Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Redskins, Tebow to host local youth camps

Although NFL training camps do not open until late July, a number of players will host camps of their own this summer in an effort to give back to area youth.  The camps provide players the opportunity to share their success and knowledge with the aspiring athletes in the D.C. area by teaching them the fundamentals of football in an enjoyable and engaging atmosphere.

A number of Redskins players including Chris Cooley, Brandon Banks, Brian Orakpo, and Roy Helu will host camps throughout June and July.

Jets QB Tim Tebow, Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald and Giants WR Victor Cruz are set to appear at the 19th annual Colonial All-Pro Football Camp at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

For more information on specific dates, fees, and camp locations, head to www.procamps.com or www.footballcamps.com.

Chris Cooley Camp:
Dates: June 2-3

Times: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Fairfax High School
Ages: Boys and girls ages 7 to 14

www.chriscooleycamp.com

Brandon Banks Football Day Camp:
Dates: July 21-22

Times: About 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Georgetown Preparatory School, North Bethesda, Md.
Ages: 7-18

https://www.footballcamps.com/default.asp?page=day&camp=56

Brian Orakpo Overnight and Commuter Football Camp:
Dates: July 17-20

Times: All day for overnighters; about 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for commuters

Location: George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
Ages: 7-18
https://www.footballcamps.com/default.asp?camp=47&page=20

Lardarius Webb Roy Helu Football Camp:
Dates: June 29-July 2
Times: All day for overnighters

Location: McDaniel College, Westminster, Md.
https://www.footballcamps.com/default.asp?page=20&camp=1

19th Annual Colonial All-Pro Football Camp:
Date: June 24-27, 2012
Location: College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va.
Ages: Boys 8 through rising high school seniors
http://www.tribeathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=25100&ATCLID=205069723

Gone fishing (or something)

As you may have noticed, the content here has been a bit light this week. That is because I am enjoying sunsets such as the one pictured above in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. 

I may or may not get some fishing in. As usual, this vacation is light on plans and heavy on getting up in the morning and deciding what I feel like doing that day.

Posting about the Redskins is still in my morning plans. I just can't enjoy my morning coffee unless I'm also pounding the keyboard about something about the Skins. 

I'll be back at it next week here and on CSNwashington.com. As always, thanks for reading.

In 1999, Redskins saw a new QB make a big difference

Wise veteran Santana Moss is trying to tamp down the expectations for rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. He told ESPN 980, “One thing I want everyone to understand that he comes here with the big hope of turning everything around. We are all hoping that. We all want that, but I don’t want that pressure on him as if he has to be the one.”

The thing is, in a quarterback league, Griffin does have to the “the one”. Yes, the rest of the team needs to play better around him but Griffin is going to have to play well if the Redskins are to reach their goal of making the playoffs on a regular basis and making a Super Bowl run from time to time.

We have seen what improved quarterback play can do for a Redskins team. The 1998 Redskins got off to an 0-7 start on their way to a 6-10 record that nearly cost Norv Turner his job. Trent Green started 14 games at quarterback and Gus Frerotte started two. They combined to complete 53.8 percent of their passes for 3724 yards (6.6 yards/attempt).

Green left as a free agent and Frerotte was let go so the Redskins traded for Brad Johnson. Working primarily with receivers Michael Westbrook and Albert Connell, the same guys who where lining up for Green and Frerotte, Johnson started all 16 games and completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 4005 yards (7.7 yards/attempt). 

The defense went from bad in ’98 (24th in yards allowed) to worse in ’99 (30th). And the Redskins improved to 10-6, won the division, and hosted a playoff game. 

To be sure, Johnson was not the only change on offense. There were some new faces on the offensive line but it is not as though a bus pulled up to Redskins Park and dropped off the 1991 Hogs. Rookie Jon Jansen replaced Shar Pourdanesh at right tackle and veteran journeyman Andy Heck came in at left tackle. Fourth-year running back Stephen Davis had a breakout season with 1405 yards, a marked improvement over the  1242 yards that Davis, Skip Hicks, and Terry Allen combined to gain on the ground in 1998.

The Redskins did not build on their 1999 success. In 2000 Johnson was first injured and then in a funk about his contract sutiation. He left as a free agent in 2001. But for that one seasons Johnson clearly was the difference maker.

Can Griffin make such a difference in 2012 and turn the Redskins around into a team that wins double digit games? It’s a tall order for a rookie but he doesn’t have to be an elite performer to beat the numbers the QB’s put up last year. 

Despite Moss’ wishes, the pressure will be on RG3 this year and we will see how well he responds.

 

Just get in, baby

The Redskins are expected by many to improve this year with the addition of rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III and some legitimate weapons at wide receiver. Most think they are in line to take bigger strides in 2013 as Griffin and the other players mature and develop chemistry. 

However, it appears that they are a long way from attaining the Holy Grail of the NFL regular season, winning the division and getting home field advantage throughout the playoffs. That is the path the team took to three of its four Super Bowl appearances between 1982 and 1991. So, until they can get that top seed improving is fine but the ultimate goal, the Super Bowl, will remain a pipe dream, right?

Not really. Things have changed considerably since 1991, especially since 2000. Since that season, the top seed has won just one of 12 Super Bowls. That was the 2003 Patriots, who beat Carolina on a last-second Adam Vinatieri field goal. 

Other than that, it’s been futility for the top seeds. Since 2000 six of them have experienced the ultimate failure, going one and done. That means that they got the bye, hosted the lowest remaining seed, a team that had to win in the Wild Card round, and lost at home. 

You remember what happened to the 15-1 Packers last year at the hands of the 9-7 Giants. The same thing happened to the top seeded 2010 Patriots, 2008 Titans, 2006 Chargers, 2005 Colts, and 2000 Titans. 

In the NFC in recent seasons the underdog role is where you want to be. The 2007 Giants won it all as a 10-6 Wild Card team as did the 2010 Packers. Last year’s Giants  won their division at 9-7 and ended up champions. In 2008 the Cardinals also got in as 9-7 division champs and had the lead in the Super Bowl in the final minute before losing to Pittsburgh. 

In the past five years only the 2009 Saints have taken advantage of owning the top seed in the NFC by winning Super Bowl XLIV.

The point is not that the Redskins should try to improve to where they can grab the last Wild Card and then stop. You want to win as many  games as you can to get the right to, say, host a playoff game, something the Redskins haven’t done since 1999. 

But any playoff appearance, even one as the very last seed, has possibilities. You don’t have to start January at the top of the heap in order to end up there the first weekend in February. 

 

Thompson must turn potential into ability in a hurry

Cornerback Brandyn Thompson showed some great athletic ability and playmaking instincts during training camp and in preseason games as a seventh-round pick out of Boise State last year. He was good enough to make the 53-man roster to start the season but he bounced up and down between the practice squad (5 games), the inactive list (2), and the roster all year long. 

He ended up playing just four snaps on defense so he remains something of an unknown quantity in 2012.

During this offseason the team made some moves to bolster the cornerback position. They signed veterans Leigh Torrence and Cedric Griffin and drafted Richard Crawford in the seventh round. And rookie free agent Chase Minnifield could have been a third-round pick if not for a knee injury so he is a legitimate contender for a roster spot.

They did not resign Byron Westbrook, who played 127 snaps at corner or Phillip Buchanon, who played sparingly in between coming off of the suspended list and going on to injured reserve.

So where might Thompson fit in? DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson are the starters. Griffin is likely to get first shot at the nickel back position and with all of the three wide receiver sets an NFL defense faces these days that is essentially a starting job. Kevin Barnes held the nickel job down last year and he struggled at times. He is not a lock to be on the final roster. 

But Thompson isn’t either. They probably will keep five cornerbacks so that leaves Thompson in a battle with Barnes, Torrence, Minnifield and Crawford for for two jobs. Thompson will have to turn his potential into actual ability in a hurry. He will need to make the most out of the offseason program, something he did not have the benefit of last year. 

He was on the roster for one more game than the maximum allowable for him to be eligible for the practice squad so it’s the 53-man roster or bust for Thompson in 2012.

 

Vegas sets Redskins over-under for wins

Last week we posted the betting line for the Redskins’ first 16 games of the 2012 season. Now Cantor Gaming, the same group that put out those spreads have come out with their over-under lines for the NFC in 2012. And as one might guess from the game by game lines, which had Washington favored in just four games and even in another, the Redskins’ number is on the low side. 

Their number for the Redskins is 6.5 wins, a little better than last year’s 5 but a far cry from the .500 record or possible playoff contention that Redskins fans are hoping for.

And the opinion of the bookies is even worse than that. They expect a lot of action on the under so if you’re going to bet that side you will have to risk $130 to win $100. The casinos will give you even money on an over bet.

Three other NFC teams, the Vikings, Buccaneers, and Rams, have lower over-unders with six. In the NFC East, the Eagles’ number is 10, the Giants’ is 9.5 and the Cowboys’ is 8.5.

 

In-depth chart: Defensive backs

The Redskins’ 90-man offseason roster is set, at least for the time being. It’s time to take a look at who they have, who will start, and who will be around when the Sept. 9 opener in New Orleans rolls around.

We’ve looked the the offensive backs, the line.and the receivers and tight ends on that side of the ball and at the defensive line and linebackers. Today we put the defensive backs under the microscope.

Cornerback

Starters: DeAngelo Hall, Josh Wilson
Reserves: Cedric Griffin, Leigh Torrence
Fighting for a job: Kevin Barnes, Brandyn Thompson, Richard Crawford, Chase Minnifield

It will be interesting to see how Hall will play if the Redskins can get into a substantial lead in games on other than rare occasions. His gambling style works much better in those circumstances. Wilson got better and better as last year went on and he became more comfortable in the defense.

I put Griffin and Torrence in as the nickel and dime backs but almost any of the players in the “fighting for a job” line could wind up there as well and it would not be a shock. Barnes held the nickel job last year but his play led the team to sign Griffin and Torrence and to draft Crawford to try to replace him.

Minnifield will be worth watching. He was projected to be a third-round pick but microfracture surgery on his knee pushed him all the way off the draft board. 

Safety

Starters: Tanard Jackson, Brandon Meriweanther
Reserves: DeJon Gomes, Madieu Williams
Fighting for a job: Reed Doughty, Josh Bernstine, Travon Bellamy

The picture here is even more fluid than it is a corner. Jackson and Meriweather are not entrenched as the starters by any means. Meriweather, in fact, is not a solid lock to even make the team. 

If everything works out well here then Jackson, with his shoulder injury healed, will improve his tackling--he was one of the worst-tackling safeties in the NFL last year--and Meriweather will regain the form that made him a starter for three years in New England. But only time will tell if things will work out that way.

It will be hard to keep Doughty off of the roster since he can do so much but they didn’t bring in Jackson, Meriweather, and Williams because they were wild about his play at safety. Gomes didn’t embarrass himself when he got some play at safety in the latter half of last year. But he’ll have to do better than not be a disaster to get substantial playing time this year. 

Williams is a top-notch person and locker room guy but it remains to be seen if he will be occupying a locker later when the roster is cut to 53.

 

Inside access: Chase Minnifield

Click here if you can't see this video on your device.

In-depth chart: Linebackers

The Redskins’ 90-man offseason roster is set, at least for the time being. It’s time to take a look at who they have, who will start, and who will be around when the Sept. 9 opener in New Orleans rolls around.

We’ve looked the the offensive backs, the line.and the receivers and tight ends on that side of the ball and at the defensive line. Today we put the linebackers under the microscope.

Outside linebacker

Starters: Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan
Reserves: Rob Jackson, Markus White, Chris Wilson
Fighting for a job: Monte Lewis

Rarely is a position set in stone in May but this one may well be. Orakpo, a two-time Pro Bowl performer will get at least 90 percent of the snaps on the right side. Kerrigan, who could be a Pro Bowler if they continue to play the game, will play nearly every snap on the left side. 

Jackson seemed to do something to get noticed every time he took the field in relief of Orakpo. As a rookie, White made a nice transition from college defensive end to NFL outside linebacker, especially considering that he didn’t have any offseason work due to the lockout. Those two and Wilson will compete for inclusion on the active list from week to week.

The Redskins could decide to squeeze a roster spot here and go with only four outside backers since Lorenzo Alexander, who is learning the inside, could move back to his old outside spot in a pinch. If that happens, White probably would be safe as he is younger and has three more years left on his contract. Wilson and Jackson are both free agents after the season is over.

Inside linebacker

Starters: Perry Riley, London Fletcher
Reserves: Lorenzo Alexander, Jonathan Goff, Keenan Robinson
Fighting for a job: Donnell Holt, Bryan Kehl, Brian McNally

Riley and Fletcher both are three-down inside linebackers, a rarity in today’s NFL. Fletcher, of course, is a proven performer over the long term and with his new contract he is set for the next two seasons. Riley showed some flashes of big-play ability last year and his aim is to develop more consistency. 

Alexander is the special teams captain and, as noted above, he is learning the inside positions so he can become a true utility player. The Redskins drafted Robinson with the thought of making him Fletcher’s successor in 2014 so he should make the roster but he could well spend much of the season on the inactive list.

Goff is only 26 and he brings 20 starts and 37 total games of experience with him from the Giants. He could be the first player off of the bench in case of injury.

Kehl is also relatively young (27) and has playing experience (57 games with the Giants and Rams). But he would appear to be the odd man out. 

NFLPA suit unlikely to help Redskins

The NFLPA’s collusion lawsuit against the NFL could provide some fodder for blog posts during the slow summer months but it seems unlikely that it will succeed. And even if the union does prevail, the Redskins will still be stuck with their salary cap penalty.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweeted the following yesterday:

Here's my current position on the collusion suit:  Was there collusion?  Absolutely.  Is it too late to do anything about it?  Absolutely.

And that pretty well sums up the players’ case. The time for the NFLPA to do something about this was back in March, when they were asked to approve the cap sanctions against Washington and Dallas. 

Or perhaps long before that. Prior to the uncapped 2010 season I had a conversation with an agent who used to work for an NFL team. He said then that teams had been warned about possible consequences for taking advantage of the absence of a salary cap. So this conspiracy to collude as the union calls it was not a deep dark secret. If agents knew about it, the NFLPA knew about it.

The union, Cowboys, and Redskins all would have been better served if the NFLPA had refused to go along with the cap sanctions and, if necessary, go with a 2012 cap number that was from five to 10 percent lower than it was the year before. They would have had a virtual slam dunk collusion case and the potential damaged received likely would have dwarfed the one-year reduction in the cap.

But they didn’t. De Smith decided to avoid short-term pain (perhaps spurred by the fact that he was up for reelection later in March) at the expense of possible long-term gain. The cap hits delivered to the Redskins and Cowboys were just collateral damage.

Even if union-friendly judge David Doty does rule in favor of the players, the Redskins are unlikely to recover the lost cap space. That is not something the union asked for in the suit The best that they can hope for is to be exempted from having to pay into a fund for damages since they clearly did not participate in the collusion.