***Official*** 2009 Washington Redskins Thread (1 Viewer)

[Sebowski]

I have the Giants being lucky to score more than 10pts a game, and therefor, lucky to win 7 games this year.

Who's with me? Who thinks my homer glasses are on too tight?

Here's how I see the East:

Skins 11-5

Cows 8-8

Eagles 8-8

Giants 7-9

The Giants, Eagles, and Cows all lost key players and in the case of the Eagles and Giants, key coaching. I think losing Spags and Johnson will be huge blows to the Giants and Eagles Ds. Philly's offense definitely got better on skill position with Jackson getting a year btter, Maclin and McCoy being potential players, but I do not like what they did to their O-Line. Peters and Andrews may never get back to their star form.

The Giants lost Plax, Toomer, and Ward. That is a tremendous amount of offense. Nicks can not replace all that. Teams will key in on the run, and they will have nowhere to go.

 

[fatness]

Q: Speaking of Mike Williams, how did the Redskins justify his roster spot?

A: Front office boss Vinny Cerrato and coach Jim Zorn both praised Williams' play against Jacksonville. But the fact he's on the team borders on nonsense and comes from the theory that the Redskins want to pat themselves on the back for signing the reclamation project.

Withhold complete judgment until the big guy has to play 70 snaps in a game, but 2009 should be treated as a redshirt season for Williams, who can get used to practicing every day and then challenge for a position next training camp.

Q: What's the theory on keeping an extra running back (Marcus Mason) and cornerback (Byron Westbrook)?

A: Although it's a compliment to their play in the preseason, it's also an indictment on what the Redskins think they have with the Ladell Betts-Rock Cartwright and Justin Tryon-Kevin Barnes combos at running back and cornerback, respectively.

Cerrato mentioned Mason's role, including third-down work. That's not good news for Betts, who worked almost exclusively in that situation during the preseason. The guess is that the coaches aren't confident in Betts' or, for that matter, Clinton Portis' ability to get the tough yards at the goal line. Enter Mason, who is 5-foot-9 and 215 but has a bulldozer mentality.

Westbrook made the team with solid play and because of a stinker of a month from Tryon and Barnes, one of whom may find himself inactive Sunday at 4:15 p.m. This is a huge opportunity for Westbrook, who toiled for two years on the practice squad and now could work himself into nickel and dime packages.

Q: Granted, the Redskins escaped relatively injury-free, but there are still some health concerns, right?

A: Absolutely. As Shawn Springs showed last year, calf injuries don't disappear. Carlos Rogers is more apt to suck it up than Springs (preseason games with Patriots: one), but he didn't get much work in the preseason, and Jim Zorn finally acknowledged concern last week. The other area to watch, of course, is offensive line. The biggest worry is right guard Randy Thomas, followed by left tackle Chris Samuels.

Even though it's younger, the Redskins' roster remains ill-equipped in some spots to survive massive attrition.

They should be able to stop teams, but expect a lot of tractor pull-type games - 14-10, 17-13 - that might result in wins but won't be pretty. But they also lack just enough parts to contend.

In the division, it will go: 1. Philadelphia, 2. New York, 3. Redskins, 4. Dallas.

O'Halloran

 

[T Bell]

For what, the fifth year in a row, literally any combination of the standings at the end of the year won't surprise me.

 

[Bizkiteer]

FYI - 'Skins added 2 players to fill out their PS.

The Redskins completed their eight-player practice squad on Monday, signing former New York Giants quaterback Andre Woodson, two former draft picks and four undrafted rookies.

Woodson was a sixth-round draft pick by the Giants in 2008. He spent time on the Giants’ practice squad last year.

Noticeably absent from the practice squad list is quarterback Chase Daniel. He had indicated on Saturday that he hoped to join the Redskins’ practice squad, but he ended up signing with the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad instead.

The Redskins are keeping two quarterbacks--Jason Campbell and Todd Collins--on the 53-man roster, with Woodson serving as the scout team quarterback as a member of the practice squad.

The Redskins’ practice squad is as follows:

REDSKINS PRACTICE SQUAD

Player Position Status

Lendy Holmes S Undrafted Rookie

Rob Jackson DE 2008 7th-round Draft Pick

Onrea Jones WR First-year Player

Trent Shelton WR First-year Player

J.D. Skolnitsky DE Undrafted Rookie

Eddie Williams FB 2009 7th-round Draft Pick

Andre Woodson QB 2008 6th-round (N.Y. Giants)

Darrel Young LB Undrafted Rookie

The Redskins were interested in signing defensive tackle Antonio Dixon, an undrafted rookie out of Miami, to the practice squad. He was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and added to their active roster.

The Redskins also hoped to bring back linebacker Cody Glenn, a fifth-round draft pick by the club, but he was claimed off waivers by the Indianapolis Colts.

Here is a closer look at the Redskins’ five practice squad players:

-- Lendy Holmes, S

Holmes, a starter on last year’s Big 12 champion Oklahoma Sooners, has experience playing both free and strong safety. The undrafted rookie was one of nine prospects to participate in Deion Sanders’ combine training session called “Prime U.” In preseason, Holmes led the defense in tackles with 20.

-- Rob Jackson, DE

A year ago, Jackson earned a Redskins roster spot as a sixth defensive end. This year, the Redskins kept five defensive ends, with Jackson on the practice squad. Jackson was a 2008 seventh-round draft pick by the Redskins. In preseason this year, he recorded two tackles and a forced fumble.

-- Onrea Jones, WR

Jones is a first-year player who has had NFL stints with five teams, including the Arizona Cardinals during preseason. He caught six passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns with the Cardinals in 2009 preseason. Jones played college football at Hampton and hails from Williamsburg, Va.

-- Trent Shelton, WR

Shelton joined the Redskins last May after practice squad stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts each of the last two years. He had a solid preseason, catching four passes for 38 yards in four games.

-- J.D. Skolnitsky, DE

Skolnitsky, a Fairfax, Va., native, joined the Redskins in May as an undrafted rookie. He first caught the Redskins’ eye at the team’s local college pre-draft workout in early April. Skolnitsky played college football at James Madison, but lost his final year of eligibility after he tested positive for a banned substance. During preseason this year, Skolnitsky recorded two tackles and one sack in four games.

-- Eddie Williams, FB

Williams was a seventh-round draft pick by the Redskins last April. Raw but versatile, Williams spent training camp learning to play fullback from Mike Sellers. He said he hopes to model his game after Sellers. A pass-catching fullback at Idaho, William grabbed three passes for 18 yards in preseason this year.

-- Andre Woodson, QB

Woodson is a 6-4 and 230-pound quarterback out of Kentucky and he was a Heisman Trophy candidate in 2007. Joining the New York Giants as a sixth-round draft pick in 2008, Woodson served on the practice squad most of last season. In preseason this year, Woodson completed 18-of-46 passes for 238 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. His QB rating was 38.1.

-- Darrel Young, LB

Young signed with the Redskins in May as an undrafted rookie out of Villanova. Regarded as a linebacker with good speed, Young impressed coaches with his play on special teams during training camp. In four preseason games, he logged four tackles.

Woodson might have been a good QB in college, but he hasn't shown much since he was drafted. A QB rating of 38.1, 18 of 46 and zero TD's, but 2 INT's???? Yikes!!!

 

[T Bell]

Woodson might have been a good QB in college, but he hasn't shown much since he was drafted. A QB rating of 38.1, 18 of 46 and zero TD's, but 2 INT's???? Yikes!!!

He may have simply been a signing to help prepare for the week 1 matchup. Remember that that offense is changed now that Burress and Ward aren't there.

 

[lod01]

Woodson might have been a good QB in college, but he hasn't shown much since he was drafted. A QB rating of 38.1, 18 of 46 and zero TD's, but 2 INT's???? Yikes!!!

He may have simply been a signing to help prepare for the week 1 matchup. Remember that that offense is changed now that Burress and Ward aren't there.

That's the only reason he was signed. He'll be gone soon afterward.

 

[buster c]

Jason Reid

Of course, the main reason Westbrook is on the team is because rookie third-round draft pick Kevin Barnes really struggled. A couple of people told me the former Maryland starter was so lost in coverage at times the Redskins could not risk beginning the season with only five players at the position, especially considering no one is sure how Carlos Rogers' lingering calf injury will respond as the team begins preparations this week for the season opener next Sunday against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium.

I still think they could use Leigh Torrence on their roster. He would certainly be better than Tryon or Barnes in coverage.

Most non-Redskins fans would wonder how I could say this about a 4th CB, but releasing Torrence remains one of the dumber moves they've made in the last several years, and probably the worst since the Lloyd and Archuleta signings.

you're forgetting the trade for Jason Taylor

 

[dgreen]

Chris Russell is the beat reporter on the new WFAN (old WJFK). On The Sports Junkies this morning, Chris said he expects Marko to dress this week and be in packages inside the 10 yard line. I hope so. This offense needs to use everything positive they have and Marko in the endzone is one of them. They could lineup Marko, Kelly, and Cooley inside the 10 have 3 big targets.

 

[simmonjm]

I have the Giants being lucky to score more than 10pts a game, and therefor, lucky to win 7 games this year.Who's with me? Who thinks my homer glasses are on too tight?Here's how I see the East:Skins 11-5Cows 8-8Eagles 8-8Giants 7-9The Giants, Eagles, and Cows all lost key players and in the case of the Eagles and Giants, key coaching. I think losing Spags and Johnson will be huge blows to the Giants and Eagles Ds. Philly's offense definitely got better on skill position with Jackson getting a year btter, Maclin and McCoy being potential players, but I do not like what they did to their O-Line. Peters and Andrews may never get back to their star form. The Giants lost Plax, Toomer, and Ward. That is a tremendous amount of offense. Nicks can not replace all that. Teams will key in on the run, and they will have nowhere to go.

I agree with you on the Giants and Eagles struggling. I doubt if the Redskins have enough offense to win 11 games. As for the Cowboys I think they will win more then 8 games. I dont believe that the casual observer understands how much injuries crippled Dallas last year. With that being said Dallas still led the league in sacks and got rid of everyones favorite target on the defense Roy Williams, Keith Brooking is also an upgrade over Zach Thomas. Special teams should improve with the new draft picks and the addition of Joe DeCamilis. As far as the offense I think it will be more consistent as Romo will not be forcing passes to TO and TO will not be dropping passes. Felix Jones and Marty B should help to replace the lost explosiveness of TO. All and all i think this is the year that Dallas finally wins their first playoff game but then again I have thought this the last 3 years so who knows.For the record I got the Redskins winning against the Giants in the first week. Haynesworth and company shut down Jacobs and Eli is relied upon to actually lead his team instead of being a bus driver and disaster ensues.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Everyone practicing + team captain info:

All 53 players practiced at full speed, including a handful who missed practices and the final preseason game at Jacksonville, among them defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, cornerback Carlos Rogers, linebacker London Fletcher and safety Kareem Moore

Team captains for the season are Jason Campbell and Chris Samuels on offense; London Fletcher and Cornelius Griffin on defense; and Rock Cartwright and Mike Sellers on special teams

 

[Sidewinder16]

Woodson might have been a good QB in college, but he hasn't shown much since he was drafted. A QB rating of 38.1, 18 of 46 and zero TD's, but 2 INT's???? Yikes!!!

He may have simply been a signing to help prepare for the week 1 matchup. Remember that that offense is changed now that Burress and Ward aren't there.

That's the only reason he was signed. He'll be gone soon afterward.

Coughlin crying about it:

New York coach Tom Coughlin wasn't happy the Washington Redskins claimed former Giants quarterback Andre Woodson off waivers and signed him to their practice squad less than a week before the teams meet in Sunday's season opener.

"That's pretty obvious why he is there," Coughlin told reporters Monday when asked whether Woodson could reveal some of the Giants' plans to the Redskins. "A guy doesn't get in the door two seconds, he is in the classroom and being drilled."

Get over it, Tom. It's not like this is new or rare.

 

[dgreen]

This is one reason why I wouldn't have minded Rock being cut.

 

[fatness]

This is one reason why I wouldn't have minded Rock being cut.

Apparently I’m not a good running back

He just figured that out now?

 

[Sidewinder16]

This is one reason why I wouldn't have minded Rock being cut.

Yeah, I was surprised and a little annoyed by those quotes when I read them. At some level you want your backups thinking they can be starters, but they also should be realistic about their place in the current scheme. Cartwright should have come to terms with his "special teams guy" label a couple years ago.

 

[Bizkiteer]

I have the Giants being lucky to score more than 10pts a game, and therefor, lucky to win 7 games this year.Who's with me? Who thinks my homer glasses are on too tight?Here's how I see the East:Skins 11-5Cows 8-8Eagles 8-8Giants 7-9The Giants, Eagles, and Cows all lost key players and in the case of the Eagles and Giants, key coaching. I think losing Spags and Johnson will be huge blows to the Giants and Eagles Ds. Philly's offense definitely got better on skill position with Jackson getting a year btter, Maclin and McCoy being potential players, but I do not like what they did to their O-Line. Peters and Andrews may never get back to their star form. The Giants lost Plax, Toomer, and Ward. That is a tremendous amount of offense. Nicks can not replace all that. Teams will key in on the run, and they will have nowhere to go.

I agree with you on the Giants and Eagles struggling. I doubt if the Redskins have enough offense to win 11 games. As for the Cowboys I think they will win more then 8 games. I dont believe that the casual observer understands how much injuries crippled Dallas last year. With that being said Dallas still led the league in sacks and got rid of everyones favorite target on the defense Roy Williams, Keith Brooking is also an upgrade over Zach Thomas. Special teams should improve with the new draft picks and the addition of Joe DeCamilis. As far as the offense I think it will be more consistent as Romo will not be forcing passes to TO and TO will not be dropping passes. Felix Jones and Marty B should help to replace the lost explosiveness of TO. All and all i think this is the year that Dallas finally wins their first playoff game but then again I have thought this the last 3 years so who knows.For the record I got the Redskins winning against the Giants in the first week. Haynesworth and company shut down Jacobs and Eli is relied upon to actually lead his team instead of being a bus driver and disaster ensues.

Nicely put, I think the 11-5 for the 'Skins is way to lofty. That is a bit of a "looking through burgundy & gold glasses" outlook. I think the 'Skins are a 9-7 team myself. As for your Cowboys, Emmitt Smith predicted this morning on Cowhurd (espn) that thye would go 7-9. Yikes! I think he's not very confident in the coaching staff.

 

[dgreen]

My updated 2009 offensive projections:

Total plays: 1,035Pass plays: 575Rush plays: 460Total yards: 5,475Pass yards: 3,515Rush yards: 1,960PASSING		   ATT COMP COMP%   YDS  Y/A  TD INT SCK SCKYDSCAMPBELL   530  339  64.0  3650  6.9  21  13  32   250COLLINS	 10	5  50.0	75  7.5   0   0   0	 0RANDLE EL	3	2  66.7	40 13.3   0   0   0	 0TOTAL	  543  346  63.7  3765  6.9  21  13  32   250RUSHING			ATT   YDS   Y/A   TDPORTIS	  315  1325   4.2   11BETTS		70   275   3.9	1CAMPBELL	 36   165   4.6	1MASON		23	90   3.9	1SELLERS	   5	25   5.0	0THOMAS		4	35   8.8	0RANDLE EL	 4	25   6.3	0CARTWRIGHT	2	10   5.0	0MOSS		  1	10  10.0	0TOTAL	   460  1960   4.3   14RECEIVING			REC   YDS   Y/R   TDMOSS		 72   970  13.5	5COOLEY	   77   825  10.7	6KELLY		45   540  12.0	4RANDLE EL	35   400  11.4	2THOMAS	   24   315  13.1	1BETTS		30   200   6.7	1PORTIS	   24   165   6.9	0MITCHELL	 12   130  10.8	2DAVIS		12   120  10.0	0SELLERS	   9	60   6.7	0YODER		 4	25   6.3	0MASON		 2	15   7.5	0TOTAL	   346  3765  10.9   21

 

[dgreen]

This is one reason why I wouldn't have minded Rock being cut.

From Rock:

...I’m the fourth guy...

The current depth chart has Rock 3rd and Mason 4th. And, I weep when I read the PR depth chart. Please, please, please tell me ARE will not return punts.ETA: Cooley is the backup punter.

 

[dgreen]

Rich Tandler ranks the Redskins:

Previous post had players 29-21.Here's 20-11:

20. Phillip Daniels, DE—Many figured he was done after missing all of 2008 with a knee injury. They figured wrong. If the blueprint for the defense works out he’ll be on the field on first down and then yielding to pass rush specialists because it will be second and long for the other team.



19. Ethan Albright, LS—He puts the ball where it needs to be. I have him downgraded somewhat because it seems to me that he’s replaceable. Really, how many bad snaps on kicks do you see in the course of the year? A lot of players can get it done and some of them can even serve as reserve linemen or at least play on other special teams. Albright is a one-trick pony.

18. Casey Rabach, C—Rabach is good when he doesn’t have a man over him but struggles with big nose guards. Still, he’s a workhorse who hates to come out of the lineup.

17. Cornelius Griffin, DT—Griffin’s job got a whole lot easier with the addition of Albert Haynesworth to play next to him. He’ll be 33 by the time the season ended so this could be his last hurrah as a starter.

16. Rocky McIntosh, WLB—He’ll always be something of a liability in coverage but other than that he’s everything you want in a linebacker—always around the ball and a solid fundamental tackler. It will be interesting to see what he can accomplish after recovering from the 2007 knee injury.

15. Chris Horton, SS—Horton made a spectacular debut, getting two interceptions and forcing a fumble in his first game as a starter. They couldn’t get him out of the lineup after that even though he appeared to hit a rookie wall and, like the rest of the team, wasn’t quite as effective as the year wore on.

14. Derrick Dockery, G—He seems to be fitting right in as though he never left. Dockery never was the most fundamentally sound lineman out there, relying on his sheer size to get it done. While you have to wonder about Buffalo letting him go despite not having much behind him, the position is far from one of concern.

13. Mike Sellers, FB—As long as they just have him do what he does best—apply crushing blocks and catch a couple of passes a game out in space—he’ll be fine. He’s not a short-yardage runner and the coaches over the past several years have given him a chance to demonstrate that at the worst possible times.

12. Andre Carter, DE—I’m probably a bigger believer in Carter than most. He will have his chance to have a big year with Haynesworth drawing a lot of attention in the middle of the line. Look for a double-digit sack total and a number of sack and strip plays out of Carter.

11. Hunter Smith, P—I considered putting him up higher but I want to see him in more situations. For example, I want to see if he can keep himself from thumping the ball into the end zone on the fly when punting from midfield, at least giving the team a chance to down it deep. No question about it, Hunter the punter can boom the ball.

And here's 10-1:

10. London Fletcher, MLB—He’s Greg Blache’s extension on the field, the unquestioned leader of the defense. Fletcher has lost a step or two but he makes up for it with smarts.



9. Chris Samuels, LT—There is a lot of nervousness surrounding Samuels. It’s not so much for his ability on the field but for his ability to stay on the field. Jim Zorn has acknowledged that Samuels has a knee injury that will have to be “managed” all year. Still, when he’s in there, he is rock solid.

8. Santana Moss, WR—Moss is right up there with any NFL receiver when it comes to having sticky hands and for his ability to make a jaw-dropping move after he catches the ball. The hope is that an improved receiving corps will take some attention off of him and allow him to be a bit more consistent.



7. DeAngelo Hall, CB—Both Hall and Blache have said that MeAngelo is dead and that Hall is determined to show that he has matured. For now, I’m going to buy that because there have been no indications to the contrary since he came to the Redskins at midseason last year. If Hall can get seven interceptions that will be the most of any Redskin since Martin Mayhew got that many in 1990.

6. Carlos Rogers, CB—Rogers reminds me of the old maxim that says that if most defensive backs had good hands they’d be wide receivers. Yes, the guy needs to hold on to the ball but at least he’s consistently in position to get his hands on passes. He takes a lot of flak here but I can name a bunch of other NFL teams that would love to have him dropping passes in their secondaries.



5. Brian Orakpo, SLB—This is very high to rank a rookie but the expectations here are sky high. Orakpo could well be the defensive difference maker that the Redskins have been missing for, oh, about two decades.

4. LaRon Landry, FS—If the rest of the defense works the way it should work, this will be Landry’s breakout season. A fierce pass rush can push a free safety from good to great.

3. Chris Cooley, TE—Like Moss, Cooley will benefit if the trio of 2008 second-round receivers can start to live up to expectations. If he can get some space in the middle of the field he can turn a medium-length pass into a huge play with his ability to run right through tackle attempts. There are some saying that the additions of Tony Gonzalez and Kellen Winslow to the NFC will keep Cooley from making another Pro Bowl appearance. It says here that Cooley makes it easily.

2. Albert Haynesworth, DT—As with Hall, I’m going to buy his words about not being satisfied with the huge payday because his actions have indicated that he wants to play hard. If so, he’ll be a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators.

1. Clinton Portis, RB—Clinton Portis is the bell cow of the Washington Redskins. When he’s going well the Redskisn are controlling the game. When he’s not, they’re struggling.

 

[simmonjm]

I have the Giants being lucky to score more than 10pts a game, and therefor, lucky to win 7 games this year.Who's with me? Who thinks my homer glasses are on too tight?Here's how I see the East:Skins 11-5Cows 8-8Eagles 8-8Giants 7-9The Giants, Eagles, and Cows all lost key players and in the case of the Eagles and Giants, key coaching. I think losing Spags and Johnson will be huge blows to the Giants and Eagles Ds. Philly's offense definitely got better on skill position with Jackson getting a year btter, Maclin and McCoy being potential players, but I do not like what they did to their O-Line. Peters and Andrews may never get back to their star form. The Giants lost Plax, Toomer, and Ward. That is a tremendous amount of offense. Nicks can not replace all that. Teams will key in on the run, and they will have nowhere to go.

I agree with you on the Giants and Eagles struggling. I doubt if the Redskins have enough offense to win 11 games. As for the Cowboys I think they will win more then 8 games. I dont believe that the casual observer understands how much injuries crippled Dallas last year. With that being said Dallas still led the league in sacks and got rid of everyones favorite target on the defense Roy Williams, Keith Brooking is also an upgrade over Zach Thomas. Special teams should improve with the new draft picks and the addition of Joe DeCamilis. As far as the offense I think it will be more consistent as Romo will not be forcing passes to TO and TO will not be dropping passes. Felix Jones and Marty B should help to replace the lost explosiveness of TO. All and all i think this is the year that Dallas finally wins their first playoff game but then again I have thought this the last 3 years so who knows.For the record I got the Redskins winning against the Giants in the first week. Haynesworth and company shut down Jacobs and Eli is relied upon to actually lead his team instead of being a bus driver and disaster ensues.

Nicely put, I think the 11-5 for the 'Skins is way to lofty. That is a bit of a "looking through burgundy & gold glasses" outlook. I think the 'Skins are a 9-7 team myself. As for your Cowboys, Emmitt Smith predicted this morning on Cowhurd (espn) that thye would go 7-9. Yikes! I think he's not very confident in the coaching staff.

Thanks for the kind words. Sounds like Emmitt is as good at predictions as he is speaking on TV Was listening to Sirius NFL with Schein and Rich Gannon this morning and they had Cowboys at 10-6 and 9-7 and Skins at 8-8 and 7-9. I really think that the NFC East is a 4 team race with the team that has the least amount of injuries more then likely the victor with that being said the Eagles and Giants are starting off behind with injuries already suffered. As far as coaching goes I think Garrett and Wade are cause for concern but should not be automatic disqualifiers for success.

 

[T Bell]

I have the Giants being lucky to score more than 10pts a game, and therefor, lucky to win 7 games this year.Who's with me? Who thinks my homer glasses are on too tight?Here's how I see the East:Skins 11-5Cows 8-8Eagles 8-8Giants 7-9The Giants, Eagles, and Cows all lost key players and in the case of the Eagles and Giants, key coaching. I think losing Spags and Johnson will be huge blows to the Giants and Eagles Ds. Philly's offense definitely got better on skill position with Jackson getting a year btter, Maclin and McCoy being potential players, but I do not like what they did to their O-Line. Peters and Andrews may never get back to their star form. The Giants lost Plax, Toomer, and Ward. That is a tremendous amount of offense. Nicks can not replace all that. Teams will key in on the run, and they will have nowhere to go.

I agree with you on the Giants and Eagles struggling. I doubt if the Redskins have enough offense to win 11 games. As for the Cowboys I think they will win more then 8 games. I dont believe that the casual observer understands how much injuries crippled Dallas last year. With that being said Dallas still led the league in sacks and got rid of everyones favorite target on the defense Roy Williams, Keith Brooking is also an upgrade over Zach Thomas. Special teams should improve with the new draft picks and the addition of Joe DeCamilis. As far as the offense I think it will be more consistent as Romo will not be forcing passes to TO and TO will not be dropping passes. Felix Jones and Marty B should help to replace the lost explosiveness of TO. All and all i think this is the year that Dallas finally wins their first playoff game but then again I have thought this the last 3 years so who knows.For the record I got the Redskins winning against the Giants in the first week. Haynesworth and company shut down Jacobs and Eli is relied upon to actually lead his team instead of being a bus driver and disaster ensues.

Nicely put, I think the 11-5 for the 'Skins is way to lofty. That is a bit of a "looking through burgundy & gold glasses" outlook. I think the 'Skins are a 9-7 team myself. As for your Cowboys, Emmitt Smith predicted this morning on Cowhurd (espn) that thye would go 7-9. Yikes! I think he's not very confident in the coaching staff.

Thanks for the kind words. Sounds like Emmitt is as good at predictions as he is speaking on TV Was listening to Sirius NFL with Schein and Rich Gannon this morning and they had Cowboys at 10-6 and 9-7 and Skins at 8-8 and 7-9. I really think that the NFC East is a 4 team race with the team that has the least amount of injuries more then likely the victor with that being said the Eagles and Giants are starting off behind with injuries already suffered. As far as coaching goes I think Garrett and Wade are cause for concern but should not be automatic disqualifiers for success.

As I've said for five years running now, literally any order of finish in this division would not be surprising to me. Every team has some major question or flaw that it needs to address, but all are fundamentally good teams. That's what makes the NFC East so fun.

 

[dgreen]

This is one reason why I wouldn't have minded Rock being cut.

In fairness to Rock.

 

[fatness]

1. Clinton Portis, RB—Clinton Portis is the bell cow of the Washington Redskins.

No doubt about that.

 

[fatness]

I'll say 7-9 or 8-8 this year. To be better than that will basically require no missed games due to injury on the O-line. If the O-line is ravaged by injury this year they'll struggle to win more than 5 or 6.

I expect them to be improved in several areas this year --- punter, WR, QB, LB. I expect the secondary to be worse. I expect RB's and special teams to be the same. I expect the D-line to be vastly improved.

But I think an old O-line will do in most of the progress in other areas.

 

[thayman]

This is one reason why I wouldn't have minded Rock being cut.

From Rock:

...I’m the fourth guy...

The current depth chart has Rock 3rd and Mason 4th. And, I weep when I read the PR depth chart. Please, please, please tell me ARE will not return punts.ETA: Cooley is the backup punter.

and the third team long snapper

 

[T Bell]

ETA: Cooley is the backup punter.

and the third team schlong snapper

Fixed.

 

[fatness]

OK, who do we guess will be inactive for the Giants game?

Roster is 53, how many can be active?

 

[dgreen]

OK, who do we guess will be inactive for the Giants game?Roster is 53, how many can be active?

47 can be active (a 48th man can be the emergency QB, but they won't do that).I'd guess Marcus Mason, Mike Williams, Edwin Williams, Jeremy Jarmon, Byron Westbrook, and Kevin Barnes.

 

[T Bell]

OK, who do we guess will be inactive for the Giants game?Roster is 53, how many can be active?

47 can be active (a 48th man can be the emergency QB, but they won't do that).I'd guess Marcus Mason, Mike Williams, Edwin Williams, Jeremy Jarmon, Byron Westbrook, and Kevin Barnes.

Carlos Rogers has been nursing his calf. I think they activate Westbrook and deactivate Renaldo Wynn. Otherwise I agree.

 

[dgreen]

OK, who do we guess will be inactive for the Giants game?Roster is 53, how many can be active?

47 can be active (a 48th man can be the emergency QB, but they won't do that).I'd guess Marcus Mason, Mike Williams, Edwin Williams, Jeremy Jarmon, Byron Westbrook, and Kevin Barnes.

Carlos Rogers has been nursing his calf. I think they activate Westbrook and deactivate Renaldo Wynn. Otherwise I agree.

The word is Rogers is ok. Of course, that could just be smoke.I'd prefer to see Wynn sit because I just can't imagine him offering much.

 

[Bizkiteer]

I have the Giants being lucky to score more than 10pts a game, and therefor, lucky to win 7 games this year.Who's with me? Who thinks my homer glasses are on too tight?Here's how I see the East:Skins 11-5Cows 8-8Eagles 8-8Giants 7-9The Giants, Eagles, and Cows all lost key players and in the case of the Eagles and Giants, key coaching. I think losing Spags and Johnson will be huge blows to the Giants and Eagles Ds. Philly's offense definitely got better on skill position with Jackson getting a year btter, Maclin and McCoy being potential players, but I do not like what they did to their O-Line. Peters and Andrews may never get back to their star form. The Giants lost Plax, Toomer, and Ward. That is a tremendous amount of offense. Nicks can not replace all that. Teams will key in on the run, and they will have nowhere to go.

I agree with you on the Giants and Eagles struggling. I doubt if the Redskins have enough offense to win 11 games. As for the Cowboys I think they will win more then 8 games. I dont believe that the casual observer understands how much injuries crippled Dallas last year. With that being said Dallas still led the league in sacks and got rid of everyones favorite target on the defense Roy Williams, Keith Brooking is also an upgrade over Zach Thomas. Special teams should improve with the new draft picks and the addition of Joe DeCamilis. As far as the offense I think it will be more consistent as Romo will not be forcing passes to TO and TO will not be dropping passes. Felix Jones and Marty B should help to replace the lost explosiveness of TO. All and all i think this is the year that Dallas finally wins their first playoff game but then again I have thought this the last 3 years so who knows.For the record I got the Redskins winning against the Giants in the first week. Haynesworth and company shut down Jacobs and Eli is relied upon to actually lead his team instead of being a bus driver and disaster ensues.

Nicely put, I think the 11-5 for the 'Skins is way to lofty. That is a bit of a "looking through burgundy & gold glasses" outlook. I think the 'Skins are a 9-7 team myself. As for your Cowboys, Emmitt Smith predicted this morning on Cowhurd (espn) that thye would go 7-9. Yikes! I think he's not very confident in the coaching staff.

Thanks for the kind words. Sounds like Emmitt is as good at predictions as he is speaking on TV Was listening to Sirius NFL with Schein and Rich Gannon this morning and they had Cowboys at 10-6 and 9-7 and Skins at 8-8 and 7-9. I really think that the NFC East is a 4 team race with the team that has the least amount of injuries more then likely the victor with that being said the Eagles and Giants are starting off behind with injuries already suffered. As far as coaching goes I think Garrett and Wade are cause for concern but should not be automatic disqualifiers for success.

As I've said for five years running now, literally any order of finish in this division would not be surprising to me. Every team has some major question or flaw that it needs to address, but all are fundamentally good teams. That's what makes the NFC East so fun.

Well said, I think that for the most part each NFC East team has above to great Defense. Every team has a legit player or two on offense that is legit, but each team also has major ? or two on offense too. Even though it can be said about much of the league, simmonjm's point about injuries in our division could very well will be the difference maker in determining who comes out on top and who ends on the bottom. We'll find out soon enough...

 

[Marvelous]

This is one reason why I wouldn't have minded Rock being cut.

Apparently I’m not a good running back

He just figured that out now?

I think Rock is just stating the obvious. Gibbs would have never have traded for Duckett if he thought Rock was a viable 1 or 2 game stand in at rb. Cerrato/Zorn would have never signed a washed up Alexander if Rock could fill in at rb for a game or two. He was also a free agent a few years ago and got no takers as a special teams guy and backup rb. So apparently a lot of teams feel the same way about Rock.

 

[T Bell]

This is one reason why I wouldn't have minded Rock being cut.

Apparently I’m not a good running back

He just figured that out now?

I think Rock is just stating the obvious. Gibbs would have never have traded for Duckett if he thought Rock was a viable 1 or 2 game stand in at rb. Cerrato/Zorn would have never signed a washed up Alexander if Rock could fill in at rb for a game or two. He was also a free agent a few years ago and got no takers as a special teams guy and backup rb. So apparently a lot of teams feel the same way about Rock.

In fairness to Rock, I think he runs pretty well, he just forgets to bring the ball with him at times. Ever since he fumbled in that KC game in 2005, which gave away a great win on the road against a good opponent, he lost the confidence of Gibbs (who was always about avoiding turnovers above all) and so he lost his chance to be a ball carrier. I believe he'd had a fumble as a RB before that too, but that was the final straw.

 

[buster c]

Today’s WaPo included the NFL preview. Driving to work today, I asked my wife to call out the Skins schedule and I’d predict the result.

The result? 5-11

Mind you, this was before my morning coffee and undoubtedly I was road-raged, but this ties to my initial gut reaction to events as they’ve played out since last season.

Wins:

DET

TB

KC

DEN

DAL

To spin positive, I can see a possible split with Philly and perhaps an upset or two, but I see the best-case scenario being 8-8. In conclusion, I see this team winning 6-7 games.

 

[dgreen]

Today’s WaPo included the NFL preview. Driving to work today, I asked my wife to call out the Skins schedule and I’d predict the result.The result? 5-11Mind you, this was before my morning coffee and undoubtedly I was road-raged, but this ties to my initial gut reaction to events as they’ve played out since last season. WinsETTBKC DENDALTo spin positive, I can see a possible split with Philly and perhaps an upset or two, but I see the best-case scenario being 8-8. In conclusion, I see this team winning 6-7 games.

I'm shocked you don't have them 0-16.

 

[buster c]

Today’s WaPo included the NFL preview. Driving to work today, I asked my wife to call out the Skins schedule and I’d predict the result.The result? 5-11Mind you, this was before my morning coffee and undoubtedly I was road-raged, but this ties to my initial gut reaction to events as they’ve played out since last season. WinsETTBKC DENDALTo spin positive, I can see a possible split with Philly and perhaps an upset or two, but I see the best-case scenario being 8-8. In conclusion, I see this team winning 6-7 games.

I'm shocked you don't have them 0-16.

I did get a good chuckle out of your Campbell projection of 21 TD's.

 

[Dexter Manley]

I'm going with 11-5. The schedule breaks very well for the Skins this season. 11-5 was the first # that popped into my head when I initially saw our schedule.

The only area on the team that I see as worse than last season is DB, specifically CB.

Dline and LB are improved. WR will be better. Oline is better, though not nearly as much as any of us would like. Huge upgrade at punter.

QB, RB, TE, and S should all be the same or better.

Our kicker still sucks, but hopefully he's better than last season.

Hopefully Zorn has figured out, as he seemed to against NE in preseason, that on offense there needs to be more plays aimed at getting the ball downfield.

 

[Sebowski]

I have a college buddy in town visiting who is a Giants fan. We just bet on the game. Loser pays for gas and hotel in Vegas for Monday and Tuesday after the game.

Can't wait for my free trip to Vegas.

 

[fatness]

Santana Moss in last 8 games vs. Giants: 7 TD's

Giants may be missing 2 of their starting DB's on Sunday.

 

[dgreen]

From Keim:

As for Thomas, he might have a role on kickoff returns, though it was uncertain in what role. One Redskins source said he would not be returning kicks Sunday. Zorn said that might happen in the future. However, it does sound as if he'll be on the field in some capacity.

That just screams "REVERSE" to me.

 

[dgreen]

Santana Moss in last 8 games vs. Giants: 7 TD'sGiants may be missing 2 of their starting DB's on Sunday.

But only one TD in NY. I don't think that's a problem with Moss, though. The team, overall, has looked horrible in NY the last several years.

 

[buster c]

Santana Moss in last 8 games vs. Giants: 7 TD'sGiants may be missing 2 of their starting DB's on Sunday.

But only one TD in NY. I don't think that's a problem with Moss, though. The team, overall, has looked horrible in NY the last several years.

with the exception of the 2007 game under St. Joe where Todd Collins tamed the winds of the meadowlands, which ate up little Eli.

 

[buster c]

I'm going with 11-5. The schedule breaks very well for the Skins this season. 11-5 was the first # that popped into my head when I initially saw our schedule.

The only area on the team that I see as worse than last season is DB, specifically CB.

Dline and LB are improved. WR will be better. Oline is better , though not nearly as much as any of us would like. Huge upgrade at punter.

QB, RB, TE, and S should all be the same or better.

Our kicker still sucks, but hopefully he's better than last season.

Hopefully Zorn has figured out, as he seemed to against NE in preseason, that on offense there needs to be more plays aimed at getting the ball downfield.

OL better? How? With the huge upgrade Mike WIlliams represents over warrior Jon Jansen? Sorry, not buying this. Not only are they a year older, but not one of their backups played a single down in 2008.

I think I'll be able to hold off on my relentless criticisms of #17 because this line is going to get him killed before the leaves change colors.

 

[Dexter Manley]

I'm going with 11-5. The schedule breaks very well for the Skins this season. 11-5 was the first # that popped into my head when I initially saw our schedule.

The only area on the team that I see as worse than last season is DB, specifically CB.

Dline and LB are improved. WR will be better. Oline is better , though not nearly as much as any of us would like. Huge upgrade at punter.

QB, RB, TE, and S should all be the same or better.

Our kicker still sucks, but hopefully he's better than last season.

Hopefully Zorn has figured out, as he seemed to against NE in preseason, that on offense there needs to be more plays aimed at getting the ball downfield.

OL better? How? With the huge upgrade Mike WIlliams represents over warrior Jon Jansen? Sorry, not buying this. Not only are they a year older, but not one of their backups played a single down in 2008.

I think I'll be able to hold off on my relentless criticisms of #17 because this line is going to get him killed before the leaves change colors.

Derrick Dockery, primarily. And Heyer has looked better in preseason than Jansen did all last season. I didn't say it was a huge improvement. Not nearly big enough for my liking.

 

[Sebowski]

I'm going with 11-5. The schedule breaks very well for the Skins this season. 11-5 was the first # that popped into my head when I initially saw our schedule.

The only area on the team that I see as worse than last season is DB, specifically CB.

Dline and LB are improved. WR will be better. Oline is better , though not nearly as much as any of us would like. Huge upgrade at punter.

QB, RB, TE, and S should all be the same or better.

Our kicker still sucks, but hopefully he's better than last season.

Hopefully Zorn has figured out, as he seemed to against NE in preseason, that on offense there needs to be more plays aimed at getting the ball downfield.

OL better? How? With the huge upgrade Mike WIlliams represents over warrior Jon Jansen? Sorry, not buying this. Not only are they a year older, but not one of their backups played a single down in 2008.

I think I'll be able to hold off on my relentless criticisms of #17 because this line is going to get him killed before the leaves change colors.

Clinton Portis has a take on ithttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsb...jor_u.html#more

Here's what he said on ESPN 980's John Thompson Show Tuesday, when asked if this year's offensive line is better than last year's version.

"I actually think so," Portis said. "I think getting [Derrick Dockery] back and having Stephon [Heyer] finally on the right side for a full season, I think those are major upgrades. You know, no disrespect to Jon Jansen or Pete Kendall, but I think Pete gave everything he had. [it] was just hard [for him] to move. You know, he gave 100 percent, it just looked like he was going at 60."

[The wheels on the bus go round and round. - ed.]

"But I think Pete was probably one of the smartest players that I ever played with," Portis continued. "You know, he knew every situation in a game, and he went out and gave it everything he had. But now having Dock and Stephon, I think it makes our line younger. I think it's an upgrade."

And from the same link

Praise For Malcolm Kelly: When asked about the running game, Portis pretty much decided to stop discussing the running game and start discussing the passing game.

"For us, opening up, going downfield, having the explosion, having Malcolm Kelly healthy, having Malcolm Kelly with confidence," he said, ticking off positives. "You know, if you watch the games, you see his hands, so I think having a confident and healthy Malcolm Kelly instantly upgrades this offense. Then you look at the unknown factor and that's having Fred Davis on the other side of Chris Cooley. So if we can get into any personnel, we can go two tight ends with Malcolm and Santana out wide, or we can go four wide and put all our receivers on the field, we can go with Mike Sellers and Yoder and run a power game, so I think it's exciting."

 

[Bizkiteer]

Really, other than one game...our offense looks the same. How anyone can say this team can win 10+ games is beyond me. If the offense that played vs/ the Pats shows up, then there might be an opportunity, but it would be slim. Our 3rd down coverage is a concern too. We just have too many ????'s to be considered a top flight (10+ wins) type of team.

 

[Ripleys]

Skins fan, for the purposes of FF, in a PPR league, are you more confident that Santana will have a big game this weekend or Portis? I'll have that decision in several leagues, and can't make up my mind...

 

[ChrisCooleyFan]

8-8

Its what we have came to know with Danny Boy. Danny Boy will fire Zorn, he'll hire some other tard, then he will select Teabow as our qb

 

[fatness]

Danny Boy will fire Zorn, he'll hire some other tard,

Yes but he'll be OUR TARD!

 

[Sebowski]

Skins fan, for the purposes of FF, in a PPR league, are you more confident that Santana will have a big game this weekend or Portis? I'll have that decision in several leagues, and can't make up my mind...

Portis. There aren't enough plays that are designed to get the ball in Santana's hands. He'll either have 2 for 15 or 14 for 220.

 

[dgreen]

Really, other than one game...our offense looks the same.

Really? I'm not saying I see them leaping to a top 5 offense, but I don't see how anyone can say they look the same as last year. Regardless of whether you think Kelly and Thomas are worthy of their draft spot, the WRs are an improvement over last year. Moving ARE to the slot and not having to play a guy like James Thrash is a step forward. They simply have more playmakers on the field than last year.With this improvement at WR, I expect a more aggressive attack. Their willingness to throw deep in preseason, I believe, is going to carry over into the regular season. Now, of course, to do that you have to have pass protection and the OL is the big question. If healthy, I think they are a slight improvement over last year's starting unit because of Dockery replacing Kendall and Heyer having another year under his belt. Yes, Thomas could break at any time and the backups are less reliable this year.