Curly R: The Year In Exile

Outside looking in

*Sigh* I've been downgraded.

At first I thought it was just one level, from superfan to fan.

Later though I realized I have no idea what is happening with the 2011 Redskins and who plays for them. Barry Cofield is the last addition I remember.

Tim Hightower? You mean the guy from Arizona with the fumbling problem? Donte Stallworth? Isn't he the guy that ran a guy over in Florida?

Nope, don't know any of them, not the draft picks, not the post lockout pickups. That is when I realized my downgrade was a two level demotion, from superfan through fan straight to casual fan. There is only one level left below me now, observer, before sweet football oblivion.

And I do not even care. I was already mad at the team for botching the post Joe Gibbs transition, sandbagging Gregg Williams from the job by trumping up some bullshit story about betraying coach Gibbs over the Missing Man Formation after Sean Taylor's death, note carefully here that Gregg Williams IS NOT the guy I thought should have the job.

Dan Snyder then promptly turned the team over to the one guy everyone knew could not manage his way out of a paper bag, shadow general manager Vinny Cerrato, they wait around for a top shelf candidate that was never coming and promote Jim Zorn, the coordinator they had stupidly hired before a head coach, as the candidate of last resort.

The team then spent two years eating itself as Vinny tried the old dodge where he was responsible for hiring coach Zorn but not for his results, those two stopped speaking, then Dan soured and fired Vinny then fired Zorn on the plane ride home from the last game.

In come these two football professionals, general manager Bruce Allen and head coach Mike Shanahan, both of whom have great football pedigrees, their first move? To trade two picks to a Division rival for a perennial Pro Bowl quarterback they can count on for a couple of seasons until they get the offense where they want it.

But they don't do that. Instead they nitpick Donovan McNabb's footwork and practice ethic after the guy had only been to six Pro Bowls, won five Division titles, been to five Conference Championships and one Super Bowl, while not giving him any new targets to throw at and utterly failing to plan at the tailback position.

And in so doing squander an opportunity to install and stabilize a new offense and develop young players by focusing like a laser beam on how this guy that has been successful his whole career is just not perfect for us. Wah fucking wah.

Donovan had to be sacrificed because the Shanahans can do no wrong, that is axiomatic.

Meanwhile over on the other side of the ball Jim Haslett was busy destroying a perennial top ten defense, one with experienced players and a history of savvy coaches that could flex with talent, forcing the switch from an historical 4-3 to the more trendy 3-4. Players were moved into new positions and out of places where they had performed well for years.

And in so doing squander an opportunity to maintain some continuity in what is historically the best part of the team while a new offense can be installed and stabilized.

Too many variables in play, too many plates in the air.

And so the result of that 2010 season was an unmitigated disaster, one in which those two picks for Donovan were squandered to the Eagles, Donovan was benched and dragged under the bus, those Eagles, Donovan's former team, went for 59 on Monday Night Football, the night the team announced Donovan's quote contract extension unquote. Three games later Donovan was benched for the rest of the year.

=====

That's just the stuff in the game. Off the field the team was busy pushing fans away as well.

The owner is suing newspapers. All these years and the guy cannot just sit back and let the football do the talking.

They ripped out ten thousand seats from Redskins Stadium, the somewhat absurd plan announced at the time was to create standing room only party decks, yet now that the seats have been ripped out along with supporting sections of upper deck concrete, and construction on no decks has begun, it seems transparently obvious to me that the team has no intention of building decks, that removing seats was all about reducing capacity because people are not renewing tickets and no one is there to buy them in replacement. As anyone that has read this blog or listened to me over the past decade will tell you, the million mile long season ticket waiting list simply does not exist.

Sure ticket prices did not go up, thank you Mr. Snyder sir, a beer bought at your seat is now nine bucks.

And I did not even mention Albert Haynesworth. Until just now.

=====

The season then ended and the lockout began, two greedy camps, owners and players, arguing nakedly right in front of you over who should have more of your money, in all the negotiations, the recriminations and pontifications, which party was not at the negotiating table for those six months? You. And then the lockout, after a summer of grim warnings of ZOMG NO FOTOBALL IN 2011!!!1!! just COINCIDENTALLY happens to end right as training camps were to open, the only game that was lost to the whole drama? Yep, the Hall of Fame Game, the one played in a neutral stadium where no one gets guaranteed ticket revenues.

So now, after the players did not work out all summer while coaches could still meet and overthink their gameplans, after a hurried free agent period of extreme player movement, do you really think we are set to see quality football in the NFL before Thanksgiving?

Going to be a sloppy season.

=====

And so I went poof and that was it, I have not had the energy to put pen to paper for this blog since February 2011, and that was for a 2008 story. In the offseason I found other things to occupy my time:

I coached my sons' lacrosse team, the under-nine Fort Hunt Purple Pelicans, we went 2-5-1 with nine rookies on a thirteen man roster, we peaked at the end of the season and I expect we will improve heading into the 2012 season.

I also watched a crapload of college lacrosse including my alma mater the University of Virginia winning their fifth national championship.

I bought a decent bicycle and recommitted to bike commuting, my ride is twelve miles each way each day, I logged 1242 miles on the road from the start of the lockout to the end. My wife also bought a road bike and now we go on vacations based on where and how far we can ride. I have not lost any weight but all my dimensions have changed and I look a hell of a lot better.

I also spent another crapload of time watching Grand Tour bicycle racing, the Tour de France and currently the Vuelta a Espana, I missed the Giro d'Italia because it was during lacrosse season.

I bought a bunch of bicycle tools and taught myself bicycle maintenance, many summer nights I would have spent writing about football, instead I spent in the shed with Tony Almeida refurbing old bikes, I have tuned up all five operating bikes we own, rebuilt two others from the hubs up and have three in queue for complete refurb. Just last night I FINALLY finished my first bartape job. Ever try wrapping bartape on a drop handlebar? To do it right is a fucking bitch.

Now I am working on a public policy slash advocacy project to increase bicycling's profile in the nation's capital. Maybe someday I can ride my bike to a Redskins game.

So yeah, while football was forgetting about me, I was forgetting about it.

=====

And then when it came back, I was not one of those guys in a forgiving mood. All the league apparatus cared and care about was getting back to status quo AND FAST! Do you read the papers or listen to sports talk radio or even the league owned Sirius NFL Radio? Do you ever hear about the lockout and what it meant and means to football this season? Of course not, it is not in anyone's interest to dwell, have you seen the NFL commercial that's all like, It's Back to Football?

So that brings us to the 2011 Redskins season, I did not follow the post lockout frenzy of signings or training camp, I watched some of the Colts preseason game and also one other one that was on in the background at a party, I think they won that one too, I missed final cuts and read with a yawn that Rex Grossman was the guy over John Beck, the shrieking ExtremeSkins fanboys will be calling for Becks within four games. I may even be at a preschool open house when the Redskins kick off against the Giants on Sunday afternoon.

=====

So here is where I say thank you for all the emails, comments and text messages wondering where Curly R has been all offseason, to everyone reading this, I am not signing off. Curly R is not gone, it is, has been and forever will be, my creation and my outlet, all I ever wanted out of Curly R was to be a part of the discussion, to help make the Redskins a better football team. Over the past five years I have learned a lot about football and I am grateful for every pageview, every comment and every email.

Five years and I do not think the team really wants to get better. Maybe they do and this Bruce Allen slash Mike Shanahan regime will hit an upswing, it will not happen this year, I am looking at a 5-11 to 8-8 record AT BEST this season, another season with temporary players in key positions.

Curly R is not gone, it just has nothing to say right now, superfans have blogs, casual fans do not. As any Redskins fan over the past two decades can tell you, winning is not the only thing that draws fans to a team, what draws fans to a team is the feeling that their emotional investment is rewarded with smart football people making good decisions for both the short term and long term health and success of the team. We all know Dan Snyder does not own the team, we do, Dan is just the steward.

When the Redskins and football win me back, you will see Curly R back to daily posting. Do you hear that guys?

Win me back.



Photo by me.

You Stay Classy Brandon Lloyd

Back at you dude

Thanks to lifetime Eagles fan, season ticket holder and Curly R reader/lurker Wilbert Montgomery for the tip: As current Broncos and former Redskins receiver Brandon Lloyd heads off to the Pro Bowl, his team's lone representative, he has a message for his three old clubs, the 49ers, Redskins and Bears:

Fuck you.

Gee who could ever have seen that coming.



Brandon Lloyd: Getty Images from here.

Talk About Rapid Response

Ouch

Go Skins dot Org, the great abstract cartoonist of the Redskins, already has artistic reaction up, Albert Haynesworth and Donovan McNabb just chilling together on the bench. Go check the rest out here.

The Benching is now a national news story, not sure what Mike Shanahan was going for here, he sure looks like an asshole right about now.



Albert Haynesworth and Donovan McNabb on the bench together: A GoSkins.org cartoon from here via here.

Let Me Be Clear

I'll speak slowly for the trolls and nitwits and the head coach

There are three reasons putting Rex Grossman in the game, even for a play, is a bad idea:

1. There is a better quarterback on the roster. His name is Donovan McNabb.

2. The better quarterback is healthy.

3. The better quarterback is under contract for 2011.

These reasons notably do not include any discussion of Rex Grossman's ability or standing, nor of the price paid in trade for Donovan McNabb, because both are moot. Mike Shanahan has officially turned a segment of Redskins fans to rooting against their team just to be sure he gets the point. Nice work genius.



Donovan McNabb: Reuters Pictures from here.

BULL FUCKING SHIT

Are you fucking kidding me

What the fuck is this fucking shit, I sit here minding my own business eating my lunch when I see a headline pop into Redskins Insider:

Rex Grossman to start over Donovan McNabb Sunday

That would be this Sunday, at Dallas, bitter NFC Beast Division rival Dallas, a team the Redskins can still sweep in the season series.

And Mike Shanahan is going to bench Donovan in favor of Rex Grossman.

This is really over the line, I have watched how coach Shanahan has handled himself this season and I am very disappointed, cutting Ladell Betts then Willie Parker and Larry Johnson left the team with no experienced tailback backing up the injury prone Clinton Portis and Ryan Torain, the Albert Haynesworth standoff in training camp went too long into the season and hurt the defense. Benching Donovan in the Lions game then spinning bullshit about it. Cutting the holder after the kicker missed two in a winnable game then making up a bullshit excuse.

Maybe that year out of football did nothing to shrink his ego, maybe he is mad with the power Dan Snyder has given him, maybe he is showing off for his son, maybe he just wants to piss Redskins fans off, maybe he really needs to see the place burnt down before he can rebuild it in his own image.

Whatever the deal, this is wrong.

And it is not just wrong because I support Donovan and want to see him play and get some return on that investment. It is wrong because the team will net nothing by playing Rex Grossman.

Washington may win Sunday with Rex, sure, even Danny Wuerffel won games as a starter, that is not the point. The point is that we already know everything we need to know about Rex. He has had his shot, he was in Chicago for six years and could not hold the starting job the year after he took his team to the Super Bowl. His success came largely from the scheme the Bears employed at the time and he is a turnover machine. Years of future success in Washington will not be achieved with Rex Grossman under center.

You only sit a healthy established starter at the end of a season when you have no postseason to play for, and when that starter may not be there next season. But Dono is under contract so it is the team's option, not the player's to have him back.

If Mike Shanahan was serious about seeing what is in the kitty for 2011 he would be starting John Beck, the darling of Kyle Shanahan, my guess is that head coach Shanahan would not start John Beck on a dare meaning this is not about Rex or the future, it is about putting Donovan in his place.

And all the bullshit about lowest rated passer and worst season of his career, that is all bullshit. This is just wrong and win or lose Sunday Redskins fans just lost some more faith in their team.

=====

Some quick reaction I have received in person, by phone, email and text since 11:30 am when the story broke:

Lifetime Eagles fan, season ticket holder and Curly R reader/lurker Wilbert Montgomery, via email: Talk about a place in total chaos at this point. I thought Shanny would prevent this sort of shit from happening. Didn't DMac have an over 100 passer rating last week?

The wife, Mrs. Curly R, via phone: They have no idea what they are doing, didn't they cut the holder after the kicker messed up?

Former co-worker Rob, via phone: Dude our team is sooooooooo dysfunctional.

Eagles fan and former roommate James, via text message: Sexy Rexy to start? McNabb out of gas or out of favor?


Post your quick reaction in comments.



Donovan McNabb: Getty Images from here.

Looking Back On When Donovan McNabb / Was A Nappy Headed Little Boy

Serioiusly who has my activator

Working on a midday post about butthurt Eagles fans pissed that Donovan McNabb is not in the running for the Pro Bowl following the 2010 season because for him to have done so would have meant Philadelphia's 2011 draft pick from the trade that brought Dono here would have accelerated from a fourth rounder to a third.

In the meantime, check out that 'do. No gauge on the year, Dono has hosted five NFC Championship Game press availabilities. Any Eagles fans out there, help me out with the date.



Uncredited image from here. With apologies to Stevie Wonder for the title.

A Picture of Dorian McNabb

Less than a year and look how much it has aged

Right now I am a depressed and confused Redskins fan, depressed because we are hurtling toward yet another postseason in which I watch lots of football yet none of it includes my beloved team and confused because I am getting lots of mixed signals about quarterback Donovan McNabb:

Donovan McNabb having his worst season since his rookie year in 1999? Donovan was a rookie out of Syracuse that year, coming from the college ranks where he made his living on his legs at least as much as his arm. In his rookie season he split time in Philadelphia with Doug Pederson, appearing in twelve games and starting only six. He finished the year with 948 yards passing and a 60.1 passer rating. The next season he assumed the starter role and had it every year barring injury for the next ten seasons.

Looking at Donovan's numbers over the years though, I do not see a guy that is dropping off the cliff, in fact if Donovan can pull his passer rating up seven tenths of one point, the whole story goes away and god forbid he could get it two and a half points up, with another game or two like the Tampa Bay game and a 100.7 rating, then not only is 2010 not his worst as a starter, it is not even next to worst. Plus I think the strict measure of a guy by his passer rating is lazy.

Let us walk some of the other stats. Games: Averaging 13.4 per season over career, if we remove the first season when he was part time then it is virtually unchanged at 13.5 games per season. Donovan has already played thirteen games this season, one more and he busts over his career average.

Completion percentage: A career average of 58.9 percent, 2010 number is 58.3 percent, still well within reach to bust over with three games left and if not is teetering right the average at sixth tenths of a point less. I count four seasons with a lower completion rate and one a virtual tie.

Attempts per game are nearly four per game over career average, not a surprise considering the Redskins have had an unsettled tailback position all season. He can still sling it and the coaches are not compensating for some perceived dropoff, they are telling him to GET THE HELL OUT THERE AND THROW IT.

Passing yards / passing yards per game: In terms of his per game average, Donovan is nearly 35 yards per game over his average and if the season ended now 2010 would be the third highest per game passing yards in his career. Looking at total passing yards, Donovan already has more total passing yards in 2010 than in four of the seven years he has played thirteen games or more.

It is not all rosy though, Donovan's touchdown passes are dangerously near a career low, he will need to throw two more to tie his non rookie career low, oddly enough those career lows came in one season where Donovan played only nine games and in another where he played all sixteen.

Interceptions are already at a career high by two, one of the great statistics on Donovan coming into Washington was that he was one of the least intercepted passers in league history, even though Donovan is having his worst INT year ever, check the big board for quarterbacks: seven guys, including two named Manning, have as many or more than Donovan.

Sacks are also dangerously near career highs, 2010 is already Donovan's second worst year for sacks, two more and he ties it. Of all the stats that we can apply other players' performance to, this is the one that I place the most on others, the crappy offensive line the Redskins have in 2010.

The last stat to look at is long passes, Donovan has thrilled Redskins fans with the ability to connect on long passes, Jason Campbell had the arm but not the time, chemistry or accuracy to make them like Donovan has this year, then you look at his stats and 2010 is just middling in his late year performance, since 2004 Donovan has tossed eleven or more passes of forty yards or more five time in seven years. The guy can still sling it.

So let us dial back the Donovan is having teh worst yaer of his lief bit, I am not buying it.


Donovan McNabb is on pace to set Redskins franchise and personal records for passing yards? Wait I thought he was having his worst year evar as a starter? Then how can that headline be true? Well let us look at the numbers: At his current pace, Donovan should throw for 4156 yards in 2010 if he plays all sixteen games. That would be more than he has ever tossed in his career, he has never been a 4000 yard passer ever.

This number would also place Donovan ahead of 1986 Jay Schroeder and 1999 Brad Johnson for the most passingest Redskin of all time, for a franchise that has been in continuous operation since 1932.

Worst year ever = best year ever.


Wait, Donovan McNabb might get benched down the stretch? The latest ginned up story, principally credited to FOX's Jay Glazer, is that backup quarterback slash fumbler Rex Grossman is being prepped possibly to start or replace Donovan. For his part, Donovan was dismissive (op. cit.), and head coach Mike Shanahan was as you might expect evasive in talking about it.

This is of course bloody ridiculous. You only sit a veteran like Donovan at the end of the season if he is hurt or if he may be gone the next season and you really need to see what you have on the bench. And we all know, Super Bowl and NFL credentials or otherwise, that Rex Grossman is not an unknown quantity. Hell he may be starting caliber for all I know any more, alls I am saying is that we know everything we need to know about Rex and John Beck is certainly no option when you have a healthy Donovan McNabb. There is your fast path to cascading boos right there.


Stay with him and play with him, whatever ails the Redskins in 2010 it is not Donovan McNabb.




Photo by me of my still new Donovan McNabb number five jersey, I have only had it since 27 September 2010 and the numbering is already coming off the nylon, compare to my Santana Moss number 89 jersey I have had since the 2005 postseason, I wore that jersey for every game until this season and washed it at least twice a year and the numbering on it still looks great. Is that some sort of metaphor? With apologies to Oscar Wilde for the title.

GOD DAMMIT

Was it us?

Do you have any idea how fucking pissed off I am? Check that stat line in the image above, that is Brandon Lloyd, Broncos receiver, leading the league in receiving yards with 1046 yards in ten games, TEN GAMES THE DUDE HAS CAUGHT 54 PASSES FOR ALMOST A TWENTY YARD AVERAGE IN TEN FREAKING GAMES!


Brandon was traded to Washington from San Francisco in the 2006 offseason on the first day of free agency, the Redskins gave up two picks, a 2006 third round pick and a 2007 fourth rounder, to acquire Brandon, then turned around and gave him a seven year, 31 million dollar contract with ten million guaranteed. He was supposed to bolster a 2005 receiving corps that principally consisted of Santana Moss, Chris Cooley and Clinton Portis. Antwaan Randle El also arrived that offseason as a free agent, the Redskins had their bunch of sparkplug wideouts, no one over six feet tall.

I knew what Brandon could do, I had followed him in San Francisco and even seen him in person in the Redskins 52-17 circus in 2005, I was all about this signing, my recidivist take on Washington pushing TWO MORE Santana Moss clones in favor of pursuing a receiver free agent with size, height or physical credentials was simple: If Mark Brunell wants little guys that can get separation, who am I to disagree?

Pretty quickly though it got rough, the early returns on Brandon were indicative of how he would perform overall in his two troubled seasons in Washington. Through a miserable 2006 season that saw Mark Brunell give way to Jason Campbell at quarterback and the team win only five games, Brandon caught 23 passes for 365 yards in fifteen games, barely third receiver quality numbers, Brandon was supposed to be a solid number two that could push the number one.

In game seven that season against the Colts Brandon argued with Antwaan Randle El, the two had to be separated. Brandon did it again in game twelve against the Falcons, throwing his helmet on the field in the fourth quarter, earning the Redskins a fifteen yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. This second egregious loss of control earned Brandon a closed door sit down with head coach Joe Gibbs who you remember was supposed to be the guy ultimately behind the Redskins player acquisition decisions.

Brandon's reaction to being singled out on the team and in the media for detrimental behavior, and of being hauled behind closed doors for a verbal whipping by a Hall of Fame head coach? Not so much.

Still, coach Gibbs said he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and indicated Brandon would play in game thirteen against the Eagles, Brandon did not start and had one catch, off an option pass from Antwaan Randle El.

Three games later coach Gibbs had had enough, Brandon was inactive for the season finale against the Giants, the injury report indicated Brandon had bronchitis, no one believed it, Brandon's first season in a contract with ten million dollars guaranteed was a disaster.


Heading into 2007 it was not feasible to cut Brandon, Joe Gibbs and the team clearly was going to give Brandon another shot.

It did not start well. After bragging about how the 2007 offseason was the first time he had ever engaged in significant offseason workouts, Brandon gave himself shin splints and was unable to practice at full speed for the first three weeks THREE WEEKS of training camp. Still, he made the 2007 team.

And things did not get any better for Brandon. Two weeks into the season he did not have a catch. In the third week, Redskins fans were treated to one of the all time great displays of tone deafness, Brandon was featured in the Washington Post Business section as a compensated spokesman for Microsoft and their upcoming video game Halo III. In the article, Brandon named all the free gear and the advance look at the game experience the number one perk he had ever received as an NFL player, and then went on to talk about what a huge part of his life playing video games is. It would still be two more weeks, into October until Brandon got his first catch in 2007.

In November Brandon missed a team meeting and was barred from accompanying the team on the road to game eight against the Jets, and once again Joe Gibbs insisted Brandon was still important to the team and viable as a receiving option. Little did we know at that time that with seven games still left in the 2007 season that Brandon had already produced everything he would produce: two catches for fourteen yards.

One more game and no more catches later, on the last play of practice on Wednesday 14 November 2007, Brandon broke his collarbone, the team put him on injured reserve, ending a season that never really happened for Brandon. In all he missed nine games between healthy scratch, bronchitis and the clavicle injury, and produced 25 catches for 378 yards and no touchdowns. In February of 2008 the team cut Brandon, two years into thirty million dollar contract with ten million dollars guaranteed. Washington barely noticed.

Brandon played with Chicago in 2008, holding close to Washington form with 26 catches for 364 yards in eleven games. In 2009 he signed with Denver and produced only eight catches in two games.

Coming into 2010 no one expected Brandon Lloyd to do what he is doing now, Josh McDaniel has Brandon and quarterback Kyle Orton really working on the same page, Brandon has already set a career number for catches, with six games still remaining in the schedule, and is nearly four yards per catch ahead of his highest yards per catch season ever.

Something has happened, hell has frozen over, Brandon Lloyd has turned into a franchise receiver. I'm pretty pissed about it.



Image screencap detail of this page.

Twenty-five Years Ago

Their paths diverged from here

Thursday night was an important night for former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann. It was his second game as color analyst for the NFL Network's Thursday games, Joe had been out of the game game since getting shitcanned by ESPN after the 2006 season in favor of Ron Jaworski on Monday Night Football. Up to that moment Joe Theismann had been a color commentator for NFL games dating back to 1988, an eighteen year streak that ESPN had to end because Tony Kornheiser is a whiny brat that does not get along with anybody and whom the network mistakenly thought was carrying the broadcast.

How ESPN later canned Tony for another football guy in Jon Gruden tells you all you need to know about how wrong the network was to stick with that loser for so long.

Frankly though Ron and Jon does not work for me either, it is one hardcore football mind in that booth too many and with Jon trying to keep his options open for another coaching gig someday the posturing by that guy in the booth is enough to make me sugar vomit.

But I digress, that is not really the point, nor is Joe Theismann getting back in the booth for live games really the occasion of importance in Joe's life.

Twenty-five years ago Thursday night, 18 November 1985, was the night Lawrence Taylor broke Joe Theismann's leg live on Monday Night Football in one of the most gruesome career ending injuries that has ever been witnessed in football.

Joe's football career was ended that night, Lawrence went on to make the Pro Bowl that season, and every year for the next five seasons, he would win two Super Bowls, be named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team and to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. A first ballot Hall of Famer, Lawrence's number is one of only eleven retired by the Giants, a team that has been in existence since 1925.

Three years after his injury, Joe Theismann resumed his football career in broadcasting, becoming ubiquitous in the sport for better or for worse. Lawrence Taylor turned to partying and drugs and a hard lifestyle, while a player he tested positive twice for cocaine, legend has it only the threat of a lifetime ban for a third positive forced him to quit.

After retiring he did lots of drugs and became the shady character that goes with the lifestyle, he was arrested twice for trying to buy from undercover officers and went through rehab at least twice in the 1990s. He lost lots of money in bad investments and became a caricature of himself in pop culture. Last year he was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident then this year it got worse, he was arrested for statutory rape of a sixteen year old admitted prostitute, he is facing trial on these charges. In a sign times are tough for Lawrence, he went to court, or rather technically did not go to court, to try and get child support payments for his twelve year old daughter by his first wife reduced.

Kind of seems like Joe Theismann got the better of that whole deal from 1985. Not judging, just saying.



The immediate aftermath of Lawrence Taylor's career ending hit on Joe Theismann: George Gojkovich / Getty Images from here.

Yeah I Am Totally Sure It Was Because the Redskins Did Not Want a Big Play Receiver that Can Do Everything

Doesn't think he got a fair shot

While go back over stories from last week I was struck by something I read in the Washington Post last Saturday, it was in the print edition on Sunday, Packers gameday. Receiver Devin Thomas on his release from the Redskins:

Maybe they just don't want a big-play receiver that can do everything.

No Devin I do not think that was it. I think it was more along the lines of maybe they just want a guy that can run a reliable route, catch the ball when it hits his hands and that does not play smaller than his size.

=====

Devin Thomas was former shadow general manager Vinny Cerrato's first draft pick as senior VP of Shit Disturbations in 2008, upon the retirement of Joe Gibbs owner Dan Snyder having fully elevated Vinny to the highest post any executive would prior to the 2009 meltdown and the begging and pleading for new real actual general manager Bruce Allen.

Going into the 2008 draft the Redskins needed, what else? Offensive line and defensive line help, they were old and hurt. Instead they used all three second round picks, two garnered in a big day of trades, on pass catchers, Michigan State receiver Devin Thomas, USC tight end Fred Davis and Oklahoma receiver Malcolm Kelly, the theory here obviously being that with new head coach Jim Zorn's brand of west coast offense that despite the age and lack of talent in other key positions that with all these pass catchers the Redskins could just play their way out of structural weakness.

Devin showed up to his rookie training camp out of shape, could not pass the receiver conditioning test then pulled a hamstring. Better (preseason) receivers were released on Cut Day that year in anticipation of some future performance Devin would be able to achieve.

His rookie year in 2008 with a pass happy new coach looking for a receiver to hang his offensive hat on, Devin started one game and missed six games due to injury, he finished 2008 with a modest fifteen catches for 120 yards and no touchdowns, Devin did find the end zone once in 2008, on a reverse run against the Giants in game twelve, a 23-7 Giants rout in the freezing rain.

Going into 2009 the expectations machine was on high for Devin, so high that I got the sense that team was saying it to make themselves feel it like, looking at that sad piece of trash you married and telling her MAYBE IF WE HAD ANOTHER BABY THAT'D BRING US CLOSER. IN 2009 Devin finished with 25 catches for 325 yards, he started ten games and had three touchdown catches, his notable game, the one that the Devin Thomas apologists latched onto was game twelve against the Super Bowl bound Saints, in a 33-30 loss Devin had seven catches for 100 yards and there was a tiny contingent in Washington that was shouting in little voices HE'S FINALLY ARRIVED.

Arriving in 2010 with a new coach and new general manager Devin had to start all over. All those things that were forgiven about Devin in favor of the upside were brought front and center and Devin was told, like everyone else, that he would have to win his job, that it did not matter where he was drafted or what his potential was, he was going to have to deliver.

They never saw it in Devin, giving 38 year old Joey Galloway and undrafted Anthony Armstrong depth spots ahead of Devin, his last gasp was in the return game and when head coach Mike Shanahan finally decided to take Brandon Banks out of the garage there was no need for a decent kick returner that the team did not trust to run a correct route or catch a ball that hit him in the hands.

In the end Devin lived in Washington for two seasons on potential and exited when he was not able to deliver in real life. I wish it had worked out with Devin, it did not and sadly the Redskins lose nothing without him. I wish Devin the best in Carolina and hope he comes back here with them in 2012 and proves me wrong by having a strong game in a Panthers loss.

=====

It is said in that January meeting for Vinny's promotion that Vinny told Dan he could lead the team, that Dan told Vinny he believed in Vinny but was going to hold Vinny to his pledge to rebuild the team, and he did by firing Vinny in December of 2009. That 2008 draft was already in tatters before the team finally decided to part ways with Devin Thomas.



Devin Thomas: Getty Images from here.

Happy Birthday LaRon Landry

Harbinger of BOOM

Please join me and the entire staff of The Curly R in wishing a happy birthday to Redskins safety LaRon Landry, LaRon turns 26 years young today.

A first round pick of the Redskins in 2007 out of Louisiana State University, LaRon is in his fourth season with Washington, LaRon has truly come into his own in 2010 with a defensive scheme that allows him to maximize his talents for roaming sideline to sideline and knocking the shit out of opposing players. In five games so far this season LaRon leads the NFL by one measure in total tackles and solo tackles and there is no question he is one of the NFL's most improved players this season, he is laying a streak of fear everywhere he goes and even Sports Illustrated's Peter King is wondering if anyone in the NFL right now is playing better defense than LaRon Landry.

After projecting as a strong safety, playing near the line, coming into the NFL, LaRon was forced into duty as a pass covering free safety after the shooting death of teammate Sean Taylor in 2007, in 2008 LaRon seemed to embrace this position and like the team overall thrived in the first half of the season before looking vulnerable and falling prey to weaknesses and lack of discipline as a 6-2 started ended with an 8-8 finish.

In 2009 LaRon seemed to suffer from a lack of coaching and or a lack of focus as his vulnerability to receiver stutter moves became the stuff of jokes among football fans, last season ended with LaRon moved back up to the line, though still looking out of position and making mistakes and many Redskins fans wondered if LaRon was always going to be a headhunter, looking for the big hit, at the expense of the less than occasional late hit, and not able to assess the play developing at the line.

Come into 2010 and LaRon is the poster child for what is working in the Redskins switch to a 3-4 defense, LaRon can present so many looks and is so versatile in this defense that opposing offenses must account for him on every play. LaRon has one forced fumble and pulled in one interception, both in the Green Bay game Sunday, the forced fumble ended the Packers opening drive after two plays and the interception saved the game for the Redskins.

That is by no means the extent of LaRon's defensive contribution this season, he is laying some of the hardest wood I have ever seen and opposing players know what happens when LaRon meets you: You lose, a visibly exhausted receiver DeSean Jackson pulling up rather than be creamed by LaRon on the next to last play of the Eagles game two weeks ago happened right in front of my seats, I am telling you that for every hit LaRon lays this season there is a video session happening for all future opponents where the skill position players look at each other in silence and hope they are not the guy to get bricked.

Give him a new contract and I MEAN LIKE RIGHT NOW.


Happy birthday LaRon!



LaRon Landry: Getty Images from here. Apologies to Speed Racer the movie for the tagline.

Brian Orakpo Was Not Held as a Child

Becoming unstoppable

Last Sunday night my game partner lifetime Eagles fan, season ticket holder and Curly R reader/lurker Wilbert Montgomery and I got back to Alexandria from the Eagles game in Philadelphia around 11:30 pm, the wife was there to help me pour the boys into bed and to see Wilbert Montgomery off on the last leg of his trip back to Fredericksburg, after he left she gave me her impressions of the game as she saw on TV, culminating with the humorous comment from one of her friends that Brian Orakpo must not have been held as a child. Because he is getting all that attention now. (Ed. note: The missus tells me the friend says she heard it from a caller on a radio show. -Ben)

In the season opening game one against Dallas Brian drew a holding penalty against replacement right tackle Alex Barron, after the initial euphoria wore off there was some amusing talk around the league, particularly among butthurt Cowboys fans, of a hometown call and how OMG they could call holding on every play OMG and this was the league wanting Mike Shanahan to get the opening win.

Turns out despite drawing another four holding penalties in the next four games, replays regularly are showing Brian being held behind the line.

The guy simply is turning into a force already in his second year, he has the traditional speed move, the ability to get outside the tackle off the snap, forcing the tackle to play from behind and either push Brian around the play or commit the hold.

As John Keim observes in the Washington Examiner today, Brian also can engage the tackle straight on, get inside his pads then redirect quickly around the side, forcing the tackle to make a lateral move, and most tackles cannot match Brian's side to side speed so they end up holding.

Brian does not have the club or the feint-swim moves of a freight train Reggie White type defensive end, and he may never have them, he is not that size and he may never need them, he can just take you on and beat you around the play.

These types of observations, that a guy like a Brian is drawing a high number of holding penalties, also have the effect of working the referees, now that it is in the open that this is what Brian does, the Ron Jaworskis and Pat Kirwans of the world are going to talk about it openly, if I was head of the Redskins video shop I would as we speak be preparing a tape of all the holding penalties on Brian that have not been called and I would deliver that tape with a big burgundy bow to the league office before Sunday's game.



Brian Orakpo being held by Dallas right tackle Alex Barron on the last play of the Cowboys game: AP photo from here.

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.

Clinton Portis Needs to Keep His Focus on Keeping His Focus on Football

Unforced errors

The worst part about this whole Ines Sainz affair is that Clinton Portis did not even know about the story when it came up in his paid radio spot. One thing decades of being a sports fan has taught me is that athletes are generally weak off the cuff, Clinton took that to a whole new level of douchebaggery.

And he still will not shut up about it.

As far as it appears sometimes that sports have evolved it is still mostly neanderthals in locker rooms. No wonder we still have not met an active gay pro athlete.



Clinton Portis: 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.

Cut Day

Not to be

Coach wants to see you, bring your playbook

The Turk came back to the Redskins locker room this week, final cuts are in, training camp is a wrap, the regular season is here, no huge surprises in the lists of cuts, Brandon Banks and Anthony Armstrong both made it, Keiland Williams is also in, I personally thought Ryan Torain was a better option, they were very close. And the team is going with three quarterbacks.

Full list of cuts:

Round of 75 cuts, Tuesday 31 August 2010

OL Edwin Williams
S Lendy Holmes
LS James Dearth
LB Hall Davis

Offensive lineman Edwin Williams was an undrafted free agent signed after the 2009 draft, he made the roster as a backup center and guard, he played in three games last season including two starts in the right guard wood chipper at Philadelphia and at San Diego, both games were losses, Washington signed Kory Lichtensteiger in January to compete for the backup center position and Kory won out.

Safety Lendy Holmes was also an undrafted free agent signed following the 2009 draft (op. cit.), Lendy was released on Cut Day 2009 then re signed back to the practice squad, he was promoted to the regular roster following safety Chris Horton's torn toe ligament on 11 November 2009, he appeared in the final eight games last season mostly on special teams, the team signaled a lack of confidence in Lendy when safety Tyrone Carter was signed off the street following the injury to free safety Kareem Moore.

Veteran long snapper James Dearth was signed two weeks into training camp this year when the team wanted some competition for new incumbent Nick Sundberg.

Linebacker Hall Davis was acquired in trade from Saint Louis on Monday, had one practice and was cut, the union, the NFL Players Association is looking at this cut as a violation of the rule that says a team must pay a drafted rookie 85 percent of the rookie minimum of $310,000, it looks like tight end Dennis Morris was shipped out to Saint Louis to suffer the same fate.

WR Malcolm Kelly was placed on injured reserve to bring the total roster moves from this day to five.


Round of 53 cuts, Saturday 4 September 2010

WR Terrence Austin (signed to Redskins practice squad)
QB Richard Bartel
OL Selvish Capers (signed to Redskins practice squad)
S Tyrone Carter
OL Erik Cook (signed to Redskins practice squad)
FB Carey Davis
LB Curtis Gatewood
DL Howard Green
LB Robert Henson
WR Shay Hodge
DE/LB Rob Jackson (signed to Redskins practice squad)
OL Clint Oldenburg
TB Willie Parker
OL Chad Rinehart
CB Ramzee Robinson
OL Will Robinson (signed to Redskins practice squad)
S Anderson Russell (signed to Redskins practice squad)
DL Darrion Scott
TB Ryan Torain (signed to Redskins practice squad)
TE Lee Vickers
WR Bobby Wade

Receiver Terrence Austin was a seventh round draft pick that made some great plays in a training camp and preseason populated by a bunch of young, eager and unproven receivers, Terrence stood out particularly in the third and fourth games, although I thought he did enough to make the team, the brass must have thought they had all the five eleven receivers it needed on the roster in Anthony Armstrong, Joey Galloway and Santana Moss. Terrence was signed to the practice squad and something tells me we will see him on the roster at some point this season.

Quarterback Richard Bartel was signed by the Redskins back in November of 2009 to be the number three behind Jason Campbell and Todd Collins, after the team traded for John Beck who offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was supposably high on coming out of college, then gave him a contract extension, Richard was behind the eight ball. Richard has been with Dallas, Cleveland, Jacksonville and now Washington.

Linebacker Robert Henson started camp quietly amidst higher profile position player, Robert ended the preseason tackling everything in sight, he injured his knee at the end of the Cardinals preseason game four and was released with an injury settlement. Robert will most be remembered by Redskins fans as the dumbass that insulted Redskins fans.

Defensive end slash linebacker Rob Jackson is another of the sad 2008 draft class, he was a little used defensive end the past two seasons and was slated to convert to outside linebacker in the new 3-4 scheme. He did not turn many heads in camp though he was invited back to the practice squad.

Tailback Willie Parker did not distinguish himself in the three man race with Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson to carry the ball this season, Clinton simply looks terrific and while I did not think Larry was all that great shakes, Willie was definitely the third of three.

Offensive lineman Chad Rinehart, yet another member of the Redskins doomed 2008 draft, was never rated highly, did not play at all in 2008 and went into the grinder at right guard in 2009, he started two games then lost the spot and went all the way to the end of the bench, offensive line coach Joe Bugel lobbied hard to get Chad back in the game and he got another two games before being pulled again. I do not think the team was ever planning on keeping Chad.

Tackle Will Robinson was on the Redskins practice squad last season after signing as an undrafted rookie free agent with Seattle in 2008 and saw some action in the second half of the 2009 schedule as a reserve, the team likes his athleticism, Will is apparently very raw, he was signed back to the practice squad.

Two year veteran tailback Ryan Torain was never really dueling with Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson or Willie Parker, Ryan's main competition was rookie Keiland William, the team was never going to keep three backs with as much experience as Clinton, Larry and Willie and Keiland got the spot for the developing guy, Ryan was signed back to the practice squad.

Cornerback Justin Tryon, another misfit from the Redskins 2008 draft, was traded to the Colts for an as yet undisclosed draft pick to bring the total roster moves this day to 22.


Of the 34 players selected in the draft by the Redskins since 2006, fifteen or 44 percent are no longer with the team. If we extend only to include players on the active roster and not on the practice squad or injured reserve, the number jumps to 20 or 59 percent of players selected that are not in an immediate position to help the team.


Previous Cut Days: 2009 2008 2007 2006



Willie Parker in his final preseason game with the Redskins: Getty Images from here.

No Wonder Donte Stallworth Fumbled

Cut from stone

Scary how well built is Redskins safety LaRon Landry, subject of Jason Reid's column today in the Washington Post, after taking over the free safety spot in 2007 following the death of teammate Sean Taylor, LaRon went on a slow career spiral culminating last season with double moves fool LaRon becoming an NFL meme.

He is re energized and ready for some hitting closer to the line, he had a great game Saturday, causing a fumble and even successfully faking an injury to stop the clock when he did not want to burn a timeout.

As for the fashion statement, I am ok with the toss, seriously dude what is with the tassels?



LaRon Landry: Jonathan Newton / Washington Post from here.

Donovan's Contract Extension Is Not a Story But Donovan's Contract Extension Is Not a Story Is a Story

How many times will he do this?

As far back as 2008 there have been stories linking Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb to his former position coach and offensive coordinator Brad Childress in Minnesota, after the Vikings NFC Championship loss in January 2010 whereafter Brett Favre said he needed to step away from football and contemplate his future, Dono was linked again to Minnesota in trade rumors.

Now since the moment Brett Favre announced on 3 August to a Minnesota journalist that he was leaking a story that Brett Favre was set to retire and not play his 20th NFL season in 2010, a story that turned out to be all kinds of bullshit needed to fill Brett's giant ego- ah fuck it, Mike Florio, take it away:

We've been insisting that, before Favre returns, he needs to persuade everyone that he won't return. Just like he did last year.

Since that moment there has been an interesting undercurrent of speculation about Donovan McNabb and the Minnesota Vikings. The story goes like this:

Donovan has always wanted to play for Brad Childress; this of course is not just a player preference, like Brett Favre Dono would be attracted to the Vikings because they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender, behind Minnesota's line Brett had his best year ever and the Vikings were one game from the Super Bowl.

With no Brett in 2010 the Vikings would go back to mediocre behind Tarvaris Jackson and come 2011, if there is football at all, the clamor to get a solid quarterback into the Metrodome before the core of this Vikings team falls apart would become a shriek.

Meanwhile back in 2010 with Brett out of the way in Minnesota in 2011, Dono would hem and haw and fail to sign a longish term deal with the Redskins and that despite his protestations to the contrary, Dono would be one and done in Washington then off to Minnesota, a team that has become to addicted to old quarterbacks like me to Dame Judi Dench. Read about it here and in comments here by none other than our own lifetime Eagles fan, season ticket holder and Curly R reader/lurker Wilbert Montgomery.

That Brett decided to come play football in 2010 does not necessarily foreclose these possibilities, unless Brett comes really close to a Super Bowl once again and is injury free I think he will actually retire after a round twenty years.

So if Dono does not sign a contract with the Redskins, it does not need to be because Brett is or is not with the Vikings; playing on a one year deal Dono could sign with whomever he wants, he could even sign for a year with the Jets then go join the Vikings in 2012 as a 35 year old :0

None of this isreally the point though, the question I have is, why has Donovan McNabb not signed a contract extension? The Redskins are a team that has traditionally been free with cash and had no problem convincing players contract terms were generous. From the standard form six year thirty million dollar contract that Chris Cooley and Brandon Lloyd and Adam Archuleta and London Fletcher all signed to the whopper hundred million dollar matzoh that Albert Hayneswoth signed, the Redskins are adept and comfortable playing at the top of the market.

There must be something going on, some reason Dono and the team are not moving on a deal. It is either Donovan that wants to wait and see or the team does. Given what I know about the team and how they like to pay players as if they are going to retire in Washington, it seems logical to me that the team would be ready to talk and this is all on Team Donovan for not making it happen.

BUT, what if this is new real actual general manager Bruce Allen insisting on not putting the cart in front of the horse? Perhaps testing Dono and his agents, letting Dono know he cannot walk all over the team the way Brett has in Minnesota. Maybe they are not close in negotiations. Maybe no one put an tasker in Bruce's calendar.

You will recall I have written before that Bruce Allen and head coach Mike are playing with house money this year, that there is nothing they can do to screw it up worse than it was when they got here and I think that also includes losing Donovan McNabb. If he is gone and we hear later that there was just no way to work out a deal that worked for the team economically I will cheer it on principle alone.

Another angle is the timing, Dono restructured his contract in Philadelphia in June of 2009, he arrived in Washington on that contract with one year, this season, remaining on it.

Somewhere, early after Dono's arrival in Washington, I read that the reason the team could not tear up Dono's contract and give him a new one was due to a league rule prohibiting two contract actions in the same year, that would have meant that Dono was ineligible for a new contract until June of this year, and so for all of April, May and at least part of June there was nothing that could happen by rule. For the third time I ask, if anyone out there has the rule or a citation please drop it in comments or send me an email.

The timing would matter if Dono was waiting around for Brett to decide whether he wanted to play again, then decide whether to sign an extension with Washington based on his early projections of options for 2011.

Donovan left a hero in Philadelphia, even if Eagles head coach Andy Reid is doing his best to sully the legacy, the fans there seem to realize it was the team that did Dono wrong and not vice versa. If Dono talks this big about wanting to retire a Redskin and then bolts to another team in the face of a fair offer from Washington there is are going to be a lot of Redskins fans pissed off at Donovan McNabb.

I bought your jersey Donovan, do not make me need another next year.



Donovan McNabb: Jonathan Newton / Washington Post from here.

The Receivers Situation Is Really Much Ado About Nothing

Out though

Since the Thursday Night Massacre when Antwaan Randle El was released, Redskins fans knew receiver was going to be sore spot for Washington in 2010. Santana Moss is now five years past his franchise record for receiving yards¹ and Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly made no significant strides as franchise receivers in their second years in 2009.

The 2010 free agency crop of receivers was not terrific, even adjusting for the fact that in the current collective bargaining agreement environment team owners are more inclined to stay out of the market. There was some quality there, check the names (op. cit.), aside from Antonio Bryant and Vincent Jackson though the Redskins never seriously went into the top drawer.

This past April's draft was also not bursting at the seams with receiver talent, in the first round only two receivers were selected and none higher than number 22, and there were only four selected in the first two rounds; the Redskins never even mentioned a receiver's name in draft consideration that I can think of.

So heading into camp the team had a motley collection of receivers in camp, from classic cars like Joey Galloway to untested coupes like Brandon Banks, with a bunch of sport wagons and a couple of beaters in between.

One of the big stories, maybe the biggest story in a camp where many positions are all but settled, has been the competition among these receivers, who will make the team and who will be on his way. Depth charts change by the day, playing time in preseason game one may or may not be an indicator.

One guy muffed the opening kickoff and then caught a 44 yard second half touchdown. Another caught quarterback Donovan McNabb's first competitive touchdown pass as a Redskin except he bobbled it and if the game had been live the Bills would have challenged the score and won (or maybe they would have just lied there a bit longer and let the Redskins finish before taking a shower). One guy dashed 77 yards for a dazzling second half punt return score, but not before muffing the punt return before that one. A bunch of other guys got one or two ball tossed at them, nothing enough to evaluate and one guy has been hurt all camp and cannot play.

I am ready to make a couple of early predictions about who makes the team and they are based on a couple of factors.

First, I think head coach Mike Shanahan might keep four ball carriers. Now that Brian Westbrook is out of the picture coach is free to execute his plan. All three Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker will make the team, barring a complete meltdown or some revelation that one or more of them simply cannot play at this level. Both Ryan Torain and Keiland Williams looked good in action Friday, and coach Shanahan may want a young set of legs to mix it up and get some experience. If not then both Ryan and Keiland look to be eligible for the practice squad, which of course would mean that either or both would have to be cut and then pass through waivers and not be signed by another team which they would be if they were scouted as quality by the rest of the league but I digress.

So four ball carriers would imply a higher likelihood of five receivers instead of six. There is also a natural economics to NFL football, in most offenses there is really not room for more than three receivers at most, and you know the tight ends and or tailbacks will count for many of the passing yards in Dono's first year in Washington.

So in my opinion to a great extent there is no benefit to keeping more than five receivers on the roster, you can always find a body to put on the practice squad and in the event you are down to playing your fourth and fifth or practice squad players then you have had serious injuries or the bottom has dropped out of your season and you are auditioning for next year anyway.

So who do I think will make the team? Well one is easy, Santana Moss, this season will be his swan song in Washington.

The next is easy as well, Devin Thomas. Even though his place on the depth chart has fluctuated that is because coach Shanahan is playing mindgames with Devin, trying to tease out a motivation that has been lacking the last two years and find out once and for all if Devin looks so mediocre because he is not talented or because he has not been properly motivated. One of those conditions can be corrected by a guy like Mike Shanahan.

The next is the hard working everyman, Bobby Wade. Bobby is only 29 and has put up consistent number three receiver production the past four season. He can step by pushed into the number two spot if Devin pulls another disappearing act. Bobby gets the nod over Roydell Williams on experience, Roydell has been out of the game for two seasons and there are a lot of guys with more experience in his salary band, and over Mike Furrey on production, Mike has number four receiver numbers.

The fourth is the grizzled veteran, Joey Galloway. Every team needs an Art Monk or a Henry Ellard, a wily vet that can put out just enough production to keep the chains moving and can tutor the guys on the sideline in the ways of the NFL. Plus Joey has a relationship with new real actual general manager Bruce Allen from Tampa Bay days, I think Bruce considers Joey a quote character guy unquote and you like to have these guys around your team.

The fifth is the wild card, it will be one of the three musketeers, Brandon Banks, Anthony Armstrong and Terence Austin, whichever distinguishes himself in preseason play, as both a receiver and special teams player.

And Malcolm Kelly is done, his Redskins career will be over. That he has been unable to play is bad enough, I also think Mike Shanahan will be looking for other examples of old guard players to turn out as he remakes the team in his image. That process started with the aforementioned Thursday Night Massacre, continued with quarterback Colt Brennan and will conclude on cut day with Malcolm Kelly.

One or two of the young guys will land on the practice squad, unless they are claimed by another team in which case it will be time to go to market and nab some other team's castoffs.

There are some caveats here, this configuration I have put together has only one receiver over six feet tall, Devin Thomas at six feet two inches. If coach Shanahan wants more height explicitly his options are Malcolm Kelly at six feet five, Mike Furrey at six feet zero and rookie Shay Hodge at six feet two.

And of course it may be that the team has no intention if jettisoning Malcolm yet, they could keep him at number five and play a four receiver rotation until Malcolm's hamstring heals.

I just tend to think back to something I heard Randy Cross say on Sirius NFL Radio's Opening Drive years ago, and that is guys usually are what they are, and Malcolm has shown no signs of being a legitimate number one or number two receiver. So with hungrier guys out there why keep him?


1. Official NFL Record and Fact Book 2009 (New York: Time Life Books, 2009), 227.



Malcolm Kelly: AP photo from here.

Redskins Training Camp Day Five: GUNSLINGER FOR HIRE

Into every life a little rain must fall

Monday 2 August 2010 | Forty-one days until kickoff

Looks like the Redskins finally found a story to knock Albert Haynesworth off the front page: Third year quarterback and fan favorite former University of Hawaii Warrior Colt Brennan was cut today, the Cult of Colt is leaving town.

After what he described as a good morning practice, the team called Colt in and gave him the news, Washington had acquired another quarterback and was going in another direction, the team indicated to Colt that they thought he could play in the NFL, just not with the Redskins this season, and they decided to release him so early in camp to give him the most time to catch on with another team. The whole thing was a complete surprise to Colt. It was all about John Beck, offensive coordinator and coach son Kyle Shanahan apparently has had his eye on John since his BYU days, not in a gay way or anything.

Colt leaves Washington taking with him a large and fanatical fanbase, I literally say UH gear at every Redskins game I went to in 2008 and 2009, including road games in Philadelphia. The instant media take on Colt's Washington legacy is the Hall of Fame Game to open the preseason in 2008 (ibid.), Colt was nine for ten in a 30-16 win, I will always remember Colt for his performance in 2008 preseason game three at the New York Jets, it was Brett Favre's first game as a Jet, Colt came in to start the fourth quarter, after two disappointing drives, in each of which the line gave up a big sack, Colt drew his six shooters and blasted his way to a final game winning drive, bombs to receiver Billy McMullen and tight end Jason Goode sealed the 13-10 victory. Neither Billy nor Jason would make the team.

Thank you Colt and thank you to the Coltrollers that will move on from Curly R to the media properties covering Colt's next team, because I think Colt will get a job in the NFL.


There was related news, the quarterback acquired to replace Colt Brennan is John Beck (op. cit.), second year from Brigham Young University, drafted by Miami in the second round of the 2007 draft, started four games that year under head coach and former Redskins quarterbacks coach Cam Cameron after former Redskins quarterback Trent Green suffered what turned out to be a season ending concussion and elevated backup Cleo Lemon became the latest example of how names make people, see also UNC's Duke basketball's Eric Meek and hockey's Garth Butcher, John played three complete games then was pulled in the fourth game in the first quarter after fumbling untouched, the resulting turnover was returned for a touchdown. (hat tip to reader terry in comments for correcting the UNC-Duke confusion, Eric Montross is the center that played at the same time for UNC, as a Wahoo I am filled with a bitterness over the success of those rival teams in those years, a bitterness that only whiskey can wash away and only temporarily. -Ben)

Bill Parcells joined the Dolphins as head honcho before the 2008 season which saw John sit as third string quarterback behind Chad Pennington and Chad Henne, John saw no game action in 2008. Miami released their former second round pick in the 2009 offseason.

John subsequently signed with the Ravens for the 2009 season reuniting him with new Baltimore offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, John again saw no game action last year behind Joe Flacco and Troy Smith.

The Ravens, already worried about number two cornerback Fabian Washington coming off an anterior cruciate ligament tear in 2009, lost number one cornerback Domonique Foxworth for the 2010 season when he tore an ACL in a non contact drill on the third day of camp and began an immediate search for help on the corners.

Fast forward to today. Washington made a straight up trade of cornerback Doug Dutch to Baltimore for quarterback John Beck. The Ravens are so desperate for cornerback help that they gave away a former second round draft pick with NFL starting experience and familiarity with the offensive coordinator's system for an undrafted free agent that was released by the Redskins on Cut Day last season, was out of football for ten weeks then signed back to the Redskins practice squad in November as the team spiraled into misery.

Which leads me to wonder aloud, WHAT THE FUCK ARE THE RAVENS THINKING?! Even if John Beck was panning out to nothing, this seems like an unusually hard up move for the Ravens and Ozzie Newsome, a general manager with a long history of savvy player moves.

Was Doug Dutch that strong a prospect in his second season? Is John beck that much of a washout? Do the Ravens have a secret plan B for getting a higher quality player to start at cornerback? If there is a Raven writer out there reading this, please let me know your take on this.

Alternate title for this post: Redskins Training Camp Day Five: Washington Screws Another Team in Trade for a Change


Blah blah blah, former NFL offensive lineman turned analyst Brian Baldinger thinks quarterback Donovan McNabb is one of the most overrated players in the history of the NFL. *YAAAWNNNN*


Filling out the quarterback news, Rex Grossman appears to have the lead on the backup spot, in other news the sky is blue and water is wet for the only other quarterback on the roster besides Dono with more than four games starting experience and with a full year working in Kyle Shanahan's offense. Fucking duh.


Are we entering an end game in the Albert Haynesworth saga? Before 8:00 am we already knew Albert would not test his knee with the conditioning test.

By noon the story had changed. For the first time since conditioning test saga started Thursday on day one of camp, head coach Mike Shanahan hinted that Albert may be cleared to practice even without passing the test. Since camp started, Albert has taken the test three times and failed all three, and sat out of the test twice, including today, he has missed eight practices.

My bet is on Albert to milk this knee thing for all it is worth, we have already heard coach Shanahan say that this is not a serious injury, that Albert would be practicing on it if he were cleared to practice, Albert is right at the crossroads of don't give a shit and I think I can I think I can. The problem for Albert here is that he has already been rendered moot in this equation. His legacy as a malcontent is already hardening, the best he will ever be able to do is generate some goodwill at the margins.

As I have said many times before this offseason, coach Shanahan and the new kids in team leadership are playing with house money, there is nothing they can do to screw this up. Let Albert twist, be generally mean and risk looking bad? To whom? Media types drolly clinking highballs? Who exactly thinks the worst coach Shanahan can possibly do is worse than Albert Haynesworth taking twenty-one million dollars and then no showing for a room full of new bosses?

Relent, take Albert back, cave like a pussy whipped jellyfish and risk looking bad? To whom? The fans are not that sadistic and serious football watchers know the game has to end at some point and Albert has to get back in the game.

Mike Shanahan cannot screw this up, how it ends does not matter to me.


The safety positions are going to look different this year. LaRon Landry, 2007 first round pick, was forced to move from strong safety his rookie year to free safety after the slaying of Redskins safety Sean Taylor. LaRon made some big hits, committed a few unsportsmanlikes and seemed to hold the center field position down fairly well for two seasons given circumstances. Over time though LaRon's performance at strong safety, a position he does not naturally play, has degraded to the point where LaRon was a punchline last season, overpursuing the play and getting burned on receiver stutter steps, which are now apparently called double moves.

This season LaRon is moving back to his more familiar strong safety position, where he will play closer to the line and more like a small linebacker. He will be looking to get into plays closer to the line of scrimmage rather than twenty yards downfield at the snap, over his three year career LaRon has only three sacks! Got to do better!

LaRon was not always solid in the strong safety position at the end of last season, he was moved there out of frustration by former defensive coordinator Greg Blache more than anything else, hopefully with an offseason to concentrate on strong safety he can get his head back in the game, LaRon played like a borderline first round bust season.

LaRon's move from free safety to strong safety has repercussions, 2008 sixth round draft pick Kareem Moore is expected to move into the free safety spot full time, I was impressed with Kareem last season, he saw action in all sixteen games, and Kareem's biggest weakness prior to this season has been that he got drafted after LaRon Landry moved to free safety, Kareem is a natural free safety and never had a chance to shine until LaRon revealed himself as a terrible strong safety last season.

The other and perhaps more salient impacts of LaRon moving to strong safety will fall on safeties Reed Doughty and Chris Horton. Reed, a 2006 sixth round pick, has moved from strong safety to free safety and back to strong safety, where he has excelled since coming back from back surgery in 2008. Chris, a 2008 seventh round pick stormed onto the scene in game two of that season against the New Orleans Saints with two interceptions, two solo tackles and a fumble recovery while subbing for an ill Reed Doughty, that performance earned Chris Defensive Player of the Week honors in only his second NFL game.

Chris won the starting strong safety job to start 2009, then lost it back to Reed after a game three loss at Detroit in a decision I have no other words for except bunch of fucking bullshit. Chris ended 2009 six weeks later on injured reserve with torn toe ligaments, and truth to say, I think Reed is right now the better of the two safeties. This does not guarantee the end for anyone, the calculus looks tough right now, the Redskins have plenty of strong safeties with a first round pick that never gets injured taking the lead. There may not be room for two others, even two with starting grade experience.


It has been hard to wrap my head around Joey Galloway as a Redskin, not because he played for Dallas or New England, not because he has more than ten thousand yards receiving in the NFL and not because his average yards per catch is over fifteen yards, no the thing that gets me here is this dude was drafted in 1995, that was fifteen years ago!

The dude knows the deal, he may not make the team and I have no idea what he plans to do after football, I can say with confidence that he would not even be this far with the Redskins if new real actual general manager Bruce Allen and head coach Mike Shanahan thought Joey had nothing to contribute, whether as a receiver on the field or a player-coach on the sideline, Joey is well past the point in his career of resenting younger players as the league inevitably turns over to youth, if he is smart he wants to cement a legacy and go out with his head high, playing the game he loves and communicating that passion to a new generation of players.

I hope Joey makes the team, he will need to be able to contribute and not just ride on his name, after all Mike Shanahan is the coach the ended Jerry Rice's career because he would not hold Jerry for name value, Joey will need to be able to play and I hope he can and he does (hat tip to Matt Terl at the ORB [Official Redskins Blog] for the link).


After playing nine years with the Redskins, the team did not attempt to re sign long snapper Ethan Albright aka the Red Snapper, after last season, Ethan was a consistent if low key player who made the Pro Bowl in 2007, he will be remembered for being the lowest rated player in EA Sports Madden 2007 and for the football wonks, for how he re upped with the team every year: A FedEx letter would arrive in the mail with a standard veteran minimum contract, Ethan would sign it and send it back, with so few complications Ethan did not need an agent.

So I cannot understand why the team would not at least bring Ethan back, and maybe they yet shall as new presumed long snapper Nick Sundberg is off to a shaky start (op. cit.), the team using guard slash center Will Montgomery at long snapper yesterday would tend to indicate they are not confident in Nick, all of 23 years old and with no NFL game experience. Maybe new real actual general manager Bruce Allen needs to keep 39 year old and with 15 years experience Ethan on speed dial.


Washington Post Training Camp Tracker: Offensive lineman Chad Rinehart, Washington's 2008 third round draft pick out of Northern Iowa did not play in 2008, he did not seem to progress from offseason to preseason to regular season, going into 2009 Chad was not projected into the lineup, when right guard Randy Thomas went down with a season ending injury for the second time in three seasons Chad was pressed into duty in what became a sad meat grinder at the right guard position.

Chad started two games after Randy went down and was unimpressive, he was replaced by former 400 pound man Mike Williams for a game, Mike was even worse. Head coach Jim Zorn then opened a competition between Chad and fifth year free agent Will Montgomery, Will won and started three games, all losses before offensive line coach Joe Bugel lobbied hard for Chad to be given another chance.

Coach Zorn bent over agreed and Chad started the next game, the Redskins best win in 2009, at home against the Broncos, tailback Ladell Betts ran for 114 yards as the Redskins played one game worthy of the jersey. Chad kept it going with the next game against Dallas... where he suffered a broken fibula in his right leg and was placed on injured reserve, missing the final five weeks of the season.

Wait it gets worse for Chad, in January of this year he was arrested for public drunkenness at a pizza joint in Cedar Falls Iowa, home of his alma mater Northern Iowa. The Redskins Insider piece from the time (op. cit.) is short on detail and sure makes it sound like Chad was arrested for the high crime of attempting to order pizza at 2:00 am.

Back in the now, Chad feels one hundred percent recovered from his injury and has dropped ten pounds, consistent with head coach Mike Shanahan's preference for lean and quick offensive linemen. Chad is currently slotted behind offseason free agent signing Artis Hicks at right guard, I have no idea how Chad is playing or where he will land as far as the roster, I would have to look at him as a borderline player and with the stench of last year's debacle on him, through no fault of his own, that is just how it played out. However with former 400 pound man Mike Williams on injured reserve with blood clots near his heart, Chad may have an opening to make the team.



Colt Brennan practicing early on his last day with the Redskins: AP photo from here.