Here is what you need to know on this Sunday, March 17, 39 days before the NFL draft.
That was the week that was
—We heard on Tuesday that Santana Moss took a pay cut in order to stay with the Redskins. That was an actual cut he took and not a restructure where the same money is just moved around in the contract. While a case could have been made to move on from Moss, who will be 34 in June, the team is apparently committed to stability in the receivers to whom Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins will be throwing. We don’t know if RG3 will be ready for the season opener but we do know that his offseason preparation will be severely curtailed. By bringing back all of the 2012 receiving corps, he will not have the burden of needing to get down his timing with new receivers. And for as long as Cousins has the helm, he will be in familiar surroundings in the wide receiver corps.
—It seems likely that the Redskins will eventually bring back Fred Davis to give their young QB’s one more level of familiarity. They also will find an experienced cornerback (who may be very familiar as DeAngelo Hall could come back) and a free safety. That will let them fill in depth in the draft; That’s a good thing since they don’t have a first-round pick so getting even one sure-fire starter will be difficult.
—It looks like the battle for the right tackle job is set. It will be veterans Tony Pashos and Jeremy Trueblood, both signed by the Redskins this week, and 2012 draft pick Tom Compton battling it out. OTA’s, which start in about two months, will probably cut the field down to two and the competition will resume in Richmond in August. While the list of candidates for the job may not exactly be inspiring, remember that the Redskins led the NFL in yards per play and in rushing with Tyler Polumbus at right tackle. It is not a premium position in Mike Shanahan’s offense. They can pay less there so they have more money to spend at other positions.
—Lorenzo Alexander is headed to Arizona. It wasn’t a move he wanted to make but they chose not to step up their final offer to come close enough to the Cardinals’ offer of three years, $9.5 million with $3 million guaranteed. Don’t buy the line that the team couldn’t afford to keep Alexander; they could have restructured another contract to find the extra million or so that would have kept Lorenzo in a Redskins uniform. The Redskins offered what they thought he was worth, not what they could “afford” to pay him. They may be right and they may be proven to be wrong but that is the cold, hard way of looking at it.
In case you missed it
Last week’s links in case you need to catch up with the 32 original Redskins posts from this past week:
Sunday
- Four-year deal for Sundberg
- Lichtensteiger is back, but for how long?
- That was the week that was: Finally, some free agent movement
Monday
- Redskins release Hall
- Allen says lawsuit “never contemplated” in cap case
- OT Pashos signed
- Shanahan pleased with RG3’s progress
- Carriker and Baker will stay, Banks will not
- Eric Winston may be a good fit for the Redskins but money likely not there
Tuesday
- Golston’s back
- So is Rocca
- Is Zo headed for ‘Zona?
- Fletcher is not taking a pay cut
- Redskins free agent one liners
- Moss restructures, will stay with Redskins
- Another “interesting” offseason for the Redskins
- The news was that there was no news
Wednesday
- Zo is headed to ‘Zona
- Hall’s departure leaves a hole
- Meriweather takes one for the team
- Stability has come to Redskins Park
- Playing the waiting game
Thursday
- 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
Friday
- 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
Saturday
- Redskins roster reset
- Options at cornerback are dwindling
- What’s taking so long?
Days until: Offseason program starts 29; NFL draft 39; OTA’s start 59
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