Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Armstrong can't rest on his laurels

Anthony Armstrong is taking nothing for granted.

Last year, after completing the climb from the Intense Football League to a starting wide receiver in the NFL, he was one of the few bright spots on a dismal offense. As a 27-year-old rookie he caught 44 passes for 871 yards, an impressive average of 19.8 yards a catch.

However, after working his way into his job, he is not about to get complacent. “Right now, I’m still trying to make the team,” he said after the first practice of training camp on Friday.

Armstrong has some reason to feel uncomfortable even after his impressive debut last year. The Redskins drafted three receivers in April. Then, earlier this week, they agreed to contracts with veterans Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth.

“I told coach Shanahan I was mad at him for it but I appreciate the competition,” Armstrong said. “Sometimes you need somebody there to push you to a higher level.

“You can use that as a stepping stone or you’re going to get stepped on.”

While some other receivers became spectators during special teams drills, Armstrong was full participant, fielding punts and working on drills as a gunner in punt coverage. He was doing the same things a year ago while he was trying to make the team.

“Nothing changes,” he said. “I’ve got kickoff, I’ve got punt, I’ve got all that stuff. I’m still going on the same grind and the same mentality.”

As long as he keeps that mentality, he should have a spot on the team.

 

Redskins' training camp schedule announced

The Redskins have announced their training camp schedule with the first open practice coming on Saturday, July 30 at 8:30 a.m.

Go to CSNwashington.com to get the complete schedule and to print your free admission pass. 

If Rex signs, he'll have to watch for a week

It is expected that Rex Grossman will sign with the Washington Redskins soon after the starting gun for NFL free agency sounds at 6:01 p.m. on Friday and that he will compete with John Beck and perhaps a veteran free agent for the starting quarterback job.

There is talk that Mike Shanahan favors Beck for the job, giving the fifth-year quarterback with just five NFL games under his belt a leg up becoming the starter.

 

The NFL may just have handed Beck another boost in his effort to land the job.

One section of the NFL transition calendar that was released today reads as follows:

Veteran players who sign Player Contract on or after 6:00 p.m., New York Time, on July 29, 2011 shall be required to report to, and remain with, their Clubs . . . except that, prior to the start of the 2011 League Year, such players may not participate in on-field activities, workouts, weight training or other physical activities, but shall be required to attend meetings, classroom instruction and other non-physical activities scheduled during the Club's preseason training

The league year is not scheduled to start until August 4. That means that Grossman can be fully on board with rejoining the Redskins, sign a deal and then—do nothing. Well, he will be able to go to meetings, eat meals with the guys, and all of that. However, when the Redskins take the practice field on Friday, Grossman will be no more than a spectator. The same will go for Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and so on until the next Thursday when Grossman will be able to take the field.

Meanwhile, Beck will get all of the first-team reps in practice. Grossman will have to play catch up.

This will give a substantial edge to Beck. By the time next Thursday rolls around there will about six practices left before the Redskins take on the Ravens. His chances to impress, and to prepare for the game against the Steelers, will be very limited.

If the Redskins should sign a veteran quarterback with the idea of having him compete for the starting job, he would be under the same restraints as Grossman.

This doesn’t mean that you can take a Sharpie and put Beck in the starting lineup against the New York Giants on Sept. 11, but he will have a substantial head start on the competition for that spot.  

 

NFL transition calendar

Here, in all of its glorious detail, is the NFL's calendar for now through Sept. 20. Events that usually take five months or so to unfold will happen in about eight weeks.

July 25                         NFL will publish the 2011 Free Agency List, which will become effective July 29, 2011 at 6:00 p.m., New York time.                      

July 26                         At 10:00 a.m., New York time, Club facilities open. Players may report for physicals and voluntary strength and conditioning.

                                    At 10:00 a.m., New York time, Trading begins for 2011 League Year.

                                    Rosters expanded to ninety (90) man limit.

                                    At 10:00 a.m., New York time, Clubs may negotiate with and SIGN their own Drafted Rookies and any Undrafted Rookie. Clubs may have such players report to the Club’s facilities for physical examinations prior to signing.

A wild week ahead

Here is what the NFL calendar will look like over the next week assuming that the NFLPA approves of the agreement. It does not include the Redskins' training camp start, which has not been announced but should be July 28.

July 23 Voluntary training, conditioning and classroom instruction permitted until first day of clubs’ preseason training camps.

July 23 Pre-2011 League Year Period commences. 2011 Free Agency List to be issued and will become effective on the first day of the 2011 League Year (July 27). Clubs/players may begin to renegotiate contracts. Clubs may begin to sign Drafted Rookies and their own UFAs, RFAs, Exclusive Rights Players and Franchise Players.

July 23 Waivers begin for the 2011 League Year.

July 23 Starting at 2:00 PM ET, clubs may negotiate with, but not sign, Undrafted Rookie Free Agents, free agents, and other clubs’ UFAs, RFAs, and Franchise Players.

July 24 Starting at 2:00 PM ET, clubs may begin to sign undrafted rookie free agents.

July 27 2011 League Year commences at 2:00 PM ET, provided NFLPA has ratified CBA. Free Agency Signing Period begins. Clubs may sign free agents and other clubs’ Unrestricted Free Agents. Clubs may sign Offer Sheets. Trading period begins. All Clubs must be under the Salary Cap. Top 51 rule applies.

July 27 Expand rosters to 90-man limit.

July 27 Training Camps open for all clubs, provided NFLPA has ratified CBA. Day One activities limited to physicals, meetings, and conditioning. No pads permitted on Day Two or Day Three.

 

Haynesworth will be on his best behavior in camp

If you come here with any regularity, you know that I have been saying that the Albert Haynesworth saga will not end soon after the NFL lockout is lifted. Those who are hoping this whole thing will just be over sooner rather than later are not likely to get that wish.

It is therefore not surprising that Haynesworth will be in training camp when that starts up in a week or so, presuming that the lockout is over by then. It is pretty simple. Albert Haynesworth is under contract to the Washington Redskins. Players under contract have to report to camp. And, assuming that there is no provision to the contrary in the new CBA, the Redskins have to let him come in.

When Albert does arrive in Ashburn, expect something of a media circus but not much else. He should be in top shape and ready for a conditioning test similar to the one he took over a week to pass last year. Any comments to the media will be vanilla. If he still is on the team when preseason games start, a likely scenario, he will not complain if he is playing in the fourth quarter.

In short, Haynesworth needs to be on his best behavior. He will be under an electron microscope. His goal is to be traded to another team, preferably one that plays a 4-3 defense but definitely not one that is coached by Mike Shanahan.

Certainly he has heard the reports that Shanahan will not release him. Whether or not Haynesworth believes those reports, it would be a very risky strategy for him to proceed as though he is bluffing.

The bottom line is that Haynesworth needs to make himself very tradeable. If no other team is willing to throw a draft pick the Redskins' way for Albert's services he could face another year in Washington, perhaps inactive a majority of the time. In 2012, he would be another year older with one more year left on his contract, a deal that has a 2013 balloon payment that virtually guarantees he will be released. His prospects for another big payday, or even for landing a moderately-sized deal, would be dim.

Even if Shanahan does release him, Haynesworth would gain his freedom but lose a lot of money. Thanks to the fact that he blew off last year's mandatory minicamp, his $5.4 million salary this year is not guaranteed. He almost certainly would be picked up by another team but it is also certain that he would not get anywhere near that salary when he did sign a new contract.

It is in Haynesworth's best interest to avoid being a story in training camp. You can say many things about Haynesworth but he is not stupid. And coming in out of shape and becoming a camp distraction would be a very, very stupid thing to do.

Redskins minicamp on Saturday?

According to a report on Pro Football Talk the Green Bay Packers will be reporting to their team facility on Saturday for a three-day minicamp. Jason Wilde, who reports on the team for ESPN Milwaukee confirmed the report, saying it was "100 percent true."

This is not the only report of NFL teams getting back to work this weekend. Jeremy Shockey, who signed with Carolina before the lockout, told BustedCoverage.com that the Panthers also will be reporting to its headquarters on Saturday.

Multiple reports have said that the players will vote to ratify the proposed CBA, which apparently still has a few details that need to be ironed out, on Wednesday and the NFL owners will vote to approve it on Thursday. The lockout could end at any time after the owners vote.

It would be safe to assume that the Redskins will be having some sort of get-together over the weekend if such gatherings are permitted. Stay tuned for news on this as it becomes available.

Update: This from the Twitter feed of John Keim of the Washington Examiner:

#Redskins have heard nothing about a possible minicamp this weekend. doesn't mean won't happen; but if there r plans for 1, not advanced

Redskins planning on starting camp in three weeks

In another sign that the Washington Redskins organization believes that a settlement to the NFL lockout is at hand, Mike Jones of the Washington Post is reporting that the team is planning on starting training camp on July 28. That is 15 days prior to their first scheduled preseason game, which is the earliest they could start camp under the expired collective bargaining agreement.

Whenever it starts, training camp will be held at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Virginia. There was some talk of the team holding camp at George Mason University in Fairfax but the uncertainty created by the labor situation put off any consideration of doing that until at least 2012.

The training camp plans of another NFC East team also have been revealed. According to a report in the San Antonio Express-News, the Dallas Cowboys plan to start camp on July 29. This is considered significant because owner Jerry Jones is on the committee that is negotiating the labor deal and it is in position to know how things are progressing.

July 28 is three weeks from tomorrow and there is a lot to do between now and then. Even if the labor talks proceed smoothly, the free agency period will be abbreviated and hectic. It is likely that the Redskins and many other NFL teams still will be signing new players and jettisoning some on their roster well into camp.

It remains to be seen if players will be permitted to go to Redskins Park prior to the start of camp. Certainly, Mike Shanahan and the rest of the coaches would like an opportunity to distribute playbooks and to see which players have been diligent about staying in shape during this unsupervised offseason and which will have trouble passing a conditioning test.

They also are awaiting word on how many players will be permitted to participate in training camp. Normally, there is an 80-player limit but that could be expanded. There were reports that the NFL competition committee was considering allowing teams to have as many as 90 players in camp to deal with the expected increase in injuries, both major and minor, as players work their way back into their jobs.

Shanahan is a preparation freak and there is no doubt that he has every minute of every day of camp planned out. He just needs to know when the pull the trigger and it is looking more and more like that he will be able to do so in about three weeks.