What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

***OFFICIAL*** Washington Redskins 2011 Off-Season Thread (1 Viewer)

Phillip Daniels was on ES answering questions. Pretty cool.

Here is some of it:

Who has benefitted the most from the switch to the 3-4 and/or the new-look offense?

Daniels: I would have to say our outside backers. They will get more opportunities to rush. With Andre and Orakpo on the outsides that is a good thing. [big grinning smiley face emoticon]

How has the defensive side accepted the change in philosphy and are they excited for that change?

Daniels: Everyone has accepted it. Anything that can help us be better and win is all good.

In the brief OTAs so far, who on the defense has impressed you the most, someone who may have surprisingly caught your eye? Is there someone in particular that you expect to blossom in training camp/this coming year?

Daniels: Everyone has caught my eye but if had had to single out anyone it would probably be Carlos Rogers. This is a good fit for him.

Aside from his locker being moved, is there anything done in memorial for Sean Taylor and do the rookies and free agents coming in keep his memory alive?

Daniels: Sean's memory will never die. I think in our alone time, everyone thinks about him and what he meant to all of us. He is gone but never forgotten. It's always nice to see an old highlight with him making a play. Just brings a smile to your face. Whenever someone new comes to this team, the first thing they ask about is him and how he was.

What's the single biggest change you have noticed around Redskins Park since the new front office has had some time to start making changes?

Daniels: Biggest change and a much needed change is discipline. It can win you more games.

How can anyone else be da man when you are da man, PD!?

Daniels: Lol. Thanks man but we do need everybody to play like they are the man this year because all is important for success. I don't think it will be hard to play [ticked] off this year after a 4-12 season. Never ever want to go through that again. Thanks for the support.
The threadA couple other things that stood out to me:

When asked to compare Orakpo to someone he said LT.

Said Jarmon is looking good and will help.

Likes Chris Wilson as a pass rusher.

His favorite play was the sack against Philly causing a fumble ST returned for a TD and put them in the playoffs.

 
Still not sure how this Haynesworth situation will play out but this is certainly more of a positive than a negative.

Haynesworth to Reach Out to Shanahan

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpag...r=1&id=2636
From Rich Campbell:
Per #NFL Sources, A. Haynesworth will report to TC as expected on time, but will reach out Wed. to speak w/ Shanahan 1st
and
Just heard from Trent Williams' agent, Ben Dogra. Said he & #Redskins "continue to work as hard as we can in an effort to reach a deal."
Hopefully Trent can be there day one. I believe he's the only unsigned rookie.
 
Devin Thomas has been getting some mild hype in other threads. What does the Redskins faithful/insiders think about his upcoming camp and season? Who's buying him?

 
Devin Thomas has been getting some mild hype in other threads. What does the Redskins faithful/insiders think about his upcoming camp and season? Who's buying him?
He's probably the best value among Redskins WR based upon ADP. I'd think you could roster him as a WR4-5 and he might put up WR3 or better numbers. I'm also not convinced that Kelly is done there as the negative reports about him have been unsourced speculation. He's got undeniably great hands and is the only truly large WR on that team so he's got some red zone potential that other WR's don't. What makes me hesitate is that they have two very good receiving TE's that are also large targets, so that may reduce his role. Thomas and Moss at least bring something to the table that the existence of those TE's doesn't rival: speed.
 
Devin Thomas has been getting some mild hype in other threads. What does the Redskins faithful/insiders think about his upcoming camp and season? Who's buying him?
He's probably the best value among Redskins WR based upon ADP. I'd think you could roster him as a WR4-5 and he might put up WR3 or better numbers. I'm also not convinced that Kelly is done there as the negative reports about him have been unsourced speculation. He's got undeniably great hands and is the only truly large WR on that team so he's got some red zone potential that other WR's don't. What makes me hesitate is that they have two very good receiving TE's that are also large targets, so that may reduce his role. Thomas and Moss at least bring something to the table that the existence of those TE's doesn't rival: speed.
Speaking of Kelly...In that Daniels thread Q&A someone asked him about the story Kelly would be cut. Daniels said Kelly has the best hands on the team and not to believe everything you read. As for Thomas, this is his year to show what he can do. I am cautiously optimistic. I like his value in redrafts right now. If you were making a dynasty trade with a guy that has Thomas I would try to get him into the deal. Not really targeting him on his own though.
 
Sounds like Haynesworth might be reporting today? If so, that's a good sign I guess.

ESPN Radio is reporting that Haynesworth will be getting to training camp early today in order to try and get a minute or two with Coach Mike Shanahan and smooth things out a little.
link
 
This just in.

Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has reached out to the Redskins recently and assured them he won't be a distraction, several people familiar with the situation said Wednesday.

Haynesworth, who has returned to the area to prepare for the opening of training camp Thursday, is optimistic about his situation in Washington for the first time in months, said one team source who has spoken with him at length in the past few weeks.

The source said Haynesworth told him he is coming to work and understands he will have to play nose tackle at times in the Redskins' new 3-4 defense.

People in the organization have informed Haynesworth that it appears veteran nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu, who sat out the 2009 season because of an Achilles' injury, will be fully recovered to start the season. Kemoeatu, an effective player during his years with the Carolina Panthers, is a starting-caliber NFL nose when he is healthy.

The Redskins plan for Haynesworth and Kemoeatu to be on the field together often. In that scenario, Haynesworth would play defensive end, which basically is a three-technique defensive tackle in a 4-3 - Haynesworth's preferred position.
Apparently the team and Haynesworth have been talking in the last several weeks.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
We'll obviously have to wait and see, but the word "overblown" has always come to my mind during the Haynesworth saga.

 
We'll obviously have to wait and see, but the word "overblown" has always come to my mind during the Haynesworth saga.
:rant: The biggest factor for me in that regard is that it's simply not in Haynesworth's interest to report out of shape or under-perform given his supposed desire to be traded. This was about him pouting and trying to make a power play. It failed. He's behind in learning a new scheme which is the biggest problem, but then as a penetrating 3-4 DE I believe what he needs to learn will be simpler than others, like the LB's especially. How often will he really stunt, for example, or drop back into coverage zone blitz style?
 
Interesting. Haslett apparently wanted Haynesworth primarily at DE and it was Shanahan who insisted he play nose tackle.

Haslett, who has complete control of the defense, was willing to accommodate Haynesworth to a certain extent, team sources said. He planned for Haynesworth to line up primarily at defensive end, on the guard's outside shoulder, the position Haynesworth has played since college.

But Shanahan, still angry over Haynesworth's defiance, often has emphasized that Haynesworth will be Washington's "starting nose tackle," a position Haynesworth is not interested in playing.
Jason ReidAlso from the article, it looks like Kemoeatu's recovery is still going OK.

There is optimism in the complex that veteran nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu, who sat out the 2009 season because of an Achilles' injury, will be recovered to start the season. In a positive sign, the Redskins recently sent Ray Wright, the new strength and conditioning coach, to Hawaii to help Kemoeatu continue preparing to resume his career.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thom Loverro and Kevin Sheehan are talking about the players arriving for training camp, and they're playing "All the Young Dudes" by Mott the Hoople. :hifive:

This is a good time of year, isn't it?

 
fatness said:
Interesting. Haslett apparently wanted Haynesworth primarily at DE and it was Shanahan who insisted he play nose tackle.

Haslett, who has complete control of the defense, was willing to accommodate Haynesworth to a certain extent, team sources said. He planned for Haynesworth to line up primarily at defensive end, on the guard's outside shoulder, the position Haynesworth has played since college.But Shanahan, still angry over Haynesworth's defiance, often has emphasized that Haynesworth will be Washington's "starting nose tackle," a position Haynesworth is not interested in playing.
Yes, but the team has also said over and over that he wouldn't just play the nose. Orakpo will be an OLB, but I'm sure he'll be in the DE role at times. Landry will be a safety, but I'm sure he'll be more in a LB position at times. Portis is a RB, but will line up split out wide on certain snaps. It's just a position designation. It's not a claim that he'll do one thing and one thing only.I do think that was partly Shanahan saying, "Hey, I'm in charge. Haynesworth isn't in charge. That's not going to fly anymore." It's a statement about control and authority, not about scheme and Xs and Os. For the most part, the team has refused to discuss this. They seem to have successfully controlled the situation. Other than that first day of mandatory mini camp when he didn't show up where all the players were giving their opinion, there really isn't any indication this has been a distraction.Of course, the next few days are going to be the strongest evidence we have so far of how this has all played out.
 
fatness said:
Interesting. Haslett apparently wanted Haynesworth primarily at DE and it was Shanahan who insisted he play nose tackle.

Haslett, who has complete control of the defense, was willing to accommodate Haynesworth to a certain extent, team sources said. He planned for Haynesworth to line up primarily at defensive end, on the guard's outside shoulder, the position Haynesworth has played since college.But Shanahan, still angry over Haynesworth's defiance, often has emphasized that Haynesworth will be Washington's "starting nose tackle," a position Haynesworth is not interested in playing.
I think this was Shanahan's way of demonstrating his authority and also hitting back at Haynesworth by trying to turn this into a whining-over-position issue, which makes Haynesworth look particularly bad. Shanahan was also afraid IMHO to look like he was trying to placate Haynesworth with the more palatable explanation about his position. I frankly don't like how Shanahan handled a lot of this, and this is one example. Honesty about stuff like this is the best policy IMHO for Shanahan's long term credibility with the team.
 
Haynesworth Meets with Shanahan, Haslett

The sources said Haynesworth, realizing the Redskins probably would not trade him, reached out to Haslett in an effort to end his war with the organization. During their conversations, Haslett made it clear to Haynesworth what he expected of him and what Haynesworth could count on in return. Haslett explained how he envisioned using Haynesworth in the Redskins' new 3-4 scheme as a nose tackle and defensive end.

Haynesworth told Haslett he would do what was asked of him, the sources said. After speaking with Haslett, Haynesworth confided in teammates he believes he could be productive in Haslett's scheme and he was ready to get started.

But Haynesworth, who will not open camp on Thursday with the first-team defense, is far behind his teammates in learning the team's new, aggressive scheme. The coaching staff and Redskins players are committed to helping Haynesworth get caught up as fast as possible, the sources said. Haynesworth must pass a physical before he can practice Thursday.
edited to add: It's nice to see that Jason Reid and Rick Maese have developed a source or sources within the organization. Reid was lacking that for awhile, and it's one thing LaCanfora had going for him while he was here.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Haynesworth Meets With Coaches

Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth has arrived in town for training camp and met with coach Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett Wednesday morning. Haynesworth, who boycotted all of the Redskins’ off-season program, must pass a conditioning test before taking part in the team’s first training camp practice Thursday afternoon. “The conversation went well,” Shanahan said. “Now we’ll get a chance to see exactly where we’re at in the near future. He looked like he was in good shape.”

At the start of camp, Haynesworth will not work with the first-team defense. "It's easy to talk the game -- we'll see what he does in practice, see what type of shape he's in, how committed he is; all of the things we've talked about the last couple months," Shanahan said.

Haynesworth has stayed away from the team since the Redskins moved to a 3-4 defensive front, a move that would require Haynesworth to play nose tackle. He prefers to play defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme. “I was very pleased with his mindset and where he was coming from,” Shanahan said. “It was what I expected from him.”
 
Haynesworth Meets with Shanahan, Haslett

The sources said Haynesworth, realizing the Redskins probably would not trade him, reached out to Haslett in an effort to end his war with the organization. During their conversations, Haslett made it clear to Haynesworth what he expected of him and what Haynesworth could count on in return. Haslett explained how he envisioned using Haynesworth in the Redskins' new 3-4 scheme as a nose tackle and defensive end.

Haynesworth told Haslett he would do what was asked of him, the sources said. After speaking with Haslett, Haynesworth confided in teammates he believes he could be productive in Haslett's scheme and he was ready to get started.

But Haynesworth, who will not open camp on Thursday with the first-team defense, is far behind his teammates in learning the team's new, aggressive scheme. The coaching staff and Redskins players are committed to helping Haynesworth get caught up as fast as possible, the sources said. Haynesworth must pass a physical before he can practice Thursday.
This is all good to hear. But, it should be noted that this really isn't anything new. We heard months ago about Haslett's plan to use Haynesworth in multiple ways. We also heard months ago from Haynesworth basically saying, "I'll do whatever they ask me to do."I think the missed mini-camp is going to amount to nothing more than really, really, really, really bad PR for Haynesworth.

 
fatness said:
Interesting. Haslett apparently wanted Haynesworth primarily at DE and it was Shanahan who insisted he play nose tackle.

Haslett, who has complete control of the defense, was willing to accommodate Haynesworth to a certain extent, team sources said. He planned for Haynesworth to line up primarily at defensive end, on the guard's outside shoulder, the position Haynesworth has played since college.

But Shanahan, still angry over Haynesworth's defiance, often has emphasized that Haynesworth will be Washington's "starting nose tackle," a position Haynesworth is not interested in playing.
Jason ReidAlso from the article, it looks like Kemoeatu's recovery is still going OK.

There is optimism in the complex that veteran nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu, who sat out the 2009 season because of an Achilles' injury, will be recovered to start the season. In a positive sign, the Redskins recently sent Ray Wright, the new strength and conditioning coach, to Hawaii to help Kemoeatu continue preparing to resume his career.
Fwiw, Shanahan also talked about playing Haynesworth at free safety.**If that ever happens then the opposing team's qb is a must start for fantasy.

 
In text messages to a reporter Wednesday, several Redskins veterans said they plan to welcome Haynesworth back. Linebacker London Fletcher was among the players who harshly criticized Haynesworth for missing the mandatory minicamp.

"I think all our players are very consistent with their feelings," Shanahan said. "They're hoping Albert is in great shape, and [he] buys into his responsibility and he plays like heck and he helps our football team win. Our players would accept that. But he's going to have to buy in and play it the way we want it to be played. And if he does, then he could help us win."
link
 
Football Outsiders Explains Their Grim 3-year Outlook for the Redskins

I still don't see evidence of some great, coherent front office plan. I still see a bunch of old running backs, and a team trying to add Brian Westbrook for good measure. There's all the insane veteran filler on the roster that I mentioned in the article. You mention bringing in youth with draft picks. The best way to bring in youth is to bring in youth, not Vonnie Holliday.

Do I think Shanahan will fail? Yes, absolutely, if this is his, Allen's, and Snyder's idea of roster management. I can't look at this team with an old QB (no replacement on roster), old RBs (no replacement), old or bad WRs, question marks on the offensive line, and other problems, plus limited picks in future drafts, and say "well, the Carriker move was pretty good." This team needs real, actual, draft-guys-and-wait rebuilding. I thought Allen and Shanny were bringing that. They brought just the opposite.
Ouch.
 
fatness said:
Football Outsiders Explains Their Grim 3-year Outlook for the Redskins

I still don't see evidence of some great, coherent front office plan. I still see a bunch of old running backs, and a team trying to add Brian Westbrook for good measure. There's all the insane veteran filler on the roster that I mentioned in the article. You mention bringing in youth with draft picks. The best way to bring in youth is to bring in youth, not Vonnie Holliday.

Do I think Shanahan will fail? Yes, absolutely, if this is his, Allen's, and Snyder's idea of roster management. I can't look at this team with an old QB (no replacement on roster), old RBs (no replacement), old or bad WRs, question marks on the offensive line, and other problems, plus limited picks in future drafts, and say "well, the Carriker move was pretty good." This team needs real, actual, draft-guys-and-wait rebuilding. I thought Allen and Shanny were bringing that. They brought just the opposite.
Ouch.
All of those observations are correct, and have been surprising to me. I'm not ready to conclude that it will end in failure, but I definitely wonder.
 
I'm hoping that signing all the veterans is more of "fill the most glaring holes and backup slots on the roster" move, and not a longterm plan.

 
fatness said:
Football Outsiders Explains Their Grim 3-year Outlook for the Redskins

I still don't see evidence of some great, coherent front office plan. I still see a bunch of old running backs, and a team trying to add Brian Westbrook for good measure. There's all the insane veteran filler on the roster that I mentioned in the article. You mention bringing in youth with draft picks. The best way to bring in youth is to bring in youth, not Vonnie Holliday.

Do I think Shanahan will fail? Yes, absolutely, if this is his, Allen's, and Snyder's idea of roster management. I can't look at this team with an old QB (no replacement on roster), old RBs (no replacement), old or bad WRs, question marks on the offensive line, and other problems, plus limited picks in future drafts, and say "well, the Carriker move was pretty good." This team needs real, actual, draft-guys-and-wait rebuilding. I thought Allen and Shanny were bringing that. They brought just the opposite.
Ouch.
Just last year FO had Colt Brennan in their top 25 NFL prospects. For the most part though, I agree with them. I'm not as against bringing in the old guys, because what else were they supposed to do? And none of them are carrying big, long term deals with large signing bonuses. That is what mostly plagued them in the past. A lot of successful franchises bring in aging vets and sign them to small deals. What I have a problem with is trading away draft picks. The McNabb deal I can see because you are trading for the most important position. I am ok with that. I was an still am a little sour on the Brown deal, but I loved the Carriker deal. The best way, imo, for this team to establish long term success is to bring in young, relatively cheap talent. The only way to do that is the draft. To criticize Shanny and Allen for signing aging vets when they already were slim on draft picks from what vinny left is a bit premature.

 
Meast21 said:
DCThunder said:
Anybody going out to Redskins Park to watch practice???
I'll be out tomorrow and will def have a write up from what I see.
I will be out there tomorrow morning as well. Interested in comparing notes. The summer is going by too fast but I'll take it if it means football season is here. Which it is. :loco:
 
But Haynesworth related to Haslett on a more personal level, the sources said. It was revealed Wednesday that Haynesworth and Haslett have been in contact for weeks through phone calls and text messages. Haslett and Haynesworth have declined to discuss their private conversations, but the sources credit Haslett with playing a major role in persuading Haynesworth to rejoin the Redskins with an open mind about the new defense.

Haslett, one of Shanahan's most trusted lieutenants, made it clear that he could use Haynesworth in the manner Shanahan has mandated and still provide him with opportunities to rush the passer. In fact, the sources said if the Redskins' scheme works as Haslett envisions, Haynesworth's sack total (he had four last season) likely would increase. But the key, Haslett repeatedly told Haynesworth during their talks, was to get back to Ashburn in shape to prove to Shanahan he was willing to give the whole thing an honest try.

Haslett also stressed that if Haynesworth is serious about mending fences, he would have to keep his frustration private. Haslett is willing to listen to Haynesworth, but he does not want to learn about players' complaints from newspaper, Internet or radio and television reports, the sources said.

Meantime, two players said they expect Haynesworth and inside linebacker London Fletcher to meet privately to discuss Fletcher's harsh criticism of Haynesworth for skipping the mandatory June minicamp. The meeting probably would not occur until after Haynesworth undergoes his conditioning test today.
linkSounds like a good job done by Haslett trying to get the most out of a player.

 
Conflicting tweets on Haynesworth. JReid tweeted that he "killed" the conditioning test. Glazer saying that he failed. Not sure who to believe.

 
conflicting reports on albert

a source tells me albert did great on his conditioning test
Chris Russell new Skins beat reporter for ESPN980 along with Al Galdi.Russell was just on the air and did not have a clear answer. This is silly, the guy passed or failed, it's not a big front office political decision to make.

 
This is silly, the guy passed or failed, it's not a big front office political decision to make.
Yeah, the conflicting reports are confusing.But, for the conspiracy theorists...Maybe he is in really, really good condition. But, maybe they gave him a more difficult conditioning test and held him to different standards.No, I don't believe that happened. Just trying to figure out how there can be opposite reports.
 
Didn't see this posted in here:

portis

Cffensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan continued to heap praise on Clinton Portis as the start of Redskins camp.

"What I've seen of Clinton, he's been as good of a leader, as good of an example as any player that I've been around so far," said Shanahan. Though Portis enjoyed an impressive, diligent offseason, it remains to be seen what's left of his ability. He's averaged better than 4.1 yards per carry in just one of the last three seasons, and ranks fourth on the active list for career carries. Only LaDainian Tomlinson, Thomas Jones, and Fred Taylor have more.
 
How is Jason Reid going to handle this if he's wrong? Ignore it? Beat his source to a pulp? Claim "killed it" didn't mean he did well; it means that he failed?

 
Haynesworth did so well in the first phase that one team source said he "killed it." But Haynesworth apparently needed a lavatory break midway through the second part and was unable to complete the test after returning and starting from the beginning.

On Wednesday, Coach Mike Shanahan said Haynesworth would not be permitted to participate in training camp practices until he passed the test. The Redskins are scheduled to take the field for the first practice of camp in about two hours at Redskins Park. Shanahan plans to address the situation after practice, but Haynesworth is not expected to comment until he passes the test.
Sounds like he began the second part of the test, needed the bathroom break, and had to start the second part from the beginning again and failed it. When you gotta go, you gotta go.
 
2 guys talking about Haynesworth:

"Albert Haynesworth has to pass a conditioning test."

"I didn't know he ate one."

 
This is silly, the guy passed or failed, it's not a big front office political decision to make.
Yeah, the conflicting reports are confusing.But, for the conspiracy theorists...Maybe he is in really, really good condition. But, maybe they gave him a more difficult conditioning test and held him to different standards.No, I don't believe that happened. Just trying to figure out how there can be opposite reports.
So, basically he failed 1.5 conditioning tests.Now the questions are:1) Did Haynesworth take the bathroom break because he knew he wasn't going to make it through?2) Did Shanahan make him start over in an effort to fail him or is that just standard operating procedure here? I mean, it makes sense to start over, but couldn't he have waited an hour or so?
 
This is silly, the guy passed or failed, it's not a big front office political decision to make.
Yeah, the conflicting reports are confusing.But, for the conspiracy theorists...Maybe he is in really, really good condition. But, maybe they gave him a more difficult conditioning test and held him to different standards.No, I don't believe that happened. Just trying to figure out how there can be opposite reports.
So, basically he failed 1.5 conditioning tests.Now the questions are:1) Did Haynesworth take the bathroom break because he knew he wasn't going to make it through?2) Did Shanahan make him start over in an effort to fail him or is that just standard operating procedure here? I mean, it makes sense to start over, but couldn't he have waited an hour or so?
I don't quite know what to make of it.Based purely on speculation I think Shanny wants to send a message to Haynesworth and part of me thinks that he was going to fail him no matter what. I remember during my HS playing days that coaches would use the conditioning drill to make a point to certain players and a handful of guys (almost always linemen) would fail the initial test.According to Jason Reid, several players reported that Al "looks" to be in much better shape than he was at this time last year. And I don't think his trainer would have made the comments he did about him being in such great shape if it wasnt at least partly true. So my guess is that Haynesworth is in pretty good shape but having not gone through all of the mini-camp stuff maybe is not in the best football shape to complete the conditioning test 1.5 times.So what's next. Does Shanny make his point and move forward or does he still have an axe to grind? Is Haynesworth gonna accept the fact that he does deserve a little "extra" conditioning after everything that went on or is he can use this as an opportunity to further his stance as a malcontent? Or was it simply a matter of him not finishing and he'll complete it tomorrow.Very interested to see what's the next step of this soap opera.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top