There might not be a lot of believers in the possibility John Beck is a starting quarterback in the NFL, not outside of Beck himself and the folks at Redskins Park.

But that isn’t stopping Beck from doing everything he can to win over believers on a daily basis. That includes his teammates. Beck and Donovan McNabb remain under contract for the Redskins but McNabb figures to be on his way out of town after the lockout ends, no doubt a move the journeyman Beck needs to help him win the gig.

Beck took to the airwaves of SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday and was enthusiastic, if not impressive.

“I believe I’m a starter in the NFL,” Beck told hosts Rich Gannon and Adam Schein, according to CSN Washington.

Beck has been doing everything he can to prepare, working to contact teammates, recent draft picks and free agents to work out. He knows he doesn’t have a lot of cache, even less than Rex Grossman, who finished last season at quarterback for the Redskins and is a free agent.

“I don’t ask any fans to believe in me right now,” Beck said. “How could I? If you try to see what I’ve done in my career, I’ve stood on the sidelines and watched people and I went out as a rookie and played like a rookie. That’s it.

“So, for me, just give me an opportunity in the games. When I get an opportunity to be in this offense for a year, now that I have an opportunity to study the offense, I just want the opportunity to play.”
And he has no qualms taking a leadership role when he was the No. 3 a season ago.

“I basically say, 'Screw the awkwardness,'” he said. I’m trying to be the starting quarterback. I’ll call whoever, try to set whatever up. If you don’t think you’re a starter and act like a starter, your teammates aren’t going to think you’re a starter.”

Don’t count him as one of the veterans enjoying the longer offseason, either.

“I’m furious that I don’t get to be out there running OTAs, running minicamps,” he said. “Right now, we already should have had six OTAs and be preparing for a minicamp, and I’m mad that it’s not happening.”

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune