****OFFICIAL**** 2008 Washington Redskins Off Season Thread! (1 Viewer)

[Sidewinder16]

More draft notes on Tandler's blog:

News: Quarterback Chad Henne of Michigan came in for a pre-draft visit.

Notes: It's hard to read why teams bring in particular players for these visits. You have a limited number of them—32—and you don't want to waste them. Henne is pegged as about a third-round selection and that seems kind of high to take a project quarterback and make him your third-string guy. But maybe the Skins don't want to wait until the sixth or seventh round to take a QB. Whoever it is will have to be ready for the possibility of having to play on any given (disastrous) Sunday and, in any case, will have to be ready to be the backup in a year or two as Todd Collins isn't going to spend much longer than that as a backup. Maybe they're thinking of using that comp third on their backup quarterback of the future.

News: Vinny Cerrato wants to trade down from the 21st overall pick.

Notes: I just found out that he said this on Riggins' show this afternoon. I don't quite see how it benefits the Redskins for him to announce this to the world, but it's not a big deal either. If he starts working the phones trying to set up possible on-the-clock deals, the whole world will know soon enough anyway. As most of you know, I'm not a draftnick by any stretch of the imagination, but from what I've read it looks like there will be a lot of good, roughly equal players available in the second and third rounds. According to the draft value chart, the #21 overall is worth early selections in the second and third. (I'll try to get the audio link for Cerrato's visit with Riggo and company and post it later).

I didn't realize teams had a limited number of pre-draft visits. Does anyone know what other visits, if any, the Skins have had?Any resident draftniks think Atlanta, KC or St. Louis would want anyone at 21 bad enough to give up a 2nd and 3rd?

 

[thayman]

More draft notes on Tandler's blog:

News: Quarterback Chad Henne of Michigan came in for a pre-draft visit.

Notes: It's hard to read why teams bring in particular players for these visits. You have a limited number of them—32—and you don't want to waste them. Henne is pegged as about a third-round selection and that seems kind of high to take a project quarterback and make him your third-string guy. But maybe the Skins don't want to wait until the sixth or seventh round to take a QB. Whoever it is will have to be ready for the possibility of having to play on any given (disastrous) Sunday and, in any case, will have to be ready to be the backup in a year or two as Todd Collins isn't going to spend much longer than that as a backup. Maybe they're thinking of using that comp third on their backup quarterback of the future.

News: Vinny Cerrato wants to trade down from the 21st overall pick.

Notes: I just found out that he said this on Riggins' show this afternoon. I don't quite see how it benefits the Redskins for him to announce this to the world, but it's not a big deal either. If he starts working the phones trying to set up possible on-the-clock deals, the whole world will know soon enough anyway. As most of you know, I'm not a draftnick by any stretch of the imagination, but from what I've read it looks like there will be a lot of good, roughly equal players available in the second and third rounds. According to the draft value chart, the #21 overall is worth early selections in the second and third. (I'll try to get the audio link for Cerrato's visit with Riggo and company and post it later).

I didn't realize teams had a limited number of pre-draft visits. Does anyone know what other visits, if any, the Skins have had?Any resident draftniks think Atlanta, KC or St. Louis would want anyone at 21 bad enough to give up a 2nd and 3rd?

Personally I hope someone slips in the draft and we can end up in a similar situation as Dallas last year.

 

[fatness]

Redskins nominated for the Halas Award (Elfin's blog):

The entire Redskins team is one of five finalists for the Halas Award given each year by the Pro Football Writers of America for courage and perseverance in overcoming obstacles. The Redskins were recognized for their 4-1 run to the playoffs after the shooting death of Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor in November.

There was more bad stuff and more good stuff happening at that time than in 10 usual NFL seasons put together. Unforgettable.

 

[nittanylion]

Chad Johnson is a stud who would make the offense instantly better, but I believe the price to acquire him would be prohibitive. He's just not at the right position on the team to do that. If it was Steve Hutchinson, maybe I'd consider it, but not a WR.

If they have their eye on one particular DT and one particular O-lineman at 1.21, and those players are gone, and they faced with the choice of best-player-available or basically drafting another rookie there whom is equivalent to someone they'll likely be able to get in the 2nd round, I could see trading the 1st for Chad Johnson. Moss won't disappear from the field if they get Johnson, remember. And the step up from Randle El to Johnson as the second starting WR is huge.Huge.

Chris Henry is fast becoming my favorite player in the NFL. His antics, and now his release have doubtless hampered the acquisition of Chad Johnson by the Redskins.In my opinion, it's not the price tag, in terms of dollars or currency (draft picks/players) that's the prohibitive factor with aquiring Johnson. The price you pay for acquiring Johnson is dealing with the persona.Love the 'skins as much as I do, the Patriots we're not. I'm a HUGE fan of Dillon, and when he was disgruntled in Cincy, I never blamed him. Even at his worst, though, he was never the caliber of attention whore Chad Johnson is, and there are very few Teams with the environment necessary to take someone with such a strong personality and assimilate them into a Team First mentality.The Redskins have made progress, but at this stage of the Team's development, with the transition to a new Head Coach already a process requiring concentration and attention, they are in NO POSITION to take on a walking Cult of Personality, no matter how talented. I LOVE me some Clinton Portis, but given our transitional stage, he's more than enough for this team to handle THIS SEASON if they expect to move forward post-Gibbs.There's no doubt our 'skins need a threat on the field opposite SMoss. I disagree that it needs to be someone of CJ's caliber. Rather than taking the place of Randle-El, the acquisition of a starting caliber WR, just good enough to keep coverage honest, would allow Randle-El, who I believe to be an absolutely awesome fit for a certain role in the Seattle passing game, to move to the slot, in what might be the Seattle Passing game's (with the right personnel in place) most effective look - the 3WR set. Randle-El's skill set and athleticism and toughness lead me to believe he could be as good as Bobby Engram if placed in an identical role. The Bobby Engram role in the Seattle offense is critical, and one might argue, more important than the guy playing Split End (Koren Robinson/DJ Hackett to Santana Moss' Darrell Jackson/Deion Branch). Just give me someone talented enough to keep the coverages from cheating, and I'll lay dollars to donuts that Randle-El could be our very own Wes Welker (Bobby Engram)...and I've heard, from reliable contacts, that this played an accessory role in why Hackett is in Seattle and not here. He wasn't going to see the expanded role here that he's going to get from Carolina, as progressions/targets were going to flow through the personnel already here. Same goes for Caldwell - potentially bigger role in St Louis.A WR more dangerous than Thrash/McCardell/Mix etc? YES, PLEASE.A WR as talented, egomaniacal and expensive as CJ? NO, THANK YOU.

 

[thayman]

Chad Johnson is a stud who would make the offense instantly better, but I believe the price to acquire him would be prohibitive. He's just not at the right position on the team to do that. If it was Steve Hutchinson, maybe I'd consider it, but not a WR.

If they have their eye on one particular DT and one particular O-lineman at 1.21, and those players are gone, and they faced with the choice of best-player-available or basically drafting another rookie there whom is equivalent to someone they'll likely be able to get in the 2nd round, I could see trading the 1st for Chad Johnson. Moss won't disappear from the field if they get Johnson, remember. And the step up from Randle El to Johnson as the second starting WR is huge.Huge.

Chris Henry is fast becoming my favorite player in the NFL. His antics, and now his release have doubtless hampered the acquisition of Chad Johnson by the Redskins.In my opinion, it's not the price tag, in terms of dollars or currency (draft picks/players) that's the prohibitive factor with aquiring Johnson. The price you pay for acquiring Johnson is dealing with the persona.Love the 'skins as much as I do, the Patriots we're not. I'm a HUGE fan of Dillon, and when he was disgruntled in Cincy, I never blamed him. Even at his worst, though, he was never the caliber of attention whore Chad Johnson is, and there are very few Teams with the environment necessary to take someone with such a strong personality and assimilate them into a Team First mentality.The Redskins have made progress, but at this stage of the Team's development, with the transition to a new Head Coach already a process requiring concentration and attention, they are in NO POSITION to take on a walking Cult of Personality, no matter how talented. I LOVE me some Clinton Portis, but given our transitional stage, he's more than enough for this team to handle THIS SEASON if they expect to move forward post-Gibbs.There's no doubt our 'skins need a threat on the field opposite SMoss. I disagree that it needs to be someone of CJ's caliber. Rather than taking the place of Randle-El, the acquisition of a starting caliber WR, just good enough to keep coverage honest, would allow Randle-El, who I believe to be an absolutely awesome fit for a certain role in the Seattle passing game, to move to the slot, in what might be the Seattle Passing game's (with the right personnel in place) most effective look - the 3WR set. Randle-El's skill set and athleticism and toughness lead me to believe he could be as good as Bobby Engram if placed in an identical role. The Bobby Engram role in the Seattle offense is critical, and one might argue, more important than the guy playing Split End (Koren Robinson/DJ Hackett to Santana Moss' Darrell Jackson/Deion Branch). Just give me someone talented enough to keep the coverages from cheating, and I'll lay dollars to donuts that Randle-El could be our very own Wes Welker (Bobby Engram)...and I've heard, from reliable contacts, that this played an accessory role in why Hackett is in Seattle and not here. He wasn't going to see the expanded role here that he's going to get from Carolina, as progressions/targets were going to flow through the personnel already here. Same goes for Caldwell - potentially bigger role in St Louis.A WR more dangerous than Thrash/McCardell/Mix etc? YES, PLEASE.A WR as talented, egomaniacal and expensive as CJ? NO, THANK YOU.

I like your points on opposing any trade for Johnson. Mine are a bit simpler, having Johnson does not make us a Super Bowl contender, I wouldn't mind having someone of his talent level on the team, I just don't see how it benefits us in the long run.

 

[fatness]

If you want to read a gory, detailed analysis of the Skins since Dan Snyder acquired them, read This Article by Jason LaCanfora. It's pretty blunt.

How about the top 5 teams in dead cap space since 2000?

1 Redskins $83 million

2 San Fran $80 million

3 Denver -$80 million

4 Tennessee $78 million

5 Oakland $75 million

That's like giving away one year of payroll every 8 seasons (the 2004 NFL cap was $80 million, as a comparison).

Yikes, not the company you want to keep, eh? The 49ers and Raiders have had front offices in perpetual disarray, Denver just fired its GM and the Titans let Floyd Reese go a year ago and gutted their aging team after nearly missing on the Super Bowl a few times early this decade.

So, for all of that spending,, and binging and purging, where do the Skins rank in wins since 2000 - 23rd with 58 wins. They won 1 playoff game, no division titles and hosted no playoff games.

"This stuff right here, these numbers, this is the NFL's version of 'Moneyball,'" said one high ranking official who had studying the spreadsheets from the management council. "This is how you grade the managers. This is how you evaluate the guys paid to do the evaluating. The numbers don't lie."

What did the Redskins do? They handed the keys to the entire kingdom to Cerrato, the only constant of the Snyder era, who has been repeatedly promoted. The same guy who, a year ago, according to league sources, the Redskins very nearly replaced or at least demoted, with Gibbs coming very close to hiring someone else to oversee the personnel department.

This, my friends, is why the rest of the league looks at the Redskins as they do when it comes to these things. This is why so many people are dubious about this Snyder/Cerrato tandem working out.

Take a look at the past 4 years, The era of the much talked about Gibbs/Cerrato/Snyder front office model, and no team spent more in committed cash - $431 million - but at least they got two playoff appearances for that. And just because the Redskins aren't signing a bunch of free agents this season does not mean they will not have high committed cash totals, as they continue to rework 10 contracts each off season and guarantee huge chunks of money to aging players. The dead cap waste has been a constant of Snyder's as well. Trust me, Joe Gibbs never claimed to be a master salary negotiator, that's not why he was there. That's Snyder and Cerrato's domain, with their cap guy, Eric Schaffer. Gibbs loved to spend but never pretended to be a cap guru.

Imagine what a force the Redskins could have been had they actually found a way to utilize those massive resources at even close to the rate of most of the NFL's top front offices?

 

[pablito]

Maybe this keeps ARE fresh as WR2.

Rotoworld)

Redskins signed WR/KR Jerome Mathis, formerly of the Texans.

Impact: Mathis is definitely not the big receiver Washington needs, but worth a try for the minimum, which is likely what he got. The 24-year-old is one of the game's most explosive return men when healthy. Mathis is unlikely to help on offense, but could make a big impact if he stays off the shelf and out of trouble.

 

[Mr Capicollo]

Maybe this keeps ARE fresh as WR2.Rotoworld) Redskins signed WR/KR Jerome Mathis, formerly of the Texans.Impact: Mathis is definitely not the big receiver Washington needs, but worth a try for the minimum, which is likely what he got. The 24-year-old is one of the game\'s most explosive return men when healthy. Mathis is unlikely to help on offense, but could make a big impact if he stays off the shelf and out of trouble.

Always nice to land the Lawrence Phillips of return men.

 

[fatness]

Always nice to land the Lawrence Phillips of return men.

Now, the police blotter part of Mathis' story.

*Early December: Mathis was cited after four pit bulls escaped from his home in suburban Houston. According to the Houston Chronicle, Matthis allowed the dogs to remain free and also owned unvaccinated animals. One woman said she was chased into her apartment by the dogs and a couple said they jumped onto a parked car to avoid the dogs. A police report said one adult dog and three puppies were captured. The citation carried a $600 fine.

*Mid February: Mathis was jailed on a charge of assault and family violence. He was charged with assaulting his pregnant common-law wife, Erica Smith. According to the Chronicle, police went to the couple's home after someone called 911 and hung up. Smith told deputies that Mathis started choking her after pushing her onto a bed. Deputies reported a red mark below her jaw line. Mathis was released on $3,000 bail.

*March 20: Assault charges against Mathis were dropped. The Chronicle story said Smith has relocated to another state and asked officials to drop the charges. While at court, Mathis paid his fine for the dog incident.

LinkNot the best-sounding guy, no. But a long way from being Lawrence Phillips.

 

[fatness]

MVN's list of who the Redskins should be looking at with each draft pick

Round 1, Pick 21

5 players the Redskins should be targeting at No. 21:

G Branden Albert, Virginia; DE Phillip Merling, Clemson; DT Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina; G Chilo Rachal, USC; CB Mike Jenkins, USF.

Round 2, Pick 51

Ten players the Redskins should be targeting:

DE Lawrence Jackson, USC; DE Calais Campbell, Miami (Fl); CB Antoine Cason, Arizona; DT Trevor Laws, Notre Dame; WR Mario Manningham, Michigan; DT Marcus Harrison, Arkansas; G Roy Scheuning, Oregon State; S Tom Zbikowski, Notre Dame; T Sam Baker, USC.

Round 3, Pick 84

Twelve players the Redskins should be targeting:

C Mike Pollak, Arizona State; C Cody Wallace, Texas A&M; WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State; WR Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina; CB Charles Godfrey, Iowa; DT DeMario Pressley, North Carolina State; DE Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan; C Steve Justice, Wake Forest; G Mike McGlynn, Pitt; CB Justin King, Penn State; WR Early Doucet, LSU; G Eric Young, Tennessee.

Round 3, Pick 96

Fifteen Players the Redskins should be Targeting:

G Jeremy Zuttah, Rutgers; CB Terrell Thomas, USC; CB Chevis Jackson, LSU; C John Sullivan, Notre Dame; DT Dre Moore, Maryland; DT Red Bryant, Texas A&M; DT Pat Sims, Auburn; TE Kellen Davis, Michigan State; WR Eddie Royal, Va. Tech; LB Xavier Adabi, Va. Tech; LB Geno Hayes, Florida State; CB Zack Bowman, Nebraska; LB Ali Highsmith, LSU; LB Shawn Crable, Michigan; T Carl Nicks, Nebraska.

They go into their reasoning but it's too much to quote.

 

[nittanylion]

Well, don't just stand there...SOMEONE SET UP US THE POLL!!!

Well, four polls, actually.

I would, but my poll-making skills are horribly rusty...

...but I will offer a Redskins-related reward to the hero that takes on this monumental, daunting, cumbersome, yet absolutely, critically, necessary undertaking!

 

[Sidewinder16]

Always nice to land the Lawrence Phillips of return men.

Now, the police blotter part of Mathis' story.

*Early December: Mathis was cited after four pit bulls escaped from his home in suburban Houston. According to the Houston Chronicle, Matthis allowed the dogs to remain free and also owned unvaccinated animals. One woman said she was chased into her apartment by the dogs and a couple said they jumped onto a parked car to avoid the dogs. A police report said one adult dog and three puppies were captured. The citation carried a $600 fine.

*Mid February: Mathis was jailed on a charge of assault and family violence. He was charged with assaulting his pregnant common-law wife, Erica Smith. According to the Chronicle, police went to the couple's home after someone called 911 and hung up. Smith told deputies that Mathis started choking her after pushing her onto a bed. Deputies reported a red mark below her jaw line. Mathis was released on $3,000 bail.

*March 20: Assault charges against Mathis were dropped. The Chronicle story said Smith has relocated to another state and asked officials to drop the charges. While at court, Mathis paid his fine for the dog incident.

LinkNot the best-sounding guy, no. But a long way from being Lawrence Phillips.

O'Halloran touches on it some in the complete post linked above, and LaCanfora asks it as well, but what does Mathis add to the team? Why sign him, even if it's for peanuts, relatively?I'm not seeing a real good reason for his addition. Anyone have a silver lining to this (other than he's better than Lawrence Phillips )?

 

[fatness]

My guess is that he was signed only to compete for Randle El's spot returning punts. If he can do that better than Randle El and displays some value as a backup backup WR as well, he may make the team. If not, then not. Just my guess.

 

[dgreen]

ARE has been less than impressive as a PR, IMO. I welcome competition there.

 

[nittanylion]

My money is on this move being such that it allows ARE to focus almost entirely on the Offense, where he will be expected to play the larger role I alluded to in my previous post. With the relative lack of depth in our current WR corps, it makes no sense subjecting him to the additional risk, especially since it wouldn't cost much to get similar results, based on the production he's generated from that role so far...

 

[thayman]

ARE has been less than impressive as a PR, IMO. I welcome competition there.

It might just be me, but it seems to me that he also returns far more punts than anyone else in the NFL. I rarely see him fair catch.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Mathis is a KR, though. What few PR he's had in his career have been more unimpressive (5.7 yard average, long of 19) than even Randle El the last couple of years.

The redskins.com story about his signing only talks about what he's done at KR and WR. So was he brought in to compete with Rock at KR, or with Randle El at a position he's hardly played (both PR and WR)?

 

[dgreen]

ARE has been less than impressive as a PR, IMO. I welcome competition there.

It might just be me, but it seems to me that he also returns far more punts than anyone else in the NFL. I rarely see him fair catch.

He had 34 returns and 7 FCs last year. He does seem to be on the low end of FCs.

Mathis is a KR, though. What few PR he's had in his career have been more unimpressive (5.7 yard average, long of 19) than even Randle El the last couple of years.

The redskins.com story about his signing only talks about what he's done at KR and WR. So was he brought in to compete with Rock at KR, or with Randle El at a position he's hardly played (both PR and WR)?

Good point.Not sure if Rock can be turned into PR or not.

 

[buster c]

I'm sure to get blasted for this...but I'm just reporting what I've heard:

I met a Redskin "insider" at a Dodger game at Vero Beach last month. He says that the FO is down on Campbell and that the reason Al Saunders was let go had nothing to do with his coaching, but had everything to do with JC's ability to comprehend it.

He reports that the FO's expectation for 2008: Jimmy Z will implement an offense, JC will be unable to execute it, and both will be gone after this season. This all sets up 2009 as the start of the Bill Cowher era in DC.

I'm just throwing it out there.

 

[dgreen]

Not sure how that meshes with the interview process. We heard two main things were discussed: 1) Snyder's love and desire to land Chad Johnson and 2) the future of Jason Campbell. Now, I will admit I never heard that the interviews focused on Campbell being a superstar, just that he was the #1 topic. I remember many coaches who interviewed said much of what they discussed was Jason Campbell and his development. It could be that Snyder is down on Campbell and he interviewed until he found a coach who was also down on him. But, I also assumed Campbell was the main interview topic because Snyder and Cerrato wanted to find a guy who had a plan on how to make Campbell take the next steps.

Who knows?

 

[fatness]

He reports that the FO's expectation for 2008: Jimmy Z will implement an offense, JC will be unable to execute it, and both will be gone after this season.

I'm certainly not going to blast you for posting what you heard; I'm going to thank you for it.That being said, does anyone really think that any front office in the NFL has a plan that relies on their coach and their QB failing? This sounds to me like an "insider" guessing, not like any knowledge obtained from the front office. And it also sounds stupid.

 

[dgreen]

He reports that the FO's expectation for 2008: Jimmy Z will implement an offense, JC will be unable to execute it, and both will be gone after this season.

I'm certainly not going to blast you for posting what you heard; I'm going to thank you for it.That being said, does anyone really think that any front office in the NFL has a plan that relies on their coach and their QB failing? This sounds to me like an "insider" guessing, not like any knowledge obtained from the front office. And it also sounds stupid.

That's what makes it believable to some. Snyder will have to win 10 straight SBs to shed the image he has finely crafted the last 10 years.

 

[fatness]

It's just hard to imagine any front office saying

"Well, we just made the playoffs and have a lot of draft picks for this year and most of our starters signed already. Let's suck this year. This is how we'll do it................."

edited to add: this sounds like Steve Czaban guessing, because he's said the exact same thing on radio for months.

 

[fatness]

Draft talk will start ramping up now.

JLC on Tuesday

Much of the pre-draft hype surrounding the Redskins - all the mockety mocks and that stuff - has focused on the Skins taking a WR or DE with the 21st pick. But after speaking with people involved in Washington's process - which is still in a relatively nascent stage - the sense is growing that taking a O Lineman at 21 is a strong possibility.

Trading down, in the end, given all the scenarios we will go through, is also something talked about daily, and could make the most sense given how the top 20 picks unfold. The Skins will be at the mercy of those that come before them, and as they breakdown every position in the draft the next two weeks the names at the top of their internal board will continue to change.

A week ago we spent a lot of time blogging about Branden Albert, the guard/tackle from Virginia. And for good reason. He would be a steal at 21, and, sources said, the Skins are very high on him, considering him the best of the O Linemen likely to be available and a player they would gladly pounce on here.

Concerns with the age and health of most starting linemen are significant, and Albert could possibly start at guard sooner rather than later and eventually play tackle (chances of milking two more years out of Jon Jansen will go out the door if he gets hurt again). Albert is a potential cornerstone, and if there is a run on Des and CBs at the top of the draft as expected, plus the obvious skill guys (Ryan, McFadden, etc.), some within the organization could see the Skins trying to explore trading up for Albert should he be there around 15.

But few other trading up scenarios exist.

New DC Greg Blache is deadest on getting an interior lineman who can push the pocket, and after Ellis and Dorsey are gone in the top 3-5 picks, well, the dropoff is huge. And DE is not seen by Blache as nearly as much of a need as DT, and they could still get a DE in the midrounds. As for WR, there is a sentiment that none of the tall guys is a sure fire can't miss guy, and there is not much separating Sweed, Thomas, Hardy. One or more could be available in the second round as well.

Albert is seen as the best guard available in the draft, and the franchise tackle no brainer - Long - is probably going first overall. The Skins are also very high on Vandy tackle Chris Williams, sources said, and he would be very enticing at 21. Duane Thomas, a tackle from Virginia Tech, is someone they could take on the first day as well, sources said, particularly if they trade down.

There's a lot more in the article.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Draft talk will start ramping up now.

JLC on Tuesday

Duane Thomas, a tackle from Virginia Tech, is someone they could take on the first day as well, sources said, particularly if they trade down.

I hope JLC does some fact checking if he's thinking about putting any of this in print. The tackle from VT this year is Duane Brown. Although NFL.com needs to double check their stuff, too. Brown hasn't played TE in over 3 years.I think Brown is a reach as a first day pick. Maybe if he's still there around their 3rd round picks, but before that is too early, IMO.

 

[Sidewinder16]

JLC looks at the QB situation:

So, this leaves the third QB spot wide open. Vinny Cerrato has been upfront about his hope to find a future backup QB in this draft; someone to hold the clipboard for a few years and then be able to be the No. 2.

This echoes an article on redskins.com the other day. From what I've read there are a few QBs that should be left in the later rounds that are decent projects, especially as backups, like Erik Ainge and Colt Brennan. Josh Johnson is a promising guy as well, but he has apparently been moving up draft boards recently so he may be gone by the 3rd round (I hope we don't take a QB in the first 3 rounds).Drafting a project QB late seems like the prudent thing, given the status of our #2 (old) and #3 (young and as unproven as any incoming rookie) QBs, and that the head coach is known for tutoring QBs.

 

[buster c]

He reports that the FO's expectation for 2008: Jimmy Z will implement an offense, JC will be unable to execute it, and both will be gone after this season.

I'm certainly not going to blast you for posting what you heard; I'm going to thank you for it.That being said, does anyone really think that any front office in the NFL has a plan that relies on their coach and their QB failing? This sounds to me like an "insider" guessing, not like any knowledge obtained from the front office. And it also sounds stupid.

You give the Redskin FO way more credit than I do. Really, what would you have them do right now with Jason, assuming they believe that he is incapable of being a championship level QB? What options do they have? That answer is "none."So they're not spending on FA's and they've got a lame duck QB and a lame duck Head Coach and are just killing time for an uncapped year with Bill Cowher. Sure, they'll make a go of it and try their best to win games, but the twisted thinking of little Danny can certainly accomodate this line of thought. That said, I hope the "insider" is wrong. I hope JC is a SB QB and Zorn is the next Gibbs :X

 

[Sidewinder16]

Some "insider info" from Chris Cooley's blog:

2. Last year I explained how Rocky McIntosh would be a beast. Who do I think will have a break out season for the skins? Of course being around the team year round I see a lot of things that no one else does. Down to the details of who works the hardest in the weight room. That said, it can still be a guess to who has a breakout year. Laron Landry will have a great season for us in his second year, but I think everyone expects that. The player that will surprise a lot of people is Reed Doughty. He is extremely smart as well as a very hard working player.

If you've never visited before, Cooley's blog is usually an interesting read. Occasionally you get glimpses of inside team info like the quote above.

 

[Sidewinder16]

hailRedskins.com has a mock draft database to track what everyone is predicting for the 'Skins picks.

Out of the 241 mock drafts listed, people are predicting WR (43%) just slightly over DE (42%).

 

[buster c]

Some "insider info" from Chris Cooley's blog:

2. Last year I explained how Rocky McIntosh would be a beast. Who do I think will have a break out season for the skins? Of course being around the team year round I see a lot of things that no one else does. Down to the details of who works the hardest in the weight room. That said, it can still be a guess to who has a breakout year. Laron Landry will have a great season for us in his second year, but I think everyone expects that. The player that will surprise a lot of people is Reed Doughty. He is extremely smart as well as a very hard working player.

If you've never visited before, Cooley's blog is usually an interesting read. Occasionally you get glimpses of inside team info like the quote above.

at the risk of being kicked out of the community for perceived "hater" stances of late...I've seen Reed Doughty. Barring a night/day transformation, we're really looking at Matt Bowen light. In other words, I do not project him to be the next Brad Edwards.

'please Lord let me be wrong'

 

[fatness]

MVN

Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt

Joe Bugel reportedly loves Williams as a prospect. He’s going to be off the board in the first round, but it looks like he could be around when the Redskins choose at 21. I have mixed feelings about Williams, but in my opinion, this selection makes more sense in the first round than Kentwan Balmer does, simply because the Skins would then address DT in the second round and wait another year to draft a DE (or grab one in the later rounds).

Branden Albert is widely regarded as the better prospect, but if you think about this one, there’s a good chance Williams might end up being the better pro. For starters, Albert is leaving Virginia with one year of eligibility remaining. Williams, however, looked even better than Albert this season, his true senior season. Scott Wright refers to Williams as an outstanding athlete, and he could absolutely compete with Pete Kendall for the LG position as a rookie, but would slide over to LT once Chris Samuels calls it a career. Let us not forget that another underrated tackle from a SEC school, Marcus McNeil of Auburn, stormed onto the NFL scene as a rookie just two years ago.

Overall, Chris Williams makes sense for the Redskins. I don’t like him more than Albert, but I do think there are a handful of reasons to think he might be better than Albert.

In order, this is my current first round wishlist for the Redskins:

1. Branden Albert, OG, Virginia

2. Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson

3. Chris Williams, OT/OG, Vanderbilt

4. Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina

Hopefully one of these players can be snagged by the Redskins at No. 21. If the top three guys on that list are not available, the team would be best suited to trade down a few picks.

 

[fatness]

Another MVN article

The countdown continues, so it’s time to take a look at who the “experts” have the Skins taking in Round One:

Don Banks, SI.com: Calais Campbell, DE, Miami

Pat Kirwan, NFL.com: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson

Vic Carucci, NFL.com: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

Mike Mayock, NFL Network: Calais Campbell, DE, Miami (Video)

Scott Wright, nfldraftcountdown.com: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma

Todd McShay, ESPN.com: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN.com: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State

The Sports XChange: Calais Campbell, DE Miami

Pete Prisco: Calais Campbell, DE, Miami

Clark Judge: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

those are mock drafts from NFL experts. Those are not mock drafts from Redskin experts, so especially with the team picking at 21, the accuracy of the consensus selection may be compromised. The beauty of a mock draft isn’t in seeing who the team selects, but who the expert believes the team will pass on in order to get that guy. Here are some names that those expert believe the Redskins will pass on, but will likely go in the next ten picks:

Banks: Kentwan Balmer to Seattle at 25, Lawrence Jackson to Jacksonville at 26.

Kirwan: Kentwan Balmer to Seattle at 25, Kenny Phillips to NYG at 31.

Carucci: Branden Albert to Pittsburgh at 23, Kentwan Balmer to Tennessee at 24, Calais Campbell to Jacksonville at 26.

Mayock: Kentwan Balmer to Seattle at 25, Merling to Jacksonville at 26.

Wright: Branden Albert to Pittsburgh at 23, Phillip Merling to Jacksonville at 26, Kenny Phillps to NYG at 31.

McShay: Kentwan Balmer to Tennessee at 24, Calais Campbell to Jacksonville at 26.

Kiper: Kentwan Balmer to Pittsburgh at 23, Lawrence Jackson to Jacksonville at 26.

Sports XChange: Merling to Seattle at 25, Lawrence Jackson to Jacksonville at 26, Kentwan Balmer to San Diego at 27, Kenny Phillips to NYG at 31.

Prisco: Kentwan Balmer to Seattle at 25, Branden Albert to Jacksonville at 26, Kenny Phillips to NYG at 31.

Judge: Dominique Rogers-Cromartie to Cowboys at 22, Branden Albert to Pittsburgh at 23, Kentwan Balmer to Jacksonville at 26, Trevor Laws to NYG at 31.

Notes: One of the most interesting things here is that, nearly universally, the experts expect Kentwan Balmer to be a first round pick, but they all expect the Redskins to pass over him. While the Redskins absoultely could expect to land a quality DT in the second round, I’m not sure they would pass over Balmer at 21 if Merling and Albert were off the board.

 

[Sidewinder16]

MVN

In order, this is my current first round wishlist for the Redskins:

1. Branden Albert, OG, Virginia

2. Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson

3. Chris Williams, OT/OG, Vanderbilt

4. Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina

I like the way this guy thinks.

 

[Cookiemonster]

MVN

In order, this is my current first round wishlist for the Redskins:

1. Branden Albert, OG, Virginia

2. Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson

3. Chris Williams, OT/OG, Vanderbilt

4. Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina

I like the way this guy thinks.

As a Pitt fan, most of the mocks I've been looking at have only Cherilus available by the 23rd pick. Albert and Williams have both moved way up the boards the last few weeks and I've seen them both concidered in the top 10-20. All the Steeler fans are getting pretty bummed about it and have resorted to arguing over Cherilus, Balmer, Stewart, Groves or Phillips.

 

[Sebowski]

I'm sure to get blasted for this...but I'm just reporting what I've heard:I met a Redskin "insider" at a Dodger game at Vero Beach last month. He says that the FO is down on Campbell and that the reason Al Saunders was let go had nothing to do with his coaching, but had everything to do with JC's ability to comprehend it.He reports that the FO's expectation for 2008: Jimmy Z will implement an offense, JC will be unable to execute it, and both will be gone after this season. This all sets up 2009 as the start of the Bill Cowher era in DC.I'm just throwing it out there.

Was that Dodger game on the first day of April?

You give the Redskin FO way more credit than I do. Really, what would you have them do right now with Jason, assuming they believe that he is incapable of being a championship level QB? What options do they have? That answer is "none."

They have a lot of options. If they don't believe in Jason Campbell they can draft or trade for a QB they believe in. They could have made a run at Derek Anderson, they could be looking at Brohm or Ryan, They could try and trade for Palmer to go with Chad Johnson. If they didn't believe in Campbell they would be doing something about it.

 

[fatness]

JLC is beginning a position analysis between now and the draft.

Position Glance - Quarterback

In the next few weeks we'll go over every position group with an eye to the draft. Figured I'd start with QB today. Everyone in the organization has said Jason Campbell is the guy for the present and the future and given the ridiculous rate of turnover at this most important position for this franchise, one would hope the kid would be given a full season at least in this new system before judgments are made.

Todd Collins proved last year that he is a pro's pro, merging the intellect and instincts no one disputed he possessed with a playing acumen previously unseen in more than a decade, given his eons between NFL starts. Re-signing Collins was the team's primary focus during the early days of free agency, and remains the only substantial contract they have doled out this off season (excluding the millions they continued to dole out to their own players in their never-ending dash to create cap space, a rite of spring around here).

So, this leaves the third QB spot wide open. Vinny Cerrato has been upfront about his hope to find a future backup QB in this draft; someone to hold the clipboard for a few years and then be able to be the No. 2. Last year Cerrato's attempt to land someone for this role via the draft completely bombed. They took Jordan Palmer in the sixth round and he was not even close to being ready for the practice squad. His training camp and mini camp were downright ugly at times, save for a perfect pass for a TD in the scrimmage against Baltimore. There's no more Mark Brunell around for insurance as the third QB, so this time the kid better be able to play. Palmer signed with the Bengals where he was reunited with his brother, and it will be interesting to see if Carson can help turn him into a viable back-up option down the road.

On the overall list of draft needs, you can't rate QB above the biggies for now - D Line, O Line, WR, DB - but with nine picks to choose from it's hard to imagine the Skins not going after a kid passer on the second day of the draft.

 

[fatness]

Bram Weinstein is going to work for ESPN. I'll be glad to see him leave working for the Redskins, where he was muzzled (as are all the media folks they employ to a certain extent). I'd rather see Bram reporting than being a PR man. Anyone know what he'll be doing for ESPN?

Link

 

[Bizkiteer]

Maybe this keeps ARE fresh as WR2.Rotoworld) Redskins signed WR/KR Jerome Mathis, formerly of the Texans.Impact: Mathis is definitely not the big receiver Washington needs, but worth a try for the minimum, which is likely what he got. The 24-year-old is one of the game\'s most explosive return men when healthy. Mathis is unlikely to help on offense, but could make a big impact if he stays off the shelf and out of trouble.

Always nice to land the Lawrence Phillips of return men.

Sheesh, safe to say you can list EXAGGERATE on your resume.

 

[thayman]

JLC is beginning a position analysis between now and the draft.

Position Glance - Quarterback

In the next few weeks we'll go over every position group with an eye to the draft. Figured I'd start with QB today. Everyone in the organization has said Jason Campbell is the guy for the present and the future and given the ridiculous rate of turnover at this most important position for this franchise, one would hope the kid would be given a full season at least in this new system before judgments are made.

Todd Collins proved last year that he is a pro's pro, merging the intellect and instincts no one disputed he possessed with a playing acumen previously unseen in more than a decade, given his eons between NFL starts. Re-signing Collins was the team's primary focus during the early days of free agency, and remains the only substantial contract they have doled out this off season (excluding the millions they continued to dole out to their own players in their never-ending dash to create cap space, a rite of spring around here).

So, this leaves the third QB spot wide open. Vinny Cerrato has been upfront about his hope to find a future backup QB in this draft; someone to hold the clipboard for a few years and then be able to be the No. 2. Last year Cerrato's attempt to land someone for this role via the draft completely bombed. They took Jordan Palmer in the sixth round and he was not even close to being ready for the practice squad. His training camp and mini camp were downright ugly at times, save for a perfect pass for a TD in the scrimmage against Baltimore. There's no more Mark Brunell around for insurance as the third QB, so this time the kid better be able to play. Palmer signed with the Bengals where he was reunited with his brother, and it will be interesting to see if Carson can help turn him into a viable back-up option down the road.

On the overall list of draft needs, you can't rate QB above the biggies for now - D Line, O Line, WR, DB - but with nine picks to choose from it's hard to imagine the Skins not going after a kid passer on the second day of the draft.

I would love to see them draft Colt Brennan.

 

[fatness]

Anyone know anything about Jerod Mayo?

Washington Times

After signing former Hampton University receiver Jerome Mathis as their first free agent of the offseason on April 4, the Redskins will entertain Hampton native Jerod Mayo on a pre-draft visit tomorrow. Mayo, a three-year starting linebacker at Tennessee, led the nation's eighth-ranked defense and the SEC with 140 tackles as a junior in 2007 while making the all-conference team. The Hampton native, who ran 40 yards in just 4.52 seconds at February's scouting combine, has already earned his degree in sports management and has been working out with former Pro Bowl linebacker Takeo Spikes to get ready for the April 26 NFL draft. The Redskins, who could use some young linebackers to groom behind 30-something starters London Fletcher and Marcus Washington, are one of 11 teams that Mayo is visiting.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Anyone know anything about Jerod Mayo?

Washington Times

After signing former Hampton University receiver Jerome Mathis as their first free agent of the offseason on April 4, the Redskins will entertain Hampton native Jerod Mayo on a pre-draft visit tomorrow. Mayo, a three-year starting linebacker at Tennessee, led the nation's eighth-ranked defense and the SEC with 140 tackles as a junior in 2007 while making the all-conference team. The Hampton native, who ran 40 yards in just 4.52 seconds at February's scouting combine, has already earned his degree in sports management and has been working out with former Pro Bowl linebacker Takeo Spikes to get ready for the April 26 NFL draft. The Redskins, who could use some young linebackers to groom behind 30-something starters London Fletcher and Marcus Washington, are one of 11 teams that Mayo is visiting.

He's one of the top LB prospects in this year's draft. I've seen him ranked as an ILB and as an OLB so I'm not exactly sure where he may be best slotted in the NFL. I think it may be a case of him playing ILB in college, but some places view him as an OLB in the NFL. But, I've seen a few sites rank him above Dan Conner as the #1 ILB of this draft.IIRC, most mocks have him projected around the end of the first through mid-2nd. I don't think the 'Skins have a shot at him, without moving around in the draft. He's probably too much of a reach at 21 and I don't think there's any way he lasts until 51.

ETA: 3 guys over at draftguys.com have released mocks within the last two weeks and they all have Mayo going early in the 2nd round.

 

[Mr Capicollo]

Anyone know anything about Jerod Mayo?

Washington Times

After signing former Hampton University receiver Jerome Mathis as their first free agent of the offseason on April 4, the Redskins will entertain Hampton native Jerod Mayo on a pre-draft visit tomorrow. Mayo, a three-year starting linebacker at Tennessee, led the nation's eighth-ranked defense and the SEC with 140 tackles as a junior in 2007 while making the all-conference team. The Hampton native, who ran 40 yards in just 4.52 seconds at February's scouting combine, has already earned his degree in sports management and has been working out with former Pro Bowl linebacker Takeo Spikes to get ready for the April 26 NFL draft. The Redskins, who could use some young linebackers to groom behind 30-something starters London Fletcher and Marcus Washington, are one of 11 teams that Mayo is visiting.

He's one of the top LB prospects in this year's draft. I've seen him ranked as an ILB and as an OLB so I'm not exactly sure where he may be best slotted in the NFL. I think it may be a case of him playing ILB in college, but some places view him as an OLB in the NFL. But, I've seen a few sites rank him above Dan Conner as the #1 ILB of this draft.IIRC, most mocks have him projected around the end of the first through mid-2nd. I don't think the 'Skins have a shot at him, without moving around in the draft. He's probably too much of a reach at 21 and I don't think there's any way he lasts until 51.

ETA: 3 guys over at draftguys.com have released mocks within the last two weeks and they all have Mayo going early in the 2nd round.

He's very relevant to their draft if they trade down from 1.21, which they've said they're interested in doing under certain circumstances.

 

[buster c]

2008 Schedule just released:

1 Sept. 4 (Thurs.) at New York Giants 7 p.m.

2 Sept. 14 New Orleans Saints 1 p.m.

3 Sept. 21 Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m.

4 Sept. 28 at Dallas Cowboys 4:15 p.m.

5 Oct. 5 at Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m.

6 Oct. 12 St. Louis Rams 1 p.m.

7 Oct. 19 Cleveland Browns 4:15 p.m.

8 Oct. 26 at Detroit Lions 1 p.m.

9 Nov. 3 (Mon.) Pittsburgh Steelers 8:30 p.m.

10 Nov. 9 Bye

11 Nov. 16 Dallas Cowboys* 8:15 p.m.

12 Nov. 23 at Seattle Seahawks 4:15 p.m.

13 Nov. 30 New York Giants 1 p.m.

14 Dec. 7 at Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m.

15 Dec. 14 at Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m.

16 Dec. 21 Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m.

17 Dec. 28 at San Francisco 49ers 4:15 p.m.

 

[Sidewinder16]

2008 Schedule just released:1 Sept. 4 (Thurs.) at New York Giants 7 p.m. 2 Sept. 14 New Orleans Saints 1 p.m. 3 Sept. 21 Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m. 4 Sept. 28 at Dallas Cowboys 4:15 p.m. 5 Oct. 5 at Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m. 6 Oct. 12 St. Louis Rams 1 p.m. 7 Oct. 19 Cleveland Browns 4:15 p.m. 8 Oct. 26 at Detroit Lions 1 p.m. 9 Nov. 3 (Mon.) Pittsburgh Steelers 8:30 p.m. 10 Nov. 9 Bye 11 Nov. 16 Dallas Cowboys* 8:15 p.m. 12 Nov. 23 at Seattle Seahawks 4:15 p.m. 13 Nov. 30 New York Giants 1 p.m. 14 Dec. 7 at Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m. 15 Dec. 14 at Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m. 16 Dec. 21 Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m. 17 Dec. 28 at San Francisco 49ers 4:15 p.m.

You could argue there's 8 wins in there before you even get to divisional games.3 of the first 5 games are divisional opponents. If the 'Skins can come through that with 2-3 wins they get a Rams/Browns/Lions stretch. Could be looking at 5-3 before facing Pitt, and then heading to the bye. Nice to get the bye right before Dallas (a home game, too).Too pie in the sky, or does 9 wins look very attainable for Zorn in his first year?

 

[Mr Capicollo]

2008 Schedule just released:1 Sept. 4 (Thurs.) at New York Giants 7 p.m. 2 Sept. 14 New Orleans Saints 1 p.m. 3 Sept. 21 Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m. 4 Sept. 28 at Dallas Cowboys 4:15 p.m. 5 Oct. 5 at Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m. 6 Oct. 12 St. Louis Rams 1 p.m. 7 Oct. 19 Cleveland Browns 4:15 p.m. 8 Oct. 26 at Detroit Lions 1 p.m. 9 Nov. 3 (Mon.) Pittsburgh Steelers 8:30 p.m. 10 Nov. 9 Bye 11 Nov. 16 Dallas Cowboys* 8:15 p.m. 12 Nov. 23 at Seattle Seahawks 4:15 p.m. 13 Nov. 30 New York Giants 1 p.m. 14 Dec. 7 at Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m. 15 Dec. 14 at Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m. 16 Dec. 21 Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m. 17 Dec. 28 at San Francisco 49ers 4:15 p.m.

You could argue there's 8 wins in there before you even get to divisional games.3 of the first 5 games are divisional opponents. If the 'Skins can come through that with 2-3 wins they get a Rams/Browns/Lions stretch. Could be looking at 5-3 before facing Pitt, and then heading to the bye. Nice to get the bye right before Dallas (a home game, too).Too pie in the sky, or does 9 wins look very attainable for Zorn in his first year?

I'm worried about a slow start with the new offense and Zorn learning how to be a head coach, and the back half of that schedule isn't kind. Until I'm convinced otherwise I think they're headed for last place and 7 wins or so.

 

[Sidewinder16]

I'm worried about a slow start with the new offense and Zorn learning how to be a head coach, and the back half of that schedule isn't kind. Until I'm convinced otherwise I think they're headed for last place and 7 wins or so.

Which non-division teams do you see them losing against? Right now, I'd bet on Pittsburgh, Seattle and maybe the Browns and Bengals. The other 6, I'd bet on the 'Skins. If they can take one of those PIT/SEA/CLE/CIN games and 2 divisional wins, that puts them at 9 wins total.

 

[fatness]

I'm worried about a slow start with the new offense and Zorn learning how to be a head coach, and the back half of that schedule isn't kind. Until I'm convinced otherwise I think they're headed for last place and 7 wins or so.

Frankly the coaching last year wasn't all that good. Yes, Gibbs held the team together during the aftermath of Taylor's murder (probably better than anyone else ever could have) but his football coaching was substandard and he outright blew the Buffalo game. So I'd say that if Zorn can maintain a team effort in the locker room and perform adequately in his first year, nothing more, then they're even with or ahead of last year in that regard.Heresy maybe, but Gibbs was no great shakes as a coach this last time around. And he's a guy I admire tremendously.

 

[DCThunder]

Well, I know what Andy and Czabe will be talking about tonight.

 

[fatness]

Mark Maske

The Washington Redskins had better be very good, very early under first-year coach Jim Zorn. Their schedule demands it. The Redskins will play three NFC East road games in their first five games of the season. After the NFL's season opener against the Giants, the defending Super Bowl champions, at Giants Stadium on Sept. 4, they'll play at Dallas in Week 4 and at Philadelphia in Week 5.

This is about the time that Joe Gibbs, if he hadn't retired from coaching, would be talking about this being the toughest schedule he's ever seen. The difficult five-game stretch to open the season also includes home games against the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals.

Things get easier from there, with the Cowboys coming to town on Nov. 16, the Giants on Nov. 30 and the Eagles on Dec. 21.

 

[dgreen]

1 Sept. 4 (Thurs.) at New York Giants 7 p.m. L

2 Sept. 14 New Orleans Saints 1 p.m. W

3 Sept. 21 Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m. W

4 Sept. 28 at Dallas Cowboys 4:15 p.m. L

5 Oct. 5 at Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m. L

6 Oct. 12 St. Louis Rams 1 p.m. W

7 Oct. 19 Cleveland Browns 4:15 p.m. L

8 Oct. 26 at Detroit Lions 1 p.m. W

9 Nov. 3 (Mon.) Pittsburgh Steelers 8:30 p.m. W

10 Nov. 9 Bye

11 Nov. 16 Dallas Cowboys* 8:15 p.m. L

12 Nov. 23 at Seattle Seahawks 4:15 p.m. L

13 Nov. 30 New York Giants 1 p.m. W

14 Dec. 7 at Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m. W

15 Dec. 14 at Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m. L

16 Dec. 21 Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m. W

17 Dec. 28 at San Francisco 49ers 4:15 p.m. W

There you go, folks. A big win over Pittsburgh on Monday night, followed by a crushing home loss to Dallas on Sunday night after the bye, and a disappointing loss to Cincy (especially after trading for Chad Johnson) and a 9-7 record.