SB Nation - Chad Rinehart

The VRR: Cowboys Must Get Back in Saddle after Pulling off Squeaker over 'Skins

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:48:58 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Tony Romo has to take his bumps and bruises from Redskins to Raiders in just a few days.

The 7-6 victory over the rival Redskins did little to boost fans' confidence in the Cowboys' struggling offense. Running the ball 33 times - including six straight called in the first quarter - may have made the playcalling seem more "balanced", yet it produced no points.

However intriguing it is to see Felix Jones break the double-digit carry barrier for the first time in his career, or to see Marion Barber come up a yard shy from hitting the century mark, the scoreboard is still dependent on Tony Romo to pull that big, fat "0" down.

Heck, even Nick Folk failed (again) to get the team on the scoreboard prior to the end of the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the defense again refused to let that other side of the scoreboard be lit up.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys will be a bit more banged up heading into the shortened Thanksgiving week. Nothing major, but there are some bumps and bruises that must be played through as the team hosts the Raiders on Thursday. Making it through this week unscathed can be a real asset, as the team will get a few extra days to rest up before the Week 13 road game against the Giants.

More VRR after the jump.

Here's the latest on who's hurting:

QB Tony Romo - back (11/22) The quarterback injured his back in the first quarter when he was kneed in the backside while making a tackle. Romo never missed a snap against Washington, but he was limited in practice on Monday. Romo received a pain-relieving shot after the game Sunday, but told reporters he expects to play. Wade Phillips told the media Monday the quarterback was feeling better, but hinted that backup Jon Kitna might have to take some precautionary reps in practice.

TE Jason Witten - foot (11/22) Despite playing the entire game Sunday, Witten didn't practice Monday because of a foot injury. The All-Pro tight end caught two passes on the Cowboys' game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

LB Keith Brooking - ankle (11/22) The veteran linebacker was limited in Monday's light practice with an ankle injury he suffered near the end of Sunday's win over the Redskins. Brooking said on Monday he expects to play this week.

CB Mike Jenkins - elbow/head (11/22) Jenkins got "banged up" in the Redskins game, according to head coach Wade Phillips. The cornerback was already battling the elbow injury from the Packers game but suffered the head injury late in the game when making a tackle. He did not practice with the team on Monday in the light workout.

Despite the blow to the back, Romo impressed in the end and sounds good-to-go for Thursday's game.

"That's Romo being Romo," Redskins linebacker London Fletcher said. "We had guys wrapped around him, and he still escaped. He's a tough sack."

And a tough guy. Romo bruised his back in the first quarter tackling cornerback DeAngelo Hall after he picked up a Marion Barber fumble in the red zone.

"I must have asked Tony 10 times, ‘Are you OK?'" Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said. "You could tell he was hurting, but he kept grinding."

Romo said he never considered leaving the game.

"I've always felt you can play as long as it's not something like a broken bone," Romo said. "With the adrenaline of the game, you can always do it. It only hurts right before the snap and right after."

The Redskins' injuries were much more severe. RB Ladell Betts and OL Chad Rinehart will be placed on IR and miss the rest of the season.

Along with Coach Phillips' aggressive blitzes, Keith Brooking credits DeMarcus Ware for his career-high four sacks.

Brooking has taken advantage of all the attention opponents pay the NFL’s reigning sacks leader in pass protection. He said his sacks often come on "hug blitzes," when he’s in man coverage against a running back and rushes when the back stays into block. When the back goes to chip Ware, that often leaves a lane for Brooking.

"The majority of my sacks, just to be dead honest with you, come from I'm just running scot-free and a lot of times the backs are sliding toward No. 94," Brooking said. "As I said yesterday, I'd do the same thing if I was in the backfield trying to block that guy. I'm just taking advantage."

Anthony Spencer was almost credited with a sack, but getting the game-winning INT proved much more rewarding.

It was Spencer's first career interception. The theft made up for a review taking away what he thought was his first sack of the season.

Late in the first half, Spencer chased Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell out of bounds for an apparent 5-yard loss. But a replay showed Campbell had released the ball just before stepping out.

"I gave the ref a little mouth about it," Spencer said. "But I'd much rather have the interception. It's a relief for the simple fact I've been around so many opportunities to make plays. It's good to see it come to fruition."

Bradie James on winning ugly:

"We have been sexy," linebacker Bradie James said. "We have been trying to be glamorous. And teams have come in and beat us. They have us ugly. What’s wrong with ugly? We won. That’s all that matters. Now we’ve got Oakland. We are concentrating on winning and getting ready for the stretch drive in December."

Coach Phillips squashed the media's attempt to get more info on the Campo-Newman argument.

If you haven't read it by now, LaRon Landry called Roy Williams "scared". Landry didn't get all Xs-andOs about it, but did imply that Williams' play was "scared".

"Certain pass concepts they had," Landry continued, by way of explaining how he knew Williams was scared. "Certain routes he ran, you could tell he didn't want any part of it."

A good area of focus on both offense and defense will be third-down conversions.

With the short week, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips might not have an opportunity to address the team's struggles with their third-down offense and defense.

"We just haven't played well enough on third downs, and we need to take a look at it."

Nick Folk knows he's in a "funk", and will stay patient.

"A little funk," Folk said Monday. "I got to work my way out of it right now."

Folk said he's not too concerned because he's hitting the ball well. On the 46-yarder he missed on Sunday, Folk said he hit it well, but it just stayed right. The last kick he missed, a 38-yarder in Green Bay the previous week, Folk said he just missed it.

"I feel good, I hit the ball really well, it stayed a little to the right," Folk said. "I dont know I got to go look at it. it felt good coming off my foot had a good week of practice."

Patrick Crayton has worn many hats in his football career. Did you know he can kick? Well, sort of.

Patrick Crayton was once the emergency kicker on his college team.

"Make that the emergency-emergency kicker," he said, smiling. "If it had ever come down to me, we probably would have gone for two."

Even then, at Northwestern Oklahoma State, Crayton had a strong leg. Once, on a bet, Crayton surprised himself.

"I made a 50-yarder," he said, again smiling. "You never know when it comes to kicking."

After waiving KR/PR Allen Rossum, the Cowboys re-signed CB Cletis Gordon to the active roster.

The Buccaneers sure like the Cowboys' practice squad players. They've already plucked rookie CB Mike Mickens off there, now they've signed QB Rudy Carpenter as well.

Matt Mosely is shopping Shanahan. If the Cowboys were to part ways with Wade Phillips after this season, he thinks Mike Shanahan could be a good fit.

I think Jones would do just about anything to win another Super Bowl but you have to question his decision to stick with Wade Phillips after a disastrous ending to the '08 season. The fact that it was partly a financial decision makes you wonder if Jones would be willing to outbid his little buddy Snyder.

Friday Night "Mights" - Washington Redskins vs. Denver Broncos

Sugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:53:22 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

Ladell Betts is poised to repeat his successful stretch run as starting running back for the Skins.

Browse more photos »

It was pointed out last week that I should make the disclaimer about this article very clear on the front side. These predictions assume a Redskins victory. They are meant to provide at least some relief from the serious issues we have with our team. That said, I can honestly tell you that, "Yes, I do think we will win this Sunday." And here's how:

1) Ladell Betts will run for 150+ yards and 2 touchdowns. Inside the red zone, the bulk of our plays are going to be running plays. Rock Cartwright is going to get his share of carries this week (5-10 I am guessing) and we will lean on the new guy, Levi Jones, for better or worse. One thing that has seemed to work for this team in the past is having Ladell Betts take over as the starter down the stretch. I worry about our right guard situation, and find it laughable that we are calling it a "Battle" to see whether Chad Rinehart or Will Montgomery will start. But I think Mike Sellers and Todd Yoder will log some healthy blocking downs and enable Betts to move the chains.

2) Brian Orakpo, in addition to yet another sack, will also log an interception. I am tempted to say he runs it back for a score, but I think he outruns his blockers early in the run-back and gets tackled. I am extremely excited to see what he looks like with the ball in his hands. He is the kind of player you wish you could play at running back in Madden. Big, strong, fast...no way the first tackler brings him down.

3) Jason Campbell will have zero turnovers. This is going to be huge for us this weekend. The game is going to be a close one throughout, so ball protection is key. I don't see JC testing Champ Bailey regularly, which does not bode well for Santana Moss' stats, but I am hopeful that Fred Davis can be responsible for moving the chains in the passing game. He killed us last week with the botched tip that turned into a Falcons defensive touchdown (I know, it wasn't a great throw, but you don't initiate a tip drill like that.)

4) We will score on a trick play. Since I have the ability to see the future, I can tell you that it will be a double reverse handoff to Devin Thomas who will race into the end zone for a touchdown. The key to the play will be two amazing blocks. The first will be Jason Campbell giving up his body to give Thomas the edge. The second block will be Malcolm Kelly down field.

5) Shaun Suisham kicks the game-winning field goal. What a difference a year makes I guess. From the worst kicker (statistically) last season, to the one guy on offense we have been able to count on. He is one of only 5 kickers to have not missed yet this season, and among those kickers, he has the second most attempts--including a 48-yarder. I am putting the game on him this week.

I hate predicting the final score, but I'll go ahead and call it 24-23. No passing touchdowns by JC, but otherwise a solid day for the beleagured quarterback.

Here is what I am really hoping for: The Broncos travel cross-country on a short week this week and have next week's opponent--the San Diego Chargers--squarely in their sights. The lack of respect they probably have for our team will lead to a sloppy performance and leave just a big enough opening for our offense to score their season-high point total. Also, Kevin and I have both talked this week about the prospect of using the no-huddle to prevent the Broncos from shuffling their defensive personnel in the manner they prefer. If Sherm Lewis and Jim Zorn trust JC with the keys to the no-huddle, it might prove to be a huge factor.

Your bold predictions and cracks at me are now welcome.

"Look Kids! Big Ben! Parliament!" - Washington Redskins Games Are Actually Reruns Disguised As Live Television

Sugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:32:58 -0000

My wife always gives me a hard time when she walks into the room and I am watching reruns of Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Entourage, or Two and a Half Men. "How can you watch the same show over and over again?" she asks me. I know every word, every expression, and every gag cold. And I still laugh, I still cringe, and I still thoroughly enjoy every second of each episode no matter how many times I watch them.

I have another show to add to my syndicated must-watch list: live Redskins games. They call them "live", but you and I know they are really reruns. The same lovable characters involved in the same wacky hi-jinx. My friends ask me, "How can you watch that same show every single week over and over again?" I know every inevitable gaffe, every nad-biting penalty, and every gut-wrenching 4th quarter blown lead. And yet I still tune in on the road games, and I still show up to FedEx for home games to watch these reruns.

I would be lying if I said that I was heart-broken after yesterday's game. I would be lying if I said I became depressed as the last whistle blew on yet another frustrating loss. We would be lying to ourselves if we acted shocked after the game. That doesn't make it any easier to stomach, but it underlines the place we find ourselves as fans.

As Kevin and I digested the outcome, the first thing I said was, "Kev, these are the things that happen to bad teams. And we should know, because they have been happening to this team for a long time, and there ain't no picture of Snyder next to 'good' in the dictionary."

At 2-3, is the season over? Of course not. But with rumblings that Snyder is looking for Zorn's replacement (as reported by NBC this morning), and with consternation and disenfranchisement settling into the locker room, any post-season chances we have or had are evaporating by the second. And on top of that fact, you look around at the landscape of the NFL and the truth is we are not even in the same class as the top and middle thirds of the league.

The obvious answer is of course to blow it up and start over, but Dan Snyder does not deserve to make headlines in Week 5 and 6 by firing coaches and trying to "shake things up" to get it all turned around. He should be sentenced to a full season of having to sit and watch the results of his own handiwork. This is a situation he built himself. To fire a guy like Zorn right now is patently unfair to the players and coaches. Why? Because it is entirely likely that this is the best they can do. And that is not their fault. That is the fault of the engineers of this team, the builders of this roster--the creators of the 2009 Washington Redskins. We all know who that is, and we all know who deserves to be fired. Since Snyder won't fire himself or Vinny Cerrato, it is unfair of him/them to hold a public execution of Jim Zorn. (Also, who in their right mind would walk into this shit-show right now and assume command of this ship?)

In the meantime, I look forward to the rerun they are playing this Sunday. It is the one where we (the Redskins) played our SIXTH STRAIGHT TEAM WITHOUT A WIN. Think about that for a second. Of course, the Giants were an opening day matchup so it is a bit of a stretch, yet still true. So, this team is 2-3...against that. There is a thin veil that separates us from 0-5...THIN. This veil separates us from being a winless team, but is still see-through enough for us to see our team for what they are. We have been calling for the Redskins to establish an identity. Is it possible that they have?

Just like Kramer coming into Jerry's apartment looking for food, just like Homer forsaking all else for a donut, just like Charlie having casual sex with the next in a long line of ridiculously hot women--the Redskins will stumble through yet another 60 minutes of football and I will be watching intently. Why? Because I'm a guy, and no matter how many times I see the same thing over and over again, I always think there is a chance...a chance that Kramer will bring over a bag of groceries, a chance that Homer will embrace dieting and exercise (with hilarious consequences), a chance that ABC will decide that full frontal nudity is okay and show us even more of Charlie's girl of the week--a chance that the Redskins will not leave a game to chance in the closing quarter of the game. If anyone outside this fan base looks at me or us funny for continuing to watch, they can look to my wife for the explanation: I am a big, dumb animal that is easily entertained and no matter how many times I see the same thing over and over, I refuse to think there is not a chance it could turn out differently.

Redskins News and Notes: Jim Zorn said earlier today that Chris Samuels will NOT play this week against the Chiefs. The expected starting right side will be Chad Rinehart at guard and Mike Williams at tackle. That leaves Heyer at left tackle it would seem. Help us Jebus.

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.

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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

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.

Daily Slop: Offensive Line Better than We Think?

KevinE — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:57:56 -0000

Chad Rinehart impressing big [Insider]

When asked on the difference of Chad between last year and this year...
"Night and day," Bugel said. "Difference between yesterday and today. He's going to be a real good football player for us....He's come back ready to go. He's about 309, 310 pounds, so I've been very pleased with him."

NFL Outsider ranks the top 10 most valuable Redskins right now [mvn]

(I disagree a little bit. I think Jason Campbell should be #1, and "Malcolm Kelly/Devin Thomas together should be #2. I don't think Cooley is more valuable than the London Fletcher. Losing London would be a MAJOR blow. Fred Davis could step in and lessen the blow for Cooley I think.) What do you think?

Kevin Barnes and Fred Smoot battling for nickel spot [Insider]

Redskins retain their 92 ranking (out of 122) for ESPN's Ultimate Experience Standings [espn]
(Interesting note is that the Redskins were ranked #36 in 2006. Mighty fall. I wonder how the new tailgating rules will affect the 2010 standings.)

Redskins fans recall memories from Michael Jackson's two 1984 shows at RFK [wusa]

The Fun Bunch celebrate 1st TD in 1982 Championship game [redskins rule]

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.

Boldly Hoping: Redskins Offensive Line

Ken Meringolo — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:56:07 -0000

Welcome to all the new folks stopping by HogsHaven. We like to keep up our hopes up here, Boldly Hoping where no hope has helped before. That's right, if you love dealing in "maybes", "ifs", "perchances", and if you love italics, you came to the right place, because here we go with yet another panty-dropping installment of Boldly Hoping.

Pushing 400 votes on the Dockery issue. Over 90% say let's go get him. Let's go a little further down the road. If we sign Dockery to play guard for us, between him, Randy Thomas and Chad Rinehart, we should be set for starting guards for the next 5 years. I like this...mostly because I don't think Dock will break the bank, so it will allow us another move. (Unlike the Haynesworth signing, which feels like an all-in kind of move.)

Are we the only ones who see the value of adding TWO (or more) guys who can start for us instead of one that sucks up not only money this year, but future flexibility? We're just not one player away right now, so dedicating all that dough to one guy seems like a tough call.

So we're set at guard (for the purpose of this discussion). Instead of going into next season with Thomas and Rinehart/Kendall, we go in with Thomas and Dockery/Rinehart. Strong. Rabach might not be the best center out there, but he fits on our team. He is smart, he is fiery, and center is simply not at or near the top of the priority list. Tackle on the other hand, is a different story. Samuels and Jansen are old. Samuels is one of those guys who they are going to trot out there until his wheels fall off. He has not been too shabby, and has mostly deserved this right. Jansen, although generally serviceable, has had lapses on the field in both run and pass blocking that have cost us. Due to his contract, it would seem at this point he is a lock to make our roster. Stephon Heyer is being groomed to step up at tackle for us on the right side. Confidence levels are not at all-time highs here, but he has earned his chance to compete for the starting job next year. But due to the age and health issues of both Jansen and Samuels, we have a great need for a young tackle who will be ready to anchor probably the left side of the line very soon.

So the question today is do we go out and get one of the tackles in free agency, or do we use our first round pick on a stud OT?

Options listed below (former team in parentheses) only include guys with 5 years or less in the league, since we would want to invest in a guy who could be here for more than a cup of coffee without sizable risk of dying of natural causes (old age):

Stacy Andrews, Bengals

Khalif Barnes, Jaguars

Charles Spencer, Jaguars

Ray Willis, Seahawks

Of these, Andrews is the hulk with the size and curb appeal. All these guys look to collect in free agency. You might not have heard these names before (or at least a couple), but these guys are probably all about to get rich. Ray Willis is intriguing. He only had 5 starts with the Seahawks, but at 6'6", 315 lbs and 4 seasons in the league, he could be a guy we add to bring youth and depth to our offensive line and saving our draft pick for the defensive side of the line. Perhaps signing Dockery and Willis is doable given our cap situation, perchance....maybe. I have no idea. But I would take Dockery and Willis off the free agent market and use the draft pick on the defensive line. Imagine having 4 offensive lineman, all between the ages of 23 and 28, all capable of putting pressure on the starting guards and tackles, if not outright starting. Now that is Boldly Hoping!

(Quick Update: Chris Samuels did a post-game interview at Verizon after the Caps game with Smokin' Al Koken and said he wants Dockery.)

Poll

In addition to Dockery, would you prefer to sign one of the younger (relatively unknown) free agent tackles listed in the article, or would you rather draft a young stud OT in the 1st round?

Sign young tackle in free agency

143 votes

Draft OT in 1st round

213 votes

356 votes | Poll has closed

Redskins Will Get Second Chance to Sign Dockery

Ken Meringolo — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:06:40 -0000

The dream mega-contract that the Bills gave Derrick Dockery to lure him away from the Redskins 2 years ago is the reason why is unemployed today. According to the Buffalo News, the Bills will release Dockery and make him an unrestricted free agent.

Interestingly enough, Robert Royal, former tight end of the Redskins, and current Bill looks to also be looking for a new home. Losing Dockery was a blow to our offensive line when he left. Nobody saw that kind of money being offered to the guard, and the Redskins were ill-positioned to match it. He will most likely still command decent money. Apparently his pass-blocking skills were not where the Bills wanted them--at about a $8-9 million dollar level!

The question I ask you is, would you take Kendall back for veteran minimum (or slightly better) type money, or would you re-sign Dockery to a little more of a robust deal. He is 28 years old, 6'6", 335 lbs. To me, that is the way to go. If Rinehart comes along, the two could actually hold down the guard positions for us for a good 5 years or so which would free us up to attack the tackle spots in the next couple drafts.

Poll

Would you rather re-sign Pete Kendall for little better than the veteran's minimum or bring back Derrick Dockery for more than that?

Kendall

67 votes

Dockery

581 votes

648 votes | Poll has closed