Gridiron Experts

Brian Westbrook is apparently close to making a decision on which team he will be playing for in 2010 and possibly beyond.  Apparently, there are three teams in the mix for Westbrook’s services.  Those teams are Denver, Washington, and St.  Louis.  It is hard to know exactly what Westbrook is looking to get out of an organization and what that organization plans to get out of Westbrook.  After all he is coming off of a season filled with injury, specifically concussion related injuries.  This could explain why besides the three teams mentioned there really wasn’t much interest from the remaining teams in the league.  Although Westbrook was a dynamic player for years it is clear his career is now closing in on its final stages.  Westbrook would no doubt like to play and make an impact for his new team, but all signs …Continue reading Brian Westbrook: Who Will He Choose?

What Does Mike Shanahan Mean For McNabb?

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan is known around the league as a top talent when it comes to the development of running backs. He’s been responsible for the success of some talented players over the last decade: Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, Clinton Portis, Reuben Droughns, and Tatum Bell. This year he takes the reigns as Washington’s head coach with a terrifying trio of running backs Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker.  With newly acquired quarter back Donovan McNabb at the helm some fans may expect to see a vibrant pass happy Redskin offense, however Dan Snyder didn’t invest all of his money at the RB position to watch them drink Gatorade on the pine.

Shanahan has historically bolstered a run first west coast offense; it will likely be no different in Washington which could affect the way in which Donovan McNabb performs in a Skins uniform. Don’t be surprised to see McNabb play an almost “Farvian” like role with his new team (15-20 pass attempts/game).

While in Philadelphia McNabb had a stellar run game with Brian Westbrook, although the Eagles …Continue reading What Does Mike Shanahan Mean For McNabb?

Larry Johnson Is A Redskin

Free-agent Running Back Larry Johnson has agreed to a three-year contract worth up to $12 million with the Washington Redskins on Friday. LJ was once a fantasy stud that keeper owners protected in steal box, today he is a guy that is looked at as a back up fantasy bench warmer.

Although Larry Johnson has a similar story to recent comeback Bengal starter Cedric Benson. After a terrible couple years in Chicago and off-field problems, Benson got a second chance in Cincinnati. Larry Johnson despite being a joke last year has not had a ton of carries for a 30 year old 8 year NFL RB, and could be somewhat of a late round sleeper in 2010. LJ has always had a good running per carry average and with the Redskins looking to possible part ways with Clinton Portis or at least reduce his carries, Larry Johnson has a small window to reignite his career.

NFL Truth & Rumors

• Darren Sproles Isn’t Going Anywhere
  Leaving it to the dramatic end, San Diego has decided to keep their running back by placing the maximum first and third round tender on Sproles Thursday.

• Lito Let Go
  Lito Sheppard and the New York Jets are finished working together as of Thursday. After a strong year together the cornerback played one season for the Jets, after being acquired from Philly at last year’s NFL draft. The release makes sense to the rumors floating around the league the Jets have been interested in trading for a corner.

• Pick Up Your Super Bowl Ring at the Door
  New Orleans Saints plan to release DE Charles Grant on Friday. The move is a small hint to what the Saints might be looking for in the NFL Draft come April.

• Antrel Rolle’s Out Of A Job
  Trying to save money (in a cap-less year?) the Arizona Cardinals have released starting safety Antrel Rolle. The move is not one we thought would happen without the word “trade” attached to Rolle’s name, but apparently the Cardinals have no plans for Rolle at all, and wanted to be rid of the situation.

• Redskins Spring Cleaning
  Guard Randy Thomas, Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El and kick returner Rock Cartwright were just a few names of the Washington Redskins that will be looking for work this season. Washington is getting a complete makeover as solid backups also heading out include: Cornerback Fred Smoot, defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, running back Ladell Betts and backup quarterback Todd Collins. 10 players in total were let go.

Pivotal Game: Eagles vs. Redskins

I hate it when someone hypes up a game beyond its value early in the season. We have all seen the late season rallies, the hot streak of wins, or the stars aligning for an open window to the playoffs (Eagles last season). But under the circumstances, the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins seasons could be at the turning point situation this Monday night.

The Redskins have spent a typical mountain of money to bring in the top free agents to help win it all. An excellent draft can also be noted for the high expectations that this team had at the start of the season. So where are all the wins? Well, the Detroit Lions own one of them, thanks to a very unbalanced, frustrating offense.

The Redskins are the definition of flat football on offense these days, ranking at the bottom of most, if not all offensive categories. Injuries are starting to become a factor and jobs are on the line, including starting quarterback Jason Campbell who was benched in last weeks game against the winless Kansas City Chiefs. It’s also not a good sign when the head coach is rumored to be hanging it up midseason. Of course now it seems he will be here for the remainder, but nothing is in stone.

Philadelphia is 3-2 with a brutal uphill battle ahead of them. Not only have the Eagles yet to face a divisional opponent, they still get to see the likes of the Falcons, Chargers, Broncos, and Bears. Confidence has surely been tested in this last week, and now with questions at offensive line and linebacker, fans can’t shake that sinking feeling.

The Eagles just gave everyone the definition of what an overlook game is last week. Anyone who uses the phrase “overlook” could never give a quick example, but the Eagles will come to mind for quite some time now. Philadelphia wasn’t just looking past the Oakland Raiders to the Redskins match-up, the Birds were preparing to face all three of their divisional opponents in a row, and they fell asleep at the wheel on the road in what should have been an easy “gimme win”. It stings even harder when a team like the New York Jets makes the same cross country trip to Oakland, only to blow the doors off the Silver and Black with a power running game.

The Eagles & Skins did buy a little breathing room on Sunday night when the Cardinals did the NFC East a favor by beating the 5-1 Giants at home.

Either way, if the Redskins lose at home on Monday they’ll drop to 2-5 and have to deal with a  media frenzy, surely forcing coach Zorn to stick his tail between his legs and call it a year. The Eagles could fall to 3-3; they are used to the gouging media so nothing would be out of the ordinary, but will they be able to battle such a difficult schedule after back to back losses to below .500 teams? I would like to think my pick of the Eagles winning (26-17) would give fans some reassurance, but despite a great start to the season of picking games, the NFL has become a weekly headache of upsets making it that much more exciting and making the phrase “Any Given Sunday” that much more true.

Nothing’s new here, the Washington Redskins are known for taking risks, whether it’s signing a nose tackle to a 100 million dollar deal or going after every top free agent regardless of need. Thinking money can buy and win it all is Washington’s style, and while selecting defensive end Jeremy Jarmon from Kentucky in the NFL Supplemental Draft on Thursday isn’t exactly a fair comparison to throwing money around, it is classic “got-to-have-it” Redskins mentality.


The Skins now have to cough up a 3rd round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Five teams put in fourth-round claims for the 6-foot-3, 278-pound defensive end, a source told ESPN.com’s John Clayton. The Redskins now have only five remaining draft choices in the 2010 draft; they are without third and sixth round picks.


Jarmon ranks third on Kentucky’s career list with 17.5 sacks but was declared ineligible for his senior season because he tested positive for a banned substance. Jarmon said the result came from a dietary supplement -They put steroids in fat burners now?

Washington Redskins 2009 Preview
NFL Week 1 odds are already posted in many sportsbooks, so there’s no better time to get ahead and start preparing for the season than right now. For the last decade or two, the Washington Redskins have been one of the most maddening, heartbreaking, frustrating teams for bettors to follow. Seemingly every year, they make a major offseason splash only to still fall flat on their faces. What will happen in 2009 after they landed the best defensive fish on the free-agent market?

Offseason Transactions

The Redskins made the biggest splash of anyone on the free agent market in terms of acquiring defensive help. While they said goodbye to Jason Taylor after a failed one-year experiment, they signed beastly defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth away from the Titans in a seven-year, $100-million deal. While that deal may hurt Washington down the road, it’s a great move short-term, as Haynesworth is in his prime and a deadly run stopping/pass rushing hybrid at his position. While they let Shawn Springs walk, they tightened up their secondary by keeping DeAngelo Hall and signing him to a long-term deal. Bringing back Derrick Dockery will help protect Clinton Portis and Jason Campbell that much better.

Offense

No matter how many minor tweaks Washington makes, its offense never rises above mediocrity, as it ranked 19th in the league last season. Football betting odds makers hoped for a breakout season from Jason Campbell after his hot start in 2008, but he didn’t find the end zone often and still needs another target to take pressure off burner Santana Moss and versatile tight end Chris Cooley.
Clinton Portis consistently makes a case as the most underrated player in the NFL. As “soft” as some people think he is, he has 300-plus carries and 1,200-plus yards in four of his five seasons with the Redskins. He’ll likely get the rock 20 times per game again in 2009 and post his usual strong numbers despite being nicked up.

Defense

The “D” definitely gives Redskins fans reason for optimism in 2009. The unit already ranked fourth in the NFL in total defense last season, so the addition of Haynesworth is icing on the cake. The ‘Skins have struggled to pressure the quarterback in recent years and, while he’ll help the run defense, Haynesworth can also help the pass rush.

Outlook

The Redskins aren’t perfect and they play in a tough division but, as usual, they have a decent amount of talent and should compete for a playoff spot. More than 10 wins and less than six wins are both out of the question. Expect something in between and some great competition in the NFC East, which is very tough to predict for football handicapping software this season.