SBNation.com User Blog: UkRedskin

Redskins Playbook: Personnel Groupings Part Two

UkRedskin — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:14:56 -0000

This is the second part of the series of four posts on Redskins personnel groups. If you missed the first, click here to check it out. Today we'll look at the 'U' and 'Goal line' groups.

U Personnel

Also know as 22 personnel. In this group, the X receiver is substituted out for a second tight end. That allows a run heavy look of two running backs, two tight ends and just one wide receiver.

Pierre Garcon would have to make way for the second tight end (or he could move to the Z position). This is a much more run-orientated personnel group. With just one wide receiver, the defense will most likely stack the box. But with the versatility of guys like Darrel Young, Fred Davis, Jordan Reed and Chris Thompson, this personnel group could line up and appear drastically different to what I've drawn above. But if you see this group with Logan Paulsen and Josh Morgan in, expect a run play or potentially a play-action pass should the defense over-commit to the run.

Goal Line Personnel

The goal line group is, as you'd expect. a run heavy group. A second and third tight end take place of both the X and Z receiver.

The third tight end is labeled as the Z in goal line personnel. You would usually only see this group in short yard or goal line (who'd have guessed?) situations. Paulsen would probably take the role of the U while Niles Paul would come in as the Z. Young becomes a candidate to carry the ball on a fullback run as we saw a couple of times on fourth and 1 last year. In the red zone, you might also try to sneak one of the tight ends out on a route on a play-action pass.

Check back tomorrow for more on personnel groups.

Redskins Playbook: Personnel Groupings Part One

UkRedskin — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:08:52 -0000

This is the first of four posts in a series on the Redskins personnel groupings. Many teams use a numbers system to label their personnel groups, 21 would be two backs and one tight end for example. But Mike Shanahan and the Redskins decided to use words instead. First up, we have "Base".

Base Personnel

The base personnel group consists of two backs (the running back and the fullback), one tight end (the Y) and two receivers (the X and Z). Here's what a base personnel group looks like when drawn up.

The formation can obviously be different. I just used a simple formation for demonstration. In this personnel group, the Redskins would have Alfred Morris (RB), Darrel Young (FB), Fred Davis (Y), Pierre Garcon (X) and Josh Morgan (Z) on the field. It the base personnel which everything else builds from. The Redskins can run their zone stretch running plays, their play-action bootlegs and their standard passes from this group.

Tiger Personnel

Next up we have the Tiger personnel group. In the numbers system, this would be known as 12 personnel. For this group, a second tight end (the Tiger man) enters the game in place of the fullback. Here's an example of what how the Tiger group might line up.

Tight end Logan Paulsen (or maybe rookie Jordan Reed) would come in to take place of fullback Darrel Young. This is a group that we expected to see a lot from when Fred Davis first burst onto the scene while Chris Cooley was still healthy. That never really came to fruition, so it'll be interesting to see how the Redskins use this group.

Be sure to check back in over the weekend for more personnel groups.

Redskins Breakout Candidate: Linebacker Keenan Robinson

UkRedskin — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:54:47 -0000

At this time of year, everyone begins to look for a breakout candidate; that player that shows flashes of potential but for whatever reason hasn't put it all together yet. On a young team like the Redskins, there are plenty of players that could take the big step up and make a significant impact next season. One of my top contenders is second year linebacker Keenan Robinson.

Robinson had just started to see more playing time, taking roughly a quarter of the snaps in weeks 11 and 12 against the Eagles and Cowboys before a torn pectoral muscle landed him on IR. Before that he had only seen the field on special teams and on occasion to give Perry Riley a breather.

At 6'3", 240 pounds, Robinson is one of the most athletic linebackers on the roster and displays a rare trait among linebackers, coverage ability. Late in the Thanksgiving game against the Cowboys, the Redskins were confident enough in Robinson to leave him in man coverage on Jason Witten. Robinson was able to stay with Witten in coverage when Riley and London Fletcher weren't. Tony Romo was forced to look away from his favorite target at crucial points in the fourth quarter, which speaks volumes to how Robinson performed.

Coverage is one of the most underrated aspects of any linebacker. Most of the linebackers in the NFL are either sent on a blitz or dropped into zone coverage because they can't stay with the new breed of athletic tight ends. If Robinson can recover from his injury and continue to improve his coverage skills, he could be an extremely valuable piece of the Redskins defense.

The Cowboys recently drafted Gavin Escobar in the second round to pair with Witten. Philadelphia added James Casey and Zach Ertz to split time with Brent Celek. The Giants lost Martellus Bennett but replaced him with Brandon Myers. That's a lot of tight end talent in the NFC East alone. If Robinson can prove he can cover those guys effectively, it would take pressure off the rookie safeties Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo while opening up a lot of options for the Redskins defense.

Jordan Reed, Chris Thompson & The No-Huddle Offense

UkRedskin — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:33:44 -0000

The use of no-huddle offense is spreading throughout the NFL. The best teams are using it. The Broncos, Patriots, Packers and Saints among others run this concept every week and have great success doing so.

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have led the way in the no-huddle offense. As veteran quarterbacks, they know their offense like the back of their hand. They can communicate using hand signals and key phrases that quickly organise the entire offense and tell each player where to line up and what their assignment is.

With the ability to get everyone lined up quickly without having to huddle, Brady and Manning not only stop the defense from substituting, but they get more time to survey the field and read what the defense is giving them. A common misconception is that the no-huddle and the hurry-up are the same thing. But in reality they aren't. Quite often Brady and Manning will run the no-huddle, but will wait until the last second of the play clock to snap the ball. This gives them the most time possible to analyse the defense.

Brady will move around guys like Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski and Stevan Ridley to create match-ups that he likes. Here against the Broncos, the Patriots line up with a run heavy formation.

Tight ends Gronkowski and Daniel Fells (replacing the injured Hernandez in this game) line up on the right side of the offensive line. The two receivers, Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd. Ridley is in the backfield and takes a hand off to the right for a short gain.

The next play the Patriots use the same personnel to give this look.

The Patriots were in the no-huddle, so they couldn't substitute. But with the versatility of their players, they are able to show drastically different looks on back-to-back plays, while the defense struggles to find a solution.

The Broncos defense is all over the place here; one linebacker is caught between Gronkowski and Fells, Ridley occupies a corner purely based on his place in the formation. That corner would be much more effective on the top of the picture covering Welker or Lloyd, but is instead wasted on Ridley because the defense can't adjust to the no-huddle. In the end, Welker gets matched up with a linebacker, which has always been a match-up Brady loves to take advantage of. They complete an easy route and pick up the first down.

The key to success with no-huddle offense is based around three things. The first is obvious, having a quarterback who not only has the skill to run it, but the mental capacity and awareness to know the role of every player on every play. We're talking about guys like Brady, Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers on the teams mentioned above.

Second is to have the supporting cast. In New England, the Patriots gave Tom Brady many versatile weapons, as mentioned before, that are able to move all across the formation. This effectively gives the offense the ability to substitute while the no-huddle stops the defense from doing so. The Broncos and the Packers take a slightly different approach. They don't have quite the same versatility, but they do have extreme strength in depth at wide receiver. This allows them to spread out the defense and attack third or fourth-string corners. Once a defense surrenders and switches to zone coverage, they're easy to pick apart for the likes of Manning and Rodgers.

The third point ties in with the first. You have to be able to efficiently communicate the plays to the rest of the offense. You have to have key words or phrases and hand signals that get everyone on the same page. If the team has to be in earshot to hear the entire play-call, that defeats the purpose of the no-huddle.

Last season, the Redskins landed quarterback Robert Griffin III. We all know he has the skill and mental ability to run the no-huddle. He ran up-tempo spread offenses in colleges. Count this as a tick in the Redskins favor. Between him and Kyle Shanahan, they could easily come up with a form of communication for a no-huddle offense, even leaning on the things Griffin used at Baylor. Check that one off the list.

So that leaves the supporting cast unchecked. The Redskins receivers are pretty solid across the board, but they aren't as strong as say Green Bay or Denver. However, the Redskins recently drafted two very versatile weapons in tight end Jordan Reed and running back Chris Thompson. I've talked previously about the ability Reed has, but his versatility is unique.

As you can see from the picture above, Reed has and can line up at just about every skill position there is. He can run routes and catch passes from any of the positions marked with an 'R' above.

Thompson is similarly versatile.

While he isn't someone you'd line up at h-back or tight end like you would with Reed, Thompson has the receiving skill set to move around from running back to slot receiver, and potentially even take some snaps on the outside. His speed and elusiveness enables him to take any given play for a touchdown.

If the Redskins find themselves with these two guys on the field against a favorable defensive look, they could change to the no-huddle to stop the defense from substituting and exploit match-ups. Having two guys so versatile essentially gives the Redskins two subs while the defense can't substitute at all. They can play around with their formation pre-snap; maybe try to get Reed on a smaller cornerback for a jump ball or Thompson on a wheel route against a linebacker. The defense will either have to get inventive with how they cope with it, or burn a timeout that could be helpful later on in the game.

Now the problem with this is that the Redskins will have little time to practice the no-huddle this off-season. As we all know, Griffin recovering from his knee surgery and is likely unavailable until preseason or later. Kirk Cousins has the ability to run the no-huddle, but practicing with Cousins and playing with Griffin could make for a difficult transition. But down the line, the Redskins have all the pieces they need. If Mike and Kyle Shanahan can put it together correctly, the Redskins could have a very dangerous no-huddle offense in the future.

Redskins Breakout Candidate: Right Tackle Tyler Polumbus

UkRedskin — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:44:36 -0000

Tyler Polumbus was underwhelming to say the least in his role of starting right tackle last year. He won a training camp battle for the starting job going into last season, but in reality was the just the best of a bad bunch. Pro Football Focus ranked him 77th out of 80 graded tackles on the entire season last year with an overall grade of -24. They also had him joint 4th in the league in quarterback hurries allowed with 42. Clearly it wasn't a good season for him, so why am I calling him a potential breakout candidate?

I'd like to go back to this point last year. We had Will Montgomery and Chris Chester at center and right guard respectively. A lot of us, myself included, wanted them replaced. They were both coming off bad seasons and we felt terrible about the prospect of putting Robert Griffin III behind these guys. PFF had Montgomery at -4.6 and Chester on -13.7 for their 2011 campaigns. The Redskins went ahead and drafted Josh LeRibeus and Adam Gettis to help provide depth and push Montgomery and Chester to improve.

Many believed that at least one of those two rookie lineman would be starting for the Redskins at some point this past season, but only LeRibeus saw playing time after injury to Kory Lichtenstieger. Montgomery and Chester improved dramatically and along with Trent Williams, became the strength of the Redskins offensive line. How much did they improve? Looking again to Pro Football Focus, Montgomery jumped from a -4.6 grade in 2011 to a 21.8 grade in 2012, one of the best grades they had on a center this year. Chester went from -13.7 to 15.2. That's a huge turn around from one season to the next.

Now the question is, can Polumbus reciprocate such a dramatic change in performance? Well, he's entering his second year as a starter for the Redskins, just as Chester and Montgomery were going into last year. Continuity along the offensive line is something we all talk about, but criminally underrate. Playing next to Chester for a second year will undoubtedly help him improve. While the Redskins didn't draft a tackle to challenge him, they have sixth round pick from 2012 Tom Compton, who they really like, and they brought in free agents Tony Pashos and Jeremy Trueblood to compete for Polumbus' job.

So what do you think? Will Polumbus manage to improve just like Montgomery and Chester did; or will he lose the starting job in camp?

Poll

Will Tyler Polumbus have a breakout season?

Yes

186 votes

No

216 votes

UK, you need to sleep more.

231 votes

633 votes | Poll has closed

Redskins Rookie Running Back Chris Thompson And The Wheel Route

UkRedskin — Sun, 05 May 2013 20:40:39 -0000

The Redskins selected running back Chris Thompson with the first of their two fifth round picks in last week's. Thompson took mental reps at this week's 3-day rookie mini-camp as he continues with his recovery from ACL surgery. But that didn't stop Mike Shanahan from singing his praises when talking to the media recently, as Zac Boyer of the Free Lance-Star tweeted.

Shanahan said #Redskins had a first- or second-round grade on Chris Thompson and think he would've been taken there if not for the torn ACL.
— Zac Boyer (@ZacBoyer) May 5, 2013

Clearly Shanahan rates Thompson highly, which has me intrigued to see how the Redskins could use him. One of the best receiving backs in the league is Darren Sproles. So I set about watching some Saints film to see how the Saints got the most out of him. Needless to say, there were plenty of screen passes. The Redskins have the athletic lineman with the ability to get out to the edge and set up a screen, but this is nothing new to any of us.

One thing the Saints used to get Sproles the ball in space was the wheel route. Here's what it looks like.

The Saints split Jimmy Graham out wide and have him run a slant. Sproles is in the backfield with Drew Brees and will run out into the flat and up the sideline. The linebacker circled in yellow is assigned to cover Sproles one on one.

The slant by Graham causes traffic for the linebacker, allowing Sproles to gain an extra couple of yards on him.

Brees fits the ball in over Sproles shoulder and allows him to outrun the linebacker. The Panthers played with a single high safety, who is now the only man who can stop Sproles from scoring a touchdown. Fortunately for Carolina, he managed to make the play.

This is an excellent concept that the Saints utilized to get the best out of Sproles. But how can the Redskins adapt it to fit their offense? I thought the best play to add it to would be the play-action post passes we saw every game last season.

When the Redskins have run the ball down your throat, they catch you on this play. They run it like its a read-option run play.

Once the linebackers are drawn in, Robert Griffin III pulls the ball out and looks to pass. In this example, Pierre Garcon is the receiver running the post route on the backside of this play.

Griffin throws the ball as Garcon breaks inside and its an easy completion for a nice chunk of yards.

The Redskins made a living off this play last season, but teams began to cotton on towards the end of the season and the linebackers were dropping back quickly to where they knew the ball was going. So my thought was to add a wheel route from the running back on to this play. Here's what it would look like drawn up.

In an ideal situation, the defense is playing man coverage with a single deep safety. That would leave the 'Will' backer in one on one coverage with Thompson on the wheel route. Just like we saw before, Griffin would pull the ball from Alfred Morris (the fullback on the diagram above) and be ready to throw. Thompson's speed along with the play-action fake should make it extremely hard for the Will to stay with Thompson up the sideline.

Against Cover 3, the other likely coverage scheme from this look, the corner lined up over the 'X' receiver would drop into the deep left third of the field, taking away the wheel route. However, Griffin can throw the post to Garcon or fake that throw to move the free safety and hit the tight end running up the seam.

Related: Chris Thompson Film Breakdown

Breaking Down Redskins 6th Round Pick, Safety Bacarri Rambo

UkRedskin — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:13:29 -0000

The Redskins picked the third of their three defensive backs with the 191st selection of the 2013 NFL Draft, but Bacarri Rambo was my personal favorite pick out of all of them. Rambo was probably the best 'true' free safety in this draft class, having experience in an aggressive Georgia defense. He played plenty of single-high coverage with the range to cover sideline to sideline. Pre-draft reports had him as high as the second round; personally I thought he'd make a solid third round pick with nice upside. So to see him fall to the sixth round was surprising. Clearly his off-field issues put teams off, but if the Redskins can keep him focused on the field, he has big upside.

One of Rambo's best aspects is his ability to read the quarterback while backpedaling and reacts quickly to the ball being thrown. Here against Alabama, Rambo is covering the deep half of the field. He reads the quarterback all the way and breaks on the ball the moment its released.

He lands a vicious hit to knock the ball out as it falls incomplete. I like the range Rambo displays on this play. Notice he starts in the middle of the field and ends up at the sideline. Having the rage to cover a lot of ground is huge for a free safety. Seattle have one of the best defenses in the league and having Earl Thomas and his range is a big part of that. He allows Kam Chancellor to play in the box and make that run defense even more imposing. Rambo doesn't quite have that range, but his instincts and awareness of position helps him be ready to break on the ball quicker than other faster safeties.

I also really like his willingness to go after the ball. Like Thomas and Amerson, once the ball is in the air, he becomes a receiver and attempts to make a play on it. This play against Auburn is a perfect example of that.

Rambo is covering the deep half of the far side of the field. When both routes break inside, he follows suit but makes sure to stay deeper than the deepest receiver. Once the ball is in the air, Rambo charges it down. Now the quarterback badly overthrows this pass, but Rambo took full advantage and managed to hold onto the ball despite taking a hit as he landed.

Those ball-hawking skills are a big part of Rambo's game. His instincts stand up even in pressure situations. Against Florida, Rambo made a key interception in the end zone as Florida were looking to score. Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel has to scramble to his right and attempts to force a throw back across his body.

Rambo secures his side of the field, but watches Driskel's eyes the entire time. The moment Driskel motions to throw, Rambo breaks on the ball and intercepts it right in front of the receiver. Driskel made the mistake of throwing back across his body and Rambo made him pay the ultimate price by not only getting an interception, but saving what would have been at least a field goal.

Similar to Amerson and Thomas, Rambo doesn't only rely on interceptions to cause turnovers. He's aggressive and likes to rip the ball out on any given play.

Like we've seen many times for DeAngelo Hall, this kind of play can have negative impacts. As you can see there, the receiver picked up a few extra yards before Rambo managed to strip the ball. On this occasion, it ended up working for Rambo, but there were plenty of plays where Rambo ended up giving the offense an extra five yards without managing to cause a fumble. In the NFL level, he'll have to be more careful when he decides to attempt to strip the ball.

One of my original notes on Rambo was his run support wasn't always great. But having gone back and watched him again, I'm higher on him as a run defender than I first was. But he still has a tendency to get caught up in traffic and go for the big hit rather than wrapping up.

Plays like this one he comes flying in and stops the runner in his tracks. But notice how high he is when he tackles. Powerful backs like our own Alfred Morris could be able to break through high tackles like that. The NFL is full of physical specimens, Rambo won't always be able to simply throw his body around and manage to knock over everyone.

Ultimately, I really like this pick. I wouldn't have been OK with taking Rambo in the third as mentioned previously, so to get him in the sixth offers great value. It's down to Raheem Morris and Jim Haslett now to keep him clean and on the field so they can develop his obvious upside from potential into reality.

Breaking Down Redskins 4th Round Pick Phillip Thomas

UkRedskin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:06:03 -0000

Anyone following me on twitter knows that I'm not a huge fan of Phillip Thomas. In fact, a few days before the draft I tweeted saying the two guys I didn't want the Redskins to draft were Thomas and David Amerson. Of course, that meant the Redskins were always going to draft both guys. So I spent some time recently to go back and re-watch everything I could on Thomas to look for things I may have missed and how he fits in the Redskins defense.

We'll get to those positives shortly, but first lets touch on the concerns I had and still have on Thomas. My two biggest problems I had with him was his tackling and his vulnerability to misdirection. He's a big hitting safety, but when it comes to making a key tackle, Thomas missed more plays than he should have. Here's a play against Oregon.

He comes charging up to the line of scrimmage and is in position to make the tackle, but the runner just bounces off of him. What should have been at most a 10 yard gain ended up being a 50 yard touchdown run, which could have been stopped well before that had Thomas made the play he was in position to make.

Thomas can get sucked in by misdirection and end up out of position on certain plays. In the same game against Oregon, we have a perfect example.

On this play, Thomas is completely sold by the quarterback running right with a pitch option. The running back that actually has the ball is level with Thomas before Thomas even realizes. The play results in a 10 yard gain and a first down. Oregon are very difficult to play against, I'll concede that point. However, Oregon's coach Chip Kelly is now the head coach of the Eagles. Thomas will have to face plenty of misdirection plays twice a year against the Redskins divisional rival.

Because of these aspects of his game, I personally don't see Thomas as a free safety. The Redskins require their free safety to play a lot of single high coverage, requiring them to be disciplined and have very good at locating the ball. However, I can see Thomas being a strong safety, he certainly has the range and hitting ability to play in a deep zone in cover two, as you can see here.

A penalty was called on that play, but replays showed it was a fair and legal hit. To have the range to cover half the field and the hitting ability to intimidate receivers is a big plus for Thomas. The Redskins use two deep coverage often enough for this kind of play to be relevant in their scheme.

Strong safeties in the Redskins scheme also have to be able to rotate down and cover slot receivers and tight ends. At the Senior Bowl, Thomas displayed a nice press coverage ability, using his size to be physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage.

Thomas had great coverage on the receiver right up until he fell over late in the play. He won the jam and forced the defender to the sideline, closing the throwing window for the quarterback. Thomas then sticks to the receivers inside hip and turns to locate the ball once he's secured the route. Unfortunately he slips and falls over, but that's just about as well as you can ask a safety to cover in press coverage (until the slip, that is).

With that kind of ability in press coverage, I wonder if the Redskins may use him as the nickel back in nickel sub-packages. The Redskins tried just about everyone, including DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson, as the nickel back at times last year, but couldn't find the right guy. Thomas is more physical at the line of scrimmage than anyone currently on the Redskins roster.

But the other side of playing nickel back is the ability to blitz. As we saw often last year, the Redskins love to send their nickel corner on blitzes. This is something I think Thomas can thrive on. Fresno State sent him on blitzes from the slot all year long.

Here he covers a lot of ground in quick time to get to the quarterback from the slot. He misses on the tackle (see above) but forces the quarterback to step up into other rushers. The ball eventually lands incomplete.

Later on in the same game, Thomas was sent on a blitz again.

This time he doesn't miss. Coming off the edge unblocked, Thomas lands a huge hit and the quarterback fumbles the ball, which is recovered by Fresno State. Interceptions aren't the only way to create turnovers for defensive backs.

The idea of blitzing from the secondary is the offense doesn't see it coming, allowing the blitzer a free rush. But Thomas showed at the Senior Bowl that he is capable of taking on and beating blocks. In this drill, Thomas faces tight end Nick Kasa, one of the better blocking tight ends in this draft.

Thomas stutter steps before exploding inside as Kasa over-extends himself to the outside. Thomas displays good awareness and read Kasa like a book. That inside move to get Kasa to kick-slide to the outside before going back inside is something we've been looking for from Brian Orakpo for quite some time now.

Overall, Thomas has a lot to work on with his fundamentals, but his size and athleticism are things that cannot be taught. I may have been a little too harsh on him before the draft, but in the fourth round, Thomas offers enough to work with.

Breaking Down Redskins Draft Pick Running Back Chris Thompson

UkRedskin — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:14:43 -0000

One of the Redskins main objectives this offseason was to surround star quarterback Robert Griffin III with talent to work with. In the third round they took play-making tight end Jordan Reed, who I took an early look at on Friday. But one of the more intriguing picks from my point of view came in the fifth round. With the 154th pick of the draft, the Redskins selected FSU running back Chris Thompson.

Thompson's measurable's are far from outstanding. He's just 5'7" and weights 192 pounds. But when you watch him, he jumps out at you. He has rare speed and elusiveness that make him extremely tough to catch in the open field. Adam Schefter made a good point on twitter yesterday after the selection was made.

Redskins draft FSU RB Chris Thompson in round 5. Redskins RB coach Bobby Turner never picks a back this high without loving him.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 27, 2013

Before we get carried away, he won't be an every down player and you don't want him running between the tackles and taking hits. Thompson won't break many tackles, he doesn't have the strength of an Alfred Morris. In fact, he's almost the polar opposite. He's a guy you want to get him to the edge and just watch him explode. Here's an example of him on outside zone run.

You can see there, a linebacker comes across and appears to have a good angle as Thompson is forced to cut back inside, but Thompson turns on the burners and bursts past him, leaving him in the dirt.

It's not just his speed, he's incredibly quick and agile which means he loses very little speed when cutting and changing direction. He can make defenders charging up to the line of scrimmage completely miss on a tackle with a simple fake one way or an other.

Thompson is a guy you cannot allow to get to the outside, but the defenders here couldn't do anything about it, he was past them before they could even react.

However, I don't think Thompson's role will involve too many pure hand offs like the plays above. I think he takes over the role Brandon Banks played (or at least, attempted to) last season. He has reliable hands out of the backfield or even in the slot and is a prime candidate in the screen game.

What I like about this screen is that he shows he's smart enough to know when to turn on the jets and when to be patient and work with your blockers. He decides to hold back slightly to allow the blockers to get out in front. But when the time comes, he lets loose and displays great balance at speed tip-toeing up the sideline to stay in bounds before eventually being knocked out.

The Redskins had screen option passes to receivers in the flat on a lot of designed runs last year. A lot of the time, nobody even noticed it because they handed the ball off to Morris or completed a pass on the other side of the field. But this play against the Vikings is a perfect example.

See how Griffin is reading the linebacker who is coming up to play the run. Griffin can hand off or throw the slant to Fred Davis in behind depending on how that linebacker reacts to the play. But Griffin also has a third option on the play. If the pre-snap read dictates it, Griffin could take the snap and immediately throw the screen to Banks in the flat. Chris Thompson could be a perfect guy to be on the end of those screen passes and be yet another worry for defensive coordinators around the league.

The other part of Banks role last year was to be the outside pitch man on triple option plays. We saw it often against the Bengals in particular. Thompson is no stranger to being the pitch option, he ran it plenty of times at FSU with EJ Manuel. Here's one example.

Here the quarterback, Manuel, takes the snap and runs to the edge. He draws in the backside defender and pitches it out to Thompson. The fullback then blocks the incoming linebacker, giving Thompson an easy run to the end zone.

If there was something the Redskins offense lacked last year, it was explosiveness in this role. Banks tried and failed to provide that spark, can Chris Thompson step up to the plate?

Undrafted Free Agency Open Thread

UkRedskin — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 23:16:52 -0000

The NFL Draft is over! It's been a long couple of days, but the Redskins aren't ready to go home just yet. A somewhat unforgotten part of the draft is undrafted free agency. This begins the moment after the last pick has been announced. Teams will have been calling players to let them know if their interest for a couple of hours now.

>>> Link to the draft board<<<

As you can see from our draft board, there is still plenty of talent to be had. Guys like Da'Rick Rogers and Kevin Riddick have fallen out of the draft despite having mid-round grades on them. This might be for off-field issues or due to injury, or it could just be that the position was incredibly deep. But there are plenty of names to look out for.

Here's some of the top undrafted free agents according to our board: quarterbacks Tyler Bray and Matt Scott, wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers, safety Tony Jefferson, corner Sheldon Price, linebackers Kevin Riddick and Chase Thomas, nose tackle Kwame Geathers and offensive tackle Xavier Nixon.

Who should the Redskins target in undrafted free agency?

NFL Draft 7th Round Open Thread

UkRedskin — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 21:10:10 -0000

The Redskins got fantastic value with Bacarri Rambo in the sixth round. I'm not sure how he and Philip Thomas will both fit given they both are probably better at free safety than strong, but you can't argue with that value.

>>> Link to draft board<<<

The Redskins hold the 22nd pick of the seventh round, 228th overall.

Da'Rick Rogers is still sitting there as probably the top talent still available, maybe Jordan Poyer could battle him for that claim. Reid Fragel and Kwame Geathers could be options to help improve the trenches. I also like Kevin Riddick as an inside linebacker option.

Who are you looking for in the seventh round?

NFL Draft 6th Round Open Thread

UkRedskin — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:21:28 -0000

The Redskins kept both of their fifth round picks and added explosive guys on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. However, both guys are coming off big injuries, so have a significant risk factor to them. Anyway, on to the sixth round. The Redskins hold pick 191 overall, the 23rd pick of the sixth round.

>>> Link to the draft board<<<

Amazingly, both Ryan Swope and Da'Rick Rogers, who we had third round grades on, are still available. They would both be guys that could contribute significantly right away.

Reid Fragel, Xavier Nixon and David Quessenberry are also all still on the board at the offensive tackle position.

Inside linebackers Kevin Riddick and DaVonte Holloman would be interesting developmental guys behind London Fletcher, Perry Riley and Keenan Robinson.

Kwame Geathers is the best nose tackle still available in this draft, should the Redskins want someone to help push Barry Cofield.

In the defensive backfield; Jordan Poyer, Tony Jefferson and Bacarri Rambo have all fallen quite considerably from where we had them. ESPN Radio's Chris Russell has told me multiple times that the Redskins have had interest in Jefferson.

What would you do with the 191st overall pick?

NFL Draft 5th Round Open Thread

UkRedskin — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 17:36:56 -0000

Well the Redskins landed their free safety in Philip Thomas in the fourth round, but the draft isn't over yet. There is still plenty of talent left on the board.

>>> Link to the draft board <<<

Having taken a corner and a safety, I wouldn't be surprised if the Redskins used there two fifth round picks, 154 overall (21st pick of the fifth round) and 162 (29th pick of the fifth round) to add some more weapons on offense.

A speedy, change of pace back like Kenjon Barner or Andre Ellington are both available and would provide great value in the fifth. Ryan Swope and Da'Rick Rogers have slipped this far, they could also be very tempting options for the Redskins.

The 'Skins could opt to take an offensive lineman to help keep Robert Griffin III upright. I like Ohio State's Reid Fragel as a good value pick in the fifth round, but David Quessenberry and Xavier Nixon are also available.

What are you looking for the Redskins to do with their two picks in the fifth round?

NFL Draft 4th Round Open Thread

UkRedskin — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:44:47 -0000

Day three of the NFL draft gets underway soon with the Redskins scheduled to have five more picks today. I do wonder if they use their extra fifth round pick to move up in the fourth to grab one of the safeties that is falling. But even if they stick with the 22nd pick of the fourth round, 119 overall, there is plenty of talent still on our Redskins draft board.

>>> Link to the draft board <<<

The top player we have left on our board is Alabama nose tackle Jesse Williams, who we had a late first round grade on. It appears the injury he picked up at the end of the season has teams more worried about his future than us fans are.

Along the offensive line, interior guys like Barret Jones and my personal favorite, Brian Schwenke are still available should the Redskins look to bolster Robert Griffin III's protection.

At safety, the Redskins biggest position of need, guys like Bacarri Rambo and Duke Williams remain on the board. Both of those guys will be mighty tempting for the Redskins at 119 should they fall that far.

There's also a lot of options on offense should the Redskins look to add another weapon alongside third round pick Jordan Reed. I'm surprised to see Quinton Patton still available, while guys like Ryan Swope, Da'Rick Rogers and Josh Boyce all offer interesting options at receiver. Andre Ellington is would bring a lot of speed to the Redskins backfield and is also the best blocking back in the draft; while former Oregon Duck Kenjon Barner has experience in an option style offense.

Who should the Redskins select in the fourth round? Should they look to trade up?

Breaking Down Redskins Draft Pick Tight End Jordan Reed

UkRedskin — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 03:01:14 -0000

The Washington Redskins decided to stay true to their board in the third round of the NFL draft. They had bigger needs at safety and right tackle, maybe even wide receiver, but they saw a tight end in Jordan Reed that offers too much value to pass up with the 85th pick of the draft. He's a tight end in name only; in reality Reed will be a huge weapon in the Redskins offense that will create match up nightmares for defensive coordinators.

Reed measures in at 6'2", 236 pounds and really doesn't offer much as a blocker other than effort. He's not a guy you'll place inline and ask him to take on defensive ends or linebackers. Reed is one of the increasingly popular 'joker' tight ends. He's versatile enough that he can line up at H-Back, in the slot, split out wide as well as an inline tight end. Think about how the Patriots use Aaron Hernandez and you'll get an idea what Jordan Reed will offer your team.

He runs good routes, better than a lot of tight ends will run, but that doesn't mean he can't improve on them. But his best attribute is his yards after catch ability. He has cutting ability similar to that of a running back in space that makes him incredibly hard for bigger linebackers to tackle him, while his size is often too much for smaller defensive backs to bring him down. Here are a couple examples of his ability after the catch. First up, Reed runs a simple route into the flat and elude several defenders to turn it into a big gain.

That gif comes courtesy of SBNation blogger Danny Kelly in his article about joker tight ends, something I highly recommend you go read.

Next we have a designed tight end screen, once again from Danny Kelly's piece linked above.

Reed is a big playmaker with the ball in his hands, but with the innovative Kyle Shanahan in charge of the Redskins offense, I can't wait to see both Fred Davis and Reed on the field together. In the huddle, Davis and Reed will appear as a two tight end set, but both have the ability to split out wide or line up in the slot. If the defense is thinking two tight end set, then they will probably play their base defense.

The way that is drawn up is an immediate problem for the defense. They have a matter of seconds to decide how they are going to cope with two legitimate receiver threats at tight end that are both lined up in the slot. With Fred Davis and Jordan Reed, that formation is effectively a spread, four receiver formation matched up against a base defense. Does the defense try to use the 'Will' and 'Sam' backers to cover them? Do they bring down one or both safeties and risk leaving the deep portion of the field open? Do they play a zone coverage?

That's just one example of what adding Jordan Reed could allow this offense to do. There are plenty of other ways the Redskins can and will use him, which I intend to get into in the coming weeks after the draft.

NFL Draft 3rd Round Open Thread

UkRedskin — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:26:29 -0000

That was an interesting second round to say the least. The Redskins made their first pick and took cornerback David Amerson at 51 overall. They have the 85th overall pick which is the 23rd pick of the third round.

Check out the best available players on our Redskins draft board:

>>>Link to draft board<<<

Some of the top guys we have available currently are; wide receivers Quinton Patton, Terrance Williams, Markus Wheaton, tight end Jordan Reed, offensive tackle Terron Armstead, nose tackle Jesse Williams, outside linebacker Damontre Moore, and free safety Bacarri Rambo.

Who do you think the Redskins will take in the third round?

NFL Draft Day Two: Best Available Players For Redskins

UkRedskin — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:17:22 -0000

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 second round. The Hogs Haven/HTTR24-7 Redskins draft board still has eight first round players available on the board. So lets take a look at the best available players still on the board for the Redskins.

Secondary

We have first round grades on cornerbacks Jamar Taylor and Johnthan Banks, both of whom would be welcome additions to the Redskins secondary. Taylor is a little more versatile in his ability to play press and off-man coverage while playing outside and over the slot receiver. Banks is more of an off-man corner with fantastic length and would allow either Josh Wilson or DeAngelo Hall to move inside to slot corner in nickel packages. The Redskins held a private workout with FIU safety Jonathan Cyprien, who is another defensive back we had a first round grade on. Cyprien is good enough to play both strong and free safety, but I think his versatility sees him picked before the Redskins are on the clock.

Other available players: DJ Swearinger, Robert Alford, Darius Slay.

Wide Receiver

We have six receivers in the second round on our board. I expect Justin Hunter to go pretty quickly tonight, so the best guys I see available include Robert Woods, Quinton Patton and Terrance Williams. We've already heard about the rumors of Robert Griffin III wanting his college teammate Williams, which would make that pick a very interesting one. Patton is a shifty guy with the ability to make defenders miss and pick up yards after the catch. He's probably the best blocking receiver in this class, which is of great importance for a run-heavy Redskins offense. Woods is a versatile guy that can split time between the Z and the slot receiver roles. He has reliable hands and is a better route runner than the other two guys mentioned here.

Other available players: Keenan Allen, Markus Wheaton.

Linebacker

Manti Te'o has fallen out of the first round and while that wont surprise too many people, we did have a first round grade on him. I would be surprised, however, if he was on the board for the Redskins at 51. Kevin Minter is another inside linebacker we have a second round grade on that could be there for the Redskins. As for outside backers, Damontre Moore is still on the board after falling out of the first round. We had a 1B grade on him, so we expected him to go somewhere between picks 12-24. If the Redskins wanted to bolster their pass rush alongside Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan, Moore would represent great value even if it doesn't fill a need.

Other available players: Arthur Brown, John Simon, Cornellius Carradine, Khaseem Greene, Sio Moore, Corey Lemonier.

Defensive Lineman

Alabama nose tackle Jesse Williams missed out on being a first round pick last night. If he were to fall to the Redskins at 51, he'd be a fantastic addition to spell time with Barry Cofield. The 3-4 defense requires quality play from the nose tackle position and while Cofield has played well, he hasn't blown anyone away. Williams could be a force a few years down the line. Jonathan Hankins and John Jenkins also have second round grades on our board and could help push Cofield for playing time.

Other available players: Kawann Short, Margus Hunt.

Best Of The Rest

The offensive line position was decimated late last night. Lots of second round guys were taken in the last 10 or so picks. But guys like Terron Armstead and fellow Brit Menelik Watson are still on the board and could challenge for that right tackle spot on day one. Larry Warford and Barret Jones offer some value on the interior offensive line. Zach Ertz and Gavin Escobar are the only two tight ends we have graded in this round, but I wouldn't be shocked to see Vance McDonald come off the board for his versatility. At quarterback, Geno Smith is obviously still sat there. Meanwhile we have Matt Barkley, Tyler Wilson and Ryan Nassib with second round grades. Having taken RGIII and Kirk Cousins last year, its tough to see the 'Skins drafting a quarterback. But with those guys on the board, they could use the quarterbacks as leverage to help them trade back and gain extra picks.

There's plenty of options still available, you can click here to check out the list of players the Redskins reportedly had interest in.

Dont forget to follow along with rounds two and three on our Redskins draft board

Mock Drafting Using The Hogs Haven/HTTR24-7 Redskins Draft Board

UkRedskin — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:19:50 -0000

If you missed it this week, Steve Shoup and I teamed up with some of the guys over at HTTR24-7.com to create our own Redskins draft board, ranking 245 players in next weeks NFL Draft. To go check out the draft board, click the link below. I'll be updating it as the picks come in, so feel free to follow along.

>>>Link to the draft board<<<

With the draft fast approaching, this is the last weekend we have to do mock drafts. I decided to have a little fun using our draft board to create three different mocks; an all-offense mock, an all-defense mock and have a look at the two combined. Lets start with the all offense mock.

All-Offense Mock

Second Round: Quinton Patton, Wide Receiver.

Third Round: Jordan Reed, Tight End.

Fourth Round: Kenjon Barner, Running Back.

Fifth Round: Reid Fragel, Offensive Tackle.

Fifth Round: Ace Saunders, Wide Receiver.

Sixth Round: Kyle Juzszyck, H-Back.

Seventh Round: Steve Demilio, Tackle/Guard.

Summary: With the all-offense mock, I took priority with surrounding Robert Griffin III with weapons. Quinton Patton, Jordan Reed and Kenjon Barner are all versatile, athletic weapons that can line up in various positions and formations that would give defensive coordinators a nightmare. Ace Saunders could be groomed as an eventual successor to Santana Moss in the slot and add value as a return man. Fragel is an extremely athletic tackle. The ex-tight end is a terrific fit in an offense that requires mobile guys on the offensive line. Juzszyck would be a jack-of-all-traits kind of weapon that could play fullback, tight end, h-back and slot receiver; while Demilio could come in as a back up tackle and guard prospect.

All-Defense Mock

Second Round: Robert Alford, Cornerback.

Third Round: Bacarri Rambo, Free Safety.

Fourth Round: Brandon McGee, Cornerback.

Fifth Round: Kwame Geathers, Nose Tackle.

Fifth Round: Chase Thomas, Linebacker.

Sixth Round: Devin Taylor, Defensive End.

Seventh Round: Dominick Reyes, Safety.

Summary: Despite safety being the bigger need, I went with the corner first. Robert Alford is a guy I really like, and while the second round could be a slight reach for him, he has quick feet and incredible recovery speed. While undersized. he's a nuisance in press coverage over a slot receiver. Rambo and McGee help sure up the secondary while Geathers and Taylor add some beef to the defensive line. Chase Thomas is a versatile linebacker that could play multiple positions in the Redskins 3-4 defense. I took a seventh round flyer on Tiller's guy, Reyes, who is big enough to potentially move to linebacker if he struggles at safety.

Combined Mock

Second Round: Robert Alford, Cornerback.

Third Round: Bacarri Rambo, Free Safety.

Fourth Round: Kenjon Barner, Running Back.

Fifth Round: Reid Fragel, Offensive Tackle.

Fifth Round: Kwame Geathers, Nose Tackle.

Sixth Round: Kyle Juszyzck, H-Back.

Seventh Round: Dominick Reyes, Safety.

Summary: In the combined mock, I went for the corner/safety combination with the first two picks. The secondary is obviously the Redskins biggest need and while I can see the 'Skins taking a receiver in the second round, I decided against it. I really like the speed and elusiveness Barner offers at running back to offer a change of pace to Alfred Morris, those two in the backfield with RGIII is a pretty frightening thought. The fifth round was used to beef up the trenches. Fragel has big upside as an athletic tackle while Geathers is a big body that could push for playing time as a back-up nose tackle. I'm a big fan of the versatility Juzszyck offers to an offense. With Reyes I felt like too many safeties in a draft isn't a bad thing given the state of our secondary.

So what do you think of my three mocks and how would you change them? Use the draft board to help you create your own mock drafts in the comments section.

Unveiling The Hogs Haven/HTTR24-7 Redskins Draft Board

UkRedskin — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:36:34 -0000

Last year the Hogs Haven writers staff got together and put together our own Redskins draft board, ranking players at every position based on not only their talent and ability, but also their fit within the Redskins scheme. You guys appeared to like it last year, so we're bringing it back in time for next weeks NFL Draft. This time round Steve Shoup and I teamed up with the guys from HTTR24-7.com; Kevin, Kenneth and Justin for some differing perspectives on the rankings.

The ranking system is the same as last year. We split each round into three sections: A, B and C. A represents a player graded to go in the top third of the round, B represents a player graded to go in the middle third of the round and C represents a player graded to go in the last third of the round. This year we have 245 players, as opposed to the 229 players we had on the board last year. Just as last year, I'm going to keep the board updated as the picks come in. If a square is yellow, the player has been drafted. If the square is red, he's been drafted by the Redskins.

>>> Link to the draft board <<<<

The first thing I took away from this was the lack of elite talent. We only have five players ranked in the '1A' category, last year we had double that. We all felt pretty strongly that the strength of this class is the depth of its talent in the middle rounds. There's plenty of good players to be had in this draft, let's hope the Redskins can draft well again.

Five Slot Receiver Options In NFL Draft For Washington Redskins

UkRedskin — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:55:09 -0000

The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, but there is still plenty of things to discuss in the coming days. One of the positions we've not really covered is the slot receiver position. The Redskins currently have Santana Moss filling the role, who they think highly enough as a locker-room presence to work out a way to keep him despite the cap penalty. Moss is coming off a year in which he put up his best touchdown total since 2005, the year he joined the Redskins. But Moss is also 33-years-old and will be 34 before the season starts.

They say the learning curve for a wide receiver in today's NFL is three years. So drafting a mid-round slot receiver to learn for a year or two behind Moss without having the pressure of having to be productive right away sounds like a good idea in theory. Lets have a look at some of the guys that could be potential slot receiver targets for the Redskins.

Markus Wheaton

Wheaton was somewhat under the radar until he was invited to the Senior Bowl. The 5'11", 189 pound senior from Oregon State caught the eye and was easily the most impressive receiver during the Senior Bowl week. He's has incredibly quick feet that help him in his route running and ability to get himself open. He can run the shallow crossers, the speed outs and has the speed to beat you up the seam. Wheaton isn't limited to the slot though, he can line up outside and run the entire route tree, his quickness allows him to go in and out of breaks at high speed, making it tough for defenders to make a play on well timed throws. If the Redskins were to draft him, he would have to work hard on his blocking. This teams requires receivers being able to block, and while Wheaton shows he's plenty willing, his technique is lacking.

Protection: 2nd-3rd round.

Ryan Swope

I've sung the praises of Swope on Hogs Haven before, but he's a prototypical slot receiver. He's an excellent route runner and is smart with his reads. He knows when to break off a route and sit in a zone or when to run on by a defender. The Redskins like their receivers, particularly in the slot, to be able to run option routes which allow them to different routes on one play depending on the coverage. Swope shouldn't have many troubles picking this up as he has some experience with similar concepts. At 6'0", 208 pounds, he also has a nice frame to deal with the hits he'd take from running across the middle from the slot. I'm still not sold on him as an 'X' or 'Z' receiver, so if he can't be as versatile as I've suggested before, then his value is limited.

Projection: 3rd round.

Josh Boyce

You may have read earlier in the week, Boyce was a high school teammate of Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. He's another guy with quick feet that allow him to break in and out of routes without losing speed. He has a good initial burst that gets him into full stride quickly. As a slot receiver, that burst is vitally important as a potential hot read on most plays. Boyce can use that burst to help catch a team in a blitz as a hot read and turn it into a big play. His lower body strength allows him to block effectively, particularly on the smaller slot corners. I'd like to see Boyce go and get the ball a little more, rather than allowing it to come to him and catch it with his body. He looks limited to the slot at the next level, with only average size.

Projection: 4th-5th round.

Ace Sanders

Sanders is a guy I wasn't expecting anything from when I started watching him, but came away pleasantly surprised with what I saw. He has solid, reliable hands, which is always a must from the slot receiver. He's a good route runner with a great burst. He's quicker than fast, but that shiftiness helps him elude open-field tackles. He's also an explosive return man that is a threat on every kick. He reminded me instantly of Santana Moss. I saw him constantly running the same routes that we saw of Moss in the slot this year. I remember seeing him run a speed out on a quarterback sprint right and had flashbacks of RGIII to Santana Moss. Like Wheaton, is a willing blocker, but his size, 5'7", 173 pounds limits his ability to block effectively.

Projection: 5th-6th round.

Lanear Sampson

Sampson is another former teammate of Griffin, but this time in college. The wide out was part of the speedy group of receivers Griffin had in his arsenal at Baylor. Sampson is a guy that can take the top off of a defense on any given play, with fantastic speed. He has good hands and does a nice job of locating and tracking the deep ball right to his hands. But Sampson was never a go-to guy in college and lacks the route running ability that the other receivers on this list have. He's also a build up speed guy that lacks that initial burst. He'd definitely be a developmental project if the Redskins decided to draft him.

Projection: 7th round.

NFC East Update: Philadelphia Eagles

UkRedskin — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:44:08 -0000

With it being a bit of a quiet spell between free agency and the NFL Draft, I thought it would be a good time to catch up with what's been happening around the division in the NFC East. Our friend Jimmy K from Blogging the Beast and Bleeding Green Nation kindly answered some of my questions to help us get caught up.

UK: First off, the Eagles took their time but eventually landed their new Head Coach in Chip Kelly. He's ultimately the biggest move of the offseason. Talk about what he's bringing to the Eagles (we've heard about a possible switch to the 3-4) and how he's been received by the fans in Philly.

Jimmy: He's unquestionably the biggest move of the offseason. I think the importance of a great head coach is something that is lost on people. What's more important? The "franchise QB?" Or a great head coach? In my opinion, they're not all that far off. Look at what happened to the Saints last year when they lost Payton.

OK, sorry, I'm getting side-tracked. To be determined how good Kelly will be. The most common thing associated with Kelly is the fast-paced offense. I think he'll employ that in the NFL, much like the Patriots are already doing up in New England. That should be fun to watch. However, I think the actual plays they run will be more traditional than what people seem to be envisioning. Kelly brought in Pat Shurmur to be the OC. Shurmur is a West Coast offense guy who tends to be a little more conservative, so I think those two guys will balance each other out.

The common thinking is that the Eagles could run a 4-3 under, similar to Seattle, which is basically just a variation of the 3-4. So far so good with the fans. Kelly is very personable, which is in contrast to Andy Reid. My favorite Chip Kelly moment so far is when he answered a question at a press conference by saying "Erroneous," then informed everyone that he got "erroneous" from Wedding Crashers.

UK: What were the big moves the Eagles made in free agency? You cut a fair amount of guys and spent a lot of money, but this isn't another 'dream team' is it?

Jimmy: They signed guys in bulk, but there weren't any real splashy moves. The most recognizable name was probably Connor Barwin, and he only got $8 million in guaranteed money. I talked more in depth about the Eagles moves (and the Redskins' too) in my NFC East draft recaps, for anyone interested.

UK: Looking specifically at that fourth overall pick, who do you think the Eagles are targeting?

Jimmy: They have a lot of options there. They could go OT (Joeckel/Fisher/Johnson). That would enable them to move Todd Herremans back inside to guard and plug in their pick immediately at RT. Then down the line they can move him to LT whenever Jason Peters isn't good anymore. That would give them an OL that would look like this:

Peters - Mathis - Kelce - Herremans - 4th overall pick

...which actually looks pretty awesome to me. They could also go with Dion Jordan at OLB to be the queen on the chess board. He can cover and he can rush the passer. Guys who do both of those things well are very hard to find. Jordan could be an extremely versatile piece. Or they could entertain the idea Ziggy Ansah or Sharrif Floyd, both of whom could potentially play multiple positions in a 3-4 look. And then there's Geno Smith. Personally, I don't see it. Maybe the Eagles do. In the NFL, you either have a good QB, or you have no chance. I'm of the opinion they have no chance with Michael Vick. Nick Foles looked good at times and bad at times, but I wonder what his ceiling is. The Eagles sent their owner, GM, and head coach to West Virginia to check out Geno. Is that a smokescreen? It feels like one to me. We'll find out soon enough.

UK: Last year we saw the Eagles go defense heavy in the draft, with four of their top five picks used to select defenders (In what I like to call, the RGIII effect). But the Redskins still managed to put up 297 rushing yards at 4.8 yards per carry over two games against each other last year. Do you think the Eagles will look to use this draft to further sure up that defense or are they looking in another direction?

Jimmy: Absolutely, the defense still needs help across the board. For the record, I don't think they drafted players with RG3 in mind last year, but I sure as hell think they will this year. Dion Jordan, Ziggy Ansah, and Sharrif Floyd are all very athletic players for their positions. The more guys you can assemble who can chase RG3 around, the better off you'll be. And it doesn't stop at RG3. If you look around at the rest of the NFC, there are playmaking QBs everywhere: Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers. Even guys like Tony Romo and Jay Cutler have the ability to run around and make plays. If your front seven can't chase down those guys... good luck.

UK: To wrap things up, from an Eagles perspective is there a particular guy that you'd rather the Redskins weren't able to draft with the 51st pick?

Jimmy: Hmm... I love knowing that the Skins' RT stinks, no matter who wins that job (as the roster currently stands). For example, at 4 in the morning I woke up in a cold sweat, and then realized, "Oh yeah, Tyler Polumbus. Everything's going to be OK." And I went back to sleep. I know there are positions where a splashier player like a safety or corner might be sitting there, but if the Skins fixed RT that would bug me. Fortunately, most of the OTs worth drafting will be off the board by then. I hope, anyway.

Thanks again to Jimmy K for his time. What do you guys make of the Eagles offseason to this point?

NFL Draft Sleeper: Film Breakdown of H-Back Kyle Juszczyk

UkRedskin — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:26:27 -0000

With no first round pick and a cap penalty to their name, the Redskins will need to find contributors with some later round picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. One draft 'sleeper' that caught my eye during the week of practice at the Senior Bowl was H-Back Kyle Juszczyk. I went onto the fantastic site DraftBreakdown.com and found some cut-ups of him. Needless to say I was impressed. Here's some of the things I liked.

We start with Juszcyzk lined up as an inline tight end.

He's going to run a double move up the seam.

He drops his shoulder and head to the outside to sell the fake out route.

After drawing in the defenders, Juszczyk cuts back up the field with momentum in his favor.

Juszczyk goes up and gets the ball despite the safety quickly closing to lay a hit on him.

He manages to not only maintain the catch throughout the hit, but he has the awareness to stretch out and reach for the touchdown before falling to the ground.

Next we have Juszczyk in a H-Back position.

He's going to sift back across the line and fake blocking the backside defender.

Juszczyk leaves the defender unblocked and runs into the flat.

He catches the ball in the flat with running room ahead of him. He picks up some easy yards after the catch.

This time Juszczyk lines up in the slot.

Juszczyk is the lead blocker on this receiver screen.

He engages the defender and sets an anchor, getting his pad level underneath the defender to maintain the block.

Once he gains control of the block, he drives the defender back as the ball carrier runs behind him.

But Juszczyk can do more than just block on screens, he can receive them as well.

Once again he's lined up in the slot.

He fakes a route to get the defender backpedaling before cutting back towards the ball.

He secures a good hands catch, rather than letting the ball come into his body.

He does a nice job of lowering his pad level to help absorb the hit of the defender while staying balanced. From there it's an easy walk in for another touchdown.

Juszczyk projects as a swiss-army knife type player that can move around the formation at tight end, fullback, slot receiver and H-Back. That kind of versatile weapon in the Redskins offense could be extremely valuable, making him an intriguing draft sleeper.

2013 NFL Draft Discussions: Wide Receiver Justin Hunter With Redskins Second Round Pick?

UkRedskin — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 15:56:23 -0000

Ask and you shall receive. Apparently you guys enjoyed the draft discussions post Tiller, Shoup and myself put together on David Amerson, so we're back with another post. We thought we'd switch it up a bit and look at the offensive side of the ball. Tiller argues that the Redskins can afford to take a wide receiver, particularly Justin Hunter, in the second round while Steve disagrees. Once again I get the nice easy, sit on the fence role of moderator.

First off guys, Justin Hunter is projected by most in the second round. Tiller, do you think the Redskins can justify any wide receiver, let alone Hunter, with the 51st pick given our needs in the secondary?

Tiller: With the news of us signing Fred Davis, and the possibility still of signing Winfield (or another cornerback) in free agency, the needs become even less in the draft. Tight end can now be scratched off the board and if Winfield (or Hall) is signed, we really have a primary need at safety. Because I believe the depth at safety is so great in this draft, I would advocate taking a safety in the 3rd round. Guys like Rambo, McDonald, Thomas(both of them), Williams and Jefferson may all be around for us. Likely a few will be gone by the time we pick, but I believe a few will still remain, and any one of these prospects will be a great upgrade to our secondary. When I look at corner, and see what we have on our roster (assuming we sign one of the two between Winfield or Hall), I see a group who is pretty set come 2013. Now the future remains cloudy, but a full salary cap, and a higher draft pick in 2014 can address that need. I would advocate a 4th rounder on a corner and there should still be some good developmental talent with guys like McGee, Mathieu (if he were to slip), Simon, and Commings. If this part of the plan holds true, we have the 2nd rounder to use on another weapon for this offense and our young quarterback Robert Griffin. What better weapon for a young superstar than a great running back (which we have in Morris), and some playmakers in the outside. We have one in Garcon and we were able to retain one in Fred Davis, but who opposite Garcon will command attention... no one. This is where Justin Hunter comes in.

OK, but wouldn't protecting Griffin with a second round right tackle become a bigger priority than another weapon? After all, the Redskins are a run first offense and they just re-signed Fred Davis as a pass-catching tight end to go along with Pierre Garcon who has the X receiver spot nailed down.

Tiller: The right tackle situation is certainly an interesting one, and with the recent signings of Polumbus, Pashos and Trueblood, along with Shanny's obsession with continuity, I don't see there being any way that we bring in four offensive tackles in one offseason. Had we not re-signed Polumbus and went out and brought in Pashos, I would have said right tackle is a big need. But since these moves were made I assume Shanny is going to go with one guy between Polumbus, Compton, Pashos and Trueblood to man right tackle and one to be our swing tackle.

What are your thoughts on this idea Steve? Is there a receiver you'd use our second round pick on? Tavon Austin comes to mind for me.

Steve: Given the Redskins salary cap issues and lack of a first round pick, I think the Redskins need to direct their resources to the areas that need it the most (RT, CB, S), especially when we are talking about their 2nd round pick. Even if the Redskins were to sign Antoine Winfield and/or DeAngelo Hall, corner would still represent a fairly big need. Already both Josh Wilson and newly signed E.J. Biggers are free agents after next season, and Minnifield/Hall would likely be as well. Add in the fact that the secondary would see Brandon Meriweather, Reed Doughty and Jordan Pugh hit free agency. That would leave just DeJon Gomes, Richard Crawford and Jordan Bernstein as players who have any NFL experience under contract for that season. As for the right tackle position you have Tyler Polumbus, who was the weakest link along the line last year, Tony Pashos who is trying to come back after missing last season due to injury (also an FA in 2014), Jeremy Trueblood who got benched in Tampa (and also a free agent in 2014), to go along with young late round picks Maurice Hurt and Tom Compton, neither of whom is considered a sure thing. At wide receiver though it is a different story. Pierre Garcon, Santana Moss, Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson form one of the deepest top 4 receiver depth charts in the league. In addition Aldrick Robinson and Dezmon Briscoe are guys who could find a job on just about any team in football. Receiver is one of the Redskins strongest positions for 2013, and while Moss, Morgan and Briscoe are all impending free agents, the Redskins would still have Garcon, Hankerson and Robinson under control. Garcon has established himself as a good receiver, and Hankerson has shown some flashes. He was pretty effective last year averaging 14.3 ypc, and finishing 3rd on the team in receptions over 20 yards. That is far more talent the Redskins have for 2014 then at the RT, CB, or safety positions.

My other issue with drafting a receiver early on is the fact that they typically take longer to develop and have a higher bust rate than most positions. And the fact is the Redskins are a run first team. The impact a receiver could possibly have is significantly reduced. I would maybe consider an advanced receiver like Robert Woods or a do anything weapon like Tavon Austin, but that is only because they can offer impact early. Even then I'd still probably be more inclined to use them on the board as trade bait for some team that doesn't have the Redskins receiver depth and/or would actually throw the ball enough to warrant the investment. In the end I think both of those guys would be well off the board before the Redskins could pick. Justin Hunter is a guy who doesn't fit that bill, as he's not a do everything weapon, and he's not an advanced receiver who will help right away.

Tiller, what does Hunter offer that makes you willing to take him with the 51st pick of the draft?

Tiller: Hunter offers the size/speed combo that teams covet. He ran a 4.44 40, had a 39.5 vertical at 6' 4" 196 pounds. It was rumored he was a little lighter at the combine than he was previously, so I believe he can put on five pounds without losing any speed. He is not afraid to go across the middle and make the tough catch which is so vital in the NFL. What really stands out to me is how much better he got from his freshmen year in 2009 until last season. He came in with amazing talent, but was very raw. He learned to become a really solid route runner, and uses his body control almost as well as Brandon Lloyd.

I can see Hunter being a really good Z receiver, and his presence would allow a guy like Morgan to move to the slot where his physicality would present a mismatch to most defenders.

What's you view on Hunter as a player, Steve?

Steve: I do agree with Tiller that Hunter has the size/speed combo (and a nice vertical) that teams covet. My issue with him is I think he's a bit raw and his value is more in potential than actual production. He played sparingly as a freshman, and then missed the majority of his 2011 campaign due to tearing his ACL, so we really only have one year to judge him on. While the 73 catches for 1,083 yards an 9 touchdowns seem impressive, I'm not too sure they are. In his seven games versus opponents (FBS) with winning records, he managed 36 catches for 435 yards (12.08 ypc) and 0 touchdowns, in his four games against non-winning record teams he caught 29 balls for 502 (17.31 ypc) and 6 touchdowns (he also had 8 catches for 146 and 3 TD's against Georgia State). Hunter just really disappeared in a number of big games, and he was among the NCAA leaders in drops.

Drops and lack of production in big games weren't Hunter's only issues. He allowed too many catches into his body, and would unnecessarily leave his feet, which limited his YAC chances, far too often. Also for receiver with such great size and leaping ability I'd expect him to win more jump balls, particularly in the end zone, and we just didn't see that. I do agree with Tiller that he needs to add some weight and muscle, because you rarely would see Hunter break a tackle or not get redirected in bump and run.

That all being said I do think Hunter has some tools and is a pretty good route runner who gains separation and has good awareness to work back to his quarterback. The size and speed are there, and if he has a couple of years I could see him being a valuable receiver, particularly in the intermediate area, on crossing routes. I think he's versatile enough to play both outside and inside as well.

Those are some pretty interesting stats Steve. Tiller, do you want to respond to those?

Tiller: I would say the erratic play of Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray contributed to some of the inconsistancies of Hunter this past season. Bray was highly innacurate when facing a pass rush, and ranked in the bottom half of QB's in the nation in completion percentage when being pressured(consequently, Landry Jones was one of the best in this catagory). It's obvious this pressure was applied more heavily against some of the tougher SEC opponents, so it's not surprising that Hunters totals may have dipped against some of the better defenses in the conference. Many of the balls Bray threw were into coverage, or were high(a result of not properly stepping into his throw)which were likely a result of him being pressured.

Either way, 73 receptions and 9 touchdowns are impressive any way you slice them. Steadman Bailey has some pretty gaudy numbers this past season for West Virginia, but look at some of the defenses he faced. They are not nearly as talented as even the mid-tier SEC teams. If you able to average over 5 catches per game, and over 12 yards per catch against FBS opponents with winning records, and you play in the toughest conference in college football, and have a quarterback who was erratic all season, I say that's doing a pretty darn good job.

Do you agree Steve?

Steve: I don't think anyone would question that Tyler Bray was erratic or that the SEC is the toughest conference to play in, but how much of an excuse should that be? Cobi Hamilton in 9 games versus FBS winning opponents, caught 73 balls for 1,159 yards (15.88 ypc) and all 5 of his touchdowns. And that was on a down Arkansas team that saw everyone struggling due to the controversy. As for a guy like Stedman Bailey, we have a far greater track record because he's been a two year starter. We've seen him have big games against big time opponents like LSU and Clemson in 2011 and Oklahoma this past year. Justin Hunter this year saw 41% of his yards, 34% of his receptions, and 78% of his touchdowns come against his three games (i.e. 25% of his season) versus Georgia State, Akron and Troy none of whom will ever get mistaken for SEC level of play. As for the "Bray factor", there is some validity there, but he was a 59.4% passer and that was inspite of Hunter's drops. And while Bray saw his numbers fall against winning record opponents, his numbers didn't drop as much as Hunter's did, meaning he wasn't solely responsible for Hunter's lack of production in these situations.

They went on back and fourth for a bit here, but I'm jumping in here to move this conversation on.

In the limited times I've watched him, I saw a willingness to go over the middle and go get the ball despite knowing a safety was coming for him. Steve, in an offense that utilizes play-action posts which saw guys like Josh Morgan taking big hits from safeties all year long, would Hunter be a nice fit?

Steve: I do think that is a strength of Hunter's as he's at his best running drags and crosses, and does well in that 8-12 yard area where the Redskins seem to typically like to throw. The fact that Hunter could play the slot would be a bonus (though Mike Shanahan typically prefers smaller/quicker receivers), given that Moss runs a lot of these routes as well. Schematically I don't have an issue with Hunter, it's much more on the production/development side, as well as actual need.

Tiller, for a guy that's 6'4", a 196 pound frame seems a bit lightweight as we've eluded to. In a run-heavy offense, is there a chance he gets overpowered by corners when blocking in the run game? And does his frame concern you with future injuries? He's already had a major ACL tear.

Tiller: I actually think he does a good job stalk blocking. He's not just a get your body in the way type of guy, he actually goes out and attacks the defender, often being the aggressor. He's not afraid to go inside on a crack block against a bigger defender either.

I'm not concerned about injuries with this kid, as many receivers are his size, and have played the game at a high level, without significant injuries. Randy Moss came into the league at 6'4" and a tad under 200, and he seemed to do just fine. Unlike Moss, Hunter is fearless across the middle, and even though he offers a larger target for defensive backs to zero in on, he contorts his body just enough to avoid the big hit.

I really like his ability to beat press-man at the line of scrimmage. I saw him effectively use a varity of different move to beat physical defenders. He moves his feet well, keeping his defender off balance, and explodes into his route with a low body lean, not allowing defenders to get their hands into his chest. He effectively uses the rip and swim to elude press, and he will fight to get outside leverage on routes requiring a mandatory outside release. What I really like his how he works cleanly into, and out of his stem, and he never seems to take a play off, or get lazy and round off his routes. This is the part of the game where I have seen the biggest improvement.

UK: OK guys, I'm going to wrap it here. I'm sure there was more to be said on this topic, but it'll have to be said in the comments section below. Plus I've had enough of these guys talking for one day! Let me know your thoughts on taking Justin Hunter or any wide receiver in the second round. Be sure to vote and comment below.

Poll

Would you draft Justin Hunter with the Redskins second round pick?

Yes

75 votes

No

249 votes

324 votes | Poll has closed

2013 NFL Draft Discussions: Cornerback David Amerson

UkRedskin — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:28:04 -0000

For this draft discussions post, Tiller joined Steve Shoup in a 'Shoup vs Tiller special' and I stepped into a moderator role to keep things under control. Any regular readers will know things between these two can get pretty intense, so I thought throwing them a prospect that they have vastly different opinions on would be a good place to start. David Amerson had a down year in his junior season at North Carolina State in which much was expected from him, having put up an amazing 13 interceptions the year before. He elected to declare for the NFL Draft this year instead of staying in school for his senior season.

Tiller, what qualities does Amerson have that peak your interest in him?

Tiller: I really like the size/speed blend Amerson brings to the table. He was 6'1" 205, with almost 33" arms and 10 1/2" hands at the combine. He ran a 4.44 second 40, had a 35.5 inch vertical, and did 15 reps at 225. These measurables, combined with excellent balls skills, physicality, a smooth back-pedal and hip flexion, and the ability to set the edge as a boundary corner against the run, make him an impressive all-around cornerback.

Amerson has become a student of the game, and his coaches raved about his preperation for opponents, and how diligently he studies opposing teams game tape. This was evident in 2011 when he really made the jump to elite status. He plays the ball extremely well when the receiver is in front of him on in-breaking routes, and routinely beats his man to the spot. He does a nice job planting his back foot, and driving on routes as he reads the quarterbacks eyes. He can shadow, and turn and run with the receiver on the 9 route, and plays good hip-to-hip technique. He doesn't have phone booth quickness, but he makes up for this with long arms and long strides.

Steve, what aspects of Amerson's game give you a cause for concern?

Steve: My biggest issue with Amerson is I believe he both carries a high bust factor and even if he does make it as a starting NFL corner he will take some time to develop into that role (probably at least 2 years). I thought he made a big mistake coming out as a junior, and would have been much better served staying another year and trying to iron out some of his issues.

On paper he's impressive from a height/speed combo, and looking at his big 2011 year with 13 reps you'd think this guy would be a lock for a first round pick, but he really had a down 2012 and got exploited in a number of areas. Despite having a red-shirt freshman corner and a converted back-up safety opposite him opposing teams seemed to have little fear in challenging Amerson in 2012. Typically you'd expect in college for opponents to avoid Amerson and his side as much as possible, but just about every team seemed comfortable attacking him. Amerson was extremely susceptible to double moves, and despite his straight line speed, he didn't show an ability to catch up with receivers once they got past him (unless the ball was horribly underthrown). Given his size you'd expect him to be in press coverage more, but he typically played off man or zone coverage. While some of that has to be on the coaching staff, It doesn't really bode well that he will be able to use that size effectively at the next level. Also concerning is just how many open field tackles he missed, as well as easily getting blocked out of plays. Those are two additional areas you'd expect his size to be a positive for him

My other real question with Amerson is just how natural are his coverage abilities. I think he has nice ball skills as evidenced with his 18 career interceptions, but I just don't see consistent good coverage. I see poor technique that he makes up for primary by playing inferior opponents who make too many mistakes (something that isn't likely going to happen at the next level). I don't see natural abilities with his backpedal, flipping his hips or in the short area, and that is why I feel there is a good chance he never realizes his potential.

Strong words Steve. Mike Mayock recently said that Amerson "Gave up more vertical touchdowns than any corner I've ever seen in my life". It's pretty apparent whenever I've watched Amerson that he likes to jump short routes and ends up biting on a lot of fakes. So Tiller, how do you see a guy that vulnerable to double moves and getting burnt fitting in with a Redskins defense lacking the safety help he'd require?

Tiller: I think Amerson struggled some with the double moves, that's for sure, but I don't see it as a technique issue, or a physical limitations issue. I see it as a lack of discipline. To me, this is easily corrected through good coaching, and learning to trust your keys, and know your opponents tendencies. I would be more concerned if he was just getting straight out beaten on go routes, or was too slow out of his break to make a play on the football. Neither of these are problems for him. When I put in the UConn tape, I see him run hip to hip with receivers. I watch the UNC game from 2011(and they have some pretty good athletes), and I see a kid who has a smooth back-pedal, can plant and drive through the receiver, and can play physical in the run game, against an NFL caliber back. I put on tape of the 2011 Louisville game, and again, I see a kid who is agressive in press-man, and who plays cover 2 about as good as any cornerback in the country.

If I look at just the Tennessee game, where he didn't play well against one of the best receivers in the country, I come away scratching my head, but when I look at his whole body of work, I see the talent that scouts and coaches raved about during his All-American sophomore season.

To me, his mistakes are correctable, and that is the main reason I think he will succeed at the next level. GM's and coaches will all tell you that you can't coach speed and you can't coach size.

The games that you point to are mainly in 2011, are you concerned at all about the performance drop from that year to this year?

Tiller: Yes the drop-off in performance concerns me a bit, but I also want to see how a corner responds when faced with adversity. He came off a bad game against Tennessee, to have a very good game against UConn. As we know, cornerbacks need to have short memories, and Amerson showed me that he can make adjustments, bounce back, and play well a week after one of his worst games.

I also look at his youth, and think to myself that here is a kid I can mold in the image of my team. Now having said this, I also feel his skill set is strong enough that he can learn on the go, rather than having to sit for a year before he contributes. Unlike some corners who have come out in recent years, and may have peaked, I view Amerson as a kid who has yet to even realize his full potential, and to me that is scary in a good way. This kid is only going to get better with better coaching and film study.

Steve, if Jim Haslett is allowed to have his way, the Redskins defense will be extremely aggressive with this blitzing just like they were in the week 17 match up with the Cowboys. Amerson's strengths are playing off-man and breaking on quick routes. Wouldn't that be a perfect fit in the Redskins defense?

Steve: Though I think Amerson could fit schematically with what the Redskins run, I just don't know how quickly he could see the field. This year he really gave up a lot of catches (and yards after the catch, on the underneath stuff, so while it is his strongsuit, I don't think he's NFL ready. He had is only real impressive games versus teams with poor quarterbacks and/or poor receivers. I think he's going to need developmental time if you want to get even above average play out of him.

There's been speculation that some scouts and teams project him as a free safety in the NFL. I'd like to hear your thoughts on how you think he'd perform there and if you feel he'd be better off there.

Steve: At one time I thought free safety might be his best fit, but I no longer feel that way. I think he bites too often on double moves and pump fakes for me to trust him as the last line of defense in a secondary. His poor run support throughout this past season also worries me about him making the transition to safety. I think he just needs to develop as a corner, and hopefully bring value in that capacity.

Tiller: I think he has the physical tools to play safety, but his skill set will be most effective at corner. I like him as a corner who can lock down the opposing teams biggest, most physical receiver. As a tackler, I think he needs to improve a bit in the open field, and I feel that he'd be a bit more risky at safety than he would be at corner.

To wrap things up, what round would you pick him and what round do you think he'll end up being selected?

Tiller: I would definitely take him in the second, and I think he goes no later than the end of the second.

Steve: For me I wouldn't even consider him in the 2nd round due to my questions about his ability to succeed (esp. early on), if he was still available with the Redskins 3rd round pick I'd consider it assuming the other CB's and Safeties I had rated higher were off the board. I'm guessing he'll be off the board with a late 2nd- early 3rd round pick.

So what are your thoughts on David Amerson and who do you agree with more, Steve or Tiller? Join the conversation in the comments section below.

Redskins Tight End Fred Davis Has Dinner With Bills

UkRedskin — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 16:29:59 -0000

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting this morning that Redskins tight end Fred Davis had dinner with the Buffalo Bills last night.

Redskins TE Fred Davis dined last night in Washington with Bills HC Doug Marrone, GM Buddy Nix, Doug Whaley and other Bills officials.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 24, 2013

Now there are a lot of different views on this. Some people think this is just a negotiating ploy by Davis to get the Redskins to up their offer, after all, Davis has nothing to lose from having a free dinner with the Bills.

In support of this view, John Keim excellently points out that agents don't typically allow pass-catching clients like Davis to sign with teams with questionable quarterback situations.

On bills interest in Davis: talked 2 numerous agents last couple years who would not let pass catching client sign w/team w/bad qb situation
— John Keim (@john_keim) March 24, 2013

But at the same time, Davis showed he can be productive regardless of the quarterback having put up good numbers with Rex Grossman throwing him the ball. I would also add that Davis could be tempted to join a team willing to pass the ball more. The foundation of the Redskins offense is the run game. While Davis improved as a run blocker, he's far from 'elite' in that aspect. As a receiving tight end, I'm sure he'd much prefer to be out running routes and breaking tackles than trying to seal an edge. If a team like the Bills can offer him more receptions, or more importantly, more money, then Davis could be on the move.

There are certainly plenty of different perspectives to this story and it will be interesting to see where it leads. While we all would love Fred Davis back in a Redskins uniform, it appears as if he has other suitors to potentially drive him out of the Redskins price range.

Update: Schefter is now reporting that Davis is scheduled to meet with the Bills on Wednesday with the Jets and Redskins also interested.

Redskins Have Plenty of Tight End Options In The NFL Draft

UkRedskin — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:09:57 -0000

The big focus this offseason for the Redskins has been on the secondary, and rightly so. Clearly they need to find a way to fix, or at least cover some of the holes in the defensive backfield. But the Redskins do have other needs. One of which is at the tight end position. Tight ends are becoming increasingly more and more involved in offenses up and down the NFL, with versatility being the key. In the Redskins offense, a tight end has to be multidimensional. They need to be athletic enough to run routes and catch passes, while big enough to maintain a block. They also need to be willing to move around in the formation and smart enough to get to grips with all the motions involved in this offense. One minute a tight end could be lined up as a standard inline tight end, then he could be moved out to the slot on the next play, and then switched to H-Back the play after that.

Now obviously, the secondary will be the focus with the first couple of draft picks, making it unlikely for the Redskins to draft a tight end in the first three rounds barring an unforeseen fall of one of the top prospects. So I thought I'd list a couple of the guys that could be had in the later rounds that fit the description above.

Jordan Reed, Florida.

At 6'2", 236 pounds, Reed might be on the light side of an ideal sized tight end. But Reed is an extremely versatile weapon. He'll be more of a joker tight end or H-Back than an inline guy at least initially, but compares well to New England's Aaron Hernandez. He runs solid routes that can be improved, but his big plus is his ability after the catch. Reed shows cutting ability similar to a running back in space and that along his athleticism makes him hard to bring down. He'd be a perfect target on the run/pass option plays in the Redskins playbooks, as well as the screen passes in the flat. He needs work on his blocking and being undersized won't help him. But Reed is a willing blocker and should be able to improve to a somewhat solid level.

Projection: 3rd-4th round.

Vance McDonald, Rice.

I've discussed McDonald before and you can read the entire breakdown here. But the short versions of that is McDonald's game is similar to Reed. He's a versatile receiving threat that can move around. He's even taken hand-offs on jet-sweeps on occasion. Like Reed he needs to work on his blocking, but unlike Reed, McDonald has the frame to help him. At 6'4", 267 pounds, McDonald is just about that ideal size for the position and could easily develop into an above average blocker. McDonald's main flaw is his drops. Multiple reports say he had at least one drop a game, which is a major knock. He would only see maybe three to five passes a game, and if he's dropping one of those, how much can he be relied upon?

Projection: 3rd-4th round.

Dion Sims, Michigan State.

Sims measured in at 6'5", 262 pounds, but he played at about 285 pounds. That frame gives him a big advantage as an inline blocker playing as almost a third tackle. But the upside is that he can move very well for his size. He has surprising straight line speed which combined with his body makes him a nice target, particularly in the red zone. While his straight line speed is good, he lacks the desired burst to get off the line of scrimmage and to go in and out of cuts. Versatility is also a question. It's tough to see him as anything more than an inline tight end.

Projection: 5th-6th round.

Michael Williams, Alabama.

Williams is another big bodied blocking tight end much like Sims. He uses his 6'6", 269 pound frame to his advantage in the run game and flashes ability to shield defenders from the ball in the passing game. His biggest weakness is his speed. He is very slow, running slower than some offensive tackles at the combine. But he's still a solid receiving option with reliable hands and ability to high-point the football, making him a legitimate red zone threat. But run-blocking is what his game is all about. He shows good footwork which helps him effectively seal an edge or cut off the backside defender depending on the direction of the run. Like Sims, isn't the most versatile, but could probably play some H-Back along with his tight end responsibilities.

Projection: 6th round.

Justice Cunningham, South Carolina.

If you follow me on twitter, you'll know I really like Cunningham. He's another blocker that stands at 6'3", 258 pounds. But what stands out is his long, nearly 34" arms. That enables him to reach the defender and set a good position before the defender can reach him. He's athletic enough to block in the zone scheme and his pass protection is very good as well. There were times that South Carolina left him to block a defensive end on his own, and he was rarely beaten. While Cunningham won't run away from too many defenders, he's a solid (not great) route runner and has good hands, pulling off some nice one-handed catches at times. He was underused as a receiver in college but I feel he has more too offer there. His speed is his biggest question and running a 4.94 forty time would help his cause.

Projection: 7th round.

Kyle Juszczyk, Harvard.

Juszczyk first caught my eye at the senior bowl playing fullback. He was an aggressive blocker and won just about every match-up he was given. So I was surprised when I went back and watched him play at Harvard. I was expecting a heavy dose of blocking, but found he was used as a swiss-army knife kind of player. He lined up in the slot, split tight end, inline tight end, H-Back and fullback. He displayed reliable hands that caught everything thrown at him. He created good separation with solid routes from every position he lined up at. While he won't blow you away with his speed, he's no slouch. He looked fairly nifty taking screens in the slot, making the occasional defender miss. His downside is his size. He's just 6'1", 248 pounds, which would be a very small inline tight end. But he could excel in a versatile H-Back role in this offense.

Projection: 6th-7th round.

Interview With Redskins Safety Jordan Bernstine

UkRedskin — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:48:10 -0000

News has been slow around Redskins park for the past week since the start of free agency. With an $18million cap penalty imposed on the Redskins, they have found it tough to go out and sign new players, resorting to taking care of their own.

But the positive side of the cap penalty, if they're is one, is that it gives the younger players the Redskins have drafted over recent years an opportunity to win significant roles on the team. One of those players is last year's seventh round pick, safety Jordan Bernstine. Bernstine suffered a torn ACL, MCL and PCL in his first NFL game while covering a kick return. He was placed on IR and has been rehabbing since. Bernstine was kind enough to answer some of our questions.

UK: First off, how is the knee and how is the rehab process coming along? When can we expect to see you back out there?

Bernstine: The rehab process is coming along great. The timetable still isn't set in stone but the plan is to be full go for training camp.

UK: How difficult was it to cope with such a horrific injury after the high of making the final 53-man roster and playing in your first NFL game?

Bernstine: Well that definitely is not the way dreams of starting their career. But unforeseen things happen and I view it as another bump in the road to success. I just can't wait to get back out there.

UK: What are your thoughts on the NFL's attempts to eliminate or limit the return game going forward? You were injured while covering a kick return, but special teams is a big reason a lot of late round guys make NFL rosters.

Bernstine: Well it's definitely not in my hands, but I am all for special teams and believe that it is a big part of the game. Injures come along with the territory I guess.

UK: Staying with special teams, the Redskins lost captain Lorenzo Alexander in free agency this week. How will his absence effect the special teams unit and who will step up to fill his leadership role?

Bernstine: Lorenzo is a great player and was a leader on our special teams and will be missed. We'll just have to step up as a unit and everyone will have to raise their level of play.

UK: The big topic of conversation for Redskins fans these past few weeks has been the salary cap penalty imposed on the team by the NFL. Obviously we feel hard done by, but do you see it as an opportunity for the recent draft picks like yourself and Richard Crawford to step up and earn more play time or even a starting role?

Bernstine: I mean it hurts, but as players there is nothing that we can do. So to me it means that younger players will definitely have to step up and make some plays.

UK: Finally, I went back and re-watched your performances in the preseason. You looked to have a real good nose for the football when you played up in the box, but also had terrific range to play single-high. How do you envision your style of play coming off this injury?

Bernstine: I envision my play the same as before the injury. I like to be in the box and hit, but I also can cover and like to have the freedom to roam and read the quarterback. I can't wait to get back on the field with my skins.

We can't wait for you either Jordan! He showed good promise in limited preseason action last August and managed to make the final 53 despite being a seventh round pick. Hopefully Jordan can come back from his injury without any trouble and be one of many young players that can step up to help the Redskins overcome the cap penalty.

A massive thanks to Jordan for taking the time to answer the questions. You can follow Bernstine on Twitter here.

Film Breakdown of Redskins Hopeful Signing, Aqib Talib

UkRedskin — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 23:31:32 -0000

Cornerback Aqib Talib has been the one guy the Redskins have targeted despite their salary cap penalty this offseason. He comes with a lot of off the field baggage, but also offers big potential on it. In anticipation of this signing, I watched Talib against the Colts, Jets, Dolphins, Texans (twice) and the 49ers. Here is what I came away with.

On this first play Talib shows what he's all about. He appears most comfortable in press and bail coverage, where he's able to come up to the line of scrimmage, but doesn't have to jam the receiver.

Talib plays with inside leverage, letting the receiver know he's not going to allow him inside.

The receiver runs a pattern up the sideline, so Talib has no troubles mirroring the route and showing the receiver the sideline to narrow the throwing window.

The receiver breaks out towards the sidelines, but Talib stays with him every step, almost running the route for him. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck can't afford to throw the ball because Talib is in a perfect position to undercut the route and intercept it.

Talib is equally adept to playing the shorter routes as well. He does a good job of reading the play and breaking quickly on the ball.

This play saw him lined up against Andre Johnson, one of the top receivers in the NFL. Johnson is going to run a quick in-breaking route and Talib reacts accordingly.

As Johnson cuts inside, Talib does a great job opening his hips and sneaking a look at quarterback Matt Schaub.

The moment the ball is thrown, Talib breaks on it. Andre Johnson actually does a great job shielding Talib away just enough to stop the interception. Talib knocks the ball incomplete and wins the play.

Those were two good plays by Talib, but the mark of a top quality corner is to be able to follow the opponents top receiver and cover him where ever he goes. The Texans like to mix things up and had Johnson take some snaps from the slot. Bill Belichick had enough confidence in Talib's ability that he still called for man coverage.

Talib is once again in press and bail technique. Johnson is going to run a corner-post route up the seam, a very tough route for a single corner to cover on his own.

As Johnson breaks outside on the 'corner' part of his corner-post route, Talib keeps pace and tracks him well.

But Johnson cuts back infield and gains a yard of separation from Talib. That's all Schaub needs to pull the trigger.

But Tailb does a fantastic job of recovering, diving in front of the pass to deflect it safely away from Johnson. In fact, he very nearly came away with the interception as well.

It's plays like these that give Talib a chance of joining the elite category of cornerbacks in the NFL. But consistency is an issue (along with the off-field issues...). Here's a play from the 49ers game that ended in a pass interference penalty on Talib.

This time Talib is in off-man coverage, with a cushion between himself and receiver Michael Crabtree.

Talib bites on a small double move from Crabtree, who takes off up the sideline.

Talib actually does a pretty good job recovering and getting back into position.

But then he does this. He fails to turn his head in effort to locate the football. Instead, he runs right into and impedes on Crabtree who is coming back to the under-thrown pass. That's a pass interference penalty that will get called every time. All Talib had to do to avoid it was turn his head and locate the ball.

This is one of the few knocks I had on him throughout my time spent watching him. There are occasions where Talib fails to turn his head and even try to find the ball in the air, instead he watches the receiver and tries to break up the pass as the ball arrives. As someone with good ball skills, Talib shouldn't have a problem locating the ball and that would help him get more interceptions.

But these kinds of plays only happen on occasion. In general, it takes a very well run route and an excellently timed throw to beat him on any sort of consistent basis. And then there are times when there is nothing you can do about a play. This two-point conversion to Andre Johnson in the playoffs is a perfect example.

The first option on this play was the slant route to Johnson, Talib does an excellent job breaking on it and being physical with Johnson to take away that option.

Johnson comes back at him by freelancing and breaking back outside. Talib trails extremely closely, almost hanging off Johnson's hip. Schaub can't risk that throw because Talib could undercut and intercept it.

As Schaub begins to scramble, eyes only for his favorite receiver; Johnson takes Talib deeper into the end zone. Talib still sticks to him like glue, covering him excellently.

But Johnson makes a sudden break back towards Schaub, who throws it up for him.

Even with Talib draped all over him, Johnson is able to go up and high-point the football. Talib actually makes contact with the ball on the way down, but Johnson is able to hold on. On plays like that, you can't criticize Talib, he covered it excellently, as good as anyone else in the NFL could have. Sometimes you just have to give it to the offense for making a heck of a play.

Clearly then, Talib has talent in abundance. His off-field issues do warrant legitimate concern, but his potential cannot be questioned. If Raheem Morris and Mike Shanahan can keep him clean off the field, then he gives the Redskins a lot of options defensively. By using Talib to cover the opposition's top receiver, Jim Haslett can be much more creative and exotic in the blitzes he calls, which will help pressure the quarterback more frequently and possibly create more turnovers.

Washington Redskins Re-Sign Sav Rocca

UkRedskin — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:39:42 -0000

The Washington Redskins have agreed a deal to re-sign 39 year-old Punter Sav Rocca per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Redskins reached agreement with P Sav Rocca.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2013

The Australian native has been the Redskins punter for the past two seasons, playing on a torn meniscus for the majority of the 2012-2013 season. Hopefully he's back to full health in his third year with the Redskins.

What a way to start NFL Free Agency for the Redskins! #PuntersArePeopleToo!

Redskins Re-Sign Logan Paulsen, Darrel Young; Working On Rob Jackson, Lorenzo Alexander

UkRedskin — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 20:55:01 -0000

As free agency approaches, the Redskins are focused on bringing back their own guys. Per Joel Corry, the Redskins re-signed tight end Logan Paulsen to a three-year contract.

TE Logan Paulsen is signing a three-year deal to remain with the Washington Redskins.
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) March 9, 2013

Interestingly, the Redskins have made the contract voidable after two years, just like they did with contracts of free agents like Josh Morgan last year.

Logan Paulsen's 3-year deal is worth a max of $7M w/incentives & escalators. His signing bonus is $1.1M. The 3rd yr voids based on playtime.
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) March 9, 2013

The Washington Times' Rich Campbell tweeted these two nugget as well.

Judging from terms @corryjoel reported, Logan Paulsen gave Redskins a small hometown discount. Shanahan regime/RG3 have guys wanting to stay
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) March 9, 2013

TE Logan Paulsen on his role with Redskins: "They said they want to bring Fred [Davis] back. Their goal is to have him be the starter."
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) March 9, 2013

Along with Paulsen, the Redskins have also managed to re-sign fullback Darrel Young, which I couldn't be happier about. Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweeted Young's contract details.

FB Darrel young re-signing to three year deal worth $6.2 million including incentives source says. #redskins
— Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) March 9, 2013

Meanwhile, rumors are circulating on twitter that the Redskins are working hard on deals to bring back both Rob Jackson and Lorenzo Alexander. John Keim of the Washington Examiner reports that Jackson and the Redskins have made a lot of progress but a deal isn't yet complete, while the HTTR24-7.com guys believe a deal with Alexander could be finalized within a couple of hours.

While most other teams are discussing deals with other teams free agents, the Redskins are focused on bringing back their own. While it's far from spectacular, securing these role players on relatively cheap contracts is a huge plus for the Redskins.

We'll be back with news as and when it breaks.