Vision Quest: A Reaction to the Final Cuts

As you know I have focused the VQ articles for the last 5 weeks on the final 53 players that will make up our Redskin team for the 2005-06 season. This could change over the next couple of days as the Redskins scour the waiver wires looking for an unpolished gem that some other team didn’t want. So here are your 2005-06 Washington Redskins:

QB’s (3) – Patrick Ramsey, Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell
RB’s (4) – Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Nehemiah Broughton, Rock Cartwright
WR’s (5) – Santana Moss, David Patten, Taylor Jacobs, James Thrash, Antonio Brown
TE’s/H-backs (4) – Robert Royal, Chris Cooley, Mike Sellers, Brian Kozlowski
OL (9) – Chris Samuels, Derrick Dockery, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen, Ray Brown, Jim Molinaro, Cory Raymer, Lennie Friedman
DL (9) – Renaldo Wynn, Brandon Noble, Cornelius Griffin, Phillip Daniels, Joe Savale’a, Demetric Evans, Ryan Boschetti, Nic Clemons, Cedric Killings
LB’s (7) – Lavar Arrington, Marcus Washington, Warrick Holdman, Lemar Marshall, Zak Keasay, Chris Clemons, Khary Campbell
CB’s (4) – Shawn Springs, Walt Harris, Carlos Rodgers, Ade Jimoh,
S’s (5) – Sean Taylor, Matt Bowen, Ryan Clark, Pierson Prioleau, Omar Stoutmire
LS (1) – Ethan Albright
K (1) – John Hall
P (1) – Andy Groom

No real major surprises but there are some interesting notes.

Zak Keasay beats out Robert McCune. Zak’s wonderful training camp culminated in a roster spot. He is an example of every UFA’s wish. TO come into camp, play hard and make the final roster. The reason this is a surprise is because of the man he beat out for the last spot was drafted in the 5th round (oh you know I am going to be talking about the Redskin’s late draft pick’s later). McCune will probably make the PS but you have the Redskins have to hope that he is still around. In 24 hours we will know whether or not the Redskins will lose out on this draft pick to another team. If so one will have to wonder the decision to keep Keasay and not McCune. There is no doubt that Keasay would be signed to the PS and McCune would be on the squad. With neither expecting to play much or even be active on game day, this is an interesting gamble at least.

Groom beats out Mohr for the Punting position. I really thought Groom would lose out to the veteran, but I am glad he didn’t. When Tom Tupa went on IR and Gibbs signed the Veteran Mohr I thought it was all over for Groom. This could be a young kid that punts for Washington for another decade. I am really excited about this reversal by Gibbs and the coaching staff and it is proof positive Gibbs is looking long term at the Washington Redskins as opposed to a win now at all costs approach. Mohr might have been the safer pick for this year, but Groom, if he learns how to directional kick, will be an all-pro some day. It is nice to see a young kid win out over a vet every once in awhile. In hate seeing Tupa go, but Groom staying almost makes up for it.

Keeping 5 safeties and 4 corner backs. In a very surprise decision the Redskins keep Ade “Sure Thing” Jimoh and cut Garnell “The Dreadlocks That Stopped Moss” Wilds. Wilds should get onto the PS, but with a lot of teams looking for depth at corner someone might take a stab at him. Stoutmire making the team is not so surprising considering the health of Clark & Bowen. Stoutmire absolutely deserved a roster spot playing hard on both special teams and at the second safety spot.

Keeping 9 defensive linemen and releasing Ron Warner anyways. The Redskins decided to solve the Ryan Boschetti vs. Nic Clemons battle by keeping them both. However it appears Cedric Killings also made the squad, and Ron Warner did not. I have absolutely no explanation for this as Cedric is a complete surprise to me. I did not even think he was on the bubble. All I can think is that Noble’s knee worries Gibbs too much. IT is possible that Killings will be waived if a worthy veteran is waived . It is possible that the Redskins will negotiate with Hugh Douglas shortly and then Killings will be sent to smokehouse.

Keeping 4 RBs. Not a surprise if you had been reading my blog (excuse me while I brag a little). By the end of the Steelers game most Redskins fans and reporters were predicting this as well. Keeping Rock and Nemo gives Washington a lot of flexibility, this season and in the future. Betts is the backup for Portis, but if one or both of them go down they have the nimble complete running of Rock Cartwright waiting to spell them. Nemo will see goal line and short yardage duty. Next year Betts will be in his final contract year and perfect trade bait for a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick. Also Rock And Nemo is a great name for a buddy cop show. If neither do anything on the ground at least UPN can fill the Thursday time slot.

Mark Wilson is cut Friedman and Raymer stay. Cory “First In Dirt” Raymer won the backup center spot and should only see the field in an emergency situation. Lennie “Staying Alive” Friedman’s versatility, being able tom play guard, center and TE in goal line formations, allowed him to stay on the team. Mark Wilson was having technique and injury problems and was ineffective during training camp and Pre-Season. His cut is only a surprise because of him being a recent 5th round draft pick. He may come back on the practice squad but he will only get one year to get earn back a roster spot. Otherwise another low round draft pick wasted.

Redskins only keep 4 TE/Hback. On a Joe Gibbs team there are usually more Tight Ends then there are on the Redskin Cheerleader squad. (Insert Snare Drum here) Seriously I would like to thank Chris Cooley for that last joke. (Snare drum again) Oh I got a million of them. This is mainly due to the flexibility of the rest of the Redskin squad. Cooley is the starting H-back and Royal the starting TE. Sellers will backup both and Kozlowski will be the emergency backup thanks to Manny White’s trip to the IR. In case of in game injuries Nemo can also play a little H-back in running situations. And remember Lenny Friedman can play TE in Goal line short yardage situations. By the way, the “Gibbs keeps more tight ends then…” home game is available for all readers of this column for a nominal price. Details to follow soon.

Practice Squad Prediction. If the Redskins sign all their players to the practice squad and don’t skim the waiver wire for others I predict the following 8 players will get resigned to the practice squad: Robert McCune (LB), Garnell Wilds (DB), Aki Jones (DT), Robert Johnson (TE), Mark Wilson (OL), Jon Alston (OL), Rufus Brown (DB), Rich Parsons (WR).

Late Round Draft picks are misfires, again.

It would be irresponsible of this writer thought not to mention the wasted draft picks from this year’s draft. The big knock on the Snyder/Cerrato front office team was never the first day picks, always the second day ones. Since 2000 we have had some remarkable first day picks. Over the last five years the first day selections have almost all had significant Contributions to the team. Lavar Arrington, Chris Samuels in 2000, Rod Gardner and Fred Smoot in 2001, Patrick Ramsey and Ladell Betts in 2002, Taylor Jacobs in 2003, Sean Taylor in 2004 all have had production with the Redskins with the exception of Jacobs. And even though Smoot and Gardner are no longer with the team, only Gardner can be considered a true “bust”.

The second day picks are another matter. Only a few are still with the team., they include Robert Royal, Rock Cartwright (5th & 7th round 2002), Derrick Dockery (3rd round 2003), Chris Cooley, and Jim Molinaro (3rd & 6th Round 2004). If you take out the 3rd round selections of Cooley and Dockery, no hidden gems remain in the group.

This year’s draft pick’s fell along the same line. Carlos Rogers and Jason Campbell both selected in the 1st round are doing well. Rogers will probably start the season opener at CB after a devastating bone bruise in the OTAs. Campbell is the QB of the future and will study and learn the Gibbs offense. However this year's second day picks are almost all a bust. Only one of the 4 second-day picks has made the final roster. Manny White, 4th round, is on injured reserve and did little before breaking his leg in the final game to impress anyone. Robert McCune (5th) and Jared Newberry (6th) were both supposed to amp up our special teams play. McCune was recently cut and may make the practice squad, but Newberry was in the first round of cuts and probably won’t be back. Only Nehemiah Broughton (7th) will make this year’s squad. And he is the saving grace as he will be a large part of our offense.

But this simply cannot continue. Late round selections are used to provide cheap depth and the occasional workhouse starter. To simply have no true finds after the third round in 5 years is not acceptable. The scouting and draft day management must be addressed before next April. The salary cap may catch up with us next year, and the low round draft picks we have will be more important then ever, considering we don’t have a first round.