The Chopping Block: The Axe Will Fall Tomorrow

Here are the 10 Things We Know Now after the Pre-season:

1.) Albert Fincher played his way onto the squad last night. He was one of the few guys who came to play last night and he did so because he knew his job was on the line. Too bad about Sinclair's injury taking him out of the running but that is football my friend.

2.) Marcus Mason will not survive a cut to the PS. I rarely care about cutting a player and having them go to another team and not our PS. But Mason is the exception to this rule. We need to keep him if onyl as ijury protection against Betts and Portis who tend tio get dinged up.

3.) Jason Goode will not be back. I thought he might be a good candidate for a ps spot, but teams dont let iplayers go in the first round of cuts and bring them back to the PS. Another young TE could get put there from another roster cut.

4.) Colt Brennan can play. Once again he throws all wrong but seems to make good decisions. I am nto a memebr of the Cult of Colt but I can understand why some are.

5.) The Pre-season sucks. The pre season is easily 2 games too long. And when your team plays 5 games it is really killing me to get back to real football. Next Thursday Can Not get here soon enough.

More Things we Know Now and a Final Roster Guess after the jump:



6.) So does our offense. I don'tm care if we are playing scrubs. 6 points in two games does not amek a good feeling going into the season opener in a week. Maybe I can wait.

7.) The defensive depth is not great either. I truly believe our defense is very good when healthy and we have missed alot of great players this preeason. However our scrubs, even when playing against other people's scrubs. Missed tackling and poor coverage are never a good combination.

8.) Durant Brooks should be our Punter in 2008. I full admit that Derrick Frost on a whole was a tad better then Brooks, but Brooks has upside that Frost does not. We are probably not winning the superbowl this year and grooming a nice young punter to pair with suisham is the right way to go.

9.) Ryan Boschetti should not make the roster. Look I have made of bioschetti alot through the years, but seriously, with the injury to Taylor and the need for a pass rush Chris Wilson and Erasmus James need roster spots. evans can play DT in a pinch.

10.) Catch the damn Ball. Seriously I have not seen so many drops by supposed receivers in my life. Someone get out the sticky glue.

Final Roster Guess:

Tomorrow we will get our final roster for our 2008 Washignton redskins. 24 hours later 8 men will win a reprieve from the execution of their football careers and go onto the Practice squad. So here is my guess at what the ropster and PS will look like:

QB (3) Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Colt Brennan
RB (4) Clinton Portis, Ladell betts, Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason
FB (1) Mike Sellers
TE (3) Chris Cooley, Fred Davis, Todd Yoder
WR (6) Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El, James Thrash, Devin Thomas, Billy McMullen, Malcolm Kelly
OL (9) Chris Samuels, Pete Kendall, Casey Rabach, Randy thomas, Jon Jansen, Stephon Heyer, Jason Fabini, Chad Rinehart, Justin geisinger
DL (9) Jason taylor, Cornellius Griffin, Kedric Golston, Andre Carter, Anthony Montgomery, Erasmus james, Demetric Evans, Chris Wilson, Lorenzo Alexander,
LB (6) Rocky McIntosh, London Baker, Marcus Washington, Khary Campbell, HB Blades, Albert Fincher
CB (5) Sean Springs, Carlos Rogers, Fred Smoot, Leigh Torrence, Justin Tryon
S (4) Laron Landry, Reed Doughty, Kareem Moore, Chris Horton
P (1) Durant Brooks
K (1) Sean Suisham
LS (1) ethan Albright

PS (8): Rob Holloway (LB), Maurice Mann (WR), Tavares Washington (OL), Andrew Crumney (OL), Curtis Gatewood (LB), Matteral Richardson (CB), Rob Jackson (DE), justin Hamilton (S)

That's it have a good Labor Day weekend and Hail to the Redskins.!!!!!

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The Final 53: Final Guess

For so many the dream of professional football will end tomorrow. The final cut down will come and most will be polishiong their resume. A lucky feew will be asked back to the Practice squad, and I am sure some will end up going to the great white North or the Arena League. But some will never play a down of organized football again.

And some have already fallen, the Redskins released S Vernan Fox, TE Jason Goode, LB Matt Sinclair, WR Burl Toler, & DT Babatunde Oshinowo. No real surprises here. I thought Goodewas a candidate for the PS and Sinclair had a shot at a roster spot, but they both got injured and thus the Redskins moved on. I doubt highly any of them will be back for the opening day roster, even on PS. You don't get cut ion the first day of roster cuts and go back to your original team, it just does not happen.

So here is my final guess at a roster



Quarterback

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter: Jason Campbell

Projected Bench: Todd Collins, Colt Brennan

Outside looking in:Derek Devine

The top three spots are cemented. Campbell will open the season as the starter. Collins will be there as a backup in case of injury, and Brennan will be the project QB inactive on game days. Devine did not even get to throw in yesterday's game, so I doubt he will even get a shot at the PS

Running Back

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter:Clinton Portis

Projected Bench:Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason

Another position that is pretty much set. Portis is your starter and Betts will come in to spell him on occasion. No kick returner emerged so rock will be the third RB/KR on game days. Mason will make the squad but will be the 4Th Rb, inactive on most game days, only activated if an injury happens to the top 3.

Tight End/Fullback

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Chris Cooley & Mike Sellers

Projected Bench:Fred Davis, Todd Yoder

Outside Looking In:Nehemiah Broughton

Cooley will be the main TE and Sellers the main fullback. but in some sets you will see Fred Davis come in and pair with Cooley, especially in the end zone. Todd Yoderhas the versatility to back up both FB and TE and will do just that in case of injury.

Wide Receiver

Projected Roster Spots: 6

Projected Starter:Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El

Projected Bench:Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, James Thrash, Billy McMullen

On the Bubble: Maurice Mann, Anthony Mix,

Outside Looking In:Horace Gant,

Santana Moss will start at Split End, Randle El will also at Flanker and thrash will be the thir wide revceiver. Thomas will also get some looks in 4 WR packages. The team may decide to IR Kelly but I think they will keep him around for a bit and let McMullen assume the 5th WR role. MAnn has a chance at a PS spot. MIx did nothing this pre-season to warrant roster consideration. Horace Gant could also get some PS looks.

Offensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter:Chris Samuels, Pete Kendall, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen

Projected Bench:Justin Geisinger, Chad Rinehart, Jason Fabini, Stephon Heyer

Outside Looking In: Devin Clark, Andrew Crumney, Todd Wade, Taveres Washington, Fred Matua

The starting five is set and with Heyer healthy he may see some snaps for Jansen who is not playing all that well and is also injured, again. Fabini, Rinehart, and Geisinger will round out the bench. I doubt Wade will be kept. He is expensive and can not stay healthy. Devin Clark and Andrew Crumney have great shots at PS spots.

Defensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter:Jason Taylor, Kedric Golston, Cornelius Griffen, Andre Carter

Projected Bench:Anthony Montgomery, Lorenzo Alexander, Demetric Evans, Erasmus James, Chris Wilson

On the Bubble: Rob Jackson

Outside Looking In:Matthias Askew, Ryan Boschetti,

Injured reserve/PUP:Phillip Daniels, Alex Buzbee

The starting front four is set with Golston winning over Montgomery and Taylor, Carter, and Griffin rounding it out ...when healthy. and that is the key. With Jason Taylor's injury Speed rushers like James and Wilson now get a leg up over DT guys like Boschetti and Askew for that last roster spot. I still don't see either Rob Jackson or Ryan Boschetti getting final roster spots. Jackson will go on the PS and Boschetti will probably not make the squad. Then again I have been saying that for 4 years.

Projected Roster Spots: 6

Projected Starter: Rocky McIntosh, London Fletcher-Baker, Marcus Washington

Projected Bench:Khary Campbell, HB Blades, Alfred Fincher

Outside Looking In:Curtis Gatewood, Danny Vernun-WHeedler, David Holloway

The starrtersare set with Rocky, Marcus, and London. Blades and Campbell will be the main backups. With Sinclair's injury and the monster game Fincher had, he played himself onto the squad last night. Gatewood, Wheeler, and Holloway have shots at 2 ps spots as well.

Cornerbacks

Projected Roster Spots: 5

Projected Starter:Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot

Projected Bench:Carlos Rogers, Justin Tryon, Leigh Torrence

On the Bubble:Matteral Richardson, Byron Westbrook

Outside Looking In:Cedrick Holt

Join me in prayer that our top 3 CBs stay healthy because we are lost outside of them at this position. Torrence is just OPK and Tryon is horrible. Tryon should not make an NFL roster but a team needs 5 cbs and there is no one underneath him that is worthit. Possibility of a vet getting signed that is cut from another team exists highly. Westbrook and Richardson could go on the PS, mainly for numbers for practice.

Safety

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Reed Doughty, Laron Landry,

Projected Bench: Kareem Moore, Chris Horton

On the Bubble: Justin Hamilton,

Outside looking In: Patrick Ghee,

Doughty had a nice game and probably will start the season opener but I find it interesting that Moore did not play last week. Usually it is starters that are given the week off and I wonder if the team is looking at Moore in to be paired with Landry at some point. Horton is raw but he is athletic as well. Hamilton has a great shot at the PS as the 5th Safety in case of injury.

Special Teams

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter:Sean Suisham (k), Durant Brooks (p), Ethan Albright (ls)

On the Bubble: Derrick Frost

Frost had the better pre-season but Brooks has more potential. And you don waste a draft pick on a punter to put him on the ps (and you don't put punters or kickers on the ps).

I think Brooks gets the edge as frost has shown he really chokes in the clutch.

Projected Practice Squad:

Rob Holloway (LB), Maurice Mann (WR), Tavares Washington (OL), Andrew Crumney (OL), Curtis Gatewood (LB), Matteral Richardson (CB), Rob Jackson (DE), justin Hamilton (S)

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Vision Quest: The Final 53 Post Jets

The second (third in the case for the Redskins) preseason game is where we normally see the rookies and UFAs who are going to make the squad separate themselves from the scrubs who are going North to Canada or to the Arena league to play football. Many of those bubble players will get their last chance to make an impression as the next pre-season game is used to give the first team extended time and first cut down looming right after. Many guys were quite literally playing football for the last time in their lives last game.

So with all that in mind, here is The Final 53 projections with the jets game in the record books.



Quarterback

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter: Jason Campbell

Projected Bench: Todd Collins, Colt Brennan

Outside looking in:Derek Devine

The only thing new here is that Derek Devine could have played himself out of even a PS spot last game. He just looked horrible throwing a goal line interception and never recovered. The top 3 are set here.

Running Back

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter:Clinton Portis

Projected Bench:Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason

Rock Cartwright is a bad mother (shut your mouth). rock haters look to that 73 yard run and get used to seeing him in a Redskin uniform this year. Mason is doing well also and if you want to know why I keep saying we will keep 4 RBs, Betts going down with a knee sprain is exhibit A. We need 4 RBS to keep continuity in case of injury.

Tight End/Fullback

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Chris Cooley & Mike Sellers

Projected Bench:Fred Davis, Todd Yoder

On the Bubble:Jason Goode

Outside Looking In:Nehemiah Broughton

Jason Goode just about sealed his place on the PS this last game. That catch was the result of blown coverage but the run after was all Goode.

Wide Receiver

Projected Roster Spots: 5

Projected Starter:Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El

Projected Bench: Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, James Thrash,

On the Bubble: Billy McMullen, Maurice Mann, Anthony Mix,

Outside Looking In:Horace Gant, Burl Toller

With two rookies demanding roster spots and 3 accomplished vets ahead of you, you can't take a game off. Mix did because of injury and McMullen though solid was not spectacular. Chris Cooley and even Portis can be split out in a pinch so I see us going back to 5 WRs.

Offensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter:Chris Samuels, Pete Kendall, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen

Projected Bench:Andrew Crumney, Chad Rinehart, Jason Fabini, Stephon Heyer

Outside Looking In:Kerry Brown, Devin Clark, Justin Geisinger, Todd Wade, Taveres Washington

Geisigner's injury is goign to put him on the PS. Wade's injury may put him on the unemployment line. He won't be back until the final pre-season game and if Rinehart and Heyer shine (or even Clark) then we may have to Wade good bye. (that last joke brought to you by Fozzy Bear).

Defensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter:Jason Taylor, Kedric Golston, Cornelius Griffen, Andre Carter

Projected Bench:Anthony Montgomery, Lorenzo Alexander, Demetric Evans, Erasmus James, Chris Wilson

On the Bubble: Rob Jackson

Outside Looking In: Matthias Askew, Ryan Boschetti,

Injured reserve/PUP:Phillip Daniels, Alex Buzbee

back to 9 for this unit and it has to help Chris Wilson who showed some great push last night and the same pass rushing skills that got him 5 sacks last year. Jackson is on his heels but his low draft status and PS eligibility may work against him getting a roster spot. And I don't care what Ryan Boschetti did playing against guys collecting garbage next year. This is his 5th year in the league, I want more then a beast vs. nobodies. the guy brings nothing to the table but a hard to spell last name.

Projected Roster Spots: 7

Projected Starter: Rocky McIntosh, London Fletcher-Baker, Marcus Washington

Projected Bench:Khary Campbell, HB Blades, Matt Sinclair, Alfred Fincher

Outside Looking In:Curtis Gatewood,

Not much change here. The only thing that could change is if a vet weak side LBer comes available Alfred Fincher could be in trouble, but this uni looks pretty tight.

Cornerbacks

Projected Roster Spots: 5

Projected Starter:Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot

Projected Bench:Carlos Rogers, Justin Tryon, Leigh Torrence

On the Bubble:Matteral Richardson, Byron Westbrook

Outside Looking In:Cedrick Holt

Another week, another sign that Tyron may be a bust. Too bad 4th round picks should make the squad, and Tyron probably will, but if Matteral Richardson makes another move Tyron may be ps bound.

Safety

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Reed Doughty, Laron Landry,

Projected Bench: Kareem Moore, Chris Horton

On the Bubble: Justin Hamilton, Vernon Fox

Outside looking In: Patrick Ghee,

Fox could have played his way right off the squad Saturday by missing not one but two tackles on the Jets final drive. They say he has the smarts to play both safeties...too bad he does not have the skills. Moore has easily supplanted him at the backup FS position and Horton at the backup ss position, Fox is trying to make the case to be a 5th S and not doing very well doing it. Speaking of Horton I really hope we let him come in early against Carolina so we can see what he looks like versus NFL talent. Archueletta is calling saying Doughty can't cover ...that is saying something. Justin Hamilton is making a strong case for a PS look.

Special Teams

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter:Sean Suisham (k), Durant Brooks (p), Ethan Albright (ls)

On the Bubble: Derrick Frost

Brooks had another solid night and Frost is punting for his life next week. I would not be putting a down payment on a house anytime soon Derrick.

Projected Practice Squad:

Jason Goode (TE), Maurice Mann (WR), Tavares Washington (OL), Justin Geisinger (OL), Curtis Gatewood (LB), Matteral Richardson (CB), Rob Jackson (DE), justin Hamilton (S)

We will see what this week's practices and this weekend's game shapes the roster.

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Chopping Block: 10 Things We Know Now After NY Jets

Ok boys and girls here we go with another incredible edition of the 10 Things we know now.

10) Brett Favre is still pretty good. Well why not start off the column with a little love for the media Darling. Still under tremendous pressure and less than two weeks of pressure Favre steps in and wings it around like he did late last season. Nice to see the old timer land on his feet….and not in the NFC.

9) Vernon Fox can’t tackle. Coaches like this guy because he can understands the mental aspect of both Safety positions, too bad he can’t play either of them. He missed three tackles on that closing drive that put the Jets in position to try and tie it. (On a side note WTH was Mangini thinking? I thought at least he tries the fake FG). Fox is clearly in trouble of not making the squad with Moore and Horton showing that at the very least they are not afraid to knock someone down and Landry returning from injury.

8 ) Carlos Rogers & Rocky McIntosh needs more time to get in game shape. On the opening drive Rogers was burned badly on one play and never anywhere on a few others. This is to be expected as he has missed so much live game time and practice will not make up for that. Rocky is also recovering from a long layoff & looked slow in pass coverage. Both should get up to game speed by opening day, but if a surprise weak side linebacker comes up on the waiver wire they are going to look long and hard at him.

7) You too Devin Thomas. No excuse here. The rookie is plain out of shape and not concentrating at times. I am not going to pound on him too much yet. He is learning this is the NFL, no more excuses. At least he is on the field (ahem ahem Mr. Kelly).

6) Durant Brooks can flat out punt. So this is what it is like having a professional punter. The kicks are long and deep and under control. Brooks may have just sealed the deal and if Frost makes it past the first cut then someone has pictures on someone.

5) Rock Cartwright can run the ball. All of Rock’s detractors can now shut up. Rock showed why he has been able to stick with the Redskins since 2001. And guess what, he will be here this year as well. Never count Rock out, the moment you do he will run a 73 yard counter on you.

4) Marcus Mason is going to keep pushing him. I have long been an activist for keeping 4 running backs and Mason is showing us why we need to do just that. He is tough and gives us added insurance, especially with Betts getting dinged up. Keeping 4 RBs in today’s NFL is becoming the norm, not the exception.

3) Chris Horton needs time with the big boys. Can we please see whether the dreaded one can mean anything more than hair? Reed Doughty just plain looks awful in coverage out there. Time to see if Horton can step it up at Strong Safety. He looks great against other 2nd stringers; let’s see if he rises to the challenge.

2) Justin Tryon is terrible. Do I really need to say anything more? He was a reach in the 4th round and is in danger of losing his spot to a UFA. He better step it up next week or he could find out life in the NFL is fleeting at best.

1) This just in, Colt Brennan lives for game day. I am not going to wax poetic about the Hawaiian Kid, but he has yet to look horrible in an NFL game. Now some of those throws he makes against big boy defenses and he is in trouble, but the guy just keep[s digging in and finding a way to win. Twice he has lead come from behind drives. We can find room for guys like this on the squad.

Roster Guess

QB (3) Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Colt Brennan

RB (4) Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason

FB/TE (4) Chris Cooley, Mike Sellers, Fred Davis Todd Yoder

WR (5) Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El. James thrash, Malcom Kelly, Devin Thomas,

OL (9) Chris Samuels, Pete Kendall, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen, Stephon Heyer, Chad Rinehart, Andrew Crumney, Jason Fabini

DL (9) Jason Taylor, Kedric Golston, Cornellius Griffen, Andre Carter, Erasmus James, Demetric Evans, Anthony Montgomery, Lorenzo Alexander, Chris Wilson

LB (7) Rocky McIntosh, London Fletcher, Marcus Washington, Khary Campbell, HB Blades, Matt Sinclair, Alfred Fincher

CB (5) Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot, Carlos Rogers, Leigh Torrence, JT Tryon

S (4) Laron Landry, Reed Doughty, Kareem Moore, Chris Horton

Spec (3): Ethan Albright (LS), Sean Suisham (K), Durant Brooks (P)

Practice Squad (8) Justin Hamilton (S), Jason Goode (TE), Maurice Mann (WR), Tavares Washington (OL), Justin Geisinger (OL), Curtis Gatewood (LB), Matteral Richardson (CB), Rob Jackson (DE)

What’s changed: Neither Mix or McMullen are making their case for a 6th WR. With Mann available at the PS and Cooley able to go wide, Chris Wilson, who finally had some nice pressures, gets back on the roster. Also Justin Hamilton joins the PS as Derek Devine just looks horrible and there is no reason to carry him on the PS with Brennan doing well enough to make the roster.

Next game is the last game before first cuts. Some vets like Todd Wade and Vernon Fox better be wary of that first cut date because if the team has decided to move on from these vets they may part ways early to give the young guys more reps to get ready for the regular season.

That is it for now. As always Hail to the Redskins!!!

The Final 53: Post Buffalo

Well we finally saw the first string offense all together and it looked impressive for the few series it was out there. And the defense made strides but it is still missing some important parts as 2 starters (Landry and McIntosh) and two main subs (Rogers and James) are still sidelined with injurioes. Injuries in the pre-season give rookies and bubble players a chance to shine.

So with all that in mind, here is The Final 53 projections with the Buffalo game in the record books.

Quarterback

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter: Jason Campbell

Projected Bench: Todd Collins, Colt Brennan

Outside looking in:Derek Devine

Nothing new here. Collins looked better but but not great and Brennan came back to earth. Still it looks like Devine will not get a shot at replacing him just as Brennan will not get a shot at replacing Collins.

Running Back

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter:Clinton Portis

Projected Bench:Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason

Anybody still want to trade Betts? If you saw how the offense worked with pboth Portis and Betts on the field and still want to trade either you better be a Cowboy fan. Mason had a big hiccup but he still ran the ball hard. He should get a few more looks at kick off returns but at this point it is to back rock up, not to replace him.

Tight End/Fullback

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Chris Cooley & Mike Sellers

Projected Bench:Fred Davis, Todd Yoder

On the Bubble:Jason Goode

Outside Looking In:Nehemiah Broughton

No change here. This is about as written in stone as can be. Goode should get a shot at the PS unless there are major injuries in another position we need to stack up there.

Wide Receiver

Projected Roster Spots: 6

Projected Starter:Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El

Projected Bench: Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, Billy McMullen, James Thrash,

On the Bubble:Maurice Mann, Anthony Mix,

Outside Looking In:Horace Gant, Burl Toller

Mix's injury opens up the 6th WR spot for McMullen who is out there catching balls, and not sitting on the sideline. And Mix's injury will sideline him for another week. A strong performance by McMullen and he will be out of the ...uhm Mix. Mann and Toller are battling for the last PS spot

Offensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter:Chris Samuels, Pete Kendall, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen

Projected Bench:Andrew Crumney, Chad Rinehart, Jason Fabini, Stephon Heyer

Outside Looking In:Kerry Brown, Devin Clark, Justin Geisinger, Todd Wade, Taveres Washington

Chad Rinehart's emergence and the need for a backup center is combining to hurt Todd Wade's chances, and his injury and salary is not going to help him any. It looks as if Andrew Crumney can climb into that 9th spot. The rest are fighting for ps spots. but you got to like the upside of Washington & Geisinger.

Defensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 8

Projected Starter:Jason Taylor, Kedric Golston, Cornelius Griffen, Andre Carter

Projected Bench: Anthony Montgomery, Lorenzo Alexander, Demetric Evans, Erasmus James

Outside Looking In: Rob Jackson, Chris Wilson, Matthias Askew, Ryan Boschetti,

Injured reserve/PUP: Phillip Daniels, Alex Buzbee

Ok 8 is a little light in the roster spots but here is my thinking. Montgomery and Golston are battling for the starting DT spot next to Griffen, and Carter and Taylor are safe. Demetric Efvanas can back up both dt and DE. Lorenzo Alesxander can be an emergency DT guy and Erasmus James will be the situational pass rusher. Rob Jackson can spend a year on PS getting ready. The odd guy out is Chris Wilson but he has done nothing all camp and pre-season to warrant his inclusion on the roster.

Projected Roster Spots: 7

Projected Starter: Rocky McIntosh, London Fletcher-Baker, Marcus Washington

Projected Bench:KharyCampbell, HB Blades, Matt Sinclair, Alfred Fincher

Outside Looking In: Curtis Gatewood, Rian Wallace

I think Alfred Fincher has done enough to warrant looking at him for a roster spot. he is a former third round pick who always seems to be around the ball and can play special teams. You have to like a guy like that. He is going to make a case for keeping 7 lbers.

Cornerbacks

Projected Roster Spots: 5

Projected Starter:Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot

Projected Bench:Carlos Rogers, Justin Tryon, Leigh Torrence

On the Bubble:Matteral Richardson, Byron Westbrook

Outside Looking In:Cedrick Holt

Boy Tyron looks a little lost out there, but I doubt the Redskisn give up on a 4th round pick so early. Matteral Richardson will need to do more to get ahead of himn for the 5th CB spot. Byron Westbrook is trying to make a case as a kickoff returner, but it is not a very good one. Both matteral and Westbrook will fight it ourt for the PS.

Safety

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Reed Doughty, Laron Landry,

Projected Bench: Kareem Moore, Chris Horton

On the Bubble: Vernon Fox

Outside looking In: Patrick Ghee, Justin Hamilton

Fox being excusesd from this last week's game did not help his case any. Horton and Moore are both draft picks and both have played well in the one game they were in. With Shawn Springs able to play Safety the Redskins can afford to go a little light here.

Special Teams

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter:Sean Suisham (k), Durant Brooks (p), Ethan Albright (ls)

On the Bubble: Derrick Frost

Frost showed that he can still place the punts inside the 20 but you have to believe Brooks is still the odds on favorite to win the punting job and will need to implode before Frost can regain the top spot, Suisham hitting the long go ahead FG helped out his confidence...and ours.

Projected Practice Squad:

Derek Devine (QB), Jason Goode (TE), Maurice Mann (WR), Tavares Washington (OL), Justin Geisinger (OL), Curtis Gatewood (LB), Matteral Richardson (CB), Rob Jackson (DE)

We will see what this week's practices and this weekend's game shapes the roster.

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The Chopping Block: 10 Things We Know Now After Buffalo

Ok kids it is that time again. Time to discuss what we learned from the Redskins Pre-season game against Buffalo.

1.) Zorn is not your Father’s Head Coach. Whether it is going for it on 4^th and 1 on the goalline to get your first touchdown or calling a screen pass in the Red zone to get your second touchdown, Zorn showed he has some gamble in him. Will this continue in the regular season, only Zorn knows that. But You have to like seeing this after the last 4 years of Gibbs playing not to lose. Zorn plays to win.

2.) The First String offense is ready to go now. Right now the first string offense is crisper and more stable then at any pre season in the last 5 years. The only Caveat I give is that Spurrier looked good in the pre—season as well. However this group is much more talented than the Spurrier group and is running a real NFL offense. The line looks solid & the wide receivers look in shape and focused. Cooley looks to be on a terror and Jason Campbell is fulfilling his first round promise. And once Portis and Betts are given a At the very least I doubt we will be struggling to score over 18 points on a consistent basis.

3.) This defense needs Laron Landry to really hum. Coach Blache seems to understand his defensive players a lot better than Gregg Williams, but one thing they have in common is they need a dynamic over the top safety that can make the difference on third downs. Landry is that guy for Blache as Taylor was the guy for Williams. This defense needs him back on the field and ready to go.

4.) And McIntosh too. Same here, arguably two of the more dynamic cogs in the defense last year were McIntosh and Landry. McIntosh can play sideline to sideline and blitz on occasion. Khary Campbell is a suitable backup but he is just that, a backup. Luckily both Landry & McIntosh are expected back by start of the season.

5.) Marcus Mason is human. Well it had to happen. Mason had to have a bad play sometime, and unfortunately for him it came on the very first play of the game. Mason is going to have to prove he can contribute on special teams and fumbling an opening kickoff is not going to help. However he remained poised and continued to run very well in the second half. He hurt his shot at making the roster as Rock was out last night, but he is still in the running.

6.) And so is Colt Brennan. Colt looked every bit like the project he is on Saturday. He didn’t throw horribly but he was not a game killer. Still he has to be the odds on favorite for that 3^rd qb spot. I would like to see more of Derek Devine though, just in case.

7.) Forget Mix, Billy McMullen is the dark horse Wide Receiver candidate. With mix going down for a week with an injury, McMullen has got a great shot at the 6^th WR spot. All McMullen does is catch balls. He is getting open and with the rookie WRs still having trouble getting on the field he will continue to have chances to shine. I like his chances

8.) Sean Springs will be a safety soon. Just not this year. I am sure he will play it in certain situations, but not on a full time basis in 2008. But next year look for Landry to move to SS and Springs to FS as Rogers gets healthy and perhaps we go after a corner in the draft or free agency.

9.) So Derek Frost can punt. Besides the one that was returned for 45 yards, Frost put on a decent display of getting balls down inside the 20 last week. Brooks is still the guy to beat here, but Frost did not roll over.

10.) Sean Suisham can kick also. Suisham showed off why we like him at K with a nice go ahead 46 yard FG in the third quarter. He still needs to be more consistent, but more often then not in pressure kicks he has come through. His kickoffs continue to be excellent as well, high and deep. Still would like competition next camp if only to rest his leg, but for now the job is his and his alone.

And now a quick look at my roster predictions:

Qb (3) Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Colt brennan

Rb (4) Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason

FB/TE (4) Chris Cooley, Mike Sellers, Fred Davis Todd Yoder

WR (6) Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El. James thrash, Malcom Kelly, Devin Thomas, Billy McMullen

OL (9) Chris Samuels, Pete Kendall, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen, Stephon Heyer, Chad Rinehart, Andrew Crumney, Jason Fabini

DL(8) Jason Taylor, Kedric Golston, Cornellius Griffen, Andre Carter, Erasmus James, Demetric Evans, Anthony Montgomery, Lorenzo Alexander

LB (7) Rocky McIntosh, London Fletcher, Marcus Washington, Khary Campbell, HB Blades, Matt Sinclair, Alfred Fincher

CB (5) Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot, Carlos Rogers, Leigh Torrence, JT Tryon

S (4) Laron Landry, Reed Doughty, Kareem Moore, Chris Horton

Spec (3): Ethan Albright (LS), Sean Suisham (K), Durant Brooks (P)

Practice Squad (8) Derek Devine (QB), Jason Goode (TE), Maurice Mann (WR), Tavares Washington (OL), Justin Geisinger (OL), Curtis Gatewood (LB), Materal Richardson (CB), Rob Jackson (DE)

That’s it for now. As always until next time, Hail to the Redskins

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the Chopping Block: Roster Battles for the Bills Game

Running a little late as I was hoping to get this up on Friday, but here are the Roster Battles i am going to be looking at in tonight's game against Buffalo.

Quarterback: Sure the starting spot is all but locked up. However wth Brennan getting the nod for the backup slot tonight and Collins looking absolutely awful in camp (and old) there could be a battle here. Espescially if Devine gets in the game and does well.

Running Back: This will all be about Marcus Mason in my opinion. With Betts and Portis taking a few snaps each the rest of the load will be on Marcus as rock is on the sideline. This is his chance to do well and give Zorn a reason to keep 4 running backs, or perhaps surplant rock all together.

Wide Receiver: If Anthony Mix or any other receiver has a shot at taking the 5th WR spot they better show something this game. Right now it doesn't look likely/

Tight End: The battle here is for third TE and Jason Goode against Todd Yoder, but I don't see much happening there. Yoder should easily win that battle and Goode is fighting for a PS spot.

Offensive Line: With Todd Wade and Stephon Heyer sidelined, there is a chance for some young offensive linement to make their case for the 9th OL spot or perhaps the PS. Justin Geisinger, Andrew Crumney, & Tavares Washington must step up their game to surplant either of these vets for a roster spot and fight each other off for PS spots.

Defensive Line: This is all about the second string. Really only 5 people have assured roster spots, Carter, Taylor, GRiggen, Golston, & Montgomery. 3 or 4 spots remain. Lorenzo Alexander, Demetric Evans, Martin Askew, Ryan Boschetti, Chris Wilson, & rookie Rob jackson all need to step up and show something or they may get shown the door.

Linebacker: This is as much a fight for the last roster spot an practice squad as any. The starters (McIntosh, Baker, Washington) are all set. Most likely Blades is also safe. The fight is for the last 2 roster spots and and the 1 spot on the practice squad. Khary Campbell and Matt Sinclair are in the driver's seat but Curtis Gatewood looked impressive and Rian Wallace has a strong case to make also.

Cornerback: Once again starterrs set (Springs and Smoot) and the nickle is set as well (Rogers) so the battle is for the last two roster spots and possibly a PS spot. Torence is looking surprisingly good and Tyron not so much. Matteral Richardson has a real shot at moving up.

Safety: Probably the only place where a starters spot might be up for grabs. Kareem Moore and Chris Horton are going to push Reed Doughty for his spot. Vernon Fox is looking to make case on special teams for the 5th spot or it may be given to another position as Springs can cover Safety in case of injury.

Special teams: Suisham has to have a lights out game or competition could be signed for him in camp. Frosty gets his shot at the punting battle this week but it may be his last one if he is not on the ball. Some of the fringe players like Mason, Tryon, and Toller could get a helping hand with Cartwright out of the game. They need to show some ability on kickoff returns to get a leg up on the competition.

That is it. Enjoy tonight's game and as always Hail to the Redskins!!!!!

Discuss it in the Redskins Forum

10 Things We Know Now-Hall of Fame Edition

Hello DC Pro Sports report. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dustin Czarny and I have been blogging about the redskins for over 4 years now with Mark and Tom. I am extremely honored that they have asked me to write a few things for their new site. I plan to be very Redskin focused in my writing as I have a passion for our football team.

So after each Redskin game, pre-season or regular, I am going to do the 10 Things We Know Now which will break down some things we learned about the team that we may not have known before. Also during the pre-season I will preview the roster battles on the Friday before each pre-season game.

So let's get right to it shall we:

10 Things We Know Now

10) Zorn knows how to manage a game. One of the biggest quesitons I have had going into this season is whether Zorn can handle going from a position coach to a head Coach. Not only a head coach, but one who is also the offensive coordinator. So with very few penalties and litle substitution issues we have to give him thumbs up on his first game. Oh yeah we won as well. Bonus!!!

9) Marcus Mason can run the rock. It is only pre-season and it was only against 3rd and 4th stringers, but Mason showed some brilliant decisions last night. His cut back vision was on display and definitely a big asset for him as he tries to make the squad.

8) Colt Brennan is not a total waste of a draft pick. And maybe, just maybe an NFL calibe QB. agian only 1 pre-season game but three very impressive drives and some decent throws. I doubt he is going to unseat Collins as #2, but he did a great job, better then what has been reported in practice. Sometimes soe players are just gamers and step it up. Maybe that is the case with Colt.

7) Chad Rinhart has a definite future in this league, and it may come soon. Rinehart was a monster against the 2nd and 3rd string defenses last night. he will be starting for Kendall by next year and will probably be the main backup at any position by the end of the year.

6) The West Coast hybrid offense is dynamic and fluid. Quick strikes and a fast pace. this is not the slow deliberate, time eating offense of the past four years. This is the offense that was promised under Saunders and failed to develop. No more watching the coaches frantically call timeout because the playclock is gettign down. Quick decisions and quick strikes. I like what I see.

5) Jason Campbell could be on the verge of a great season. If this offense is to be believed, it is tailor made for Jason Campbell. But Zorn has also worked on his delivery to shorten it up and get out from Center earlier. With mobile pockets and bootlegs Zorn is making this offense suited to Campbell's strengths.

4) Fred Davis can deliver an impact after a catch. I love the way Fred davis does not shy away from contract after he catches a reception. He will be able to be lined up at WR, FB, TE and be a very potent weapon in the Zorn offense.

3) Durant Brooks is the clear favorite in the punting competition. Frost did not take one snap in the hall of fame game and Brooks did very well. I would be surprised if Frost lasted past the first round of cuts.

2) We have great depth on the offensive side of the ball. Whether it be on the line or at the skills positions I like our depth on offense. We have talented and accomplished players in backup roles at eveyr position of the offense. For the first time there is real competition for every depth spot and the top few backups are pretty good. If one of our starters not named jason capbell were to go down, it would not mean the end of the season.

1) Not so much depth on the defensive side of the ball. Unfortunately on the defensive side we are in real shallow waters. The backup defensive line seems to get no push and the backup linebackers are not much better. The backup defensive backs are a little better. Tyron got burned but is young and has raw talent. Chris Horton is pretty good as well and Richardson and Torrence developing. But the front 7 is awful thin.

That is it for now. Hail to the Redskins.

The Final 53: Hall of Fame Edition

What can you take from a game where many starters did not even play and those that did were pulled after only two series? Well alot if you know what you are looking for. We got to see what the real depth chart was by the players who played and the ones who did not. We got to see not only how the offense is going to work, but what position players Zorn is going to need to make this offense work. We also got to see the players that may excel in the Blatche defense and whether we will have any depth on defense at all.

So with all that in mind, here is The Finakl 53 projections with the Canton game in the record books.

Quarterback

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter: Jason Campbell

Projected Bench: Todd Collins, Colt Brennan

Outside looking in:Derek Devine

Jason Campbell makes this offense click, it is tailor made for his skills and athleticism. As one of Colt Brennan's biggest detractors i have to say he played well, very well. Todd Collins looks a little lost out there at times, but he should be able to hold off Colt at the #2. Still Devine will be kept on the Practice Squad for next year when Collins is shown the door.

Running Back

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter:Clinton Portis

Projected Bench:Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason

Let the Marcus Mason love fest begin. With Portis and Betts on the bench Cartwright and Mason had the RB load and both played very very well, however Mason showed some grit and great cut back speed. Cartwright though looks to stay on the team because of his KO return abilities. Until someone pushes him there he is safe. I still think because of Betts and Portis injury history we keep 4 RBs, and it may be a sign that Zorn likes the 4 he has since they are the only ones on the roster.

Tight End/Fullback

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Chris Cooley & Mike Sellers

Projected Bench:Fred Davis, Todd Yoder

On the Bubble:Jason Goode

Outside Looking In:Nehemiah Broughton

This is shaping up to be one of the strongest units on the Skins. Fred Davis, once he buys an alarm clock, will be lined up at WR every so often, same with Cooley. Yoder and Sellers will be used in the backfield to help Springs Portis and Betts. In many ways we are seeing the return of the h-back in it's heyday. Goode will get a year to season on the PS and replace either Sellers or Yoder next year.

Wide Receiver

Projected Roster Spots: 6

Projected Starter:Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El

Projected Bench: Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, Anthony Mix,James Thrash,

On the Bubble:Maurice Mann, Billy McMullen,

Outside Looking In:Horace Gant, Burl Toller

All that I am reading is this offense needs 6 WRs to run properly. However I do think they are discounting the flexibility we have with Cooley and Davis. For now I am upping the roster count here to six, but if One of our PUP candidates becomes healthy by the end of training camp then we could see this drop to 5. Then Mix and Thrash will be in the fight for the last spot. Toller and Mann could make the PS.

Offensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter:Chris Samuels, Pete Kendall, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen

Projected Bench:Todd Wade, Chad Rinehart, Jason Fabini, Stephon Heyer

Outside Looking In:Kerry Brown, Devin Clark, Justin Geisinger, Andrew Crumney, Taveres Washington

Not much change here, however it is obvious that Crumney is being used as the primary backup center. But for now I am still putting him on the PS. If something happens to Rabach in game Jansen can still backup center and Crumney can be activated the next week. However a 10th OL could be kept at a cost to another position (WR or RB).

Defensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter:Jason Taylor, Anthony Montgomery, Cornelius Griffen, Andre Carter

Projected Bench:Kedric Golston, Lorenzo Alexander, Demetric Evans, Rob Jackson, Chris Wilson

Outside Looking In:Matthias Askew, Ryan Boschetti, Kevin Huntley,

Injured reserve/PUP:Erasmus James, Phillip Daniels, Alex Buzbee

Not much change here either. Erasmus James is still looking at starting the season on the PUP, and Rob Jackson could be the beneficiary of this. If james does get healthy Chris Wilson could find himself for a roster fight with Jackson. Demetric Evans versatility will allow him to backup both ends and DTS. Lorenzo Alexander's spot could be pushed for by Askew or Boschetti, but neither of them showed much last game.

Line Backers

Projected Roster Spots: 6

Projected Starter: Rocky McIntosh, London Fletcher-Baker, Marcus Washington

Projected Bench:KharyCampbell, HB Blades, Matt Sinclair

Outside Looking In:Danny Verdun-Wheeler, Curtis Gatewood, Rian Wallace

I don't like keeping only 6 here but I think the skins will keep one or two lbers on the practice squad. Sinclair stays ahead of Gatewood for now but this could change. This could be a position where we scan other's cuts to shore up our depth.

Cornerbacks

Projected Roster Spots: 5

Projected Starter:Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot

Projected Bench:Carlos Rogers, Justin Tryon, Leigh Torrence

On the Bubble:Matteral Richardson

Just Tryon looked horrible at times last night but his draft status keeps him ahead of Richardson, for now. Richardson will get several opportunities to show what he has after last night's interception for a TD. Westbrook may have played his way out of a roster spot last night in both defense and dropping a KO return.

Outside Looking In:Cedrick Holt, Byron Westbrook,

Safety

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter:Reed Doughty, Laron Landry,

Projected Bench: Stuart Schweigert, Chris Horton

On the Bubble: Vernon Fox

Injured reserve/Pup: Kareem Moore

If Kareem Moore gets healthy he will take a roster spot here, but more then likely it will come from WR or RB. Chris Horton played an incredible game last night and he should get some reps with first team. At the very least the coaches should look at packaging him with Doughty. I want to see Horton vs. top flight talent.

Special Teams

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter:Sean Suisham (k), Durant Brooks (p), Ethan Albright (ls)

On the Bubble: Derrick Frost

Frost did not punt once last night. This may eb a competition in name only. Suisham though has nice kickoffs but is still missing make-able fgs. We need another kicker in camp if only to save Suisham's leg.

Projected Practice Squad:

Matteral Richardson (CB), Curtis Gatewood (LB), Andrew Crumney (OL), Taveres Washington (OL), Burl Toller (WR), Maurice Mann (WR), Derek Devine (QB), Jason Goode (FB/TE)

We will see what this week's practices and this weekend's game shapes the roster.

The Final 53: Training Camp Edition

Well it is the start of camp so it is that time where we start to look at who will be on the redskins final roster. Usually when you get to training camp all of your picks are signed and you have the team you will go into the regular season with. Well leave it to Vinny Cerrato to say “not so fast” with a trade for Jason Taylor late in the weekend. So with that trade in place, here is a look at the final 53 as it stands today.

I think a main theme at camp will be Gibbs Guys vs. Young guys. At almost every position there are former “super smart” players that “fought their guts out” but maybe aren’t all that talented. There are young guys behind them pushing to make the squad. In the past Gibbs tended to lean towards the vets, but who knows what Zorn is going to do. Some of these guys will make the squadm, but I can guarantee you not all of them. Injuries, adaptability, and even contract issues will come into play when the final decisions are made.

Quarterback

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter: Jason Campbell

Projected Bench: Todd Collins, Derek Devine

On the Bubble: Colt Brennan

Jason Campbell comes into camp as the undeniable starter, despite Collins heroics at the end of last season. Though Collins will be there and ready to take over for Campbell if he regresses or is injured, the real battle will be for 3rd string QB. This will be an interesting battle to watch in training camp as it is one where Jim Zorn and Vinny Cerrato’s vision for the team may be at odds. Devine was brought in by Zorn as he was 3rd QB in Seattle and knows the West Coast offense. Cerrato drafted Brennan late as a prospect. It will be interesting to see how much time each gets in the 2nd and 3rd pre season games.

Running Back

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Clinton Portis

Projected Bench: Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason

On the Bubble: Eric Shelton

Once again another battle where the top 2 spots are set but the 3rd spot is where the competition. Clinton Portis is the #1 back and Ladell Betts will spell him on occasion. At third RB it is Rock Cartwright vs. Marcus Mason. Here we have one of the Gibbs Guys vs Young Guys theme I talked about earlier. Rock Cartwright resigned with the Redskins in the off season after finding no real suitors around the NFL. But young and quick Marcus Mason had a year on the PS and now a whole Training Camp to impress some coaches. For now Rock’s kick return capabilities combined with Mason’s practice squad eligibility keeps him ahead but it will be interesting to see who actually returns kicks in the pre-season. However both will probably make the squad. Eric Shelton is really interesting as he is a bruising short yardage back and can do some damage. He may be Rock’s true competition.

Tight End/Fullback

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Chris Cooley & Mike Sellers

Projected Bench: Fred Davis & Todd Yoder

On the Bubble: Tyler Ecker, Jason Goode

Outside Looking In: Nehemiah Broughton

It will be interesting to see how many TE/FB players Zorn keeps. I am guessing 4 with a 5th on the Practice squad. I think at the start of the season Chris Cooley and Mike Sellers will be the starters with Cooley being the traditional TE and Sellers being the swing FB/2nd TE/H-back position the west coast offense employs. However Fred Davis, in another Gibbs Guy vs. Young Guy matchup, is sniffing on Sellers heels and could overtake him in training camp. Yoder will look to spell Cooley and be around in case of injury. Tyler Ecker and Jason Goode are most likely looking for PS eligibility. NEMO’s long rid eon the opine will probably end without a massive injury to Sellers or Davis.

Wide Receiver

Projected Roster Spots: 5

Projected Starter: Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El

Projected Bench: Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, James Thrash

On the Bubble: Anthony Mix,

Outside Looking In: Horace Gant, Maurice Mann, Billy McMullen, Burl Toller

A lot of flux in this position. About the only sure thing I see is Santana Moss will be starting at one end. Right now you have to give the edge to Randle El over the rookies lining up on Game 1 as a starter, but it is only a matter of time before he moves to his natural position as a slot receiver. Malcolm Kelly seems to have the edge here but Thomas could take it as well. Thomas looks more like an eventual replacement to Randle El and could steal kickoff return. And for the 5th spot we have another Gibbs vs. Young situation with James Thrash holding off Anthony Mix and Burl Toller. Right now edge goes to the vet until we see games, but Mix could easily take this from him, and with no practice squad eligibility the Redskins have a real decision here.

Offensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter: Chris Samuels, Pete Kendall, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen

Projected Bench: Todd Wade, Chad Rinehart, Jason Fabini, Stephon Heyer

Outside Looking In: Kerry Brown, Devin Clark, Justin Geisinger, Andrew Crumney, Taveres Washington

At first glance this looks like one of the more stable positions on the team. The starters are entrenched and the bench are veterans with 1 highly drafted rookie. The problem is that we have only one natural Center, Casey Rabach (who is actually a converted guard), I would look for a late camp signing here unless Rinehart can make an adjustment inside. If that happens Todd Wade could be in trouble as he is expensive and can only play one position, right tackle.

Defensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter: Jason Taylor, Anthony Montgomery, Cornelius Griffen, Andre Carter

Projected Bench: Kedric Golston, Lorenzo Alexander, Demetric Evans, Rob Jackson, Chris Wilson

On the Bubble: Matthias Askew

Outside Looking In: Ryan Boschetti, Kevin Huntley,

Injured reserve/PUP: Erasmus James, Phillip Daniels, Alex Buzbee

Already this unit is looking thin with 3 players looking to not start the season with the rest of the team, but the addition of Jason Taylor pairing with the improved Andre Carter, young Montgomery, and healthy Griffin should finally give the Redskins a decent starting defensive Line. Golston and Evans look to be solid backups and sure bets to make the team. Matthias Askew will make a push for a spot and it looks as if Wilson and Alexander are the most in danger. Askew will be directly competing with Alexander but the powers that be may find they have no need for Wilson since they have 2 DEs in Taylor and Carter who are already pass rushing specialists. Rob Jackson will most likely start with the team and then move to PS once Erasmus James is healthy enough to play.

Line Backers

Projected Roster Spots: 6

Projected Starter: Rocky McIntosh, London Fletcher-Baker, Marcus Washington

Projected Bench: Khary Campbell, HB Blades, Matt Sinclair

Outside Looking In: Danny Verdun-Wheeler, Curtis Gatewood, Rian Wallace

The Redskins made no moves to shore up the weak side in the case of Rocky not recovering from injury, and by all accounts this gamble paid off. Fletcher and Washington should combine with Rocky as a decent starting unit. HB Blades, Sinclair, And & Campbell provide decent short term backups and have great special teams purpose. Everyone else is hoping for A PS spot.

Cornerbacks

Projected Roster Spots: 5

Projected Starter: Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot

Projected Bench: Carlos Rogers, Justin Tryon, Leigh Torrence

On the Bubble: Byron Westbrook,

Outside Looking In: Cedrick Holt, Matteral Richardson

Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot will once again start on the corners. One can only hope Blatche will eliminate the 15 yard cushions on 2rd and 5, but we will see. Carlos Rogers is in Training Camp and I don’t think he will start PUP, but he most definitely will be inactive. Tryon will also show value by returning kicks and punts. So this may come down to a battle of Torrence and Westbrook for the 5th spot. Neither are great and Westbrook has PS eligibility so for now Torrence gets the nod. The rest are looking for injuries or PS.

Safety

Projected Roster Spots: 5

Projected Starter: Laron Landry, Stuart Schweigert

Projected Bench: Reed Doughty, Kareem Moore, Chris Horton

On the Bubble: Vernon Fox

Landry is the only certainty in this group. He will be starting and hopefully not lining up in the next zip code. Schweigert has the edge over Doughty for the other starting spot an Doughty was exposed at times in pass coverage and is more of a special teamer then NFL safety. This is another case of Gibbs guys vs. young guys and we have a two-fer with draft picks Moore and Horton challenging Gibbs guys Doughty and Fox. My odds are on the draft picks with Doughty and Fox fighting for the last spot on the roster.

Special Teams

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter: Sean Suisham (k), Durant Brooks (p), Ethan Albright (ls)

On the Bubble: Derrick Frost

Welcome back Big red, one fo9 the best Long snappers in the game. Totally underrated because you only notice him when he does something wrong, and he never does something wrong. Sean Suisham came on last year to secure the kicking spot. However in the punting position we have the last of our Gibbs Guys vs. Young Guys competitions. The punting battle will be waged all camp long but there is a reason the Redskins selected Durant Brooks in the 5th Round. The boy can kick and he has to be the favorite over the erratic and often inaccurate Frost.

Projected Practice Squad:

Byron Westbrook (CB), Danny Verdun-Wheeler (LB), Curtis Gatewood (LB), Taveres Washington (OL), Kerry Brown (OL), Burl Toller (WR), Horace Gant (WR), Colt Brennan (QB)

That’s it. I will update this after the Hall of Fame game in the beginning of August.

Vision Quest: 2008 Redskin Cap Cuts & Free Agent Review

Now that the Redskins have a complete coaching staff, including brand new coach Jim Zorn, it is high time that we can turn our eyes towards the Redskin free agents. At the time of writing this article, the Redskins have an amazing 18 free agents. What is amazing is that none of them can really be described as anything more then role players at best.

This is a good thing. Our cap situation is still pretty bad. And although we have had a few restructures, some cuts will have to come as the Redskins are currently $13 million over the NFL Salary Cap of $116 million. However this is not a time to panic either. About 75% of the over cap amount is because of a large roster bonus due to Chris Cooley.

However before we address the Free Agents we need to look at cutting a few players. Here are my nominations (figures in parenthesis are post June 1 cut savings):

Salary Cap Savings

Cut List

Brandon Lloyd, WR Savings: -2.929 (2.405)

On the face of it Lloyd’s cut would actually be a salary cap hit, however under the new NFLPA labor agreement the team will be allowed to designate two cuts per year as post June 1 cuts yet do it at the beginning of the year. Mr. Lloyd, your time has come. A West Coast offense depends on precise routes and sure hands, two things Lloyd does not do well. A post June 1 like cut will give us salary cap space for our draft picks.

Phillip Daniels, DE Savings: 2.986 (3.100)

I know there are once again rumblings on the Defensive staff about keeping Daniels and moving him inside. I still think we are better off just cutting him period. He is ineffective, overpaid, and old. Three things that add up to Cap cut in my opinion.

Todd Wade, OT Savings: -.546 (1.686)

The second post June 1 cut should be Todd Wade. Stephon Heyer’s emergence as a reserve OT has made Wade expendable. Also Wade’s inability to stay healthy and effective will not help his cause.

Honorable Mention

These players will either need to restructure or could possibly be cuts.

Shawn Springs, CB Savings: 2.516 (5.000)

Shawn is always a tempting target because of his cap figure, and entering the last two years of his contract he becomes even more tempting. However circumstances (such as Carlos Roger’s injury) will most likely keep him in DC. I hope the Redskins offer him a true restructuring deal and not the pay cut they tried to force down his throat last year. Otherwise Shawn will most likely make them cut him and he can get paid somewhere else.

Marcus Washington, LB Savings: 2.404 (4.425)

Another tempting target, but once again will get saved because of injury to a young star. The injury to McIntosh means Washington is not as expendable as he once was thought to be. Unlike Springs though, Washington’s play has seriously declined.
Washington will not get a big contract somewhere else and is in less of a negotiating position.

Jon Jansen, OT Savings: -1.770 (4.980)

Jansen has a large $1.25 million roster bonus due this year and is in danger of not seeing it. 2 out of the last 4 years he spent most or all of the season on IR. Stephon Heyer’s emergence could put him in jeopardy as well, but most likely not yet. Jon gets one more year to prove he can be a viable consistent option on the right side of the line.

The Redskin Free Agents:

Once the cap cuts have been done here is how I would treat our free agents.

UFAs

Ethan Albright, LS

This is a must resign, and most likely will be redone soon. Usually big Red will go into Dan Snyder’s office and sign a 1 year contract for Vet minimum or a little above. However he deserves a decent raise since he was in the pro-bowl this year. He simply is one of the best at his position and underappreciated. Don’t break the bank but give him a 3 year contract with a $1 million bonus.

Ryan Boschetti, DT/De/Waterboy

How this guy keeps making the squad year in and year out makes my head hurt. 4 years on the team and not worth a dang. Let him go onto his next career.

Reche Caldwell, WR

I would love to see him in from training camp on. I think he will make plays and can be a decent NFL 3^rd or 4^th WR. But only at vet minimum would I bring him back.

Rock Cartwright, RB/KR

Rock Cartwright has no bigger defender on the web then yours truly. Each of the last 4 years some of the fan base fell in love with some flashy running back and I stuck with Rock. In 2004 it was Sultan McCullogh, 2005, Nemo Broguhton, 2006 Jesse Lumsden, and in 2007 Derrick Blaylock, none of whom could take the 3^rd RB spot from Rock. Rock also was a force on special teams and the last two years in kick returns. So it my come as a surprise for some of you to read that I do not think the Redskins should re-sign him. He simply will cost too much and wants to be involved in the offense. Neither of which the Redskins can offer. Also rock is roughly the same age as Betts and Portis, and the Redskins need youth to back them up. Rock has had 7 good years, more then most 7^th round draft picks could ever hope to have. It is time for him to find greener pastures elsewhere and time for the team to get a young RB to learn the new offense under Zorn.

Mark Brunell, QB

Brunell got 4 years at the end of his career here in DC. It has been a nice ride. We have an open QB coach position, maybe we could offer it to him. I wouldn’t be opposed to a vet minimum signing but Brunell is not a West Coast QB and really serves no purpose under the new regime.

Todd Collins, QB

Thank you for the playoff run Todd, but Papa Al awaits you in St. Louis. Perhaps you can teach the system to Bulger and then try and take his job there as well. Buh Bye.

Rick DeMulling, OL

Never could get on the field even with all the injuries we had on the line. Cya.

Jason Fabini, OL

Jason stepped in for Randy Thomas when he went down, and although he wasn’t horrible, he is not an NFL starter. If he wants to sign for vet minimum fine, but I rather get younger OL guys that can learn the new offensive system and have fresh legs out there.

Derrick Frost, P

Inconsistency, thy name is Derrick Frost. I have no problem with resigning him because he does show flashes of brilliance, but please bring in real competition for him this summer if for no reason other then to save his leg for the season.

Randall Godfrey, LB

Just too old to be of service anymore. We need youth on the defense, especially at LB. I don’t see him coming back.

Brian Kozlowski, TE/Lump on a Log

The best thing Zorn could do is lose this guy’s phone number. Let some youth get a chance at being the worst player on the team. Koz has held this title each of the last 4 years under Gibbs.

David Macklin, DB

We need depth at CB but Macklin never showed anything on the field. Vet minimum resign only.

Keenan McCardell, WR

The WR position needs to be made over and there is no room for an ancient Wide Receiver like Keenan on our squad right now.

Pierson Prioleau, S

If we did not lose Taylor I would risk letting Prioleau go. But we will need depth and though P-squared did not play well, the injury he was recovering from may not get better till this year. Vet minimum and let him compete for a spot in camp.

Mike Pucillo, OL

I like Pucillo but the emergence of Lorenzo Alexander took away his goal line TE role. Right now he is just a backup center and maybe guard. I say resign him, but only at vet minimum.

Omar Stoutmire, S

Omar is the red-headed step child of the Washington Safety corp. He was re-signed and cut so many times last year I think Charlie Brown feels sorry for him. Let’s not torture him anymore and let him go find work somewhere else.

RFAs

Nehemiah Broughton, FB

I wouldn’t mind tendering the absolute minimum one year deal to Broughton and letting him compete for a backup FB spot. Sellers is not getting any younger and Broughton was a draft pick and showed flashes of potential. But if someone else wants to sign him, let him go and get our 7^th round draft choice compensation.

Shaun Suisham, K

Suisham was undrafted so no compensation for him if he is signed by another team and we tender him at the lowest option. However that is exactly what we should do. If another team tries to sign him we could always match their offer. I am not totally sold on Shazaam though he did kick a few game winning kicks this year. I would still like training camp competition for him as well.

So that is it, as Free agency approaches I will take a look at some of the expected free agent targets of the Redskins. Until then may the Zorn be with you.

Hail to the Redskins!

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Vision Quest: Give Me Spags!

It’s been well over a month since my last Vision Quest article. I admit that I have been in a funk with all things Redskin related. It was a hard season with brief moments of optimism. But I have to admit even the most fervent optimist had to be down at the way the Redskin season ended. It was not just the loss once again to Seattle after riding a 4 game winning streak into the playoffs. It was the realization that 2 of our young stars on defense Rogers (injury), McIntosh (Injury), will not be back with the Redskins in top form and Sean taylor will never come back being the victim of a senseless crime. And lastly, iIt was the sudden and shocking retirement of our coach Joe Gibbs.

Say what you want about Joe Gibbs, and many of us did just that during his 4 year return, no one could argue that the loved the Redskins and wanted to bring glory back to this franchise. He brought our team to the playoffs in 2 out of the 4 years he returned. In the 13 years he was gone the Redskins managed to get into the playoffs just once. On that basis alone his return was a success, or as much a success as anyone could hope for with this flawed organization.

At the end though it was time for Joe to go, He just could not coach at the level he wanted to. The death of Sean Taylor and the obvious coaching mistakes, especially the two timeout debacle against Buffalo weighed on his heart. Age was also taking a toll and the constant threat of his health deteriorating from his Diabetes. And the cold hard fact is the NFL Head Coaching gig is a young man’s game. The pressures and the constant round the clock schedule is just not meant for a 67 year old grandfather of six.

Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Joe and this was the day I was dreading for several years. Sure Joe’s coaching talents had waned in the final days, but his mere stature and legendary presence was all that was preventing the manipulative and incompetent hands of owner Daniel Snyder and lackey Vinny Cerrato from taking over the franchise in every way, shape, & form. Coach Gibbs was the thumb in the dyke of incompetence and not that water is flowing freely, and we are drowning in it.

Look at what has happened in the last month during this coaching search. First there was the press conference where Snyder all but ruled out ever getting a GM with his now infamous “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” routine. Then there was the promotion of Vinny Cerrato to vice president and de-facto general manager. As if that was not bad enough a poorly worded press release revealed that Vinny would be given “roster” control. The Redskins quickly issued a clarification on the subject however it remains to be seen whether that clarification was only meant to detract from the immediate negative reaction that such a duty would be given to anyone other then the head coach.

Though Gregg Williams, the Assistant Head Coach Defense, was widely thought to be the front runner and heir apparent, he was eventually passed over. Though that made this blogger personally happy, as I do not hold Williams in as high esteem as some Redskin Fans, the way in which the matter was handled. Snyder had 3-4 interviews (depending on what you believe) to determine whether someone who has already been in the organization for the last 4 years. Finally after several “leaks” indicating possible reasons (Williams was arrogant, disrespected Gibbs) the redskins would not hire Gibbs they finally decided to release Williams from his contract and officially deny the leaks from earlier.

Then there was the Mora & Fassel mess that was in the middle of the Williams mess. That is right we are so incompetent that we can actually balance 3 head coaching messes at the same time. Widespread rumors were abound that the Redskins were going to offer Jim Mora Jr. the HC spot. So widespread were the rumors that Mora felt he had to officially withdraw his name from the process to avid confusion. And then it looked as if Jim Fassel was going to be hired, so much so we were talking to his 2 top choices for OC (Jim Zorn) and DC (Rex Ryan). But when the latter seemed to fall through, so did Fassel’s candidacy, apparently.

But hold the phone, because flash forward a week and Jim Zorn was hired anyways to offensive coordinator and Greg Blache was promoted to defensive coordinator. Al Saunders and Gregg Williams were dismissed and the only thing that could come next would be a head coach signing…yet the Redskins announced that they would wait until after the Super Bowl to decide, a full two weeks later. Then rumors went to Steve Mariucci who just happened to have a contract ending with the NFL network after the Super Bowl and wanted to return to coaching, and just interviewed last Sunday.

And thrown away in all of this is Jim Schwartz (DC Tennessee) and Ron Meeks (DC Indianapolis) who were also interviewed by the brain trust that is Snyderrato (not my term but an apt description of the amorphous 2-headed form that now runs the Redskins). Bill Cowher was wooed both publicly and privately. Pete Carroll was brought in for nine hours before he then declined to be interviewed.

So among all those names who do I want to be the next HC of my beloved but troubled football team?

None of them. Give me Spags.

Steve Spagnuolo, defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl XLII Champion NY Giants, is simply the best choice to launch a new era for the Washington Redskins. I admit this is largely in reaction to his Super Bowl performance, as I had reluctantly been for Mariucci before this column. Yet, the more I analyze this move, the more In hope that after his interview on Tuesday he will be announced as a member of the Burgundy and gold family. And here are just a few reasons why:

Spagnuolo is the hot assistant HC in the NFL. Just for once I would like to be ahead of the NFL then reacting from behind. No I know we have been burned here before, yes Norv I am looking at you. Yet this is different. Spags is a player’s coach but also a tough SOB. He knows what to expect from his players and pushes them to excel. We need that with the talented yet underproductive players we have on contract here.

His biggest asset is our biggest need. Spags understands that winning football games starts on the line, especially the defensive line. Sure he had talent, but Usi and Tuck were there last year and did nothing before Spags came on board. The Giants leapfrogged to the best sacking team in the NFL from one of the worst in just one year. Our defensive line needs a makeover and a HC who understands that.

He understands the importance of developing a young QB. Sure he is a defensive coach, but he saw the growing process of Eli Manning this year. The NY Fans were ready to kill him as late as 7 weeks ago. However he witnessed what can be done when you give a young QB the freedom to grow and learn; sometimes they rise to the challenge. Jason Campbell will benefit from that more then anything.

The game and season is not over until it’s over. Spags was the leader of the defense that not only won the Super Bowl for the Giants, but got them into the playoffs and through the playoffs as well. This is despite being on the road the entire time. This despite playing icons like Romo, Favre, and Brady. It was the defense that bottled up Dallas. It was the defense that got the interception to set up the game winning FG in Green Bay, and it was the defense that held the record setting Patriot offense to 14 points. I want the guy in charge of that defense to be in charge of our team.

Addition by subtraction. I admit it; I am scared of the looming problem that is the NY Giants. They are relatively young and Eli Manning is blossoming. Taking away one of their best assistants will not only give us insight to their organization but perhaps hurt them as well. And since Spags started his NFL coaching career as an intern to the Washington GM office in 1983, let’s bring him back home.

He has a history of not choosing assistants. Spags inherited the entire defensive staff and many veterans when he became DC of the Giants this year. He focused on making them better then on demanding wholesale changes. We need a HC who will do the same with the redskins if we hope to be competitive at all next year or beyond. Will changes be made eventually, probably, but with this late start this may be the best opportunity for Spags to step in and start picking up the pieces.

Danny and Vinny, I implore you not to let Spags leave Redskin Park without a contract offer tomorrow. The very future of our franchise depends on it.

Give us Spags!!!

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Vision Quest: Playing With House Money

When you walk down the street today there is pep in your step. The food tastes better. The air smells sweeter. The girls look prettier. The traffic lights on the way to work all seem to be green. Your wife and family are nicer to you. Your clothes fit better and you could swear you have grown an inch over night.

All this because your Washington Redskins are in the playoffs.

Normally just being in the playoffs would not excite me so much. Granted it is only the third time in 15 years, but this the Washington Redskins. We don’t play football just to be in the playoffs, we want that fourth Super Bowl trophy. However for this team to make the playoffs with the adversity and tragedy that they have faced is nothing short of amazing. Losing 6 starters to season ending injury and multiple games from the remaining starters and backups would easily take a team out of playoff contention. Throw into that the tragic loss of their best player and emotional leader Sean Taylor at the very apex of the season and no one, not even me, would have blamed the team for playing out the string and looking toward next year.

But this team quietly and definitively was on a mission. Even after the Buffalo loss and losing starting quarterback Jason Campbell the next game, they had decided to will their way into the playoffs. There were no t-shirts made, no big parades. No banners were unfurled and no press conferences and high profile player only meetings. Sometime after burying their friend and teammate the Redskins collectively and perhaps subconsciously decided that it was time to make good on the talent that God gave them. Not for themselves. Not for their families. Not for the Redskins. Nor for the Fans.

They did it for Sean.

So one opponent after another came up and the Redskins took care of business. Against Chicago they lost their starting quarterback and lost hope that Randy Thomas would be back on the offensive line. Yet they won 24-16. Against the NY Giants they not only had to the loss of their starting OLB Rocky McIntosh but Mother Nature who unleashed a virtual tempest on the field. Yet they won 22-10. Then the Vikings, one of the hottest teams in the league with a 5-game win streak. No one gave the Redskins a chance to win on the road and yet again they won 32-21.

Finally the Dallas Cowboys. Our hated rival came to Fed Ex on the last day of the season. With the playoffs hanging in the balance the Redskins took the field and immediately showed that they wanted this game more. There was an air of confidence all week long. And on the field the Redskins showed that it was deserved. They played like warrior poets and took it to the #1 seed in the playoffs.

Can we dispel the notion that the Cowboys were not going to play to win this game? They played their starters well into the third quarter and did not sit them until after the Redskins put up a 3 possession lead. And if there was any doubt the Cowboys were playing to win this game, the fracas caused by Wade Phillips at the end of the first half ends it. Instead of going into halftime content with getting the ball back, Phillips argued with the Refs to allow for 1 play with no time left. He put his star quarterback out there to attempt a desperation throw. Chris Wilson made them pay by hitting Romo like he was Nick Lachey.

Why would Phillips risk such a move if they were not trying to win? The Cowboys had the first round bye and the top seed in the playoffs. Why not play like Tampa & Seattle did on the final game of the season? The answer is simple; they don’t want to face the Redskins again. And with them playing with a purpose, who would? The Cowboys knew that it is likely if they didn’t beat us last Sunday we will see them again in two weeks.

But first up it is Seattle and as chance for revenge from 2005. It is easy to draw comparisons to the 2005 club and this one. Both followed up losing seasons to make a run on the playoffs. Both had their backs against the wall, needing improbable winning streaks at the end of the season. Both teams recommitted to the run to keep their streak alive. Both teams played inspired defense down the stretch to protect leads.

That is where the comparison ends. The adversity this club has endured has given them an incredible will to win. The 2005 club was playing to make the playoffs and achieve personal glory. They were talented and though had nagging injuries to some contributors, relatively healthy. The 2007 club is less talented & less healthy, but they have more heart and will then any team in the NFL right now. They are playing for something more then themselves right now.

And one other thing this group has is an identity. They are a team in every sense of the word. Sure there are individuals who are doing but this team is watching each other’s back. When one guy goes down, another is stepping into their place. No excuses are being given, though there are plenty of reasons. Bad plays happen and they get right back up and get on to the next one.

No one expects anything from this team. Just making the playoffs is a major accomplishment. If the season ended today, we in Redskin nation would be happy and look forward to next year. But I have a feeling this team is not quite done yet. I have a feeling that this team has a will in them that we are just scratching. Playing for a fallen teammate and a coach’s honor, they are going to take the field Saturday with a sense of pride and determination of will that few 9-7 teams ever possessed.

They are playing with house money right now and the sky’s the limit.

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Playoff Rooting Card: Week 17

Are you ready for it? I know I am. I have been waiting to write this line in the Playoff Rooting Card feature since I started writing these columns just before Thanksgiving. So get your reading glasses out and ready your mouse and scroll down for some truly wonderful words to read.

The Redskins control their own destiny!!!

Simply amazing that the Redskins, seemingly dead just over a month ago, are now in a position to actually make the post season. And I know the critics (myself being amongst that group at times) will point to the 8-7 record and say this is an indicator of a weak NFC. And of course, they would be right.

However that does not lessen the accomplishments that these Redskins have done. A 3 game winning streak, beating playoff contenders in each of them, twice on the road, is nothing to sneeze at. This team has saved their season when everyone, including most of us Redskin fans, had counted them out. And you can credit one man for that, Joe Gibbs.

After the Buffalo loss, even the most ardent supporter of Joe Gibbs had thought that he was in danger of losing the team. You saw the start of those anonymous quotes in the paper about the two timeout ending. Gibbs could have just decided right then and there that the game had passed him bye and just finished out the season and retired. And if he did that, could anyone have blamed him? But true leaders don’t quit, they endure.

And endure is what Gibbs and the redskins have done. In Week 1 we lost our starting Right Tackle Jon Jansen for the year. In week 2 we lost our starting right guard Randy Thomas for what was essentially the year. In week 8 Redskins starting corner Carlos Rogers went down for the season and possibly half of 2009. In week 10 Redskins Starting Safety Sean Taylor went down with a knee injury and was tragically shot in his home and killed a few weeks later. In week 14 Starting Quarterback Jason Campbell was lost for the rest of at least the regular season with a knee injury. In week 15 starting linebacker Rocky McIntosh went down for not only the remainder of this season but most if not all of next. And of course there were the normal missed games and injuries in an NFL franchise with key contributors like Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El, Casey Rabach, Todd Wade, Pierson Prioleau, Cornellius Griffen, and Marcus Washington all succumbing to injury at points during the season.

Now with one more week to go the Redskins host their hated rival, the Dallas Cowboys, for a regular season finale with much on the line. I for one do not buy that Dallas will roll over and play dead for the Redskins. Every down, every yard, will be hard fought. Even if some of the starters are ruled out of the game, the backups are all NFL Vets. Vets like Brad Johnson who would love to enact revenge on a franchise that spurned him. More importantly the Redskins don’t know who to game plan for and will not have tape on their opponents. Lastly Dallas will face the Redskins again in the playoffs if the Redskins survive round 1, and if I am Dallas I rather get rid of us now.

After all, they are still Dallas and we are still the Redskins, they will bring their best, and so should we.

So the only thing the Redskins can do on Sunday is come out and line up across the field and will their way to a win. Do whatever it takes and play perfect football, just like they have done the last three weeks. Defy expectations and once again do the fan base proud. To the winner of the game goes glory, and for the Redskins, a chance to continue fighting back the night.

So with that in mind, here is how we stand:

NFC East: Dallas (13-2)
NFC North: Green Bay (12-3)
NFC West: Seattle (10-5)
NFC South: Tampa Bay (9-6)
Wildcard #1: NY Giants (10-5)
Wildcard #2: Washington (8-7)

The Pack:
Minnesota (8-7)
New Orleans (7-8)

Slots 1-5 are locked and set. Everyone else has been eliminated from playoff contention in the NFC. The Redskins can get in with a win (Dallas), or a loss by Minnesota (@ Denver) & New Orleans (@ Chicago). The Vikings need to win and the Redskins to lose to get in. The Saints need to win and the Vikings & Saints both to lose.

So here is your last rooting card for the 2007 season in order of kickoff:

New Orleans Saints (7-8) @ Chicago Bears (7-8). If we lose to Dallas, we need New Orleans to lose for us to make the playoffs. Go Bears!!!

Minnesota Vikings (8-7) @ Denver Broncos (6-9). This game wont matter at all to the Redskins if New Orleans wins, but if they lose and the Vikings lose, then we are in, regardless of the outcome of the Dallas game. Go Broncos!!

Dallas Cowboys (13-2) @ Washington Redskins (8-7). Regardless of the outcomes above, a win over Dallas is always sweet. Go Redskins!!!

So on to the game. One last week for playoff glory or an off-season of “what ifs”.

As Always HTTR!!

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