SBNation.com User Blog: Kevin Ewoldt

Trivia Thursday: How Many Redskins Can You Name that Wore #10 Before RGIII?

Kevin Ewoldt — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:53:32 -0000

I decided to do this in the Sporcle format. The answers are provided in a link below the table. This is by no means the entire list, but it includes all of the ones I could think of off the top of my head. Let's keep the answers out of the comments section...at least for the first couple hours. None of the 80 greatest Redskins wore #10, in fact, probably a few of these guys would make the 80 worst Redskins.

Year	Player
2012	Robert Griffin III
2011
2009-2010
2003-2006
2002
2001
1995-1998
1990-1992
1984-1987

Here is the link to the answers. How many did you get right? If I missed any players, feel free to let me know in the comments.

Grainy Pics and Video of RGIII Throwing Footballs at OTAs

Kevin Ewoldt — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:16:15 -0000

Quick note, RGIII will be addressing the media after 12pm, which will be radio streamed on ESPN980.

Griffin is throwing during the ota session.Dropbacks.Plant and throw at times.Sometimes more off front foot. #Redskins
— John Keim (@john_keim) May 23, 2013

Very impressed with how Robert Griffin and Fred Davis are moving, both coming off serious 2012 injuries. #Redskins
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) May 23, 2013

I count 13 rebabbing #Redskins not wearing jerseys. #RG3 Meriweather Davis LeRibeus Morgan among others.
— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) May 23, 2013

So... this is ESPN's "live look-in" at RGIII's workout. Great job guys. #Redskins twitter.com/_JakeRussell/s…
— Jake Russell (@_JakeRussell) May 23, 2013

Video: RGIII is the dot in the middle wearing the black shirt.

Orakpo Upgrades His Facemask; Jerry Jones Makes Counselor Available for Cowboys OLinemen

Kevin Ewoldt — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:13:53 -0000

OK, so the second part of the article title is fabricated, but tweets like this surely helps amp up the news on Orakpo being 100% healthy and ready for full participation in OTAs.

IM BAAAACKKKKK.....RedskinNation StandUp #HTTR twitter.com/rak98/status/3…
— Brian Orakpo (@rak98) May 21, 2013

Las Vegas Hilton Puts Redskins 2013 Wins Total at 8

Kevin Ewoldt — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:51:21 -0000

Last year I really struggled on which way to lean for the 6.5 win total in 2012. The Redskins Oline always had issues with healthy starters and depth was never strong. On the other hand, the Skins won six games with Rex Grossman and John Beck...surely RGIII was worth at least two wins. In 2012 of course, the entire Oline made it through the season without missing any major action and the Redskins went on a stunning seven game win streak to reach 10 wins.

Now, the 8 wins that Vegas set for 2013 is simply meant to encourage an even amount of betting on both sides. So let's look at this objectively.

Pros

Cons

The Redskins added depth in the secondary, including both safety spots and Cornerback.
Adam Carriker and Brian Orakpo are 100% healthy. Orakpo only played 2 games last year and is in a contract year.
Much improved TE weapons (speed). Redskins only had Fred Davis for 7 games last year and Jordan Reed and Niles Paul expected to compete for action.
NFC East teams are down. Cowboys switching to a 4-3 with new defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin. Eagles overhauled staff with Chip Kelly who are going to 3-4 defense.
Redskins defense played at a high level to end the season.
With Brandon Banks gone, the return game should improve, as Richard Crawford highlighted.

The Redskins will play all 1st place teams in the NFC East, which includes the 49ers, Packers, and Falcons. Yikes.
RGIII will miss OTAs and is questionable for week 1.
Loss of special teams Ace, Lorenzo Alexander.
ILB depth as London Fletcher just turned 38 and had a slew of injuries last season.
Garcon's nagging injury will continue all season.
WR depth: Consistency a problem. Who will step up if Moss and Garcon miss extended time?

So what does all this mean? With Kirk Cousins getting all the first team reps this summer, I'm pretty confident the Redskins can get 9 wins if he played all 17 weeks. RGIII staying upright makes me like that even more. Mike and Kyle Shanahan deserve awards for how open their WRs have gotten on their play calling.

As for other teams around the NFL, I think the Saints will get back to their winning ways and can beat 9 wins. The Cowboys at 8.5 and Eagles at 7...I fancy the under on those. Sure, Jim Zorn won 8 games his first season but they didn't overhaul the defensive scheme that year. I saw an Eagles OTAs tweet that Brandon Graham was in coverage (something he hadn't done since Freshman year in College). Good luck with that (Andre Carter flashbacks).

NFL OVER/UNDER WIN TOTALS FOR ALL TEAMS

Denver Broncos, 11.5

New England Patriots, 11.5

San Francisco 49ers, 11.5

Seattle Seahawks, 10.5

Atlanta Falcons, 10

Green Bay Packers, 10

Houston Texans, 10

New Orleans Saints, 9

New York Giants, 9

Pittsburgh Steelers, 9

Baltimore Ravens, 8.5

Chicago Bears, 8.5

Cincinnati Bengals, 8.5

Dallas Cowboys, 8.5

Indianapolis Colts, 8.5

Washington Redskins, 8

Detroit Lions, 7.5

Miami Dolphins, 7.5

Minnesota Vikings, 7.5

San Diego Chargers, 7.5

St. Louis Rams, 7.5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7.5

Carolina Panthers, 7

Kansas City Chiefs, 7

Philadelphia Eagles, 7

Buffalo Bills, 6.5

New York Jets, 6.5

Tennessee Titans, 6.5

Cleveland Browns, 6

Arizona Cardinals, 5.5

Oakland Raiders, 5.5

Jacksonville Jaguars, 5

Poll

What will the Redskins do with 8 wins set by Vegas?

Redskins 2029 Mock Draft; Scouting the QB Class for RGIII's Retirement Year

Kevin Ewoldt — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:28:31 -0000

Kissing Suzy Kolber had a recap on how accurate all the NFL experts were in their 2013 mock drafts. Since I basically have the same odds in correctly predicting the 2029 draft as Peter King did the 2013 draft, here goes:

#3 - Baby Kannon

The kid's last name is Kannon..and he's a Quarterback. Think of the jersey $ales for that one. Move over Johnny Utah aka Keanu Reeves, Baby Kannon now has the best football name in Hollywood. Endorsements aside, Kannon clearly is a player that cares about football and not his image. "What's that Mom? You want me to show off my Kannon arm on the Interwebs in my onesie tractor pajamas? No problem!"

His second throw I think pushed him into the top 10...with one arm tied up, he throws a no-look pass. How can defenses stop this kid?

#2 - The Georgian Grenade Launcher

Rumors are this kid was practicing his spiral in the womb and had it down before he even pulled into the driveway from the hospital. Look at that spiral. He's already throwing it further than Mark Brunell and with better accuracy than Jason Campbell. Sports Science is currently filming a special that his height advantage at age 22 means he will be able to throw a pass 37.5 yards and it never has to ascend.

#1 - The Vanilla Freight Train

(Mel Kiper voice): This kid has it all. Speed, power, and especially smarts. Check out this film last year at his Uncle's house in Mississippi. This is a hostile environment with a lot of alcoholics around. The kid is an innovator. Check this out. He puts the ball in his mouth and then runs forward like a tank. Think of the possibilities in that tough, defensive front NFC East. He can essentially stiff-arm with both hands at the same time. Incredible. We could see our first NFL player to throw and run for 3000 yards in one season.

(Is it just me, or are off-season topics much harder to come by this year? I guess a stable front office and a quality QB does that. No complaining here. I voted for the Freight Train.)

Poll

Who should the Redskins draft in 2029?

Daily Slop: Redskins Media Links Roundup

Kevin Ewoldt — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:21:00 -0000

Redskins email report excerpt: Q&A with Bacarri Rambo’s college coach | WashingtonExaminer.com
Q: Why is he such a good ballhawk? A: Sometimes you don’t know why people do it. One of the reasons maybe is because he was a high school quarterback. He was a very good high school quarterback and they ran an option offense. From what I understand he was a dual-threat guy.

Alfred Morris No. 64: Top 100 Players of 2013 (Video)
Redskins running back Alfred Morris was voted the 64th best player in the NFL according to his peers on the "Top 100 Players of 2013."

5 Other Offensive Players Who Could be Sleepers | Fanspeak.com

A look at five other Redskins players who could end up being sleepers on offense.

Redskins Republic – Newest Show on BHRN (Press Release) | Ball Hogs Radio Network
Ken Meringolo, Kevin Ewoldt, and Chris Johnson launching a production Redskins podcast as part of the BHRN.

The Redskins Blog | 2012 WAS-DAL Rivalry: Unsung Heroes
Praising his captain’s gritty effort, Shanahan said Trent Williams was at his finest during the final scoring drive of the fourth quarter. "You have to have your captains, the guys that you count on, play when they’re hurt; not injured," Shanahan said. "But, he has been hurting but he has played at a very high level and you expect that out of your leaders."

Need to Know: Another RB in the mix? - Rich Tandler's Real Redskins
Here is what you need to know on this Friday, May 17, three days before Redskins OTA’s start. Hightower makes no sense There was a report yesterday that the Redskins have had "exploratory talks" about bringing back running back Tim Hightower. Hightower was the Redskins’ top running back in 2011 until he tore his ACL in the fifth game of the season. The Redskins brought him back last year but he wasn’t fully recovered from his injury and he was...

Thursday Tweetbag: What about right tackle? - Rich Tandler's Real Redskins
Thanks for your questions for today's Tweetbag, let's dive right in

Top 10 NFL Nicknames (Pre-Modern Era)- Fanspeak.com

A look at the top 10 player nicknames prior to the Super Bowl Era. See what Redskin made the list!

Alfred Morris Interview: WWE Extreme Rules Pick, Avoiding Sophomore Slump | 4th & Pain
Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris joins teammate Adam Carriker and Chuck Carroll to get a little advice on avoiding a sophomore slump and give an update on his off season.

Hall: Redskins On The Cusp Of Greatness
"I felt like my contract along with [defensive tackle Albert] Haynesworth were the reasons we were in the [salary cap penalty] situation we were in. So for me, it wasn't about the money."

Redskins Sign Drafted RB Jawan Jamison
The Washington Redskins announced they have signed 2013 seventh-round draft pick running back Jawan Jamison (228th overall). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Joe Gibbs and Mike Shanahan talk RGIII
Gibbs: "I was there for the games down the stretch, and I would say Mike would be the first to tell you, you’ve got to have somebody underneath that center that can get the job done. And we’d like to think it’s all coaching, but I want to tell you the truth: It’s not."

The Redskins Blog | Mike Ditka Speaks On All Things Redskins
"Joe’s a dear friend, he could have taken it a little easier on me when he coached against me, but he had a win [and] we had to try to win."

Brandon Jenkins: 'I’m Quick Like A Rabbit'
Redskins rookie OLB Brandon Jenkins may not have ideal size (6-2, 251 pounds), but he can get to the quarterback with his elite quickness.

Bog: RGIII will be an honorary grand marshal at Memorial Day parade
The latest news has RGIII as an honorary grand marshal for the National Memorial Day Parade, which runs along Constitution Avenue at 2 p.m. on Memorial Day afternoon.

Redskins to Make Slight Change to Away Jerseys

Peyton signs new contract, but deal doesn’t change | ProFootballTalk

Cowboys sign DE who was among bounty suspensions | Boston Herald
The Dallas Cowboys have signed defensive end Anthony Hargrove, who sat out the 2012 season after he was suspended as part of the New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal

Random notes around the NFC East: The Doug Free saga concludes, donut eating Felix, Skins no-huddle possibilities, and Freeney/Woodson in NY? – Blogging the bEast

Breakfast links: Maclin as punt returner? - NFC East Blog - ESPN
Jeremy Maclin, could get a look on punt returns this season. Another chance for Maclin to make the right kind of impression in his contract year. Maclin was a brilliant return man in college.

Twitpic: Davey Johnson and Johnny Manziel

Doug Free takes pay cut to stay with Dallas Cowboys -- source - ESPN Dallas
He will make $3.5 million in each of the next two seasons. His salary in 2013 is guaranteed,

Rob Gronkowski of New England Patriots needs fourth surgery on left forearm, according to sources - ESPN Boston

Football Outsiders: Rookie Cornerback Target Analysis
let's see what kind of targets rookie cornerbacks typically see in their first year.

Arrest warrant issued for former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson - ESPN
A Broward circuit judge issued a warrant May 7 against Johnson for failing to report to his probation officer. Johnson received a year of probation last September after pleading no contest to a domestic violence charge involving his former wife, reality TV star Evelyn Lozada.

SB Nation Network Problems

Kevin Ewoldt — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:23:34 -0000

SB Nation Network Problems

The SB Nation network has been having problems the last 2 days and the team has not slept trying to get things resolved. Stay tuned and sorry for the intermittent access.

http://status.sbnation.com/

Predicting Who Will be the 2013 Redskin Fans Love to Hate

Kevin Ewoldt — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:48:31 -0000

It takes a lot of patience to be a Redskins fan that is on social media often, a frequent radio listener, or a regular in the comments section of Redskins comments' sections. Complaining is something all fans love to do in the strive for perfection. Redskins fans are no different. Brandon Banks was week in and week out the secondary topic to RGIII all season long. In some cases, even more.

Redskins Fans Loved to Hate By Year: (honorable mention in parenthesis)

2002: Danny Wuerffel
2003: Trung Canidate (Jeremiah Trotter, Rob Johnson)
2004: Taylor Jacobs
2005: Pierson Prioleau (Walt Harris)
2006: Adam Archuleta (Todd Wade)
2007: Mark Brunell (Reche Caldwell, Jason Fabini)
2008: Shaun Alexander (Durant Brooks, Malcolm Kelly)
2009: Stephon Heyer (Randle-El, Shaun Suisham)
2010: Albert Haynesworth (Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Donovan McNabb)
2011: Rex Grossman/John Beck (Graham Gano, Jammal Brown)
2012: Brandon Banks (Madieu Williams, Tyler Polumbus)

And that brings us to who will be the most hated Redskin in 2013:

9/5 odds: Tyler Polumbus - He struggled last year at Right Tackle, so the Shanahans modified the offensive scheme to help lessen the dependency at this position (bootlegs, run lefts). With the offense relatively stable at every position but Right Tackle, Polumbus will surely have all eyes on him. In reality, I should put the 9/5 odds at "Whoever plays Right Tackle" since Compton and Pashos would likely have issues here, too.

2/1 odds: Reed Doughty - This is a tough one since Doughty is an exceptional special teams player and a decent backup Safety. However, when he is starting for long stretches of the season, teams are able to expose him and gain yardage with coverage mismatches. Surely, Redskins fans will be calling for any of the rookie Safeties to start where the ceiling for greatness is still unknown and room for improvement is there.

5/1 odds: Leonard Hankerson - Hankerson is entering season three and has yet to show consistency to win a starting job. Fans have not forgotten his knack for dropping balls, so if Garcon or Moss need to miss an extended stretch due to injury, Hank the Tank has a short leash with Skins fans' patience.

6/1 odds: Kirk Cousins - Cousins rarely had time to prepare last season when his number was called to play, but entering season two with first team reps all summer, Redskins fans will expect a high-level of play. Naturally, this will lead to heavy criticism each Monday-Saturday from media and fans.

10/1 odds: Kai Forbath - Hating kickers is in Redskins' fans DNA after being spoiled by Moseley and Lohmiller. Sure, Forbath will have a longer leash this season, but kicking accuracy is not a sure thing.

13/1 odds: : The bar was set pretty low by Brandon Banks, so I don't see much of an issue here whoever wins the KR/PR job. Banks at least though didn't fumble the ball for turnovers, which is why this position deserves mention here.

Dan Snyder: "We'll never change the name. It's that simple. NEVER — you can use caps."

Kevin Ewoldt — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:57:32 -0000

I know this topic is not one people like to talk about on this site. Trust me...I am well aware of it and the millions of celebrities that chime in I let get flow through my Twitter timeline to save everyone the grief.

Well, when the owner speaks; however, that is a bit different. USA Today Sports was able to ask Dan about the issue and frankly, I'm quite surprised they got such a straight answer:

"We will never change the name of the team. As a lifelong Redskins fan, and I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it's all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season."

"We'll never change the name," he said. "It's that simple. NEVER - you can use caps."

And I especially like the cojones USA Today had to ask this followup:

Later Thursday, USA TODAY Sports will publish a story about Amanda Blackhorse, who is Navajo and the named plaintiff in the trademark suit. She said if she ever had the chance, she'd ask Snyder if he would dare to call her a redskin to her face.

"I think the best way is to just not comment on that type of stuff," Snyder said. "I don't know her."

Too bad Steven Seagal or some other Tom Cruise Hollywood friend is not Native American.

Related articles:

Interview: Bobby Mitchell Talks About Race and the Redskins Mascot Name with Hogs Haven
I had the chance to talk with him about that as well as other topics including RGIII and the Redskins mascot name.

PUBLIC OPINION: US poll finds widespread support for Redskins nickname | Fond du Lac Reporter | fdlreporter.com

D.C. council member pushes Redskins name change | WTVR.com
He was elected to Washington's City Council in November, and he plans to introduce a resolution Wednesday to rename the team.

Daily Slop: Redskins Media Links Roundup

Kevin Ewoldt — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:55:45 -0000

Larry Michael suggests Redskins fans should vote name-change politicians out of office

‘Hail to the Senators’ and ‘Hail to the Redskins’
Who knew the baseball team had a fight song?

Rambo on rebound with Skins? - Richmond Times Dispatch: Football
"I know [former Redskins Coach] Coach Olivadotti had something to do with it, told them what kind of player I was and about my true character," Rambo said.

RGIII’s Caps playoff message
(....which didn't work too well. Caps 0-7 on Game 3 when leading 2-0. Wow).

What to Expect Out of Redskins 2nd Year Players - Fanspeak.com

A look at what can be expected out of the 2012 Draft class this season.

Redskins Training Camp Opens July 25
July 25 through Aug. 16 in Richmond, Va. The schedule features a total of 17 days of practice sessions that will be open to the public highlighted by Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday, Aug. 3.

Rookie Mini-Camp Practice Notes
There should be opportunity to catch on at inside linebacker, as the Redskins lost primary backup and special teams stud Lorenzo Alexander during the offseason. Offseason additions Marvin Burdette, William Compton and Ricky Elmore join incumbent reserves Bryan Kehl, Keenan Robinson, Roddrick Muckelroy and Vic So'oto to compete.

The Redskins Blog | WR Thompson Intriguing Big-Bodied Target
Last week, the Redskins signed Indiantown, Florida native, Jason Thompson, as an undrafted college free agent. The wide receiver had an incredibly productive collegiate career at the University of New Haven.

Cousins feels ‘added urgency to be ready to go’RGIII makes appearance at Orakpo’s charity golf event

Redskins Mike Shanahan tees it up | Comcast SportsNet Washington
Gif of Mike Shankahan's golf swing.

Need to Know: Redskins can move on from Tanard Jackson - Rich Tandler's Real Redskins
While that is still possible that he plays some for the Redskins this coming season, the actions and words of the team indicate that they are not...

Infographic Where Will Tim Tebow End Up- Fanspeak.com

Help Tim Tebow decide what to do next with his career in this fun infographic.

Playworks DC's Rock Paper Scissors Tournament vs Redskins Players
Tuesday, May 14, 6-8pm. Penn Social, 801 E Street NW. Compete against players from the Washington Redskins! Play for Rock Paper Scissors supremacy! Eat, drink, and play for a good cause!

The Redskins Blog | Rob Jackson Raises Money For Sandy Hook
While Jackson has called the DMV his home for the past five years, his heart is still in Connecticut where he was born and raised in the city of New Haven. Last month, Jackson participated in the first annual Gridiron Chef Competition to help raise money for the victims in Connecticut.

Phoenix-area head shop ‘welcomes’ Tyrann Mathieu to Arizona | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports

Grandmother tries out for Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
Meet Susie Sanchez. She's 39 years old, mother to three and grandmother to a two-year-old. She also happens to be a cheerleader.

photos from 2013 redskins rookie camp | homer mcfanboy
Damn it feels good to be a homer.

Mel Kiper did a mock draft back in February. He got 0 picks correct. – Blogging the bEast

Chris Thompson Talks About His Back and ACL Injuries

Kevin Ewoldt — Wed, 01 May 2013 03:44:07 -0000

Holden and Danny asked about his scary back injury and Thompson was straight-forward on the details, which he has been for some time. The hit came in a 2011 loss to Wake Forest that resulted in the T-5 and T-6 vertebrae breaking in Thompson's back. He had a back injury in high school as well. ESPN has video of the injury and a rehab special with him.

It was 3^rd and 1 and I was only thinking about getting the first down... A defender was just standing in my way. I tried to run through him a little bit but it felt like I hit a brick wall. From there like I couldn't move. My whole body just completely stopped and I fell over. For a good 2-3 minutes I couldn't breathe. I was grasping air. Some of the worst pain I ever felt in my life. I knew I wasn't paralyzed though because I made sure I could feel legs and toes moving. I couldn't breathe. That was pretty much the worst part of it. For a couple months I wasn't sure if wanted to continue to play football. I'm glad I did though.

On the recovery and knowing when he was back...

It took me until July and it wasn't even at practice or anything. Just an off-season workout. I woke up early to run with all the incoming freshman. We had some track stars that came in and I was able to keep up and that was my first time ever really fully sprinting. I was like I'm ready to go. For some odd reason, even the thought of getting hit was out of my mind after I realized I was fast enough to start back playing again and playing better than I was.

And then tearing his ACL in October of 2012...

It was tough. I was about to be the first 1000 yard runner since Warrick Dunn. Averaging 7.5 yards a carry...that's a lot of yards. When it happened, it didn't don on me at first. I was walking in the locker room around afterwards. They'd see me next week. Coach Fisher told me the news. I took a little time to sit and think. What did I do wrong? I'm in the church seriously. My Mom kept me in the church since I was little boy. What was I doing wrong? Making bad decisions or what? After awhile I just realized I need to refocus myself. I don't know why but that it happened for reason. I'm so glad the Redskins organization just overlooked the knee and after awhile I'll be back. I'm thankful I got drafted.

On playing under Mike Shanahan system as a RB...

When he called me I didn't believe it was real! That great offense!

Hopefully I can do everything to get on the field and change the pace a bit. Be able to possibly do a lot a lot read options with RGIII actually pitching it instead of keeping it to take some hits off him. Hopefully it will be a really great thing for us.

Thompson has worked with many professionals in his rehab and preparation for the pros. For a 5th round pick, the risk reward seems to be a long-shot, but the qualities this kids bring certainly seem to fit the next set of wrinkles the Shanahans plan to employ.

For more info on that, check out UKRedskin's film breakdown of Chris Thompson. RGIII and the Pitch....coming to D.C. field near you in September 2013.

Redskins 2013 NFL Draft Picks

Kevin Ewoldt — Wed, 01 May 2013 02:50:26 -0000

The Redskins selected three defensive backs, which is a major team need.

ROUND (PICK) PLAYER SCHOOL

2 (51) CB David Amerson North Carolina State

3 (85) TE Jordan Reed Florida

4 (119) S Phillip Thomas Fresno State

5 (154) RB Chris Thompson Florida State

5 (162) LB Brandon Jenkins Florida State

6 (191) S Bacarri Rambo Georgia

7 (228) RB Jawan Jamison Rutgers

Mel Kiper Gives Redskins C+ Draft Grade

Kevin Ewoldt — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:42:44 -0000

When it comes to Mel Kiper, I pretty much toss out everything he says. He's a fabulous entertainer and I enjoy watching him on TV do his thing, but he's been way too wrong for me. Like the time he pounded the table for the Redskins to draft Jimmy Clausen at #4. Shnahan went with Trent Williams. And the fact he gave the Redskins a C+ grade last year initially after later changing it to a B+. Oh, and he also watches film with Vinny Cerrato. Anyway,,,,here's his link to every team's grades:

Redskins Grade: C+

Summary: The Redskins get a bump here because RG III is technically part of the value component when we grade what they got from this draft. But he is also coming back from an injury and we'll see how they utilize him differently in 2013. He's still a fabulous player, but there's at least a little we don't know. In terms of hitting needs, this was just OK. They need help all over the secondary, and David Amerson was a slight reach for me in Round 2, but at least offers depth. He was exceptional in 2011, but had some ugly games in 2012, so if he cleans up his play they get a good player. Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo offer depth at safety, with Thomas close to being ready to start. I wouldn't be surprised if he does. Jordan Reed gives them a potential matchup threat at tight end, though I might have targeted an offensive lineman first.Brandon Jenkins is an interesting guy because if he's 100 percent he's a really good pass-rusher.Chris Thompson could be yet another good late-round RB story for Mike Shanahan, but he'll need to stay on the field. I think Washington should have taken an inside linebacker, but didn't. Not a bad draft, because the Redskins added depth at need spots.

Round	Pick	Position	Player	College
(2)	51	CB	David Amerson	NC State
(3)	85	TE	Jordan Reed	Florida
(4)	119	S	Phillip Thomas	Fresno State
(5)	154	RB	Chris Thompson	Florida State
(5)	162	LB	Brandon Jenkins	Florida State
(6)	191	S	Bacarri Rambo	Georgia
(7)	228	RB	Jawan Jamison	Rutgers

Open Thread: Rounds 2-3 NFL Draft; Win a KERRAKPO T-Shirt!

Kevin Ewoldt — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:47:35 -0000

Some important news and links before the fun kicks off at 6:30PM EST:

NFL Draft Day Two: Best Available Players For Redskins - UKRedskin
That was a very interesting night in which the Redskins have to be happy with. Plenty of reaching for offensive lineman and pass rushers has left a fairly wide range of talent still on the board in...

The Hogs Haven/HTTR24-7 Redskins Draft Board - URedskin
The Hogs Haven and HTTR24-7 staff's teamed up to put together their own 245 player Redskins draft board.

1st Round NFL Draft Recap - Steve Shoup
A recap of all the night one, err, drama.

2013 NFL Draft: 2nd round mock draft - SBN: Mocking the Draft
51. Redskins, D.J. Swearinger

Live - 2013 NFL Draft Tracker – NFL.com
Live updates of the current draft board.

T-Shirt Contest..........

Whoever guesses the Redskins' first draft pick correctly, whether they pick at #51 like schedule or several picks later wins a KERRAKP t-shirt. Good luck! (And if you have bad luck, you can always just buy one...they're only $13).

Open Thread: 1st Round of the 2013 NFL Draft

Kevin Ewoldt — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:22:32 -0000

Any guesses on who will be the top 3 picks?

Here's a link to the live draft board of who's selected so far: http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/tracker

Even Orakpo's Mom Said the Redskins Wouldn't Make the Playoffs

Kevin Ewoldt — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:49:49 -0000

It's something none of us want to do, but if you can take your mind back to the 2012 season when the Redskins lost to the Panthers, their third staight loss to enter the BYE week...Redskins Nation, to say the least, was a very passionate, no....difficult, no....stressful....no, .... "THE WORLD IS ENDING" kind of group that week. The Redskins were done at 3-6. There was the drama of Mike Shanahan (sort of) saying at week nine he was evaluating players. Despite RGIII saying we'd still make the playoffs, we had Stephen A. Smith saying "Mike Shanahan is a waste of time," BMitch going off, Fred Smoot calling for Andy Reid, and all the Redskins media piling on (myself included). Well, even Brian Orakpo's Mom threw in the towel:

"The locker room was united once we knew our backs were extremely against the wall. We had all doubters from all over the place. Even family was doubting us, everybody. My own mother said we weren't going to make the playoffs, like, she didn't believe it because it was such a hard feat to overcome. It was playoff mode once we came out of that bye and we all believed that and we just kept rolling, and guys was just buying into it."

I'm so glad that period is over. I promise I'll never bring it up again.

On how Orakpo feels after missing virtually all of the 2012 season due to a torn pectoral muscle:

"I'm good, man. Ready to rock and roll. Body's feeling great. I've been working extremely hard, grinding extremely hard, ever since I went down in early September, and I'm way ahead of where I needed to be and I'm ready to go."

On last year:

"We took every precaution to make it through the 16 games, but obviously it's something that was detrimental to my body, as far as to keep re-injuring it like I was doing in OTAs and like I was doing in the preseason, training camp. ... So we just did every precaution to hold me out and then once the season [started] I was gonna go ahead and go full-steam. But eventually my body couldn't hold up, and that was the most disappointing thing. But luckily I'm healed up and ready to go."

(H/T SB Nation)

Video of Kirk Cousins Singing Pretty Woman in High School Play

Kevin Ewoldt — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 02:46:11 -0000

This video is well worth your time. It's from 2007 when Kirk Cousins attended Holland Christian High School. He was part of "The Living Hope Singers" club that performed at the annual Spring event called the Showcase.

During the broadcast when the BTN showed the footage, Cousins laughed and said, "That is major blackmail material, but it's all in good fun." What this video includes:

Cousins singing "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" in a cowboy hat
Cousins singing Pretty Woman in a quartet boy band
Cousins singing in a pink, satin shirt

Surely, if this was Romo or Eli Manning I'd be covering this with a different tone, but, well, he's a Redskin and it's good to see teammates with good character as Mike Shanahan would say. Perhaps his teammates can convince him to put out a Christmas CD with "Little Drummer Boy" and "Silent Night". Yes, that needs to happen.

Also of note, Kirk Cousins will be releasing a book:

Cousins is also releasing a book, "Game Changer: Faith, Football and Finding Your Way" on June 25. He said it's not a biography but rather a story penned to the 15-year-old Kirk Cousins warning him about the next 10 years and the good and bad decisions along the way.

(H/T by CBS Sports)

Redskins 2013 NFL Schedule

Kevin Ewoldt — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:56:52 -0000

Here is your Washington Redskins 2013 schedule. Former Redskin, Matt Bowen, penned an insightful article about how players look at schedule releases last year.

Here's the link to the full NFL schedule.

Redskins have FIVE prime time games:

Season and Home opener vs PHI (MNF).
@Dallas 10/13 (SNF)
@Vikings 11/17 (SNF)
49ERS 11/25 (MNF)
Giants at home 12/1

Week	Date	Day	Time	Opponent
Preseason
Pre1	8/8/2013	Thursday	8:00 PM	@Titans
Pre2	8/19/2013	Monday	8:00 PM	STEELERS
Pre3	8/24/2013	Saturday	4:00 PM	BILLS
Pre4	8/29/2013	Thursday	7:30 PM	@Buccaneers
Regular Season
1	9/9/2012	MNF - ESPN	7:10 PM	EAGLES
2	9/15/2012	Sunday	1 PM	@Packers
3	9/22/2012	Sunday	1 PM	LIONS
4	9/29/2012	Sunday	4:25 PM	@Raiders
5	10/6/2012			BYE
6	10/13/2012	SNF - NBC	8:30 PM	@Cowboys
7	10/20/2012	Sunday	1 PM	BEARS
8	10/27/2013	Sunday	4:25 PM	@Broncos
9	11/3/2013	Sunday	1 PM	CHARGERS
10	11/7/2013	Thurs - NFLN	8:20 PM	@Vikings
11	11/17/2013	Sunday	1 PM	@Eagles
12	11/25/2013	MNF - ESPN	8:30 PM	49ERS
13	12/1/2013	SNF - NBC	8:30 PM	GIANTS
14	12/8/2013	Sunday	1 PM	CHIEFS
15	12/15/2013	Sunday	1 PM	@Falcons
16	12/22/2013	Sunday	1 PM	COWBOYS
17	12/29/2013	Sunday	1 PM	@GIants

Predicting RGIII's 2013 Stats; A Look at Past Elite QBs and Their Second Year Stats

Kevin Ewoldt — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:57:11 -0000

I pulled together the stats for all of the quarterbacks I could think of off-hand that started their entire rookie season and what they did their second year. So, this rules out guys like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, Phillip Rivers, Randall Cunningham and Drew Brees. I also excluded Sam Bradford since he was injured significantly throughout his second season. Donovan McNabb played in six games his rookie year where his 2-4 record shot up to 11-5 his sophomore year with a 17 point increase in QB rating. Cam Newton had a similar stat line his second season from his rookie campaign despite the negative press. Newton logged 5 more INTs, but his QB Rating did go up a few points and the Panthers won one more game than in 2011 despite all their major injuries.

Since Robert Griffin III won Rookie of the Year, took what had been a terrible team for so many years to the playoffs, and re-energized the work ethic in the Redskins locker room, I think it's safe to say he is already at or near an elite level. For me, "elite" means a QB that not only executes a game plan, but is also able to make a positive play out of a negative situation. It's common to hear coaches say in post-game losses "the execution was poor." Elite players rarely make these mistakes. There are times in a game when we see a normal incompletion, but for all we know that incompletion was a play that the team had been setting up all day. An underthrown or overthrown ball can be a back-breaker, but Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning....it's common to see them running 70-yards down field to hug their WR in the end zone.

Let's look at some elite QBs and their first two year stats:

John Elway

Year	Games Started	Record	Compl/Att	Compl. %	Yards	TD	INT	INT %	Sacks	QB Rating
1983	10	4-6	123/259	47.5	1663	7	14	5.4%	28	54.9
1984	14	12-2	214/380	56.3%	2598	18	15	3.9	24	76.8

Peyton Manning

Year	Games Started	Record	Compl/Att	Compl. %	Yards	TD	INT	INT %	Sacks	QB Rating
1998	16	3-13	326/575	56.7%	3739	26	28	4.9%	22	71.2
1999	16	13-3	331/553	62.1%	4135	26	15	2.8%	14	90.7

Dan Marino

Year	Games Started	Record	Compl/Att	Compl. %	Yards	TD	INT	INT %	Sacks	QB Rating
1983	9	7-2	173/296	58.4%	2210	20	6	2.0%	10	96.0
1984	16	14-2	362/564	64.2%	5084	48	17	3.0%	13	108.9

Some honorable mentions:

Ben Roethlisberger [stats link] also saw his stats increase his sophomore year.
Troy Aikman [stats link] had a woeful 9/18 Touchdown to Interception ratio his rookie year where he won 0 games. Obviously, he improved over the next few years, but the stats improvement was not immediate.
Warren Moon interestingly saw a drop in his stats after his sophomore year. He threw five more interceptions despite playing in two less games and his QB Rating went down 12 points to a 68.5.

When estimating RGIII's 2013 stats, there are a lot of factors in play here from last season:

Less Rushing: RGIII had 120 rushing attempts for 815 yards. Surely, RGIII will be passing the ball more this year.
Weapons: RGIII did not have Fred Davis or Pierre Garcon for a large chunk of the season. With both of them returning healthy, that bodes well for the passing attack.
Strength of Schedule: The Redskins played all the last place NFC teams last year. In 2013, they will be playing all the first place teams.
Injury: He will be rehabbing his knee all summer instead of taking first team reps.

All things considered, it is quite incredible RGIII had a 100+ overall QB Rating as a rookie. Here are my estimates for 2013:

Robert Griffin III

Year	Games Started	Record	Compl/Att	Compl. %	Yards	TD	INT	INT %	Sacks	QB Rating
2012	15	9-6	258/393	65.6%	3200	20	5	1.3	30	102.4
2013	13	9-4	283/416	68.0%	3300	22	7	2.0%	28	101.0

As Mark Schlereth told me once, coaches cannot force a quarterback to play a certain way. When a quarterback is under duress, he will tend to revert back to what is natural to him. For RGIII, that means scrambling and extending the play, which we should all hope and expect he continues to do. Since RGIII will likely be throwing the ball more, I expect his INTs to rise slightly. I feel it's safe to say he will miss a handful of games in 2013 for precautionary reasons.

Given RGIII's worth ethic, football awareness, and ability to execute gameplans, barring injury, the Redskins fanbase can laugh off any RGIII "sophomore slump" predictions. The same goes for Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck.

Side note: Based on these stats findings, Andrew Luck would be a VERY good QB to draft in your fantasy league this year.

Collection of Tributes & Quotes for the Passing of Pat Summerall

Kevin Ewoldt — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:14:12 -0000

Man, this has been a difficult two days. Just one day after the tragedy in Boston, the sports world lost an icon. Every week when I post the Game Preview for the Redskins matchup, I list the announcers. There's always more than a handful of people who dislike whichever group is assigned. No one ever said that about Pat Summerall and John Madden.

I included some YouTube clips of Summerall broadcasting Redskins games. Like many people in the world, Summerall's voice is ingrained in my memory more than anything else I can think of off-hand. You will be missed, Pat. RIP.

Via the NY Post, Summerall broadcast for 16 Super Bowls and his last championship game was for Fox on Feb. 3, 2002, also his last game with longtime partner Madden. The popular duo worked together for 21 years, moving to Fox in 1994 after years as the lead team for CBS.

John Madden: "Pat was my broadcasting partner for a long time, but more than that he was my friend for all of these years. We never had one argument, and that was because of Pat. He was a great broadcaster and a great man. He always had a joke. Pat never complained and we never had an unhappy moment. He was something very special. Pat Summerall is the voice of football and always will be."

Al Michaels: "Pat Summerall was just a classy, classy man," Michaels told me. "He had a very soothing style. Pat was what I would call a very comfortable listen. You could sit back and enjoy the game, and by design, he was more of a minimalist in how he approached things."

Mike Tirico: "Gold standard in so many ways. So many of us have broadcast the NFL there's the influence of the NFL. Summerall had a way to say more with less. When the moment got bigger, whether it was the NFL, the Masters (he was in the 18th tower for so many years), he had the way to set the tone but never got in the way of the event...Pat Summerall never seemed to rub anyone's fans the wrong way."

Jim Nantz: "He is CBS Sports. I always thought he could work here until he was 75 or 80 years old," Nantz told The Philadelphia Daily News then. "He's been a much larger influence on my career than I think he realizes. There will be a piece of Pat Summerall on the air as long as I do golf for this network."

Joe Theismann: "For those of us that had the chance to work w Pat Summerall, will miss a true icon. RIP Pat"

Daryl Johnston: "We have lost one of the greatest voices in sport. When you heard Pat Summerall's voice you knew it was a big event. You will be missed Pat."

Jerry Jones: "Pat was the NFL's narrator for generations, with a voice that was powerful, eloquent and distinctive. His presence at an NFL game elevated that event to a higher level. He was royalty in the broadcast booth. He was respected and admired by players, coaches, commissioners and Presidents of our country-and always a gentleman-someone who had time for the fans in the parking lot after the game...Our hearts go out to Cheri and his family. Pat was an icon and an American original."

Photos: Pat Summerall - December 27, 1958 - Classic Photos of Pat Summerall - Photos - SI.com

Darrell Green's Legendary Punt Return for TD in the Divisional Playoffs

Pat recapping Redskins George Allen era teams...

Redskins 1987 Divisional Intro (2:35 mark)

Pat Summerall broadcasting Redskins Super Bowl win vs Bills (9:00 mark)

Daily Slop: First Day of Off-Season Workouts in the Books; Some Players Quotes

Kevin Ewoldt — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:46:13 -0000

Lorenzo Alexander: The Redskins’ truly special teamer - The Washington Post
His employer told him it could not pay him what he was worth. "If that’s what it is, Bruce, that’s what it is. I’ll talk to you later," Alexander told Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen before hanging up and beginning to weep in his hotel room.

CAMPBELL: Familiarity is Redskins' best bet in face of salary cap limitations - Washington Times
"I think that’s something people really undervalue — knowledge and comfort level with the existing playbook and the existing staff," said second-string tight end Logan Paulsen. "Bringing people back is so much better and in some ways more efficient because you get a guy that has had a year, two years, three years in that offense, in that scheme, they know the details and the ins and outs. It allows you to play faster."

Redskins’ start of offseason workouts "like first day of school"
Coach Mike Shanahan addressed his players, reminding them that despite the challenges they endured last season, they were able to reel off seven consecutive wins to rebound from a 3-6 start and capture the NFC East title. He cautioned that the players couldn’t become complacent, however, and challenged them to continue to work to get better so last season’s success serves as a building block.

WaPost Monday mailbag: Injury updates, draft needs and more. . .
Some good nuggets in here.

7 Round NFL Mock Draft- Fanspeak.com

RGIII, Kirk Cousins get ready for Redskins OTAs
Cousins hits the thrift store with Tom Compton to furnish his house.

Sonny Jurgensen to RGIII: ‘Quit running’
"Quit running," Jurgensen responded. "As a quarterback, you make your living throwing the football. If you make your living running the football, you’re gonna play 10 games a year. Quit running. Run when necessary; get out of bounds.

Keys To Pass Defense: Health, Stability
Shanhan: "Any time you lose a guy like [Brandon] Meriweather and Tanard Jackson, and other guys have to fit in, you have to feel good about the guys that did [play] and got some experience," he told Redskins Nation. "You’ve got a guy like [Jordan] Pugh; who knew who Pugh was? We picked him up off the street and I thought he played at a pretty good level.

The Redskins Blog | Chris Chester’s Inspirational Coach & Mentor
One man he credits a lot of his success to and has a huge amount of respect for, is his former Tustin High School football coach Myron Miller.

The Redskins Blog | Honoring No. 42 On Jackie Robinson Day
The Redskins had their own No. 42 who made history in his own regard: 1984 Hall of Fame inductee Charley Taylor.

The Redskins Blog | Griner, Griffin III Dunk Contest: Who Wins?
(I can't believe this is actually a discussion)

Redskins return to work | WashingtonExaminer.com
"He didn’t want to give us one of those talks where, ‘Hey, you’re really good,’ and have us get full of ourselves," Redskins guard Kory Lichtensteiger said. "His big word was complacency. He didn’t want to tell us we were so good and have us think we didn’t have to work as hard to get back to that spot."

Redskins Players React to Boston Marathon Tragedy " CBS DC
Like most Americans, members of the Washington Redskins were shocked and saddened to learn of the bombings that tragically rocked the Boston Marathon, leaving three dead and more than 100 injured.

Redskins playing celebrity softball: 4/20/13 Bethesda, MD
The athletes roster includes Chris Cooley, Kai Forbath, Nick Sundberg, Lorenzo Alexander, Ryan Kerrigan, Antwaan Randle El and others. The promised media members include Chick Hernandez, Mike Wise, Doug Kammerer and Grant Paulsen, among others.

Jon Gruden's pick at quarterback this year is Syracuse's Ryan Nassib | WashingtonExaminer.com
Join Keim reporting...

Breakfast links: Hakeem Nicks on the mend - NFC East Blog - ESPN

The Redskins Blog | Like Mother, Like Daughter
Lauren, 25, from Calvert County Maryland, grew up an avid Redskins fan attending games with her family. She’s been dancing since the age of two, auditioning and becoming one of the newest members of the 2013 Redskins Cheerleading team was a dream come true. She said her mother was a Redskins Cheerleader, but when her mom auditioned for the squad they wore a lot more clothing (Lauren laughed).

Need to Know: Workouts pay off for some | CSN Washington

Random Pre-Draft Redskins Thoughts - Fanspeak.com

An outline of what the Redskins should look to do in the draft.

Dallas Cowboys franchise still haunted by 2008 NFL draft - ESPN Dallas
The Cowboys took Arkansas running back Felix Jones, a niche runner, with the 22nd pick. They selected South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins with the 28th pick. And they drafted talented, athletic Texas A&M tight end Martellus Bennett in the second round. While each contributed to the Cowboys, none was deemed worthy of a second contract. What a joke. This from a franchise that hands out contract extensions to its own players like candy bars on Halloween. Jones, Jenkins and Bennett were supposed to solidify the Cowboys' status as one of the NFC's top teams, but it didn't happen.

HARRIS: In Freddie Freeman injury, a flip side to Redskins' RG3 approach - Washington Times
The lessons here — and this is where the other local team needs to pay attention — are athletes don’t make the call and you make the decision based on what you see, not on what you hear.

He may have led all tight ends in catches and yards last season, but does anybody really fear Jason Witten? – Blogging the bEast

Pierre Garcon on Week 1: "I'll Be Healthy Enough to Play"

Kevin Ewoldt — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:30:37 -0000

Pierre Garcon visited the NFL Network this morning and didn't drop any bomb shells from the locker room.

On his injury and starting the season:

"I'll be healthy enough to play. I can't say I'll be 100%, but I'll be back out there and helping the team any way possible."

"It's getting better. It's a plain and play tear. It's something that's uncommon that happened from a previous injury that compensated for another. It's coming along and it's getting better."

For OTAs, which start next week:

I'll be rehabbing and doing whatever I'm able to do. The trainers will let me know. We won't try to win a Super Bowl in April. We'll try to move ahead.

On RGIII and if there's a concern if he'll push too hard:

We want him back week one but we don't want him to push too hard. He has a long future in Washington. He's going to do what's right for him. He's been through the fire, understands it, and he's going to build from it.

On Redskins being 9-1 when Garcon is on the field:

It's just having more weapons on the field. It's nothing I did. Coach Mike Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan did a great job of game planning and I just did my part. Without Robert and Alfred there's no 9-1.

On Adderrall usage in NFL...do you see an issue with it?

There is an issue with it. It gives you an upper hand that regular guys like me don't have. We're all trying to get an advantage but if illegal.

I guess some guys abuse it. Like any drug from pain reliever, to Adderall, to whatever else they need to perform better on Sundays. Some guys do need it to stay up in meetings and to learn the plays and to study plays. It can be abused on the fields too.

On if he sees it in the NFL locker rooms over his career:

This is my first time hearing that much about it. If you're diagnosed with it then you know more about it.

Safety Phillip Thomas and CB David Amerson is Visiting the Redskins Today

Kevin Ewoldt — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:52:51 -0000

Dc chillin
— Phillip Thomas (@Phil_Me16) April 9, 2013

The Redskins continue their draft preparation with Fresno State Safety, Phillip Thomas, which Grant Paulsen also reported yesterday. Also in the house is

ESPN 980 has learnedNC State DB (CB) 6'1" David Amerson is scheduled to visit #Redskins Park Wednesday. Strong interest in versatility.
— ESPN 980 (@ESPNRadio980) April 9, 2013

Some info on Phillip Thomas...

Height: 6-1 Weight: 208
40 Time: 4.57
Projected Round: 2-3

Via his NFL.com profile:

STRENGTHS

Athletic, physical defender. Strong tackler with good length and the attitude to throw down ballcarrier. Breaks down well when approaching ballcarriers in space, has quick feet and agility to make the stop. Quick enough to stay with tight ends and some receivers in coverage, can undercut to knock away or pick off late throws. Nice ball skills to extend away from his frame to make the moderate-to-difficult interception. Sticks his nose in against the run when making that read, fills a hole, flows through traffic to find the ball, or adds himself into piles with reckless abandon. Comes downhill from two-deep look with speed. Adept blitzer off the edge, makes ballcarrier pay in thebackfield if not accounted for.

WEAKNESSES

Missed 2011 season due to a leg injury. Not corner-like in his change of direction ability in man coverage against quicker receivers, though more than adequate for an NFL safety. Can get nosy on play action, getting sucked up or failing to drop deep enough when starting around the line. Loses battles against better receiver blocks in the run game. Needs to prove he has the strength to stop pro ballcarriers in their tracks and be an intimidator in the back half when receivers come over the middle.

NFL COMPARISON Reggie Nelson

BOTTOM LINE A gruesome left leg injury forced Thomas to question his potential NFL future, but the senior was everywhere in 2012 and looked as good as new. He gets a bit tentative when closing on ball carriers, choosing not to meet them at the line of scrimmage unless lined up in the box, but Thomas thrives at going up and getting it in coverage. Reggie Nelson was mainly a center fielding safety while at Florida and during the early parts of his career, but transformed his game with solid coaching. Thomas may be able to do the same.

Redskins Preseason Games Storylines to Hype Everyone Up

Kevin Ewoldt — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:31:07 -0000

As training camp approaches, the questions regarding RGIII's week 1 availability and knee status will undoubtedly reach unbearable status. I don't mean "unbearable" as riding the Metro during rush hour with the A/C broken, or unbearable in relation to the food lines at Nats Park. I mean unbearable like what Kim Kardashian is to news outlets. Even though I completely shut out everything regarding that woman, her life updates are inescapable. It's going to be that bad with RGIII, so take whatever precautions you need to deal with. The water cooler at work, strangers at bars, the homeless guy that needs just 25 cents to get his Greyhound bus home...RGIII's health will be omnipresent. I just ordered a life-sized punching bag of Ken Meringolo wearing a Jason Witten jersey, so that will do just fine for me. Hopefully Tim Tebow's dating interest leaks in August so ESPN and PFT can feed on that.

So, let's talk Redskins and some story-lines going into the August games:

Preseason Games

Storylines

@ Titans

The Epic QB Battle: The 4th round backup, Kirk Cousins, versus the 1st round QB, Jake Locker. In October of 2012, much of the talk was if Jake Locker should be benched for Matt Hasselbeck. I'm so glad we don't have that problem any more. Quality Quarterbacks drafted after Jake Locker in the 2011 draft: Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick, and Ryan Mallett. (golf clap for Tennessee).

Alumni Redskins Defensive Coaches REUNITE!!!: The Titans current defensive coordinator is former Redskins secondary coach, Jerry Gray. The Titans defense allowed a NFL worst 471 points last season (29.4 game). That should all change now that they hired former Defensive Coordinator, Gregg Williams, as a consultant. Hugs all around for London Fletcher.

Recent Preseason History: Redskins are 4-0 all time vs Titans in pre-season games.

Prediction: Redskins 57, Titans 0.

STEELERS

Monday Night Football - Steelers at Redskins returns. Last time this happened, MNF was a regular season game and Fedex was a sea of terrible towels as part of an embarrassing 23-6 loss. Perhaps the Redskins can get in front of this now and announce they will be handing out Bank of America gold towels to support the Redskins. It's not yellow...it's gold. It's way different!!

Rex Grossman vs Brad Gradkowsi - The fact that both of these guys are still in the league makes me think I should try out for the Jags or something. Either way, I look forward to the "R-G-3" chants all game even though Bob will be on the sidelines in his Adidas track suit.

Danny Smith Returns to D.C. - Something is bound to happen in this game with Special Teams. Either Richard Crawford takes a KR to the house, where all of Redskins Nation simultaneously tweets: "THAT'S WHY BRANDON BANKS SUCKS DANNY!"...or...on the opening kickoff, three Redskins streakers run into each other and some KR for the Steelers we've never heard of is doing the Dougie 103 yards later.

The Man we Love to Hate, Shaun Suisham - I had the fortune of interviewing practically every Redskin throughout the two years of the Zorn era and Shaun Suisham is easily in the top three of the nicest players I have ever met. Kickers get a bad rap in D.C....we always have to be hating on someone (Tag...you're it Tyler Polumbus!)....but when Suisham bricks a 33-yard FG off the upright, we can all crack a smile.

Recent Preseason History: Redskins have won 8 of their last 9 games.

Prediction: Kai Forbath goes 7-7 and the Redskins win 21-3. Bruce Gradkowski endures a 4,132nd knee injury and vows to be back next week. The Jaguars inquire.

BILLS

STARTERS PLAY 3 QUARTERS: Will RGIII get a series? Will he? Tell us Shanahan already!!! Either way, I cannot think of a better matchup for the Redskins defense to build confidence. Throughout this game, the Bills will trot out some combination of Kevin "corn on the" Kolb, Tavaris Jackson, and Aaron Corp (who?). Kolb could get nothing done with Larry Fitzgerald as his WR, although, his TD/INT ratio was 8/3 last year, so there's something to hang your hat on Bills' fans.

BiLoLs Coaching Staff: The Bills fired Chan Gailey and made Doug Marrone their skipper. This is his first gig as a NFL coach having head coached Syracuse the last four years. Former Redskins WR Coach, Ike Hilliard, maintains his same role with the Bills.

Recent Preseason History: Redskins have won their last four vs the Bills.

Prediction: Redskins 64, Bills -2....Kerrakpo with 8.5 sacks.

@Buccaneers

I've contacted Fox5 DC to have all the syndicated Simpsons episodes this week show Bart Simpson write on the chalk board "Mike Alstott did not cross the goal line...Mike Alstott did not cross the goal line.."

More questions all week: Will RGIII see a series? Will he? Will he, Coach?

Defense Break: The Bucs have some ballers who will all be in street clothes: Dashon Goldson, Mark Barron, Adrian Clayborn, and Gerald McCoy to name a few. Russ Grimm's son, Cody, will be out there though.

Backup QBs Galore? This might be difficult. The Bucs currently have only two QBs on their roster: Josh Freeman and Adam Weber (who?). John Beck is a free agent, Tampa. Get it done.

Raheem Morris/Bruce Allen: We won't be able to escape this connection for awhile. Tanard Jackson is suspended into August and there's no oil left in that Tampa well to dip from.

Recent Preseason History: Redskins have won their last three vs the Bucs.

Prediction: Redskins 3, Bucs 2.

H/T to Redskins.com for the recent pre-season history.

Daily Slop: Redskins Media Links Roundup

Kevin Ewoldt — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:19:15 -0000

Shanahan: RGIII will ‘set a record’ for return from ACL surgery
"He is ahead, but there is a process," Shanahan said. "It takes time. Robert will do it the right way and we’ll find out in July exactly where he’s at. … He will not come back until he’s 100 percent."

Roy Helu Jr. Had Surgery In February For A Toe Injury " Redskins Gab
"Off of an instinct that something was wrong, we went into surgery," Helu said. "And we found out there was damaged cartilage [near the big toe] that was causing the problem, but it wasn’t showing up on anything. Thankfully we found it and now it’s gone. The road to recovery this time, since February, has been a lot better." Helu ran for the first time since the surgery on Tuesday, and based on how he’s feeling, he said he’s aiming to be "without limitations" at the start of OTAs on May 20th.

Redskins Top 10 Plays of 2012-13 (Video) - HTTR4LIFE.com
This video shows the top ten plays from last year's NFC East championship winning team. Hail to the Redskins!

The Redskins Blog | Chris Baker Talks To High School Juniors The Redskins Blog | Redskins Retain Most Starters In NFL

Ranking the Redskins Nose Tackle Options | Fanspeak.com

Taking a look at where the Redskins nose tackle options rank and who might be in line to make the team.

The Redskins Blog | Kerrigan Throws Out First Pitch
"I threw it pretty hard yeah, didn’t full out gas it but a solid velocity, just off the inside corner, knee high. I was pleased with it. I’d have to compare myself to a young wild thing Rick Vaughn because you never know where the ball’s going to go," said Kerrigan.

The Redskins Blog | Real Reason Behind The Number Change
CB Richard Crawford will change his number from 39 to No. 20.

Pardee: Redskins Fans 'A Breath Of Fresh Air'
In remembrance of former Redskins' player and head coach Jack Pardee, a look back on his career and some of his thoughts about his time in the Nation's Capital.

Download Fanspeak.com's 2013 NFL Draft Guide for Free! | Fanspeak.com

Over 225 pages of content, including scouting reports, positional rankings, player interviews and much much more. Best part is it's 100% free!

4/27/13 - Free Draft Day Party Coming To FedExField
Admission and parking is free for all fans. Parking lots open at 11 a.m. Fans will be admitted through the Comcast SportsNet Gate (Gate H) at noon and the event will conclude at 5 p.m.

RG3 throws passes, shoots hoops | CSN Washington

DeMarcus Ware says it’s ‘put up or shut up’ time for Tony Romo | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
From the blog Shutdown Corner: DeMarcus Ware is happy quarterback Tony Romo received his long-term extension, but the seven-time Pro Bowler would like to see Romo step up and take the team to the next level. "I feel like everybody is

2013 NFL Draft lacks elite prospects, but features good depth - NFL - Peter King - SI.com
I asked a veteran NFL operative who has read the Draft Day script about the movie, and he said, "Pretty realistic." The movie, with Ivan Reitman directing, will include action filmed at Radio City in the midst of the real action of the 2013 first round.

Frazier wants Winfield to know the Vikings want him back | ProFootballTalk
"We’re all human," Frazier said. "We all like to know we’re wanted. I’ve tried to make that clear to him. I’ll let him know, ‘If you’ve got any questions, you know how to reach me.’"

Rams cash in big on deal that let 'Skins pick RG III : Sports
Team continues to reap draft picks that sprouted out of trade that sent No. 2 overall selection last year to Washington.

This Time Around, Kehl Hopes to be Central to Skins Defense " CBS DC
"I really believe that I can be an outstanding player on defense," said the 6-foot-2, 244-pound Kehl, who has started just five of his 67 career games. "With the Giants and the Rams, the defensive coaches had a philosophy that linebackers need to go hit blockers. That’s not the way I play. [Redskins defensive coordinator] Jim Haslett has the philosophy that linebackers go make plays. That’s the way I play. I think I have a better knack for defense than special teams. Had I been drafted by a team that had Jim Haslett, I think I’d be a five-year starter right now. My best asset is my athleticism. Lorenzo has a knack for special teams. I would beat him down there on kickoffs, but he would get to the ball."

Tony Romo: The Real Reason Behind His Big Contract
The terrible market for QBs surely helped Romo and his agent.

How many players over the age of 30 are on your team? The Giants lead the NFL with 16 – Blogging the bEast
Redskins have 10, which is middle of the pack-ish.

ESPN - Best Ball Majors Challenge - Group
Here's a link to Parks Smith's online golf tourney for any that played it in the past and want to keep it going.

DeAngelo Hall Turned Down More Money From Two Other Teams to Rejoin Redskins

Kevin Ewoldt — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:40:49 -0000

DeAngelo Hall is not a fan favorite or close to it around Redskins Nation. He was signed to hefty free agent contract when Snyder and Zorn were printing money and the team of course lost in embarrassing fashion week in and week out. The former Hokie regularly receives unsportsman-like conduct penalties and the consistency game in and game out just didn't seem to be there. Then something interesting happened. After getting kicked out of the Steelers loss for cursing out a ref, he stepped up big time during that seven game win streak. Dez Bryant was a ghost in that week 17 win vs Dallas to seal the NFC East Championship.

On why DeAngelo returned to the Redskins at a greatly reduced salary:

DHall: "It was about being where I felt comfortable, a place where I felt like I could definitely succeed, and a place I felt like had a chance to win. I can remember a couple years ago when I took that deal and left Atlanta and went to Oakland, I kind of found out the hard way not all money is good money. If a team wants to pay you $7-8 million and you're struggling to go to practice, you're struggling to play in games, your heart's not in it, that's no way to play football. When I feel like I'm not having fun and my heart's not in it, I'm gonna hang it up. I felt like Washington was a place that I definitely wanted to be a part of."

This seems to be a common thread for every player in Oakland at that time. Randy Moss comes to mind.

And about other teams:

"A couple teams gave me some offers that definitely made me think, but like I said, ultimately I had great communication with Coach Shanahan throughout the whole process, with Raheem [Morris] ... so the lines of communication were definitely open. I wasn't shy about letting everybody know I definitely wanted to go back to Washington, but if it didn't work out, I definitely had some other options out there. Just happy that we both could agree on things. This obviously wasn't the most money I could get, but it made the most sense for me and my family."

Statistically, Hall was one of the worst pass defenders somehow being one of the two cornerbacks league wide to allow 1,000 yards. Of course, having Madieu Williams as your safety net in a zone coverage scheme doesn't help. On the flip side, he ranked in the top tier for Cornerback run defense.

Welcome back, DeAngelo. The cheers should be a little louder this year.

North Korea is Redskins Country Thanks to Mark May

Kevin Ewoldt — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:53:23 -0000

This is probably the first and last time I'll mention current politics on this blog, but stay with me. As of five hours ago, this article was posted on Fox News:

South Korea said Thursday North Korea moved a missile with "considerable range" to its east coast after an unnamed spokesman for the North Korean army warned the U.S. Wednesday that its military has been cleared to wage an attack using "smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear" weapons.

I'm sure I'm one of the 99.99% of America that fears a nuclear attack from the Olsen twins more than North Korea. If the Russian military with little notice can destroy an asteroid travelling at 66,000mph, I'm sure our fine military can handle a long-range North Korea missile (I'm getting a "Spies Like Us" flashback).

I think I know why the North Koreans might be so upset lately. Perhaps they found "the sticker." Via a 1988 L.A. Times article from when the Summer Olympics were in Seoul:

NBC announcer Bob Costas, while visiting the demilitarized zone that divides North and South Korea, walked into a Quonset hut used for meetings between the two sides.

Wrote Rick Warner of the Associated Press: "In the middle of the hut was a desk. When Washington Redskins lineman Mark May visited the DMZ on a USO tour three years ago, he stuck a Redskins sticker under the desk when the North Korean guards weren't looking.

The sticker was still there three years later.Can you imagine the Hogs walking into North Korea? Damn I wish video cell phones and social media existed back in 1985 (at least for this one day). Via the fine staff at SB Nation, we were able to reach out to former Redskins and current ESPN analyst, Mark May, to confirm this. May responded:

Yes under N Korean side of table 38th parallel Panmunjom.

Do we have any Redskins' fans military in S. Korea that can confirm it's still there? I wish I could dig deeper on this story. I still am trying. As for North Korea, I only have one thing left to say....Maaaatt Daaaamon:

Redskins Wooing of Antoine Winfield Showing Progress

Kevin Ewoldt — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:02:49 -0000

Things are coming to a boil with Antoine Winfield. His agent was sick over the last couple days, but a final decision is expected this week. The Redskins are pulling out all the stops, and if there's one thing we know Dan Snyder is good at, it's closing on free agents.

One other cool things #Redskins did for Antoine Winfield? Showed him a highlight tape... Which opened with him destroying the Skins
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 29, 2013

I think I'd also show Winfield film of Christian Ponder, just to remind him of that QB situation. Winfield will turn 36 this June. ~~so it's hard to imagine he'll return to the Vikings with playoff teams like the Redskins and Broncos courting him~~.

ESPN 980 has learned progress is being made between Antoine Winfield & #Redskins. Certainly sounds like the parties involved want it 2 work.
— ESPN 980 (@ESPNRadio980) March 29, 2013

regardless of how strong a push Skins might want to make for Antoine Winfield, they face real cap issues. Vikings, Broncos among his options
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 29, 2013

How do you know #Redskins want Antoine Winfield? At dinner last night were owner Dan Snyder, Mike Shanahan, the defensive staff... & @rgiii
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 29, 2013

So, was dinner at Morton's or Hooters? Another little nugget....surely Fletcher has reached out too, right?

Just realized that Antoine Winfield and London Fletcher anchored the Bills defense together for two seasons ('02, '03).
— BurgundyBlog.com (@BurgundyBlog) March 30, 2013

Pro Football Focus broke down Winfield's play from 2012. I recommend reading the entire article, but here are some highlights:

Winfield finished the season with a +25.5 grade, narrowly edging Richard Sherman (+25.1) to the top spot in our CB rankings, but that's only part of the story. If you look purely at coverage, Sherman's grade (+26.4) is almost four times higher than Winfield's (+7.0), and there is no doubt that Sherman was the superior player in that regard last season.

He may have been atop the overall grade rankings among cornerbacks, but nobody at PFF will try and tell you that Antoine Winfield was the best corner in football last season.

Against the run Winfield's grade was almost twice as good as any other corner. On the season he made 44 stops (tackles that constitute an offensive failure), which was a dozen more than the next best player.

Tony Romo Signs 6-Year Extension, Continue Pushing Cap Costs Out to Future

Kevin Ewoldt — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:33:42 -0000

Source: #Dallas #Cowboys QB Tony Romo has agreed to a six-year, $108 million contract extension with $55 million guaranteed through 2019.
— Brandon George (@dmn_george) March 29, 2013

I've been saying for over a year now that Jerry Jones has entered the Al Davis era of desperation to win one more title at any cost (sane cap management). Now, Romo is certainly a good Quarterback. It hurts my knuckles to type those words, but he does put up points. Unfortunately for Romo, he can't do anything in the clutch. The last two seasons Romo and the Cowboys have had week 17 scenarios "win and you're in"....and of course they lost to the Giants in 2011 and Redskins in 2012.

This move does clear some cap room for the Cowboys this year, which was imperative since they were only $51,000 under the cap two days ago. Here was the Cowboys cap situation as of a few days ago. I encourage everyone to read the entire piece:

The Cowboys did virtually nothing so far this offseason to improve their team, because... well, they can't. Instead, all they did was push guaranteed money into future years, which will inhibit their ability to get better during free agency in 2014 and 2015. They also guaranteed that they'll be stuck with a number of players who are already in decline, and others whose play could begin to fall off.

And the fine details:

The Cowboys reworked the contracts of Miles Austin, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, and Brandon Carr. The moves saved Dallas $23,357,600 against the salary cap in 2013, but increased the Cowboys' cap charges in 2014 by $5,839,500. Perhaps even more importantly, they increased the dead money charges of those players in 2014 by $23,357,600.

To make matters worse, Dallas decided to franchise Anthony Spencer, which means they have now allotted over $10 million of the 2013 cap to him. This could put them in a position to have to rework even more contracts to get under the 2013 salary cap, which just means pushing more money into 2014. When you have future cap situations like Dallas', it is imperative to be able to carry excess cap room over from one year to the next. Using the tag two years in a row on the same player just destroys that excess cap room. It's just poor cap management.

Romo will be 39 years old if he plays out his contract. I have a picture to summarize the Cowboys front office:

Washington Redskins 2013 Draft Profile: Lennay Kakua

Kevin Ewoldt — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 00:48:13 -0000

Measurements: ?'?", XXX lbs
Projected Round: 1st (according to Lennay), 7th (according to Cerrato and Jerry Jones)

In the Mike Shanahan era, the Redskins have made 14 picks in the 6th or 7th rounds. That's an average of almost five picks per draft. So, if the Redskins trade one of their two 5th round picks for additional 6ths and 7ths, why not take a bold risk with one of those picks?

Lennay Kakua is a bit of mystery, and let's be real, that's where draft gems are found. When I was a kid visiting the bank with my Mom, a big moment was the mere three seconds I got at the jar of Dum-Dum lollipops. I had to instantly process what flavors were available and make a selection. Of course, there were never any Strawberry ones left at 4PM in the day, so without hesitation, I'd anxiously grab the dum-dum lollipop with the question mark wrapper. Mike Shanahan needs to do the same. Oh the rejoicing when a Strawberry is revealed! Will Lennay Kakua be the Coconut-pineapple that gets thrown in the trash before I even exit the bank premises? Let's see:

Pros:

Body Strength: Now that we know Lennay is a man, this likely means her/his 40 time and reps of benching 225 pounds increase significantly. In addition, Lennay came back from the dead, which basically ensures s/he'd never see injured reserve.
Fooling defenses: If Lennay can fool a Heisman trophy candidate and a campus full of 4.1 GPA students, surely scheming against Cowboys' defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, will be a walk in the park.
Catfish Prevention: A well-known, female Twitter account in Redskins circles the last few years turned out to be a catfish. Lennay could mentor his/her Redskins' teammates' DM messages and warn them of catfishes to avoid any future PR embarrassments.
Pro Experience: Lennay has multiple family members in professional sports:
"Matt Tuiasosopo, cousin of Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, signed a minor league contract with the Tigers on December 6th, 2012. The 26 year old already has MLB experience, playing three separate seasons with the Seattle Mariners." [Rant Sports]
"Marques Tuiasosopo, cousin of Ronaiah, was selected by the Raiders in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, the 59th overall pick and the fourth quarterback selected (behind Michael Vick, Drew Brees, & Quincy Carter)." [Wiki]

Cons:

Locker room: Establishing trust with teammates is going to be a problem, especially for the ones that like women.
Playing Experience: Kakua has never played High School or College football, which means the learning curve could be rather high to see regular season action.
Tears: Lennay did the media rounds with Dr. Phil and cried like a kindergarten girl who was just told her puppy got run over. Is Lennay really someone we want lined up against Jay Ratliff and Jason Pierre-Paul?

Shanahan might need to take a pass on Lennay even though the Pros outweigh the cons.

Fun fact researching this article: Dum Dum introduced a lollipop flavor called "Buttered Popcorn" in 2010 and had to cancel it in 2011 due to horribleness. Whoever came up with that flavor idea surely lost their job, right?.