The quarterback; often seen as the staple of a NFL franchise. Most often, the quarterback is a high draft pick and becomes the face of the franchise. Have these high profile players ever failed? Many of them have. Has a less profiled, lower draft pick QB ever succeeded? Most definitely! This is the case happening in Washington right now with the Redskins. The higher profile player in RG3 has failed and in stepped a 3rd round pick from 4 years ago in Colt McCoy. Can Colt McCoy be the savior and franchise QB?
If you at look at McCoy’s college career, he certainly has the resume to be an elite caliber pro quarterback. He holds 47 records at the University of Texas and was a 2 time Heisman finalist. However, Colt McCoy’s pro career has been less than stellar. He has a career record below .500 at 7-16 and a passer rating of 93. Most of that came while a member of the Cleveland Browns. McCoy, since getting his chance with the ‘Skins is 1-1 with a passer rating of 132. He also came on in relief of a struggling Kirk Cousins to lead the Redskins over the Titans.
McCoy most certainly has the intangibles to be a solid, productive, franchise type QB in the NFL. He is smart; he takes care of the football and does not put his teams in bad situations. He has a full command of the offense and can manage all aspects of the game. He reminds me a lot of Alex Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Is it possible for a QB to resurrect his career with his 3rd team in the NFL? It most certainly is. Just take a look at Rich Gannon. He never really started making a name for himself as a legit starting QB in the NFL until he was with the Kansas City Chiefs where he went 11-8 in his career. His best years were while he was in Oakland playing into his 30s. He was a career 44-29 in Oakland leading them to the Super Bowl following the 2002 season.
Colt McCoy is still young. Given the weapons he has in Washington and the system he is in, I believe he can thrive. He may not be the flashy bright star that everyone looks for but the kid has it. He has proven he can win on a big stage, Monday night in Dallas. He can throw from the pocket, he can throw on the run and he can make off schedule plays. That is something that Washington has not seen in 2 years with RG3 under center.
Is Colt McCoy the long term answer for the Washington Redskins? This is a question that has yet to be answered. Given all the ifs, ands and buts that have taken this team over why not give him a shot. After all, he is the only QB on the roster with a 500 or above record this year. Why not see what he can do with a full off season plus with these weapons and system. Some people may be surprised.