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