Here is what you need to know on this Sunday, February 24, 16 days before the start of the new league year and free agency.
That was the week that was
—What a difference a year makes. In 2012 the Redskins and Robert Griffin III were the talk of the NFL Combine. Griffin was clearly the apple of Mike Shanahan’s eye and we found out that the feeling was mutual after the future QB and coach combination met as part of the combine interview process.
While discussing Griffins team visits during an appearance on the NFL Network, host Rich Eisen said to Griffin, “At least Shanahan has spoken to you.”
RG3 responded, "I did speak with Mr. Shanahan. It was awesome."
Reports of this one line sent Twitter and the Internet, at least the portion of it belonging to Redskins Nation, into a tizzy.
The Redskins will add some important players in the draft, maybe an offensive tackle like David Bakhtari, Oday Aboushi, Justin Pugh, or Terron Armstead and/or a tight end like Vance McDonald. But it just won’t be the same as the RG3-created electricity of a year ago.
Of course, it helps more to have Griffin creating electricity on the field on Sundays in the fall.
—The Redskins finally around to hiring a wide receivers coach. Mike McDaniel is a Shanahan guy but he’s more of a Kyle Shanahan guy. He was an offensive assistant with Kyle in Houston before coming to the Redskins in 2011.
—We got our first post-op comments from Dr. James Andrews. Not surprisingly, he said that Griffin’s rehab is “way ahead of schedule”. Reacting to concerns that Griffin and the Redskins are too focused on getting him back for the season opener, Andrews said that the rehab is focused on his career in the long term and not on getting him ready for Week 1.
—For $36 million and two years of aggravation, the Redskins will get an extra fifth-round pick in the April NFL draft. The pick came from the Patriots in exchange for Albert Haynesworth. The player picked will be in training camp this summer. Haynesworth, who was awful in New England and then in Tampa Bay after the Patriots cut him, is unlikely to be.
—From 2007-2011, the Redskins scored in the fourth quarter to turn a one-score game into a two-score game four times. They did that four times in 2012 alone, one of the reasons for their turnaround.
—Pierre Garçon desperately wanted to avoid going under the knife to repair his injured toe and it looks like he’ll get his wish.
—There was some talk of the NFL expanding the playoff field by one team per conference. Although I’m not in favor of more playoff teams, one of the proposals discussed would get rid of two preseason games in exchange for adding the extra two playoff games. Sign me up for that right now.
Players get tested mentally, too
Days until: Start of league year 16; OTA’s start 80; training camp 151
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