Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Manning 'very encouraged' about recovery

In an interview with Trey Wingo on ESPN, the Colts quarterback said that his recovery from neck surgery was coming along just fine.

“I'm very encouraged by what my doctors have said,” said Manning. “Everything's right on point, I'll be cleared and ready to play.”

This morning, a report on Yahoo.com said that sources were saying that Manning’s career is over. Jason Cole wrote that “people close to him” said that the nerves in his neck are not healing as quickly as hoped.

Manning had quite a different message. "Doctors & I have been in good, constant communication,” he said. “And I'm very encouraged by what they've said.”

Manning said that he probably will sit down and talk to Colts owner Jim Irsay about his future with the team. His contract calls for him to get an option bonus of $28 million on March 8. Unless both Manning and the team agree to alter the payment date, the only way the Colts can avoid paying the bonus is to releast him. 

The Colts are expected to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first pick of the draft in April and let him try to fill Manning's shoes.

 

Rookie review: Gomes should have opportunity in 2012

 

By Rich Tandler

During the course of the year, 11 of the Redskins’ 12 draft picks from 2011 were on the active roster. Here we take a look at each of them, how much they played, what they accomplished and what their future prospects are.

See the links below for the previous rookie reviews. Today, it’s safety DeJon Gomes.

DeJon Gomes
Drafted in 5^th round, 146 overall
On roster 16 games, played 15, started 5, played 210 snaps (20 percent)

2011: Gomes made the team out of camp and became the second safety off of the bench. He played only two snaps on defense until the Redskins Week 11 game against Dallas. He started five of the last seven games and he looked like a rookie at times and played well at time. His struggles were mostly in pass coverage as opposing quarterbacks racked up a passer rating of 151.4 when throwing in his direction. Gomes was a sure tackler, however, and played the run well.

Prospects: There could be plenty of opportunity at the safety position for the 2012 Redskins and Gomes is in prime position to take advantage of it. LaRon Landry is a free agent and due to his lingering Achilles injury and his decision to put off getting surgery to repair it there is doubt that he will be back. Oshiomogho Atogwe was injured and often ineffective after signing as hyped free agent a year ago and while he is likely to stay around (but not certain), the Redskins need to have a solid backup in place. Unless the Redskins go for a premium free agent and/or high draft pick at safety, Gomes should get a chance to build on his 2011 experience and get a shot to be a major contributor if not a starter in 2012.

Previous rookie reviews

• G Maurice Hurt 
• LB Markus White 
• NT Chris Neild
• CB Brandyn Thompson 
• WR Aldrick Robinson
• RB Evan Royster
• WR Niles Paul

 

Top 2012 free agents: Will there be a need at linebacker?

 

Stephen Tulloch

By Rich Tandler

Our friends at Rotoworld have come up with a comprehensive list of players who will be free agents when the new league year starts at 4 p.m. on March 13. We’re going to go position by position and take a look at the top players who may be available and how they might fit with the Redskins.

See below for a list of positions previously analyzed. Here is a closer look at the top defensive linemen available.

• Curtis Lofton ILB, Falcons 
• Dan Connor ILB, Panthers 
• D'Qwell Jackson ILB, Browns
• David Hawthorne ILB, Seahawks 
• Anthony Spencer OLB, Cowboys 
• Stephen Tulloch ILB, Lions 
• London Fletcher ILB, Redskins
• Joe Mays ILB, Broncos
• Ahmad Brooks OLB, 49ers

We can skip over the free agent outside linebackers. Not only are the Redskins set with starters in Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan but they have depth with Lorenzo Alexander, Markus White, and Rob Jackson.

And they may not need any major help on the inside, either. It looks like Fletcher will be back with the Redskins. That would make acquisitions like Lofton, who is 26 and has been the Falcons’ starting middle linebacker since he came into the league in 2008 or Tulloch, who just turned 27 and is rock solid against both the run and the pass, unnecessary.

Previous free agent analysis

• Quarterbacks
• Wide receivers
• Running backs
• Offensive tackles
• Guards
• Centers
• Tight ends
• Defensive line

NFL making hay in cloudy economy

By Rich Tandler

The NFL is taking lemons and making a lot of lemonade.

Commissioner Roger Goodell told 60 Minutes that the economic recession has helped the NFL earn record TV audiences.

Goodell said that the tougher times have led to people staying home more and taking advantage of entertainment options such as the NFL on over the air television on Sundays and on the widely available ESPN on Monday nights.

"People want to feel part of a group and right now during these difficult times, they can turn on free television and watch the greatest entertainment that's out there," said Goodell.

The NFL’s prosperity earned Goodell a contract extension through the 2018 season. One of his main challenges will be how to keep the league successful when the economy rebounds. With high-definition TV’s now common in so many households, Goodell said that “the experience is so good at home” it will be challenging to get people to buy tickets to attend games. 

 

RT's 5: Atogwe return seems likely

Rich Tandler’s five things possibly related to the Redskins and other matters.

5. There is a lot of talk that the Redskins will part ways with safety Oshiomogho Atogwe. I’m not buying it. True, they did not get a lot out of him last year as he was often injured and ineffective. However, they did give him a $7 million roster bonus last year and $8 million in total compensation. They did not give him that money with the intention of tossing him aside after one year of struggles.

4. While the Redskins could do worse than having Will Montgomery at center, they could do better, too. Chris Myers represented the Texans in the Pro Bowl and he is easily the best center who will be a free agent in March. On top of that, he is perfect in the zone-blocking scheme, he was drafted by Mike Shanahan in Denver and he played for Kyle Shanahan when he was Houston’s offensive coordinator. The only monkey wrench in this scenario is that Myers will be 31 before Week 2 next year. That may knock him off of the Redskins’ radar but he’s still a name to keep in mind as the March 13 start of free agency approaches.

3. We did a poll recently and we found that a solid majority of you think that Roy Helu should be the Redskins’ starting running back in 2012. That seems like a sound decision based on the fact that he was the team’s leading rusher last year with 640 yards and a 4.2 average. But there are legitimate durability concerns. He was inactive in the 15^th game of the season against the Vikings and had only six touches in the season finale in Philadelphia due to knee and toe injuries. A look at his college scouting reports reveals that this was not an aberration. He either missed time or was limited in games due to injuries to his ankle, hamstring, and shoulder. The Redskins need to figure out how to limit his workload so that he will last the season.

2. I had a good Twitter discussion yesterday with a reader who favored signing Packers quarterback Matt Flynn over trading up for Robert Griffin III. While he liked Griffin’s ability, one of his concerns was his size and durability. I pointed out to him that both Flynn is listed at 6-2 and 228 pounds while Griffin is 6-2 and 220. While Griffin’s exact height and weight will be measured at the combine, it is safe to say that the two are in the same ballpark in physical stature. Griffin suffered a torn ACL in 2009 and Flynn has had some issues with his shoulder. While there are many legitimate reasons to argue for signing the veteran Flynn rather than drafting Griffin, concerns about size and injury should not be among them as the two are about equal there.

1. The Redskins’ second highest paid player is DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson will draw the fifth highest salary on the team in 2012. Given that, can the Redskins justify spending either major free agent dollars or a high draft pick on a cornerback? It is something that needs to be seriously considered given the presence in the division of such receivers as the Giants’ Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, Dallas’ Dez Bryant and Miles Austin and the Eagles’ Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson, if the latter re-signs with Philadelphia.

Days until: NFL free agency 42; NFL draft 86; start of NFL season 222

Rich Tandler blogs about the Redskins at www.RealRedskins.com. You can reach him by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @Rich_Tandler.

 

Wes Bunting Mock 2.0: Trade winds blowing?

By Rich Tandler

My man Wes Bunting has released his post-Senior Bowl mock draft, version 2.0. And if a recent poll here on CSN Washington is accurate, about 60 percent of Redskins Nation will be happy with it.

In Bunting’s scenario, the Redskins will trade up from the sixth pick of the draft and acquire the Rams’ pick, second overall. With that pick, they would take Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

“RG3 is the kind of athletic quarterback that would be an ideal fit in the Washington offense,” wrote Bunting.

I don’t want to give the whole thing away here. Go take a look to see who is still on the board at Washington’s original No. 6 pick and where else the other top players are going. 

 

Free agent watch: WR Jackson likely to stay with Chargers

By Rich Tandler

One of the more frequently asked questions I get on Twitter is about the possibility of Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, slated to be a free agent in March, becoming a Redskin. For three of the past four years, Jackson has been one of the most productive receivers in the game, gaining over 1000 yards receiving in 2008, 2009, and 2011. For his seven-year career he has averaged 17.5 yards per catch. Such numbers would easily make Jackson the Redskins’ premiere receiver. He will be playing for the AFC in the Pro Bowl today.

In addition, Mike Shanahan knows Jackson’s abilities well, having coached against him. But there are many obstacles in the way of putting Jackson into a burgundy and gold uniform.

For one, word is that he wants to stay in San Diego and the Chargers definitely want him back. “The way he performed this year speaks to how valuable he is to our team,” Chargers coach Norv Turner told Dan Pompei of the National Footbal Post. “From a coaching standpoint, I’d love to have him here. When you look at his production, his average per catch separates him from a lot of guys. “

Considering that Turner and general manager A. J. Smith both barely held onto their jobs earlier this month, they would be wise to do what they can do to keep Jackson in the fold. They could hit him with the franchise tag although that would cost them something in the neighborhood of $15 million.

Even if Jackson and the Chargers part ways, there is the matter of his age. He turned 29 earlier this month and receivers at that age are rarely good values in free agency. In addition, he served a three-game suspension for running afoul of the league’s personal conduct policy. Another violation could have the commissioner putting him on a longer suspension. With Trent Williams and, if he re-signs, Fred Davis already facing the possibility of getting sent home for a year the risk of having three key offensive players working under such a cloud my be too great to bear.

Jackson is fun to watch and he plays hard but it appears that Redskins fans will have to admire him from afar.

Fail whale spotted in Hawaii as Pro Bowl tweets fall flat

By Rich Tandler

They played the Pro Bowl last night and in order to generate a little buzz about the game, the NFL decided to let players tweet during the game. They set up a tweeting station on each sideline and the players could log in and communicate with the fans.

Here are the interesting, funny, and insightful tweets from the Pro Bowlers:

Yeah, they failed. There was nothing worth going viral was generated from Hawaii las night. Here is a sampling of the fare offered by the NFL’s finest (minus, of course, those who dropped out due to injury and those participating in the Super Bowl).

Broncos LB Von Miller @MillerLite40 first series was great!!! it was an honor just to be on the field with all the guys!!!! #gigem #probowl

Bengals WR A. J. Green @ajgreen_18 first pro bowl TD!!! blessed!! #probowl

Packers WR Greg Jennings @GregJennings Having a blast out here... bout to go out on O to catch some more passes!!

Chargers S Eric Weddle Coming out next half hungry for some big plays #picsNhits

The most interesting series of tweets was generated by the Redskins’ own London Fletcher. Sometime in the first half, Fletcher put out a tweet, since deleted, asking his followers to predict the score and offering $500 in cash to whoever’s guess was the closest.

Apparently, someone from the NFL approached Fletcher and put the kibosh on the notion of a cash prize. 

A short time later, Fletcher came up with an alternate giveaway:

New WR coach Hilliard faces a tough task

New Redskins wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard has a tough job on his hands and very limited coaching experience to call upon to get it done.

Since finishing up his NFL playing career in 2008, he has worked as an unpaid receivers coach for the Florida Tuskers of the UFL and last year he was an assistant receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins. That is it.

Hilliard’s predecessor in his new job, Keenan McCardell, came to the position only have coached receivers in the East-West Shrine game. 

McCardell’s contract ran out and the Redskins decided not to renew it. His wide receiver corps was largely unproductive and those that performed consistently well were on the wrong side of 30.

Here are some of the individual challenges that Hilliard faces as goes into his new job:

Santana Moss—The veteran had his worst season since 2002 due partly to a broken hand that cost him four games. The Redskins gave him a $5 million signing bonus in August and it would be helpful if they could get another good season out of Moss, who will be 33 before next season starts.

 Anthony Armstrong—Hilliard will try to figure out the rise and fall of Armstrong. In 2010, he came out of nowhere and the 27-year-old rookie become a valuable weapon with 44 receptions for 871 yards (19.8 yards/catch). In 2011 he was virtually invisible, catching just seven passes. Can Hilliard bring out the 2010 playmaking version of Armstrong?

Leonard Hankerson—The third-round pick was inactive for the first five games but he got rolling with an eight-catch, 106-yard performance in Miami. Unfortunately, he was injured on his last catch of that game and didn’t play again. Hilliard will need to help get Hankerson build off of his progress of 2011.

Niles Paul—It would be a huge boost if the 2011 fifth-round draft pick could become a solid option in the passing game. Paul got a lot of playing time but he was the target of a pass just five times.

Aldrick Robinson—Now, Robinson isn’t much more than a fast guy with potential. As with Paul, Hilliard can earn his stripes by turning him into a football player.

TBD—The Redskins are almost certain to sign and/or draft additions to the wide receiver corps and Hilliard will need to bring out the best in them.

You can reach Rich Tandler by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @Rich_Tandler. 

 

Sticker shock: Look for big deals when free agency starts

By Rich Tandler

NFL free agency will start six weeks from tomorrow. The word “overpaid” always gets thrown around and it is likely that the word will be trending madly on Twitter when March 13 rolls around. Fans of teams from coast to coast will be experiencing sticker shock on player contracts.

The main reason is the new TV contracts that will kick in for the 2014 season. The deals with NBC, CBS, and Fox will pay the NFL about $3 billion per year. That is an increase of about $1.1 billion per year.

The effect of the new money on the salary cap will be dramatic. One element of the new CBA is that players get 55 percent of TV revenues.

You don’t have to be a math major to figure out that when the new deals start up the players’ slice of the new money will come to well over $500 million per year. In terms of the salary cap, that comes to an increase of about $19 million per team per year. That will mean that we will see salaries and bonuses rise dramatically in the last few years of deals.

Add that to the fact that teams will be able to add unspent 2011 cap dollars to their 2012 salary caps and we will see some record deals for top players and very pricey contracts for average players.

We might see some of it before the actual start of free agency with some players getting new deals from their current clubs. But the Brinks trucks really will start parking in players’ lawns and dumping big money when free agency launches at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13.

Brace yourself, Redskins fans. Your team will be overypaying and oversending left and right, but everyone else will be, too.

Rich Tandler blogs about the Redskins at www.RealRedskins.com. You can reach him by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @Rich_Tandler.