Oakland Raiders: Is It Really a Stretch To Say Jason Campbell Can Be Elite?

It is safe to say, that Jason Campbell did not start off on the right foot in 2010. His performances were sporadic to say the least. In Week 1, Campbell looked nervous and unease at the quarterback position. In Week 2, he looked like a quarterback that was trying too hard to prove himself in front of a home crowd. Keep in mind, that he had a rookie left tackle playing out of position at center in Jared Veldheer, and probably one of the worst left tackles in the National Football League in Mario Henderson (yes, I am a Raider fan, and yes that is my opinion of Henderson).

Before I get into the point of this article, let me just say that I have always been a Jason Campbell supporter, even when he was in Washington. I despise the Redskins, however I think the fanbase and franchise both put too much blame on Campbell. So when the Raiders traded for Campbell, I supported the acquisition 100 percent. So to some, this may make me biased to his performance, but it is just my opinion.

The quarterback carousel of 2010 was actually very similar to the quarterback controversy of 2009. A fiery quarterback in Bruce Gradkowski against a quarterback with superior measurables in Jason Campbell. The biggest difference this time, however, unlike JaMarcus Russell, Campbell had professionalism and a quality work ethic.

The question on Bruce Gradkowski was whether or not he could be a starter for 16 games. Was his performance in 2009 really that good, or was Russell really that bad? Personally, I feel we have answered that question. Bruce Gradkowski is a quality backup quarterback, whose heart and fiery personality can uplift a team when things aren't going smoothly (i.e. injury).

The Oakland Raiders offense is better when Jason Campbell is under center. End of discussion.

Campbell has really shown his toughness in my eyes this season. More toughness than he ever showed in a Redskins uniform. He has been battling a stinger all se...