Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Brown could be ideal solution at RT

One of the big questions of the offseason has been if the Redskins are going to sign a new right tackle or if they are going to get one in free agency.

It could end up being none of the above.

Jammal Brown, who has been the starter at right tackle for most of the past two years, is taking yoga classes and Mike Shanahan said that it is helping to improve the hip injury that has been bothering him for much of the past three years.

"He’s really worked on his flexibility,” said Shanahan. “He broke up a lot of scar tissue this offseason. He said he’s feeling better right now than he has over the past couple years. Hopefully he’ll get more flexibility and be able to play at a higher level."

It would be of great help to the Redskins if Brown is able to hold down the right tackle position in 2012. The team is going to use its top pick on a quarterback and they traded away their second-rounder this year in the deal to move up. Between that and the $18 million salary cap penalty they have precious few resources to upgrade the position.

Brown signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract last year and because of a $5.2 million signing bonus in the deal it would cost more against the cap to release him than it would to keep him. He has been in the system for two years and when he is healthy he is an effective tackle.

It seems that Shanahan has a pretty good idea of how Brown’s health is doing right now. But the issue will be projecting how he will be doing in November. Even if they are going to go into the season with Brown as the starter the Redskins will have to continue to acquire and develop depth. 

 

Why Carl Nicks won't be a Redskin

Among the questions I am most often asked on Twitter is whether or not the Redskins will make a push for Saints guard Carl Nicks. He is one of the top free agents at any position will be available starting on Tuesday. And while the Redskins’ line has improved somewhat it still is not performing as well as it needs to.

But Nicks is not going to be a Redskin. Here is what he said to radio station WWL in New Orleans on his contract demands:

I plan to be the highest paid guard in the NFL. You can take that whatever kinda way but that’s my goal, so…more than Logan Mankins got I guess.

The Patriots’ Mankins signed a six-year, $51 million deal with $30 million guaranteed last August. There certainly is nothing wrong with Nicks wanting to make more than that. This likely will be the one big payday he will get in his lifetime and he has earned the shot to get every dime he can. 

But he won't get it from the Redskins. 

The Redskins generally don’t get into bidding wars much anymore. They may make an occasional exception like wide receiver Vincent Jackson but they won’t get into one for Nicks.

The reason is that you do not need highly paid interior linemen in the zone-blocking scheme. The position requires some ability, to be sure. But it doesn’t require maulers who can drive massive defensive tackles back into the next county. Those are the guys who, like Nicks, will get the big bucks.

The ideal Mike Shanahan offense also features a lot of quarterback rollouts so that the interior line does not have to win a lot of one-on-one pass blocking battles against those big linemen. It appears that they will be getting the ideal quarterback to execute this offense in April when they are expected to draft Robert Griffin III.

All of this doesn’t mean that the guards and centers in zone blocking can be stiffs. They have to be athletic and, especially, smart. But there are a lot of players with those qualities out there so the laws of supply and demand says that you don’t have to pay a lot to get them. The key is to get ones who fit and then give them a lot of repetition so that they can mesh together and perform as a unit.

The Redskins may have set a record for the most draft picks given up for the second overall pick and they might give a wide receiver a record free agent contract. But they will not make Carl Nicks the highest-paid guard in the NFL. 

 

Montgomery's deal: $12 million but no guarantees

By Rich Tandler

According to a report, Will Montgomery will earn a pretty nice annual salary on his new contract with the Redskins. However, none of the money is guaranteed.

Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network reported on Twitter that the deal is worth a maximum of $12 million over four years. An average of $3 million per year isn’t bad, more than three times the veteran minimum salary.

However, LaCanfora also reported that the deal carried no guaranteed money. If that is the case, it would mean that the Redskins could release Montgomery at any time, including prior to the 2012 season without any salary cap consequences.

There is no reason to think that the Redskins are looking to release Montgomery any time soon. However, the lack of guaranteed money in the deal would indicate that they could continue to look for an upgrade at center.

Stability the theme on O-line

By Rich Tandler

INDIANAPOLIS—The Redskins seem to value continuity on their offensive line. The re-signing of Will Montgomery virtually assures that at least four of the five players who started on the line on opening day in 2011 will be in their positions when the 2012 season starts.

Trent Williams and Chris Chester are locked in at left tackle and right guard, respectively. If Kory Lichtensteiger recovers from his knee injury in time he will be the left guard. Montgomery may yet get a challenge but a four-year contract is an indication that he is the presumptive starter at center.

The one big question mark is right tackle. Jammal Brown signed a sizeable free agent contract last year but he has issues staying healthy. The Redskins are unsure if they can  He could be replaced in the draft, free agency or internally if Willie Smith takes a major step up this offseason.

The line wasn’t very good in 2011. While Pro Football Focus’ assessment of the line as the sixth-worst in the NFL may be a bit harsh, it was at best somewhere in the middle of the pack. That may make many wonder why the whole unit could return intact.

But we only saw the 2011 starters for a little over four games. Lichtensteiger went out for the season early in the fifth game and Williams also left that game early and was out for a couple of weeks. Brown was in and out of the lineup. Then Williams was suspended for the last four games for violating of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. In all, the Redskins used eight different starting combinations along the offensive line and a few more that they shuffled to during games.

Even if everyone stays healthy in 2012 this line is not going to make anyone forget the Hogs. But the unit can be competent if Williams continues to develop as he was prior to his suspension and if Lichtensteiger can move like he did before his injury.  

Sometimes stability is boring but it frequently is the right choice.

Rich Tandler blogs about the Redskins at www.RealRedskins.com. You can reach him by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @Rich_Tandler. 

 

 

OT Martin confident, versatile

By Rich Tandler

If the Redskins are looking for an offensive tackle in the second or third round of the draft in April, they could get a great value in Stanford’s Jonathan Martin.

He was responsible for protecting Andrew Luck’s blindside at Stanford and scouting reports note that while he lacks power he is athletic enough to thrive in the zone scheme employed by the Redskins.

The team certainly has its eye on Martin. He said that he spent some time talking with Redskins’ offensive line coach Chris Foerster on Wednesday.

Martin certainly isn’t lacking in confidence. He believes that he’s the best tackle in the draft, better than even USC’s Matt Kalil, who should go in the top half dozen picks. “Without a doubt,” he said. “As a competitor, you’ve got to think you’re the best. Matt’s a tremendous player, but I think I’m better than he is.”

“I believe in myself as a player.”

Most NFL teams are unlikely to share Martin’s opinion and he should be available when the Redskins pick in the second round and possibly in the third. If they pull the trigger on Martin he will be moved to right tackle. He has no problem with that.

“I think I can play any position,” he said. “Wherever a coach wants me, I’ll be ready to play. I’ve had a couple calls about playing right tackle, but I’m open to anything.”

 

NFL Combine: Tackles face position switch

By Rich Tandler

When offensive linemen speak with the media at the NFL Combine, almost every one of them tries to get out the message that he is a scheme-diverse left tackle. That, of course, is because protecting the quarterback’s blindside is where the money is.

The problem is that there are only 32 of those jobs and many of them are occupied by players who aren’t going anywhere. Thirty-five players were invited to the combine as tackles and only a handful of them—Matt Kalil of USC, Mike Adams of Ohio State, Riley Reiff of Iowa and perhaps one or two more—will end up in one of those coveted left tackle positions.

The rest will have to give it a go on the right side and a good number of them will move to guard. In fact, of the 35 combine attendees listed as offensive tackles Wes Bunting of the National Football post has 11 rated as guards. Certainly more will move inside when OTA’s and minicamps roll around.

One of those wanna-be left tackles could end up playing right tackle for the Redskins. They are in search of a successor to Jammal Brown. They might not trust that Brown will be healthy for the 2012 season and might want someone who will be able to step in right away. Or, they might want to lean on Brown and hope he can get through another year or two while his replacement is being groomed. The Redskins’ draft could well be shaped by which way they decide to go.

Some mock drafts have had the Redskins going OT early, taking Reiff with the sixth overall pick. That may be early to take a right tackle and Reiff, as noted, is very capable of playing on the left side. Reiff or Adams could represent good value in the top 10 to a team looking for a left tackle but the Redskins are going to ride with Trent Williams there. Still, it is not out of the realm of possibility that the Redskisn would pull the trigger on a tackle here, especially if the solve their quarterback problem in free agency.

If the Redskins are intent on replacing Brown sooner rather than later, Jonathan Martin of Stanford could be sitting there in the second or maybe even the third round. He is athletic but he struggles with power making him a potential bargain for a zone blocking team like the Redskins.

So the Redskins will go to Indianapolis to meet the prospects they have seen on film and then decide if they will address the tackle position in free agency, in the draft, do both, or decide to stand pat with Brown backed up by Tyler Polumbus and Willie Smith.

The complete list of offensive tackles invited to the combine is below. They are in the order of Bunting’s scouting grades. Those who were invited to the combine as tackles but who are rated as guards by Bunting have scores with a *.

CSN Washington will have wall-to-wall coverage of the NFL Combine starting Feb 23 and our Rich Tandler will be in Indianapolis. If there are any players on the list you’d like to know more about, let us know in the comments or hit Rich up on Twitter @Rich_Tandler.

NFL Combine: Will the Redskins look to upgrade at center?

By Rich Tandler

As noted in the NFL Combine preview about guards, the Redskins could be looking to upgrade the team at center. Instead of shuffling things around as suggested in the earlier article, the Redskins could just draft a center.

Several of the centers invited to the combine this week have the potential to become starters either immediately or at some point during their first or second seasons. It won’t take the Redskins long to do a thorough examination of the centers in Indianapolis. Only six players who were invited are designated as centers. Of course a player who goes to the combine at another line position could be viewed as a prospect to anchor the middle of the line as well.

Peter Konz of Wisconsin is the top-rated center prospect at the moment and he would be a fit in the zone scheme. If center is a priority for the Redskins they could end up taking him in the second or third round. That seems unlikely but if they like him at the combine they could find the combination of his size and athletic ability hard to bypass.

A later-round center the Redskins might look at is David Molk out of Michigan. At 286 pounds, he might have to put on a little weight but not much. He is described as an overachiever and that sort of player can thrive in Mike Shanahan’s system.

The complete list of centers invited to the combine is below. They are in the order of Wes Bunting’s scouting grades.

CSN Washington will have wall-to-wall coverage of the NFL Combine starting Feb 23 and our Rich Tandler will be in Indianapolis. If there are any players on the list you’d like to know more about, let us know in the comments or hit Rich up on Twitter @Rich_Tandler.

Combine preview: Will Redskins wade into shallow pool of guards?

By Rich Tandler

The Redskins could come to the NFL combine this week looking to upgrade the center position by getting a new left guard.

Will Montgomery started 14 games at center in 2011 (he started the other two at left guard) and while he performed respectably, many believe is that the team could do better. The thought is that they could move Kory Lichtensteiger from left guard to his natural position at center and then get a guard in the draft.

That plan is one of those that looks good on paper but may not work in reality. This draft is very thin at the guard position. Even though the Redskins’ zone blocking scheme can utilize players who might not be rated highly by other teams, it might be difficult to pluck an immediate starter at guard in this draft.

Going by the ratings assigned by Wes Bunting of the National Football Post, only three players who are invited to the combine as guards grade out as potential NFL starters. The top player at the position, and one of the top five players in the entire draft, is David DeCastro of Stanford. Despite his lofty ranking, he is likely to be drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round since the position is not highly valued. While he could be plugged right in and start immediately, there is no chance the Redskins will look at him with the sixth overall pick.

Lucas Nix of Pitt is the second-rated guard likely to be available in the second round and maybe even the third. At 6-6, however, he may be too tall for fit the zone scheme, although he is athletic. Next on the board is Kevin Zeitler of Wisconsin, who is limited athletically but has a nasty streak.

That is about it as far as prospects who are likely to be able to start on opening day. Certainly the Redskins could use some depth at guard and they will be looking to identify some late-round gems. To pluck a name from the lower-rated prospects, the Redskins could give Adam Gettis of Iowa a good look in Indianapolis. Some scouts say that he needs to add weight but at 6-4, 280 he wouldn’t have to bulk up much to play for the Redskins. Gettis is a good athlete and someone to keep an eye on as the draft process unfolds.

Several of the players invited to the combine as tackles might end up playing guard in the NFL so there are more possibilities than are listed here. We will look at the tackle position here on Tuesday.

The complete list of guards invited to the combine is below. They are in the order of Bunting’s scouting grades.

CSN Washington will have wall-to-wall coverage of the NFL Combine starting Feb 23 and our Rich Tandler will be in Indianapolis. If there are any players on the list you’d like to know more about, let us know in the comments or hit Rich up on Twitter @Rich_Tandler.  

 

 

Top 2012 free agents: A perfect fit at center?

 

Myers has ties to both Shanahans

By Rich Tandler

Our friends at Rotoworld have come up with a comprehensive list of players who will be free agents when the new league year starts at 4 p.m. on March 13. We’re going to go position by position and take a look at the top players who may be available and how they might fit with the Redskins.

See below for a list of positions previously analyzed. Here is a closer look at the top centers available.

• Chris Myers, Texans
• Samson Satele, Raiders
• Scott Wells, Packers
• Nick Hardwick, Chargers
• Matt Birk, Ravens
• Jeff Saturday, Colts

You don’t have to connect too many dots to put Myers in a Redskins uniform if they are in the market for a new center. He was drafted by Mike Shanahan in Denver and he played in Houston when Kyle Shanahan was an assistant. The only drawback is his age; Myers will be 31 before Week 2 of next season.

At age 27, Satele better fits the age profile of free agents the Redskins have been looking for and he has been a decent performer as a starting center for five season with the Dolphins and Raiders. The Packers are likely to make retaining Wells a priority.

Hardwick is on the wrong side of 30 and Birk (36 next season) and Saturday (37) are well on the wrong side it. There have been rumors that Saturday will join Peyton Manning in a package free agent deal if the quarterback ends up being released but there is a long way to go between here and there.

Previous free agent analysis

• Quarterbacks 
• Wide receivers 
• Running backs 
• Offensive tackles
• Guards

 

Top 2012 free agents: Price tag for top guards may be too high

 

The price tag for Carl Nicks may prove to be too high

By Rich Tandler

Our friends at Rotoworld have come up with a comprehensive list of players who will be free agents when the new league year starts at 4 p.m. on March 13. We’re going to go position by position and take a look at the top players who may be available and how they might fit with the Redskins.

See below for a list of positions previously analyzed. Here is a closer look at the top guards available.

• Carl Nicks—G, Saints
• Ben Grubbs—G, Ravens
• Evan Mathis—G, Eagles
• Jake Scott—G, Titans

I get a lot of questions about quarterbacks but I also get a ton if inquiries about whether or not the Redskins will sign Nicks or Grubbs. And the answer is probably not. They will command contracts in the neighborhood of $8 million a year, perhaps more. The zone-blocking scheme does not require guards that eat up that much salary cap space.

Mathis is interesting. He bounced around the league for six years before landing with the Eagles and starting 15 games for them last year. If the Redskins are looking for an upgrade at guard they could decide to weaken a division rival at the same time.

Scott is on the wrong side of 30 but he has been a solid performer for the Colts and Titans.

Previous free agent analysis

• Quarterbacks 
• Wide receivers 
• Running backs 
• Offensive tackles