Is Rex Grossman the Vanilla Ice of the NFL?

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Am I the only one who chuckled when I saw that the Redskins signed quarterback Rex Grossman to a free-agent contract Wednesday morning?

Just seeing Grossman’s name back in the headlines -- I’ve always thought of Grossman as the Vanilla Ice of the NFL (and, no, I’m not confusing him with another former Bears quarterback). Vanilla Ice was simultaneously a punchline and the biggest pop star in the world -- kind of the same way Grossman was basically the laughingstock of the NFL while leading the Bears all the way to the Super Bowl.

Plus, there’s the Spurrier factor. Grossman played for Steve Spurrier at Florida from 1999 to 2001; Spurrier coached the Redskins in 2002-2003, and I’m guessing ‘Skins fans don’t want any reminder of that era.

Of course, I have no right to have a laugh at the expense of Grossman (or Vanilla Ice, for that matter). I am definitely no NFL quarterback (and God knows I’m no rapper), so who am I to guffaw when somebody is offered another chance at success?

It does seem unlikely that Grossman will be anything but a backup in D.C. Starter Jason Campbell is still there, and many predict the Redskins will use their first draft pick (No. 4 overall) on a high-profile quarterback such as Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford.

-- Chuck Schilken