Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Video: Another milestone for RG3

RT's 5: A muddled picture at cornerback

Rich Tandler’s five things possibly related to the Washington Redskins and other matters.

5. The decision to make Robert Griffin III the starter at quarterback without a competition taking place was sound if only for one reason–practice reps are limited and Griffin needs all them he can get with the first team. Was there some PR value in the move? Possibly there was some desire to nip any talk of a competition with fourth-round draft pick Kirk Cousins. But naming RG3 the starter just makes sense when it comes to the on-field aspects of it and any public relations value is peripheral.

4. It would not be surprising at all to see Josh LeRibeus get a lot of work at center during the offseason and in training camp. A look at the Redskins’ depth chart there shows starter Will Montgomery, 2010 draft pick Erik Cook, and rookie free agent Grant Garner. Cook did not play well when he was pressed into action at center last year and at 6-6 he may be too tall to succeed there in any case. Garner is likely a practice squad guy at best for the time being. They need depth in the middle and LeRibeus, who practiced as the backup center at SMU and played there during the rookie camp, could be the guy to bring it.

3. It will be interesting to see how things play out at cornerback. There are eight on the roster and none of them appears to be training camp fodder. DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson are the starters but everything is muddled behind that. Holdovers Kevin Barnes and Brandyn Thompson will compete with free agent signees Cedric Griffin and Leigh Torrence, seventh-round draft pick Richard Crawford and undrafted free agent Chase Minnifield. It would not shock me if any of them ended up playing a key role and it would not be surprising if any of them was cut.

2. The situation is not so complicated at outside linebacker. There are six of them currently on the roster and five are likely to stick around for the season. Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan will be backed up by Rob Jackson, Markus White and Chris Wilson. Rookie free agent Monte Lewis will be the odd man out. 

1. OK, that’s enough of the peripheral, on-field stuff and on to what’s really important. I like the throwback uniforms a lot because, well, they actually are throwbacks. Sure, some modern touches were added to the uniform worn by Sammy Baugh but not so much that they lost their essential character. The best part is the simulated leather helmet, although I have to say that it comes off much better when actually looking at it rather than looking at pictures. It’s hard to capture the look in two dimensions. 

Days until: OTA’s start 7; Minicamp 29; Preseason opener 87; Redskins @ Saints 118

You can reach Rich by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @Rich_Tandler. 

RT's 5: Special rookie camp edition

Rich Tandler’s five thoughts possibly related to the Washington Redskins and other matters (special rookie minicamp edition).

5. It wasn’t stunning news when Shanahan said yesterday that Robert Griffin III will be working with the first-team offense when the offseason program resumes on May 14. Still, it was important to have the coach say, “He’s the starter, period.” It was also interesting to hear Shanahan talk about tailoring the offense to what Griffin is comfortable with. Of course, Donovan McNabb and other critics don’t think that Shanahan is capable of adjusting because “ego” will get in the way. Words are one thing and how the development of Griffin actually plays out is another. Not much is at stake here, just the team’s success or failure over the next decade or so.

4. Will Josh LeRibeus challenge Will Montgomery at center? The Redskins’ third-round pick spent most of the weekend snapping the ball to Griffin and Mike Shanahan said that he is capable of playing either guard or center. Montgomery got a $2.5 million roster bonus to re-sign before free agency started so he is not going anywhere this year. However,  a bonus like that is not a guarantee of a starting job. It seems likely that either the rookie or Montgomery will be the starting center and the other will be a reserve at both center and guard. It’s likely that Monty is the starter when the season begins but he will have to battle to hold off LeRibeus.

3. I’ll have a post on rookie linebacker Keenan Robinson coming up in the next day or two, I talked with him while he was coming off of the field on Sunday. He probably won’t see much action on defense this year or maybe even next year. But he plans on doing what Perry Riley did, which was to glom on to London Fletcher and absorb as much knowledge as he could. It got Riley into the starting lineup a year and a half after the Redskins drafted him in the fourth round in 2010. It might take Robinson a bit longer to crack the first team as Fletcher is likely to be around for two more years but if the athletic ex-Longhorn is a student of the game and an enthusiastic pupil of Fletcher’s he should be ready to go when his turn comes.

2. Look for a post about running back Alfred Morris, too. He grew up a Redskins fan so he was thrilled to be drafted by Washington. Last Saturday, Shanahan said that Morris is a tailback but he did line up at fullback from time to time during drills on Sunday. Since there is no backup to Darrel Young currently on the roster, Morris could enhance his chances of making the team and contributing this year if he can fill both roles. At 5-9, 219 he has the size to play fullback.

1. Circling back to RG3, it’s easy to go overboard at how a quarterback looks when he’s in shorts, not playing against a pass rush, and his receivers are either uncovered or guarded by someone who is unlikely to ever see a regular-season NFL snap. But Griffin did look the part of an NFL quarterback out there. His passes had zip and, for the most part, accuracy. For a quarterback who rarely played under center at Baylor, his footwork during his dropbacks was excellent. It seems apparent that he did a lot of work prior to the draft to get ready. This by no means indicates that he is a sure thing to be an NFL star. But it is a good start.

Days until: OTA’s start 14; minicamp 35; preseason opener 94; Redskins at Saints 125 

You can reach Rich by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @Rich_Tandler. 

 

RT's 5: Interesting O-line battles ahead

Rich Tandler’s five things that may or may not be related to the Washington Redskins and other matters.

5. To give you a sneak preview our Draft Talk Live review show on CSNwashington.com today, I really like the pick of linebacker Keenan Robinson. For the next two years he’ll be a special teams contributor who will come up with a big hit on a regular basis. After that, he’ll  be all over the field as London Fletcher’s replacement at Mike linebacker. The Redskins were caught without a succession plan for Fletcher and were over a barrel during their recent contract negotiations with their defensive captain. They checked that item off of their to-do list on Saturday.

4. One thing we will be breaking down here during the upcoming OTA’s is how the offensive line is going to shake out after the Redskins drafted three O-linemen to add to nine who had game experience for the Redskins in 2011. Third-round pick Josh LeRibeus could get a look at first-team guard during OTA’s while Kory Lichtensteiger continues to rehab his knee. That is, if he can stay ahead of fifth-round guard Adam Gettis and Maurice Hurt, the 2011 seventh-round choice who started half of the season at left guard. Sixth-round pick Tom Compton will battle with Willie Smith to be the heir apparent to Jammal Brown at right tackle. The end result here will be some interesting competition in training camp and some players with some significant game experience might not make the roster.

3. It was somewhat surprising that the Redskins didn’t take a wide receiver at some point during the draft if only because it was one of the stronger positions available. But, then again, there already is an overload of bodies at the position. Most of the year the Redskins carries six or, if you count returner Brandon Banks as a receiver, seven wide receiver on the 53-man roster. They were able to do that in part because they carried only two quarterbacks. The addition of QB Kirk Cousins in the fourth round makes it very likely that there will be three quarterbacks on the roster in 2012 with Robert Griffin III and Rex Grossman joining Cousins. That could well squeeze a receiver roster spot out and we could see an interesting scramble for the last two jobs behind Pierre Garçon, Joshua Morgan, and Leonard Hankerson. 

2. The Redskins will have 13 players who were rookies last year (12 draft picks plus the undrafted Willie Smith) joining the nine 2012 draft picks on the offseason roster. Let’s say that 10 of last year’s rookies and seven of this year’s selections make the 53-man roster. If that happens, nearly one third of the roster would be first- and second-year players. That would be a remarkable transformation as the Redskins were the oldest team in the league just two years ago. Of course, youth doesn’t do you any good if the kids can’t play and with the exception of Ryan Kerrigan we don’t know if any of them can. And the unknowns include Griffin, who is over four months away from taking his first NFL snap. But the transformation to youth was a stated goal of Mike Shanahan and we will see what they can do.

1. Griffin was impressive as he met with a media throng at Radio City Music Hall after he was drafted on Thursday. There aren’t many press conferences that I’ve been to that I’ll remember for a long time but this one of them. It will rank right up there with the return of Joe Gibbs to Redskins Park in January of 2004 in my book. The most impressive part Thursday was when he went to a smaller room behind the main interview area and dealt with numerous one-on-one sessions as well as some small groups. He answered every question sincerely whether it was the first time he has been asked it or the sixth time. If he can play at even a competent level he will become one of the most popular sports figures in the country.

Days until: Rookie minicamp 4; OTA’s start 21; Preseason opener 101; Redskins at Saints 132

You can reach Rich Tandler by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @Rich_Tandler. 

 

RT's 5: A position change for Paul?

Rich Tandler’s five things possibly related to the Washington Redskins and other matters.

5. According to my man Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan, Niles Paul has been meeting and working out with the tight ends during the early days of the preseason program. At 6-1, 224 it is difficult to picture him lining up next to Trent Williams and mixing it up in the trenches. But perhaps if he can put on a few pounds in the weight room he can become an H-back type player. Paul earned playing time last year by being an effective blocker from the wide receiver position so it is possible that he could get it done at tight end. But keep in mind that this is the time of year for experimentation. Paul may or may not be working with the tight ends when OTA’s start or when training camp rolls around.

4. So, all of a sudden Robert Griffin III has a selfish streak and other character issues. Such revelations are typical in the weeks prior to the draft. Scouts and draft analysts spend so much time looking at players that they think that they have to find something negative. RG3’s refusal to conduct private workouts for any NFL teams, including the Redskins, could be interpreted by many as being arrogant. But one man’s arrogance is another man’s confidence. And, truth be told, quarterbacks are not the most humble group of players out there. Many of them thrive not in spite of having super sized egos but because they do. How are the other guys on the team going to believe in their leader if he doesn’t have supreme confidence in himself?

3. The fact that the Redskins are looking to trade Jabar Gaffney does not necessarily guarantee Santana Moss a spot on the roster. Mike Shanahan and company will be keeping a close eye on Moss, who will turn 33 on June 1, during OTA’s and minicamp to see if his struggles in 2011 were an aberration or a sign of a precipitous decline. It would not be surprising to see them take a wide receiver at some point during the draft and that would put even more pressure on Moss. There is no rule that a team has to keep a receiver over 30 years old and even if Gaffney goes, Moss could be departing, too.

2. Multiple reports that the Colts have informed Andrew Luck that they will take him with the first pick in the NFL draft next week came out yesterday. Since the decision was made a few weeks ago, maybe earlier, why did word of this leak out on Thursday? It’s because Colts GM Ryan Grigson had his league-mandated pre-draft press conference on Wednesday. He will not be meeting with the media between now and the draft, meaning that he won’t have to answer any questions about Luck being told he’s the top guy. Only after Grigson held his press conference and went behind closed doors for the duration of the time between now and the draft were the people in Luck’s camp permitted to leak the news that the Stanford quarterback will indeed have his name called first by Roger Goodell next Thursday night.

1. Let’s conclude with a few notes about our draft coverage. I will be in New York on Thursday night for the formal selection of Griffin and for his press conference that night. Then it’s back to Ashburn on Friday morning for RG3’s formal introduction to Washington at Redskins Park. I’ll cover the draft from Redskins Park on Friday and Saturday. We might squeeze a chat in at some point but in any case there will be constant updates on the draft and everything surrounding it on Twitter via my handle @Rich_Tandler and on the Real Redskins Facebook page so give them a follow and a like, respectively. Keep it right here for all of the news and analysis you can handle.

Days until: NFL draft 6; Start of OTA’s 31; Minicamp 52; Season opener Redskins at Saints 142

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. 

 

RT's 5: How many fullbacks?

Rich Tandler’s five things possibly related to the Washington Redskins and other matters.

5. There will be a three-hour special on ESPN tonight to talk about the NFL schedule. We already knew who was playing who and where and tonight just answers when. Three hours seems a bit excessive. No, make that it’s a lot excessive. Not only that, but in a tweet yesterday afternoon Adam Schefter promised that the four-letter network would have “coverage throughout the day.” Seriously? Coverage of a schedule not yet released? We’re all for saturation coverage of the NFL and then some. But there are limits. 

4. We still don’t have many details on London Fletcher’s contract except that it’s a two-year deal and he will receive $10.75 million. The contract is actually for five years but it will void after two, allowing them to spread out the hit from the $5.25 million in guaranteed money over a longer time frame and then they will just take a bigger hit in 2014 when the salary cap penalties are gone. There is no word on how much salary cap space remains after the deal.

3. For the past two seasons, the Redskins have carried two fullbacks on the 53-man roster. Darrel Young will remain but Mike Sellers has been released. There are no other fullbacks on the roster and you have to wonder if the Redskins plan on finding another one. They could take one sometime in the latter stages of the draft with Evan Rodriguez of Temple and Emil Igwenagu of Massachusetts there as two of the top prospects. Ex-Eagle Owen Schmitt is among the free agents who are still out there. Or, they could go with just Young. They only use a fullback on about a third of their snaps so they could find it hard to justify keeping a second fullback. They could use the extra roster spot to carry a third quarterback, a fourth running back, or a tenth offensive lineman.

2. There are currently 63 players on the Redskins’ roster and the team reported via its official Twitter account that 57 players reported for the first day of voluntary workouts on Monday. That is not 100 percent but it is probably as good as most teams around the NFL. Remember that the players are just pumping iron and doing other conditioning at this point anyway and players can do that wherever they are. Actually, quarterbacks can throw to uncovered receivers. But the quarterback who will be doing most of the throwing this year is still in Waco, Texas for another couple of weeks so nobody is really missing much of anything. Attendance will matter more in two weeks when some on-field activities can start to take place.

1. Many Redskins fans are concerned about which wide receivers are going to play where and how much they are going to play. Don’t worry. Your favorite receiver will have a chance to earn plenty of playing time. Last year the wide receivers played a combined 2,764 snaps. If they can control the ball a little better and go with a few more three- and four-wide receiver sets there will be about 3,000 snaps to go around. That is a lot of playing time to be earned.

Days until: NFL draft, 9; First Sunday of NFL season, 145

 

RT's 5: Returns of Jenkins, Hankerson are like bonus draft picks

Rich Tandler’s five things that may or may not be related to the Washington Redskins and other matters.

5. The Redskins got some great news news when the found out that Jarvis Jenkins is ready to resume football activities seven and a half months after suffering a torn ACL on Aug. 25 in Baltimore. The lockout cancelled the offseason program last year but Jenkins still was on the verge of pushing his way into the starting lineup with just a few weeks in training camp to learn the defense and the nuances of the position. Because he’s healthy this year, he will get the benefit of the full slate of OTA’s and minicamp. Look for him to be a force on the line this year. 

4. The return of Jenkins and of Leonard Hankerson, who contributed little last year and injured his hip to end his season early, essentially gives the Redskins two top-100 draft picks this year. That could help reduce the sting of the picks given up in the trade up for the second pick in the draft. 

3. It will be interesting to see what the Redskins do with Maurice Hurt. He was drafted in the seventh round as an offensive tackle and the plan was to keep him on the practice squad all year to develop. However, the injury to Kory Lichtensteiger made them press Hurt into duty at left guard and he started eight games there. He played pretty well for (important qualifier here) a seventh-round pick who didn’t have an offseason program and was a tackle until the week before he started at guard. In discussing depth on the offensive line most put him back at guard but there is no reason why the 6-3, 318-lb. Hurt can’t move back to his original tackle position and provide depth there and perhaps compete for a starting job down the road. We’ll keep a close eye on where he lines up when OTA’s start next month.

2. Perhaps I’ll get into this in a full article at some point between now and the draft but here’s a quick take on whether or not the Redskins will draft a backup quarterback in addition to taking RG3 with their first pick. I tend to think that they won’t unless there is one sitting there on Saturday who represents such a good value on their board that they can’t pass him up. Mike Shanahan generally likes to keep two quarterbacks on the roster and it would be surprising to see him keep two rookies. So unless a draft pick would make it worthwhile to keep both Rex Grossman and a rookie behind Griffin, I think they will wait a year or two before drafting a backup QB to groom.

1. The spotlight will be on secondary coach Raheem Morris this season. Besides DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson, his secondary is made up of late draft picks, reclamation projects, and other generally unwanted players. It will be up to Morris to piece the unit together and keep opposing passing games in check. Of course, the will need help from the front seven since pass defense starts with getting a good pass rush. But quarterbacks will always get time to throw at some point during the game and the secondary can’t consistently get burned. It’s a big opportunity for Morris to get a defensive coordinator gig next year either in Washington (Jim Haslett is in the last year of his contract) or elsewhere.

Days until: Offseason workouts start, 4; NFL draft, 14; first regular season game 150

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. 

 

RT's 5: Redskins going CB in the third round?

Rich Tandler’s five things possibly relation to the Washington Redskins and other matters.

5. We are three weeks into NFL free agency and the Redskins and London Fletcher have yet to come to a contract agreement. The word is that Fletcher is not drawing much interest from other teams and the Redskins aren’t seriously shopping for another starting inside linebacker. As long as that remains the situation there really is no great urgency. The offseason workouts start in two weeks but the first two weeks of that is weight training. They can start to get on the field some in four weeks and that is the point where Fletcher will start to be missed.

4. Offensive tackle Demetrius Bell left Philadelphia without a contract, just as he has left several other visits without a contract. Those empty visits include one to Redskins Park. As our friends at Pro Football Talk point out, it would appear that Bell is asking for too much money for a player who missed over half of the season last year due to a shoulder injury. Bell has played in 16 games in a season just once in his four years in the NFL. This offseason represents Bell’s one big chance to cash in with a big contract and there is nothing wrong with wanting to maximize this earnings. But if you price yourself too high for the Eagles, who have a lot of cap room and are desperate at tackle due to Jason Peters’ ruptured Achilles injury, you might want to rethink your strategy.

3. Some folks out there don’t want to believe that Roy Helu is a starting running back in the NFL and I’m not quite sure why. He’s not going to carry 350 times a year for you but very few backs out there can unless you want to run the risk of having him fall off a cliff after two seasons with that kind of workload. And he did seem to hit the rookie wall last year as some nagging injuries limited him in the last three games. Helu did, however, demonstrate rare athletic ability and a good knack for knowing when to make the cut and maximize yardage behind zone blocking. There is no reason to believe that Helu can’t become the next in the long line of mid-round Mike Shanahan backs to have success.

2. A lot of Redskins fans will be skipping the first part of tonight’s NCAA hoops championship tilt between Kansas and Kentucky to watch Robert Griffin III being featured in the next edition of Jon Gruden’s quarterback camp. A couple of preview segments have gone up and have been entertaining as the shows always are. If you can’t miss the start of the basketball game Tivo the RG3 segment. It also will be repeated numerous times, as they say, check your local listings. Update: The actual tipoff for Kentucky-Kansas will be at 9:23 so you’ll be able to catch up with that soon after the first media timeout. 

1. Many mock drafts have the Redskins going with a safety with their third-round pick, which will be their first after taking Griffin (or possibly Andrew Luck) with the second overall pick. That’s a possibility but they also could eye a cornerback there. This draft is deep at the position and a starting nickel corner could be found in the third. They could then move Cedric Griffin to free safety and go with a rotation of him, Brandon Meriweather, and Dejon Gomes at the back end of the defense. 

Days until: Start of offseason workout program, 14; NFL draft, 24; Redskins season opener, 160

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. 

 

RT's 5: Redskins, Fletcher running out of options

Rich Tandler’s five things possible related to the Washington Redskins and other matters.

5. It seems like both the Redskins and London Fletcher are running out of options. Inside linebackers just aren’t getting paid like they used to. At this point, Fletcher should be happy to match the $5 million/year average he received in the contract he just completed. That is what Stephen Tulloch got in the deal he got from the Lions and it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Curtis Lofton got the same from the Saints. Of course neither one of those players is coming off of back-to-back Pro Bowls as Fletcher is but both are considerably younger. From the Redskins’ standpoint, there aren’t many alternatives out there. David Hawthorne of the Seahawks is the top inside linebacker left and the dropoff after him is precipitous. Fletcher and the Redskins need each other at this point and hopefully something can be worked out soon.

4. March Madness? It’s been more like March Mundane. With the notable exceptions of the wins by 15 seeds Lehigh and Hampton the NCAA tournament has been largely to form and lacking in buzzer beaters. Not many games have been compelling to the casual fan of college hoops (and I’m one of those). I’ve had it on TV the whole time but I’ve found my attention consumed by NFL matters and other things. It’s a blue blood Final Four and it looks like it will be Kentucky blue cutting down the nets in New Orleans. Hopefully one of the three remaining games will provide a memorable moment.

3. We’ll have plenty more on the salary cap penalty situation today and every day until it is resolved. But a lot of fans have been asking if the Redskins can expect to get a draft pick as compensation if the ruling is in their favor, something to make up for the lost opportunities they had in free agency due to getting the cap dollars subtracted. Although there is little precedent to refer to here, that is highly doubtful. The most they can hope for is to get the penalty removed and the money reinstated. They aren’t going to get flowers and a box of chocolates on top of it. 

2. Another frequently asked question is about the right tackle position. The ideal solution there is either a healthy Jammal Brown or an improved Willie Smith. We won’t know much about either until OTA’s start up in mid-May. If one can get it done then the job likely is his with the other one providing depth. If not and the draft does not produce a solution they could look to see who is left in free agency. It is not the ideal solution but given the salary cap hit and the lack of talent at the position in free agency it will have to do.

1. Even if the Redskins are able to add another player or two via the draft or in late free agency, the defensive backfield is largely set. DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson are the main cornerbacks, Brandon Meriweather, Reed Doughty and Dejon Gomes will see a lot of action a safety, Cedric Griffin could play safety or nickel corner and Kevin Barnes will fight for playing time. That is not the strongest group in the league by any means and a good pass rush will be needed to keep opposing passing attacks under control.

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. 

 

RT's 5: It's not the crime, it's the coverup

Rich Tandler’s five thoughts possibly related to the Washington Redskins and other matters.

5. Let’s see, which of the several topics that came up in yesterday’s crazy day around the NFL should we hit on first? How about the bounty scandal? Roger Goodell did not smack the Saints hard because the guys threw a few bucks into a pot to reward big plays. That happened all around the league every week (although it won’t any more). They were punished because the Saints doled out cash awards for injuring opposing players and knocking them out of the game. And, most importantly, Gregg Williams, Sean Payton, and others are going to find themselves watching games on TV this year because they repeatedly lied to Goodell and the other investigators when they tried to look into the bounty affair. As we know well in Washington it’s not the crime that gets you into big trouble, it’s the coverup. 

4. The second time was a charm for the Jets as they managed to trade for Tim Tebow after one failed attempt to do so earlier in the day. The draft picks were settled on the first try but, oops, there was a little matter of $5 million that the Jets brain trust did not realize they would have to pay if they wanted to bring Tebowmania to the Big Apple. Many hours of embarrassing delay followed and Tebow was nearly dealt to the Jaguars. Finally, the two parties agreed to do what could have been done within minutes of the financial snag being discovered--they split the difference. Tebow was introduced to the New York media by way of a conference call that took place near midnight. A fitting end to a bizarre day.

3. The London Fletcher standoff continues. The Lions’ five-year deal with middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch was agreed to on Tuesday afternoon but that has not triggered the signing of the other top inside linebackers like Fletcher, Curtis Lofton, and David Hawthorne. We don’t have the details on Tulloch’s deal yet but you can be sure that the Redskins and Fletcher’s agent do. At this point, the lack of movement is not doing any harm. But it will come to a point where alternatives for both sides will start to disappear. 

2. The Redskins don’t appear to be in any hurry to get running back Tim Hightower back into the fold, either. This one could take a while as they assess how his knee is recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in October. They could wait until after the draft to see if they land a younger, cheaper, and healthier prospect there. Hightower does bring a lot more to the table than a possible fifth-round pick in terms of leadership and pass blocking ability. They will have to decide if younger and cheaper is the way to go here.

1. Back to the bounty punishments, there has long been a strong contingent of Redskins Nation that would occasionally express frustration that Gregg Williams was not promoted to head coach when Joe Gibbs resigned after the 2007 season. We haven’t heard much from that group since the ugly affair in New Orleans has started to come to light. While we don’t know how things would have unfolded if he had stayed in Washington, the bounty system and, especially, the coverup reveal some character issues with Williams. Perhaps he did not do it for the right reasons, but Dan Snyder made the right call in January of 2008 when he decided that the organization should move on from Williams.

Days until: Start of offseason workouts, 25; NFL draft, 35; first Sunday of NFL season 171

You can reach Rich by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @Rich_Tandler.