BACKFIELD SHAKEUP

I only wish this was the photo of Ryan BLOWING UP Quintin Mikell

Tailback Clinton Portis seemed to get pretty banged up even as he went into the line again and again in Sunday's incredibly physical game against the Eagles, in the third quarter he went down and paused the game, after the game we learned he quote felt a pop unquote in his leg.

After two days of gradually building suspense (Monday / Tuesday / Tuesday) today we learned Clinton has a serious injury and will be out four to six weeks with a third degree groin separation. Ouch.

The groin is generally known as the collection of hip adductor muscles, as far as I have been able to discern the term quote adductor unquote means to draw to the center line, there are four muscles in the adductor group making up the groin, the adductor longus, adductor magnus, adductor brevis and adductor canal.

A third degree separation of the groin is characterized by one or more of the following: Severe tearing of the muscle fibers, severely stretched tendons and or possible separation of the groin muscle(s) from either or both their bones or other muscles via tendons.

Fucking piker, hey Clinton come back when you have a fifth degree separation (I kid).

Four weeks means Clinton will miss Green Bay, Indianapolis, at Chicago and at Detroit. Six weeks, add the bye week and Philadelphia. After that there still are seven games on the schedule.

Time to see if Ryan Torain can carry the load and what the depth behind Ryan really looks like. Personally I thought Ryan was the best back in camp not named Clinton Portis and I still have yet to hear a good explanation why Keiland Williams made the team over Ryan yet still wound up on the practice squad while Ryan came from the practice squad and now has a guy off the street backing him up.

Before the 2008 season Clinton got the cash over cap restructure the Vinny Cerrato Redskins were so famous for, this 2010 season is the last year of guaranteed money in Clinton's contract. Jason Reid at the Washington Post is already wondering whether Clinton is done in Washington.

It is like old times, Clinton Portis goes down and now we get to root for a big back wearing number 46. Let us hope Ryan has the same success in 2010 Ladell Betts had in 2006, just with fewer fumbles.

Welcome to your big moment Ryan Torain.



Ryan Torain bulling through the Eagles defense: AP photo from here.

Practice Squad Formed

Hanging on

Final cuts came down Saturday by 6:00 pm, once all players are released teams have the right, in reverse order of finish last season, worst to best, to claim available players off waivers, those players get another shot at NFL life. The players that are not claimed are now free agents, able to sign with any team with a contract offer. Teams will now begin building their practice squads.

The practice squad is basically an eight man mini roster for developmental players, they are not on the active roster hence cannot play in games. In every other way they are just other players on the team. Practice squad players are considered free agents and can be signed by any team at any time, with the player's current team having the right of first refusal to match the offer and keep the player. There are other rules governing practice squad eligibility and salary, a good recent round up of those rules is here.

The practice squad roster changes continually as players are released, added and promoted to active roster. Here is your Redskins 2010 season opening practice squad:

WR Terrence Austin
LB Mike Balogun
T Selvish Capers
C/G Erik Cook
DE/LB Rob Jackson
T Will Robinson
S Anderson Russell
TB Ryan Torain

Receiver Terrence Austin, seventh round draft pick this year, was part of a generally undistinguished group of receivers in camp, Terrence came on strong in the third and fourth preseason games and was just beaten out by Anthony Armstrong and Brandon Banks who will primarily be a returner.

Rookie Mike Balogun was not with the Redskins in camp or preseason, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the 49ers and released in final cuts, he is a local, from Upper Marlboro Maryland.

Offensive tackle Selvish Capers, also a seventh round draft pick this year, saw plenty of preseason action and got pushed around a lot, perhaps the team sees something in him, the quality of the typical practice squad offensive lineman is not terrific.

Guard slash center Erik Cook was yet another seventh round pick in April, another depth player I do not know much about.

Defensive end slash linebacker Rob Jackson was a seventh round selection in the doomed 2008 Redskins draft, he barely made it at this point and is not likely to make the season given the good performance of the outside linebackers so far.

Third year offensive tackle Will Robinson who has one of the best football names ever was on the Redskins practice squad last year and saw some action as a reserve at the end of the season, he is a prospect.

Safety Anderson Russell, signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in April, he is more naturally a strong safety than a free safety and there are no openings at the strong spot with LaRon Landry, Chris Horton and Reed Doughty there, with Kareem Moore hurt it pays to keep another guy around.

Tailback Ryan Torain is a two year veteran in his third season, he played for head coach Mike Shanahan in Denver, as a rookie in 2008 he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, it cost him 2009 as well, he was not on a roster last season. For my part I thought Ryan outplayed fellow backfield youngster Keiland Williams. Ryan looks frighteningly like former Redskins tailback Ladell Betts, right down to the number on the jersey.


Let the games begin.



Terrence Austin: Getty Images from here.

THURSDAY NIGHT MASSACRE

Shit bummer

The Redskins closed out football year 2009 with slash and burn, the reality of new management, a new coach and no NFL salary cap all smashed into Redskins Park together last night as the team released ten players., two of them career Redskins and five with six or more seasons in Washington. The team will save seventeen million dollars against the cap in salary. The released players:

Tailback Ladell Betts, career Redskin, eight seasons, Ladell was drafted in 2002 in head coach Steve Spurrier's first year. Ladell's career highlight is the 2006 season when he stepped in for an injured Clinton Portis and ran over 1100 yards on just nine starts, and whipped off an incredible five game stretch of one hundred yards or more rushing, a bright spot in an otherwise dreary 5-11 2006 season. Ladell suffered ACL and MCL tears in 2009 game ten against the Cowboys.

Right guard Randy Thomas, eleven seasons overall, seven as a Redskin, Randy was one of the Jetskins arriving in 2003 along with Laveranues Coles, Chad Morton and John Hall, Randy went out on injured reserve early in the season two of the last three years.

Tailback and kick returner Rock Cartwright, career Redskin, eight seasons (drafted in 2002), Rock was the epitome of a team player, carrying the ball when asked, then taking a back seat when Clinton Portis arrived, then finding a late career niche as a successful kick returner.

Receiver Antwaan Randle El, eight seasons total, four as a Redskin, Antwaan was among the the group of extremely high profile free agents signed before the 2006 season, along with Brandon Jacobs, Adam Archuleta and Andre Carter, Antwaan's production was steady though his effectiveness seemed to wane, he will be remembered for being flexible enough to play all three receiver positions and for being a terrible punt returner.

Defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, ten seasons overall, the past six as a Redskin, Cornelius was in the class of free agents signed by head coach Joe Gibbs his first year back in 2004.

Quarterback Todd Collins, fifteen seasons total, four as a Redskin, Todd swept in with offensive coordinator Al Saunders in 2006 as a veteran of Al's system from Kansas City. Todd, the Pride of Walpole Massachusetts, will always be revered in this town for his four game run propelling Washington into the 2007 playoffs after starter Jason Campbell went down with a dislocated kneecap.

Cornerback Fred Smoot, boomerang Redskin, nine seasons total, seven as a Redskin in two separate stints, Fred left Washington before the 2005 season as a brash, trash talking cover corner with sticky fingers. He returned in 2007 as a role playing butterfingers with a large cushion between him and the receiver.

Curly R favorite tailback Marcus Mason, three years total, parts of two as a Redskin, Marcus burst onto the scene as an undrafted free agent in 2007, made the cut, was moved to the practice squad, returned in 2008, was cut in a bullshit political move just before the season, spent that season with Baltimore and the New York Jets, was back in the 2009 offseason, made the cut, was let go then brought back with injuries to Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts. A strong ball carrier, his blocking improved over three seasons but was never up to par and he never ingratiated with the staff(s).

Fullback Eddie Williams, 2009 seventh round pick, did not make final cuts, was signed back to practice squad and then brought over to the active roster after tight end Chris Cooley broke his ankle in game seven versus the Eagles, Eddie did not see any live action.

Defensive end JD Skolnitsky, rookie free agent long shot free agent defensive end, did not make final cuts in 2009 and was signed back to the practice squad, he did not see any live game action.


That is quite a list of casualties. But with no salary cap and therefore a chance to unload anyone you want with no cap penalty or dead cap space implications for the future, the team let them all go. Perhaps some of these players will be back at a reduced rate, if the team has openings at the margins heading into training camp and wants veterans for continuity.

Kind of a bummer when things like this happen, even when you know they are coming and even when you know some of these players need to move on.

Curly R will look at each of the veterans and long time Redskins individually, and each will receive a fitting farewell.



Ladell Betts celebrating his fourth quarter touchdown in the Redskins 27-17 2009 game nine victory over the Broncos: Gerald Herbert / AP photo from here.

Department of Bad News: Mike Williams

Done

The Redskins placed their twelfth and hopefully final player on injured reserve yesterday, right tackle former 400 pound man Mike Williams tore foot muscles near his toe in the first half of the game fifteen loss versus the Cowboys, Mike was placed on the season ending list at the same time as teammate safety Reed Doughty, who suffered a high ankle sprain in the same game. To take Mike's and Reed's roster spots the team signed a tailback and a cornerback.

In a wide ranging and at times downright baffling April pre draft radio interview on ESPravda 980 with owner Dan Snyder, then shadow general manager Vinny Cerrato and head coach Jim Zorn, the Redskins announced they had signed a player but were unable to announce who the player actually was. We were told it was a right tackle, which would become more germane a month later when the Redskins released ten year Redskin right tackle Jon Jansen.

The right tackle teased in the radio interview turned out to be then still 400 pound Mike Williams, a former 2002 fourth overall pick selected by the Bills out of the University of Texas. Mike made thirteen or more starts his first three seasons in Buffalo, was a part time player his fourth year in Buffalo and was released after the 2005 season. He signed with Jacksonville before the 2006 season but was placed on injured reserve with a back injury in August, before the season had even started.

Mike spent the next two years away from football, he stayed close with his former college teammate and boomerang Redskin left guard Derrick Dockery, a series of personal commitments to healthy living and life events like having children conspired to put Mike on former shadow general manager Vinny Cerrato's radar, the team brought him in for a tryout and signed him to a contract on a hunch.

Mike worked his ass off in camp, literally, losing 68 pounds through the end of July and 111 total through the end of August. Mike suffered a few lingering injuries in camp, which is not surprising what he put his body through to lose the weight while playing football in the Virginia summer, and had problems in pass protection, he made final cuts, if only barely.

He got what he wanted, and that was a chance to play football. When right guard Randy Thomas went down for the season with a torn triceps in game two versus the Rams and left tackle Chris Samuels suffered what would become a season and likely career ending neck stinger in game five at the Panthers, it set off a chain reaction of offensive line shuffling, when it was all said and done Mike Williams had made five starts at right guard and three at right tackle.

Not bad considering Mike missed three games in the middle of the season with a ligament tear in his ankle and will be ineligible for the season finale at San Diego, not bad for a guy that was not penciled in at starter at either position and barely made the team.

Mike's toe injury is not expected to be serious and Mike should make a full recovery, go heal up Mike, you will be back to compete for your job in 2010, with a full season to knock the rust off perhaps you can elevate your game, we need starters and depth players.



Mike Williams: Getty Images from here.

Department of Bad News: Reed Doughty

Done

Safety Reed Doughty yesterday became the eleventh Redskins player to be placed on injured reserve in this injury plagued 2009 season, Sunday in the second quarter of the game fifteen loss versus the Cowboys Reed leaped for a tipped Tony Romo pass, he came down with the interception and returned it twelve yards, he was hit at the sideline and rolled his leg, suffering a high ankle sprain.

Reed said he had never had this type of injury before and said to start the week he was going to try and play through it, by Tuesday there was no chance and yesterday the team went ahead and put Reed on injured reserve, Reed will miss the final game of the season.

Reed was a sixth round draft pick in 2006, despite the flameout of Adam Archuleta that season Reed saw little playing time. The 2007 offseason saw the Redskins draft safety LaRon Landry with their first round pick, Reed was again relegated to the bench, until Sean Taylor was shot and killed, as the team regrouped LaRon moved into Sean Taylor's free safety position and Reed moved into the strong safety position, in six starts Reed was credited with 53 tackles, 32 solo.

Heading into 2008 the Redskins drafted safeties Kareem Moore in the sixth round and Chris Horton in the seventh round, Reed still easily earned the starting strong safety spot, before game two of the 2008 season versus New Orleans, Reed became ill with a stomach bug, Chris Horton got the last second start and made the best of it with a fumble recovery two interceptions in the Redskins win, Chris was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.

Reed regained his starting job the next week and was gracious in praise of Chris, saying that he would do anything he could to help Chris or any other player, even those that might beat him out for playing time because it was about the team, not him. Reed did not start the next game at the Cowboys and although he does not appear in the injury report for that game, and he came back for one more start that season at the Eagles, my recollection is by this point Reed seemed to be slow and constantly behind the play, after Chris' early performance my cohort of Redskins fans was ready to see Chris Horton back in the game.

Reed's back was bothering him and he did not play in the next game versus the Rams, best known as the PETE KENDALL SHOULD NEVER PICK UP A FUMBLE AND TRY TO RUN WITH IT GAME, the day after that game the team announced Reed had nerve problems in his back causing numbness in his legs and feet, a week later Reed was placed on injured reserve, Reed seemed to complain about the decision, perhaps hinting the team was too ready to move on to Chris Horton and to make a roster spot for tailback Shaun Alexander, a former player for head coach Jim Zorn's in Seattle.

Reed had back surgery and was hopeful to return to the team. In the 2009 offseason the team made Reed less than the tender offer, making him an unrestricted free agent, by March Reed was back with the team.

Heading into the 2009 season Chris Horton won the starting strong safety spot, three games in after a number of defensive miscues by Chris, defensive coordinator Greg Blache benched Chris and reinserted Reed into the starting lineup, through those three games and after recovering the starting spot there is simply no question Reed was back in football form and better than ever, his hitting and ability to move side to side near the line were much improved from 2007 and 2008 and it looked like the Redskins were going to have two good strong safeties all season.

Which they did as Chris and Reed flip flopped all season in the starting jobs, both are outstanding and both are now on injured reserve.

With only one game left in the season this was by no means a necessary move, the team could have simply placed Reed on the inactive list. New actual general manager Bruce Allen and the team though wanted to take the time to see some other players strictly for evaluation purposes, with former 400 pound man Mike Williams also heading to injured reserve the team signed tailback PJ Hill and cornerback Marcus McCauley.

This is not by any means a serious injury and Reed will be back and ready to go for the 2010 season.



Reed Doughty: Getty Images from here.

Fill in the Blanks

Your new starting tailback

Pop quiz:


With __________ on injured reserve the Redskins are forced to start _________, a player not on the season opening roster, in part because the team has not drafted a player at the __________ position in nearly a decade.


Which players and what position am I talking about?

a) Clinton Portis, Quinton Ganther, tailback
b) Chris Samuels, Levi Jones, left tackle
c) All of the above


˙ɹǝʇsoɹ ƃuıuǝdo uosɐǝs suıʞspǝɹ ǝɥʇ uo sɐʍ ɹǝɥʇuɐƃ uoʇuınb ʞɔɐqןıɐʇ ƃuıʇɹɐʇs ɹou sǝuoɾ ıʌǝן ǝןʞɔɐʇ ʇɟǝן ƃuıʇɹɐʇs ɹǝɥʇıǝu ˙ǝʌoqɐ ǝɥʇ ɟo ןןɐ (ɔ :ɹǝʍsuɐ



Quinton Ganther unhatting Brian Dawkins screencap from NFL Game Rewind by me. Upside down text generator from here.

Someone Had to Go

Not a made guy

After twelve games and thirteen weeks of regular season football the Washington Redskins finally held someone accountable for poor performance and it was the kicker. Shaun Suisham has been released.

After starting the season twelve for twelve in the first nine games of the 2009 season, Shaun missed two kicks at Dallas in game ten, a 39 yarder at the end of the half and a fifty yarder in the fourth quarter that even with the second quarter miss would have put the Redskins up by nine points, a touchdown and some insurance with just over seven minutes left in the game. On the ensuing Dallas drive the Cowboys went easily down the field and scored a touchdown, putting them up by the one point margin of victory in a 7-6 Redskins loss.

In game eleven at Philadelphia Shaun only had one field goal opportunity and made it, the next week the action came back home as the entire team collaborated on what has to be one of the worst Redskins losses in the past twenty years as Shaun missed a 23 yard chip shot from the right hashmark with less than two minutes to play in regulation. That field goal would have put Washington up by ten points, 33-23, leaving the Saints needing two scores in less than two minutes with no timeouts to use. The Saints then went right down the field and scored then won it in overtime.

While Shaun's gaffe was just one of at least seven serious errors that day, here are the top five, add Kareem Moore's catch and release Saints touchdown and Jason Campbell's late interception that nearly gave the game away in regulation, yes although Shaun's was just one of several Redskins fuckups Sunday, it was the worst because a 23 yard field goal is just two yards longer than an extra point, Shaun must pay the ultimate football price according to the ancient precepts of unequal justice in football: kickers are not star players, therefore they make nice and easy scapegoats.

Look at your list of Redskins stars, do you think any of them will ever be held accountable for poor play and poor decisions? Albert Haynesworth the gasser, DeAngelo Hall the couch cushion, LaRon Landry the biter, Antwaan Randle El the waver, Vinny Cerrato the decider, Dan Snyder the hider.

Both Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley could have been back this season, there are still four weeks left, the season does not end until 3 January 2010, but those guys get the star player treatment, the why bother bringing back an expensive key contributor with nothing to play for? Well fucking duh, because Redskins fans want to see them out there earning their money.

Only low men on the totem pole get the accountability treatment, swapping a seventh round pick at safety, Chris Horton for a sixth rounder, Reed Doughty because Chris drew a fatal pass interference call at Detroit, a call that head coach Jim Zorn furiously argued against at the time and which would have been moot if the offense could play a lick.

Only the whipping boys get the accountability treatment, Jim Zorn being stripped of playcalling when it is obvious to anyone that watches the Redskins the offensive line could not block its way out of a wet paper bag, if coach Zorn was guilty of anything earlier in the season it was that he did not queue up enough plays from the far right column of the playcard, the one with the big red label that reads PLAYS DESIGNED TO WORK WITH NO BLOCKING.

Only the lame ducks get the accountability treatment, cornerback Carlos Rogers biting on double moves for touchdowns against the Eagles and again three weeks later against the Broncos, the latter of which got him benched for the rest of the Denver game, and Carlos did start or play the entire next game against Dallas either. The team has made up its mind and Carlos is gone, his best chance of staying in 2010 is as a restricted free agent in the absence of a salary cap.

Meanwhile LaRon Landry bites hard on receiver double moves for long touchdowns, twice in the same game (op. cit.), we can say what we want about Shaun Suisham's miss, Sunday's loss is really on LaRon Landry, and I yet here we are heading into Wednesday and I have as yet not read the story of LaRon's benching or any form of football punishment for losing the game for us.

And when you think about that it is nuts, if the double moves on Carlos were really such an issue then one would expect the team to have worked on them specifically since the Denver game, making LaRon's game costing mistakes that much worse, that much more bush league, it might even mean we are starting to see that LaRon is not entirely coachable.

But I digress, this piece is about the cutting of Shaun Suisham. Despite long snapper Ethan Albright and holder punter Hunter the Punter Smith manning up to take their share of the blame, the team judged the flaw in the play the kick itself and took action against the kicker.

Yesterday the team tried out kickers, bringing in former Redskins kicker Nick Novak aka Bob Novak, Mike Nugent, Shane Andrus and Graham Gano, with the job going to former Florida State University and United Football League kicker Graham Gano, which sounds a lot like grab guano. So the kicking game starts over for the final quarter of the season. Welcome to Washington Graham, here we can has opinions.

Shaun leaves the Redskins as the most accurate kicker in franchise history among kickers with one hundred or more attempts, better than the exalted Chip Lohmiller and the sainted Mark Moseley.


Thanks Shaun, good luck, that's football.



Shaun Suisham after missing a 23 yard field goal against New Orleans in game twelve: Reuters Pictures from here.

Department of Bad News: Clinton Portis

Done

The Redskins have finally placed injured tailback Clinton Portis on the season ending injured reserve list, since suffering a massive concussion on his fifth carry of game eight at the Atlanta Falcons exactly one month ago on 8 November 2009 Clinton has not played, missing four games, now he will miss the final four games of the season.

While disappointing so some, the move was not entirely unexpected, the team had hoped Clinton would come back, his recovery has been slow and with the team mired in a 1-3 streak since Clinton went down the team just decided to shut him down. Clinton had been cleared to play by his local doctor on Tuesday 1 December, he and the team waited until his examination by a brain trauma specialist in Pittsburgh yesterday. That medical team did not clear him to play (op. cit.) and the team decided it had to move on.

As with teammate and now fellow injured reserve player tight end Chris Cooley, the initial optimism that Clinton could be back quickly and better than evar steadily gave way to the reality that his injury was worse than expected, despite the hopeful tones struck by the Redskins organization, over here at Curly R and in and amongst some Redskins fan circles, no one ever bought the happy talk, as far back as 22 November and again here and here, we predicted 2009 was over for Clinton. This does not make me smart, it simply means I read what the team wasn't saying as much as what it was.

Clinton has a ginormous contract, he renegotiated his deal in March of 2008 and if the team were to cut him before 1 June 2010 it would face a salary cap hit of nearly fifteen million dollars. With running backs more fungible than ever these days it would seem tough decisions are ahead for the Redskins. I just hope Clinton gets better and takes care of himself.

Clinton Portis becomes the tenth Redskins player to hit injured reserve, joining quarterback Colt Brennan, right guard Randy Thomas, left tackle Chris Samuels, safety Chris Horton, tailback Ladell Betts, tight end Chris Cooley, defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, right guard Chad Rinehart and fullback Eddie Williams. When it rains it pours.



A trainer attending to Clinton Portis in game eight on 8 November 2009: AP Photo from here.

Department of Bad News: Chris Cooley

Done

The inevitable became evitable yesterday as the Redskins placed injured Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley on the season ending injured reserve list, his broken ankle did not heal as fast as had been hoped and Chris is now guaranteed to miss the team's final five games of the season. He joins the parade of what is now nine players on injured reserve so far in the 2009 season.

Chris injured his ankle in a crossing pattern in the second quarter of game seven, the home Monday Night Football loss against the Eagles on 26 October 2009, the instant reporting on the injury predicted Chris was lost for the season, after seeing a specialist talk got happy about Chris' return, the post surgery prediction was a month out, meaning that with the bye the following week Chris would have been back as soon as... this past Sunday, the game eleven loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.

Recovery was not as quick or as easy as the delayed reporting back in October, a week ago on 24 November 2009 Chris even admitted that he was probably done for the season, openly questioning whether there was any purpose in the team insisting he come back in 2009.

Many Redskins fans were not buying that initial sunshine anyway, with the team tanking, the season lost and Chris still a vital part of this offense for the forseeable future, the decision was made to shut him down for the year.

Before the injury, Chris was Jason Campbell's favorite target, through six full games this season Jason had connected with Chris Cooley 23 times, compared to Santana Moss with 21 catches through six games and eighteen catches through six for Antwaan Randle El. Replacement tight end Fred Davis had seven catches in the first six games, and has had 20 in the following five.

These nine games are the first nine games Chris will have missed in his professional career. Get it well, get it back, see you in 2010.



Chris Cooley on the field after his ankle injury in October: AP Photo from here.

Department of Bad News: Jeremy Jarmon

Done

Sunday in game eleven at Philadelphia, second quarter on the Redskins kickoff following the Santana Moss four yard touchdown catch from quarterback Jason Campbell, rookie defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, in kickoff coverage, fell awkwardly and tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, he has been placed on injured reserve and will miss the final five games of the season.

As previously described in Ladell Betts' injury piece, the ACL's job, like all knee ligaments, is to connect bone to bone and stabilize the knee, the ACL's specific duty is to keep the the lower leg moving forward and backward in line and to prevent rotation of the upper leg relative to the lower leg.

Jeremy was the Redskins first ever pick in July's supplemental draft, giving up a 2010 third round pick to acquire him. Jeremy has had no starts though he has looked promising on the field, he is projected as a left defensive end, against a right handed quarterback generally the NFL position responsible for sealing the line against the running game to give the strongside linebacker and strong safety a read, this position is currently held down admirably by 36 year old Phillip Daniels.

Jeremy will undergo surgery and rehabilitation and should be ready to go for 2010 training camp, Jeremy joins quarterback Colt Brennan, right guard Randy Thomas, left tackle Chris Samuels, strong safety Chris Horton, tailback Ladell Betts, right guard Chad Rinehart, fullback Eddie Williams, and tight end Chris Cooley, that makes nine players out with five games to go.



Jeremy Jarmon after sacking Chris Simms: Getty Images from here.

Redskins 2009 Depth Chart: Midseason Update

Deeper in the roster than you want to be

It has been hard to keep up with the injuries and shifting roles, here is your midseason update to the Redskins 2009 Depth Chart, it looks a lot different than it did in September:

Quarterback
1. Jason Campbell
2. Todd Collins
3. Andre Woodson (practice squad)

Notes: No changes here. Jason Campbell has proven despite the team's poor performance in 2009 that he is not the Redskins' weak link. He was benched for the second half of game six against the Chiefs and has come close to injury a number of times, needing to step out of game eight against the Falcons twice before returning to finish the game. His passer rating continues to rise every season, meaning he is continuing to improve though that improvement is not as obvious as it was last season. Ball security is back as a problem for Jason, he fumbled seven times all of last season and has coughed it up ten time already this season through ten games, this is largely to completely attributable to the poor quality of blocking in front of him, Jason has often been unable to go through progressions or even take a three step drop without pressure.

In relief in the Chiefs game backup Todd Collins was not spectacular which is less an indictment of him and more a comment on team talent and execution in general. Andre Woodson is still a mystery wrapped in an enigma.

Overall the position is solid.


Tailback
1. 4. Rock Cartwright
2. 3. Quinton Ganther
3. 3. Marcus Mason
? 1. Clinton Portis
1. 2. Ladell Betts

Notes: Total disaster. After getting off to a weak start and realizing he was not even going to come close to John Riggins' franchise rushing record this season, lead dog tailback Clinton Portis suffered a concussion on a brutal hit in game eight against the Falcons, his season is on hold. By way of comparison, through seven games last season Clinton was averaging 23 carries per game, 117 yards per game and five yards per carry. This season Clinton through seven games Clinton has averaged seventeen carries per game, 70 yards per game and 4 yards per carry. Because football is a perfect team sport it is difficult to untangle degradation in Clinton's play from degradation in the run blocking from problems with the playcalling, which could come from two places: a general lack of emphasis on the run and a need to pass more in order to catch up when losing. No matter how you look at it Clinton was off pace and now his season is on hold and I will bet a dollar that he is done for the year.

Backup Ladell Betts, he of the 1100 yards on nine starts in 2006 when Clinton separated his shoulder, had been getting regualr work as third down back for some odd reason, he is not suited to that role as well as Clinton Portis. Ladell had his chance to step up in the Falcons game and did, then looking like a true Redskins back in the next game against the Broncos. With Clinton sidelined another game due to his concussion, Ladell got consecutive starts, late in the first quarter of last week's game against Dallas he tore his ACL and MCL and is done for the season.

That left Rock Cartwright as the main ball carrier, Rock has been with the Redskins his entire eight year career and before last week's game had not had ten carries in a game since Steve Spurrier was coach in 2003 and had not had 100 yards rushing in a game since 2005, quite the odd pair of stats. He now becomes the lead dog, his day against Dallas was not great overall with a 34 yard run padding his numbers.

Quinton Ganther was signed in the destructive aftermath of the Chiefs game, he has experience on special teams and has seen some plays on offense, including a great play standing up Broncos and former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, knocking his helmet off. Quinton is a big back and may figure in as the season goes on and the team sees what it has for next season, at this point he is not a serious option as an every down back.

Marcus Mason has been the team's punching bag, cut in the playcalling purge following the Chiefs game and then re signed this week after Ladell Betts went onto injured reserve. Marcus has a great handle on the ball carrying part of the position, he is not spectacular on special teams and has missed blocking assignments in the backfield, leading to hits, sacks and hurries. I for one am happy to have him back.

All in all this position is a total wreck for the team.


Fullback
1. Mike Sellers
2. Eddie Williams (R)

Notes: Mike Sellers has drawn some fan ire, including mine, for his performance, maybe because he is falling into the same vortex as the team, maybe due to his 34 years, maybe due to his big new paycheck, maybe for another reason, he is not the same fullback he has been. Rookie Eddie Williams ganked up his knee in practice Friday, he was promoted from the practice squad in the aftermath of tight end Chris Cooley's injury, Eddie is just one of three guys to go onto injured reserve this week. This position is underperforming.


Receiver
1. Santana Moss
2. Antwaan Randle El
3. 4. Devin Thomas
4. 2. Malcolm Kelly
5. Marko Mitchell (R)

Notes: Another season, another abject fail in the effprt to bring along another receiver or two. Malcolm Kelly assumed the quote number two unquote position to start the season though that was really about the team's distinction between a wideout and slot receiver and then gave it up to Devin Thomas who lost it to Malcolm in training camp.

The reality is neither of these guys is getting much done this year, Devin has twelve catches and Malcolm has ten catches and we are ten games into the season.

Antwaan Randle El continues to be the team's actual number two receiver, always coming up with a big catch now and again and keeping drives alive over the middle, at this point you know what you are getting from Antwaan. Marko Mitchell, a seventh round pick, has seen some playing time, he may show promise but the team has structural problems in the passing game that Marko cannot fix.

The receiver position is suffering.


Tight end
1. 3. Fred Davis
2. Todd Yoder
? 1. Chris Cooley

Notes: Chris Cooley, to that point Jason Campbell's most frequent target, broke his ankle in game seven against the Eagles, the instant reporting was that Chris was likely headed for injured reserve, then over the next few days became more optimistic. Now that the first deadline to get his walking boot off has passed it is becoming more obvious that the secondary reporting was optimistic and the primary reeporting closer to true. If I were Chris I would be in no hurry to come back in the this trainwreck of a season, I would want to slow walk recovery and shut it down for 2009. Bet a dollar that is how it goes down.

Fred Davis, the bumbling second round draft pick from last season then got his cahnce to step it up, for every great catch and solid downfield contact he makes he misses a blocking assignment or tips an easy catch and has it intercepted. Fred is not a solid starting tight end and will not be on his current trajectory. If the team is really going to stick with this guy he really needs to bear down in the offseason.

Todd Yoder remains on his strict diet of nine catches and two touchdowns per season. The team really should work him into the passing game with more regularity, he is no Chris Cooley when it comes to route running and nifty moves, then again we could use his blocking and will take him as a short yardage over the middle option as a result.

This position is somewhat uncertain.


Left tackle
1. Levi Jones
2. 2/3. Stephon Heyer
3. 2/3. D'Anthony Batiste
1. Chris Samuels

Notes: Another complete trainwreck. Ten year Redskin Chris Samuels, already coming off a torn triceps suffered last season, injured his neck in game five against the Panthers, it came to light that Chris has suffered from spinal stenosis, after seeing specialists and learning he could be paralyzed with another hit, the team put him on injured reserve, Chris likely will retire after this season.

Starting right tackle Stephon Heyer then moved over to play left tackle as called for in the original depth chart, Stephon started three games before Levi Jones, signed off the street, moved into the position, and it is his for the season, barring injury, Levi acquitted himself against Denver's Elvis Dumervil, an NFL sack leader, and I would not be surprised to see the Redskins make a long term offer to Levi in the offeason to stopgap this position and obviate the need to use their number one pick in the 2010 draft on a left tackle.

This position is on the downside of unsettled.


Left guard
1. Derrick Dockery
2/3. Edwin Williams (R)
2/3. Will Montgomery

Notes: No changes here, left guard has been the only solid position along the offensive line all season, except for a blow here and there we have not seen anyone else at left guard besides Derrick. This position is solid.


Center
1. Casey Rabach
2. Will Montgomery

Notes: No changes here either, Casey Rabach is not a Pro Bowler but at this point we will take any healthy regular center we can get. This position is solid enough.


Right guard
1. 2. 1. Mike Williams
2. Edwin Williams (R)
3. 1. Will Montgomery
1. 3. 1. 2. Chad Rinehart
1. Randy Thomas

Notes: Another complete trainwreck of a position, after openly worrying that 33 year old Randy Thomas might not make sixteen games after two offseason surgeries, the team did little to backstop the position, when Randy went down in game two against St. Louis with a torn triceps and wound up on injured reserve it was at least eleven games earlier than the team expected. Backup and second year man Chad Rinehart went in for two games but did not acquit himself, he was benched, which he took pretty hard by all accounts.

Former 400 pound man Mike Williams, who was previously not on the depth chart at right gaurd, started one game and in that one game he injured himself, Will Montgomery was forced to come into the game because the team in its wisdom had made Chad Rinehart inactive for the game, so far and fast had he fallen that he could not even get into the game if the team needed him.

Will Montgomery then started three games in a row, including Clinton Portis' first one hundred yard rushing game of the season, before offensive line coach Joe Bugel lobbied hard for Chad to get another shot. Chad was reinserted into the lineup for the Broncos game when Ladell Betts and company galloped to 159 yards total rushing. It looked as though Buges was right to figh tfor his guy, until Chad got his leg rolled this past week at Dallas, breaking his fibula and ending his season on injured reserve.

According to the reporting so far this week, undrafted rookie Edwin Williams will get the start only if Mike Williams' ankle is healed.

This position is in flames.


Right tackle
1. 2. 1. Stephon Heyer
2. 1. 2. Mike Williams
3. D'Anthony Batiste

Notes: Stephon Heyer assumed the job after the offseason release of ten year Redskin Jon Jansen and held the position for five starts until left tackle Chris Samuels injured his neck and went on injured reserve. Stephon then moved over to left tackle where he played some as a rookie and former 400 pound man Mike Williams assumed the right tackle spot, as called for in the original depth chart.

Mike started three games at right tackle until newly signed left tackle Levi Jones was ready to take that spot, then sliding Stephon back over to his original position of right tackle. Mike's place was taken briefly by D'Anthony Batiste when he hurt his ankle and Stephon was anchoring the left.

Having Mike and D'Anthony as spare parts for either both the tackle and guard spots is not exactly comforting. This position is also in flames.

As predicted in the original 2009 depth chart, the offensive line remains the 2009 Redskins weakest unit.


Left defensive end
1. Phillip Daniels
2. 2/3. Jeremy Jarmon
3. 2/3. Renaldo Wynn

Notes: This position has been solid, Phillip Daniels is a crafty old veteran of 36 playing with a town biceps but, is getting the job done. When Phillip gets a blow we see Jeremy Jarmon in there more than any other bench player, Renaldo Wynn is a spare part and was cut twice in the pursuit of a temporary punter, he is insurance. This position is solid.


Left defensive tackle
1. Cornelius Griffin
2. Kedric Golston

Notes: No change here, this position is basking in the reflected light of Albert Haynesworth, Cornelius Griffin is the lead player here and we see a great deal of Kedric Golston in the three man rotation at the tackle positions. This position is solid.


Right defensive tackle
1. Albert Haynesworth
2. Kedric Golston
3. 2. Anthony Montgomery

Notes: Albert Haynesworth has indisputably helped this team's pass rush as he has drawn double teams and opened avenues for other players to get to the quarterback. Albert needs a blow now and then and then again and maybe once more, and the team responded by running a three man rotation with Albert, Cornelius Griffin and Kedric Golston, you are liable to see Kedric at either defensive tackle position, whoever needs the blow and whichever set the team is running.

After going neck and neck with his 2006 draftmate Kedric, Anthony Montgomery has fallen way down the depth chart, he has been inactive every game this season except for this past week against Dallas when Albert was out with an ankle injury. If you had ten games as the time when Albert would miss his first game to keep his streak of consecutive seasons without sixteen starts then see the lady at the payout window.

This position is solid.


Right defensive end
1. Andre Carter
2. Lorenzo Alexander

Notes: No change here, Andre Carter has been a huge beneficiary of Albert Hayensworth's presence, racking up eight sacks so far in 2009. As called for in the original depth chart the bench player most often seen in Andre's spot is jack of all trades Lorenzo Alexander aka Scarface. This position is solid.


Weakside linebacker
1. Rocky McIntosh
2. 3. HB Blades
3. 2. Robert Henson (R)

Notes: Rocky McIntosh has basically played the whole season at weakside and he is having a good season and is strong at the point where he began to fade last season after his recovery from his gruesome 2007 injury. He looks bigger and has good movement, if only he had pulled in that easy interception in this past game against the Cowboys! What little time Rocky is out he is spelled by HB Blades, who also plays in the four linebacker set. Doofus Robert Henson has been inactive every game but one this season. This position is solid in need of depth.


Middle linebacker
1. London Fletcher
2. HB Blades
3. Robert Henson (R)

Notes: No big surprise, London Fletcher rarely comes out of the game and is leading the team in tackles and assists. Someday he may fade on us and a couple of times he has been caught behind the play but then again who hasn't. As dictated by the original depth chart HB Blades spells London and Robert Henson does not play. This position is solid.


Strongside linebacker
1. Brian Orakpo (R)
2. Chris Wilson
3. Robert Henson (R)

Notes: Quite an experiment this season has been at the strongside linebacker position for the Redskins, rookie Brian Orakpo has at times been more defensive end, or as his position is often referred to on Curly R, hybrid defensive endbacker, than linebacker but there is simply no question that he belongs on the field with the starters. Brian can improve on his defensive reads from the standing position and his impressive pass rushing skills give him the cover time for that improvement.

Chris Wilson was a man without a position at the start of the season, an Andre Carter type light pass rusher with no real experience at linebacker, then the team acquired Brian Orakpo. The decision was made to put Chris in at the same hybrid position and to the extent that you can take two football players and introduce them both to a new position at the highest level of the game, it has been a success, with more playing time Chris' numbers may look more like Brian's. Chris is a good backup to Brian and a Curly R favorite. This position is solid and improving.


Cornerback
1. DeAngelo Hall
2. Carlos Rogers
3. Fred Smoot
4. Justin Tryon
5. Byron Westbrook
6. Kevin Barnes (R)

Notes: For the first two seasons Curly R put together a depth chart, we simply listed the cornerbacks in order of skill and influence, this season in the original depth chart we broke them up into Man Corner and Zone Corner based on my personal evaluation of skills, performance and roster breakdown. As the season unfolded though I realized the Redskins play zone and man-zone almost exclusively so for this update we are folding them all back into a single category, I have observed that the Redskins cornerbacks are largely interchangeable this season in that they are exhibiting many of the same tendencies which I presume is about coaching.

DeAngelo Hall is still the lead dog among the cornerbacks, he is maddening to watch at time, gives a big cushion and does seem to use his man skills and ability to play the ball as often as he should. That said DeAngelo has been a big part of a Redskins defense that currently ranks number one against the pass as measured by opponents' passing yards per game. There must be a way better to use DeAngelo's man skills.

Carlos Rogers is still the provisional second cornerback, even as he was benched for biting on receiver double moves in both the Eagles game seven and the Broncos game nine. He did get in the game this past week but was not a starter and Fred Smoot seemed to play most of the snaps at second cornerback. When he is in the game we have seen this season the same thing we have seen from Carlos for his previous four seasons, flashes of excellent play, giving up too many big plays, too often disappearing into the game and a maddening inability to catch an interception. His status as the season winds down will be interesting to see, Carlos' contract expires after this season, will the team push him to see what they have or to showcase him? Or will they shut him down and wait around like a pimp to see who makes an offer for him?

Fred Smoot has acquitted himself as a starter, he and DeAngelo actually make a good pair when backed by solid safety play (see below). Justin Tryon is much improved over last season, he appears as third cornerback as often Fred when Carlos is in at number two. Byron Westbrook has appeared in every game but one and sees most of his time on special teams. Rookie third round pick Kevin Barnes has been inactive every game this season.

These positions are solid... for now.


Free safety
1. LaRon Landry
2. Kareem Moore

Notes: No changes here in terms of depth, LaRon could be playing better, too much poor tackling and some bad decision making in pass coverage though LaRon did have an excellent game this past week against the Cowboys. LaRon seems to be having a season reminscent of Sean Taylor's 2006 where he just looked lost and not into it, Sean rebounded for 2007, such as it was.

Kareem Moore has been sighted lately, the pipe dream that LaRon could play more snaps closer to the line in the absence of Chris Horton is not playing out well, if the Redskins want to put LaRon Landry at strong safety they will need to get a better free safety to replace him and then decide what to do with two good hard hitting strong safeties. This position is solid all things considered.


Strong safety
1. 2. Reed Doughty
2. Lendy Holmes (R)
2. 1. Chris Horton

Notes: Chris Horton entered training camp as the incumbent and won the starting job over Reed Doughty to open the season, after three games and some good and bad plays Chris was benched in favor of Reed who there is simply no question benefited from back surgery last season and has been a really good player, I still tend to think that specific move to bench Chris was driven by a need to change something after the Lions game three left the Redskins 1-2.

Reed has played well in the starting spot, he is the team's second leading tackler, and despite not being the quote starter unquote Chris saw tons of playing time as the season wore on, he injured a toe, suffering ligament damage in game eight against the Falcons and went onto injured reserve. Undrafted (op. cit.) rookie Lendy Holmes was signed off the practice squad to replace Chris, Lendy has not seen much playing time as Kareem Moore and Fred Smoot as combo safety-corner have gotten the snaps.

This position is solid.


Kicker
Shaun Suisham

Notes: Up until this past game ten against the Cowboys, Shaun Suisham was twelve for twelve in the 2009 season, then Shaun shanked two, either of which would have given the Redskins a two score lead but I digress. Shaun has been solid and made the kicks asked of him. The team has found a kicker that can figure out how to use. This position is solid.


Punter
1. Hunter Smith
2. Glenn Pakulak
3. Sam Paulescu

Notes: Hunter Smith strained his groin in game four against the Buccaneers, journeyman Glenn Pakulak was signed as a temporary replacement, punted in games five and six, Hunter was back for game seven, he reinjured his groin and was almost placed on injured reserve, the team signed Sam Paulescu as a stopgap, Sam punted in game eight against the Falcons, and Hunter has been back in the saddle for the past two games. This position is solid... when Hunter Smith is in the game.


Kickoff returns
1. 2. Devin Thomas
2. 1. Rock Cartwright

Notes: With Rock Cartwright's field promotion to primary tailback, Devin Thomas steps up from what was really a hypothetical number two kick return position to become the primary kickoff return man, Rock returned 28 up until last week and Devin had returned one, then in the Cowboys game Devin returned both kicks, averaging 28 yards per return, Devin is inexperienced at the craft. This position is on the downside of solid.


Punt returns
Antwaan Randle El
DeAngelo Hall
Santana Moss

Notes: Antwaan Randle El assumed punt return duties this season, something many Redskins fans wished he had not, through ten games this season Antwaan is tied for the league lead with fourteen fair catches and has only twelve actual returns. During the bye week head coach Jim Zorn announced that DeAngelo Hall would be be taking most of the returns going forward, along with Santana Moss, then backed down when confronted by Antwaan, since then Antwaan has still taken most of the punt returns. This must end and the Redskins must have a new punt returner. This position is weak.


Long snapper
Ethan Albright

Notes: Nuff said.


Other Curly R depth charts: 2007 :: 2007 Midseason Update :: 2008 :: 2008 Midseason Update :: 2009



Pro football field dimensions from here.

Department of Bad News: Chad Rinehart

Done

Ladell Betts was not the only Redskin to be lost for the season two weeks ago in game ten against Dallas, Redskins second year right guard Chad Rinehart suffered a broken right fibula early in the third quarter, he too was placed on the injured reserve list on Monday 23 November 2009 and will miss the final six games of the season, he was rolled in the pile after a play.

The fibula, or calf bone, is there mainly to serve as an attachment for musculature and does not support weight. As such it is considerably more fragile than its partner, the tibia or shin bone.

After 33 year old right guard Randy Thomas tore a triceps in game two against the St. Louis Rams, Chad, a third round draft pick in 2008, stepped in and started two games, a bad loss at the Lions and a meager win against the Buccaneers, former 400 pound man Mike Williams then started one game, a loss against the Panthers, thereafter head coach Jim Zorn opened up a competition between Chad and fifth year free agent Will Montgomery, Will ultimately won and Chad was demoted to the inactive list by all accounts Chad took the demotion very hard, an anonymous NFL talent evaluator even going so far as to call Chad quote just a guy unquote.

Will started three games, all losses, before offensive line coach Joe Bugel lobbied the coaching staff to give Chad another chance, Chad got the start at right guard against Denver and helped to propel promoted tailback Ladell Betts to 114 yards.

All of Redskinsland was united in joy, even if a limited type of joy, that the same five offensive linemen would be starting the next game at Dallas, and in that game Chad was injured.

The surgery to repair this injury is routine and Chad should be back and ready to go for the 2010 season.

=====

Rookie reserve fullback Eddie Williams was also moved to injured reserve Monday (op. cit.), he broke a fibula Friday in practice, Eddie was a practice squad player and was promoted to the roster to provide blocking and pass catching support in the absence of tight end Chris Cooley, he was never active in a game.



Chad Rinehart: AP Photo from here.

Department of Bad News: Ladell Betts

Done

Eighth year Redskins tailback Ladell Betts suffered serious knee injuries two weeks ago in game ten against the Dallas Cowboys, Ladell was injured in the first quarter of that game, his second start in place of primary back Clinton Portis who is still out after suffering a concussion in game eight against the Falcons, in the cutback on a left side run Ladell was tackled by Dallas linebacker Bradie James and tore both the anterior cruciate ligament and the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, Ladell was placed on injured reserve on Monday 23 November 2009 and will miss the final six games of the season.

Like all ligaments, the ACL and MCL connect bone to bone, as opposed to tendons, which connect bone to muscle. While both ligaments' jobs are to stabilize the knee, the ACL's primary function is to hold the tibia, or lower leg bone, in line and limit rotation of the knee joint. The MCL is on the inside of the knee and its primary function is to prevent the lower leg bone from swinging out, or quote opening up unquote.

These are serious knee injuries, the same injuries suffered by teammates Rocky McIntosh and Carlos Rogers in 2007 and will require surgery and months of rehabilitation.

Despite assuming a nominal role this season as third down back, Ladell's numbers in 2009 through seven games were not much different from his 2008 or 2007 numbers, with Clinton Portis healthy the past two seasons the touches simply are not there. After Clinton went down against the Falcons, Ladell ramped up quickly as the feature back, with numbers to match, 70 yards on fifteen carries, a 4.7 yards per carry average in Atlanta and 114 yards on 26 carries, a 4.4 yards per carry average at home against Denver.

Ladell has experience as the starter, in 2006 Clinton Portis suffered a separated shoulder on the first possession of the first preseason game and was never himself on the field, Ladell managed to rack up over 1100 yards on only nine starts that season, including a remarkable stretch in November and December of five games with one hundred yards or more rushing, in that stretch he became the only running back in Redskins history to post back to back rushing games of 150 yards or more. Despite Clinton's woes that season and the general malaise afflicting the team, the running game was a huge bright spot in 2006.

Ladell has spent his entire eight year NFL career in Washington, signing a five year contract extension toward the end of that 2006 season, he then reworked his contract before the 2008 season to give the team some additional salary cap room and him some more cash.

I am not alone among Redskins fans hoping Ladell makes a full recovery and returns to the sideline for the 2010 season.



Ladell Betts: AP Photo from here.

Department of Bad News: Chris Horton

Done

Second year safety Chris Horton suffered ligament damage in his toe late in game eight against the Falcons, on Wednesday 11 November Chris had surgery and went onto season ending injured reserve, his roster spot was assumed by rookie free agent safety Lendy Holmes.

After a stellar and surprising 2008 rookie season that saw Chris pull in three interceptions and be named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for week two and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for September, Chris was the incumbent strong safety coming into the 2009 season, he was benched from the starting spot after a few early season struggles, notably a missed tackle on Rams tailback Stephen Jackson in game two against St. Louis and a late pass interference penalty against the Lions in game three that set up the decisive score, in that latter play head coach Jim Zorn went berzerk defending Chris (ibid.), making it all the much stranger that he would then be benched.

I thought the benching was more window dressing than statement on talent (op. cit.) though it is unassailable that fourth year safety Reed Doughty is back and much improved from back surgery, and there are still those out there that believe Chris has lots of room for improvement (op. cit.).

After his benching he got caught permitting a fan to publish a blog post critical of the team and its decision to give his job to Reed Doughty, the post was quickly taken down and marked only the latest example of a Redskins player flubbing fan outreach in 2009.

Hopefully he will make a full recovery and come back to prowl the line for 2010. Chris Horton is a Curly R favorite.



Chris Horton: Washington Post photo from here.

About Freaking Time

No longer effective

Antwaan Randle El has been demoted from primary punt return duties and all of Redskinsland will join me in a big helllll yes. Redskins head coach Jim Zorn was careful to couch the move in some uncertainty so as not to tip the next opponent, that is just boilerplate, Antwaan has been demoted and DeAngelo Hall has been placed into the lead spot.

This is a good thing if for no other reason than Antwaan has been steadily losing effectiveness at this position to the point where he is hurting the team.

Antwaan's punt return average has continued a general career downward trend even as the number of punts he has fielded has remained steady. After fielding no more than eleven fair catches in a single season so far in Washington, last season Antwaan ballooned to 21 fair catches. So far this season Antwaan has fielded exactly as many punts, eleven, as he has fair catches.

The final straw was game seven against the Eagles two Monday nights ago. Even if you forgive Antwaan for fair catching a punt at the Redskins thirteen and another at the eighteen based on the possiblity the Eagles may have downed the ball even deeper, Antwaan still fair caught one at the nine to ensure awful field position to start, fielded one cleanly at the five and was downed inside the twenty, and of course most harmfully muffed one off his facemask that resulted in an Eagles field goal four plays later.

Now of course there are other factors at play, the opposing punter and coverage and Washington punt coverage have a role in each punt, it has just seemed to me over the past two seasons that you could put an equipment tub out there to catch punts and we would see about the same results.

And let me be clear, this is not simply about Antwaan, this is principally about the coaching. Antwaan's performance has been deteriorating and it is up to the coaches to identify that and find a replacement.

Santana Moss will still be a nice change of pace, he always seems to spark a return, though coach Zorn wisely will keep these to a minimum, even as Santana appears to suffer from the same accelerated decay as tailback Clinton Portis this season he is still the team's only real deep threat and it cannot afford to see Santana get clobbered on a special teams play.



Antwaan Randle El: Reuters Pictures from here.

Department of Bad News: Chris Samuels

Done. Probably for good.

Redskins fans got some expected bad news back on Halloween, long time left tackle Chris Samuels was placed on injured reserve, the neck stinger he took in game five of this season back on 11 October against the Panthers caused Chris some extended numbness, in short order we learned that Chris had been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a condition characterized by the narrowing of the spine in the neck, thereby making it more vulnerable to injury.

In the nearly three weeks since that game Chris has consulted with specialists and weighed his options, and there was really no question, with the risk of paralysis looming and a solid NFL career under his belt, Chris decided to shut it down, likely calling it a career.

It was in part due to the stenosis that Chris wore the big neck brace rising from his shoulder pads all this time. This condition was diagnosed while Chris was still in high school and was manageable, Chris eventually became an All-American and Outland Trophy winner at the University of Alabama before becoming the number three overall selection to the Redskins in the 2000 NFL draft, the Redskins having given up two first round picks in that draft, their own and the one acquired from Carolina in the 1998 trade of defensive end Sean Gilbert to the Panthers (thank you Sean).

Chris became the Redskins starting left tackle immediately, replacing Tre' Johnson and has been the team's anchor at the second most important position on the field for a decade. In ten seasons Chris started 146 of a possible 165 games, including playoffs and those he will not be eligible to start this season.

Chris was amazingly durable during his career, at six feet five and better than 310 pounds he continually tangled with the opponents' best pass rushers. He was selected to six Pro Bowls in his ten seasons, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 when the team was 5-11 but propelled backup tailback Ladell Betts to 1100 yards on nine starts, 2007 when Chris and Pro Bowl teammates tight end Chris Cooley and long snapper Ethan Albright all wore jersey number 21 in honor of fallen teammate safety Sean Taylor and last season in 2008 when he ended the season on injured reserve with a torn triceps.

Redskins success in the 2009 season was to be largely premised on aging veterans Chris Samuels and right guard Randy Thomas staying healthy, and now both are on injured reserve. Right now Redskins fans are stuck in the void loop of this season, forced to watch it play out slowly and painfully.

We will not fully realize what it means for this team to be without Chris Samuels ever again until the offseason when as expected he announces his retirement and then the team faces a serious rebuilding.

Thank you Chris, you were a hell of a left tackle and did your part to keep quarterback jerseys clean all these years, and Redskins fans will never forget it.


Curly R's Department of Bad News previous announcements on Chris Samuels: 2008



Chris Samuels: AP photo from here.