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New Orleans Saints' Offensive Player Grades @ Redskins

saints-nation — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:00:22 -0000

by Nick Wass - AP

Below are the player grades on offense for the game at Washington. You'll notice the passing game was largely exceptional, while the run game was largely lacking in performance. The letter grade represents the player's performance in the game and the GPA behind it represents the player's cumulative performance for the season.

Saints vs Redskins coverage

Saints vs Redskins recap

Saints vs Redskins boxscore

Drew Brees: A (3.22) Brees was shaky at times, hanging on to the ball longer than we're accustomed to and having his height limitations more pronounced than usual with the batted passes, but overall Brees was once again masterful. He finished 35 of 49 for 419 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. The minute Shaun Suisham missed that short field goal, there was almost no question Brees would go down and tie the game at 30. I have to give personal credit to my cousin, Chris, who proclaimed the second the field goal missed that the score would be 30-30 within minutes. The bottom line was on a day where the defense couldn't seem to do anything right, Brees somehow kept the Saints within striking distance, and he led them to victory in the closing moments.

Reggie Bush: C- (2.50) Bush had limited action in the game but had a satisfactory day as a receiver. He had 4 catches for 28 yards. Rushing wise, his lone carry was a 3rd and 1 run to the left side where he was hit for a no gain. I'm not sure why he would ever be used as a short yardage back. His punt returning was once again embarassing. He ran backwards, per usual, and lost 2 yards on his only return. Because of his antics a block in the back was also added to the play. At what point do the Saints decide that Bush is a terrible punt returner? I remember the Vikings game last year like everyone else, but a blind squirrel could look at his punt returns numbers on the year and realize it's time to look for a viable alternative.

Mike Bell: C- (2.77) Bell was mediocre, and was often stacked up in short yardage situations. Typically he's tough to bring down, but he went down all too easy in this game. He finished with 16 carries for 34 yards, for just a 2.1 yard average. He did a good job running the football in overtime, but that was about it.

Pierre Thomas: C+ (3.10) The Saints ran the screen pass to Thomas more times than I cared to remember. That play was the staple of the Saints' offense in this game. Thomas was effective wielding through blockers and tackles, finishing with 8 catches for 64 yards. Unfortunately, his rushing attempts weren't nearly as impressive, as he finished with 18 yards on 6 carries. Thomas does deserve credit for throwing some terrific blocks on blitz pickups to keep his quarterback clean. Ultimately, the Saints were incapable of running the ball all day and Thomas never really got going.

Marques Colston: B (2.92) Colston was pretty quiet, and he was targeted by Brees with no success in a tight window a couple of times (including once in the end zone). That said, his only two catches were crucial plays. His first was a nice route that resulted in an easy, wide open 40 yard touchdown catch. His second catch was a 6 yard out that converted an important 3rd and 5 in overtime. He was targeted too many times, though, to come up with just 2 catches. He didn't get open nearly enough, but given his 40 yard TD catch I couldn't give him an uglier grade.

Devery Henderson: B+ (3.05) Henderson was brutalized by bone crushing hits on a number of occasions, most times delivered by LSU product LaRon Landry. To his credit, he was able to hang on to two big first down conversions despite huge hits he was barely able to get up from. Henderson had one bad drop that was reminiscent of his inconsistent performances of the past, but otherwise he was a go to target when the Saints needed plays. He finished with 6 catches for 61 yards. It did look like he might have dropped one of those receptions, but the Redskins never challenged his reception.

Robert Meachem: A+ (3.20) Meachem was the Saints' offensive player of the game. No poll, no debate, period. He was THE reason the Saints won the game. He's quickly becoming the prime target for Brees and the most dangerous playmaker on the team. He had 8 catches for 142 yards, including a 53 yard touchdown reception with 1:19 left to tie the game at 30. Right before halftime he stripped Kareem Moore of the Redskins after an interception. Meachem was able to make one of the more head's up plays I've ever seen, recovering the fumble after jarring it lose and racing 40 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 17. That play was, in a word, unbelievable. He did not make one single mistake through the game, and he was reliable in his route running, catching, and ability to make plays throughout the game.

Jeremy Shockey: B (2.86) It was nice to see Shockey rebound after a few quiet games in succession. With the game on the line and the Saints down a couple of scores, Shockey was relied on heavily in the 2 minute offense. He was found in the middle of the field on numerous plays, and he showed soft hands. He had an offensive pass interference call that I never fully understood. He finished with 4 catches for 47 yards. Interesting to see him used sparingly on rushing plays.

David Thomas: B- (2.33) Thomas did a poor job as a lead blocker despite getting numerous reps out of the fullback position. He did a nice job receiving, though, finishing with 3 catches for 31 yards, including a nice route where he smoked a Washington linebacker for a 21 yard gain.

Jermon Bushrod: C- (2.67) Bushrod was bad. He did a horrendous job run blocking, and a number of the running plays that went behind him were blown up. Specifically, Bush's 3rd and 1 carry and a couple of Bell's 3rd and shorts were stuffed based on poor blocking by Bushrod. His pass blocking was only marginally better as he got Brees hit and pressured on a number of plays. Veteran Andre Carter made him look silly, especially early, on a number of running plays. Give him credit, though, for making the tackle downfield after the missed field goal in regulation by Garrett Hartley.

Zach Strief: D (2.30) Strief is supposed to be the blocking specialist in short yardage situations, and quite simply, whenever he came in the game the Saints were stuffed short of the yardage they needed.

Carl Nicks: C (3.06) Nicks had an up and down game. On any and every short yardage situation the Saints had, they went behind Nicks pulling. He whiffed twice on tacklers, allowing Bell to get stacked up in the backfield. He did a poor job specifically on an important 4th and 1, which turned the ball back over to the Skins with the Saints down 20-17. Nicks did have some nice blocks and decent pass protection, but overall he had his hands full with Albert Haynesworth. I realize Nicks faced one of the best in the business, but the bottom line is he was mostly dominated.

Jonathan Goodwin: C+ (3.14) Goodwin, per usual, did a nice job pulling on the Pierre Thomas screens to throw some nice lead blocks and give Thomas some real estate to run with. His pass protection was adequate, but the Saints often attacked the middle running the ball and Goodwin wasn't strong enough to push the point of attack. He didn't have a great day, but he was one of the better linemen on an otherwise lackluster performance by the Saints' blocking unit.

Jahri Evans: C (3.28) You all know how much I sing Evans' praise every week, but this was a forgettable performance. He was flagged for an ineligible man downfield call late in the game. A play that wasn't necessarily his fault as the play was a designed screen that Brees didn't get rid of fast enough. Evans was unable to assert his normally dominant technique and force. Despite the Saints continuously running to the right side and using Nick's pulling help, the sledding was tougher than ever. The few plays that worked running the ball were plays where the blocking broke down on the right side of the line, and a lane appeared cutting against the grain on the left side. Not a good sign.

Jon Stinchcomb: D+ (2.83) Stinchcomb was the weakest link against the Redskins on the offensive line. He was pushed around and bullied all day long. He wasn't able to accomplish much and he should have been flagged way more often than what he actually got. I did notice he was flagged for an illegal block in the back on what was a horrendous attempt on a 3rd and goal screen pass to Devery Henderson. His run blocking easily deserves an F. Do yourselves a favor and DO NOT watch the tape of his run blocking attempts. Play after play after play, he allows tremendous penetration. Pass blocking was marginally better.

Darnell Dinkins: D+ (1.87) When he came in, he blocked, and he blocked poorly.

My Offensive Player of the Game: Robert Meachem

Poll

Who Was Your Offensive Player of the Game?

Robert Meachem (Sorry, no other choices)

488 votes

488 votes | Poll has closed

Hogs Haven Predicts Redskins Final 53

Ken Meringolo — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:32:30 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

Robert Henson and Cody Glenn may both benefit from being drafted by Vinny Cerrato. He HATES to cut players he drafts!

Browse more photos »

First, the obvious: Sugar has been shelved for the time being. I will be tackling a new writing assignment within SB Nation and I was asked to come up with a cooler name to write under. The best I could come up with was "Ken Meringolo". I know what you're thinking...sounds too much like an undercover secret agent of international intrigue. I guess you could say I followed the lead of one my heroes, Lt. Frank Drebin, and decided to use my maiden name.

Not that many tears (besides mine) will be shed over it, but Sugar will most assuredly be back. I will keep you guys posted on when and where my other writing assignments will end up. But on to the issues of the day.

Here is our crack at predicting the Redskins "Final 53". We have all been watching the preseason closely--there won't be many surprises. But we are picking a couple. Have at it (after the jump):

QB (3): Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Colt Brennan

RB (5): Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Mike Sellers, Anthony Alridge

WR (5): Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, Marko Mitchell

TE (3): Chris Cooley, Fred Davis, Todd Yoder

OL (9): Chris Samuels, Derrick Dockery, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Stephon Heyer, Chad Rinehart, Mike Williams, Jeremy Bridges, Will Montgomery

DL (9): Phillip Daniels, Albert Haynesworth, Cornelius Griffin, Anthony Montgomery, Kedric Golston, Lorenzo Alexander, Andre Carter, Jeremy Jarmon, Rob Jackson

LB (7): London Fletcher, Rocky McIntosh, Brian Orakpo, H.B. Blades, Chris Wilson, Cody Glenn, Robert Henson

DB (9): Carlos Rogers, DeAngelo Hall, Fred Smoot, Kevin Barnes, Justin Tryon, LaRon Landry, Chris Horton, Reed Doughty, Kareem Moore

P: Hunter Smith

LS: Ethan Albright

K: Dave Rayner

I put Rob Jackson in over Renaldo Wynn, Robert Henson in over Robert Thomas, Rayner over Suisham, and Anthony Alridge in over whomever you want to call the 53rd man to make it.

Why do I continue to keep Renaldo Wynn off my final 53 list? If you think like me, then you think Wynn is not really a guy who is going to get a lot of snaps anyway unless there is an injury. Rob Jackson is still a little young and raw, and I have not heard his name a ton but if you are going to keep a guy around to caddy for the rest of the defensive linemen, why not keep a young guy who has a shot to develop into a serviceable backup instead of a guy at the end of his rope who has played all of his best football already? This is the pick I will most likely be wrong about, as Renaldo Wynn is a pro who knows how to play the game, and was brought in for his leadership and experience this offseason. But I had to stay true to what I have been saying this summer.

The Robert Henson/Cody Glenn/Robert Thomas decision at linebacker is a little more straight-forward. I think Cody Glenn is at the head of the 3-pack. The decision between Henson and Thomas is not so hard when you remember one thing: Vinny drafted Henson. He hates to be wrong about his draft picks. And lucky for him, he is in the position to pronounce his rightness! Henson has made a few mental blunders during games this preseason, and dropping that sure interception against the Ravens hurt him (coming out of TCU, he was actually graded as a sure-handed linebacker.) But in the end, the team will keep the guy they picked in the draft, and drop the guy they signed off the street. Regardless of who is better--though let's not make that out to be a huge deal. Neither Henson nor Thomas factors huge for us this season, and if Henson can figure out to stay on the field for special teams by mid-season, he will be worth the investment. Finally, it says here that Robert Henson will pull off an Alfred Fincher kind of performance against the Jags and earn the spot.

Anthony Alridge...really? Vinny brought him in this offseason and the word from the inside of the building is that Vinny loves him too much to let him go. What's not to love? He is one of those "yards-per-touch" guys. He is going to get the ball in the flat on screens, pitches, and dump-offs and he is going to get upfield in a hurry. I know Marcus Mason has been a fan favorite to make this squad multiple times, but the fact of the matter is he does not give us something we don't already have. Alridge gives us a scatback, speed option off the bench that will prove very useful this season.

I went with Rayner over Suisham even though there seems to be a resounding consensus that Suisham will retain his position. I FEEL LIKE I AM TAKING CRAZY PILLS! How do you hold any benefit of the doubt in a kicking competition when you were last in the league in field goal percentage? Rayner has had the better kickoff leg and neither has blown the roof off with their field goals. If anything, I would be tempted to keep Rayner and then bring in either Mike Nugent (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) or Brandon Coutu (Seattle Seahawks)--helps to watch every preseason game!--to compete with Rayner in the week leading up to the regular season. Coutu has a good chance to make the Seahawks' roster, but if he doesn't, we wouldn't be the only ones trying to sign him.

Practice Squad Predictions: Edwin Williams, Scott Burly, Keith Eloi, Robbie Agnone, Chase Daniel, Eddie Williams

WaTimes 53-man roster [Redskins 360]
WaPost 53-man roster [Redskins Insider]
Redskins Blog [Terl took his link down...I swore it was there?]

What do you guys think?

Poll

Which player that I put in do you think is most likely NOT to make the team?

Robert Henson

113 votes

Anthony Alridge

226 votes

Rob Jackson

263 votes

602 votes | Poll has closed

Washington Redskins Have Some Actual Depth

Ken Meringolo — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:59:48 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly have shown well this preseason and have bolstered a passing attack that has sorely missed viable options.

Browse more photos »

I have pointed to the ages of a large contingent of the Redskins' roster as a sign that we are in fact getting younger. That much has been unmistakable. What has remained in question is whether or not the youth on our team could actually play. There still remains some question marks, but as we head into the season, we have some answers on some of the players that simply must be able to get it done on the field, either as a starter or as a backup.

Devin Thomas - He really shined against the Patriots. I have only my tailgate-soaked memories of the game, so I will have to watch the replay on NFL Network but he looked like he belonged on the field instead of just taking up space. He made moves on both the ball and the defenders that made me feel a lot better about his role in our offense.

Malcolm Kelly - You get the feeling that he builds up a lot of confidence in his coaches and teammates all week in practice. To a man, they all talk about Malcolm getting on the field in games and making plays. He might not be a world-beater yet, but he has flashed an ability to play the ball in the air that we can only hope translates into touchdowns for us this season.

Marko Mitchell- We have yet to see him square off against the other team's starting cornerbacks for a whole game, but the word on the street is that he gets it done in practice against our starters. In the last two preseason games, he has hauled in touchdown catches from the reserve quarterback--both of which required him to catch the ball in traffic and get both feet down in bounds.

More after the jump...

Fred Davis- Sleepy has been on the field a ton this preseason. He has contributed on special teams, and he has hauled in a touchdown pass. All offseason, I have been singing his praises along with almost everyone else. He is a beast. But he still needed to get a few things clicking before he was able to be a factor on this roster. Is that a clicking sound I hear coming from #86?

I get the feeling that Coach Zorn would love nothing better than for Kelly and Thomas to push Antwaan Randle El off the field. I am not sure we are there exactly, but my gut tells me if you are listening to the radio call this season, you are going to hear Larry Michael say, "Look at this! Kelly wide to the left, Thomas wide to the right, and Fred Davis in the slot. Here we go." That formation would get Cooley and Portis on the field as well. That would be exciting.

Brian Orakpo- Another rookie who has shown he belongs on the field. His bust potential is at an all-time low following his performance this preseason thus far. He can rush the passer to be sure, and when he bones up on his linebacking skills he will be an even bigger force on this unit. So far he has been more than a few offensive linemen could handle.

Chris Horton- His impact last season waned as the year wore on, but his commitment this offseason to studying film and learning his position leads me to believe he is not a one-year wonder.

Kareem Moore - With Reed Doughty back and looking pretty strong for us at backup safety, it is less important that Moore is ready to step in right away. To be sure, he has not done anything that would push either Horton or Doughty off of the field, but he got some valuable experience this preseason. I would love to see him start standing out on special teams. Either way, we know a lot more about him this year.

Kevin Barnes - As a 3rd round draft pick, there are expectations that you are capable of coming into the league and contributing right away. For some reason though, this franchise has a way of not finding out about those expectations. Last year Chad Rinehart (a 3rd rounder) did not see enough reps even in practice for anyone to know much about him, and that is unacceptable. Barnes got burned early in the preseason and then against New England, he made a play. I won't say that he is ready to play most downs right this second, but the coaches have some tape of this guy now and I am confident that Blache can use it to bring him along. We are fortunate that we do not need to force him into the fire right away, but if we had to, it would seem we could do worse.

If you look at nothing other than just getting some reps, you can throw in Justin Tryon, Jeremy Jarmon and maybe even Chad Rinehart as guys who got some much-needed looks in August.

Because of the way the team spends its money, the roster has been top-heavy for a while now. On "paper", you would have said our starters were capable of causing damage in the league every year going back a ways. But one or two injuries forced us to rely on guys we knew literally nothing about. Or even worse, it forced us to rely on guys everyone else in the league knew enough about--like they weren't any good.

Look, this team has some major areas that need to be bolstered by quality young talent. AHEM....offensive line...cough, cough. But isn't it refreshing to know that our bench has a few players capable of stepping up and contributing right now at positions (like wide receiver) that have for so long been bare? I am encouraged. I am still not ready to sing the praises of Vinny Cerrato, but if he comes back next season and hauls in a few offensive linemen in the draft, I will be a lot closer.

In the last preseason game, we will get a healthy dose of young players. But the real work has been done. This week, guys like Cody Glenn and Robert Henson will be making their case to be a factor in the team's long-term plans. I can only guess that the team likes something from at least one of these guys, or Alfred Fincher would still be here. If you recall, it was the 4th preseason game last year where Fincher really made a name for himself. My guess is they are going to give one of the guys that Vinny drafted a chance to make the team and, at the same time, make Vinny look good.

What do you guys think?

Poll

Are you feeling warm and fuzzy about the young depth we have on this roster?

Yes, some of these guys are going to impact our season right away

449 votes

No, the lack of a young stud or two on the offensive line is depressing

147 votes

My mind won't be made up until either Devin, Malcolm or Sleepy breaks a game wide open

325 votes

921 votes | Poll has closed

August 4: Our Recap from Training Camp Today

KevinE — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:05:04 -0000

Another sweltering hot day. The practice started for QBs with Zorn throwing the ball on the ground and each Qb having to fall on it in a spooning/sliding fashion. Colt did it the best of the three. Todd Collins seemed to run up to it, squat, and fall on it which drew laughter from the crowd. Campbell also had an awkward fall on it which resulted in a quick lecture from Zorn.

Next up was practicing 15 yard screen passes. The QB would drop back and then Zorn would yell which square he wants the QB to throw in. Campbell's first pass was a direct shot, but he got a quick lecture on Zorn on footwork. The drill reminded me of a dunk-tank at a county fair. The crowd would go crazy any time the ball caught into one of the squares.

Next, the Qbs ran this drill on the run. Todd Collins looked a lot more consistent than the previous day I saw him (Saturday). The subsequent drill removed the net and insert in tight ends (no coverage). Fred Davis made a nice grab and his turn and momentum up-field is very impressive. As Sugar said before, Fred Davis is going to make himself known this year.

Hunter Smith was doing a few drills today. He was catching some Ethan Albright snaps for place kicking...one-handed. Everything Terl covered with Hunter being the best holder of all time appears to be true. I asked Suisham if Hunter has made a big difference. "Yes" he replied. "How is it different than Durant's hold", I asked. Suisham thought for a few seconds, laughed, and replied, "It just is." Seems to go with what Hunter said that every ball he puts down is the exact same, smooth motion.

At 9:30AM the horn sounded and the 11-11 drills commenced. I took notes of every single play, so here they are in sequential order:

- Fincher comes straight through into the backfield

- London Fletcher came in untouched and Campbell throws an INT. Zorn shouts "You got to earn it offense!"'

- JC fumbles snap

- Heyer slightly false started, Sellers held, but JC finished the play and connected on a long bomb to Randle-El to the crowd's delight.

- Todd Collins completes a nice throw over the middle to Trent Shelton

- False start

- Todd Collins 5-yard slant complete pass.

- Sweep to Alridge for no gain.

- Fred Davis goes in motion and stops as fullback. Colt hikes and looks for a screen to Fed which is well-covered, so Colt scrambles out of bounds.

- Jeremy Jarmon burns Jeremy Bridges and is able to bat down Colt's screen attempt

- Campbell quick slant to Randle-El for short gain (I got a flashback to 2008)

- Campbell overthrows Fred Davis. Cornelius Griffin got to the QB first.

- Betts run left for a few yards.

- Quick pass for 3-yards to Hagans. Will Montgomery playing Center and lost his battle.

- Anthony Alridge bobbles the handle off and fumbles. Kareem Moore scoops it up. Fan screams "Cut his ass!" which drew a laugh

- Dominque Dorsey runs left for a 5 yard gain before defense gets to him

- Todd Collins screen to Marcus Mason who runs down the sideline and takes a full hit from Robert Henson

--- Drills now switch to Red Zone ---

- Antonio Dixon gets in the backfield. Portis stopped for a loss.

- Campbell has lots of protection and scrambles up the middle for a TD

- Collins nice fade pass to Marko Mitchell for a TD

- Betts runs left for a TD. No LBs were there to cover that side and Robert Thomas was the closest one.

- Colt has a really nice play-action fake bootleg and throws a pass to Fred Davis in the end-zone. Zorn throws his hands up in the air in celebration.

- Pitch to Marcus Mason which is broken up by Rocky McIntosh behind the line of scrimmage.

- Colt Brennan can't find an open WR...looks around and runs out of bounds. Gets some coaching from Zorn.

- Dominique Dorsey run up the middle. Albert Haynesworth is an absolute wall on this play. No gain.

--- Back to normal field plays ---

- Offense is clicking now. Todd Collins completing passes. Blache is using prevent defense.

- Next 2 plays are Todd Collins interceptions.

I was able to talk to several players post practice which I'll write up shortly once I get my audio converted over (Moss, Cooley, Daniels, Henson). Overall, the offense did look better. They weren't getting run-over like I saw on Saturday. Phillip Daniels confirmed this when I asked him about it. Other notes: Orakpo continued to shine burning Samuels on one play (oohs and aaah's from crowd). Fincher was also very disruptive. It is still way too early to pass judgement on playes. Once they see some real game time can we make evaluations. Roydell Williams is out 3-6 weeks so the door seemed to have opened for Hagans, who looked strong, and Marko Mitchell.

The Washington Redskins Ten Most Irreplaceable Players In 2009

Ken Meringolo — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:00:20 -0000

Everyone loves a good list. But all too often, these kinds of lists turn into a ranking of the team's best players. In today's Top Ten list, the criteria is simple: Who can we simply not afford to lose to injury this season? Better put, who are the top ten players that are central to the success of THIS YEAR'S team--taking into account depth at each position and potential contributions from each player? I have taken some creative liberties with the presentation of the list, and I have made a few judgement calls that I expect some of you will disagree with--I expect you all will not hold back in the comments section.

#10 - Hunter Smith - When I heard the news that Hunter Smith had been signed, I was just slightly less happy than when I heard the news Jessica Biel was doing a nude scene in an upcoming movie. Our punting situation has been a nightmare for a while now. Derrick Frost may have been a Hall of Famer during the week in practice, but he stunk out loud too many times on Sundays when it counted. Ryan Plackemeier was not the huge upgrade that blew up everyone's skirts either. Word on the street was that he was a liability as a holder. However, I heard his personal hygiene was beyond reproach (no need to bury the guy.) Hunter Smith is a pro's pro. While he has enjoyed the dome-life in Indy, his abilities are sure to be an upgrade in D.C. And with our team expected to be led by our defense, the field position battle will have to feature the skills of Hunter the Punter. He is known in the league to be a steady and rock-solid holder, having paired with Mike Vanderjagt to form one of the most accurate kicking batteries in NFL history (and again with Adam Vinatieri when they won the Super Bowl.) Finally, he brought down Deion Sanders in the following video that always brings a smile to my face.

#9 - Derrick Dockery - We are all aware of the less than stellar year the Redskins had on the offensive line last year. Pete Kendall was a band-aid the year before and performed well enough, but last year that band-aid fell off and got lost in the chicken salad, and Jason Campbell ended up eating that band-aid in his sandwich. Let's not mix words here--we brought in Dockery to be an upgrade, not to hold down the position until someone better comes along. He has to perform well, and he has to perform well right away. Early last season we ran left on some pretty important plays. With Right Tackle being up-for-grabs, and with Randy Thomas healing yet again from injuries, the left side is going to be relied upon heavily. Behind Dockery is Chad Rinehart, who we still know very little about. Samuels and Dockery are comfortable and confident playing next to each other. Losing Dockery would hurt us from a depth perspective and would disrupt the chemistry of the left side of the line.

#8 - Fred Davis - I kind of snuck this one in. I won't pretend to be an expert talent evaluator but when I watched him practice this off season at Redskins Park in Ashburn, he really got to me. Like Cammie from the 80's flick The Great Outdoors, played by Lucy Deakins. At first you're kind of like, "OK...I like this girl, but so far she's not central to the plot," and then as the movie goes on, every other storyline becomes meaningless to you and all you can think about is Cammie and how is Buck going to pull this off?!? That is my prediction for Fred Davis this season. At first it will be all about CP, JC, Cooley, the defense, Santana Clause. But by Week 6 (against Kansas City, where Sleepy's stat line will be 6 catches, 78 yards and 2 TDs), Davis will have asserted himself as a legitimate threat for us on offense. And I predict it will be him that becomes the key to our red zone attack.

#7 - Brian Orakpo - Well, I pretty much had to change my shorts when we drafted this guy. I spent all winter clamoring for an OLB/DE player to fill the Merriman/Ware hole in our roster. As a rookie, he will be expected to play like a vet. He will be expected to show up in the stats, and he will be expected to straight-up dominate. So it goes with high first round picks I suppose. Is it fair? Dan Snyder's $20 million bones say it is more than fair. There was an offensive lineman on the board when we picked Orakpo--Michael Oher--so this selection has all the makings of being second-guessed all season long. If he fails to be a force on our defense, it will be hard to hear anything above the fans shouting the f-word: failure. Further, for us to enjoy the kind of success we are hoping for, we need nothing less than a dominant performance from his position.

#6 - Santana Moss - One could argue we have lost Santana Moss during the season every year for the last 3 years. Either by injury or by opposing defenses denying him the ball, Moss has been silenced late in the season. Still, he is one of those "magic" players that has the ability to make a play when he gets the ball in his hands. Whenever he touches the ball, there is a chance the play can end with him scoring a touchdown. We'd all like to think that with Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly in the fold, Moss might be somewhat replaceable. Not so fast. The dude is an elite NFL player and on our team, his value is as much about the comfort and confidence he gives both fans and teammates when he is on the field as it is about his skill set. Here is a highlight video of him ( a little grainy, but you get the idea.)

#5 - Jason Campbell - I fear I will be scolded for either putting him too high or for putting him on this list at all. Truth be told, I am shocked that I am not making him #1. Todd Collins has proven to be more than serviceable, with not only a stellar performance in relief of JC, but also a late-season playoff push under his belt. Colt Brennan is the apple of a lot of eyes, and Jason Campbell has yet to become the "franchise quarterback" you want from a 1st rounder. But he is absolutely central to our success this year. Despite the off season rumors and activity, the investment in JC has only grown greater. Both he and the coaching staff have put in a lot of hours in the months leading up to training camp. Jason has worked extensively with Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, and he has quietly continued to act the part of "Starting Redskins QB" which as we all know is a position of high honor and visibility. He has the confidence of his teammates and coaching staff (currently), and let's face facts--you pretty much always have most of your eggs in the starting QB basket. If you think like me, and you think JC will in fact be second to the defense among the reasons we make the playoffs, you have to put him on this list, and you probably should put him higher.

#4 - Mike Sellers - This year might be the first year that I fully appreciate Sellers for exactly what he means to this team. I have both underestimated and overestimated his importance and role on this team in the last handful of years. There was a series in the pre-season a couple years back where Gibbs called for like 4 straight hand-offs to Sellers. He busted each carry for 7-8 yards a pop. I thought we were seeing the emergence of a Brandon Jacobs-type of role for Sellers. Then last season, the disappointment of him being (allegedly) unable to punch the ball in against Cincinnati on the goal line tempered that expectation. In 2005, he had 8 TDs (7 through the air, 1 on the ground), but last year just managed 1 score. So how does he land at #4 on this list? Special teams notwithstanding, he has become an invaluable lead blocker. Clinton Portis loves to get in behind Sellers and every time they both make it to the edge, you know a 1st down is a gimme. Players like Sellers seem to get marginalized by their organizations over time (see Lorenzo Neal from the San Diego Chargers a few years back.) Here's hoping the team figures out a responsible way to keep him with the team beyond this year. Sellers has become a destructive force in what has been at times an unstoppable running game. We can ill afford to lose him this year if we hope to keep Clinton Portis from taking on the first and second tacklers at the point of attack. And anything Sellers is able to add in the way of short-yardage situations for us is gravy.

via farm3.static.flickr.com

#3 - Clinton Portis - Thanks to fantasy football, I have finally learned the lesson that eludes so many fans and even league personnel men: running backs really do grow on trees. So what is CP doing this high on the list? Because there are exceptions to every rule. Like for example, to those that say "No means No", I say, "Sometimes No means Maybe." ("Reservation for 1 in hell please? Yes, I'll hold.") CP is a stud...a freak of nature athletically that has enjoyed a great deal of success at running back for 7 seasons. That is twice the average career for running backs (somebody call me out on this if I am wrong, but I think the average career of a running back is roughly 3 years.) From an odds perspective there is a better chance Leonardo DiCaprio will star in the Growing Pains movie than a running back becoming highly productive in his 8th year. Yet that is what we are banking on this season. Clinton is the man yet again this year, and without him, the ship loses a lot of direction and purpose. More than anything, the ship loses a lot of identity. For better or worse, the identity of this team and specifically the offense is tied to Clinton Portis.

#2 - Chris Samuels - We spoke to a retired former Redskin a few months ago (who shall remain nameless for now) and he said that there was only ONE player on the whole roster he would label "untouchable"--only one player on the entire roster that he would start all over with tomorrow: Chris Samuels. Whether you agree with it or not, it kind of takes your breath away...wait for it...like Nicole Eggert in Charles in Charge. She was only 15 when she started out as Jamie Powell but I was only 10, so the things I was thinking about doing to her were totally legal (as a 10-year old, this consisted mostly of picturing her in a bathing suit, but by the time she was 18, I was 13, so my dream date of me, her and Samantha Micelli (Alyssa Milano) from Who's The Boss was ON.) As we discussed above, the offensive line was a debacle last year. Samuels is the class of our line. If he goes down, our team's playoff chances disappear faster than a bag of blow left alone in a room with Corey Haim. (It's not fair to beat up on Corey Haim you say? Go back and watch Lucas again. All these years later, and both Charlie Sheen and Jeremy Piven are killing it. Corey Haim has only Corey Haim to blame.)

via p1.hotornot.com

#1 - Albert Haynesworth - If you go to a nice restaurant and order the most expensive thing on the menu, like the Filet Mignon plate, it ain't going to work for you if the steak is undercooked and gives you parasites. A good bowl of mashed potatoes or creamed spinach is not going to save the dish. We paid for the best cut of meat on the market. It had damn well better taste good and be cooked right. Haynesworth has to absolutely dominate this season for the Redskins to both save face and make some noise in the NFC. Is saving face really that important? I think so, because he represents yet another in a long line of high-priced talent brought in by Snyder to win now. This has yet to really pan out for Snyder and has left us coming up with some pretty lame one-liners over the years.

"Mark Carrier could really be the difference this season."

"Brandon Lloyd is poised to break out this season."

"Adam Archuleta should really solidify our secondary."

"Bruce Smith attacking the QB is going to get us to the next level this season."

"Chad Morton is the answer in the return game."

"Jeff George is the right guy for this offense."

OK, you get the idea. Redemption is absolutely chief among the goals for Haynesworth this year in my humble opinion. And the truth is it will come hand-in-hand with domination at the point of attack. If Blache can move him up and down the line of scrimmage effectively and keep the opposing offense guessing, Haynesworth is capable of providing the same kind of impact that Reggie White gave the Packers when he signed there and subsequently led them to a Super Bowl. Without Haynesworth, we lose twice really. We continue to get berated by everyone for trying and failing to "buy a championship" and we would be on the outside looking in yet again come December.

As I review the list, LaRon Landry jumps off the page as the one I wish I would have found a spot for, but I will have to live with leaving him off, despite my constant proclamations that Landry is an elite player. I guess I dig our safety group right now, and am hopeful that a Chris Horton/ Kareem Moore backfield would hold up (if you can't lie to yourself, who can you lie to?)

Other Honorable Mentions: Ladell Betts, London Fletcher, Carlos Rogers, and Ethan "The Red Snapper" Albright.

I expect that London will be the one I get the most grief for excluding, so let me seed my excuse for leaving him out: I love Alfred Fincher, and think that if it came down to it, he would be the feel-good story of the league stepping in and up to replace London. Think Mike Seaver-gets-Chelsea Noble...yeah, that kind of feel good.

Washington Redskins Draft: Youth Movement Continues To Be Served

Ken Meringolo — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:00:14 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

8 months ago: Brian Orakpo, right, a defensive end from Texas, holds up a jersey with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, after the Washington Redskins selected him 13th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall Saturday, April 25, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Browse more photos »

Another draft in the books. The endless debate on how teams did this past weekend begins. The Skins simply had little to work with in this draft, an altogether too common occurrence in recent years. In the second tour of duty for Joe Gibbs, a re-emphasis on the draft--or at least a more serious focus on the kinds of players you bring into town--was seemingly established. This is not to say the Redskins are a team that will rely solely on the draft. They continue to prove that they believe in aggressive free agency activity. But Dan Snyder's word that they would not trade next year's #1 was upheld. And finally, a top pick was used to draft a highly touted defensive lineman. I have been a broken record since the end of Round 2 in last year's draft. Mostly for my own sanity's sake, I agreed to be okay with drafting 2 WR's and a TE all in the 2nd round of one draft as long as in the next draft, they used their highest pick(s) on linemen. Offensive, defensive, don't care. I thought that since it takes receivers longer to adjust to the pros than linemen (especially defensive linemen), why not get at least one or two pass catchers into the program and learning and then bring some OL/DL studs into the fold.

This draft will be judged by the performance of Brian Orakpo on the field. But before we get there, let's celebrate the refreshing nature of identifying an impact defensive lineman, and then when the chance to actually select him fell into our lap, we did not overthink it or get cute.

KevinE thinks we did a B- in this draft. I have a hard time giving the Skins anything worse than that. To me, Cody Glenn, Robert Henson and Eddie Williams are exactly the kinds of players you have to take in the late rounds because everything you read and watch about them suggests they love playing football. They better. Because they won't be getting any mega-deal to sign. They won't be on the cover of any video games. And they won't be on the tips of anyone's tongues in debates leading up to the regular season. But their contribution could be significant. And since Vinny drafted 'em, Vinny ain't cutting them. So they will get a chance.

Let's say Vinny learned his lesson last season and won't keep every single guy he drafted this weekend. For argument's sake, we'll cut Marko Mitchell just because he was the last guy picked. Then let's take a look at the list of current Redskins who were born in 1983 or later (rough cutoff date plucked that keeps the list at or around 25/26 years old).

Lorenzo Alexander, DT
Anthony Alridge, RB
H.B. Blades, LB
Colt Brennan, QB
Alex Buzbee, DE
Devin Clark, OL
Fred Davis, TE
Dominique Dorsey, RB
Alfred Fincher, LB
Kedric Golston, DT
Michael Grant, S
DeAngelo Hall, CB
Stephon Heyer, OL
Chris Horton, S
Rob Jackson, DE
Malcolm Kelly, WR
LaRon Landry, S
Anthony Montgomery, DT
Will Montgomery, OL
Kareem Moore, S
Rueben Riley, OL
Chad Rinehart, OL
Devin Thomas, WR
Justin Tryon, CB

Chris Wilson, Rocky McIntosh, Chris Cooley and Dave Rayner would be guys that just missed being on this list (1982) but we will include them anyway. If you add in Orakpo, Barnes, Glenn, Henson, and Williams, and--again, for argument's sake--knock out Alridge, Dorsey, Grant, and Riley, we have a total of 27 players on the Redskins roster all in that 25/26/27 age range. That is over half of the opening day roster. And the overwhelming majority of these players were drafted here in Washington. Looking up and down the list, there is a healthy mix of first-class talent, starters that make strong contributions, role players, and guys we still don't know anything about.

I feel like this is an area that the Skins have been lambasted for in recent years. This list includes young offensive and defensive linemen, a young group of receivers/tight ends, role players in the secondary and special teams, and now a stud defensive end that should start right away. We just might be on to something here. This is a promising core group of players.

They say you can't grade a draft for 3 years. I will refrain from getting too high or low based on our picks this past weekend, but it seems to me that guys we have been drafting in the last few years are sticking around. Last week I mentioned that it was possible Vinny is learning on the job. The movement to make this team younger each year seems to be paying off. The next step is getting these young bucks on the field. Rinehart, Thomas, Davis, Kelly, Heyer...we have to see what they can do on the field this year. It is coming time for this list to have a higher percentage of starters on it.

Reed Doughty placed on Injured Reserve

Skin Patrol — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:31:51 -0000

This is actually a two safety loss for the season. Via Redskins 360:

Finally, some news coming out of the Park although none of it is coming from the front office. Reserve safety Justin Hamilton said he's been released and in the process, revealed that safety Reed Doughty has been placed on injured reserve with a back injury.

Elsewhere in the article Hamilton characterizes his protracted survival on the roster as "shock"ing and Reed Doughty confirms that he is proceeding to IR. The article also observes that we're down to a 51 man roster, which leaves room for two mas. One of whom will probably be Shaun Alexander (ED NOTE: Not probably, definitely, he's signed), the other will be some additional free agent safety we pick up, I would bet.

Reed Doughty is a stud. The cidevant starter and sixth round draft in 2006 came into the unenviable position of having to replace one of the best safeties in the league who also happened to be one of the most beloved players on the team. Sean Taylor wears big, big shoes and Reed Doughty was, by most accounts, in over his head. Yet he performed solidly in the role he was auditioned for as we moved LaRon Landry over to ease the transition towards a functioning secondary sans Taylor. Reed was reliable and played a huge role in our late season 2007 rush to the playoffs. This season he didn't look quite so good, especially in contrast to The Predator Chris Horton, who has been surprisingly good thus far. I think we all knew Horton was well on his way to supplanting Doughty permanently as the starter.

Still, Reed Doughty is a member of this team and a contributing one and I look forward to his return. We have been prosperous with both these players and I think all would agree that we get great gas mileage out of these 6th and 7th round draft picks. Everyone loves an overachiever. That whole "back injury" thing scares me -- bad place for booboos no doubt -- but we'll wait to hear more from the training staff on when we can expect Doughty back.

It's now on Kareem Moore, who was actually drafted in front of Horton, to step up and prove his mettle with this defense. And while he will be joined by some as-yet named player to assist in finalizing our secondary, this is his opportunity to make waves with fans and the coaching staff. Earn some snaps, rook.

Arizona Cardinals at Washington: Injury Update

cgolden — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:00:10 -0000

We took our first look at the injuries heading into Sunday's game yesterday, and while there is some good news, there's also some bad news for the Arizona Cardinals. The good news is that Gabe Watson participated in a full practice for the second day in a row and there's a real possibility that he could make his debut this week. While I'm sure he's not ready to start or play most of the game, having him for even 10 or 15 plays will be a big boost to the front seven and more importantly the defensive line rotation. Alan Branch isn't even listed on the injury report and having both of those guys back will put an anchor back in the middle of the defense. The bad news though is that Travis LaBoy didn't practice at all, after being limited in practice yesterday. It's not clear whether he regressed and his ankle got worse or if they were just holding him out to make sure that he didn't put any extra work on a bad leg. We'll see what he's able to do today and update tomorrow. Others on the injury list who were limited: Levi Brown (knee) and Steve Breaston (hamstring). Jerame Tuman (hamstring) was again held out of practice and he will not play this Sunday.

As for the Redskins, HB Blades (knee), Malcolm Kelly (ankle), Fred Smoot (hip), James Thrash (ankle) all returned to practice on a limited basis yesterday after not practicing at all on Wednesday. Khary Campbell (thigh) was again limited and London Fletcher didn't practice at all after being limited on Wednesday (although they listed it as 'coaches decision'). Kareem Moore (hamstring), Carlos Rogers (groin), Jason Taylor (knee) and Marcus Washington (hamstring) all returned to full practice after being limited on Wednesday.