Cue up the "King of Pop" - "I'm starting with the man in the mirror middle. I'm asking him to change his ways." Pretty corny and cliche right? Well, the center of our offensive line can be the most important piece to the five-man puzzle up front. Don't believe me? Just ask fans how bad things got when Casey Rabach spent more time in our backfield than Ryan Torain. Have things gotten better since Will Montgomery has taken over.............I'd certainly say yes, but I still believe center is a weak spot on this team, and one that could use an immediate upgrade. The question remains, do we have a player on this team who would be an upgrade over Monty?

Poll

Who would you like to see as the Redskins center in 2012?

• Montgomery
• Licht
• LeRibeus
• Gettis
• Cook
• Chester
• Too early to say

  232 votes | Results

Continue reading this post »

By now, we all know Mike Shanahan's running philosophy - one cut, and get upfield. No dancing, no Marcus Allen runs, of 10 yards in one direction, stop on a dime, then reverse field, and take it to the house(yeah, I know this is a painful memory for Redskins fans). Shanny likes his backs to be patient, wait for a hole(or as it is now referred to in the NFL, a seam), plant that lateral foot, and explode up field. He also values the cut-back, as the zone stretch is designed to get defenders moving in the same direction, and linemen, as backside blockers, can often force the backside defenders past the point of attack, thus creating the vertical cut-back alley on the back side. This style of running back has been a staple of the Shanahan offense for years. Terrell Davis, Orlandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis, Tatum Bell, Reuben Droughns, Mike Bell, Selvin Young, and Peyton Hillis, were all running backs who thrived in the Shanahan system, and aside from Portis(who had breakaway speed), none of these guys were very special. In fact, most of the running backs on this list were later round draft picks.

Poll

Are Mike Shanahan's running backs more a product of a productive system, or hidden gems that could thrive in any system?

• Products of his system(any RB can gain 1000 yards in his zone attack)
• Hidden gems(Shanny truly has an eye for late round RB talent)
• Haven't see enough in Shanny's time with the Redskins to determine anything yet

  520 votes | Results

Continue reading this post »

In one of the posts, we talked about working out to gain lean muscle mass, and shed some unwanted pounds. I wanted to start a post for two reasons: 1)I wanted to share with you the summer workout I have put together for my football team(which I also follow to an extent), and 2)I wanted to get any tips or recommendations from our readers on things you do/have done that you think could be useful, or anything you'd like to throw out there in terms of a workout plan you think is beneficial. I'm always looking for new ideas and training methods for our team, so anything you have may be helpful.

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Crack..........no. A heavy dose of Montel Williams' medicinal marijuana...........maybe. Either way, don't call it a comeback. This 28 year old safety is legit! Do you think two Pro Bowls were figments of our imagination? I think not. Meriweather is talented. How talented you ask? Well, consider his last Pro Bowl birth came in 2010, a year he sat on the bench for the first three games after finding himself in Bill Belacheat's doghouse (which I heard is even harder to get out of than Joe Paterno's was), yet still managed 68 tackles, three interceptions, one fumble recovery, and six passes defended. He was benched in New England's system for freelancing..............(in my best Jim Mora voice), freelancing!

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I wanted to take a moment to thank all our veterans for thier service to this great country we call home. Your bravery, dedication and selflessness has made the United States what it is today, and for that we are forever greatful.

I know many of our readers and contributors on HH have mentioned that they serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and a special thanks goes out to each of you for your service. I imagine there are also many readers of this great blog who go without mention, and to all of you, we are greatful for your service.

Thank You, and God Bless!

In 2009, the Tampa Bay Bucs finished the season with a 4-12 record. They held the third pick in the 2010 NFL draft; not really an accomplishment to be proud of. With that third pick, they selected All-American defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. Now this pick really has nothing to do with the 2012 Washington Redskins, but what was to follow could be a pillar on which our franchise could rest its hope for the 2012 season.

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No offensive linemen lit up the combine quite like Iowa's Adam Gettis. The 6'2"1/2 293 pounder ran an unofficial 4.81 40, with an official time of 5.00. What's even more impressive was his 10 yard split of 1.65(best amongst all offensive linemen at the combine). He posted a 31.5 inch vertical, a 9.4 inch broad jump, a 4.65 short shuttle, and a 7.99 3-cone. Aside from stellar on-field drills, which showcased impressive change of direction, and explosion, Gettis was able to do work on the football field at Iowa, despite being overshadowed by teammates Riley Reiff and Markus Zusevics.

Poll

What will Adam Gettis' role be for the Redskins in 2012?

• Reserve guard
• Starting guard
• Spot starter, but will earn full-time starting role during the season
• Practice squad
• Will be cut

  1094 votes | Results

Continue reading this post »

The Washington Redskins put together another solid draft entering year three under Mike Shanahan. We finally got our quarterback of the future in Robert Griffin III, but almost as importantly, we grabbed three solid linemen who all should add immediate depth with the potential to develop into solid players down the road.

The really interesting guy for me in the 2012 draft is Tom Compton. I'm curious to see how he adjusts to the speed of the NFL. The kid had a very nice combine running a 5.1 40, having a 30" vert, and did well in his agility drills, with a 4.60 short shuttle, and a 7.59 3-cone drill. He also played well in the East-West Shrine game, and was a beast in college at little known South Dakota.

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It has come up(rather frequently), that our beloved Redskins have not always put a top priority on using high draft picks on the offensive line; in other words, we are drafting or aquiring inferior talent.

Below is a breakdown of the linemen in the NFC East, and where they were drafted. The belief by some, is quality needs to come in the first three rounds, so let's take a look and see how our Skins compare to the rest of our division. Does draft position always represent quality?

Maybe just as important is where these prospects played their college ball, as level of competition certainly transulates to the NFL........right?

Continue reading this post »

Much has been made about the size and strength of our offensive linemen in our zone blocking scheme. People have complained that we utilize smaller, weaker, yet quicker linemen to run this system, but I would like to point out that this really isn't the case at all.

I have done a comparison of the offensive lines in the NFC East, two of which utilize a zone blocking scheme(or at least use aspects of it), and two with more traditional RULE blocking schemes.

Below is the breakdown of the height and weights of the projected starting offensive lines in the NFL East. Mind you, this is a working lineup, and some could be subjected to change prior to the season starting.

Continue reading this post »

Hey guys and gals. Just a quick heads up for you. I emailed my jersey guy, and he said he will have the new 80th anniv. jerseys made in about 2-3 weeks. I know some of you asked me about these in the last post.

I said to go with the RG3, Kerrigan and Rak(I suggested Hank too), but it looks like they will just be doing the RG3 to start. If you want one personalized, he can do it for you as well.

http://www.kennyjersey.com/Product/nsort158-1.html

As always, I'll let you know when I get mine, so we can be sure of the quality.

Peace!

Surprisingly, things have yet again gotten rather testy around here lately. A lot of fake GM's trying to tear apart recent moves, and bring down what we have attempted to build; which IMO, is the best move this franchise has made in its existence(although I suppose some of the old heads will argue this).

Well, I have been accused of a lot in my 3 years on HH, but I wanted to set the record straight about my beliefs and ideals that I used to live by.

First, I grew up in the mid 80's, and saw great success with the Redskins. My favorite player as a young kid was Riggins. The first jersey I ever had was a #44. Since I was 5, I have followed football. My favorite position was always running back. I played RB in midgets, and up until my soph year in high school. As a kid, I would take our old mattresses from the basement, bring them out into the yard, stack them on top of one another, then get a running start, and pretend I was Walter Peyton jumping over the LOS for a TD.

My favorite NFL RB's(aside from anyone who wore the burgundy and gold)were the great Walter Peyton, Bo Jackson, and Barry Sanders. I seemed to always fall for the "show stopper" types. In college I sat with my father as a young child and watched the great Curt Warner, Franco Harris, and Blair Thomas. I loved Ricky Williams, KiJana Carter, Rashaan Salaam, Lawrence Philips and Herschel Walker.

As I became more entrenched in football, I saw the game change right before my very own eyes. I saw the league move from a run-dominated league, to a passing league. I have wittnessed the decreased role of the "bell cow" running back, in favor of a running back-by-committee approach. I can tell you with 100% conviction that I hated it.

Well, by looking at my own roots, one could possibly surmise that I would be in the "linemen first" camp, for we all know that a good running game can not exist without the presence of a great O-Line(unless your the great Barry Sanders).

For those who think my dissenting opinion is one just fabricated to start arguements and discussions, you couldn't be further from the truth. I understand the game, and know what it takes to make it work at a high level. I also understand how the league has changed, even over the last 10 years. I had to learn the hard way(through much disappointment), that we may never again see those great running backs of the past, who averaged 25 carries a game, and were only taken out due to injury or fatigue(for a few plays). I learned to come to grips with the "new passing league", that has become the NFL.

My fustration over the last 10 or so years, is, it seemed to me that our beloved Redskins were a team stuck in neutral. We were not adapting to the new NFL, and while the majority of the other teams in the league were out seeking their QB and playmaking WR's, we were stuck in the mud, and were relying on players like Jason Campbell, Rex Grossman, Santana Moss, Laveraneus Coles, Stephen Davis, and John Beck to name a few. In essence, we were playing 1990's football in the 2000's.

I know this may seem harsh to say, but we seemed to reject change. I know some will point out the hiring of Steve Spurrior, and his fun and gun offense, and the hiring of a good QB coach in Jim Zorn, who had some good offensive background, to be our head coach, as moves towards the future, but we failed to have the players to run the offenses these coaches were trying to bring in. On the flip side we also traded one of the leagues best CB's in his prime, for a RB, who albiet was great for a few seasons, was no Champ Bailey. This was done when CB play was at a premium.

To this day, I still remain the guy who would rather see an 80 yard TD run by our running back, than an 80 yard bomb thrown by our QB. I would rather have a running back who leades the league in rushing vs a quarterback who leades the league in passing. Alas, I feel these days are gone, and with them go my dreams of a 300+ carry, 1500+ yard running back.

So i'm reall not, nor ever was against a great line. Up until a few years ago, I too still held out hope that a great line, coupled with a great running game, and just an average, game-manager at QB could win in this league, but I was wrong, and recent history has show how wrong I was.

So before I am pigeon-holed as one who just likes to stir the pot, then gloats when things go my way, I want you all to know where my beliefs and ideals stand, and how they have changed over the years.

Gotta tell you guys a quick story. Sorry, as it really doesn't pertain to football(well, to our english friends it does), but I consider you guys my second family, so like any proud father would, I will share my story.

My 5 year old had his second soccer game today(yeah, he's still to young to play football). Evan is one of the younger ones in his K-garden class, and won't turn 6 until summer. Aside from that, he's a little pip squeek - didn't get my size as i'm 6' 3" 225.

So he out there today against this team of gigantic mutants with their faces painted(haha, swear it's true - farmington takes soccer very seriously), and a coach who is actually dressed up in Man U jersey, soccer shorts amd cleats with shin guards. He has his kids doing military like drills before the games, while our kids are running around playing tag, and grab-ass.

Now, before I get into the good stuff, let me give you a tad bit of history. I have installed a Pay-for-Performance system with Evan. Each goal he scores is worth $2. If he score 3 or more an excellerator kicks in, and each goal is worth $5. The team also gives each kid a chance to play goalie, so as an added incentive, if he is put in net, and doesn't allow a goal, he gets $5.

Well, last game he made $0. He ended up tripping the opposing teams coach, and decked a little boy in the back away from the play, resulting in the boy crying, and Evan having to take a T.O.

Today during pregame, I fired him up a bit. There was this huge kid on the other team(must have been recruited out of one of the neighboring towns or something) who looked to be at least 8 years old. I told Evan before the game that this kid was the best kid in the youth soccer league, and his goal was to stop him!

My little guy responded with 2 break-away goals. He just missed a 3rd where the ball bounced off the post, and one of our other players kicked it in. He also had one quarter at goalie where he stopped 2 shots, and didn't allow a goal.

Our team won 3-0, and I had parents coming up to me after the game asking me if I was Evan's dad(like there was even a doubt haha). Proud moment for a father. best of all, he kept their best player(the big mutant) from scoring, and actually made him cry by kicking him in the leg(accident of course)

Sorry for the stupid post. Just got caught up in the moment.

I just got my RG3 jersey from my guy overseas and it freaking AWESOME! As I promised you I would, here is the link for anyone who wants to check it out. $53 when all is said and done, and the jersey is legit!

I promised I would be the guinapig for when the new Nike jerseys came out, and as soon as it was announced Griffin would be wearing #10, I email my guy and let him know to start getting these jerseys on the site. Mine is pristine.

As always, feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns.

BTW, I get nothing from this, nor do I have any affiliation with this guy or his website. Just trying to help my fellow fans out.

http://www.kennyjersey.com/Product/Pro5258.Html

The five players I have identified as targets for the Redskins would all be players that would have to slip a bit for the Redskins to land in round three, but I expect, just like each year, one may end up in our laps at pick 69.

Poll

Which player would you most like to see slide to the Redskins at pick 69?

28%

Jeff Allen

236 votes

22%

Zebrie Sanders

190 votes

7%

Mohamed Sanu

63 votes

21%

Mychal Kendricks

183 votes

20%

Brandon Boykin

168 votes

840 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Twas the night before draft day, and all though the city,

not a Skins fan was restless, as they normally would be.

Our draft plans were settled, unlike previous years,

and the savior was coming, to erase all our fears.

Continue reading this post »

At the turn of the century, the Washington Redskins had a lot of things going for them. We were coming off of a playoff appearance where we were a botched hold away from the NFC championship game, we had a quarterback (Brad Johnson) who threw for over 4000 yards (including the playoffs), a running back (Stephen Davis) who rushed for a club record 1405 yards (including playoffs), and we were heading into year two of new owner Daniel Snyder's tenure. The 2000's were sure to be a great start to a new breed of Redskins football.

We had just come off of the 1999 draft that saw us land all-everything Georgia defensive back, Champ Bailey and stud Michigan right tackle, Jon Jansen, both of whom started all 16 games (plus 2 playoff games) as rookies. We were entering the 2000 draft with two first round picks (thanks to the genius that was Charley Casserly), the second and third overall selections, which was unheard of for a team coming off a deep playoff run. Those two first's brought us LaVar Arrington and Chris Samuels. We now had two bookend offensive tackles, and two defensive superstars to build this team around. We had drafted wisely, and it was bound to pay off. The future was sure looking bright!

Poll

The Redskins have a lot of need, but what position do you think hold the greatest potential value in rounds 3 and 4?

61%

Offensive Tackle

763 votes

17%

Cornerback

219 votes

5%

Safety

69 votes

7%

Wide Receiver

87 votes

4%

Center

61 votes

3%

Linebacker

41 votes

1240 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

As is now being reported on Pro Football Talk, the move of Niles Paul to tight end is permanent. This immediately draws attention to the future of Chris Cooley, but that is not all.

With a new quarterback, and two new receivers via free agency, this move only cements what most already saw in the cards: 1) Shanahan wants his own guys for this system; and 2)There will be more receivers added via the draft.

Continue reading this post »

There has been a lot of talk recently about the Redskins moving in another direction offensively. We have already discussed the rumors of Gaffney being traded or released, and Niles Paul possibly making the move to tight end. This begs the question: Is Santana Moss worth keeping in 2012?

Poll

Should the Redskins keep Santana Moss?

64%

Yes

1023 votes

17%

No

276 votes

18%

Depends what we do in the draft

286 votes

1585 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

I'm going to get a little crazy on you, so buckle up...........hey, it is that time of year!

The Redskins are in for some major changes. This is already in the cards. I don't think we are done seeing the moves that could play out come draft day(s). Shanny and Bruce want serious change. I bet Danny wants it too, but he's being told to stay out for now. Kyle needs some new toys to play with, as he seems to be getting board with his old ones.

Here is a few off-the-wall scenerios that would be interesting to see.

Continue reading this post »

Yesterday's post was filled with so much Kool-aid that many woke up with a hangover this morning. In fairness to the "negative Nancys", I want to look at the other end of the spectrum for our team in 2012. In my post yesterday, I focused on the area I believed made the biggest jump in talent; offensive skill. Today, I'll attempt to list the defeciencies of this team, and why those areas will hold this team back from being competitive in 2012.

Poll

Are the Redskins doomed for another season of less-than-stellar play?

25%

Yes, we'll be better this season, but still not good enough

354 votes

21%

Yes, it will take at least two years to be a contender

290 votes

2%

I see no light at the end of the tunnel now or in the near future

35 votes

33%

No, we will be a much better team in 2012(winning record, but just shy of the playoffs)

452 votes

16%

We'll make the playoffs in 2012

231 votes

1362 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

The word (or at least applied meaning of) "potential" is going to be thrown around in this post quite a bit, so get used to it. Ok, that was my disclaimer, so on to the good stuff.

We have talked about the offensive ineptitude of our Redskins and how this trend has played out for the last 12 plus years. Well hold on to your hats folks, because your about to be blown away by the text/heavy dose of kool-aid you're about to digest!

You can say you heard it here first. Maybe you'll want to be one of the first ones to hitch your ole wagon to the "Tiller Kool-aid Express" - next stop...........NFC East division title!

Ok, quick reality check. Now, let's get serious!

In one short NFL year, the Redskins have went from one of the worst offensive teams in the league, to possibly one of the top 10. How you ask, when we have yet to see this new collection of Redskins perform together? Potential.

Poll

Where do you expect our offense to be in 2012?

4%

Top 5

77 votes

20%

Top 10

375 votes

52%

Top 15

955 votes

11%

Bottom 15

215 votes

1%

Bottom 10

25 votes

0%

Bottom 5

6 votes

9%

I don't care, it will be fun to watch

172 votes

1825 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

For a head coach who seems to preach character, and leadership, Mike Shanahans tenure as coach of the Redskins has seen some questionable roster moves. These moves pale in comparison to signings of guys like Adam "Pacman" Jones, who IMO is just a bad person, but there certainly have been some very questionable decisions.

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I have noticed two seperate mentalities, or schools-of-thought on HH when it comes to ways of improving our football team. I do not know the demographics of our fan base(minus a few), so I'm curious to see if those mentalities correlate with age, and the era in which you began following the Redskins.

Poll

Which approach do you fall into?

63%

Old School

104 votes

26%

New School

44 votes

9%

Undecided

15 votes

163 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Redskins fans want it all................and they want it now! There is no compromising when it comes to ways of fixing the team's deficiencies. It's all or nothing.

Just like the "Great Offensive Line Debate of 2011/2012"(which is still continuing by the way), the newest craze amongst Redskins fans is the "Great Secondary Debate of 2012". This debate centers squarly around the loss of the talented, yet oft injured Laron Landry, and his counterpart "The Juice", who just as recently as last year, was thought to be the free safety savior Skins fans were searching for. The Medi-chlorian levels were high in these two, and they were the ones the master counsel thought could bring balance to the force. Alas, another poor mistake(in judgement)by the Redskins, has turned these two over to the dark side, and left the franchising searching the galaxy for their replacements.

Landry is the latest in a long line of former Redskins first round draft picks who have found their way out of D.C. Over the last 10 years, Redskins fans have had to watch as the "Vinny Era" draft picks slowly rode off into the sunset, and far away from Redskins Park, in order to find a true team worthy of their talents. We unfortunately had to watch the mis-management of laVar Arrington, the trade of the best corner in the league Champ Bailey, and the failure to re-sign Carlos Rodgers(who went on to have a pro bowl season in San Francisco).

The two most recent secondary departures leave Redskins fans with what seems like yet another glaring weakness, on a team that really can't afford many more. But is the loss of Landry and OJ really that detrimental to this young team in the midst of a re-build?

Continue reading this post »

I had the opportunity yesterday to meet with 49ers All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis, and his rep Sandy Sandoval, the Director of Athlete Relations at EA Sports. Sandy's primary function is scouting for the latest upcoming talent, building relationships with them, making recommendations to EA Sports, and getting the players locked up and signed with EA.

He and Patrick were in Connecticut attending ESPN's "Car Wash", where the sports giant puts athletes through a series of interviews and appearances across all of ESPN’s platforms.

I was able to talk with both men about some various football related topics; most interesting was what Sandoval had to say about RG3 and the Redskins.

Continue reading this post »

Instead of giving fans another mock draft to contemplate, I wanted to give everyone a snap shot of some prospect of need that could be available to the Redskins in the third round and later, so you all could formulate your very own mock drafts.

I have tried to rank these prospects in order of talent in their respective positions, but remember, according to whom you ask, these rankings can be open for interpretation. Also, like any year, there will certainly be prospects that fall, and prospects that are taken higher than most would expect.

Team needs: (I’m assuming that QB will be addressed with our first round selection)

Primary – RT, S, MLB, C

Secondary – CB, WR, OG, NT

Continue reading this post »

1st: Robert Griffin III QB Baylor - The QB savior of this franchise finally arrives, equiped with a rocket arm, track speed, and the personality to be the NFL's new poster child for Nike. Growing pains are sure to follow, but a full offseason of OTA's and mini-camps will enhance the young QB's knowledge and understanding of Mike Shanahan's system. 2012 projections: 14 starts, 3875 yards, 17 TD's, 9 INT's, 62% completion percentage, 365 rushing yards, 3 TD's. NFL Comparison: Michael Vick

3rd: Nate Potter OT Boise State - Potter comes in as a perfect fit to the Shanahan zone blocking scheme. He is not the power in-line blocker that a Riley Reiff is, but he excells at positioning and technique, and has been very well coached during his four years at Boise, so the mental aspects of the game in the NFL should come easy to this kid. 2012 projections: 9 starts at RT. NFL Comparison: Nate Solder

4th: Trumaine Johnson CB Montana - Johnson is a big, physical CB with outstanding speed and athleticism. He hails from a small school, and had some off-field issues in 2011 that may cause some scouts to push him down their draft boards, but he does have all the physical tools to be a quality NFL corner. He should be able to contribute early on special teams, and could see some time as the 4th CB. Drafting him could allow the staff to experiment with Barnes at FS. A move to FS can not be ruled out with Johnson. 2012 projections: 14 games played, 17 tackles, 1 FR, 8 ST tackles, 1 FF. NFL Comparison: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

Continue reading this post »