A nasty knee injury wiped out his 2008 junior year, but he rebounded in 2009 with a 1,694 yd, 18 TD season. Deji Karim, of the Southern Illinois Solukis, plays in the Missouri Valley Football Conference(FCS-Div.1-AA). His unique package of speed, power, and quickness has earned the 5'9", 210 lb. back the nickname 'Horse", and is one of  the most under-rated sleepers in this year's draft.  Karim is a decent receiver out of the backfield and a TD scoring kick returner.  

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/287821-southern-illinois-deji-karim-has-nfl-scouts-rushing-to-campus

Uninvited to the NFL combine or any team facilities, he invited himself courtesy of  a wake-up call to the league with a 'sick' Pro-Day at Northwestern University on March 11.  Scouts and Teams are calling now and offering paid airfare for private workouts and interviews.

 http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=85880&draftyear=2010&genpos=RB

Deji Karim would have gone unnoticed and undrafted, but now he may go as early as the 5th round. Might Mike Shanahan see something in this kid to merit that 5th round selection?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n407REOHqmo&feature=related

As per reports from the Philadelphia Inquirer, The St. Louis Rams have offered their 2nd round,(33), pick AND  Oshio Atogwe to the Philadelphia Eagles for Donovan McNabb.

There is no reason to expect that this deal won't get done by this weekend, contingent on an agreement by McNabb and the Rams.

This would not only change the structure of the draft,  but also of the NFC East. The Eagles would now have, basically, 2-1st rd picks, and a Pro-Bowl caliber FS, along with 6 picks in the 1st-4 rds. Alarming news indeed. They will have turned the page on the Donovan era, and turned the franchise over to Kevin Kolb.

The draft scenario also gets a facelift as the Rams will surely take Suh. The big question now is what do the Lions do? Take Okung, or McCoy? They will now have a better chance to trade their pick with Bradford still on the board. But the question is: Who would trade-up?  Most teams have already secured their QB, and may not want to Pay up.It will cost a team a swap of 1st rd picks and a 2nd and another high pick (3rd this yr or 2nd next yr?).

This most likely means the Lions will have an easier decision to make with Suh off the board. Barring an unforeseen trade, they will select Okung. Tampa would still take McCoy presumably. This leaves Shanahan with a decision we all want answered. With Bradford on board at 4: Does he take him? Or does he attempt a trade, likely taking a loss of chart value? 

The scary part, aside from the Eagles upgrading themselves immeasurably, is the fear that Shanahan is stuck. It appears as though he was gearing for Okung. He signed a back-up QB, he has not signed a Tackle of any stripe. If he does not want Bradford, he has de-valued the selection. He may not be able to trade out of the pick, and may have forced his hand into selecting a less valuable player. A question must also be asked: Why would the rebuilding Rams make a trade for McNabb? What do they know about Bradford? Or do they just value Suh to the point of placating their fanbase by getting both Suh and a starting QB?

This trade would change a lot of things; the draft and the division. Time to go to plan C. These next 4 weeks are going to be very interesting. Time to secure a Tackle from someone.

It is not to early to discuss the very real possibility for N-Kong Suh to FALL into the Redskins laps on draft night. Suh has been the consensus best player in the country and #1 pick since last fall. But with a strange confluence of events, that Best Player looks likely to drop to #4. The question is: Do we take Him?

The Rams hold the 1st pick and appear ready to draft the face of their franchise in Sam Bradford. The Lions all but publicly verified, by their free agent acquisitions, that they will take Russell Okung with the 2nd pick. By all accounts the Buccaneers will select Gerald McCoy with the 3rd pick as he is the penetrating 3-Technique defensive tackle that their defense requires. Their personnel people, anonymously, have stated repeatedly that they prefer McCoy over Suh.  That puts Washington on the clock at approximately 8:00pm on April 22, 2010. Do we take him?

There are not enough superlatives in Webster's Dictionary or a College Thesaurus to begin to describe Suh. Safe to say that he is one of the most celebrated and hyped prospects to ever enter the NFL draft. Ndamukong is named after a Cameroon tribe and his name means "House of Spears";  very appropiate, both for his play and a team named the Redskins.  At 6'-4", 307 lbs; he runs a sub 5-40yd, put up 225lbs-32 times, and had a 35" vertical jump. He is an explosive machine that can dominate any offensive line and is quite frankly; Unblockable. N-Kong has that rare blend of Athleticism, Power, and Strength to be an instant impact player, and elevate everyone around him to be more productive. He can play Nose and End in the 3-4, and Tackle in a 4-3. Suh has certified Hall-of-Fame ability, is a once in a decade player, and is favorably compared to Reggie White and Warren Sapp. More than a few scouts and 'experts' have said he is the best prospect they have ever seen. The question again is: If he is sitting there at #4, Do We Take Him?

The ongoing argument in Redskin Nation has been QB or LT?  LT or  QB?  Bradford or Okung?  Now as it seems apparent that both will be gone, new questions emerge. Take the 2nd best QB?  Take the 2nd best LT?  Or take the best player to come out of college in years? NdamuKong Suh, "House of Spears", may very well be sitting there at 8pm on April 22, waiting...............for someone to call his name. Would you?  And more importantly should the Redskins?

     It is clear to me after today that the official rebuilding process is now taking place. Jason Campbell has played his last down here as has McIntosh, Rogers, and others. I expect several more will be released outright starting tomorrow. Shanahan is going to build his team his way. It is his team now, and he has a clear direction where he wants to go. I agree with this philosophy as he is building for the long term benefit of the franchise.

     I will preface my predictions with the fact that this is mostly conjecture on my part based on fairly extensive research and gut feeling.

                                                      The Soap Opera Begins..........

     The St. Louis Rams are in a fix, their late owner, Georgia Frontiere, passed away  2 years ago. Her 2 children, Chip and Lucia, now owe a boatload of money in inheritance tax to the IRS to the sweet tune of 200 million smackaroos.  They cannot keep the team, and they have to sell. The Rush Limbaugh debacle last year has really set them back as the value of the franchise has since plummeted  200M $ from 950M to 750M due to the recession and  poor economy. They have a prospective new owner, Shahid Khan of Flex-n-Gate Corp, but he isn't qualified by league standards as he will have to heavily leverage to complete the sale. This of course actually plays into the league's hands as they negotiate with the players union. Teams are losing money and value, ownership troubles...blah blah blah. Long story short, the government wants their money and the team is in limbo. The last thing they need right now is the 1st pick in this year's draft. They desperately need to get out of a 75-80M $ deal with almost 50M guaranteed.   

                                                     Enter the Main Character........

      Sam  Bradford is going to be the 1st player taken this year. He has been cleared 100%, and given two thumbs up from Andrews. The training wheels are off and he is throwing at full throttle. He chose not to throw at the combine because he is not perfectly comfortable with his throws yet. It is no secret that Shanahan wants him, but can ill afford to hope he drops to 4... he won't. The whole Ram mess plays right into his hand, and he has the ability to grab and groom the young stud QB and hand him off to his son in 5 years. Bradford's game is ideal for Kyle's system.

      The Rams will want to make this deal as soon as possible and are openly shopping. Only 3 teams in my opinion have the need for a franchise QB and the financial wherewithal to get this deal done. The Seahawks, Broncos, and Redskins. I believe Carroll wants Claussen as he scouted him heavily in college. The scrum is between Denver and Shanahan....perfect. You can't make this stuff up. I honestly feel that the Rams would prefer to get out of the top 10 altogether which greatly benefits the Broncos. The Rams will want a lot, and the Broncos  can offer Orton, picks and a few young players. The Redskins can offer the 4th pick; which Spagnuolo would use to snag Berry to help his ailing secondary; Campbell, a seasoned, young, and relatively inexpensive QB who is better than Orton, or anyone that any other team will offer. The Skins will also have to Package either a McIntosh, a Golsten, or even Rogers if they want a pick back.

     Of course another team may swoop in, like Cleveland, and try to work a deal, but since they would get Campbell and Berry, I think they will make the trade. St. Louis could even trade again, hello Mr Holmgren, Holmgren and Seattle have their own history and they both want Claussen. That's a story for another day. It also helps that GM Devaney and Coach Spagnuolo both got their starts with the Redskin organization back in the 80's. The Rams will instantly be transformed into a respectable team.

                                                       Conclusion.......???

     I think this deal could be made fairly soon, and I think the Skins will lock up Bradford early so he can get the playbook and start preparing for the upcoming season.

    The new regime is trying to accumulate draft picks to re-fit the team . Their 2nd round pick would have to go for a LT,  which could be Rodger Saffold. I think they will sign Dansby, Sproles, Pashos, Grossman, Walter, another lineman, and use the rest of the draft to strengthen  the roster. I think Shanahan wants to be competitive right away, but obviously with a new QB, new defensive and offensive schemes, expectations should be muted.

                                                       The Rams and Redskins live Happily Ever After........

                                                        Until the Lockout??????

                                                         The End

     I could be way off base with all this, but I feel pretty confident that much of this will happen.

Russell Okung deserves to be a top-5 pick. Very impressed with his work ethic and attitude. 36" arms, 307 lbs and 38 reps erase any doubts about his status. He obviously is working extremely hard to improve his stock. He does have franchise LT ability, and the Skins would be wise to draft him at  #4. No other O-linemen would be worthy of the 4 spot. Having said that, I have serious doubts that they take him.

The draftboard is getting turned over at an alarming pace, and it now looks like the 2nd, 4th & 5th round options are disappearing. Brown, Campbell, Iupatti, and  Pouncey are locking themselves into the 1st rd.

 Guys like Capers, Saffold, Ducasse, Veldheer, Jerry and Petrus are the only linemen that I see as viable 2nd rd options, and not available in the 4th anymore. If they draft Okung at 4, then Ducasse or Petrus for Guard would be the logical choice. No Okung, then Saffold or Veldhere for LT. Capers and Jerry look like a reach at 37, but gone by the 4th. None of these guys  are ready to start right away.

By the 4th and 5th rounds we are looking at project guys. If you are scouting yourself, a method that Shanny and other NFL teams use is to add the bench reps with the vert jump(in inches) and with the broad jump(in feet). The guys closest to 70 and with a 40 speed under 5.25(10yd split-1.75) are top prospects for ZBS.

Another post  will be forthcoming as I feel certain their will be movement in the top of the draft that will affect and possibly involve the Skins. St. Louis will get rid of that pick.

Wow, that was pretty impressive. Greg Williams figured out a game plan to keep Peyton Manning off balance and Sean Peyton with a masterfully called game to become World Champions.

Manning's coronation as the greatest QB ever will not take place this year,  as the 'other Peyton' shines brighter. This is a big loss for Manning, that 2nd ring is the great seperator.

My question is: What would have happened if Greg Williams was made the Redskin HC after Gibbs left? Would we be a playoff team? Would the nightmare and back sliding have happened with Williams?

Of course we would not have Shanahan and Allen and the #4 pick in the upcoming draft, but who knows how that will all turn out. I do know that we lost a heck of a good football coach, and the Saints are not Champions without him.

Congratulation again to Greg Williams, Sean Peyton and the New Orlean Saints! World Champions!

                             Congratulations to the city of   NEW ORLEANS

This is my pre-combine Skin mock for 2010. I wanted to add more picks to get the players I think the team could use so I took it upon myself to make some moves. I traded the #4 pick to the Bills for their #9 and 3rd rd selection. Buffalo is desperate for a QB. They are a frugal team, but I need to get out of 4 so I threw the trade chart away. I also traded the  #37th pick to Carolina for their  #47th and 4th rd selection. Carolina has no 1st rd pick, and they need help in multiple areas so I think they would jump into a higher slot for their 1st pick of the draft. The trade chart is outdated, and so I disregarded it to get an extra pick. I have 2-4th round picks and 7 overall for the 7 rounds.

I did not draft a QB because there are too many questions with this whole class, and I wanted to fill as many holes as possible this year. I also did not get anyone in the secondary as I just needed more picks.

These are the players I have targeted to build  a foundation for the future.  Each player has their own negatives, but I won't include them as teams never do either. All of the commentary comes verbatim from professional scouts. Please respond with your own opinions and views.

1st Round #9 : Anthony Davis-LT-Rutgers: 6'6", 325 Lbs.

                                   A physically gifted athlete with unlimited potential. Powerful pass blocker with quick feet who locks up defenders and stifles them upon contact. Dominating run blocker who looks to push his man not into the ground but through it. Wins at the point of attack with a strong punch.

My opinion: Needs the occasional kick in the @$$. He must show up at the combines at 320-325Lbs. If not disregard this pick. DeMarcus Ware: 'meet dirt'.

2nd Round #47 : Dexter McCluster-Wr/Rb/Kr-Mississippi: 5'7",165 Lbs.

                                 Can line up anywhere in any formation and when he is in the open field, it's over. There are few players in football as exciting as he is.

My opinion: Not an every down back, 3rd down, occasional wildcat, kick & punt returner. Needs to run a sub 4.44 and show good upper and lower body strength at combines. A  gamechanger  the skins have never had.

3rd Round #74 : Geno Atkins-DT-Georgia: 6'1",290 Lbs.

                                 Very fast with brute physical strength who can make plays up and down the line. High motor with excellent ability to penetrate.

My opinion: Has the speed, quickness, and strength to play end in a 3-4 if team makes switch. Needs to run a sub 5 and show excellent strength at combine. A poor man's Gerald McCoy.

4th Round # 101 : John Jerry-RG-Mississippi: 6'5",332 Lbs.

                               A bruiser and a workhorse who doesn't miss games. Very physical player and a punishing run blocker who never quits a play.

My opinion: Good bloodlines as his brother starts for the Falcons. Needs to be at 325-330 lbs at combine. A true blue-collar road grader.

 4th Round # 109 : Jared Veldheer-RT-Hillsdale: 6'8",321 Lbs.

                          A giant tackle with athleticism, strength, quick feet, and speed.

My opinion:   Can play LT and G. Needs a sub 5-40, and very good upper and lower strength at combine.

5th Round # 132 :  Danny Batten-OLB- S.Dakota St. : 6'3",250 Lbs.

                              Projects as an outside backer who can play inside, finds cracks to penetrate and stuff the run. Good ability to get to the QB. Has good cover skills     

My opinion: Multi purpose player to put pressure on QB  and cover backs or end. Should be a quality special teams player. Look for a sub 4.7 and excellent cone/drill work. 

7th Round #199 : Aaron Pettrey-K-Ohio St. : 6'2", 200 Lbs.

                        Strongest kicker in a weak class, has good 50+ yd ability.    

My opinion: Look for consistant 50+ kicks at combine. Over 50%    

After the combines this entire list may get scrapped, but these are the players I have targeted for the 2010 Skins. Hopefully we will get many more lists, and we can learn more about these players before draft day. At least when their name gets called, we have an idea of who and what they are, and how they might  fit in.   Draft Day is awesome when you follow prospects, and know who is left on the board as your team gets called.           

Bill Polian: GM / Best record of the 2000's

P. Garcon: 11 rec, 151 yds, 1 td : 6th rd draft pick
A.Collie : 7 rec, 123 yds, 1 td : 4th rd " "
A.Bethea : starting DB : 6th rd
K.Dawson : DE : 7th rd
R.Mathis : starting DE : 5th rd
C.Johnson : starting LT : 6th rd
R.Diem : starting RT : 4th rd

P.Manning : R. Wayne : D. Freeney : D. Brown : J. Addai : D.Clark : All 1st rounders

25 guys on the roster were FA pick-ups.

 The coaching staff is now in place, and with the Senior Bowl practices starting monday, the 'official' 2010 off season begins. I would expect the entire coaching staff and Allen to be in Alabama all week to start judging the next crop of pros.

Tim Tebow is the big story here and all eyes are on him. A bad week and game and he becomes an afterthought. With a strong week and a better game, he jumps into the 1st round and serious Skin talk begins. Expectations are low, and with the Dolphins 'wildcat' coaching staff working with him, he could surprise.

Next up for all Redskin fans is the offensive line. Charles Brown is a guy many feel could elevate himself into the discussion of top tackles. I think ShanAllen and Woerster will really evaluate him as he is the perfect ZBS candidate.Trent Williams is the other 1st rd prospect to watch. Mike Iupati, Ciron Black, Servish Capers, Vladimir Ducasse, Sam Young and  Mike Johnson will be there and might be a Redskin 2nd rd pick.  John Jerry and Mitch Petrus are potential 3rd, 4th round selections.

Other interesting prospects to watch are Terrence Cody:NT 

Joique Bell, Chris Brown, Anthony Dixon, Dexter McCluster, Stafon Johnson: RB,

Tony Pike, Zac Robinson, Dan LaFevour,Sean Canfield:QB

Jamar Chaney, Jerry Hughes, Daryl Washington,Sean Weatherspoon, Cameron Sheffield: LB

There are plenty of others and all of the players in Alabama should be in NFL uniforms next year. Everyone's draft boards will get tossed after next week as the true NFL evaluations begin this monday. As a diehard fan it is fun to follow, and  it's the  time to start  picking players you think will or should be on the team next year.

Go to www. fanschoice.com, and vote for Russ Grimm to the Hall of Fame. He made it to the final round (again). One of the original Hogs, we need to make a push to get him more noticed. He is currently 18th in voting. It is an excellent class, but us Redskin fans have to show our support. Big Mike Shanahan noted at his Press conference how  Redskin fans are the tops. Let's prove it.

Honestly, Russ Grimm is an all-time great Redskin. Let's get him in! Vote multiple times, I voted 4 times already, screw them raider, cowboy, and 49er fans. WE ARE THE BEST FANS in the NFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's give credit when credit is due. Dan Snyder stepped up to the plate today and delivered a gift. The gift of hope, and hope is alive and well. We know Snyder meddles, and sticks his nose where it doesn't belong, but at last, at last he finally gets it. Shottenheimer was a solid hire, Gibbs, we all thought was a great hire. He has spent a fortune on players trying to get us the trophy. He could have slithered away into a hole and let the franchise disappear into eternal mediocraty.

 Now, I think we can look back at these last few years with some satisfaction that, yea we got knocked down, kicked, stomped and spat on, but we are still here. This is rock bottom, the ultimate test of fandom, but this is what it took. We have a new coach, not just any coach, but a proven winner, a champion!  The rock, the foundation of any team; The Head Coach; and for 5 years, and then hopefully  his son for another 5-10 years.

Stability, we have stability, Thank God Almighty. We have Stability!

The climb back up will now be so sweet. We remember what it was like to be on top, and how we took it for granted and our birthrite, and we sure know what it feels like to be on the bottom. Enjoy this climb fellow fans, enjoy every step of it.

I can't believe I am saying this, but  THANK YOU DAN SNYDER!!!!!

I know, I was pumped for Gibbs again to, but that was before I found out he only came back for the dough, and to get out of debt.
But this….looks genius! Not just to hire an historic coach to bring respectability and stability back to a once proud franchise, but a prodigy to revolutionize this league.
I am convinced with everything I have read that papa Shan and baby Shan will change the game. The west coast offense is going hyper speed. The wildcat is the hot new offense that teams are copying, but the Shans are going 1 better.
A true spread offense is coming to the NFL, and it is starring in Washington, DC.
Baby Shan is the real prize here. An offensive wizard  with the clout and backing of papa and the organization to try something revolutionary.
The spread offense is dominating college and high school football, the top teams run it, the athletes are trained for it. It is all these young players know.  It just takes a gutsy, aggressive pioneer to bring it to the NFL. We are the 49ers of the eighties. Might take a few years to implement, but the "Greatest Show on Grass’ is coming to a stadium near you!

The season is mercifully over. Zorn probably got his walking papers tonight, official announcement tomorrow morning. Tuesday morning press conference to announce Mike Shanahan to a 5 year deal.

A ton of changes starting with the coaching staff, I expect all current coaches will be dismissed. We can expect Kyle Shanahan, currently with Texans, to be the new offensive coordinator. If Gary Kubiak, Houston head coach is fired, as expected, we can anticipate him coming over to be Assistant Head Coach. If this happens Sam Bradford jumps to the top of the Redskin draft board. The Texans play a wide open spread offense, which is exactly what Bradford plays, the entire offense is predicated on the QB making his reads and quickly delivering the ball to a multitude of receivers. Tons of shotgun and audibles.

We can also expect a plethora of Texan/Bronco players coming here. Kevin Walter(UFA-wr), Dunta Robinson(UFA-cb), Ben Hamilton(UFA-c/g) with the possibility of stud RG Chris Kuper(RFA) and Brandon Marshall(disgruntled wr), and Jarvin Moss(de/olb). Might see Rex Grossman brought in as a back up(he knows the system).

On defense, expect Bob Slowick to be coordinator(previously with Shanahan), it's a good chance that Mike Zimmer(Bengals-DC) will come on board as Assistant-HC. Shanahan-Zimmer go way back,The Bengals and Texans are notoriously cheap so players and coaches will jump ship.  I won't go into Bengal players, but you get the idea. Snyder has opened the pocketbook, and Allen/Shanahan are going to spend it with top notch coaches. Expect Kyle to be groomed as the successor to his dad in 5 years.

The experts and the scouts keep saying no, but my eyes keep saying yes. The Redskins should draft Tim Tebow with their 1st pick in the draft. The experts say his footwork is wrong, his arm angle is bad, he cant adjust to the pro game, he is surrounded by superior talent. Well, bullcrap I say. The kid is a winner, he has the size, the speed, the arm, the brains of a pro. He also has the heart of a champion, the intangibles you can't measure with a stopwatch and a yardstick. He is a leader of men! He is the greatest college QB ever. He reminds me of Tom Brady, nothing spectacular, all he does is win. He is the hardest worker on the team they say, he has hired coaches to work on his footwork and arm angles, he plays against the toughest competition week in, week out in college. He is a great kid with a great head on his shoulders. I am throwing my hat into the ring now, The Washington Redskins should draft Tim Tebow with their top pick. All he does is win!

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