6:3 A Quarter of the Way Back

The season kicks off in under two weeks now. At this point players are desperate to leave one final impression on the coaches for fear that it could be just that, their final one. Between whistles they try just a little harder, sweat a little more, and dig a little deeper to prove they have what it takes to be a part of something greater than themselves. This is it. The final two weeks of practice before they are put against another NFL team will be the hardest for them. In these last two weeks, I will try to introduce a few of the positions where players are competing for a roster spot and put names and faces together to familiarize fans to the players competing for them.

There are four quarterbacks attempting to make the three available roster spots on the Redskins. those four are:

• Donovan McNabb
• Rex Grossman
• Colt Brennan
• Richard Bartel

Donovan McNabb is the projected starter for the Redskins. He was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles for two draft picks after 11 years of service to the Eagles. There is no threat to his roster spot. He will be the starting quarterback. He has participated in every offseason activity and taken this struggling team under his wing by mentoring and befriending his former rivals. If McNabb stays healthy, his service to Washington could prove the most fruitful of his career.

Rex Grossman is another new face in Washington. His name might sound familiar to many people. That would probably have something to do with his run to the Super Bowl in 2006 with the Chicago Bears. Grossman is coming off a season with the Houston Texans where he was coached by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, son of Mike Shanahan. Kyle and Mike are now both coaching the Redskins and Kyle is familiar with Grossman's playing abilities, which makes him the likely number two quarterback. There may be some competition between Colt Brennan and Grossman, however it is highly unlikely.

Speaking of Brennan, the 2008 7th-round draft pick has become a favorite among the fans for his breakout 2008 pre-season, but a poor 2009 pre-season and a year plagued by injuries have dulled his bright talent. Brennan is a graduate of the University of Hawaii where he set many major records. He might challenge for the second spot, but will most likely be protecting his own third-string roster spot.

Richard Bartel has traveled around the league for much of his career with stops in Dallas, Cleveland, Jacksonville, and now Washington. He has the roughest road to a roster spot, but it is definitely not out of the question for him to make the team as a third-string replacing Brennan. It should be a tight battle for the final quarterback spot on the team, and it is interesting to note that neither Brennan nor Bartel have thrown a single pass in an NFL game.