Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Can anybody grab an opportunity?

“You know, we’re not even going to try to have [Leonard Hankerson] go full speed until we get back in July.  He’s doing drill work with us.  You can see he’s not full speed, but the hip is healed, so he has to get back in football shape.  I’d rather wait and err on the side of precaution.  Just keep on running him, getting him in shape, so we don’t send him back.  So once we get to late July, he’s ready to go full speed.”

That is what Mike Shanahan had to say last Thursday about the status of wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, who suffered an injured hip in Week 10 last year. The news that he would not participate in team drills during the Redskins minicamp, which starts today in Ashburn, was not entirely surprising. It was hoped that he could get in some work with the full offense this spring but the decision was to be cautious with his repaired hip and hold him out of team drills until training camp.

Free agent acquisition Josh Morgan, who is recovering from a broken leg he sustained last year, also has been held out of the team drills in OTA’s for the most part. He may or may not participate much this week. 

All in all, while having two of the team’s top three receivers missing the heart of most of the offseason program is not ideal, it is not a huge setback. It would be a big plus if they could be working to develop chemistry with Robert Griffin III. But as long as Morgan and Hankerson are healthy for training camp all should be well by the time 

What has been somewhat disturbing is that with two of the top three receivers out, nobody has really stepped into the void. Santana Moss has played well but that is to be expected of the veteran.

But the receivers who are fighting for roster spots have yet to be heard from, at least not consistently. There have been flashes from Anthony Armstrong, Terrence Austin, Brandon Banks, and Aldrick Robinson. But nothing with any consistency, nothing to make you think that this guy is really stepping it up to grab that roster spot. 

This is a great time for players like that to make a name for themselves. Two years ago Armstrong took advantage of a weak group of wide receivers (Joey Galloway and Roydell Williams started games that season) and was the star of OTA’s and minicamp. Every time you looked up he was breaking open and catching the pass. 

At least so far, we haven’t seen that this year, from Armstrong or from anyone else. Again, some flashes here and there but nothing consistent.

There are three more days for Armstrong, Banks, Austin, Robinson, or one of the other receivers like rookie free agent Lance Lewis to come up big. Otherwise, the Redskins could be checking out the waiver wire for depth at wide receiver.

 

Hankerson needs the practice but Redskins being cautious

Leonard Hankerson has said that he is ready. Mike Shanahan has said that Hankerson is ready.

So where’s Hank?

He has been seen doing some work at OTA’s but it has consisted mostly of doing some conditioning and tossing a ball around off to the side. He has yet to step in with the full offense and catch some passes from Robert Griffin III. 

Hankerson has been limited during offseason activities as he is recovering from a hip injury that he suffered on Nov. 13 last year against the Dolphins. At first they tried to rehab the injury without surgery. However, in mid February it was determined that he was not making sufficient progress and the decision was made to conduct a procedure to repair the injury.

All reports have been positive since then. When asked about Hankerson’s after last Thursday’s OTA, Shanahan said, “The hip is healed. We’ve got to get him back into football shape but he’s working extremely hard.”

But he cautioned against Hankerson working too hard. “We don’t want to overdo it so we don’t set him back. But the hip is healed.”

That is the dilemma that the team faces with Hankerson. There are just six practices left in the offseason program, three OTA’s this week and next week’s three-day minicamp. He desperately needs the work, especially since the NFL lockout wiped out the offseason prior to his rookie year. 

But on the other hand, they really need him healthy when training camp starts on about July 26. Having Hankerson not fully participate in the remaining six practices would be a minus; if he practices, has a setback, and misses a good chunk of training camp, that would be a disaster.

The Redskins suffered a lot of injuries last year but the one to Hankerson may have been the worst. After getting off to a bumpy start with troubles hanging on to the ball in training camp, he was inactive for the first five games of the season. In the Miami game, he was having a breakout performance with eight receptions for 106 yards before getting injured. Hankerson missed six weeks of practice and six games worth of development. That is work that Hankerson, who has a lot of rough edges that need to be smoothed out, could have used.

 

Redskins expect big plays from Garçon

The Redskins had two No. 1 picks this spring. One, of course, is quarterback Robert Griffin III, who they took with their top pick in the draft, the second overall.

Their other first choice, judging by how quickly they contacted and signed him, was free agent wide receiver Pierre Garçon. Even though the Redskins had just found out that they were getting slapped with a $18 million salary cap penalty they still made the former Colts receiver an offer he couldn’t refuse and the deal was done within an hour of the start of free agency on March 13. They showed how much they wanted him by giving him a five-year, $42.5 million contract. 

That’s a lot of money for any receiver, especially considering Garçon does not have a 1000-yard receiving season on his resume and he never has caught more than 70 passes on a season. 

He spent his four years in Indianapolis either playing behind or playing second fiddle to the likes of Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison so his lack of a big season is understandable. But big free agent contracts are usually given out based on proven production, not on potential. The Redskins rolled the dice with Garçon.

He said that he did not feel that his contract put him under any added pressure. “You know, anytime you play in the league, there’s pressure.  If you’re a sixth- round pick or if you’re a first day free agent, you know it’s pressure no matter what,” he said.  “Everybody has their own pressure.  Free agents just have to go out there and make plays, do this and give it your all every time you play and that’s all you can do.”   

Mike Shanahan believes that Garçon and Josh Morgan, another receiver with so-so career stats who signed a contract worth $12 million over the next two years, have something to prove. “When you do bring a player in or two players in that have played and played well, it’s a welcome addition to your football team because they are better players that are proving themselves or you’re hoping they are better players that are proving themselves.”

The Redskins will be looking for big plays out of Garçon. If he can pull off plays like his 87-yard touchdown catch and run against the Bucs last year just a few times in 2012 he will go a long way towards earning his contract.

Last year the Redskins lacked a player who could score from anywhere on the field. In fact, that has been a glaring hole for them for many years. They have not been able to score from outside of the red zone and when they get close to the goal line they struggle to punch it in. That combination has made the Redskins offense among the lowest scoring in the league year in and year out. 

Shanahan and the organization recognized that need by making priorities of bringing in Griffin, who was one of the most accurate deep passers in college football a year ago, and Garçon. As with many plans and strategies executed by the Redskins in years past, it looks good on paper but we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out on the field. 

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

 

In-depth chart: Receivers and tight ends

The Redskins’ 90-man offseason roster is set, at least for the time being. It’s time to take a look at who they have, who will start, and who will be around when the Sept. 9 opener in New Orleans rolls around.

We’ve looked the the offensive backs and line. Today the wide receivers and tight ends go under the microscope.

Wide receiver

Starters:Pierre Garçon, Leonard Hankerson
Reserves: Josh Morgan
Fighting for a job: Santana Moss, Anthony Armstrong, Terrence Austin, Brandon Banks, Aldrick Robinson, Lance Lewis, Darius Hanks, Brian Hernandez

When Mike Shanahan was asked last week who his top receivers were he rattled off Garçon, Hankerson, and Morgan. The Redskins paid a lot-overpaid, some would say-to bring in Morgan from the 49ers and Garçon from the Colts. Hankerson was developing into a solid option when he got injured last year. 

Moss is probably safe but he still has to compete. He is scheduled to make $2.65 million this year and that’s a lot for the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart. But he does know the offense well and he could be of great help in breaking in rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Armstrong’s production fell off a cliff last year after a promising rookie year in 2010. Austin has had some opportunities, but not many, to show that he deserves to stick around. Banks may have to show that he can contribute from scrimmage in addition to his kick return duties if he is going to see a third season in Washington.

It would not be surprising to see Lewis make a run at a spot on the 53-man roster; his talent has been compared to that of Brandon Lloyd. Hanks didn’t see much action in the passing game at Alabama so he will have to show that he can be productive in an NFL offense.

Jabar Gaffney, last year's leading receiver, was released on May 1.

Tight end

Starter: Fred Davis
Reserve: Niles Paul, Chris Cooley
Fighting for a job: Logan Paulsen, Richard Quinn, Beau Reliford

A good tight end can be a young quarterback’s best friend and the Redskins hope that Davis will fill that role for Griffin. He was one of the bright spots in a dreary offense last year until he was suspended for the final four games. 

Cooley could well be put into the “fighting for a job” category as his $3.8 million salary is hefty for a player who won’t start. But Cooley, like Moss, could be kept around as an expensive luxury who could help Griffin get his feet under him. He will need to demonstrate that his knee is sound, making the offseason program key for him.

It remains to be seen how well Paul will covert from wide receiver to tight end but they probably didn’t move him there with the idea of cutting him. It’s going to be very tough to keep four tight ends on the roster so Paulsen is going to be challenged to make it despite the fact that he’s the best blocking tight end on the roster. 

 

WR picture still muddled after Gaffney release

The release of Jabar Gaffney leaves the Redskins with seven wide receivers on the roster; Pierre Garçon, Leonard Hankerson, Santana Moss, Joshua Morgan, Anthony Armstrong, Terrence Austin, and Aldrick Robinson plus WR/KR Brandon Banks. Who will be there when the season starts in September?

For most of last season, the Redskins carried six wide receivers plus Banks on the 53-man roster. As I pointed out the other day, the Redskins may opt to go with three quarterbacks on the roster instead of two, with both Rex Grossman and Kirk Cousins backing up Robert Griffin III. That could mean that there will be room for just five receivers plus a returner or six receivers with one of them doubling as the returner. 

The field is a little less crowded than it was a week ago with Gaffney gone and Niles Paul apparently moving to tight end (we will see if he remains there when training camp rolls around). Still, there will be some fierce competition among players who have been around a little while.

Garçon, Morgan, and Hankerson, appear to be locks for jobs. The former two were just given nice free agent contracts and Hankerson will get at least a year to see if he can reach the potential he briefly flashed last year. 

The conventional wisdom has been that either Gaffney or Moss would make it to give Robert Griffin III a veteran target. But the release of Gaffney does not guarantee Moss a roster spot. Gaffney told ESPN that Mike Shanahan told him that he would not be a starter and that if he is interesting in coming back he might be able to do so at the veteran minimum salary. 

Moss is scheduled to make the same amount of money as Moss and he is unlikely to start either. Add on the fact that Moss is a year and a half older than Gaffney and you have one of the longest-tenured players very much on the bubble.

Armstrong had a bad year in 2011 after a nice season as a 27-year-old rookie. If he can stay healthy, he is the receiver on the roster best suited to taking advantage of RG3’s ability to throw an accurate deep pass. 

Austin has been around for two season and never has truly established a role in the offense. Robinson has speed but displayed little else in training camp before spending almost all of last year on the practice squad. The offseason program could benefit him almost as much as anyone 

And then there is Banks, who at 5-7 isn’t likely to be much of a threat as a receiver. Although he didn’t break any long returns like he did as a rookie, he did consistently field punts and provide decent field position after kickoffs. 

It would not be surprising to see another receiver brought in between now and training camp either via trade or free agency. It likely would be someone who could compete for a job, not someone in the “lock” category. 

Unless and until that happens there will be five players competing for two or three roster spots. 

 

Gaffney has damaged his own trade value

What is Jabar Gaffney worth in a trade?

That was a frequently-asked question on my Twitter timeline yesterday after the news hit that Gaffney said that the Redskins are trying to trade him. It is a difficult question to answer but let’s take a look at a few factors here.

When the Redskins traded for him last year, his value was assessed as being equal to that of Jeremy Jarmon. He is the defensive end the Redskin shipped to Denver in an even trade for Gaffney last August. 

Gaffney went on to have a much better year than Jarmon. With the Redskins, Gaffney led the team in receptions with 68, receiving yards with 947, and touchdown catches with five. Jarmon, who was never able to find a home in the Redskins’ 3-4 defense, was released by the Broncos at the end of training camp and did not catch on with another NFL team last year.

It is possible that the Redskins could get better compensation for Gaffney than the equivalent of Jeremy Jarmon. All it would take would be one team with a need at wide receiver and a willingness to part with a draft pick and to pay Gaffney $2.65 million in 2012. That is a fairly reasonable salary for a player who gained nearly 1,000 yards last year. If a team that thinks it needs a productive third or fourth receiver to make a deep playoff run, they could pull the trigger on Gaffney for a late-round pick.

But there are some obstacles to such a deal taking place, some of them created by Gaffney himself. We know about the Twitter blowup and odd aftermath last week. Gaffney still says that it wasn’t him but not everyone seems to believe him. 

In any case, there are NFL players out there who have done much worse than blow off some steam on Twitter and are still running pass patterns, making blocks, and running the ball. Something he told Chris Russell on ESPN 980 yesterday, however, may make it very hard for the Redskins to find a trading partner.

Gaffney told Russell that going into last year’s Week 7 game in Carolina, the plan was for him to have a diminished role with Anthony Armstrong and Donté Stallworth going in as the two-deep at the X receiver position and Gaffney backing up Santana Moss at Z. 

Gaffney said, “my head wasn’t in the game” due to the demotion and he committed a key fumble near the end of the first half that helped turn the game in the Panthers’ favor. Carolina won going away in the second half.

Everybody fumbles now and then but not having your head in the game because you were bumped down on the depth chart is inexcusable in the eyes of most coaches. It was an extraordinary admission for a veteran player who should know better. 

As it turned out, Moss suffered a broken hand in the game, giving Gaffney back the starting job. He ended up playing 871 of the team’s 1,103 offensive plays, far more than any other receiver. But the notion that he was moping on the bench will not help his trade value.

Then there is the fact that Gaffney let it be known that he is on the trading block. In addition, a source Russell talked to said that the Redskins could well release him if they don’t find a deal and you could well have teams waiting for Gaffney to be released so that they can sign him for less money than he’s slated to make and not have to give up a draft pick.

Bottom line, if the phone rings and another team offers a sixth- or seventh-round pick for Gaffney, the Redskins should make the deal before hanging up the phone. 

 

Will Niles Paul get more targets in 2012?

In the wake of the signings of Pierre Garçon and Joshua Morgan, the roles of the holdover wide receivers from last year is set to undergo a shakeup. Some of the biggest question marks revolve around 2011 fifth-round draft choice Niles Paul.

Mike Shanahan singled him out for special praise on a few occasions last year. “He has a chance to be an excellent football player,” the coach said. “That’s why he continued to play more.”

After playing sparingly on offense the first three games of the year, Paul played 22 snaps agains the Rams in Week 4 last year and was a regular in the lineup for most of the rest of the season. He was hampered by a turf toe injury that caused him to miss three games and limited him in two others.

But for many of his snaps, Paul could have worn a number in the 60’s or 70’s. On the season, the Redskins passed on about 60% of their plays. They passed 47 percent of the time that Paul was on the field.

Paul held his own blocking in the 85 plays he was asked to do so, according to the snap-by-snap analysis by the folks at ProFootball Focus. 

It was difficult to give him a pass catching grade, however. In 75 pass plays, Paul was targeted just five times. Paul’s two receptions on the year came the first two times he was targeted. Those came late in the game at Carolina and the two catches went for 25 yards. One of them was a nice, diving stab and it looked like he might see the ball a little more the rest of the way. But he was only targeted three more times in the last 10 games.

In looking at this, we need to keep in mind that Paul was a rookie who played without the benefit of an offseason program to help him get his feet under him. It has to be a lot easier to come in cold and block and play special teams than it is to learn the intricacies of the NFL passing game.

With a full slate of offseason work, OTA’s, minicamp, and training camp, Paul will get an opportunity to earn a spot. It appears that Garçon and Morgan will get a lot of playing time based on what the Redskins are paying them. Jabar Gaffney should have a prominent role as someone to give the team’s rookie quarterback an target experienced in the offense.

After those three things are wide open. Paul will have the chance to fight for snaps with Leonard Hankerson, Santana Moss, and others.

It will be interesting to see how things turn out.

Plenty of competition at wide receiver

Although there is plenty of time for more additions and subtractions can be made from the Redskins receiver corps, the pause button seems to have been hit for the time being so let’s take a look at who stands where.

The one sure starter right now is Pierre Garçon. By virtue of his $8 million per year contract he will be given every opportunity to establish himself as the top receiver on the team if not a true No. 1 receiver. 

It also seems like Jabar Gaffney, last year’s leading receiver, will keep his starting job. Although at age 31 his presence would run counter to the youth movement that is afoot in Ashburn, his experience and ability to work the field in Kyle Shanahan’s offense will be of great help while a rookie quarterback, presumably Robert Griffin III, gets his feet under him.

After that the picture isn’t quite as clear. It would appear that Leonard Hankerson will get the first shot at having a substantial role assuming he is recovered from the hip injury that ended his 2011 season before it really got started. Hankerson has said that he will be ready for training camp but athletes frequently are more optimistic about recovering from injuries than medical reality would indicate. It’s wait and see on him until we get closer to camp.

Free agent acquisition Joshua Morgan is also recovering from a season-ending injury. He broke his ankle in the fifth game of the season. Morgan’s contract, which calls for him to make $12 million over two years, shows that he is expected to make a substantial contribution as well. He provides some insurance in case Hankerson is not ready to go.

We’ve covered five receivers and we’re just getting to Santana Moss, the mainstay of the team’s wide receiving corps since he came to Washington in 2005. He has played in 104 games for the Redskins and he has started 104. Will he be a starter in 2012? Will he be on the team at all? Even if you factor in that he missed four games with a broken hand, 2012 was his least productive season since he was a Jet in 2002. It might be tempting to write him off as he will be 33 before the season starts but it may be too soon to do that.

We wrote earlier this week here that Anthony Armstrong could benefit greatly from the presence of Griffin, who has uncanny accuracy on the deep ball. If he can average nearly 20 yards per catch like he did in 2010 they will find a way to get him onto the field.

It’s not a make or break year for Niles Paul but the second-year player should make some strides in OTA’s and in training camp to solidify his spot on the roster. He only caught two passes last year but he only was targeted five times in 162 snaps. His blocking got him on the field on offense and he needs to continue to improve upon his strength while working on his weak areas. 

Is this the end of the line for Terrence Austin? With the additions of Garçon and Morgan, somebody has to go. The 2010 seventh-round pick has shown flashes of ability here and there but never with any consistency. 

Brandon Banks didn’t work much as a receiver in training camp due to a knee injury and he made the team as a return specialist. There may not be a roster spot for such a player in 2012 so Banks might have to find a way to get some snaps at wide receiver or face getting cut.

Aldrick Robinson was on the roster for one game after spending most of the year on the practice squad. He has speed but his game needs refinement. 

So we have nine wide receivers for probably six spots. With Garçon, Gaffney, Morgan, and Hankerson safe, that leaves five fighting for two jobs. And more could potentially be added later in free agency or in the draft.

Mike Shanahan always talks about liking competition. At this position there will be plenty of it. 

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

 

Armstrong could benefit most from RG3

When considering which Redskins will benefit the most from the presence of Robert Griffin III at quarterback, the obvious answer is anyone who catches the ball. But after seeing one tweet by an NFL analyst one name in particular came to mind.

The analyst was Doug Farrar of Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner. Tweeting about the RG3 trade, Farrar said:

And the deep ball accuracy is just silly. I'm tempted to make some very bold pro comparisons already.

The Redskins’ best deep ball threat going into the 2011 season was Anthony Armstrong, who had a big year in 2010 as a 27-year-old rookie. He gained 871 yards on 44 receptions, an eye-popping average of 19.8 yards per catch.

Last year, however, his production plummeted to 7 catches for 103 yards, a more pedestrian average of 14.7 per. He did suffer a knee injury that slowed him for a while but the injury does not fully explain the dropoff.

Perhaps a quarterback with “silly” deep accuracy is just what Armstrong needs to revive his career. Maybe if he can get a step on a defensive back a couple of times a game Griffin will be able to find him and put the ball on the money.

That could revive Armstrong’s career and give Griffin a go-to guy when it’s time to go deep. As the big play was notably absent from the Redskins’ offense last year, that could serve to revive the whole attack. 

Clearly Mike Shanahan was not happy with the production of the wide receiver corps last year. Otherwise, he would not have made bringing in Pierre Garçon and Joshua Morgan and attempting to sign Eddie Royal his the very first things on his to do list when free agency started. There will be real competition for roster spots. If Armstrong can fill a niché in the offense, his chances of staying around will get much better.

 

Report: Redskins will go all out for Vincent Jackson

The Redskins gave up a great deal to get their quarterback last week. This week they might go all out to get Robert Griffin III someone to throw to.

Vincent Jackson of the Chargers is the best free agent wide receiver on the market this year. The Chargers would like to sign him back but they are not confident that they will be able to do so. It appears that one particularly aggressive suitor might keep them from doing so, according to Kevin Acee, the Chargers beat writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“The Chargers’ seeming resignation that Jackson will go somewhere else could be due in part to their having long been aware of a team – thought to be the Redskins – that will do almost whatever it takes to get Jackson,” Acee wrote.

That “almost anything” includes a check with a lot of zeroes on it. The Redskins’ offer could top $12 million, a number “which has been floated by knowledgeable people”, according to Acee.

Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals is the highest-paid receiver in the game with average pay of just over $16 million per year from the eight-year, $128.5 million contract he signed last year. The Lions’ Calvin Johnson will receiver a base salary of $14 million this season plus a $4.5 million roster bonus.  

Sometimes these numbers that get thrown around pre free agency turn out to have been significantly inflated, often thrown out by an agent hoping to increase his client’s payday. But it seems clear that it will take a pretty big check for the Redskins to get their man and that they are prepared to write one.