Here is what you need to know on this Monday, March 18, 38 days before the NFL draft.
Redskins can’t count on Jackson
Ever since the Post came out with an article saying that suspended free safety Tanard Jackson is still under contract to the Redskins I have occasionally had fans ask me if he could fill the Redskins hole at free safety.
The answer is that he might be able to be part of the solution but the Redskins can’t count on him.
The former Buc is serving his third suspension for violation the league’s drug policy and his second indefinite suspension. Jackson is eligible to be reinstated on August 31, after all of the offseason program and training camp are over. Until he is reinstated he can’t have any contact with the team and he can’t set foot on team property.
He could be reinstated on time or the suspension could go on past August 31 and ino the season. Remember this is his second indefinite suspension so the bar for reinstatement could be higher than it was before.
The bottom line is that there is no guarantee that Jackson will be reinstated before the season starts and even if he is he will have missed all of the offseason program and training camp. The Redskins simply can’t go through the offseason with him penciled in on the depth chart. They need to proceed as though he will not be with the team this year. If he can come back and they work him out under a roster exemption and they determine that he can help, that will be a bonus.
Jackson’s contract, which calls for a salary of $700,000, does not count against the salary cap as long as he is under suspension.
Despite free agent drought, odds remain steady
The Redskins have been one of the least active teams in free agency but the folks in Las Vegas don’t think that the inaction has damaged their Super Bowl chances.
Prior to the start of free agency the Redskins were listed as having a 30/1 chance of taking home the Lombardi Trophy. That tied them for the 12th-best odds in the NFL.
After the Redskins retained some of their own core players and signed offensive tackles Jeremy Trueblood and Tony Pashos, their odds remained at 30-1 as of yesterday. They are now tied for 11th. The defending champion Ravens had their odds decrease from 18-1 to 30-1. Yes, in the judgment of the wizards of smart in Vegas the Redskins have just as good a chance of winning the Super Bowl as do the Ravens.
As of yesterday, the Patriots were the favorites at 5/1 followed by the 49ers and Broncos at 6/1. The longest odds belong to the Jaguars and Raiders, both at 200/1. Among the other teams in the NFC East the Giants have the best odds at 18/1. The Cowboys are tied with Washington at 30/1 while the Eagles, despite the most active team in the division in free agency, slipped from 50/1 before free agency to 60/1 after.
In case you missed it
- It looks like Fred Davis or bust at tight end
- The free safety market is diminishing
- That was the weeks that was; a look back at the week and links to all 32 of our Redskins posts
Days until: NFL draft 38; Minicamp 84; Training camp 129
Tandler on Twitter
@rao_afna Extending Williams may give 2013 cap relief but likely bigger numbers in 14-15. Don't sense any desire by either side to do it.
— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) March 17, 2013
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