 million signing bonus. For the first time in his career, Collins, primarily a backup in his first 13 seasons in the NFL, had financial security, and Washington retained the quarterback it wanted to play behind developing starter Jason Campbell.
Although Collins played well down the stretch when Campbell was injured last season, some Redskins observers wondered how he would fare in a new offense for the first time in nine seasons. So far in training camp, Collins is off to slow start, he said.
"I'm just trying to get on the same page with this offense," Collins said after practice yesterday at Redskins Park. "It's different. It's got a different rhythm. That's what training camp is for -- to get acclimated."
For the previous eight seasons (six with the Kansas City Chiefs, two with Washington), Collins worked in the offense of former Redskins play-caller Al Saunders, who was forced out in the staff shakeup after former coach Joe Gibbs retired.
Saunders, who now directs the St. Louis Rams' offense, ran a pass-oriented scheme that was predicated on timing and rhythm, and numbers were used in play-calling. Timing is a component of Zorn's version of the West Coast offense as well, but the pace is much quicker than that of Saunders's and words are used instead of numbers.
Collins has appeared frustrated throughout camp. He has struggled to connect with receivers downfield and often seems to go through his progressions slowly as if he is unsure about the receivers' routes. Zorn has pushed Campbell publicly and privately to raise his level of play, saying he wants Campbell to continue to work on his mechanics and play faster, but he seems to have taken a gentler approach with Collins.
"Todd's got a little bit different factor to deal with," Zorn said of Collins's struggles to this point. "He's also dealing with the backup offensive line against our first defense, more often than any of the other quarterbacks, so that's one of the things.
"Secondly, we've got younger guys in with him and they're all learning. The thing that I love about Todd is he's very competitive. He wants to do it right. He knows what's he's doing. Sometimes things they don't happen for him down the field."
But Collins should show significant improvement in the offense "as he gets into the game with some of the more experienced players," Zorn said. "I see him as doing his job. I don't see him having bad days as much as just having frustration for lack of execution down the field."
I don't care how much Todd Collins is struggling because Jason Campbell is going to stay healthy all season behind his healthy starting offensive line and have over 3000 passing yards and 40 TD passes. Todd Collins is going to get paid to practice with the second team all season.
GSPODS wrote:I don't care how much Todd Collins is struggling because Jason Campbell is going to stay healthy all season behind his healthy starting offensive line and have over 3000 passing yards and 40 TD passes. Todd Collins is going to get paid to practice with the second team all season.
GSPODS wrote:I don't care how much Todd Collins is struggling because Jason Campbell is going to stay healthy all season behind his healthy starting offensive line and have over 3000 passing yards and 40 TD passes. Todd Collins is going to get paid to practice with the second team all season.
AND we will finally win another SB.
This will be the year we win the Superbowl TWICE!!!!!
"That's a clown question, bro" - - - - - - - - - - Bryce Harper, DC Statesman "But Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man That he didn't, didn't already have" - - - - - - - - - - Dewey Bunnell, America
Personally, I have no idea why the Skins wanted to keep him, if they weren't keeping Al. I think it was an awful keep. Todd played very well for the Skins when called upon, but it was something he'd been doing for 10 years or so....
Why not just get a backup with some sort of knowledge of the system being used now?
Champsturf wrote:Personally, I have no idea why the Skins wanted to keep him, if they weren't keeping Al. I think it was an awful keep. Todd played very well for the Skins when called upon, but it was something he'd been doing for 10 years or so....
Why not just get a backup with some sort of knowledge of the system being used now?
Could have been for a vet for JC to lean on. Even though he's been a career back up, he's still been in the league a long time and I'm sure he's got a lot of knowledge to share with JC.
...any given Sunday....
RIP #21 Sean Taylor. You will be loved and adored by Redskins fans forever!!!!!
GSPODS:
The National Anthem sucks.
What a useless piece of propagandist rhetoric that is.
Champsturf wrote:Personally, I have no idea why the Skins wanted to keep him, if they weren't keeping Al. I think it was an awful keep. Todd played very well for the Skins when called upon, but it was something he'd been doing for 10 years or so....
Why not just get a backup with some sort of knowledge of the system being used now?
Decent quarterbacks are hard to come by. Can you name 2-3 possible candidates we could have picked up? I don't know that I can think of any, but it's hard to imagine a much better veteran quarterback that we could have picked up cheaply.
The reality is that we need some experience at the QB position, and that will have to come with our depth since Campbell is our starter. So we need someone who can step into a game without it being their 1st or 10th time. Collins may be struggling according to camp reports, but I have far more confidence in his ability to perform than if we had picked up a random, West-coast oriented FA or UFA quarterback.
Champsturf wrote:Personally, I have no idea why the Skins wanted to keep him, if they weren't keeping Al. I think it was an awful keep. Todd played very well for the Skins when called upon, but it was something he'd been doing for 10 years or so....
Why not just get a backup with some sort of knowledge of the system being used now?
Decent quarterbacks are hard to come by. Can you name 2-3 possible candidates we could have picked up? I don't know that I can think of any, but it's hard to imagine a much better veteran quarterback that we could have picked up cheaply.
The reality is that we need some experience at the QB position, and that will have to come with our depth since Campbell is our starter. So we need someone who can step into a game without it being their 1st or 10th time. Collins may be struggling according to camp reports, but I have far more confidence in his ability to perform than if we had picked up a random, West-coast oriented FA or UFA quarterback.
Good points. I can't name any veteran WCO QBs off the top of my head either, but I sure wish we had one...
Champsturf wrote:Personally, I have no idea why the Skins wanted to keep him, if they weren't keeping Al. I think it was an awful keep. Todd played very well for the Skins when called upon, but it was something he'd been doing for 10 years or so....
Why not just get a backup with some sort of knowledge of the system being used now?
Decent quarterbacks are hard to come by. Can you name 2-3 possible candidates we could have picked up? I don't know that I can think of any, but it's hard to imagine a much better veteran quarterback that we could have picked up cheaply.
The reality is that we need some experience at the QB position, and that will have to come with our depth since Campbell is our starter. So we need someone who can step into a game without it being their 1st or 10th time. Collins may be struggling according to camp reports, but I have far more confidence in his ability to perform than if we had picked up a random, West-coast oriented FA or UFA quarterback.
Good points. I can't name any veteran WCO QBs off the top of my head either, but I sure wish we had one...
Brett Favre???
Skins fan since '55
"The constitution is not a suicide pact"- Abraham Lincoln
Todd struggled his first camp in a new offense? BFD. Can we get some perspective here? He plays well subbing for Jason and we need to start him! Now before even a pre-season game is played and he's struggling, did we make a mistake keeping him as backup?
No and no. He IS a solid backup. He's NOT a starter, particularly for a good team which we hope we are. The bottom line is both he has to adapt to Zorn's O and the O needs to adapt to him if he's playing. Gibbs was the master at that. Having a philosolophy and tayloring it to the players.
Hail to the Redskins!
Groucho: Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him
Twain: A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way
KazooSkinsFan wrote:Todd struggled his first camp in a new offense? BFD. Can we get some perspective here? He plays well subbing for Jason and we need to start him! Now before even a pre-season game is played and he's struggling, did we make a mistake keeping him as backup?
No and no. He IS a solid backup. He's NOT a starter, particularly for a good team which we hope we are. The bottom line is both he has to adapt to Zorn's O and the O needs to adapt to him if he's playing. Gibbs was the master at that. Having a philosolophy and tayloring it to the players.
I completely agree, Kazoo....
...any given Sunday....
RIP #21 Sean Taylor. You will be loved and adored by Redskins fans forever!!!!!
GSPODS:
The National Anthem sucks.
What a useless piece of propagandist rhetoric that is.
KazooSkinsFan wrote:Todd struggled his first camp in a new offense? BFD. Can we get some perspective here? He plays well subbing for Jason and we need to start him! Now before even a pre-season game is played and he's struggling, did we make a mistake keeping him as backup?
No and no. He IS a solid backup. He's NOT a starter, particularly for a good team which we hope we are. The bottom line is both he has to adapt to Zorn's O and the O needs to adapt to him if he's playing. Gibbs was the master at that. Having a philosolophy and tayloring it to the players.
Pretty much. Though it's nice to see this article so maybe people will shut the hell up thinking Todd Collins is the answer as the starting QB.
VetSkinsFan wrote:Does this actually surprise anyone?
nope. the man has no arm strength and cant move. it helps in the west coast offense to move around a little bit and like in any offense to have a big arm. campbell has both, collins has neither
KazooSkinsFan wrote:Todd struggled his first camp in a new offense? BFD. Can we get some perspective here? He plays well subbing for Jason and we need to start him! Now before even a pre-season game is played and he's struggling, did we make a mistake keeping him as backup?
No and no. He IS a solid backup. He's NOT a starter, particularly for a good team which we hope we are. The bottom line is both he has to adapt to Zorn's O and the O needs to adapt to him if he's playing. Gibbs was the master at that. Having a philosolophy and tayloring it to the players.
Pretty much. Though it's nice to see this article so maybe people will shut the hell up thinking Todd Collins is the answer as the starting QB.
Therein lies the lack of perspective problem. Oh my God, he's not Montana? He's not our OBVIOUS starter? Cut him, eat the cap, cut him NOW!!!!
Hail to the Redskins!
Groucho: Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him
Twain: A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way
