Here is what you need to know to get your Tuesday morning started:
Hits to the depth chart
The Redskins’ depth chart is not quite as deep as it was. Yesterday Mike Shanahan announced that a pair of players had sustained knee injures. One situation is permanent; the Redskins believe the other is temporary.
Inside linebacker Jonathan Goff is out for the season after he tore the same ACL that cost him last season. The team was looking for him to back up London Fletcher and Perry Riley and maybe play some special teams. They are unlikely to look for someone off of the roster to fill that role; the bottom line is that rookie Keenan Robinson might have to learn to play in a hurry.
Left guard Kory Lichtensteiger is on the shelf after he had a knee scope to clear out some particles in the same knee that he injured last year. The good news is that the ACL and MCL he tore last year are in good shape, according to Shanahan. The bad news is that Lichtensteiger is unlikely to play until the start of the regular season. It appears that Josh LeRibeus and Maurice Hurt will vie for the opportunity to fill in for Lichtensteiger during the preseason.
Look for depth chart breakdowns at both positions later today.
Motivation or distraction for the Saints?
I know that the Saints, the Redskins’ opponents in the season opener, are supposed to come out with the proverbial “us against the world” mentality because of the punishments handed out to them for the bounty scandal. But that can backfire. From reading Peter King’s account of his talk with Drew Brees, it almost seems like the Saints are obsessed with the penalties dished out by Roger Goodell.
Adversity like that can be motivation or it can be an excuse to quit. I don’t think that Brees will give up but if he keeps talking about it he could “inspire” be some of his teammates believe that the blows to the organization are just too much to overcome. The Redskins will see which way it goes when they start their season in New Orleans on Sept. 9.
In case you missed it
If RG3 didn’t know Brian Orakpo well before training camp he knows him now. Rak is spending a lot of time in the backfield during 11 on 11’s at training camp as noted in my camp report. We have a report on the starting quarterback’s weekly press conference and Rex Grossman on life as a backup plus a talk with Evan Royster on the running back competition.
Days until: Preseason opener @ Bills 9; RG3 vs. Luck @ FedEx Field; final cuts 32; Redskins @ Saints 40; home opener vs. Bengals 54
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