Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Redskins enter lame duck session

By Rich Tandler

The congressional lame duck session has become a biannual rite in Washington as lawmakers try to see what they can do after the election.

Unfortunately, lame duck time has become an annual even for the Washington Redskins.

After taking their eighth loss of the season, the Redskins can’t attain their first winning season since 2007. Any faint hopes they might have had of running to table and stealing a playoff spot are gone. The might not be mathematically eliminated after the day’s games are over but not even the players seem to think there is a chance of playing past the Jan. 1 season finale.

So what we have are four games that have no bearing on the standings, but that does not mean that they are meaningless.

“We are trying to build a team here,” said safety Reed Dougty, a member of that 2007 team that won its last four games to finish 9-7 and sneak into the playoffs as a wild card. “Obviously playoffs are not in the picture this year, but next year, we need to see the young guys step up and we need the old guys to really take leadership.”

This is the second straight year that Mike Shanahan’s Redskins will go into the final quarter of the season with nothing to play for. They were 5-7 at this point last season and they dropped three of their last four. Rex Grossman started the final three after Shanahan decided that Donovan McNabb would not be in the team’s plans for the future and benched him.

There is unlikely to be such drama this year. It appears that Grossman, for better or for worse—and we saw both against the Jets today—will be the quarterback for the last three games. John Beck got his three games earlier this season and he does not appear to have what it takes to be an NFL quarterback. The Redskins are stuck with the inconsistent Grossman, who is 31 and will be a free agent at the end of the year.

The question that has been asked and will be asked more and more is why the Redskins did not draft a quarterback last April. This would be the perfect time to give that player—whether he was a first-round pick, a middle rounder, or a late-round project—some playing time and seasoning. Even though they might not be playing their future starter maybe they could have been grooming a solid, young backup.

The Redskins do have a few younger players to work into the lineup. They could give DeJon Gomes some more playing time at safety. It would be good to see wide receiver Niles Paul get a few more catches. And more playing time will help current starters like Roy Helu and Perry Riley play better in 2012.

Things could get hard to watch with offensive stalwarts Trent Williams and Fred Davis suspended. But they’ll play the games and we’ll be here to talk about them. 

 

Character counts but it only gets you so far

After trading away Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth, the Redskins got busy trimming other older players from their roster. Actually, slashing was more like it.

Casey Rabach, who has started all but one game at center since the 2005 season, was told that he would be released this morning. Then defensive end Phillip Daniels, who came to the Redskins along with Joe Gibbs in 2004, announced via Twitter that the Redskins would be letting him go. Finally, nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu, last year’s starting nose tackle, was informed of his imminent release.

In the space of a few hours, the Redskins lopped off 31 years and 359 games of NFL experience off of their roster. They also lost a lot of character. Rabach and Daniels were locker room leaders and favorites of the media due to their willingness to step in front of the microphones in both good times and bad. Kemoeatu was with the Redskins for just a year but he earned respect by fighting back from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered before the 2009 season.

Certainly, character counts. But it only gets you so far.

Rabach was ineffective blocking both for the run and for the pass last year. Although he was praised by coaches for his smart blocking calls at the line, you have to be able to execute your part of the blocks if that is to do any good. Daniels was reasonable effective in the 15-20 snaps a game he played last year but the team can get the same or perhaps even more impact from a younger player. Kemoeatu played with a shoulder injury all year but, regardless, nose tackle was a sore spot all year. Perhaps he would have played better if he was healthy, but the chances of the 32-year-old suffering from another injury were fairly high.

The Redskins are likely to be a better team after replacing those three veterans. Redskins Park, however, will not be a better place.

 

Redskins' interest in Holmes may be serious

A few weeks ago, Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network reported that the Redskins are planning to get heavily into the bidding for Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes. Although the report was wide circulated, it remained the only sourced report of the possibility of Holmes joining the Redskins since then—until yesterday.

Gary Myers, a highly respected reporter for the New York Daily News, said yesterday that getting Holmes back in green was the Jets’ top priority. He added, “sources say the Redskins have also made Holmes their No. 1 priority.”

I have heard talk from a couple of different places--and it is just that, talk--that the Redskins have been on the phone with Holmes' camp trying to work out a contract. 

This does not mean that the former Super Bowl MVP will be wearing burgundy and gold by the weekend. Mike Shanahan is the master of the smokescreen—remember all of the talk of trading up in the first round before last year’s draft? But the situation does bear watching.

 

A look at the pre-free agency depth chart

With free agency possibly starting on Tuesday, it is a good time to take a look at the Redskins’ depth chart. As everyone knows, it is very much in flux and there are a lot of unknowns at this point. But let’s lay it out here using only players under contract and draft picks and going two deep at each position and take a look at what might happen as free agency unfolds.

Quarterback

Starter: John Beck

Of course, Donovan McNabb is still under contract but unless something strange happens (and it always could with this team), he is not in the picture for 2011. It seems that Rex Grossman will be back. It is unclear if Beck will be listed as the starter or if there will be an open competition for the starting job. The team will sign two more quarterbacks so that they have four for training camp. One is likely to be a undrafted college free agent. The interesting signing could be any veteran they bring aboard.

Running back

Starter: Ryan Torain
Backup: Keiland Williams

Torain almost certainly will get the first crack at starting. If he can stay healthy—one of the big if’s of the season—he could run for 1,200 yards this year. Williams will play a role but if Torain can’t go the starting job may well go to rookie Roy Helu. The Redskins have seven running backs on the roster, all under the age of 26, so competition for the three or four stating jobs will be lively.

Fullback

Starter: Mike Sellers
Backup: Darrell Young

Although Sellers is getting up there in age, he is in excellent condition and between that and his status as a special teams monster cements his role on the roster. Young may be on the bubble if they decide to keep four running backs on the roster.

Wide receiver

Starters: Anthony Armstrong, Leonard Hankerson
Backups: Malcolm Kelly, Terrence Austin

This portion of the depth chart is very much up in the air. By all indications, the Redskins are going to try to keep Santana Moss in the fold. Reports persist that they will try to land one of the big prized in free agency, Santonio Holmes of the Jets. If both Moss and Holmes come aboard, Kelly, Austin, Brandon Banks, and draft picks Niles Paul and Broderick Robinson will be fighting it out for one or two roster spots.

Offensive line

Starters (left to right): Trent Williams, Kory Lichtensteiger, Casey Rabach, Will Montgomery, Artis Hicks
Backups: Selvish Capers, Maurice Hurt, Eric Cook, Vacant, Clint Oldenburg

Yes, this is a thin unit. A free agent, whether it is last year’s starter Jammal Brown or an outsider, almost certainly will be brought in to start at right tackle. Some experienced depth and perhaps a starter at guard are likely to be on the Redskins’ free agency radar as well.

Defensive line

Starters: Jarvis Jenkins and Adam Carriker at ends, Maake Kemoeatu at nose tackle
Backups: Jeremy Jarmon and Vonnie Holliday at ends, Anthony Bryant at nose tackle

Jarmon and Phillip Daniels probably would share a spot if needed, with Daniels playing on running downs and Jarmon in passing situations. Kemoeatu may be on the bubble regardless of whether or not the team signs a free agent nose tackle. It’s also possible that a free agent end could be brought aboard. Rookie nose tackle Chris Neild could end up being in the picture as well.

Linebackers

Starters (left to right): Ryan Kerrigan, Lorenzo Alexander, London Fletcher, Brian Orakpo
Backups: Rob Jackson, Perry Riley, Robert Henson, Chris Wilson

This is assuming that Alexander does indeed add another position to his NFL resume by moving from outside linebacker to inside. Rocky McIntosh, last year’s starter at ILB, and Chris Wilson, who saw limited action at outside backer, are free agents. It seems likely that McIntosh will be gone.

Cornerbacks

Starters: DeAngelo Hall, Kevin Barnes
Backups: Byron Westbrook, Reggie Jones

Longtime starter Carlos Rogers is a free agent and is not expected to return. Phillip Buchanon, who was the nickel back and spot starter last year, also is a free agent and we’re not sure of his status. It will be interesting to see if the coaches have enough faith in Barnes to give him a shot either as a starter or at nickel back.

Safeties

Starters: LaRon Landry, Oshiomogho Atogwe
Reserves: Kareem Moore, Macho Harris

Atogwe is the Redskins’ first free agent addition, signed just before the lockout started. Chris Horton and Moore, both part of the struggling 2008 draft class, may be on the bubble for making the roster. Anderson Russell, who was on the practice squad on then on the active roster briefly before his season ended with a torn ACL, and draft picks DeJon Gomes and Brandyn Thompson could be in the picture here as well.

Specialists

Starters: Punter Sam Paulescu, Long snapper Nick Sundberg, Kicker Graham Gano
Backups: None

Certainly, competition could be brought in for these positions; none could be considered to have a lock on his job.

 

Reports: NFL Deal done today, free agency tomorrow

It appears that we finally have an end to the NFL lockout. And it looks like the pace of things around the league is going to go from zero to about 90 m.p.h. over the next 36 hours.

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports is the one who broke the news that the owners and players have finally agreed to a new CBA. At a little before four this morning, Glazer tweeted:

I said I wouldn't jump in til they agreed... They've FINALLY agreed! Sources say 2 sides this hour FINALLY agree to terms of new CBA.

The agreement must be approved by the NFLPA executive committee, player reps and by the 1900 NFL players but those votes are considered to be formalities.

As of yesterday, most media outlets were reporting that training camps and free agency would not start until sometime later in the week, perhaps over the weekend or Monday. That does not appear to be the case.

Pro Football Talk obtained a copy of an email that Drew Brees of the Saints, an executive committee member, sent to the players on his team. It read, in part:

Free Agency - It now looks like free agency will begin at noon on Tuesday and it will be open free agency.  There will be no 3 day grace period for teams to sign their own players.  It will be open for anyone to sign anywhere.

Brees also said that the Saints would be reporting to training camp this Thursday. Apparently teams will report on a staggered schedule from Thursday through Saturday. We are not sure what the criteria is for who reports when. The Saints open their preseason on Friday, August 12, the same day the Redskins do.

We should find out soon enough. The players executive committee will meet this morning at 11 a.m. and a vote will be taken sometime after that. Then the player reps will vote and that is all that is needed to set things in motion. We should have a firm NFL calendar by the end of the day today.

Will the Redskins have even more to spend in free agency?

A report by a Houston NFL blogger indicates that the Washington Redskins, along with every other NFL team, will be able to spend more money in free agency than originally thought.

Most reports of the details of the proposed CBA have said that the salary cap will be around $120 million. But an article by Lance Zierlein of the Houston Chronicle's website suggests that the cap might not be as firm as it was in the past. In fact, there might not be a cap at all.

I’ve learned from people close to the negotiations that we may not see the massive cap casualties that we’ve expected.  In fact, there may not be any penalties for teams who are over the $120 million dollar threshold.  What that would allow teams to do is hang onto veterans, if they so choose, without penalty.  What was less clear to me was whether or not we’ll actually even see a salary cap.  It is my understanding that for the first few years of this deal, the “cap” on spending could be soft or even non-existant.

"Non-existant" salary cap would seem to be music to the ears of the Washington Redskins and other high-income teams. The players, of course, also would love to have bidding wars for their services between deep-pocketed owners with no limits.

Of course, if the provision is for just the first few years of what is expected to be a 10-year deal, there would have to be some restraint. But, certainly, you could expect to see the Redskins, Cowboys, and some other teams take full advantage of there being no limits.

There is not too much of a point to go into this much further until we get more details on it. But the report is from a fairly reliable source. Zierlein is not well-known nationally but he does seem to be fairly well wired. He was the first one--and as far as I know the only one--to have a solid report that Albert Haynesworth would sign with the Redskins when free agency began in 2009. That doesn't mean that this report is necessarily true but it does come from someone who seems to be in a position to know.