Washington Redskins: Jimmy Clausen is a Real Option

There’s always a reason to bring up quarterbacks when talking about the Washington Redskins, even when it’s not a starter duel.

Quarterback is the most important position on an NFL roster. I don’t think anyone’s going to argue that. If a team has a great quarterback, you can’t count them out. For years, the Redskins had been searching for that quarterback. After last season, it looks like they may have found him in Kirk Cousins.

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However, you need insurance plans at quarterback. Not just one, but multiple. If something happens to QB A, then you need a QB B. If something happens to QB B, then you need a QB C. If something happens to QB C, I think you see where I’m going here. No, no team will ever have 12 quarterbacks on their roster. Having names ready to go if your team ever gets desperate enough to pick up the phone and call someone is important however.

Right now, the Redskins roster holds two quarterbacks with NFL-time, and a rookie. Cousins is joined by Colt McCoy who seems to be the perfect backup for this system. He has played admirably when called upon, and seems perfectly content knowing he’s the backup.

Then there’s Nate Sudfeld. The rookie quarterback hails from Indiana University and is seen as a project. A lot of fans and analysts love the guy. He’s got the build of a prototypical quarterback (6’6″, 234 lbs) and put up solid numbers his entire collegiate career.

However, while Sudfeld potentially has a lot going for him in the future. That’s all it is for the 22-year old. Potential. If something were to happen to Cousins and McCoy, throwing Sudfeld into the fire would be a major mistake. The rookie quarterback would be best served spending the year on the practice squad, and maybe suiting up next season.

That means there’s an open spot. As I’ve pointed to, it would be best for a veteran to fill that role. That’s where Jimmy Clausen comes into play. The 28-year-old free agent has been linked to the Redskins (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com) Let me get this out of the way, I’m a Notre Dame fan, so I’m a Clausen fan. I’m also not blind. The quarterback has not lived up to expectations to this point in his career. In fact, it’s not even really an argument. The second-round draft pick has more interceptions (14) than touchdown passes (7) in his career.

You know who else had more interceptions than touchdowns heading into a season? Cousins last year. No. By no means am I saying Clausen could do what Cousins did last season, but he has never played a full season. In fact, he’s never thrown more than 300 passes in a year. That’s the beauty of bringing him in though. He’s not being brought in to start. Clausen would be the third option, and that’s a third option I believe many teams wouldn’t mind having.

The main reason Clausen is such a good option is because he knows how to run an NFL offense. He’s been around for long enough that he could be plugged into an offense and it won’t have to start from square one.

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This is a situation where you have to put your head over your heart. While many Redskins fans may want to give Sudfeld the honor of third string, the fact of the matter is, he may not be NFL-ready when called upon to perform. Clausen is.