There is no doubt that this is very preliminary but I thought it would interesting to look at how the cornerback and safety positions might play out. Now the team could decide to keep more players, but I'm guessing they keep nine defensive backs, likely five corners and four safeties. Today I'll look at the corner backs:
:
Josh Wilson: Wilson is a lock to make this team and should emerge as the number one cornerback on this team.
DeAngelo Hall: Hall might not be a lock to be with the Skins long term, but for next year at this point his job is safe. He's a bit overpaid, but he will be a starter.
Cedric Griffin: Griffin when healthy is a solid veteran who can also help out at FS. I wouldn't say he's a lock, but his versatility will likely keep him on the roster.
Brandyen Thompson: Thompson was a 7th round rookie last year who was brought up multiple times during the season. He'll be battling for a roster spot, but could have a led up given him having a little experience and potential.
Update 1:50PM: via @adbrandt: Am told by league source that Cowboys and Redskins are issuing a joint statement saying they accept the decision. Case closed.
NFL.com reporter, Jeff Darlington, just reported that the Redskins lost their challenge regarding the salary cap penalty:
@JeffDarlington - News from Pash: The arbitrator has rejected challenge filed by Redskins & Cowboys on salary cap situation, granting NFL's motion to dismiss claim.
Is any one really shocked Goodell would win this battle even though collusion was obvious? It'll be interesting to see what Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen publicly say now.
Here's a photo summarizing this story and the outcome.....
SB Nation's own, Amy Nelson, filmed another fun video at the Rookie Premiere this past weekend. This time, SB Nation handed the microphones and cameras over to the players...fun ensues (as does a plug for Adidas).
NFL Videos: RG3 works out with vets, Shanahan injured
Redskins first round draft pick Robert Griffin III worked out for the first time with the teams veteran players on Monday during the Skins organized team activities.
Redskins TEs Davis, Cooley have something to prove | Washington Examiner
One couldn’t finish the season because of health; the other because of drugs. So both Chris Cooley (knee) and Fred Davis (suspension) have something to prove at tight end for the Redskins
LeRibeus already learning three positions - Rich Tandler's Real Redskins
After the Redskins rookie minicamp two weeks ago we knew that Josh LeRibeus was going to be called on to play center. What we learned today was that he will learn to be a jack of all trades in the middle of the offensive line. The third-round draft pick out of SMU has been busy and he is going to continue to be. At today’s OTA at Redskins Park he lined up at right guard, left guard, and center. It...
Robert Griffin III impresses at Washington Redskins' OTAs - Don Banks - SI.com
"Obviously them being able to get into that second pick [of the draft] was something huge for me,'' said Fletcher, the Redskins middle linebacker since 2007 and a veteran of many playoff-less seasons. "I'm a guy in my 15th season and going into another year with not having a quarterback was not very appealing to me, I'll tell you that. So when they were able to make the trade, knowing we would be getting either Andrew Luck or him, it definitely made the situation a lot brighter as far as coming back here. I've had enough years of that other stuff.''
The Washington Redskins put together another solid draft entering year three under Mike Shanahan. We finally got our quarterback of the future in Robert Griffin III, but almost as importantly, we grabbed three solid linemen who all should add immediate depth with the potential to develop into solid players down the road.
The really interesting guy for me in the 2012 draft is Tom Compton. I'm curious to see how he adjusts to the speed of the NFL. The kid had a very nice combine running a 5.1 40, having a 30" vert, and did well in his agility drills, with a 4.60 short shuttle, and a 7.59 3-cone drill. He also played well in the East-West Shrine game, and was a beast in college at little known South Dakota.
The Redskins' current Safety depth chart to put it bluntly is messy: Brandon Meriweather (recent law troubles), Tanard Jackson are penciled in at Free Safety, and Madieu Williams joins the two holdovers, Reed Doughty and DeJon Gomes at Strong Safety. With 7th round draft pick Jordan Bernstine from Iowa trying to win a roster spot, I asked former Redskins and Hawkeyes' safety, Matt Bowen, what it'll take for him to excel in Washington:
Bernstine played both Safety positions at Iowa, which spot do you think he'd excel at most in D.C and the NFL? I tend to think in that SS Laron Landry role where he's physical and close to the line of scrimmage.
Bowen: Bernstine is an "in the box" safety at this stage of his development. At Iowa, the Hawks were a zone team and their core scheme was Cover 6 (Quarter, Quarter, Half). Bernstine is the type of safety that can align off the ball, read his run/pass key and fill downhill with speed.
Bernstine has special teams skills, but do you think it's enough to crack the 53-man roster or is he a practice squad guy?
Video of practice inside the bubble after the jump.
1. Offensive line--You won't know how good your offensive line is going to be during or directly after May OTA's, but you can't have a good offensive line if something doesn't start materializing now. We should expect to hear coaches heap praise on guys like Trent Williams and Jammal Brown, assuming they tie their shoes right and show up. Can Chris Chester and Jammal Brown start getting on the same page this week? The right side of our line practically depends on it. I'll be listening intently to see how Josh LeRibeus fares working in at different spots, but let's not get our hopes up too much there. More than anything else, you want to see that guys didn't roll into this week sporting an extra 30 or 40 pounds.
2. Safety--Get used to the drama that will be ever-present in our secondary this summer. With so much uncertainty at the safety position, our attention is going to be fixed back there through August and into September. When we focus our attention on something, drama unfolds. It isn't that we have bad players battling for the safety spots--it is that we have no great players there. Here is what will be key for me: I don't want to hear about how a guy like Brandon Meriweather is "rejuvenated" in May, June or even July. I could care less if Cedric Griffin is "reinventing himself" as a potentially great safety. I have no interest in the potential "leap year" for DeJon Gomes being touted in the summer heat. You get the idea...none of it matters right now. We better get four or five guys ready to play by September and be comfortable with what each of them can do, because we are going to likely have to play them all. I want to hear about guys who are putting in extra classroom time. I want to hear about Reed Doughty providing the new guys with daily downloads of his experience and knowledge. We are going to have to rely on our safeties playing smart this season, because--at least from this vantage point--it doesn't appear that we have guys who can just coast on God-given ability.
3. Running back--This is where I do want to hear about guys showing signs of "getting it" after their first year in the Shanahan's system. This is where I can handle hearing the unnecessary superlatives applied to guys who are still four months away from playing Sunday ball. How does Helu look? Where is Royster's head? How far away is Hightower from being 100%? How are these guys working together? Tell me everything you can about Alfred Morris.
