Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Need to Know: Redskins have opportunity with low-cost QB

Here is what you need to know on this Saturday, March 30, 26 days before the NFL draft.

Redskins off of the QB carousel

The quarterback wheel kept spinning yesterday:

—Tony Romo, who threw away his team’s chances to take the NFC East title last December at FedEx Field, is about to become the highest-paid player in Cowboys history. His six-year deal averaging $18 million per season with $55 million guaranteed, per initial reports.

—Matt Flynn, who was on the free agent market a year ago, is getting traded from the Seahawks to the Raiders.  Flynn, who has one career start, has a base salary of $5.25 million.

—Flynn will replace Carson Palmer, who refused to take a pay cut from the $13 million he is slated to make this year in Oakland. That’s his right but the Raiders also have the right to cut him, which they probably will do soon.

Meanwhile, the Redskins have Robert Griffin III locked up for the next three years at salaries of $1.3 million, $2.3 million and $3.3 million. They have a window of opportunity to either add talent or lock up the players they want to keep as Griffin works for a salary less than that of other veteran quarterbacks. The salary cap penalty, of course, hurt their ability to do so this year but you can bet that Bruce Allen and cap guru Eric Schaffer are crunching numbers a few years into the future to figure out how to get some extensions done while saving

The Redskins’ proverbial window will be at least partially open as long as Griffin is behind center. But there is a chance for it to be open wide in 2014 and 2015 when the Redskins’ salary cap penalty is gone and the team is getting superior quarterback play for a bargain basement price.

Davis: “I can do a lot more here”

In case you missed it

• Redskins avert cap-tastrophe
• Redskins’ offense returns intact
• Point-Counterpoint: Can the Redskins defend the NFC East?
• Fred Davis is back

 Days until: NFL draft 27; Rookie minicamp 34; Training camp 117

Tandler on Twitter

This response is in reference to this tweet by a certain former Redskins quarterback.

First time I've heard Donovan McNabb express an opinion on anything besides the Shanahans' supposed inability to coach #RG3 a year ago

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) March 29, 2013

Need to Know: Redskins avert cap-tastrophe

Here is what you need to know on this Friday, March 29, 27 days before the NFL draft.

Avoiding cap-tastrophe

Our friends at Pro Football Talk posted the remaining salary cap space for all 32 NFL teams and the Redskins, somewhat surprisingly, have more room than a few other NFL teams.

As of March 26, the Redskins had $3.2 million in cap space. That was more than the Chiefs, Raiders, Steelers, Rams, Panthers, and Cowboys. Dallas had a mere $51,000 in cap space, enough to pay a player making the league rookie minimum for less than two games.

What is remarkable is that the Redskins are where they are despite that $36 million salary cap hit. They have been able to keep most of the players they have wanted to keep. They brought back London Fletcher. They were able to sign wide receivers Josh Morgan and Pierre Garçon. The only players they really wanted to keep that they lost were Lorenzo Alexander, DeAngelo Hall and, possibly, Fred Davis. There have been no stunning cap casualties.

And, as noted in this post last week, they have managed to do so without doing much damage to their salary structure in 2014 and beyond. They are likely to go into next offseason with some $30 million in cap room, although they have over a dozen key players who will be free agents.

On top of all of that, the Redskins won the NFC East last year, when they were hit with the first half of the cap penalty and completely blindsided by the news of it just a day before the start of free agency.

The Redskins were once a fiscal house of horrors. Had hey been hit with a comparable cap penalty during some years in the 2000’s it could have been an utter disaster, a cap-tastrophe if you will. But it looks like Bruce Allen has prepared the Redskins for the worst and when it came they managed to weather the storm.

Tandler on Redskins Nation

In case you missed it

• Davis visits with Bills, cancels Jets
• Redskins sign LB Darryl Tapp
• Redskins announce OTA schedule
• Cousins feels greater sense of urgency
• Minnifield could be a big plus
• RG3 helps recruit Winfield
• Questions remain at safety

Days until: NFL schedule announcement 18; NFL draft 27; OTA’s 52

Tandler on Twitter

Teams sign players in the order that deals can get done, not in the order of "needs". The #Redskins aren't going to bypass a CB to sign Tapp

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) March 28, 2013

Need to Know: Winfield a good fit for Redskins

Here is what you need to know on this Tuesday, March 26, 30 days before the NFL draft.

Winfield a good fit

According to a report, the Redskins will host cornerback Antoine Winfield at Redskins Park on Wednesday. If they manage to sign him to a contract, he could complete the puzzle at cornerback for the 2013 Redskins.

They have Josh Wilson starting at one cornerback position. Winfield would start opposite Wilson and E. J. Biggers, signed last week, would be the nickel corner. Richard Crawford would provide depth and play in dime situations. If Chase Minnifield can make it back from last year’s knee injury he could serve as added depth.

Winfield does not fit the normal profile of a recent Redskins free agent signing. He will be 36 in June, about eight to 10 years older than the team’s usual targets. But he’s playing better than most cornerbacks of any age. Our friends at Rotoworld have him listed as the third-best cornerback currently available.

I’m not sure how they figured out that ranking but they could have been getting some information from Pro Football Focus. Per PFF, Winfield was the top-ranked cornerback in the league last year and he allowed no touchdown passes in 1057 snaps.

There appears to be real mutual interest here. Winfield has been weighing his options carefully since he was released two weeks ago. The Redskins have been in touch with his camp since then.

Money could be an obstacle to getting something done. Winfield was slated to make $7.25 million in 2013 after making $3 million last year. His financial demands are not known but if he is making the trip it is safe to assume that some parameters of a contract have been discussed.

Tandler on PFT talking RG3 and more

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In case you missed it

• Redskins to host Winfield
• Enemy intel: Bears 2013 outlook
• Redskins have flexibility and stability in interior OL
• The draft is a month away

Days until: NFL Draft 30; Rookie minicamp 38; OTA’s start 50

Tandler on Twitter

@samskeee Remember that they can create up to $15 million with restructures. They can afford both if they want to.

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) March 25, 2013

Need to Know: Is the market for Davis drying up?

Here is what you need to know on this Saturday, March 23, 33 days before the NFL draft.

Market for Davis drying up?

The Browns have announced that they have signed a tight end names Davis. But it was Kellen Davis, formerly of the Bears, not Fred Davis. According to many reports, Cleveland has been the Redskins’ main competition—perhaps their only competition—for Fred Davis’ services. 

So with his other options looking dried up, why hasn’t Davis signed? In short, it has become a waiting game.

The Redskins likely have an offer, or at least the outlines of one, on the table. As long as they are the only bidders for Davis they are not motivated to nudge from it. We are at a point in the football calendar where nothing is going on from a veteran player standpoint. As long as they have a feeling that Davis isn’t going anywhere they have no reason to raise their offer.

From the standpoint of Davis and agent Drew Rosenhaus, they aren’t losing anything by waiting either. In fact, if they wait, another team could become interested and that might motivate the Redskins to improve their offer.

It is the same thing we saw a year ago with linebacker London Fletcher. He and the Redskins played the waiting game for about a month after free agency started. Fletcher ended up signing just before the start of the offseason workout program in mid-April. Look for a similar timetable for Davis.

One thing the Redskins need to be of careful of, though, is taking advantage of Davis’ situation and forcing him to sign a lowball contract. If things work out like they hope they will and Davis thrives on the field, they will be looking to sign him to another deal, perhaps a bigger one, in a year or two. If they put the squeeze on him in this negotiation, future contract talks where Davis has the upper hand might not go as smoothly.

Biggers signs a one-year deal

At this stage of free agency it looks like most cornerbacks are singing one-year deals and new Redskins corner E. J. Biggers is no exception.

According to various reports, Biggers, entering his fifth NFL season, signed a contract with a $635,000 base salary, a $365,000 signing bonus and a $500,000 roster bonus. If it’s too early in the morning for you to do the math, that comes to $1.5 million for the year.

The deal gives the Redskins a chance to evaluate Biggers, who had a solid 2012 season after struggling in his first three years in the league. It gives Biggers a chance at a second contract year in 2014. If he can put on a solid showing in Washington he might be able to get the multi year deal with the security that every player wants.

In case you missed it

• Point-Counterpoint: Best and worst of free agency
• Davis keeps his options open
• Hits and misses in Redskins’ 2013 draft slots
• Despite suspensions, Redskins don’t have major character issues

Days until: Offseason conditioning starts 23; NFL schedule released 24; NFL draft 33

Tandler on Twitter

I've seen him a few times, says he's doing well. We'll know more when OTA's start RT @steveohhhh9: any word on how Roy Helu is doing?

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) March 22, 2013

Need to Know: Overreaction to 'helmet rule'?

Here is what you need to know on this Thursday, March 21, 35 days before the NFL draft.

Overreaction to helmet rule?

The reaction to the NFL’s passage of the so-called “helmet rule”, which prohibits a player from delivering a forcible blow with the crown of his helmet outside of the tackle box, has been swift. From the media side we have NFL Network’s Mike Mayock (via Pro Football Talk).

“I look at this rule and I say, at some point I think we’re crossing a line,” Mayock said. “To me, a running back has got to be able to drop his pad level. And when a running back drops his pad level, his head goes with it. That’s just the way you play football.”

Bears running back Matt Forte tweeted that he was preparing to get fined:

Wow so they really passed that rule...last time I checked football was a contact sport. Calling bank now to set up my lowering the boom fund

— Matt Forte (@MattForte22) March 20, 2013

It’s good for Forte to save his money but he might be able to put it to another use.

The league reviewed all of the games during Week 10 and Week 16 of last season to see how many times the penalty would have been called if the rule had been in effect last year. They found 11 instances where a flag should have been thrown. That comes to about one flag every three games.

But, wait. The effect on running backs’ style will be even less than that. About half of the would-be infractions were against the defense. So we have once every six games, or two or three times a season, where the running back would draw a flag.

Nobody ever accused Jim Brown of being anything less than the toughest of tough guys and he has no issue with the rule. He thinks that using your head as a battering ram is a bad idea.

"I didn't use my head,'' said Brown, who led the NFL in rushing in eight of his nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns. "I used my forearm. The palm of my hand. And my shoulder. And my shoulder pads. I wasn't putting my head into too much of anything. I don't think that's a good idea. At least it doesn't sound like a good idea to me if I'm not guaranteed that my head is going to be strong enough to hurt somebody else and not hurt myself."

A runner hitting with force with the top of the helmet is dangerous both for the player delivering the blow and the player receiving it. If a penalty every month and a half is the price for helping to reduce the danger here, that seems to be a pretty low price to pay.

The one caveat I’ll add here is how it’s officiated matters. If the refs get more flag-happy than the wording and intent of the rule says they should, the new rule has the potential to be a major detractor. Also, it was mentioned that the referees would confer to make sure that they all saw the play as a penalty. A major increase in zebra huddles would also be a detractor.

If the rule is properly enforced, we shouldn’t see a flurry of flags affecting Alfred Morris’ game.

Redskins sign Biggers, still eye Davis

In case you missed it

• Rob Jackson suspended four games
• Redskins 2014: Money to spend, needs to fill
• Shanahan: Still working to sign Fred Davis
• Shanahan reports on RG3’s progress
• Redskins sign CB E. J. Biggers
• A breakout year for Hankerson?

Days until: NFL draft 35; OTA’s 55; NFL kickoff Sunday 171

Tandler on Twitter

@jukempnukem Might have. 38 receptions for over 500 yards in first 16-game season not bad for a 3rd-rounder. Should improve more this year.

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) March 20, 2013

Need to Know: Redskins meet with agent for Rex, Davis

Here is what you need to know on this Tuesday, March 19, 37 days before the NFL draft.

Redskins still working on Davis and Rex

A week into free agency, the Redskins are still trying to get their top free agent signed as well as their third-string quarterback.

According to a report in the Washington Post, team representatives met with agent Drew Rosenahus, who represents both Fred Davis and Rex Grossman, on Sunday night in Phoenix.

Even though there don’t seem to be any other serious bidders for Davis, a deal has yet to be done. Determining Davis’ value is complicated by the fact that he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 7 last year and he didn’t finish the 2011 season due to a four-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Need to Know: What's taking so long?

Here is what you need to know on this Saturday, March 16, 40 days before the NFL draft.

What’s taking so long?

If my Twitter timeline is any indication, many Redskins fans are wondering what is taking so long to complete deals for cornerback Aqib Talib and tight end Fred Davis. Here are a few reasons why the negotiations might be dragging.

For one thing, the Redskins, who appear to be the only active players for Davis, and the Patriots, the other team in competition for Talib’s services according to reports, generally play a very patient game when it comes to free agency. They have in mind what they are willing to pay and they won’t get caught feverishly bidding for a player’s services. Unlike the common practice prior to 2010, the Redskins now avoid the trap of wanting a player so badly that they will bid against themselves in order to sign him. The Patriots have been similarly restrained for a long time.

Another factor is that circumstances could be making both deals, well, complicated. Davis is coming off an Achilles injury and is in a situation where another positive drug test for marijuana could result in a one-year suspension. Talib is also in the drug programs for PED’s and he has had some off-field legal issues. Two years ago he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in a Dallas suburb. It was only the most recent of a few brushes with the law for Talib and even thought the charges were ultimately dropped due to lack of evidence there are concerns that he may run afoul of Roger Goodell’s personal conduct policy at some point.

Because of these issues with the players involved, the negotiating teams likely want to build some language into the contract that protects them if past issues become future issues. When you get beyond talking about the usual contract terms like years, salary, and guaranteed money you can get into a very time consuming process.

The other complicating factor is that the Redskins currently don’t have the cap space to get a deal done. Although they could get it done with a simple restructure, usually a relatively quick process, maybe they are looking at clearing space by doing something more complex, like negotiating a contract extension with a player to lower his cap money that way. That could take longer than working the deals with Davis and/or Talib. There is no word that this is actually happening but it could be a factor.

The impatient among us should realize that as of this posting we are a little over three and a half days into free agency. In the real world, contracts that involve millions of dollars and multiple years take weeks, if not months, to negotiate. The Redskins will get deals done when they are done.

Cap penalty has Redskins in a tough spot

In case you missed it

• Point-Counterpoint: Did the Redskins make the right call on Hall?
• Lorenzo Alexander can’t be replaced but Redskins will move on
• NFL will “vigorously” police field conditions

Days until: NFL draft 40; OTA’s start 60; Minicamp 86

Tandler on Twitter

I'm alway happy to answer your questions.

@deanmo80 They could take a step back. But let's see who they have lining up in OTA's in May. Think they'll pull something together.

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) March 15, 2013

Point-Counterpoint: The right call on Hall?

The biggest move the Redskins have made so far in free agency has not been an addition but a subtraction. To save $8 million in salary cap they released DeAngelo Hall, who took almost every snap at cornerback for the four and a half years he was with the Redskins.

Everyone knew that the Redskins weren’t going to keep Hall and pay him $8 million. His level of play didn’t warrant such a salary. But Mike Shanahan indicated that the Redskins did not offer him an opportunity to stay at reduced pay, an option they gave Santana Moss and other veterans. The move leaves the Redskins with one cornerback on the roster, Josh Wilson, who has stared an NFL game.

Was releasing Hall and starting fresh at the position the way to go? Or should the Redskins have negotiated with Hall to figure out a way he could have stayed at a price that both sides cold have lived with? Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir debate the question in this week’s edition of Point-Counterpoint.

Go here to read Point-Counterpoint on CSNwashington.com

Need to know: Fitting a big deal in a tight cap

Here is what you need to know on this Friday, March 15, 41 days before the NFL draft.

Fitting a big deal in a tight cap

A lot of fans are wondering how the Redskins (since they can’t rely on getting immediate help in the draft) will be able to afford to sign a cornerback, a safety, and Fred Davis or another tight end if he goes elsewhere.

And even though the numbers at this moment show them with less than $1 million of cap space they Redskins can do it.

The first thing they would have to do is create some cap space, probably by restructuring a contract or two. A simple restructure is a fairly routine procedure as the player usually doesn’t give up any money and gets a chunk of his annual salary up front and guaranteed.

Then the team and the agent for the player they are going to sign have to negotiate a contract that is cap friendly in the first year. ESPN.com blogger Kevin Seifert broke down the contract the Lions gave to Reggie Bush.

He received a four-year, $16 million contract that included a $4 million signing bonus and a $1 million base salary in 2013. So Bush will be paid $5 million in cash in 2013 but will count $2 million against the cap (a $1 million base salary plus $1 million prorated). With higher base salaries in future years, his cap number will rise to $4.5 million in 2014 and 2015, and $5 million in 2016.

The Redskins could give a similar contract to, say, Fred Davis. They might want to build in some protection for the team should Davis again run afoul of the NFL’s drug policy but the idea would be similar—small first-year salary with a big signing bonus with the cap charge for that spread out over the length of the deal.

This contract method is common around the NFL and it would not be considered to be exceptionally risky as long as you have a reasonable expectation that the player will finish out his contract. If the contract is terminated early the rest of the signing bonus that was prorated will hit in that season.

And you don’t want to do too many of them. A few are manageable. If you do a half a dozen or more, the rising cap numbers the next year will start to eat up your cap in a hurry.

Alexander leaves for Arizona

In case you missed it

• The Redskins have options at cornerback
• Reskins sign OT Trueblood, bring back LB Kehl
• Davis narrowing down his choices
• Holes need to be filled prior to the draft

Days until: NFL draft 41; Training camp 132; NFL Kickoff Sunday 177

Tandler on Twitter

@mcloving76 RG3 had one of the best rookie QB seasons ever, WAS led NFL in rushing with Polumbus at RT. It's not a premium posit. in system

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) March 15, 2013

Corners are disappearing from the market. So are teams that need corners. Supply and demand seems to work in the #Redskins' favor.

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) March 14, 2013

Report: Davis choosing between Redskins, Browns

It looks like the Redskins are down to one competitor in their pursuit of Fred Davis.

Adam Schefter of ESPN tweeted that it looks like the Redskins and Browns are the two teams left standing. 

One league source familiar with thinking of Washington free-agent TE Fred Davis said Redskins and Browns "are serious about signing him."

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2013

The five-year veteran, a 2008 draft pick of the Redskins, joined the free agent pool on Tuesday. After Davis played out his rookie contract, the Redskins put the franchise tag on him a year ago. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 7 and that and the Redskins’ tight salary cap situation were factors in the team deciding not to franchise him again.

Although Davis is among the most talented tight ends in free agency, the injury and his four-game drug-related suspension in 2011 have combined to make the market for him quite soft. Free agent tight ends Jared Cook (5 years/$35.11 million) and Martellus Bennett (4 years/$20.4 million) cashed in with multi-year deals for good money but it doesn’t look like such a deal is coming Davis’ way.

That, of course, is working to the Redskins’ advantage. It seems likely that if anyone was going to sign him to a deal that would blow them out of the water the would have done so by now. They can’t get into a bidding war with the Browns but they may be able to get close enough to convince Davis to stick in the familiar system and catch passes from RG3 rather than making the change to Cleveland and seeing what Brandon Weeden has to offer. 

They can't look for a large hometown discount since this could be the one big contract that Davis will sign in his career. But if they can stay competitive, they have a shot