I was going to do a roundup of what's been going on in Redskins-land lately, but decided that the wide receiver situation was a bit too beefy to gloss over. So ..
I suppose this was the only way Thrash was going to get out of the picture. He's been dealing with a bad neck injury. But Joe Gibbs praised him year after year because of his work ethic. So has Jim Zorn. So it goes. Word is, he'll get some sort of job perhaps as a coach with the team.
This makes the receiver situation a little more clear. Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly will make the team, no questions asked. Behind them, Keith Eloi, Marques Hagans, Marko Mitchell, Trent Shelton, Jaison Williams and Roydell Williams are contending for one or two roster spots.
There are a lot of talented people there, and I'd love to keep all of them. Moss and Randle El will probably start again, for better or for worse. I'd like to see more out of Thomas and Kelly. Kelly especially needs to step up, if he ever gets over his knee injury. It's not promising for the receiver out of Oklahoma. And because of that, I think it's fairly important to keep an extra body or two to be ready in case Kelly is never ready.
As for the others, I'd suppose that Mitchell has a leg up on the others since the team drafted him. I actually really like Eloi, but I don't see him making it. If you haven't seen this Eloi video, it's pretty funny.
Hagans is a lot like Randle El, and that's probably not good for him. Hagans was a quarterback at Virginia, but is trying to make it in the NFL as a receiver. Talented, but pretty sure the team isn't looking for someone with his particular skill set since they already has Randle El.
Jaison Williams and Roydell Williamsare similar - big, tall, fast. They both have a lot more experience than the others, so that might give them an advantage.
I still say that it'll be Mitchell making the team, and if they keep a 6th (I think they should), it'll probably be Roydell Williams.
It's always sad to see a Redskin go, especially when it is a potential starter. But Jon Jansen, the longested tenured dude around, ... I didn't expect him to depart quite so suddenly.
I guess the thing with Jansen has to do with his age, and the fact that he was making too much for his quality of play. I've always liked him - he seemed to exude confidence - so it's sad to see him go. Plus yeah, I did think he could recover from his recent injuries and play to a Pro Bowl level. Call me crazy.
Mistake or not, the Redskins are now heavily banking on either Stephon Heyor or Mike Williams stepping up and starting (and performing well) at right tackle.
And yes, that's Mike "I weight 400 pounds" Williams. You know, the guy who hasn't practiced in two years and is currently eating nothing but salads (seriously) in an attempt to lose 40 pounds by training camp.
And while Heyor played alright over a short period, it'll be interesting - and potentially key - for him to keep it up. He had to sit out for an injury last season, and Jansen came in as a replacement and never gave up the spot last season because he was playing so well.
Anyway, Jansen, good luck to ye. You signed with the Lions. Hope Matthew Stafford works out, or else it could be another long year in Detroit.
Sorry for the time away -- the offseason is a slow time.
But I thought I'd bring this up. The NFL is supposedly trying to figure out if the Redskins tampered with Haynesworth when they were attempting to sign him.
If it's proven that the Redskins did indeed tamper -- which I think will be hard to prove -- the team could lose a draft pick.
I had heard awhile back about these rumors, but didn't think anything of them since most teams do this to an extent. So to actually bring on tampering charges, the Redskins must have done some really shady backroom stuff. It'll be interesting to see what happens, and how much the Redskins lose.
The first official Redskins training sessions starts today, so I'm a little late (things have been busy), but as such, some decisions need to be made by the time the team heads to training camp in July.
1. The offensive line needs to discover itself. The Redskins used no draft picks on the offensive line, and they released Pete Kendall, a starter at guard last season. The team also still has Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen/ Stephon Heyer at the tackle spots, all of whom were replaced at one point last season because of either injury or performance issues. So who the heck is starting? Former No. 4 overall pick at tackle Mike Williams was signed, but he weighs a ton (almost literally) and might not ever be in "playing shape." (Although in this recent picture, he looks pretty good.) Randy Thomas will definitely be holding down one tackle spot, and a lack of options puts Casey Rabach back at center. Samuels was injured late last season, but he'll almost definitely keep his job at left tackle. I suppose that leaves the right tackle position up for grabs. Jansen says it's his. Williams says he wants it. Haven't heard anything from Heyor yet about it.
2. So where does Brian Orakpo fit? The Redskins have to find someplace to put Orakpo, who was considered by some to be the best defensive player in the draft. He played -- and excelled -- at defensive end at Texas. But some draft "experts" said that they thought he could play some linebacker in a 3-4 defensive set (which basically means that there are three line players and four linebackers). Unfortunately the Redskins run a 4-3 defense (four line players and three linebackers). Apparently the team started him at linebacker in today's minicamp. I'd kind of like to see him more at DE, personally. Not sure if he has the range to play linebacker.
No. 2 leads into No. 3 ...
3. Who the heck replaces Marcus Washington. The team dumped Washington back in February and hasn't exactly signed anyone to replace him. The Skins seem to think that H.B. Blades can contribute as an outside linebacker, and I just don't see it. Today, apparently, the team lined up Blades, London Fletcher and Orakpo as the linebackers for the first-team offense. Rocky McIntosh was excused from practice today. Apparently the team wants to use Orakpo to replace Washington (ookkayy) on first and second downs, and then use Orakpo as a pass-rusher on third downs. I suppose then Blades would replace Orakpo at OLB on third downs (cringe). One of the younger OLBs needs to step it up. I'm looking at you, Robert Thomas.
4. So, how about the punt returns? The Redskins ranked in the bottom third of the league in punt returns last season. Even worse if you take out the returns by Santana Moss (remember thatn 80-yard goodness against Detroit?) It was no secret that the team needed to find fresh legs and replace ineffective Antwaan Randle El, and they brought in a few guys who might not survive the minicamp (Anthony Alridge, Dominique Dorsey).
I doubt either or those guys make the team (unless they show that they also can play running back decently), but I would love for one of them to unseat Randle El.
5. Of course, we have the quarterbacks too. The Redskins now have half of the 2007 Heisman Trophy candidates on their roster (newly signed rookie Chase Daniel and Colt Brennan). Does last year's backup Todd Collins keep his job, or has Brennan unseated him? My guess is that Brennan will be fighting Daniel for the No. 3 spot behind Jason Campbell and Collins.
I should have seen it coming. I should have known who the Redskins were picking.
Pre-draft talk about So. Cal. quarterback Mark Sanchez dominated the airwaves. Most people figured the Redskins were trying desperately to trade up and pick the smooth QB. Huge smokescreen! Well, maybe. Who knows.
Then the choosing time came around, and nothing happened. Everything happened as it should have. I found myself hoping the Rams would pick Sanchez, just to get it over with. But no. OT Jason Smith off the board.
The Chiefs up next. Would they trade down? Nope. DE Tyson Jackson to KC. Seattle goes with Curry.
And then finally Cleveland trades down, the J-E-T-S move up and take Sanchez. Brett Favre for one year and then Sanchez time. Good move for them, no doubt.
Better move for the Redskins by not trading up. I told you all last week that trading up would be a bad idea. I still believe that.
But the Redskins stayed put and chose Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo with their first draft pick.
If you haven't see anything on Orakpo, check out some highlights:
I should have seen it coming. Maybe. Think about it. Who was the last free agent the Redskins signed? I'll let you think about it.
The team signed offensive lineman Mike Williams just a day before the draft. Still don't get it? Where did Mike Williams play college football? Texas. ... Orakpo is from Texas! Boom!
So, yeah. I should have seen it coming.
Combining with new Redskin Albert Haynesworth should help Orakpo. And the addition of both of these guys should help defensive end Andre Carter. One thing is for sure, it's pretty obvious that the team's front office recognized that the opposing quarterbacks had FOR-EV-ER to throw the ball.
Other picks
One thing I noticed about four of the Redskins' six draft picks: injury problems. As good as Orakpo is, he's had a few knee sprain problems in his college career. As for the other picks, we now have a guy who has a broken shoulder, another who has knee problems, etc. It'll be interesting to see whether these injuries hamper the rookies. Anyway, onto the picks.
In the third round, the Skins picked Maryland CB Kevin Barnes. A YouTube star:
Seems decent. Broke his shoulder blade last year that required surgery. Not sure that I think he's better than Macho Harris, who went to Philly later in the draft. Very sad about that. But scouts think Barnes is worthy of the pick.
In the fifth round, the Skins picked Nebraska linebacker Cody Glenn. He started his career as a running back. He's another guy with injury issues. Missed a lot of time in college with various injuries. In all, I suppose I'm pretty "Meh" about this pick. Maybe he's good at special teams.
In the sixth round, the team picked TCU inside backer Robert Henson, who seems very average. Ran a slow 40-yard dash time. Here is a highlight video. He was a four-year starter though.
With the first seventh-round pick, the team picked Idaho tight end/fullback Eddie Williams. Williams is yet another guy with big injury problems. Not sure what it means for current Redskins fullback Mike Sellers. According to Williams' agent, he think he'll be playing fullback.
With the team's second seventh-round and final pick, the Redskins drafted Nevado receiver Marko Mitchell. Dude is big and tall, but his speed isn't great. Seems slow, but that's just his running style. Looks like a solid pick, which is rare when the Redskins draft (sad to say). Here is a highlight reel.
Overall, if Orakpo works out, then this draft will be a success. I think WR Mitchell is a good pick. I'm not sure about the rest of the picks. Just not sure we'll get anything out of them. Too many injury problems.
I'll give it a C. Who I would have picked The team had six draft picks. Only picked one I really agree with. Here are the selections I would have made.
First round Brian Orakpo. I got nothing against this selection. Good pick. I hope he works out.
Second round No pick. Traded to Miami for the rights to Jason Taylor. Who lasted one year before getting released. Good job Redskins.
Third round Victory "Macho" Harris, CB, Virginia Tech. I don't care if he fell all the way down to the fifth round. He's a great corner. He fell because he ran a slow time at the NFL Combine, but the guy can play. Not saying that Kevin Barnes, whom the Redskins drafted, isn't great. Just got a great feeling about Macho. Too bad whatever happens will be with the Eagles.
Fourth round No pick. Traded for Pete Kendall, whom the Redskins released after last season. Another good job Redskins from me.
Fifth round Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma. The best guard in the entire draft fell all the way to the fifth round. Apparently he has "slow feet." The Redskins need offensive lineman, especially inside guys. But the team did not draft an offensive lineman. Not a one. I would have changed that one. Robinson is absolutely huge. Carolina nabbed him just after the Redskins picked.
Sixth round Aaron Kelly, WR, Clemson. Kelly was on his way to being a first-day draft pick last year. But Clemson had a horrible year offensively and Kelly dropped like a rock.
Seventh round Willie Williams, LB, Union College. This guy has had way too many problems. But he's a solid prospect. Seriously, he was the No. 1 high school prospect at one point, and then he bombed out of Miami, and he bombed out of like 3 other schools, including Louisville. Green Bay signed him to an free-agent contract, so we'll see how that works out. Head problems with this one, but sometimes you have to take a chance.
One thing that I know can not, and will not, happen this Saturday on draft day: The Redskins will not draft Mark Sanchez. It will not happen. It's either a giant "smokescreen," or a giant media fabrication.
Sanchez will not drop to No. 13, where the Redskins pick. Trade up? More on that later.
No way in hell he drops to No. 13. The Lions could draft him No. 1 overall (unlikely -- probably will pick Georgia QB Matthew Stafford); The Seahawks could draft him at No. 4 (my bet is he's gone here, though some think Seattle will select Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree).
If he makes it past the Seahawks, the Browns, Jags and 49ers could all be interested in a potential franchise QB.
So no way does he fall that far.
I am quite sure that Redskins owner Dan Snyder is indeed "in love" with Sanchez, the super-smooth Southern Cal quarterback.
But the cost to trade up (likely to K.C.'s spot at No. 3) would be way too high. We're talking multiple first-round picks. Mortgaging the future, Ricky Williams style.
Snyder isn't that damned crazy*. Some have said he is.
I'm remaining calm and betting on the Redskins picking up either a offensive tackle or defensive end with their first selection. Or trading down for more picks.
Sanchez, though? No way.
*I hope.
Other Redskins news
Early rumor: Former Denver boss Mike Shanahan comes in next year to be the Redskins' coach. Of course he could also go to Dallas. Silly rumors, tricks are for kids.
Why do Redskins fans look forward to prime-time games? Because you can watch it on ESPN?
Remember your history! And start being afraid.
Since 2004, the Redskins are 3-8 in prime-time games (those games on Sunday or Monday nights). Here's a breakdown:
2008: 0-3 2007: 1-0 2006: 0-2 2005: 2-0 2004: 0-3
So, when the NFL's schedule was announced Tuesday, it was not with great joy that I saw the team was playing three prime-time games. And divisional games at that. Whoopee.
First off, for those that use this site as their NFL news haven, here is the Redskins' 2009 schedule:
Sept. 13 @N.Y. Giants, 4:15 Sept. 20 vs. St. Louis Rams, 1 Sept. 27 @Detroit Lions, 1 Oct. 4 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 Oct. 11 @Carolina Panthers, 1 Oct. 18 vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1 Oct. 26 vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 8:30 (Monday night) Nov. 8 @Atlanta Falcons, 1 Nov. 15 vs. Denver Broncos, 1 Nov. 22 @Dallas Cowboys, 1 Nov. 29 @Philadelphia Eagles, 1 Dec. 6 vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 Dec. 13 @Oakland Raiders, 4:05 Dec. 21 vs. New York Giants, 8:30 (Monday night) Dec. 27 vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8:20 (Sunday night) Jan. 3 @San Diego Chargers, 4:15
If the Redskins get interesting in the last half of the season, there is always flex scheduling to deal with, too. Maybe more games will go prime time. Yay?
Given the Redskins' horrendous nature in prime-time games, I suppose it's a saving grace that at least all of the games are at home. Not that FedEx Field has been great to the Redskins lately - the team was a mediocre 4-4 last season.
The rest of the games Overall, the schedule isn't that bad.
The good news is, since the Redskins finished dead last in the NFC East, they get to play the K.C. Chiefs, the Lions and the rest of the bad teams in the NFL.
The crucial stretch is Nov. 22-Dec. 27. Out of those six games, four are against divisional rivals (@Dallas, @Philly, vs. Giants, vs. Dallas), plus you add in a tough road game against Oakland (they were terribad last year, yes, but the team is still traveling across the county), and that's a tough month of football.
If I've learned anything, it's that just because a team was bad one year does not mean that it'll be bad the next. Except maybe the Lions. And the Chiefs. And the Raiders. ... Maybe I do feel better about the Redskins schedule.
The opener against the Giants will be tough. Last year, if you'll recall, the team basically got stomped in New York in the season-opener. Well the Skins get to travel to N.Y. again this season for the season-opener. Hopefully it'll turn out better.
I think hoping for a 10-6 record with that schedule isn't crazy. I said hoping, because anything is possible.
The team brought in Southern Cal linebacker/macho man Rey Maualuga, right, for a visit. Wonderful hitter. Not sure if the team needs a linebacker this badly, though.
(I kind of wish they did, just because of how terribly awesome he is).
Also, check back tomorrow for my take on the Redskins' schedule, which will be announced tonight.
The opponents are already known: Home: New Orleans, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Denver, Kansas City, Philly, Dallas and NY Giants;
Road: Carolina, Atlanta, Detroit, San Diego, Oakland, Philly, Dallas and the NY Giants.
Back from a wedding. Sorry for the lack of updates.
Anyway ...
If the Redskins ever really wanted Pittsburgh backup quarterback Byron Leftwich (and I don't think they ever did), apparently he'll sign with the Buccaneers soon. Leftwich is promised a shot at a starting spot in Tampa, something the Redskins weren't about to give him.
If Jason Campbell isn't a good fit in coach Jim Zorn's system, with Campbell's slow delivery and such, Leftwich is even worse. Leftwich has a slower delivery. The Redskins are better off without him.
If the team wants a good backup, former Tampa QB Jeff Garcia would have been an excellent backup. Too bad he signed with the Raiders last week.
What does this all mean? Are the Redskins really looking for a backup quarterback? To be honest, I'm not sure. My feeling is that the team is probably looking to add someone. But why the team seems to be giving up so early on second-year QB Colt Brennan is beyond me. Rumors have gone a little wild lately after the Redskins worked out Southern Cal signal-caller Mark Sanchez, right. ESPN draft guru says that the Redskins will draft Sanchez in his latest mock draft.
I think there is little chance that 1:) Sanchez will be left on the board when the team is "on the clock," and 2:) the team will select him. Just don't see the Redskins not only dropping Campbell, but also giving up on Brennan so quickly.
To me, it looks more like the Redskins were trying to make teams think about the possibility of them drafting Sanchez, maybe getting some draft-day trades in order. Should be interesting. Other Redskins news
Defensive tackle Kedrick Golston signs an offer sheet, essentially keeping him a Redskin. Solid worker. Should improve with the signing of Haynesworth.
The team signed oft-injured linebacker Robert Thomas. I really like this signing. Hopefully this will keep H.B. Blades from starting as an outside linebacker, which would be a mistake.
Say it with me now, folks. And wipe that sweat off your brow.
PHEW!
It's (apparently) finally over. Jay Cutler is no longer a Bronco. And the best of all news? He is NOT a Redskin.
Oh yes, that is good news, my friends. Don't let anyone tell it it's not good news. On ESPN's PTI, the big headline was "Redskins miss out on Cutler" or something like that. No. It's a good thing the team "missed out" on Cutler. A very good thing.
Look, just take a gander at what Chicago gave up to get him. They got rid of quarterback Kyle Orton ... and then gave away two first-round draft picks and a third-round choice. For Cutler and a fifth-round draft choice.
Talk about a fleecing.
The Redskins need every draft pick they can get. So if the Broncos were asking for Campbell and all those draft picks I'd be saying no, no, no, no.
Not that I think that Campbell is the "quarterback of the future." I'm pretty sure I don't think that. Pretty sure. But I do know that Cutler cost way too much. And people in Chicago aren't even happy.
Good luck to the Bears. But I, for one, am glad the Redskins didn't pull the trigger on this trade.
Other Redskins news
The team will apparently meet with Campbell, now that the Redskins have done to him what the Broncos did to Cutler.
Lucky strikeout: Wilbon says the Redskins are lucky to have Campbell. I disagree. But here you go.
Apparently, the Redskins are STILLlooking to trade for Denver QB Jay Cutler.
I've already written much about this story. So I'm not going to talk much more about it.
But suffice to say that I think, in the end, it'll cost way too much for the Redskins if they trade for Cutler.
While I'm not too worried about losing Jason Campbell (Cutler would be an improvement, no doubt), losing draft picks and/or multiple players could be very, very costly. And I don't think mortgaging your future on a single player is a good idea.
The team needs to learn to live (and die) with its home-grown talent.
Oh, and that's offseason-king Redskins owner Dan Snyder over there on the right. In case you know nothing. And in that case, how did you get down to the bottom of this post?
Since I need a break from the 24-hour "Will Cutler be traded" watch ...
The Redskins have been holding some offseason workouts this week, and it was reported this week that every single receiver was missing from the workouts.
Seriously, what the frak. Seriously.
I don't really care about Santana Moss and Randle El. Those guys probably don't need to be there. And James Thrash was off in Hawaii picking the new Players Association rep.
But guys like Malcolm Kelly, right, and Devin Thomas?
You both pretty much sucked it up last year, and now you're skipping practices?
I can not imagine what possessed Terrell Owens to sign with Buffalo.
I don't care. I do know that the Skins don't play Buffalo next season, and that makes me glad to not have to face Owens.
Not that I think that Owens will be successful with the Bills. In fact, I think it might be one of the worst pairings ever.
But Owens seems to have good games against the Skins (remember that 38-yard run Owens had as a 49er in 2003, or that game in 2007 where Owens had four touchdowns? Yeah.)
But seriously.
If Owens couldn't get along with Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo, can you imagine what he will do with one Trent Edwards? Should make for some good laughs, at least.
By the way, here's what Owens said after he signed with the Bills:
"I'm leaving America's team [for] North America's team."
The team has offered a contract to free-agent defensive end Phillip Daniels. As I've said, I'm all in favor of bringing him back. Good, solid player.
This video below involved Chris Cooley and Antwaan Randle El. And Washington Capital (that's hockey) Alex Ovechkin. Pretty funny commercial in the making:
The Redskins say they have no interest in recently released Terrell "Team Cancer" Owens.
Darn, and Redskins' fans were going crazy to sign him.
It's good that Redskins owner Dan Snyder knows that just because he's a big name doesn't mean that he should be signed.
But, do the Redskins need help at receiver? Santana Moss is excellent, but is he truly a No. 1 guy? What about Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly? Are they ready to be NFL receivers? Not last year.
My prediction is that the team will take a look at a veteran receiver, but it probably won't be a well-known guy.
Other Redskins news
The team signed punter Dirk (yes, Dirk) Johnson, who ranked near the bottom of the league in punting last season. Woo-freaking-hoo.
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