Over/Under: 5 years Mike Shanahan is the head coach of the Washington Redskins
I am going with the over. Snyder held on to Cerrato for a decade. So...if Allen/Shanahan can eclipse the "Cerrato Standard", I think it is is safe to say they could be around for a while.

Over/Under: 2 years Donovan McNabb is the starting quarterback  for the Skins
I'll take the over. I would love to see Shanahan take a quarterback high in next year's draft and bring him along under McNabb. If he can stay healthy, McNabb will keep the youngster off the field for the next couple years.

Over/Under: 85 catches for Devin Thomas next season
Hmmmmm...I'm going with the over because I think Thomas will emerge as McNabb's number one target this summer. It is entirely possible Devin Thomas is on the brink of a huge season. 

Over/Under: 1,000 yds receiving for Santana Moss next season
Going with my first under. I think Moss will be effective and will make big plays, but I think Thomas' production will eat into his overall stats.

Over/Under: 6 interceptions for DeAngelo Hall
How could I not take the over here? If he has less than 7 interceptions this season, then our defense will have had a rough year. The name of the game in Haslett's scheme is turnovers. Hall has great hands and should see his share of opportunities.

Over/Under: 12.5 sacks for Brian Orakpo
If I was going to take the under, it would be because I thought he was probably going to have another 11-12 sack season. Whether he is blitzing more or not in Haslett's scheme, I expect opposing offensive coordinators to focus on him.

Over/Under: 8 wins for the Washington Redskins
I have never been accused of being mildly optimistic. I see 10-6 this season, so I am locked into the over. I am predicting McNabb channels Billy Kilmer.

As we discussed a couple weeks ago, Jason Campbell will wait until the last second to sign his tender. (Insider)
Our expectation was that he would sign his contract in conjunction with a trade to another team. As the hours tick away until Thursday, it appears that the line of teams once thought to be interested in JC must have been in line for something else, because there has been little movement in shipping off the quarterback.

Santonio Holmes traded to the Jets? (Maske)
Let me get this straight...a dude that had a hard time staying out of trouble playing for Pittsburgh is heading to New York!?!?!? Good God...

Greg Olsen changes tune in Chicago. (espn)
My guess is somebody reminded him that he is a tight end that has yet to really do anything in this league and to shut the hell up. After all, Jay Cutler loves him and even if Mike Martz does not feature the tight end heavily in his offense, it's freaking CHICAGO! Their receiver corps has rivaled the craptastic nature of our own here in D.C. at times over the last few years.

Latest Tebow buzz has him going to...Minnesota? (Peter King)
I wonder if Fred Smoot still has a boat up there...

Finally, you all know that I rarely ever do the Slop. But when I do, I always give you what you want:

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***Update after the jump below.

If you thought that Dan Snyder was going to use his multi-million dollar HD screens just for replays and beer commercials, think again.

We were already excited about the inaugural season of the HD era at FedEx Field. The latest news out of Redskins Park is going to step that up a few notches. Yesterday afternoon, team spokesman Zack Bolno announced that the Washington Redskins have teamed up with Sony for an amazing marketing event: 2010 FedEx Field Madden Tournament. The date has not been officially announced, but it is expected to be just a week or two before the opening preseason game in August.

Sony will supply the PS3's, as well as hundreds of LCD screens to accommodate the throngs of loyal Madden NFL players. It will be a single-elimination event, with a lottery determining which early-round players get to play their games on the giant HD screens (all other games will be played on the aforementioned Sony LCD screens.) From the Sweet Sixteen through the Finals, all games will be played on the big screens behind the end zones.

According to team sources, they expect more people to show up for this event than the attendance at the U2 concert last fall. The best news is that entrance into the tournament is free to all.

Pre-registration is open now, and interested individuals are being asked to call XXX-XXX-XXXX to sign up. Details on game format as well as the administration of the tourney will be provided by the helpful folks on the line.

Tell them Hogs Haven sent you! 

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Long after the final whistle blew on the last NCAA tournament game Saturday night, I was flipping through the channels and came across one of my all-time favorite movies, Patton. If there is a man or woman out there among you who has not seen this movie, do yourself a favor and watch it immediately. It is not only one of the best war movies ever made, it also features one of the greatest original badasses. Patton is not a short movie, but I have a hard time turning it off once I have watched a few minutes. I clicked over right during the scene where Patton meets Rommel on the battlefield and is completely ready for him, defeating the German tank commander through superior tactics and preparation. Looking though his field binoculars, Patton yells, "Rommel!!...you magnificent bastard, I read your book!!" At that moment, my mind decided all by itself to conjure images of Joe Gibbs' return to the sideline. I recalled how every coach in the league seemed to know exactly what Gibbs was doing on the field, and how most defenses always seemed to be perfectly set up to stuff Gibbs' offense. That got me wondering...how many great movie quotes from some of my favorite flicks bring to mind very specific thoughts, memories, and images of my life and times as a Redskins fan?

 

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Like many of you, I was only barely able to escape yesterday's Hogs Haven discussion with my support and love of Devin Thomas intact. When he is destroying the NFL next season on his way to his first Pro Bowl, we will all forget that Kevin made us read about his love of naked bodies. In the meantime, I thought I would toss out a few topics to get this All-Decade team wrapped up and put to bed. In the comments section below I will frame up a question on each of the remaining positions, with my automatic bid included. I leave it to the Hogs Haven faithful to help make this team complete. I'll publish the final roster next week (I'll sandbag it for the day when the only thing we have to cover is London Fletcher doing a cooking show or DeAngelo Hall appearing on "The View"...)

Washington Redskins All-Decade Team So Far...

Offense

QB: Brad Johnson, Jason Campbell, Mark Brunell

OL: Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen, Tre Johnson, Randy Thomas, Casey Rabach, Derrick Dockery, Ray Brown, Ethan Albright

RB: Stephen Davis, Clinton Portis, Mike Sellers, Ladell Betts, Larry Centers

Defense

CB: Champ Bailey, Darrell Green, Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot, DeAngelo Hall

Special Teams

P: Hunter Smith

K: John Hall

We are looking for a few good DT's, LB's, WR's and TE's...and of course a safety or two.

Thanks in advance for the spirited discussion. Don't forget, eligibility is as simple as suiting up in the decade (but service time is fair game for debating the merits of an individual's inclusion.)

I really want to get excited about the incredible participation in Coach Shanahan's offseason program, but I am going to temper that excitement today. One thing I promised myself at the end of last year is that I was not going to get carried away by the various little things this offseason that don't change our win/loss record, which will remain 4-12 until September. I am easily spun up and in recent years I have talked myself into loving such absurd moves as hiring Steve Spurrier, trotting out Shane Matthews as our starter, and bringing in Adam Archuleta to bolster our secondary (to be fair, Archuleta was a standout safety on my Madden franchise, and his wife is ludicrously hot.) By the time we got to the regular season, I would be thinking we could maybe win 10, 11...12 games based on our offseason prowess. I figured:

• Watching JC, Todd Collins, and Colt Brennan dodge giant rubber balls in practice was worth a win or two.
• Hearing all about how strong Ladell Betts looked in practice (in July) translated into a win.
• Seeing our starting offensive line playing together (in August) surely would net us at least a few W's.
• Hiring new strength and conditioning coaches to lessen hamstring injuries was going to put over the top in the division.
• Three young, fast, strong rookie receivers (one a tight end) would give us an edge in a pass-happy league.
• T.J. Duckett is just the kind of back that will get important first downs.
• Patrick Ramsey doesn't need more than 4 blockers on any given pass play anyway.
• Trung Canidate is just looking for an opportunity.

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Over the course of the next month and a half, many rumors, scenarios and conspiracy theories will be bandied about involving players, draft picks and franchises around the league. We don't intend to be left out of the fray. With every move made by general managers around the league, the ever-changing landscape produces yet another scintillating possibility for the Washington Redskins. Sure there are going to be reaches...you can bet Kevin is going to roll his eyes and you can rest assured that "professional" journalists will probably stop short of conjuring at least some of these scenarios. But if I learned anything from Lionel Hutz, it is that "Hearsay and conjecture are kinds of evidence."

So let the conjecture and hearsay begin! Today I start with the draft pick loaded Cleveland Browns....

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I am not alone in my suspicion that the Redskins Brain Trust will look to bring in a running back at the top of the second round. The lack of what would be our high 3rd round choice (used in last year's supplemental draft to take Jeremy Jarmon, which I loved) means if we want a starting caliber (stud) back out of this draft, our best opportunity is going to be at the top of the 2nd round. Here are three guys who many suspect are bottom of the first round or top of the second round picks. Which one would you rather have?

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech

via collegefootblog.files.wordpress.com

Dwyer finished his 2009 collegiate campaign with 1,395 yards and 14 touchdowns on 295 carries. Those of you who are native Marylanders know and appreciate Paul Johnson's spread option offense. Navy ran it effectively while amassing huge rushing totals against their opponents. When Coach Johnson went to Georgia Tech, he installed this attack and Dwyer became a force in the ACC. His yards per carry trailed off a little (especially from his freshman year when he and Tashard Choice teamed up prior to Coach Johnson's arrival), but the ACC also caught up a little to what Yellow Jackets were doing. (more Dwyer after the jump)

Poll

If you had to choose from among these guys at the top of the 2nd round, who would you take?

18%

Jonathan Dwyer

193 votes

49%

Toby Gerhart

514 votes

17%

Ryan Mathews

184 votes

14%

LeGarrette Blount

155 votes

1046 votes | Poll has closed

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There seems to be this assumption out there that the salary cap is only going to be gone for a year. I understand why people might be quick to assume that. After all...we are talking about the jewel of all professional sports leagues worldwide. Assuming that people would want to get the ship "righted" as quickly as possible and back to business as usual, it would make sense that the salary cap would be back in tow by 2011.

What has the NFL drummed into our brains over the last decade and a half? Oh yeah..."Parity." Or "competitive balance." The notion that on "any given Sunday", any team can beat any other team is a cornerstone of the league. Add to that the ability for teams to turn bad seasons around and make Super Bowl runs the following year and you have a veritable factory that manufactures compelling story lines by the bucket load.

The salary cap has been largely credited with accomplishing all this and evening the playing field, but what people consistently forget is that probably more important than the cap was the floor that went along with it. For example, in 2009, the salary cap was $128 million. By rule in 2009, the salary floor was 87.6% of the salary cap, or $112 million. That means teams were required to spend that much per year on their roster. Seems like a lot of money until you realize that every team is clearing roughly $114 million per year through 2011 under the current TV deals. Add on to that the average operating income per team of about $26.4 million over the last five years and it is obvious without going too much further why the league has seemed to be printing money. The annual share per team of TV revenue and the average operating income numbers per team were pulled from a State of the Game piece put out by the NFL Players Association.

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Trust me...I do not think teams should be basing their draft plans on the Combine. But there are always guys who gain fans in front offices around the league with studly numbers at the Combine. In this week's Ten Yard Fight, I highlight the guys who I think should have turned some heads in the Redskins' Front Office. Of course, my thoughts are mostly based on need, but then again, a few guys I know we won't (or shouldn't) draft caught my attention.

Ten Yard Fight - 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

1) Ndamukong Suh - Might as well start with the obvious. Did you see him? He looked rock solid in all his drills. He ran a sub-5.0 40 yard dash, which always impresses me when it is a 300+ pound guy running. He did not dominate all the drills but there was nothing he did to suggest he is not exactly as advertised. He is cemented in the top 3 of this upcoming draft. If he miraculously falls to the Redskins at #4, I would have a really hard time justifying passing him up. Game film of this guy is simply amazing.

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When I was offered the chance to speak with Kenny Mayne - of ESPN fame- I of course said yes. I was a little concerned that I would trot out the questions he must face constantly but I did my best. His current interview circuit is of course a means of drawing attention to his hit online series, Mayne Street. Click over and check out what he is up to if you haven't already. Check out my interview with Kenny after the jump.

Image via a.espncdn.com

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Among the more over-hyped events on the sports calendar every year, the NFL Combine arrives in all of its glory this weekend. To say that the NFL Combine is all flash and no substance overstates the actual amount of flash involved. The sheer absurdity of the event has evolved over the years, with the result being that the Combine is almost a caricature of itself. The lasting image of any year could be a kicker bench-pressing, an overweight lineman running the 40, or the photo of an almost famous quarterback (see below.) But we all still get up for it don't we? Here are some of the reasons I simply have to watch the Combine (after the jump):

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Well, I will state right off that I know a fraction of what Mel Kiper does with regard to the college prospects coming into the draft. But I do know what I like and I have a feel for at least what I think the Redskins need. With that in mind, here is my first ever Big Board for the Washington Redskins. This board is designed as if the Redskins have every pick. So each pick assumes that the Redskins are on the clock and the players selected prior to that pick are off the board. Essentially, each pick answers the question: Who should the Redskins pick at this spot assuming the players above were off the board? (And obviously, each pick assumes that I am in charge of the pick.) Today's Ten Yard Fight gets us started with 10 players - with input from everyone out there we will build it out in the days ahead. I am not going to overload you on individual stats for each guy...in the rarified air of the Top 10, there is little quibbling that these guys are 1st round material. Mel Kiper, eat your heart out.

Ten Yard Fight - 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

1. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska - This was hard to do given the glaring need to upgrade the offensive line. But in my opinion, to bypass a talent like Suh would be criminal. Game-changing defensive tackles are rarely available once the dust has settled after the top-half of the 1st round. While there are exceptions, truly elite defensive tackles are rarely unearthed beyond the 1st round. At 6'4", 300 lbs, Suh could play a number of positions along the defensive line, in any number of defensive formations. I would not consider myself a "best player available" kind of general manager - I think you have to consider what your team needs are and weigh them heavily in your draft decision. That said, we were 4-12 last year everyone. Even though our defense is largely considered the strength of our team, a guy like Suh could still come in and make it better. Imagine a defensive front that consisted of some combination of Haynesworth, Suh, Jarmon, Carter, and Orakpo. If you think you can't control a game with an all-universe defensive line, you are sorely mistaken. The addition of Suh could very well accomplish that. As for the defensive stylings of Jim Haslett and where each man would line up...I have said it before and I will say it again, "Good coaches get their best players on the field and put them in positions to succeed." I have no reason to believe Haslett would refuse to build a defensive philosophy around a group of linemen like this that would scorch the earth.

2. Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State - I could use the same argument I just employed for the drafting of Suh to make the case for Gerald McCoy, but if I can't get Suh, I want Okung. At 6'5", 300 lbs, Okung has the footwork and strength necessary to play either tackle position in the NFL. It appears we may need a right and a left tackle, so bringing in a guy who could lock down either side for the next 10 years makes a lot of sense to me. Look around the various mock drafts and scouting services. There are not a lot of negative things to read about him out there (as Kevin pointed out yesterday.) Okung is a premier prospect at a position of undeniable need.

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Like many of you in the D.C. area, I have been fighting my way through extended power outages, marathon snow-shovelling sessions, and cabin fever. I thought it worth noting in this space that when I went to bed for a three-night stretch without power, I was wearing almost exactly the same thing I wore at the last two Redskins games in December, down to the last layer.

One night when I found myself staring at my breath as it steamed out of my mouth into the bedroom, my thoughts turned to this All-Decade roster we are building. I was really curious to see how the running back vote was progressing and I was trying to imagine how that would affect how we build out the rest of the team. I knew it was going to be tough for anyone to beat out Big Mike Sellers, but I really wondered about the battle between Larry Centers and Ladell Betts.

Washington Redskins All-Decade Team So Far

Poll

Who is the kicker for the Redskins All-Decade team?

14%

Eddie Murray

59 votes

1%

Scott Bentley

5 votes

15%

Nick Novak

63 votes

52%

John Hall

212 votes

16%

Brett Conway

65 votes

404 votes | Poll has closed

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I love the fire coming out of Lavar. Anyone who saw him play recognizes that fire. Unfortunately for Clinton Portis, Lavar is both hard to ignore and hard to doubt. It is unsettling to think we will be dealing with this all offseason, but I guess now is better than September.

Check out Dan Steinberg's rundown of the ongoing exchange between CP and Arrington.

 

What (if anything) does this mean for CP? I worry that he is orchestrating his departure, but I can't quite tell if it is intentional or not anymore. He has dropped some serious bombs in the last month and a half. On the one hand, it would be easy to imagine Drew Rosenhaus (I assume he is still Portis' agent?) helping his client make it real hard for a team to keep him with the prospect of one more contract to sign somewhere else. On the other hand, how many legitimately good players (Portis is legitimately good) would want to live in these kinds of piles of horse crap? It borders on lose-lose, which leads me to believe that this in fact unorchestrated and therefore very sad.

As for Lavar, he has clearly found the path to maximizing this series of events. His show is bound to explode now. His popularity will soar. I hate to see that the root of such a positive result for Lavar is based on such a negative public spat with two long-time players.

Part of what has driven all of us so crazy in recent years is the unnecessary drama that has surrounded this team. I really liked Lavar's response to all of this, and the truth of the matter is that he was kind of called out by CP. Given Lavar's history with this team, as well as his job on the radio, it is next to impossible to think he would have let this one slide. The ball is in CP's court now it would seem. My advice would be to quietly approach Lavar through private avenues and get this thing cleaned up fast. I can't see Portis winning over much public opinion at this point and he needs Lavar to calm down a bit.

Jeez...two days into the NFL offseason. You gotta love it.

The first flakes of this snowstorm are falling, and I am already tired of talking about this snowstorm. So I am pulling out one of the bigger guns in this debate. We have established the quarterbacks, cornerbacks, offensive linemen and punter. Today we put someone behind that O-line.

We love our running backs in this town. And we have had a few very good ones over the last decade. This position speaks to the "continuity" that this team has had in certain places over the last 10 years. Stephen Davis was the starter from 1999-2002, Trung Canidate won the job in 2003, and Clinton Portis has been the #1 guy ever since. These, of course, are the opening day starters - other guys have started games in that time period. Before we figure out who to hand the rock to, let's see where we stand - 17 roster spots have been handed out. (up-to-date All-Decade roster and RB discussion after the jump)

Poll

Please select your first choice to join Stephen Davis and Clinton Portis on the All-Decade team.

23%

Larry Centers

243 votes

27%

Ladell Betts

274 votes

0%

Kenny Watson

10 votes

12%

Rock Cartwright

123 votes

35%

Mike Sellers

363 votes

1013 votes | Poll has closed

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Wow...selecting the guys for this spot on our team has been quite the walk down Memory Lane...if Memory Lane was a dark, dark alley in the middle of Gotham City. The good news is I think is that we have a line that is made up of players who at one point or another contributed to solid running games here in D.C.

The bad news is that looking back over the last decade (in general) has led me to confront some painfully obvious truths. I was talking with a fellow Redskins fan about picking players for this position, and when we looked at the list of offensive lineman who suited up for at least 16 games in the last decade, it was shocking. Here is the list with the amount of games played in parentheses:

Ethan Albright (144)
Chris Samuels (141)
Jon Jansen (110)
Randy Thomas (82)
Derrick Dockery (80)
Casey Rabach (79)
Stephon Heyer (37)
Cory Raymer (33)
Pete Kendall (32)
Ray Brown (31)
Lennie Friedman (31)
Larry Moore (25)
Jason Fabini (23)
Mike Pucillo (23)
Mark Fischer (16)
Andy Heck (16)
Jay Leeuwenburg (16)
Will Montgomery (16)
Dave Szcott (16)

The real kicker is that based on the games played in parentheses, only TWO of these players had winning records: Pete Kendall and Jason Fabini. And they were BARELY winning records...like .531 and .525 winning percentages respectively. I understand that you can't pin wins and losses on an individual lineman, and I also understand that I should be less shocked since I have been a season ticket holder for the last decade and I don't recall any Super Bowl parades. But come on...this hurts.

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Poll

Which offensive linemen are we adding to our All-Decade Redskins roster?

22%

Cory Raymer

61 votes

33%

Ray Brown

93 votes

39%

Ethan Albright

110 votes

0%

Larry Moore

2 votes

0%

Lennie Friedman

0 votes

3%

Stephon Heyer

10 votes

276 votes | Poll has closed

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While today's Revolution piece won't be spent railing on any particular aspect of our beloved team, it does touch on a couple of sore subjects for a lot of fans: "The Wait List", and opposing team's fans at the games.

'Tis the season to re-up for tickets and fans are excited (and rightfully so) about the positive changes in the organization. Shanahan and Allen should give season ticket holders reason to believe that their investment is being looked after a little better than under previous management.

That said, I implore all Redskins fans to consider a few important factors before simply signing up to tickets that you may or may not intend to 100% use this season.

If you are like me, you have reached a point where you worry that the money you send out the door for these tickets is more than the value you get during the season. We all see tickets to some games go for far cheaper than we actually paid for them (especially in the club level), and we all see those tickets sometimes end up in the hands of opposing team's fans. Let's forget about the club level right now...it is its own beast.

Look Around

Talk to people you know have been going to games for years, or have wanted to go to games for years. Chances are they are either on the "Wait List" or are pondering a contract renewal themselves. See how many tickets they have and see if it makes more sense to join forces to ensure that:

A) Every ticket bought is one that will be used by a Redskins fan, as opposed to ending up on Ebay; and

B) Make the team go to the next Redskins fan on the "Wait List" now so that Redskin fans are the ones buying as many season tickets at the beginning of the season as possible.

Consolidation of season tickets among fans is an easy way to mitigate the problems we see each home game. It puts the burden of filling the stadium during the offseason on the ticket office, and in the wake of previous scandals, there is likely to be a greater commitment to getting ticket packages into the hands of ardent Redskins fans. Even though they are not raising prices, a consolidation effort on the part of existing season ticket holders would directly impact the supply and demand balance.

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We have knocked out two very important positions and I thought we would spend some time this week figuring out who we want on the offensive line. The good news is that we had some very capable blockers this decade. Better than that, we had some guys who were great Redskins--as in, we had some guys who cared a lot about this team and who played with a ton of heart and passion for the fans of this team. Since our site was named after the great offensive line ancestry of this franchise, we owe it to ourselves to build this line carefully and to make sure it is filled with the kind of attitude that will dictate the game to the opponent.

All-Decade Team So Far

Offense

QB:Brad Johnson, Jason Campbell, Mark Brunell

Defense

CB:Champ Bailey, Darrell Green, Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot, DeAngelo Hall

Note: DeAngelo beat out Carlos Rogers here and it is probably a good thing since he can return punts for us. Another huge shot to the loins as I go through this exercise is the constant reminder that Brian Mitchell left in 1999. Jeeeeez.

Today: Offensive Line

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We'll keep this moving, and to keep it at least somewhat fresh and lively, we'll jump around the field back and forth across the line of scrimmage. To reiterate the rules: a guy just had to suit up between 2000-2009 to be eligible. If we don't like a guy because he only stayed for a cup of coffee, fine. But if we decide that a guy who has little service time in this period is a player we want or need, his tenure in D.C. won't be held against him.

Current Hogs Haven All-Decade Team

QB: Brad Johnson, Jason Campbell, Mark Brunell

Note: Despite my desire to go with only two quarterbacks, the will of the people can't be ignored. This battery of signal-callers gives us some optionality and above average depth. If you want to avoid the deepest of depressions, try not to think too hard about the QB tandems other franchises could toss out there:

Green Bay: Favre and Rodgers
Philly: McNabb and Vick
San Diego: Brees and Rivers
NE: Brady, Testaverde and Flutie

OK...that's enough...can't put myself through that. Feel free to toss some others out there. If you have the time, please come up with at least one or two that would be WORSE than ours. It would make me feel a lot better.

Next Up: Cornerbacks

via nbcsportsmedia2.msnbc.com

Poll

Which cornerbacks join Darrell Green and Champ Bailey in our secondary?

16%

Fred Smoot

134 votes

66%

Shawn Springs

526 votes

3%

Carlos Rogers

31 votes

10%

DeAngelo Hall

82 votes

1%

Walt Harris

15 votes

0%

David Terrell

6 votes

794 votes | Poll has closed

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Nice job everyone on circling wagons on our All-Decade team philosophy.

I think the consensus out there is that we will be a run-first team. Given our upcoming selection of wide receivers, I think we can agree that a power running game is our best chance to move the ball consistently.

Here is how we will work the formation of this roster:

For each position, I will offer a guy who I think should make the team and why. I will then throw out a bunch of other candidates and we will vote to fill up the roster spot. Don't worry if you think we should be carrying more players at a particular position. As we go, we will lock in the no-brainers and guys we think make the most sense. At the end, we will see how much room we have left and add players accordingly. Who is going to be the Marcus Mason on this All-Decade team, sweating out the last cuts to see if he makes the roster? (Sorry CJ, it won't actually be Marcus Mason.)

Quarterback

I am tempted to adopt one of the more recent trends in the NFL and go with only two quarterbacks. Perhaps you will agree after you read this list of starting quarterbacks in the 2000s for our Washington Redskins.

Brad Johnson
Jeff George
Tony Banks
Shane Matthews
Patrick Ramsay
Danny  Wuerffel
Tim Hasselbeck
Mark Brunell
Jason Campbell
Todd Collins

Could we find three guys on this list to throw a helmet and pads on? Sure. Would we have a battery of dudes that says "All-Decade" though? Ummmm...no. We'll just say that we only wanted two guys to begin with, and maybe people will gloss over the possibility that our hand was forced.

Poll

Who joins Brad Johnson at the QB spot for our All-Decade Team?

53%

Mark Brunell

549 votes

37%

Jason Campbell

382 votes

2%

Patrick Ramsay

26 votes

4%

Todd Collins

50 votes

1%

Jeff George

18 votes

0%

Danny Wuerffel

6 votes

1031 votes | Poll has closed

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Kevin and I did not really get too much into the "end of the year/end of the decade" madness that ensued a month or so ago. We had a few attempts to pull together some "lists", but the whole exercise of listing the "Greatest" this and "Most Awesome" that did not really do it for me. I have been mulling over this All-Decade team idea for at least a month and I just didn't want to do a Greatest Hits list of players at each position. Mostly because that has been kind of how they have tried to build our teams here through the years in real life. Also, because if you look pretty hard at our last decade's worth of rosters, you find yourself staring at a sad situation at some positions.

So in building the All-Decade Team of the 2000's for the Redskins, I want to do it in a more realistic team-building fashion. Here is what I am thinking (after the jump):

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Cue up the next issue we will be blowing up over the next few months. We have been into it pretty deeply already, but the Shanahan/Allen/Campbell/playoffs/HD screens extravaganza has softened the attention somewhat in recent days. On the heels of the article on Wednesday, I have spent some time thinking about why I feel so strongly about not taking a signal-caller in the first round. The more I think about this, the more I am hoping that we can convince some team below us we are going to grab Bradford and then trade the pick...oh wait, I can't be wasting reasons up here. Need to save them for:

Ten Yard Fight - 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

My goal: to think of ten reasons to convince you all out there that drafting a quarterback at #4 overall is a bad idea. Each reason will have a name (sometimes meaningful, sometimes not) and I encourage you all to help me flesh out each reason with more examples that fall neatly into the buckets. By April, I want us to have this thing nailed down.

1. The David Carr E.R. Memorial Reason-  Who didn't like this guy out of college? He completed 63% of his passes at Fresno State, won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award his senior year, and put a "Mid-Major" program on his back/shoulder as they made it all the way to #8 in the polls. He had everything going for him and the Texans made him the face of their franchise. They lined him up right behind an offensive line that promptly got Carr sacked 76 times his rookie year. We thought Campbell had it bad this past season with 43 sacks--who's to say how many sacks his experience helped him avoid? I think it is safe to say a rookie quarterback behind our current line (even moderately improved) would be murdered. Carr was never the same after that. You could argue whether he was "#1 overall" quality to begin with, but 76 sacks later, he looked more like the lead in a Meredith Baxter Birney-style movie chronicling an abusive spouse than he did a future Hall of Fame or even All-Pro quarterback. You can throw Patrick Ramsay into this reason as well (we can all think of quarterbacks who were battered as rookies.) Though Ramsey was not a top-5 pick, Spurrier should have been tried for assault with intent to kill. His failure to appreciate pass protection at the NFL level was maddening. His failure to understand that every team in the league knew about his failure to appreciate pass protection was equally mind-boggling. My point: why shell out top dollar to a guy you want to build your future around when it is reasonable to theorize he will not survive long enough to be a part of that future?

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When we first started our Revolution column, we laid out a letter to Dan Snyder that asked a few very important things. Among those requests we made back in October:

We asked that the front office be held responsible for the current state of the franchise.

We asked for accountability from the ownership of the team.

We asked for a state-of-the-art video screen at FedEx (this was one I even included in my repeated emails and phone conversations with David Donovan.)

Since that time, I have received countless emails and comments from people out there who have embraced the core principles of this Revolution, which continue to be:

We do not boo our team or wear bags on our heads;

We understand and accept that if this team is going to get better, it will be on Dan Snyder's watch, so we are best-served to try and work with him as opposed to working against him;

We see the possibility that we, the fans, are capable of being part of the solution and can work with the team to positively influence real change.

Poll

Do you feel that the Redskins organization is being responsive to the fanbase and are you happy with their efforts this far this offseason?

31%

Yes, and yes

150 votes

51%

Yes they are being responsive, but I want to see what happens on the field before I get happy

250 votes

17%

Until we win games, I won't be happy

83 votes

483 votes | Poll has closed

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For those who joined the site during the season or pre-season, you missed out on a semi-regular offseason column I like to write. "Missed" is of course a subjective term (as is "column", "write", and "semi".) As Redskins fans, we have little more than hope to hold onto. We have little more than our faith to keep us from spinning right off of this planet into the great unknown. At Hogs Haven, we spend a great deal of time combining our love of italicizing contrived stories with letting unbridled optimism run free. Because of this, I like to warm up the italics button and deliver a panty dropping installment of the world-famous Boldly Hoping series.

Let me take you back to Sunday, October 26, 1997.

The 3-4 San Diego Chargers played the 0-7 Indianapolis Colts. Neither team was very good, though each side had some pretty awesome players. The Colts had Marshall Faulk, and the Chargers had Rodney Harrison...and the immortal Stan Humphries.

The Chiefs and the Broncos were the class of the AFC West. The Chargers had managed wins over just the lowly Saints, Ravens and Raiders--all of which finished the season with losing records. The Colts were winless and were fighting for respectability and pride. Neither spent too much time in Indy that season.

The Colts were winless entering the game and the Chargers were winless for the remainder of the season. Both teams would finish the year with 4 victories.

What happened that day though, had huge implications that rippled through time. Imagine you are a fan of either team, tuning in to watch your boys play a game that would most likely be unwatchable. It would never occur to you that the outcome of this affair would shape your team for years to come.

The early MVP of the game was a kicker named Greg Davis. Through two quarters of play the score was Greg Davis 12, Colts 0. Stan Humphries passed for 229 yards and a touchdown for the Super Chargers, while Paul Justin (yes, that Paul Justin) tallied 243 yards and two touchdowns. Suffice to say the game has not been featured on ESPN Classic.

So why did the Chargers 35-19 victory over the Colts that season matter?  Based on a rudimentary understanding of how they break ties to determine the NFL draft order, it is likely that Indy's conference loss here vaulted them to the top draft spot in the 1998 draft...exactly one spot higher than the San Diego Chargers.

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Note: I know the Jason Campbell issue has been beaten up pretty good around here as well as other places, so in lieu of writing my own article about it, I give you that headline (which is also my opinion), and the interview that follows. (LJP did not contribute to this piece.)

If you watch the NFL Network, you have surely seen Mike Lombardi at work, offering his analysis and opinions on all matters (He also appears on CBS sometimes.) His NFL experience includes working with names like Bill Walsh, Bill Belichick, Marty Schottenheimer, and Mike Shanahan. He served as the head of the personnel departments in Oakland and Cleveland, and has worked for or with the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Denver Broncos. 

I started hitting Mike up for questions on all things football back when I was writing columns for The Ahern Inquirer (our motto there: "Discovering the obvious.") He figured me out fast. I remember calling him once and he answered the phone saying, "Ken, you better not have a 90,000 question interview for me this time. The last one you sent over was brutal."

But he has hung in there with me and why not? He did grow up a Redskins fan after all. I had the chance to speak to him this week about the latest and greatest happenings in these parts.

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You know when you pass out while watching a DVD after a night of drinking and you wake up on the couch with the menu screen running in loops? If you are hungover enough, you might pass in and out of consciousness for hours before mustering the strength to get up and put an end to the maddening cycle. Some movies are worse than others. Some have absolutely mind-numbing sounds that get repeated multiple times per minute. Shrek ranks among the worst. I can vividly recall one morning years ago waking up in a warm sweat, lacking the energy to get up and turn the TV off. The sound of Eddie Murphy's "Donkey" character jumping up and yelling, "Pick me! Pick me!" echoed between my ears. By the time I put my feet on the ground to locate the remote control (mind you, not to walk to the TV) I was 95% on my way to total insanity.

Don't act like it's just me.

So why do I bring this up today? Well, it is my humble opinion that this should be Vinny Cerrato's punishment for his crimes and misdemeanors on the job the last decade. Just tie him down and make him listen to the Shrek menu looping...for ten years. Then we'll be even. OK...I'm done.

What follows is a healthy blend of wishlist and blueprint for our new GM Bruce Allen to consider. I look forward to hearing what you think about them.

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Kevin and I wanted to get the word out on our offseason plans. Thanks to the magic of Dan Snyder and his propensity to keep things exciting all year round, we will have no shortage of topics to discuss in the months ahead.

We thought we would provide a loose outline of our plan of attack as we navigate the world of the postseason, free agency, the draft, and all the juicy subplots that pop up in between. Our main goal is to continue to host the best Redskins debate on the interweb, and we know we can't do it without your help. To that end, here is what we are thinking:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: Features/Pieces by Kevin and I will be the item(s) of the day.

Wednesday: We have not landed on the appropriate title for the bit yet, but we want Wednesday to prominently feature a FanPost on the front page. Kevin and I will promote a FanPost on Wednesdays that brings a good point, great analysis, a compelling debate topic, etc. Our community is most benefited when these kinds of discussions make their way to the forefront. During the season, it gets hard to push a lot to the front page because there is such a steady onslaught of news and happenings. But that won't be a problem for a while.
Please note: We will pick a FanPost from among the previous few days, so it doesn't have to just be posted on Wednesday to be considered.

Saturday/Sunday:

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