Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Tracker: CB Crawford drafted in 7th

Round 7, pick 219 overall--Jordan Bernstine, Safety, Iowa

Bernstine, 5-11, 205, led the Hawkeyes in kickoff returns with a 23.8-yard average.

Round 7, pick 213 overall--Richard Crawford, Defensive back, SMU

The 5-11, 191 pound Crawford was a first-team All-Conference USA selection as a senior last year. 

Round 6, pick 193 overall--Tom Compton, Tackle, South Dakota

Compton has limited experience against top-level competition but he is an athletic tackle, just the sort of player they are looking for in the zone blocking scheme. 

According to some notes on him he can squat lift 700 pounds.Some publications had him as a third- or fourth-round pick so the Redskins may have received some good value taking him in the sixth.

As a high school senior, Compton was 6-4 and weighed 260 pounds. He redshirte as a freshman at North Dakota but then he startd every game for the next four years. By the time he was a junior he had grown to 6-9 and 290 pounds. He weighed in at 314 at the combine.

Round 6, pick 173 overall--Alfred Morris, RB, Florida Atlantic

Mike Shanahan went back to his bread and butter, picking RB Alfred Morris out of Florida Atlantic. The bruising 5'10'' Morris finished his career as the Owls' all-time leading rusher and last year finished with 1186 rushing yards and 9 TD's.

At February's combine, Morris ran a 4.65 40-yard dash though improved on his time at FAU's Pro Day.

Scouts have said that he is an instinctive runner who is an ideal fit for a zone blocking scheme. He could play both fullback and tailback. If he can display such versatility, he would have an inside track on making the Redskins as the only fullback currently on the roster is starter Darrel Young.

Round 5, pick 141 overall--Adam Gettis, OG, Iowa

The Redskins got another reinforcement along the offensive line by using their fifth-round pick on Iowa guard Adam Gettis. Gettis was a full-time starter during his senior year, after starting just three games his previous three seasons.

While Gettis is considered undersized for the next level, scouts also note he is smart, competitive and shows quick burst off the ball.
 

Round 4, pick 119 overall--Keenan Robinson, LB, Texas

The Redskins used their second 4th round pick on University of Texas OLB, Keenan Robinson, the first player to go from the football powerhouse in the 2012 Draft. Robinson was named to the All-Big 12 Conference Second Team in 2011.

Round 4, pick 102 overall--Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State

The Redskins got their quarterback of the future on Thursday in Robert Griffin III and they got his backup in Cousins. At 6-3 he has the size to get it done and has adequate arm strength. Cousins was a three-year captain for the Spartans and brings great leadership skills. 

One would expect that Cousins will be a backup behind last year’s starter Rex Grossman and Robert Griffin III, the team’s top draft pick and projected 2012 starter.

“It was a little surprising,” said Cousins in a conference call with Redskins reporters. “I was trying to forecast which teams would be in need of a quarterback and I didn’t see the Redskins.”

 

RG3 on pressure, teammates, and other things

I have transcribed about half of what I recorded of what Robert Griffin III said to the media after he was drafted by the Redskins on Thursday night. I’m not sure if I’m going to do the other half because, as noted in my article from yesterday, a lot of the questions got repetitive after while. But in any case, I got enough to get some basic idea of how RG3 looks at life, football, leadership, and other areas. Here are a few nuggets of his perspective:

--”If you’re a quarterback you want that pressure on you, you want the ball because you truly believe in yourself. That’s how you get to be great.”

--”You inspire the people around you to play better and just do the right things. Don’t go out to the bar on Thursday nights when you play on Sunday. Stay in, go eat some dinner, do something productive.”

--”I’ll try to get through to my teammates, to have a positive outlook on everything, don’t be a fool, but try to have a positive outlook, go out there and try to be successful.”

--”It’s not like I’ll walk in the locker room and say, hey guys, look at me, I’m on the cover of ESPN magazine. You don’t do things like that. You go in, you say, I’m a rookie, I’m also your quarterback.”

--”I’m not one who plans out my day, but I do have a plan, the big picture. Worry about all of the small things and the big picture will fall into place.”

--”The most important thing is your teammates. If your teammates come to you and say, hey, we’re relying on you, that’s the most important thing.”

--”I’m a person that tries to lead by example. I don’t just talk. Sometimes, I get tired of talking about things because you want to just go do it, so I’m excited to just go do it with the Redskins and just know that my dream has come true.”

--”You don't play quarterbacks in this league.  You'll always be compared head to head, but you play defenses.  I'm looking forward to playing the defenses in this division.”

--”You want pressure as a quarterback.  It can keep you straight and make sure I involve my teammates.  You don't want to take on that type of attention all by yourself.”

 

Draft reset: Redskins have six picks today

After we waited impatiently for the NFL draft to get here it is almost over. Rounds four through seven will be conducted today in Radio City Music Hall and then we’ll put a big bow on what already has been one of the most interesting Redskins draft in memory.

The Redskins went into the draft with five picks in the final four rounds. Yesterday, they picked up another seventh-round pick as they moved down two spots in the third round before taking SMU guard Josh LeRibeus with the 71st pick.

They kicked off the draft by taking some quarterback who wears funny socks. 

That means that the Redskins have two picks in the fourth (102 and 109 overall), one each in the fifth (141) and sixth (173) and two in the seventh (213 and 217).

The draft starts at 12:00 and we will bring you coverage and analysis of every pick right here. We’ll also have coverage of the introduction of Robert Griffin III to the Washington media and to Redskins fans at FedEx Field.

 

Redskins take G Josh LeRibeus in the third round

The Redskins have selected SMU guard Josh LeRibeus in the third round of the NFL draft. 

LeRibeus is 6-3 and weighs 312 pounds. According to Russ Lande’s GM Junior draft guide, he played a lot as a freshman and sophomore but had to sit out his junior season due to weight and academic problems. But he worked off the weight and became a viable NFL player as a senior. 

Lande had LeRibeus rated as the fourth-best guard in his ranking. Others did not rate him as highly. Todd McShay of ESPN had him going to the Redskins in his final, seven-round mock draft but he had him in the sixth round. 

Wes Bunting of the National Football Post said that although LeRibeus showed some ability against bull-rushing linemen, there were better linemen on the board in his opinion. He did say that LeRibeus’ ceiling was becoming an average NFL starter and that is what you want out of a third-round selection. 

LeRibeus  was picked with the 71st overall selection. The Redskins originally held the 69th pick but they traded down with the Bills, picking up an extra seventh-round pick, No 217 overall. 

Their third-round pick was their second of this year’s draft and their first since the took Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick early in Thursday’s draft proceedings. They traded away their second-round pick as part of the deal to move up into the second overall pick.

 

What to watch for in the draft tonight

What should you look for in the draft leading up to the Redskins’ third-round pick, the 69th overall selection? 

First, look for the live chat we’ll be having right here tonight from 7:00 to 8:00. We can talk about what’s coming up and what the Redskins should do and, yes, we can talk about RG3 a bit should he turn out to be a popular subject.

OK, end of shameless plug. I think that most agree, Mike Shanahan’s possible smokescreen notwithstanding, that the Redskins biggest need going in is at right tackle. Certainly Shanahan and company can see that, too. But that does not necessarily mean that they will take one in the third.

If they are going to take a player there, they want to have someone who has a reasonable chance of becoming a starter or at least becoming a rock solid backup. If no tackle fits that description they need to look at a position of lesser need.

Ah, but only two offensive tackles, Matt Kalil and Riley Reiff, were taken in the first round when many mock drafts had four or even five going on the first night. Shouldn’t that mean that there should be plenty of quality tackles for the Redskins to choose from with the 69th pick?

Maybe. What you have to look for is a run on offensive tackles at some point during the second round. It is expected that players like Jonathan Martin and Cordy Glenn will go fairly early in the second round. 

But if names like Bobby Massie, Jeff Allen, and Zebrie Sanders start to come off of the board, the chances of the Redskins being able to get an eventual Jammal Brown replacement in the third round will start to look dim. And if teams are reach for the likes of Donald Stephenson and Tom Crompton late in the third round, start to check your personal draft board for other positions because the Redskins aren’t going to take a fifth-round tackle in the third round.

In fact, a run on tackles could precipitate a trade up by the Redskins if they want a player badly enough to use one or both of their fourth-round picks to move up. If Massie and Sanders go off of the board in the earlier part of the second round, look for the possibility of the Redskins bundling some picks to move up and get their man.

If the tackles go early and the Redskins don’t move up, look for a cornerback to be the pick. That and wide receiver are the two deepest positions in the draft and since CB is a greater need that would seem to be the best bet.

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.

Draft chat archive

 

A draft night unlike any other

NEW YORK--It is safe to say that there has never been a draft night quite like it for the Redskins Or, for that matter, for any other NFL team.

When else has the team’s top draft pick sung the team’s fight song over the telephone to reporters? Or showed up in socks in the team’s colors? Or was able to rattle off nearly every receiver and running back on the roster, not just their names but a quick scouting report on some of them? 

But Robert Griffin III did all of that and more in the two hours after this card was turned into Roger Goodell at about 8:13 on Thursday night:

 

After celebrating with his family, Griffin was in on a conference call with reporters at Redskins Park. When asked how he felt after being drafted, Griffin broke out into “Hail to the Redskins.” 

Then it was to the interview room at Radio City Music Hall where he answered some of the same questions he had just taken on the phone again. Yes, he was excited. Yes, he was looking forward to getting to know his teammates, especially the offensive line. Yes, he was looking forward to playing games against Eli Manning, Tony Romo and Michael Vick but he didn’t really play against other quarterbacks, he plays against defenses. 

RG3 managed to get in plugs for two of the companies he has signed to endorse, mentioning Subway and adidas, the makers of his distinctive socks.

After showing off those burgundy and gold socks at the front table he went to a back room and answered more questions and more of the same questions. He was interviewed by everyone from the local reporters who were on the scene to fellow Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, to international reporters from Latin America and Japan.

And Griffin answered every repetitive question like it was the very first time anyone had ever asked him that question. He showed the socks, which have become his signature fashion accessory, several more times with the same enthusiasm he had showed them the first time. 

Somewhere in between all of this he took a minute to send out his sentiments via Twitter. HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!!! It's an honor to be your quarterback #CantWait,” he tweeted via his @RGIII Twitter handle, which he started just a few weeks ago and now has over 166,000 followers.

His introduction as a Redskin is just beginning. On Friday, Griffin will go to Redskins Park and get what he needs to start preparing for next weekend’s rookie camp. Then on Saturday he’ll go to FedEx Field for another press conference and an introduction to the team’s fans gathered at the draft day party. 

The party will go on for the fans, who will be counting down the days to RG3’s debut in the regular season opener in New Orleans (which just so happens to be Griffin’s home town). That countdown, by the way, stands at 135 days. 

Meanwhile, the hard work of becoming an NFL quarterback starts for Griffin. It’s rookie camp for Griffin next weekend and then OTA’s, minicamp, and then training camp with a lot of time in meeting rooms with Kyle Shanahan and QB coach Matt LaFleur. He said (more than a few times) that he will be the first one in the building and he last one out. We will start seeing the results in September.

 

Griffin believes he's ready to lead a turnaround in Washington

Robert Griffin III has a fine line to walk.

NFL rookies are usually seen and not heard. But quarterbacks are, by the nature of the position, the leaders of their teams. How is the 22-year-old Griffin going to go about taking the reigns of leadership for the Redskins?

Like every other aspect of becoming an NFL quarterback, Griffin knows that it will take some time.

“It’s a daily process,” Griffin said about an hour after becoming the Redskins’ quarterback. “It’s not something where I’ll go in day one and they’ll say, ‘hey Robert we believe in you, you’re our guy.’ And some guys will be like that.” 

“But the Brian Orakpos and London Fletchers, the guys that are really staples of the Redskins team, I have to earn their trust and I plan on doing that.”

Griffin plans on earning that trust by what he does, not by what he says.

“You come in and show the guys why they can trust in you, why they can believe in you,” he said. “Not just by saying ‘hey, guys, you can trust me, you can believe in me.’”

“Why should they trust in you? Why should they believe in you? You have to go show them and not just say it. Because everybody can say something but not everybody can do it.”

Walking into a program, taking a leadership role, and reviving it is nothing new to Griffin. He went to Baylor, one of the laughingstocks of college football for many years. He started as a true freshman and helped turn that program around. Now he will take on doing the same for the Redskins, long an NFL punch line.

Griffin believes that his Baylor experience prepared him for what he is about to face. 

“Things in life build you up to other things,” he said. “Going to Baylor and then being able to succeed and help the program get back on its feet and even exceed what it had done in the past helps me do the same thing in Washington.”

But Griffin is not content with getting the Redskins back to where they were. 

“It’s not just about getting back to what the Redskins used to be it’s about trying to get better,” he said.

If Griffin can improve on the 10-year stretch the Redskins had from 1982-1991, when they won three Super Bowls and were perennially relevant in the NFL, most Redskins fans would be quite happy.

 

RG3 says he'll be the worst in the NFL

In 2008, Redskins head coach Jim Zorn declared himself to be “the worst coach in America” after the 1-11-1 Bengals became the 2-11-1 Bengals at Zorn’s expense.

Now the Redskins are about to draft a player who says that he will immediately become one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL.

The quarterback, of course, is Robert Griffin III and while Zorn made his worst-in-America statement when he was down in the dumps, Griffin is merely facing reality. After winning the Heisman and getting all of the media attention and all of the accolades over the past few months, he knows that all of that is going to get him absolutely nothing when he becomes a professional football player.

Here is what he told the Washington Post:

“As of Thursday as of 8 and 8:10 [p.m.], me and Andrew [Luck] are two of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL. There’s Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Eli, I could go on for days – sorry if I didn’t mention you; don’t be mad. They’re great quarterbacks and we’re back at the bottom of the totem pole. Maybe we won’t be the worst, but by no means are we 1-2. We know that we have to compete.”

This is exactly in harmony with what Mike Shanahan was talking about at his press conference yesterday, that what happens tonight is a part of the process of getting a franchise quarterback, not the end of it. 

 

Smoking is permitted during the draft

Even though the Redskins’ first pick is spoken for and they don’t have a second-rounder, Mike Shanahan can still have some fun throwing out smokescreens regarding the NFL draft.

We may have seen a classic one on Wednesday. While answering a question about drafting for need, Shanahan volunteered some information about right tackle Jammal Brown.

“Right now I feel better about Jammal Brown than I have at any time since I’ve been here,” he said. “That hip that he’s had that tear on looks better than it’s ever looked.”

Brown has been the Redskins’ staring right tackle for the past two seasons. His hip injury, which caused him to miss the entire 2009 season when he was with the Saints, has forced him to miss five starts and has clearly hampered his play when he has been in there.

Shanahan also mentioned options at the position such as Tyler Polumbus, who filled in at a few different line spots last year, and James Lee, who the team signed as a free agent earlier this month. 

Given the context of the discussion of Brown, in the midst of talking about draft needs, it would be easy to think that the Redskins have no intention of drafting someone to play right tackle. According to Shanahan, they have a healthy former Pro Bowler in Brown and two other experienced options.

Of course, they could have every intention of taking an tackle in the middle rounds. There is are many reasons to discount the words of Shanahan or any other NFL coach less than 36 hours before the draft, especially if the information is volunteered.