Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Lichtensteiger's knee scoped, Goff out for season with ACL

By Tarik El-Bashir
CSNwashington.com 

Redskins guard Kory Lichtensteiger had a second surgical procedure performed on his right knee Monday and could miss the remainder of the preseason, Coach Mike Shanahan said.

Shanahan also revealed that reserve linebacker Jonathan Goff reinjured the surgically repaired ACL in his right knee and will miss a second consecutive season.

Goff has been released; the team replaced him on the roster by signing journeyman tackle Jordan Black.

Lichtensteiger’s injury -- he had his knee scoped to remove loose particles -- leaves a thin Redskins’ offensive line even thinner. The unit is already without tackle Jammal Brown, who is on the physically unable to perform list due to a problematic hip. Brown is scheduled to be examined by his personal doctor Tuesday in New York. 

“We just thought it would be smart to go in and clear those particles out of the cartilage rather than wait a week or two to see if it improved,” Shanahan said of Lichtensteiger. “The good part about it is the ACL is fine, the MCL is fine. …I’ve waited too many times for a week to two weeks, then all of a sudden you go in there and the guy can’t play. So why not do it right now, make sure it’s okay? 

Shanahan said it’s possible Lichtensteiger could return for the third preseason game but insisted that he won’t be rushed.

As for Goff, Shanahan expressed sympathy for a player who worked so hard to return from the blown ACL he suffered as a member of the Giants last season – and now has to do it all over again.

 

“It’s really a shame,” Shanahan said. “He worked so hard to make this football team. I was really pulling for him.”   

 

Rex knows his role

By Tarik El-Bashir
CSNwashington.com 

This year, Rex Grossman has no illusions of claiming the starting quarterback job in Washington.

Only four days into training camp, in fact, he knows where he’s likely to spend the season: on the sideline, wearing a cap, clipboard in hand, backing up rookie Robert Griffin III.

“The writing was on the wall a long time ago that this was going to happen, before I even signed,” said Grossman, who inked a one-year extension in March. “I knew what I was getting into. I’m happy to be here and ready to play if they need me.”

“Obviously, if you have a chance to compete for the starting job, there are a few less words of advice,” he added. “In this situation, I’m all for it. I’m all for Robert playing great and taking this team to the next level. And I’m going to help him out as much as possible.” 

Asked if having clearly defined roles might help Griffin, who was named the starter by Coach Mike Shanahan 10 days after he was drafted, Grossman said it does.

“I think for him, it’s probably a lot easier knowing that you’re the guy,” Grossman said. “That’s what I would want.” 

Grossman said he understands the importance of being a mentor. But he also said he’ll be careful not to “overdo” it.

“I’m going to let the coaches do their thing,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of our plays, a lot of drop back stuff. I’ve seen just about every coverage and have had a ton of reps on it.”

Grossman, 31, has started 16 games under Shanahan the past two seasons, so, presumably, he knows the offense better than anyone other than, well, Shanahan. 

“I’m there for him to ask questions,” Grossman added, “and in certain situations [give him] reminders of hot routes, reminders of situational plays. I’m going to be there as much as possible for him to bounce things off of, if he doesn’t want to go to a coach.”

So far, Grossman said he’s been impressed with Griffin’s knowledge of the playbook. But he’s wondering the same thing everyone else is: how will the rookie apply that knowledge on the football field when it matters.

Because as Grossman said, “there’s a big difference between knowing it on paper and actually performing it. He’s doing a great job with it.”

 

 

Lichtensteiger talks about his knee: 'I trust it at this point'

There were some eyebrows raised on Saturday when Kory Lichtensteiger was on the sidelines wearing a baseball cap instead of a helmet and shoulder pads. After all, he had told reporters just the day before that he had fully recovered from the torn ACL and MCL he sustained to his right knee last Oct. 16. He said that he wasn’t even getting any treatment on it.

Any concerns that the starting left guard had suffered a setback, however, were rallayed after practice when Mike Shanahan said that the team had just given him the day off.

Although it’s not likely that the folks at the Pro Bowl will ever have to worry have having to stitch his 14-letter last name across the back of one of those jerseys, he is a rock on the offensive line. The team was 3-1 with Lichtensteiger in the lineup. After he went out in the first quarter of the fifth game against the Eagles. Counting that game they went 2-10 the rest of the way.

There isn’t direct cause and effect there, or course, since plenty of other things went wrong. But Lichtensteiger clearly was missed. And he hated not being able to help even though he was in something of a fog at first.

“Yeah, it’s tough to see your team lose and it’s even tougher when you’re powerless to help them out,” he said. “I was on so much pain medication at first, I was so loopy I didn’t know what the heck was going on but I’m just glad last year is over with.”

He knew the knee injury was bad as soon as it happened. Eagles lineman Darryl Tapp was blocking him after Rex Grossman had thrown an interception and he got moved the wrong way after planting his right foot.

“I knew it was screwed up pretty bad when it happened,” he said. “Every time I took a step there was just no stability there so, yeah, I knew it was pretty bad.”

It was by far the most serious injury of Lichtensteiger’s football career. “I’ve had some shoulder surgeries and stuff but nothing I’ve ever missed games for,” he said. “Most of that stuff I’ve had done in the offseason after the season. So I’ve never had anything that’s taken me out of playing.”

But this one did and during the spring and early summer he was still a little unsure about how the knee would feel. As it turns out, though, his fears were unfounded.

“I thought I was going to have to keep it warm all the time,” he said. “Like if I was standing around for five minutes I though it was going to, you know, riding a bike to keep it warm. But maybe it was the heat [on Thursday] but there wasn’t a time when it cooled down and got stiff, it felt good the whole time.”

Recovering from many injuries, especially knee ligament tears, can be as daunting a challenge mentally as it is physically. “It’s still pretty fresh in my mind, that feeling of when it went,” Lichtensteiger said. Such thoughts have held back many athletes from performing even after the injury has medically healed.

But he thinks he has gotten past the mental block. “I trust it at this point and it feels good,” he said.

We are a long way from being sure that Lichtensteiger is out of the woods. But if his knee keeps feeling good through the season the Redskins’ line will be better off for it.

 

Fletcher on RG3

By Jennifer X. Williams
CSNwashington.com 

Robert Griffin III may be the face of the Redskins, but London Fletcher is and remains the backbone of the team. 

Washington linebacker, Ryan Kerrigan, recently said of Fletcher, 'He teaches you how to be a man.' As the player in charge of delivering words of motivation to his team, it's safe to say the NFL vet's words are valued amongst his peers.

At the start of training camp, Fletcher spoke to the media. The inside linebacker has seen a lot of quarterbacks in his fifteen years in the NFL, and when discussing RGIII, he was compelled to mention Michael Vick's name twice.

First when discussing why Griffin will be difficult to defend:

“When you have a quarterback who can make plays off-schedule, when it doesn’t go exactly as it was designed to go, a quarterback who can buy time, has a threat to run the football, make plays outside the pocket, defensively, you’re kind of always on your heels because you don’t know if he’s going to run the ball. Is he going to keep it or throw it? You see stuff like that, especially with guys like Michael Vick now, the [quarterback] with Philadelphia, outside the pocket. You don’t know if he’s going to run the football or continue to look down field and sometimes throw the ball as well. With Robert, he’ll be able to do a lot of those things as well.”

And then how Griffin will be in the heads of opposing defenses (yes, just like in the commercial):

“I just think about Michael Vick when he was in Atlanta, and I was playing against him in St. Louis, and the type of speed and athleticism that the guy brought to the position and obviously his ability to throw the football.  Those things you can’t really prepare for until you get out and face it, until you realize exactly the talent that this guy has.”

Vick recently endorsed the comparisons, saying, "I think guys like RG3 idolized me as they grew up playing football. I think Cam and Robert Griffin III both were inspired by me and my play. And that's me being a trend setter, game transcending, and guys wanting to emulate one another. ... And I think that's what it's all about. I wanted to emulate Steve Young and be just like him, and Charlie Ward, and Randall Cunningham, guys who played before me."

As for RGIII? Griffin was humbled to hear Vick speak at the Rookie Symposium in June and noted one of the reasons why he looks up to Vick is because of the way he has turned things around in Philadelphia. Something RG3 will be called upon to do in Washington.   

However, Robert isn't making any comparisons in terms of ability between himself and the signal caller of a divisional foe.

But when asked at the start of training camp about which part of his game will translate well, Griffin said his ability to lead and also mentioned the quarterback the Redskins will face in Griffin's first game of his NFL career.

“Don’t let anybody tell you that you’re game doesn’t translate. They might have told [New Orleans Saints running back] Darren Sproles that, and look what he’s doing now. The same goes for [Saints quarterback] Drew Brees. I just try to make sure I don’t listen to too much and hear people say, ‘His game doesn’t translate.’  [I] just go out and play and show people –  not show them up – just show them it doesn’t matter who you are, how tall you are, how big you are, how fast you are. You can play in the NFL if you really go out and take care of business.”

Talking Points: It's RG3 day again

Normally, the player speaking in the midday heat on the podium behind the main building at Redskins Park is unknown until sometime during the morning practice. But that is not the case today as the availability of Robert Griffin III was scheduled well in advance.

This session is unlikely to interrupt local news broadcasts or ignite a local media kerfuffle over broadcast rights. But it actually could be more informative than his news conference last Wednesday since he actually has, you know, a few training camp practices under his belt.

I’m going to try to talk to Jarvis Jenkins at some point this afternoon. I’m interested to see what he thinks of his role this coming season and how he’s coming along just shy of a year after his torn ACL. If there's anything you'd like me to ask Jenkins, hit the comments or get me on Twitter @Rich_Tandler.

Mike Shanahan will have his usual presser after practice. Don’t expect an update on Jammal Brown’s condition as his MRI (apparently to Shanahan’s chagrin) will not take place until tomorrow.

 

Shanahan on Royster: 'You can't tackle him'

By Tarik El-Bashir
CSNwashington.com 

Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan insists he hasn’t decided how he’s going to handle the team’s trio of running backs.

Evan Royster hopes to make the decision for him.

To win the starting job, though, the second-year Fairfax, Va., native must outperform Roy Helu Jr. and Tim Hightower in the coming weeks.

“We’re all trying to do that,” Royster said. “So it’s going to be tough.”

Indeed, the battle figures to be intense.

Helu has a better burst than the others and has stood out through three days of training camp. Hightower is the most experienced, as well as the best pass catcher and blocker, but he’s still easing his way back into playing shape after a knee injury cut his 2011 season short.

Royster’s strengths? Well, singling out what he does well is as difficult as taking him down.

“Story of my life,” he said with a smile. “I’ve been told my whole life that I wasn’t fast enough. But I made it work to this point, so I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve done the past 15 years.”

Royster gained 328 yards on 56 attempts as a rookie and averaged a team-best 5.9 yards per carry. He started the final two games of the season, racking up 132 yards, against Minnesota, and 113 against Philadelphia.

Asked what he likes about Royster, Shanahan didn’t hesitate.

“You can’t tackle him,” the coach said. “He makes people miss. He knows how to cut [and] and he knows when to cut.”

Royster said his familiarity with Shanahan’s offense has, at times, proven to be an advantage as he adapts to the pro game.

“I guess I’m comfortable with the ‘inside zone’,” he said. “I ran a very similar offense with [Coach Tom] Verbanic at [Westfield High in Chantilly] and again at Penn State. I’ve just been doing it so long, I feel comfortable.”

If there’s one thing Royster wants to improve upon this season, he said, it’s his conditioning.

“The big thing for me at the end of last season was being in game shape,” said the 24-year-old, who was used sparingly until mid-December, when he took over for an ailing Helu. “I wasn’t used to getting out there and taking all those reps, especially in the Philly game when] I came out and I was cramping through my whole body. I wasn’t prepared for what I needed to do.”

“So that’s my focus this year: doing what I need to do be ready for games,” he added.

And, of course, winning the starting job.

 

Transcript: Barry Cofield looks up to Fletcher

Barry Cofield addressed the media on Saturday, July 28. Here is a transcript from Redskins PR

On how his familiarity with the scheme will help him this year:

“I think it’ll make a huge difference. Honestly, I go back and review myself last year and I’ve played a lot better than that. It was a growing process. I gave myself some leeway for that, but having a true offseason this year, being able to watch a lot of tape and do all the learning and having this training camp and us as a unit… The great thing is that they brought Adam [Carriker] back. I think that did a lot for continuity. Then you add [Jarvis] Jenkins back into the mix and Chris Neild played well. We’ve got a lot of guys and I think our depth is going to be surprising to a lot of people.”

On a specific aspect of his game that he feels should have been better last year:

“Nothing specific, just doing everything better. I go back and watch a lot of Casey Hampton Steelers tape throughout the years. He’s kind of the godfather of the nose tackle position as we play it today and he did it well. He did some things better than me and there are some things that I can do with my natural ability, with my athleticism, that I bring to the position that not a lot of other guys can do. So it’s just getting better at everything and have everything be second-nature. By the time I left New York, everything was second nature. People had to catch up with me. Last year, I felt like I was playing catch-up. I can already see a difference in the beginning of camp.”

On if his knowledge of blocking schemes or technique makes him more comfortable:

“It was both. You see a lot of different schemes. Playing a head-up zero nose, you don’t get that upfield charge so you have to rely a lot on technique to brace yourself. The lineman is running off the ball and you have to react to him whereas a 3-4 guy is taking a step and generating power. So you have to be able to brace yourself. You’ve got to be powerful, but technique and leverage and things like that can make up for those things. Like I said, I wasn’t happy with the way I played last year. [Defensive Coordinator] Coach [Jim] Haslett and [Defensive Line] Coach [Jacob] Burney were always positive. They actually said they heard from coaches around the league that they felt like I was going to be one of the best nose tackles in the league. So it’s up to me to execute it, but I’m always hard on myself and I expect a lot of growth this year.”

On if he has a relationship with Casey Hampton:

“I’ve never spoken to him. I actually talked to some of the Steelers coaches. Obviously Haslett came from Pittsburgh so they’re all one big brotherhood with the [3-4], that system that they love and has been, quite frankly, extremely successful. Pittsburgh is one of the top defenses year in and year out so I feel like with the personnel we have this year and the fact that we’re growing together – a team like Pittsburgh, those defensive linemen were together forever. They’re getting older now and it’s new guys being infused, but I feel like the longer we stay together as a unit – me, [Stephen] Bowen and Adam [Carriker], I feel like we’re just going to continue to get better and eventually we’ll be the best front in this league.”

On if he reached out to any other nose tackles during the offseason:

“I did not do that. I just spent most of my time talking to Coach Burney and Coach Haslett because they worked with guys and they know what I’m trying to accomplish just as good as any nose tackle or better than myself. That’s why I laugh when I read that people had graded my performance and what they had to say, and it’s like there’s no way they know what I’m trying to accomplish. They’re not in that room. There’s no way they know. There’s no way they can give me a minus because they don’t know what I’m doing. I barely know what I’m doing half the time out there. After sitting down and reviewing and talking to the coaches, they were very optimistic. After the spring, I feel like I’ve gotten off to a good start and I feel like I’ll be a different player on the field this year.”

On the defense’s accomplishments last year and what they expect for the upcoming year:

“I think there was a lot of growth. I think statistically they were maybe 31^st two years ago and middle of the pack pretty much last year. I think the whole team coming together, special teams continuing to excel, the better we get on offense, the more we’re able to control the ball and stay on the field and do those types of things, I think we’ll all feed off each other. I think we made a huge stride last year. If nothing else, putting the proper personnel in. If nothing else, our personnel this year has just grown together. There’s not as many new faces as there were last year. A couple in the secondary, but up front in the front seven, we’re just learning to play together. Everyone’s just a year more experienced and a year better in the defense.”

On the impact he will have on the field:

“Realistically it’s not going to be a ton of big plays. That’s just not what the position entails. The one thing that I do rest on from last year is that [linebacker] London [Fletcher] led the league in tackles and made it to the Pro Bowl. He obviously appreciated the work I did up front, but I just feel like I can do it better. I feel like I can make a few more big plays. I feel like I can be in the quarterback’s face. We’re doing some things differently up front that are going to hopefully get the nose tackle some one-on-ones to be able to push the pocket and harass quarterbacks and even get some sacks. Last year I think I had two, three sacks. That’s not horrible for a nose tackle, but I feel like with the skillset I have I can improve and I want to get a couple more.”

On how he compensates for his lack of bulk as a nose tackle:

“First off I’m bigger than the 306 than I was at the combine, so I’m not the smallest guy on the field by any stretch of the imagination. It’s really just about technique, pad level, and just work in the weight room. I kind of took a different approach last season. It was in the lockout. I didn’t know where I would be. I didn’t know if I was going to go to a team where I was going to be getting up the field, or I was going to be a 3-4 end, 3-4 nose. I had no idea, so I didn’t know how to train. I was just trying to be in shape. But now having a specific guideline, knowing what I was expected to do, knowing what kind of blocking schemes I’m going to see, I was able to take a different approach this offseason - really train my core and my leg strength and things that you might not even associate with a nose tackle. You think of a gut, but you don’t realize that you can have a gut but you can have a strong core up under that stomach. There’s a lot of things that we work on that you don’t see on Sundays, but they’re crucial for our position.  I feel like myself, Chris Neild, and Chris Baker, we’re all off to a fast start this year.”

On batted balls by defensive linemen:

“It’s not as sexy as getting a sack. You don’t really get to celebrate a lot after a batted pass. You get to the huddle, and you get a high-five. That’s it. Coach Burney, he loves that. A batted ball is very frustrating for a quarterback, frustrating for an offensive lineman because their coach is always telling them to keep those hands down. Every once in a while you can bat one in the air, and it can be interception, so it’s a big play. I was happy with how many I had, but it’s something that you can’t really practice. It just has to come naturally to you. Get your hands on a few balls, and if I can infuse that with a few more sacks, then I’ll be very happy.”

On establishing himself as a leader in his second season with the Redskins:

“Absolutely, and I think that had changed by the end of last year. I actually spoke to the team when we played that second Giants game, and I felt like right then, the words I said, the positive response I got from the guys, I think they wanted to hear more from me. It’s just about earning your respect. This league is all about what have you done for me lately. Nothing I had done prior to coming here warranted anybody respecting me or treating me like anything more than another guy trying to make the team. With my play last year, leading by example and doing the right things on and off the field, you gain that respect. And then you can assert yourself, and I feel like I am in a position where guys respect me and look up to me at this point.”

On if Jarvis Jenkins looks healthy:

“I think so. That’s the only positive thing about getting hurt is he had a long time to rehab. It’s not like he got hurt in the Super Bowl, and he’s still in the rehab process. He looked good to me in the OTA’s. He looks even better now, so him working on that rotation with Bowen and Adam, with that depth with him coming in on nickel and pushing the pocket, that makes us even more dangerous.”

On if adding Jenkins to the defensive line rotation will keep him fresher:

“Yeah, I think so. Talking to the coaches, they felt like I played too many snaps last year, so they want to try to spell me a little more this year. I’m all for it. I’m not going to complain about playing time. I just want to help the team, and I feel like the more fresh bodies… That’s what I was used to my whole career, just coming in waves. A lot of bodies are all hungry and are all talented enough to warrant being out there, but I think we have that here. And I think it will show.”

On his relationship with linebacker London Fletcher:

“London was a guy I looked up to even before I got here. He’s a Cleveland guy. He’s a guy I had met before I got here, and I already had a lot of respect for him with the way he performs, first and foremost, and the way he prepares. He’s done nothing but reiterate to me that he’s a quality football player and a great leader, one of the best I’ve ever been around. Any time I get the chance to talk to him, I’m going to jump at it. A lot of times we talk about non-football stuff because that’s the kind of relationship we’re developing. I was thrilled to see him go to the Pro Bowl. I talked to him around that time. I talked to him just because he wasn’t even signed actually for a while. I wanted to stay in the loop to make sure they got him re-signed. We talk a lot of football, and we talk just in general. Nose tackle and middle linebacker, we’re almost like a center and quarterback. It’s my job to keep him clean, and the more success he has, I take pride in that. Our relationship has grown, as has the whole defense. For that reason, I think we should be more productive this year.”

 

Need to Know: Don't look for Wallace or a free agent RT

Here is what you need to know to crank up the new week:

Wallace is not coming to the Redskins

Yesterday my Twitter timeline was peppered with inquiries about a “rumor” that Mike Wallace was going to be traded from the Steelers to the Redskins. Let me repeat what I said then:

There is no “rumor”, “talk” or even “buzz” of a possible trade of Wallace to Washington. There is only “something made up out of thin air”.

As of right now, the Steelers have no plans of trading Wallace. They have no reason to do so. This is a team that is getting older and their proverbial window is closing. They need all hands on deck to make a Super Bowl run and they need Wallace.

Shopping the waiver wire at right tackle

Another question I’ve been seeing directed to @Rich_Tandler is whether or not the Redskins will be looking to sign a free agent right tackle with Jammal Brown out indefinitely. Here are the top five free agent tackles available per Adam Caplan:

Marcus McNeill
Kareem McKenzie
Chad Clifton
Tony Pashos
Stacy Andrews

McNeill missed the last seven games of the 2011 season with a neck injury. McKenzie is relatively healthy but he’s 33 and not a good zone fit. Clifton is 36 and missed 10 games with injuries last year. Pashos, 32, missed four games last year with injuries and had foot surgery in March. Andrews’ season ended early last year due to blood clots in his lungs.

So the top options are older than Brown and, with the exception of McKenzie, not necessarily any healthier than Brown. And they might be looking for more than minimum contracts, an issue for a team that is scraping up close to its reduced salary cap number. It's the proverbial waiver wire from hell.

It would be a mistake to rule anything out but for right now it looks like Tyler Polumbus, Mo Hurt, and Willie Smith are better options.

In case you missed it

The Redskins were off yesterday but we weren’t. There were some solid observations about Dez Briscoe and Jammal Brown in the N2K, Tarik had a good look at Barry Cofield and it looks like we missed Roy Helu Jr.’s Super Bowl guarantee.

Days until: Preseason opener @ Bills 10; RG3 vs. Luck @ FedEx Field 26; final cuts 33; Redskins @ Saints 41; home opener vs. Bengals 55

Redskins' Kerrigan: 'He teaches you how to be a man'

Before watching the video, take a quick guess on who Kerrigan is talking about in the comments below!

Does Fletcher like the move to Richmond?

 

By Lenny Turner
CSNwashington ~ Summer Intern

Redskins’ linebacker London Fletcher likes the idea of moving training camp from Ashburn, Va. to Richmond, Va. because it will help build camaraderie within the team.

“Oh man, that’s too far down the road,” Fletcher said during a press conference. “But I kind of like the idea of going away for camp.”

Richmond, two hours away from Ashburn, is located in the heart of Virginia. With players and coaches farther away from their homes, and large cities like D.C., the move will isolate players from outside distractions - allowing them to focus more on football, and bond.

“You’re just spending more time with each other as opposed to with the camp being here,” Fletcher said. “Guys hang out after night meetings - maybe play some pool, play some cards, things like that.”

Under a Richmond-based training camp, players will live in dorms or nearby hotel rooms, instead of heading home after practice. Also, while Richmond is a well-sized city, it won’t offer nearly as many distractions – nor does it have a huge party scene like D.C. 

“It really forces guys to spend more time with each other,” said Fletcher.