Alright, I have no idea what the Hogs Haven salute looks like. It's certainly never been given to me, unless that is what all those horns I always hear honking on the road are about, or all those punches in the face from random strangers. (Hmmmm...I think I am going to stop letting Kevin do my PR.)
You can't live in or represent the Washington, D.C. area without being touched in some way by our nation's armed forces. (Don't do it, Kevin...resist...the...urge...to knock that softball out of the park.)
There is not a finer group of Americans than the ones that suit up everyday for Uncle Sam and represent our interests domestically and abroad. The fact of the matter is that they are, for the most part, better than all of us. Our debt to them is beyond calculation. Don't forget to take the opportunity this week to say, "Thank You."
1. Hmmm...it seems this Kirk Cousins thing isn't going anywhere. I know we spent a lot of time on it yesterday, but it looks like this one is going to be here for a long time. We really did it this time. We completely manufactured drama in a space where there could have been none.
2. I still don't mind the pick, despite its many very obvious, very valid, very represented deficiencies.
3. As for whether or not this affects RG3, let me assure you that Robert Griffin III is not losing any sleep worrying that Kirk Cousins can or will take his job. There's a reason why one was a fourth round pick and the other was drafted second overall. Every team passed on this guy multiple times...including us. There is not a sane human being alive that would attempt to argue that it is even possible for Cousins to win the starting job over Rex Grossman OR RG3.
4. But then you hit me with the old, "But what about using that pick on a player that could come in and help the team--and possibly Griffin--right away?" It's a strong and rather impenetrable argument, except for one thing: I am done with "right away." I have been for at least a few years now. We don't do "right away" well. This is Year Three of an overhaul of our entire organization by a couple of guys who have been to their share of rodeos. I could have lived with another year of trading down before making a move for a quarterback. I could have definitely lived with the kind of haul the Steelers had at the top of their draft, netting two starting-caliber offensive linemen with their first two picks (David DeCastro and Mike Adams). But that's not what this draft was all about, was it? In the year that the Shanaplan addresses the offense, it's hard to suggest there is no justification for dedicating precious resources to the quarterback position.
The debate that invariably pops up when one of the "other" teams in Washington begins to show signs of life is upon us:
Can Washington be a Nats town/Caps town/Wiz town/Divas town? (Kevin's autographed Rachelle Pecovsky Divas jersey tells you where he stands.)
The answer to this question is a resounding "NO." Washington is and always will be a Redskins town. That said, if a team like the Nats was able to sustain success through the summer and into the fall, there could be a major payoff for the Redskins franchise and fanbase.
For decades, the psychological well-being of diehard Washington sports fans has depended almost solely on the success of the Washington Redskins. This explains the "Dark Age" of DC sports we find ourselves in currently. Though the Washington Capitals have given us all cause to celebrate in recent years, the lack of any championships has muted our euphoria. When Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler were packing the Verizon Center during playoff runs, we were all feeling the excitement. Perhaps partly because NBA playoff runs take place in the spring and early summer, and partly because of repeated exits at the hands of LeBron James, DC sports fans were unable to carry any of this energy into the fall/NFL season.
1. Who is this Ian Desmond guy? It certainly isn't the same player that I spent all offseason secretly wishing the Nationals would have the luxury of replacing/upgrading. It is gratifying to see a player that was drafted by the organization develop into a guy that contributes meaningfully to wins night in and night out. Drafted in 2004 by the Montreal Expos, Desmond worked his way through the minors and made his debut for the Washington Nationals in 2009. He is maintaining a solid batting average and decent fielding percentage. His blossoming--though only through eleven games early in a long season--has gotten me thinking about potential Redskins parallels.
2. Which player that has toiled in the background at Redskins Park has the best chance of turning into a major contributor in 2012? We could look to the practice squad or just look to the depth chart to determine if there is a player capable of imitating Ian Desmond's rise to prominence. It has to be someone we drafted. It has to be a player that we feel we could (and should) do better than prior to seeing what everyone can do in training camp. Finally, it can't just be a nobody that we think can "come out of nowhere" to star for the Redskins. After all, Desmond was rated in the top 20 prospects in all of baseball back in 2005, and the top defensive prospect at shortstop.
3. The danger of this game is actually looking at our drafts over the last five, six and seven years. So many bad memories. I don't think you can go with an undrafted free agent in this scenario because, again, Desmond was a fairly high (3rd round) draft pick. Even though a bazillion players get drafted in baseball, this kind of draft pick should be compared to a guy targeted and selected by the Redskins in the draft.
4. Can I just say one more time how upsetting it is to see, for example, an entire draft class from 2007 that consists of: LaRon Landry, Dallas Sartz, H.B. Blades, Jordan Palmer and Tyler Ecker? NOBODY even left on the team from a draft five seasons ago? If I got halfway decent odds, I would bet there were only one or two teams in the league that could say that.
1. Welcome to the latest stroll through the wandering mind of a Redskins fan. Sometimes Ten Yard Fight manages to stay on one point for ten full thoughts. Today is not one of those days, though I do have some thoughts on our potentially franchise-saving top draft pick.
2. I watched the Jon Gruden "Quarterback Camp" special last night featuring Robert Griffin III. Was it just me or did that episode have the least amount of critique and brow-beating you've seen on these specials in some time? I am used to seeing Gruden slobber all over these young quarterbacks, but it seemed a bit more than usual last night. He really seemed to genuinely love Griffin and his film. I wanted to see him drag out a few clips and say something like, "You know...you do this at the next level and you're out of a job!"
3. The fact that RG3 can carry 225 pounds or so and still generate the kind of speed he is capable of gets my juices flowing. I can't imagine that head coaches in the NFL are ever going to run him like Tebow, but the extra bulk does help him with some of the hits he will soon be taking.
4. One of the best things I saw was Gruden suggest that RG3 would be the fastest player to ever play the quarterback position. I liked that the conversation immediately went to Mike Vick. We have all been thinking it, right? Who is faster: RG3 or Vick? I have watched plenty of film on Vick and I have now officially seen a billion clips of RG3...Vick just always seems to be faster than everyone. I liked how RG3 called Vick "quicker" but stated that nobody was going to catch him in the open field. If Griffin is just as fast as Vick is (or was when he first came into the league) I think we will all be very happy.
1. Remember when all that we talked about was the chance that Andrew Luck would be our starting quarterback in 2012? Remember when all that we talked about was whether or not Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan were going to be able to pull off the deal to snag that the Stanford grad--considered by most for quite some time to be the best quarterback prospect since...well, since Peyton Manning? Guess what? Our trade to the second overall pick puts Andrew Luck squarely in our sights. The weird thing about it is that if we end up with Andrew Luck, Redskins fans are going to be--I can't believe I am about to suggest this--let down. At one time, landing Andrew Luck was everyone's wet dream. These days, it is being painted by some as a bit of a nightmare scenario. We are a bunch of big, dumb animals, aren't we?
2. I have long since grown tired of reminding people that the Redskins did not trade for Robert Griffin III. We actually traded for the second overall pick. Most people have assumed--and continue to assume--that RG3 is D.C.-bound. Not me.
3. I have projected Robert Griffin III to Indianapolis for a few months now. When I first started suggesting it shortly after the Super Bowl, people looked at me like I had three heads. Today, I am joined by people who are considered way smarter than me, and in fact I am accused of globbing onto their prediction. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter because...well...nobody cares and my reputation has always been based more on my looks and less on my smarts. This explains why my reputation is in the toilet.
4. Robert Griffin III is the best player in the draft (according to me, which, based on my aforementioned reputation, is worth slightly more than a bag of chips). As you all know, I base this decision on who I think should go #1 overall. It came down to three players: RG3, Andrew Luck and Matt Kalil. I have Kalil as the second-best player in this draft. You have to understand that we are really splitting hairs here--I know how absurd it sounds to rate Andrew Luck third in this draft. Kalil has the ability to be a perennial All-Pro. He will very likely be his team's best offensive lineman on his first day on the job. As good as Luck and Griffin are, Kalil is probably the surest thing this draft has to offer.
5. The Griffin vs. Luck debate is going to go down right there with the Leaf vs. Manning decision. There are plenty of reasons why those situations are different and plenty of reasons why they are the same. One thing is pretty certain: the Colts and Redskins will be judged for YEARS based on who they pick here and how it turns out. This is where it gets at least slightly interesting to me. The Colts have all the pressure on them. Sure, we traded away an unprecedented haul to be in position to take one of these quarterbacks, but we are not picking which one we want. Indy is picking the one they think is best. The Redskins are taking the scraps...haha. It would be slimy to say it, but Bruce Allen could always suggest that the one he really wanted was the one that the Colts took. (Slimy and stupid, really.)
1. The main reason why I think Tebow was an intriguing option for any team--including the Redskins--is that he forces defenses to prepare for him. Defensive coordinators install game plans during the week, deploying players to do specific things to stop what the upcoming opponent does best. In 2012, every defense who plays the Jets will have to prepare for the Sanchez-led offense as well as the Tebow-led read option package. I have never played in the league, but from what I hear, preparing to defend the Tebow offense is among the most boring things out there. The meetings are boring, the drills are boring, and even the games on Sunday can bore you to sleep. Every player on the defensive side of the ball has to play with incredible discipline, attending to his extremely unique job covering specific players and gaps. One mistake and Tebow rumbles for a huge gain. If Sanchez can display any kind of effectiveness and efficiency doing what he does, defensive coordinators will really be sweating out how to prepare their players. They'll be forced to spend more time on additional sets, and ultimately less time on everything. As long as the team who employs Tebow (in this case, the Jets) gets him on the field for a good 10-15 plays per game, they will enjoy the advantage of facing a defense each week that has been put through the wringer in practice.
2. Make no mistake: bringing Tim Tebow to your city is asking for a never-ending circus. At the end of the day, I think I see the Redskins as not really ready to handle that kind of mess. I am not so sure the Jets are better positioned for it than us. My theory: the Jets made the move to keep Tim Tebow away from New England. I do believe Rex Ryan and Tony Sparano will utilize Tebow effectively. If Tebow was in New England though...I would bet on him to make the Pro Bowl. Giving Belichick a player like Tim Tebow would be very, very bad for the Patriots' opponents--especially divisional opponents.
3. Last point on Tebow today: I agree with Steve Shoup--Tim Tebow will be starting for the Jets at some point this season. You think you saw chaos and drama in Denver last year? Wait until Tebow is starting in New York.
4. Speaking of mercurial quarterbacks...I have Rex Grossman piloting this Redskins team for at least the first six games of the season. If we draft RG3, he will absolutely get on the field right away, but only in selected situations. I think the Shanahans will develop a couple of packages for certain parts of the field that will maximize Griffin's ability to succeed and minimize his chances of getting hurt.
The news updates will continue to fly all day, but I just wanted to comment on the obvious: our offense is already better than it was yesterday morning.
We have not signed a Pro Bowl veteran quarterback, nor have we signed any true, top-shelf, #1 wide receivers.
BUT...both the quarterback position and the wide receiver position have been addressed in a way that signify honest-to-goodness improvements over what we have had.
If you look at what our offense was actually able to achieve in 2011--and I suppose I am only referring to the relative ease with which we were able to move the ball at times--with Rex Grossman and a group of average receivers, you have to be at least a little excited about our 2012 prospects. Having Luck/RG3 under center, throwing to a stable of young receivers who have all showed flashes in the NFL is not only more exciting, but potentially more dangerous.
Showing 1 - 8 of 122 Older
