Week 16 vs. Dallas Cowboys

Washington - After 3 straight surprising outings by the Redskins scoring 24, 30 and 34 points against the Eagles, Saints and Raiders, the Redskins have quickly come back down to Earth and are finishing the season the same way they started off. For the second straight week, the Redskins offense was utterly dismantled.

This week's game against the Cowboys looked more like a fathers vs. sons game at summer camp. The offensive line once again was flat out run over by the Cowboys defensive and Jason Campbell rarely had time to turn from his left to the right before getting hit by someone.

The running game fittingly looked like they had a third and fourth running back carrying the ball. Even after newcomer, Quinton Ganther, only mustered 13 yards on 7 carries, many are calling him the starter at RB for the Redskins in 2010. Good lord.

Even while mounting losses, the Redskins were at least beginning to manage some positive feedback for their offensive output since Sherman Lewis joined the club. However, the last two weeks against the Giants and Cowboys have put an abrupt end to that sentiment. At least the Cowboys only scored 17 points. The loss to the Giants was one of the most embarrassing losses I have ever seen and I have seen quite a few now. The San Diego Chargers are already in the playoffs and are one of the hottest teams in the league now and they will most likely continue the trend of the last two weeks and end the Redskins season with a third straight thud.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 10 vs. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas - After pulling off an upset win against the Denver Broncos, the Redskins almost pulled out another one of their patented ugly wins. Almost. For Redskins fans already planning for the 2010 season, it was a relief when the Cowboys scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to take the lead and ultimately the game.

The Redskins' disappointing season is figuratively over. There will be no playoffs or big second half of the season run for this squad. The team will simply play out their remaining schedule for pride and some players and coaches will use the remaining games an audition for next season's team. Instead, the Redskins are now in a heated battle with some of the NFL's elite basement dwellers for prime draft pick position. Right now, the Redskins are slotted to pick at #9. An upset victory over the Cowboys this past week, while it always feels good to stick it to the Cowboys, would have put the team in a much weaker position for drafting a top QB next April.

There are already several teams currently ahead of them including the Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams, who both need QB's. The Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks are the second wave of teams that could also draft QB's in the first round. The competition is stifling. While this is a deep draft for QB's, the Redskins naturally want to be able to pick the QB they want as opposed to whoever falls to them in the draft.

Sam Bradford's name has been linked to the Redskins for some time and his name has quietly faded. Lately, the hot name is Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen who is a junior and will most likely enter the draft early. The Redskins would also consider Washington QB Jake Locker and Texas QB Colt McCoy.

Despite the Redskins solid defensive play, the team probably has too many injuries on offense to muster many upsets late this season. After losing the likes of Chris Cooley, Chris Samuels, Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Chad Rinehart and Randy Thomas for all or most of the remaining season looks bleak. With the loss of star TE Chris Cooley, fans have at least begun to see some contribution frolm second year TE Fred Davis. It would be nice to see the team end teh season on an up note by getting WR Devin Thomas and WR Malcolm Kelly involved as well. Kelly, who began the season as the team's #2 starting WR has been an overwhelming disappointment and has a mere 10 catches on the year. As a comparision, FB Mike Sellers has 11 catches on the year. Perhpas he could start at WR next year.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Dan Snyder Running Off Coaches

Little Danny's 'yes-man', Vinny Cerato, continues to make a fool out of himself speaking to the media. While a few Redskins' players have come out and asked management to announce that Jim Zorn would not be fired during the season, Vinny decided to take it a step further and announce that Zorn will be coaching "the rest of this season and hopefully into the future". Of course, as Redskins fans know, this is Snyder code for "Mike Shanahan turned down the job".

One thing is for certain. If Jim Zorn is the head coach of the Washington Redskins for the 2010 season, it is strictly because no one else would agree to work with Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerato.

The media has talked often about the Redskins hiring one of the 'big name' coaches that will be available for the 2010 season including the likes of Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan and John Gruden, but let's be realistic. None of these coaches need money. They have each already made a ton of cash in their career's and Gruden is still being paid by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If you don't need money, why else would you agree to work 'with' or 'for' (you choose) Daniel Snyder? These coaches have major accomplishments under their belts and it would be highly unlikely they would be willing to sit down and be told what to do by Snyder. These type of coaches are going to want control, and a lot of it, over their new team.

Aside from money and power, the Redskins are not close to being a contending team. At this point, they are a borderline rebuilding project, which will probably take at least 3 years to turn around and have a legitimate shot at contending, if things go well. Let's look at the ages of these big name coaches: Holmgren, 61; Shanahan, 57; Cowher, 52; Gruden, 46.

If Mike Holmgren and Mike Shanahan come back to coach, they will probably want to join a team they think is close to winning now and already has a proven QB. It is hard to see either of these two men coaching more than five years and with a rebuilding project like the Redskins that would be a tough sell. Albeit 5 years in Dan Snyder's world is like 27 years for the rest of us, but I digress.

Mike Holmgren will most likely stay with Seattle in some capacity. Mike Shanahan is most likely the top candidate for the Cowboys and the Cowboys are closer to winning. If you had to pick between working for Dan Snyder or Jerry Jones, who would you pick? Jerry Jones wins.

The best thing Dan Snyder could do right now is offer Bill Cowher an unheard of 10 year contract with full control of the team. Cowher would give the Redskins something they haven't had for the last decade, consistency. A 10 year deal with Cowher would put this franchise back on the NFL map in a huge way. His experience, football knowledge, player relationships and everything else he brings to the table would instantly make the Redskins a better team. And with 10 years at the helm, he could restore order to this once proud franchise and put them back on the right path for years to come. One big problem here is that no one is sure if Cowher is ready or willing to leave the broadcast booth and go back to coaching. If he is ready, the Redskins should go all in and give him anything and everything he asks for.

With all that said, Redskins' fans who were paying attention to the commentary during last Monday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, couldn't help but notice how politically correct and positive John Gruden sounded while calling the game. He made more positive comments about the team in the first half than anyone else has all season.

Gruden is the most likely of the 'big name' coaches who would be willing to work with Snyder because he is the youngest and still has the most to prove. While Gruden did win a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in his first season with the team, many say it was only because the team was already a powerhouse that was built before he got there. After his first season in Tampa, the team steadily declined each year. With that said, Gruden would be a step in the right direction for the Redskins after what the team and, more importantly, the team's fans have endured over the last decade. He has experience, he has a style and he has an attitude. All of those, the Redskins currently lack.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 7 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

In week 7, the Redskins once again performed as expected. After facing one horrible winless team another, week after week, the Redskins finally played against a potential playoff team and it showed.

The defense performed reasonably well for most of the game. The defensive line was able to generate at least some pressure on Donovan McNabb and they did total 3 sacks. This isn't a staggering number, but compared to the last few seasons, 3 sacks is a single game is a major accomplishment for this squad. Albert Haynesworth is the big reason why the team has been able to at least generate some assemblance of a pass rush this season and has helped open opportunities for DE Andre Carter. Haynesworth has played very hard this year and should be given a lot of credit for his effort. Had Brian Orakpo been playing full-time at DE opposite Carter, where he is supposed to be playing, who knows what kind of pressure the team could be generating.

With Sean Springs gone, one of the team's holes continues to be at cornerback. Carlos Rogers just looked bad against Eagles' WR DeSean Jackson. Carlos is now 28 years old and has been a border line player since the team drafted him in the first round of the 2005 draft. At this point, Carlos isn't considered a bust, but he has been a major disappointment. When he is not hurt, he plays inconsistently. From a fans perspective, it looks like Carlos' problem is a lack of concentration and desire. He has shown flashes of being a great CB, but they are few and far between. When he is playing well, he does not have good hands at all and averages only 1 interception per year.

Aside from one 45 yard drive in the second quarter, the offense looked bad again. Jason Campbell was sacked 6 times, threw one interception and also had a fumble. Thanks to his patented late game touchdown against the prevent defense, Campbell was able to raise his QB rating to 91.5. The fumbled snap by Casey Rabach was just plain embarassing. As a whole, the offense looked like a legitimate college team.

The offensive line continues to provide gaping hole after gaping hole. Unfortunately, the gaping holes are for the defense to run through. Jason Campbell just looks completely overwhelmed by the pro game. He looks scared when he steps back in the pocket and he seems to panic while going through his reads. Unless he sees the perfect defense, it is almost as if he just glances at the wide receivers for show without even really considering them and just solely looks to dump the ball off to the TE as much as possible.

On that note, it was nice to see that TE Fred Davis has finally moved ahead of Todd Yoder on the depth chart. Losing Chris Cooley to injury is probably the worst injury this team could have, but at least we finally got to see one of the 3 big 2008 second round draft picks get on the field and be active in a game.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Great Day to be a Redskins Fan!

It's a great day to be a Redskins fan! That's right, it's a great day!

Do you know why it is a great day? Today is a great day because after years and years of slowing slipping further and further into the abyss, the Redskins have finally hit rock bottom.

This is it. This is what it feels like to look down and finally not be able to see any further. We are finally on the official bottom of the NFL.

Don't believe me? Look

• Our contract year QB has fallen flat on his face and cannot get the ball to anyone not named Cooley or Moss.
• Our 2008 second round triplets Malcolm Kelly, Devin Thomas and Fred Davis have been a complete bust.
  
• Our best offensive lineman, Chris Samuels, is done for the year and probably for his career.
• We have an undrafted college free agent playing LT and a former first round bust, who hasn't even played football in years, starting at RT. Not to mention, no one even knows the guy playing Center anymore.
  
• We have played 3 of the 4 worst teams in the NFL this year, and only managed to beat one of them (St. Louis Rams) 9-7. If only we played the Browns this year, we could have had the Superfecta(horse racing).
• And then there is our fearless leader, the Zorninator. Jim is clearly a very nice guy, but he is also clearly out of his league. He simply does not know what he is doing.
• Did I mention we just hired a 67 year old Bingo caller to pick offensive plays for us.
• Even the #1 rated college QB Sam Bradford, who the Redskins would clearly target with their top pick in the 2010 draft, got hurt and is done for the year.
  

It simply cannot get any worse from here on out. Even if we lose every remaining game, it cannot get worse. We have hit rock bottom and it is now time to start over completely from scratch. As of next season, we have no coach, no QB, no offensive line, and aging players all the field.

The rest of this season will still be tough to swallow especially as our team gets steamrolled by the rival Cowboys and Eagles this week. At least we know, we have only one way to go from here, UP ↑

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 6 vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Ah, just another week in Redskins land. In week 3, the Redskins lost to the worst team in the NFL, the Detroit Lions. In week 6, the team put another notch in their belt by losing, in horrid fashion, to the third worst team in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs. The only good thing about this game was that the Redskins played at home so that the fans could tell the players, coaches, Vinny Cerrato and Little Danny Snyder loud and clear how they felt about their team.

The only bright spot on the Redskins' offense statistics was the fact that Clinton Portis broke the 100 yard mark for the first time this season finishing with 109 yards. Of course, that is only because he happened to break one long run of 79 yards. Aside from that one play, he mustered only 14 carries for 29 yards the rest of the game, and that is against the worst defense in football.

Chris Cooley somehow continues to be the team's best option as a receiver despite teams focussing coverage on him. Santana Moss only managed one catch matching the output of the team's young trio of Malcolm Kelly, Devin Thomas and Fred Davis.

Jason Campbell was finally benched at halftime in this game after being thoroughly ineffective again. The benching was a long time coming. Unfortunately, Todd Collins is just no longer the same player he used to be and he is no longer a viable option at QB. Barring injury, Campbell will most likely remain the starter for the remainder of the season.

This game andthis season in general would have been the perfect opportunity for second year QB Colt Brennan to play and show off his abilities had he not been hurt and placed on IR in the preseason. He probably would have been able to play a significant amount of time in the second half of this season. And even while losing game after game, fans would have at least been able to justify it by saying we are breaking in a young QB.

At least the defense kept the Chiefs out of the end zone and forced them to kick field goals. It was also nice to see the defensive line pad their stats a little with 5 sacks in the game. As Redskins fans can attest to, a 5 sack game only comes around about every 2 years or so.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 3 vs. Detroit Lions

Honestly, what Redskins fan didn't see this horror show coming?

The Detroit Lions are an average offensive team that, at least, does have some young potential with young QB Matthew Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson and RB Kevin Jones. Remember, like I mentioned at the end of last season, the 2008 0-16 Detroit Lions offense outscored the Redskins offense. The Lions' offense also outscored the Redskins' offense in the first two games of this season with a rookie QB at the helm so this game really should have been expected. It's Detroit's defense that has always been a mess and caused them to lose game after game, year after year.

On the Redskins side, the offense is far below average and the young potential they thought they had in WR Malcolm Kelly, WR Devin Thomas, and TE Fred Davis is fading fast. The team's defense has overachieved the last few seasons and has kept the team in the wild card chase, but time has finally caught up to them this season. They just have too many holes in the front seven to be a strong defense anymore.

Cornerstones of the defense like Cornelius Griffin, Philip Daniels have faded and should no longer be starting. Even Andre Carter at age 30 seems to be closer to retirement these days and arguably their most valuable player, London Fletcher, is 34 years old now so who knows how long he will hold up. The offensive line is in no better shape with aging and injury-prone veteran players like Randy Thomas, Casey Rabach and Chris Samuels.

So far, this season appears to have about a 4-12 record in store for us so sit back and relax, try to be patient for one more season, and enjoy the baseball playoffs as long as possible. At least, we can take solace in the fact that we know the major overhaul is coming at the end of this season.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Week 1 vs. New York Giants

New York - Well, Jim Zorn and company picked up right where they left off last season. The first game of the 2009 season featured the same old lackluster offense that Redskins' fans have come to know so well over the last decade combined with an average defense that cannot put pressure on the opponents quarterback.

On offense, the offensive line could not get the running game going. Clinton Portis managed only 62 total yards, including a 34 yard run. Minus his one long run, Portis ran 15 times for a measly 28 yards. Those are the kinds of numbers you would expect to see for the Cincinnati Bengals or Detroit Lions, but not the Redskins and not Clinton Portis. Granted, the Giants do have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Still, the team must be able to put up at least 80 yards a game against tough defenses in order to have a chance to win.

Of course, the team added their patented end of the game touchdown against the Giants' "prevent defense" to make the game look closer than what it really was. This game was just ugly and was a sad preview for what the 2009 season holds for Hogs fans everywhere. This could easily be a 5-11 team waiting to happen.

The defense looked mediocre overall. Albert Haynesworth did look good and the squad did manage one sack, which is sadly an accomplishment for this team. DeAngelo Hall did also chip in with an interception. While there were glimpses of a solid defense, they just could not get to Eli Manning and create any consistent pressure. The offense could not stay on the field and the Redskins defensive unit simply wore down in the second half and could not stop the run.

So what can be done to salvage this flat out ugly looking season? On offense, not much at all. The quarterback, wide receivers and offensive lineman are entrenched for the season. Hopefully, we can get to see one or two of the few young guys (see: Chad Rinehart) play and find out if they have any legitimate starting potential. We can only hope that the offensive line plays better and Jason Campbell follows suit. The offensive line is aging and injury prone. If they do manage to stay healthy, they have the ability to play at least a little better than they did against the Giants.

One move the team should make is moving Brian Orakpo to the defensive line full-time. Phillip Daniels is a nice veteran team guy to have on the roster, but he is a role player at best now and should not be starting. The team should do what they should have done in the offseason and sign a free agent strongside linebacker to fill Orakpo's spot and more him to defensive end. At least, Orakpo would get to hone his pass rush skills and the team could creat some havoc in the opponents backfield. That would give the team a better chance for turnovers and sacks and make it more fun for us fans to watch. The idea of moving Orakpo to part-time linebacker was dumb to begin with and the decision to move backup DE Chris Wilson to backup SLB behind Orakpo was even worse. Honestly, who else does this in the NFL?

Aside from that, here are the next big headlines Redskins' fans have to look forward to:

1) February 2010: ESPN reports that Vinny Cerato and Jim Zorn have been fired by the Washington Redskins.

2) March 2010: "The Redskins have agreed to terms with head coach ... on a five year contract worth $6 million per year."

3) April 2010: "With the sixth pick in the NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select quarterback...".

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Do Not Sign Michael Vick

Despite recent reports that the Redskins have officially removed themselves from the Michael Vick sweepstakes, you never know what is really floating around in that little peanut shell sitting on Daniel Snyder's shoulders. So, for Danny's sake, let's be clear. Do not sign Michael Vick! He is the last thing this team needs.

There is no denying that Vick is, or at least was, a great athlete. However, he is not, and was not, a great quarterback. He was not a great quarterback 2 years ago when he was still playing regularly for the Falcons and he definitely will not be a great quarterback now after playing catch with inmates for the last 2 years in prison.

The best case scenario for Vick is that he signs with a team that already has a starting quarterback, he gets into playing shape and is allowed to actually begin playing somewhere around mid-season. If his team has a creative offensive play caller, he might be able to get him involved in a few trick plays here and there and maybe by the end of the season, they figure out a way to utilize his running skills for 10 plays a game. Supposing Vick does get back into good shape and shows some positive signs, any significant or regular contribution will not come until next year.

Vick's agent, Joel Segal, found in the Sports Agent Directory, states Vick will sign with a team soon. If he does sign, please let that be the end of this seemingly never ending storyline. Honestly, the whole Vick saga has been just as nauseating as the whole Brett Favre saga was earlier this preseason. Can't the media find something else to focus on for a day or two. If you look at the ESPN NFL Rumors web page, "These teams now interested in M. Vick..." has been in the top 3 rumors for a month now. Give it a rest!

For better or worse, the Redskins are already set at quarterback for 2009. Jason Campbell will most likely have a decent season and keep the job, but overall, the offense will struggle again. If he does not play well, the Redskins have a choice to make. They can turn it over to Todd Collins and simply ride out the rest of the season and wait for the offseason to make one of Dan Snyder's infamous splashes at quarterback. Or, they can turn it over to the young gun, Colt Brennan, and see if he has a legitimate future in the NFL. Brennan could be a sleeper for the Redskins, but only time will time how much progress he makes.

Either way, odds are this season will probably be a bust for the quarterback position on the Redskins. 2009 will most likely be Jason Campbell's farewell tour to Redskins' fans and he will most likely be gone after this season. Todd Collins is nearing the end of the road for his NFL career so the Redskins will undoubtedly make a move through free agency or the draft next offseason. Of course, a breakout season by Campbell could change all of this, but for now, we can only hope.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Jeremy Jarmon Selected in Third Round of NFL Supplemental Draft

Fresh off the 2009 NFL draft, the Redskins went ahead and began their 2010 draft early by selecting Jeremy Jarmon in the third round of the supplemental draft. Jarmon is a big boy at 6-3 and 277 pounds. He played defensive end at Kentucky for three years and he will play on the left side behind Phillip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn.

Jarmon will be a project for this year and probably will see most of his playing time on special teams. He is only 21 years old so he is still a little raw and reportedly needs to get significantly stronger in order to hold up against NFL pros. The good news is that he will spend all year with Phillip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn who are consummate professionals and should be excellent mentors for him.

This was a good move for the Redskins. The team could not make it through a full season with only Phillip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn. Both players are past their prime and Daniels missed all of last season due to injury. Selecting a young defensive end with good long-term potential is a better option than signing an older veteran stop gap for one year or during midseason. Vinny Cerato believes Jarmon was projected to be a second round pick in 2010, which of course means he would have actually been a third round pick. Nevertheless, several teams had placed fourth round claims on Jarmon in the supplemental draft so he was a wanted player. Had the Redskins not used their third round pick on him, they would have lost him to another team in the fourth round.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

2009 Roster Moves - What's Left To Do?

It has been another interesting and over-spending offseason for the Redskins. So let's sort things out, review what we have and see what left for the team to do before we begin the 2009-10 campaign.

The Good

• Adding Albert Haynesworth and Brian Orakpo obviously provides a badly needed upgrade for the defensive line. Signing Renaldo Wynn was a solid move to add much needed depth. He is a good character guy with a solid work ethic who will help Brian Orakpo develop.
• Resigning DeAngelo Hall was a must or the secondary would have been a complete mess. Shawn Springs was a great player, but really only played part-time due to his various injuries. Hopefully, Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot can combine for a complete season on the other side despite their inevitable injuries.
• Bringing back Derrick Dockery was a great move. After getting lulled to sleep in Buffalo, hopefully, Derrick will be reinvigerated returning back to DC. Signing OT/G Jeremy Bridges also adds some much needed depth to the offensive line. He has started at OT, but many think he is a better fit at G. Either way, it is great to have a quality player that can play both spots when needed. As for Mike Wiliams, why not? We took a longshot on DE Erasmus James. This year it's Williams. It doesn't hurt to try. Okay, some times it does.
  

Altogether, the Redskins were very lucky. DeAngelo Hall and Derick Dockery, especially Hall, were both suprising cuts for their previous teams. Without these two players, the Redskins would have some more very big holes to fill.

The Bad

• Drafting DE Brian Orakpo and suddenly teaching him to play Strongside LB for the first time is utterly rediculous. It is hard enough for a rookie player to come in and make an impact at one position. Naturally, Snyder Inc. want him to play two positions part-time. This is no disrespect to Brian, but he will spend the entire season trying to figure out whether or not he is in the right spot on the field rather than letting his insticts take over at his natural position. Instead of being an explosive player at his DE, he will be be all over the field, frequently behind plays trying to catch up and it will cause him to lose focus when he does play DE.
• This whole scenario reeks of Lavar Arrington. Lavar had the potential to be one of the best and most feared LB's in the league and Dan Snyder personally ruined his career by hiring new coaches and implementing new defensive systems year after year. Lavar was never used properly and obviously never fulfilled his great potential.
• OT is still not a good situation. We are one injury away from a disasterous season. If the Redskins lose Chris Samuels to injury, the running game and the Redskins offense will go nowhere. Somehow, someway, we need to find another reliable backup.
  

So What's Left To Do?

With our annual lack of draft picks and Dan Snyder's "spend all our money on one player" approach to free agency, it was obvious that we were going to be shorthanded at either Defensive Line or at Linebacker for the 2009-10 season. At least now we know the answer is Linebacker.

At this point, there are no more "big splashes" to be made. There are no more elite free agents or big name available via trade. Instead, we need to take a play out of the Patriots book and find that proverbial diamond in the rough. We need to sign a quality veteran for a minimal salary that fits our exact need. When the Redskins hopefully finish experiementing with H.B. Blades, Robert Thomas, and Chris Wilson, there are a few players to watch. Here is one of the more intriguing players to think about.

• Travis Laboy - IF , that is a big IF, he is healthy, Travis would be an ideal fit. He played DE alongside Albert Haynesworth in Tenessee and played Strongside LB for Arizona last season. His problem has long been his health. He is not big or strong enough to hold up at DE and getting beat up by much bigger OT's has taken a toll on him. He could still be a good spot rusher for passing downs and a fill in at SLB. If he is healthy, he would be definitely be worth bringing in to look at.
  

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Redskins 2009 Post-Draft Analysis

Thank you New York Jets!, Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for moving up in the draft to select Mark Sanchez so that we could actually use our few draft picks to select players we need, rather than the ones our owner Daniel Snyder lusts after.

Sure, I would have loved to have Mark Sanchez on our team, but had we traded the players or draft picks necessary to move up to draft him, boy would we have been bad this season. By sticking with our few draft picks and selecting players that will fill very real needs on our team, we have a much better chance of winning this year.

BRIAN ORAKPO is obviously a great talent and an enormous boost to our defense. However, there is one mild concern. We desperately need Brian at DE and there are already rumors circulating that he may be playing SLB for us. We have great potential to use Brian as a flex player playing mainly DE and occasionally SLB, but we need him much more at DE. Either way, getting him on the field is a big upgrade. Philip Daniels will be a great mentor for him this year, not to mention Renaldo Wynn.

KEVIN BARNES has potential to be a starting CB for the team and with oft-injured Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot manning the position, we need as many bodies as possible. However, it is disappointing that we did not use this pick to draft a second DE, SLB or OT. If the team expects Brian Orakpo to play SLB, they should have selected another DE to sure up the front seven on defence. Likewise, if he does play DE, they should have drafted some badly needed depth at SLB or at least at OT.

The CODY GLENN and ROBERT HENSON picks in the 5th and 6th rounds were wasted picks. Cody Glenn may have some potential upside because he only played OLB for one year at Nebraska and may develop. With that said, has anyone ever said the words "Daniel Snyder" and "player development" in the same sentence before? There were better options available at LB and OG/OT available.

EDDIE WILLIAMS is a decent pick and a guy who could fill a need as a pass catching FB, but again, this is not a big need for us. Anyone who loves the Redskins, loves FB Mike Sellers. Truth be told, he is probably due for some competition this offseason. May the best man win.

MARKO MITCHELL is a darkhorse WR and was a good final draft pick for us. He is a big target at 6'3" and he should send a clear message to WR Malcolm Kelly, who appears to be unable to get out of the trainers office and on to the field for the second straight season since being drafted. Malcolm better find a way to get healthy and on the field fast or Marko could be moving into his locker in a couple months from now.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Redskins 2009 Pre-Draft Analysis

It's time to start holding our collective breath again while the dynamic duo decide how to make a mess of our upcoming draft.

What will Danny and Vinny do?

Scenario #1 - QB Mark Sanchez falls to #8 and the Redskins trade up with Jacksonville to pick Sanchez. Since Danny boy needs to be over the top with everything, Lord only knows what they would give up to move up for the pick. After watching Danny for what seems like an eternity, my guess would be our first and third round picks this year and probably a second round pick next year.

Result - We get yet another QB of the future and he sits on the bench for a year do nothing and watches Jason Campbell run our pop-warnerish looking offense that to average 10 points per game for yet anther year. Meanwhile, our defense is absolutely run over because we have second stringers and retirees playing linebacker and defensive end. Of course, every game teams gang up on new high priced DT Albert Haynesworth and he gets injured mid-season and needs major surgery that will sideline him for a year and he is never the same player again.


Scenario #2 - QB Mark Sanchez gets picked early by another team so we don't have to worry about moving to pick him. Instead, we simply stay at pick # 13 and select either DE Aaron Maybin or DE Robert Ayers depending who is available and then we wait until the third round.

Result - We only get help at one position in the first two rounds, but boy do we need it. We could go for a SLB, but at least H.B. Blades(the most likely starter right now) is young. There is just no way the old and injury prone Philip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn can hold up for a whole season at DE. It just will not happen. They could also pick a RT, but again, at least we have Stephen Heyer who is young and still has a chance to improve.


What would be best for our team?

Scenario #3 - QB Mark Sanchez somehow still falls to pick #13 and we trade down with the New York Jets to pick allowing them to pick Sanchez. In exchange, we get the Jets' pick #17 and their second round pick. Hopefully, DE Robert Ayers falls to pick # 17 and we select him as well as the best LB available in the second round.

Result - We get some desperately needed help and youth on defense at two positions so that Andre Carter and Albert Haynesworth do not have to play 2 against 5 all season.


Scenario #4 - If Danny and Vinny are hellbent on picking another QB, here is the best we can hope for. Again, Sanchez falls to pick #13 and we trade down with the Jets. At pick # 17, we pick QB Josh Freeman(who a couple analysts have as the best QB prospect in the draft) and use our second round pick on the best DE available.

Result - Hopefully, we get a long-term QB of the future and we get some badly needed help on the defensive line.


With all that said, of course, this is Danny boy we're talking about so all this silly logical stuff could go right out the window. Seattle is also rumored to be considering taking Sanchez at pick #4. I don't know why they would take Sanchez so high because he will sit behind Matt Hasselbeck for the next 3 years and they have several other needs, but after living with Danny for a decade, nothing is a shock anymore. Needless to say, it would not be surprising if Danny boy traded away our entire 2009 draft to move up to #4 to drat Sanchez either. Result - I pretend NFL players are on strike this year and are not playing football and I do not watch ESPN from September 2009 through February 2010.

Time will tell, 48 hours and counting.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Linebacker Need Filled At Last

Finally, one of the biggest, if not the biggest, holes on the team has been filled. After Danny and Vinny performed their daily mindmeld Wednesday morning, they fearlessly swooped in and struck a fierce blow to NFC East rivals landing the highly touted and sought after LB Robert Thomas. The move has sent shockwaves throughout the NFC and put the NFL on notice that the Redskins linebacking corps is raising its play to a whole new level.

ESPN.com has been ridiculed for not covering a signing of such magnitude on their home page. While ESPN.com has yet to comment and this inexcusable oversight, they still have yet to even add the signing to their silly little Transactions page.

With the addition of Thomas at LB and last year's draft additions of perennial Pro-Bowl WR's Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly as well as Pro-Bowl caliber TE Fred Davis, Danny and Vinny can now focus on more serious issues in the upcoming draft like drafting another Punter.


On the lighter side, here is today's joke of the day.

Q: How can you tell the difference between a NFL Owner and GM with solid football minds who know what they are doing and two monkeys fighting over a banana?

A: Watch how they spend $16 Million!

Washington Redskins:

• DT Albert Haynesworth - Age 27, $16 million
  

New York Giants:

• DT Rocky Bernard, Seattle - Age 30, $4 million
• DT/DE Chris Canty, Dallas - Age 26, $7 million
• SLB Michael Boley, Atlanta - - Age 26, $5 million
• 1 proven veteran DT, 1 versatile up-and-coming DE/DT, and 1 up-and-coming LB
  

At least we don't need linebackers anymore.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Superior Handling of the Jay Cutler Situation

Hey Danny Boy,

Way to reproduce the Jay Cutler situation for us here in Washington. First, Vinny says "I guarantee Jason Taylor will be here for two years". Obviously he had his fingers crossed behind his back when he blurted that out. Then, he blows his horn again stating "Jason Campbell is our quarterback for this season". Then, you turn around only days later trying desperately to trade him and you fail at that.

You would think with two men who dream about throwing away draft picks, Danny and Vinny would have given whatever away whatever was necessary to get Jay Cutler. Now that you failed at that, we have a young quarterback in the last year of his contract who knows management does not want him here. Even if Jason turns the corner this year and has an All-Pro year, why would he possibly want to resign with a team that lied to him and tried to get rid of him? With so many teams with questions at quarterback, Jason is sure to at least drum up some interest from several teams.

All in all, Jay Cutler is an All-Pro caliber quarterback and he would have been a big upgrade over Jason Campbell. Jason is a good quarterback. He has a strong arm, throws a great deep ball, is well spoken, a high character guy and a solid teammate. He has everything you want in a teammate, but the intangibles for being a leading quarterback just are not there. Maybe it is because he has never played in a consistent system and has never been given a chance to really develop. Either way, right now Jay Cutler has that edge that you want in a quarterback. He is not Peyton Manning at this point in his career, but he is very good and he does have potential to be great.

Vinny,

For all of us who have loved the burgundy and gold since birth and do not have $800 million to buy the team and straighten out this mess, please do us a favor and at least stop making statements like the ones above publicly. It's one thing to continue making horrible decisions that make our team and fans suffer. It's an entirely different thing when you flat out embarrass us all and make a mockery of one of the greatest franchises in the NFL. Honestly, it looks like you are in a two team competition with the Cincinnati Bengals to see who can become the most humiliated organization. Right now, you are neck and neck.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Yet Another Blown Opportunity

Dan (yes, you Snyder),

You are a very little man. You are a very little feeble man. You are a very little feeble man with the football intelligence of a girl scout!

It is absolutely amazing how with such staggering financial wealth, you can somehow still manage to be so unbelievably flat out stupid. At least with football, which is all we care about. You must have surrounded yourself with nothing but 'Yes Men' (insert Vinny Cerrato here) in your office because anyone with real football knowledge and just a little bit of guts would tell you pipe down, sit back and watch an expert build a football team.

Have you ever heard the expression 'Safety in numbers'? Have you ever heard of a football team called the Patriots? You might also recall that team we seem to keep playing every year in New York that dresses in blue. Instead of ritually signing only 1 or 2 big name players to absurd contracts every 3-4 years making it impossible to sign quality players to fill other badly needed positions, you could sign 4 high quality well above average players and still leave us flexibility in case something comes up with the draft or with injuries.

For all intensive purposes, with the exception of DE Andre Carter, we need an entirely new defensive line. Let's take a quick look at what is and what could have been.

Here is who we signed:

• DT Albert Haynesworth - $16 million/year
  

Here is who we could have signed:

• DT Rocky Bernard, Seattle - $4 million/year
• DT/DE Chris Canty, Dallas - $7 million/year
• SLB Michael Boley, Atlanta - - $5 million/year
• Grand Total: $16 million/year

That is 1 proven veteran DT age 30, 1 young up-and-coming versatile player that can play either DT or DE age 26, and young up-and-coming LB age 26.

At least, Dan, you don't have to worry about spending another $16 million on these 3 guys because the Giants already signed them and they didn't even need defensive line help nearly as bad as we do.

Now, picture this.

Redskins Problem: Albert Haynesworth gets hurt and is out for the year.
Redskins Result: Oh, crap. Call the Handsome brothers.

Giants Problem: Rocky Bernard gets hurt and is out for the year.
Giants Result: Barry Coefield and Fred Robbins step up and Chris Canty helps fill in

I don't know how you managed to pull off your millions Danny Boy, but from everything you have shown Redskins fans since you bought our beloved team, I can assure you it was a fluke.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Here We Go Again

After giving his free agent check book last year off, Dan Snyder has brushed the dust off the cover and started writing big checks again and he has turned the Redskins into the NFL's version of the New York Yankees.

Free Agent Signings:
Albert Haynesworth
DeAngelo Hall

Don't get me wrong, it is great to have Albert Haynesworth on our team, but it's not great to have him for 7 years $100 million. Quick math will tell you that comes to $14+ million per season and he has incentives on top of that, which could cost the team more. All things considered, it will out around $15-$16 million per season.

Now consider this. Instead of signing Haynesworth, they could have signed both C Jason Brown and DE Chris Canty. Brown is the top interior lineman in free agency and is looking for $8 million per year. Canty is only 26 years old and has been steadily inching his way up the ladder of very good players and the team could probably get him for the same cost.

With so many needs on both lines, which one would you take?

• 1 x 27 year old DT Haynesworth playing DT 65% of downs

or

• 1 x 26 year old DE Chris Canty &
• 1 x 25 year old C Jason Brown
  

This is why the Patriots are so competitive year after year. They have loads of talent and depth because they continue to sign the unsung valuable players instead of the overpaid big names. With so many holes, they should have signed Brown & Canty instead of Haynesworth.

This would have also given them more flexibility to bring back G Derrick Dockery who just became a free agent. With those 3 players signed plus DeAngelo Hall, that would set us up in the draft to take DT or maybe an OT in the first round and we would be in much better shape for next season.

Somehow, Cerrato and Snyder have to find a way to sign Canty and Dockery and squeeze them under the salary cap. If they only sign Haynesworth and go with the rest of the defensive line as is, next season will be another bust in the sack department.

Hey Dan and Vinny, Cut Jason Taylor and sign Chris Canty. No questions, just do it!

I suppose we should give you guys some credit because you did make one subtle change to your customary free agent binge. They did actually sign some younger players rather than the 32-36 year olds you have been signing over the last several seasons.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Jason Taylor and the Salary Cap

Let's be honest, the Redskins have a lot of holes to fill this offseason and they can only expect to fill 1 or 2 of those through the draft if things go well(See last year's 2nd Round debacle).

One of the problems the team faces is that we have little cap room as usual. One move the team should definitely make is releasing Jason Taylor. The Taylor experiment so far was beyond a bust, there is no way should even think about keeping him. The Redskins would be much better off filling his spot with the bigger and younger Chris Canty, a DE from the Cowboys. He is solid against the run, which Taylor is not and he has shown steadily improving pass rush skills. It would be a big blow to the Cowboys defense to lose the talented 26 year old Canty and any day that you deliver a big blow to the Cowboys is a very good day. Did I mention he was younger?

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Free Agent Suspense is Building

The suspense of which free agents the Redskins will sign is rising fast. The latest rumor is that Dan Snyder was caught having dinner with Albert Haynesworth's agent and one NFL network analyst says the most likely landing spot for Haynesworth is Washington.

While we would all love to have Haynesworth on our team and our team is in dire need of a big time DT, Dan Snyder has to limit the compensation he would give him. He is looking for $16 million per year. The old Snyder would sign him to an obscene contract and gloat about the top free agent he signed while ignoring all of the team's other holes. Let's hope he has learned by now. Plus, it is well publicized that Haynesworth plays only 65% of downs. That is an awful lot of cap room to take up for a less than full-time player.

If the Redskins can get him for a reasonable figure closer to $12-$13 million per year, I say sign him. Otherwise, use that money to add several value free agents.

For example, the team really needs to resign DeAngelo Hall to sure up the constantly injured CB's on the roster.

Latest Headlines:

Derrick Dockery - The popular monster Guard that broke in to the NFL with the Redskins was just released by the Bills. How about a reunion? The Redskins would fill a big need by bringing back Dockery and he is still in his prime at 28 years old. Of course, the price still has too be right. Derrick got a huge 7 year, $49 million contract from the Bills when he left the Redskins. He would definitely have to lower his standards for the Redskins to bring him back.

Jeff Saturday - It looks as if he really wants to play for the Steelers. If that doesn't work out, he would be a great addition to the offensive line. He normally plays Center, but has stated he is also willing to play Guard.

Other hot names the Redskins should, but have not yet gotten involved with:

Bart Scott - LB, Baltimore
Jason Brown - C, Baltimore

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

An Early Look at Free Agency

When you look at the Redskins needs for this offseason, you see a long list. Make that a very long list and with, yet another, paultry number of draft picks in the upcoming draft, 4 to be exact, the team will need to make the most of the free agent market.

There are the well known high price free agents like Albert Haynesworth, Julius Peppers, Karlos Dansby, etc, but rumor is that the Redskins will try to avoid the big money contracts again this year much like they did last.

Of course, either Haynesworth or Peppers would be an instant hit with the Redskins because they need to revamp the majority of their defensive line. With those two most likely out of contention due to finances, the braintrust of the team should be looking at these players among others:

DE - Chris Canty: Canty is a young player that is still improving with a strong motor. His is a solid player against both the run and is steadily improving his pass rush skills. He most likely will resign with the Cowboys, but he would be a great steal by the Redskins if they could get him. He would provide some badly needed depth and flexibility along the defensive line. Plus, it's always a bonus to steal from the Cowboys.

LB - Bart Scott: The price tag may also be too high on Bart, doh! Hey, we can dream anyway.

Others to watch:
DT - Dewayne Robertson, Broncos
DE - Igor Olshansky, Chargers
LB - Michael Boley, Falcons

On offense, the Redskins have made their bed with their three second round draft picks last year and now they must lie in it. The two WR's, Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas, and TE, Fred Davis, were all busts in 2008. Only Thomas, supposedly the best WR in the draft, made any kind of on the field contribution and that was minimal. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles' second round draft pick WR Desean Jackson lit up the NFC compiling 62 catches, 912 yards and 2 TD's, but that is another story.

Every year, we Redskins fans hope this is the year we finally get that big WR we so desperately need and every year...well, you know what happens. Yes, it would be great if they could make a play for WR Anquan Boldin, but he would cost too much financially and in draft picks. It would also be nice if they could land TJ Houshmandzadeh, but he is getting older instead of younger and probably cannot hold up as a number one WR at this point of his career.

Instead, the Redskins will need to spend every waking moment this offseason developing their three draft picks and hope they can contribute next season. For this offseason, the team needs to address their aging and injury prone offensive line. Here are some

OT - Stacey Andrews: Stacey plays right tackle for the Bengals and is a monster at 6'7" 342 lbs. The Redskins are in dire need of a right tackle as John Jansen's days of being a full-time starter are officially behind him. Did I mention Stacey plays for the Bengals? So he will undoubtedly be looking for an opportunity with a new team.

OT - Vernon Carey: Carey is another top option at right tackle. He is another behemoth at 6'5" 350 lbs. He may be difficult to pull away from the Dolphins, but he would no doubt be a welcome upgrade.

Others to watch:
G - Jahri Evans, Saints
OT - Max Starks, Steelers

Last, but not least is special teams. As long as we have been waiting for a big WR, we have also been waiting just as long for a solid kicker. If the Redskins are going to go for a # 1 guy on either offense, defense or special teams, it should be special teams. Rob Bironis would finally put an end to the Redskins kicking woes that have haunted them for over a decade. He is only 31, he is accurate with his field goals and he can knock kickoffs out of the end zone. When was the last time you saw a Redskins kicker drill a kickoff through the end zone?

With all that said, he is our early look at how we should fill the holes on our 2009 squad:

Free Agency:
Right Tackle
Defensive End
Linebacker

Draft:
Defensive End - First Round
Linebacker - Best Available in Later Rounds
Corner - Best Available in Later Rounds
Guard - Best Available in Later Rounds

Naturally, this will change depending on who the team is able to sign and if they keep their first round draft pick or try to trade back like they did in 2008.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Redskins' Thought for the Day

If you thought the Redskins' 2008 season was a little hard to swallow and that their perennial juggernaut offense was somewhat sluggish, here is a 2008 stat that will really put things in perspective for you.


Team Records: Washington Redskins (8-8) - Detroit Lions (0-16)

Here it comes, brace for impact!

Points Scored: Washington Redskins (265) - Detroit Lions (268)


That's right! The proverbial doormat and laughing stock of the NFL, Detroit Lions, who set a NFL record for futility with a 0-16 winless season actually outscored our beloved 8-8 Redskins. There is just nothing to say after hearing that except "Damn you Snyder! Damn you!".

Have a great day. I'm going to go turn over in my grave a few hundred more times, go back to bed and pretend this season never happened.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

A Look Back at the Redskins 2008 Draft

Well, the damage has been done. The only question now is how long will the Redskins suffer from their 2008 draft. When we look back at the draft now, the Redskins did do a good job of trading their first round pick and accumulating 3 second round picks. At first, I couldn't believe my eyes and ears when I watched Chris Burman announce that Daniel "The Big Splash" Snyder had allowed his team to strategically drop back in the draft and add more picks. How painful that must have been for him not to make an uproar in the first round. Since our aging team had so many needs, it was a perfect scenario.

Of course, it was too good to be true and "The Big Splash" just had to go overboard. The Redskins had 2 priority needs going into the draft being a big WR and a pass rushing DE, not to mention some badly needed depth and youth on the entire offensive line, LB and CB. So what did "The Big Splash" do? He used all 3 picks on receivers. He drafted 2 young raw WR's and an unnecessary TE despite having perennial pro-bowler TE Chris Cooley. It made no sense then and now looking back, it was downright awful.

Just since 2000, there are a plethora of top of the draft WR's that were all out busts such as Mike Williams, Charles Rogers, Jerry Porter just to name a few. Forget other teams, look at the Redskins' history of top WR's draftees: Taylor Jacobs, Rod Gardner, Michael Westbrook. Of course, there is my personal favorite, Desmond Howard, selected 4th in the 1992 draft when the Redskins long hard fall from grace began.

The point is that selecting WR's can be largely hit and miss. The Redskins desperately needed a big WR so, of course, they should have selected at least one WR in the second round and you could at least argue that maybe they should even select 2. However, the Redskins were supposedly high on WR Anthony Mix, who was a special teams player for the Redskins in 2007. Mix measured a whopping 6'5", 243 lbs. You can't get much bigger than that for a WR or a TE for that matter. If they truly believed in Mix, they should only have selected one WR in the second round of the 2008 draft. At any rate, Mix did not make the team in 2008 so we have to assume the Redskins were just hyping him up at the time.

Even if the Redskins took 2 WR's in the second round, there is absolutely no way they should have also selected TE Fred Davis given their dire need for a young pash rushing DE. With the uncertainty of highly drafted WR's and their multiple needs along the defensive line, there is no excuse for the team not selecting a DE. What's even worse is they avoided the defensive line through the entire draft before finally wasting their final 7th round pick on DE Rob Jackson who collected all of 1 tackle all season. The Redskins' pass rush only mustered a pathetic 24 sacks this season and DE Andre Carter lead the team with an embarrassing 4.

It wouldn't be so bad if these 3 receivers made an impact and helped offset the team's poor pass rush. So how did they do? Aside from showing up at training camp out of shape and missing most of the pre-season, you be the judge:

Devin Thomas - 15 REC, 120 YDS, 0 TD
Malcolm Kelly - 3 REC, 18 YDS, 0 TD
Fred Davis - 3 REC, 27 YDS, 0 TD

Enough said.

For the teams third and fourth round picks, Chad Rinehart and Justin Tryon, the jury is still out as they both played sparingly and it will probably take another season or two to find out if they will be substantial contributors. The ONLY bright spot out of this draft is an obvious one, 7th round pick SS Chris Horton. Horton stepped up and made numerous big plays in the first half of the season and unexpectedly took over the starting job 5 games into the season. He is far and away the Redskins rookie of the year and looks like he could be a solid contributor for years to come.

All in all, I gave the Redskins an F when the draft completed in April and I will keep that grade and add a little bold to it "F" now that the season is over. Even with the positive impact of Chris Horton could not save this draft. Maybe three years from now will resemble Jerry Rice, Chad Johnson and Shannon Sharpe, but I highly doubt it.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog