No Thank You Bob Sanders

We appreciate you stopping by the Redskins facility Mr. Sanders and we wish you well as you continue your NFL career.  Enough said.

Simply put, Bob Sanders is a backup at this point in his career.  He has been an elite level player and would surely be a great addition to any team, if he could stay healthy.  Unfortunately, he cannot do that.  He gets hurt every single year and misses half of the season.  A playoff team looking for extra part-time depth, yes.  A rebuilding team trying to build an identity like the Redskins, absolutely not.

If the Redskins are serious about upgrading the Free Safety position, Oshiomogho Atogwe, is a good answer and he happens to be making a visit to D.C. right now.  Atogwe may not be considered an elite safety, but he has a knack for ending up with the ball in his hands.  He makes interceptions and has turned forced fumbles into an art form.  The Redskins desperately need to create more turnovers.  Atogwe also played for Jim Haslett in St. Louis and had his best season under him so there is a connection.

Any pieces the Redskins can put in place before the March 4 deadline would be huge so time is of the essence.

If the Redskins and Atogwe cannot come to terms, another target is Eric Weddle (Chargers).  Weddle is another very solid free safety who does have one other advantage on his side, his age.  Weddle is only 26 while Atogwe is 29 so, barring injury, Weddle would seem to have a few more years left in his prime.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Shaun Rogers Visits the Redskins

Defensive Tackle Shaun Rogers visited the Redskins this past week along with the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints.  Rogers is a very large man at about 6'4" and 350 lbs and is an excellent albeit inconsistent player.

The Redskins do need to add depth to the DT position, but it is not nearly as dire as the QB and offensive line positions.  The Redskins will need to focus their few draft picks on those two priority needs first so signing Rogers would definitely help to solidify the interior of the defensive line, which struggled against the run.  The Redskins still have Maake Kemoeatu signed as their starting DT.  Rogers and Kemoeatu together would make a nice rotation for the team in the middle.

While Rogers would be a welcome addition to the team and a definite upgrade, he is not a player to "break the bank" on.  As I mentioned above, Rogers has also visited the Chiefs and Saints and the Saints, especially could also really use help at DT.  So if you received comparable offers from a team that is rebuilding and a perennial Super Bowl contender, which would you choose?

The Redskins would most likely have to overpay to get Rogers.  If they can get him at a reasonable price, they should sign him.  If not, move on and see who else comes available later on.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

Brandon Banks and NFL Youngsters Clubbing at 3:00AM

By now, most Redskins fans have heard about what happened to Redskins' KR Brandon Banks.  If you have not heard the story, the version most commonly told to the media is that there was an altercation between a friend of Banks and a third party.  The third party pulled out a knife and Banks came to the aid of his friend.  Of course, this altercation took place at none other than an "upscale" nightclub at about 3:00AM on a Saturday.

At first, we were told Banks had only a scratch.  Now, the truth has come out that he has a collapsed lung.  Who knows what the truth is?  All I know is you can't return punts with a tube sticking out of your lung.

First, I certainly hope Brandon makes a full recovery.  He is a young guy who caught a break catching on with the Redskins as an undrafted free agent.  Then, he took that break and converted it into an impressive rookie year as a kick returner.  He had a 96 yard kickoff return for a touchdown and had a couple other big returns as well.  It would be a real shame if all that came to an abrupt end because of this incident.

I just have to ask myself what it will take to get it through the heads of some of these younger NFL players and NFL hopefuls to stay out of the nightclubs, at least after midnight.  I am not saying stay home and never go out, but be reasonable.  I know we would all love to go out and celebrate and be a big shot every once in a while, but you have to understand one thing if nothing else.  Nothing good happens in a nightclub after 2:00AM!

Generally, a lot of what happens after about 2:00AM includes some form of drugs, DUI, prostitution, sexual assault, and a whole lot of fist, knife and gun fights.  Even if you are completely innocent and are not involved in any of this, it will be all around you and you are putting yourself, your career, and ultimately your loved ones that count on you the most at risk.

I will say a prayer for Brandon, get well soon.

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog

2011 Redskins Offseason Overhaul

And so begins another offseason overhaul for our beloved team.  Like every other offseason since the Dan Snyder era began, the Redskins have a myriad of holes to fill on their team.  While we would love to fill all of those holes with long-term impact players, it simply cannot be done in one offseason so we have to prioritize those needs.

Here are a few of the most pressing needs the Redskins must address this offseason if they hope to improve in the 2011 season (assuming there is one).  These are not in order of importance, these are the positions that Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen simply must address and improve upon.

Quarterback - No big surprise here, we still need a QB.

• First Step:  Resign Rex Grossman - As painful as it may be, we should have at least 1 QB with some experience under the Shanahan's.
• Top Free Agent Targets:  Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks), Matt Moore (Panthers)
• Watch List:  Carson Palmer (Bengals), Kyle Orton (Broncos) - Both may be released for various reasons.

Running Back - The Clinton Portis era is over.  The team has too many other big holes to fill to go all out for a star RB.  We should stick with the 2010 combination of Torain and Williams and let them develop.  Add a little depth to round out the position.

• First Step:  Resign Ryan Torain and Keiland Williams;  Say Goodbye to Clinton Portis
• Top Free Agent Targets:   Darren Sproles (Chargers) - Excellent receiving back with kick returning skills, Ronnie Brown (Dolphins)

Full Back - With a weak offensive line, the running game would greatly benefit from a dominant FB blocker who can also catch a few passes.

• First Step:  Say Fond Farewell to Redskins' fan favorite Mike Sellers.
• Top Free Agent Targets:  Le'Ron McClain (Ravens) - McClain is one of the best FB's in the league and has also played RB. He would add stability and versatility to the backfield.  The Redskins should be All-In on McClain.

Wide Receiver - The annual search for a 6'0"+ WR continues.  Anthony Armstrong was a great find last season and he should be rewarded for his efforts.  Imagine if we did not have him and Joey Galloway and Roydell Williams played even more!  In any case, with Moss and Armstrong, the team has one of the smaller WR corps yet again and we need to add a taller possession and touchdown catching receiver.

• First Step:  Must Resign Santana Moss and Anthony Armstrong
• Top Free Agent Target:  Vincent Jackson (Chargers), James Jones (Packers), Chad Johnson (Bengals), Braylon Edwards (Jets), Mark Clayton (Rams)

Offensive Line - The biggest need this year along the offensive line is both the Left and Right Guard positions. An upgrade at Center would be helpful if one becomes available as Casey Rabach appears to be on the decline.

• First Step:  Resign Jammal Brown
  
• Top Free Agent Targets:  Logan Mankins (Patriots), Carl Nicks (Saints), Ryan Kalil (Panthers)
  
• Update:  Mankins was franchise tagged by New England.  There is no chance to trade for him with our lack of draft picks.

Linebacker - The team needs to add depth to the linebacker corp and they need to add players who are already familiar with the 3-4 defense.  No more converting players to new positions!

• First Step:  Resign Rocky McIntosh
• Top Free Agent Targets:  Lamar Woodley (Steelers), Tamba Hali (Chiefs), Barrett Ruud (Bucs), Paul Posluszny (Bills)
• Update:  Both Woodley and Hali have been franchise tagged as expected.

Cornerback - The end of another era, the disappointing Carlos Rogers era.  He is not a bad corner, but he has not lived up to the First Round draft pick expectations that were expected of him to say the least.  And he simply cannot make interceptions.  If you cannot catch the football and make interceptions, you will never be a top CB.

• First Step:  Let Carlos Rogers depart as a free agent.
• Top Free Agent Targets:  Champ Bailey (Broncos) - A Reunion?, Johnathon Joseph (Bengals), Antonio Cromartie (Jets), Brent Grimes (Falcons), Richard Marshall (Panthers)

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JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog