HAIL....The Washington Redskins Thread!

I didn't know the Raiders had a thread here.

Won't take much to look like a hero there.

Raidernation is omnipresent.

Here is what most other fans don't understand with the Raiders and Al (PBUH): when Al was the GM, the fans didn't worry about him using the position as an audition for another job with a different team. Al was the Raiders. While other teams hired mercenary management teams that represent the worst in corporate America, Raiders fans always knew that their GM was always about the Raiders. There was never a thought of turning the GM position into a president position with another team.

When other fans see their GM and owners, they are wearing a business suit. Not Al. He was right there in Raiders team gear. Subtle difference but there it is: the other guys are businessmen first and fans second. Not Al. Was that always for the best of the team? Probably not but I like it.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/11/theres-a-lot-anti-manning-sentiment-in-washington/

http://www.hogshaven.com/2012/2/13/2794960/john-beck-still-confident-he-can-be-the-guy



Great guy.....just not a great QB.........

A few butterbeers and a little help from Hermione and he can be.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/sports/cheers-and-jeers/2012/02/redskins-likely-pass-flynn-qb/270836

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...yan-tannehill/2012/02/14/gIQAFZFXDR_blog.html

I agree. I think they would have had the division if not for the injuries this season. Without Jamal Charles, the offense was pretty anemic. He makes the offense. The defense stood up without Berry, but there were a couple games that he probably would have made a big difference. We were down to the third string safety for a couple games. :eek1 I don't know if there is anyone slower in the NFL than Sabby Piscatelli.

[QUOTE I don't know if there is anyone slower in the NFL than Sabby Piscatelli.[/QUOTE]

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" cellPadding=2><TBODY><TR><TD style="WIDTH: 459px" class=style22>Sabby Piscitelli






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<SUP>Position - Free Safety
Height - 6'3
Weight - 224
Born - 1983
Number - 42
College -
</SUP>Oregon State
<SUP>Sabby Piscitelli was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after putting up impressive stats at the NFL Combine including running a 4.44 second 40 yard dash. Piscitelli broke his foot after just 3 games in the NFL and was placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season. He was dealt to the Cleveland Browns, and then the very next year to the Kansas City Chiefs. </SUP>
<SUP></SUP>
<SUP>Referred to as the "Jersey Shore meets the NFL", Piscitelli is known more for his looks than his performance on the field. </SUP>
<SUP></SUP>
<SUP>He has had a unique chance to gain playing time in the 2011 season with the untimely injury of starting star safety Eric Berry</SUP>
<SUP></SUP>
<SUP></SUP>
<SUP></SUP>
<SUP></SUP>
<SUP></SUP>

Former Redskins QB Mark Rypien is speaking about about the Redskins situation, and he says that the team should by all means go after Colts QB Peyton Manning, that is if he’s made available by the Colts.
“This is a different bird here,” Rypien said on ESPN 980 in Washington, according to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post. “Now, the one thing that I would say is, if he’s healthy. That’s the one piece of this puzzle that would be a little bit alarming is his health and that neck injury that he had.
“And if that’s OK and he’s OK, there’s no reason at all that you would not bring [in] that guy, unless we as Redskins fans don’t want to go back to Super Bowls. I mean, [unless] we got kind of bored with going to Super Bowls and we don’t care anymore about going back to Super Bowls so we’ll just kind of stay where we’re at — unless we’re there — then this guy is the real deal. His brother had a great Super Bowl and is an amazing player; [but] this guy takes it to a different level. Eli makes some physical plays that are amazing, but Peyton’s gonna put you in positions and do things on a football field that’s gonna make you win. That’s just the facts.
“That’s my personal opinion. I know the guy, I know his physical abilities, but more importantly I think he’s got a mental outlook on this game that none other [players] that I’ve seen have. He definitely would be someone I would consider highly to [lead] the Redskins, if that’s the direction they’re going.”
If the Skins decide not to go after Manning, many feel they will go after Robert Griffith III in the upcoming April NFL Draft. There’s always the option of Matt Flynn, the Packers QB who will be hitting the free agent market in March as well.

Yesterday, it was two hours with the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock and Thursday, it was an hour by the camp fire with ESPN’s Todd McShay to discuss the draft.

McShay delivered the goods during his conference call. He said Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III is the type of player teams should trade up for – chiefly Cleveland from No. 4 to second and the Redskins from sixth overall to No. 2.

Talking about the Browns, McShay said: “I would do it. I wouldn’t do it for any other position.”

Talking about the Redskins, he said: “They drafted very well last year and it’s a big draft this year for Washington. Nailing the draft this year is going to be huge, not just for the short term but the long term. If they get a good deal, they should move back. If not, [LSU’s] Morris Claiborne, a shutdown corner, would certainly be worth that pick.”

McShay, who confirmed the consensus on St. Louis’ pick being up “for public auction,” said the Redskins could move into the No. 2 spot by trading Nos. 6 and 39 to the Rams. I respectfully disagree, just by the Trade Chart analysis that was posted this morning.

As for picking Claiborne at No. 6, that seems to be a popular theme, but I think the Redskins will look elsewhere if they sign a free agent cornerback.

McShay on other topics:

On Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III:

McShay: “He’s really grown on me. I went back and watched a few games from 2010 and I loved him as an athlete, but as an athlete, but didn’t think he was consistent enough with his accuracy. I thought he was more of a third round-type player and maybe wouldn’t even work as a quarterback. But this year, I saw improvement, especially with his accuracy down the field. He showed a lot more touch and he was able to drop the ball in. Can he improve? Of course he can. Sometimes, he has to take some heat off the fastball but he’s made huge strides.

“What I like about him is that he’s a true passer first. He’s not an impatient guy. … I love his mental make-up – he’s a leader, he’s tough and he’s smart. I haven’t found a person who has said anything but great things about him and his understanding of offensive concepts. In most other drafts, he would be legit competing for the No. 1 pick. If Cleveland wants him, they need to move up and get him. I would be surprised if he even gets to No. 3. If not Cleveland, it’s going to be Washington leap-frogging to get him at No. 2.”

Also during the call, McShay hit on a point where I literally said, “Bingo.”

He said: “Ultimately, if you take a great quarterback, you take a great quarterback and tweak your system to what he does best.”

I’ll throw more quick hitters up in the next few days, but here are some other nuggets:

*McShay said Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill could go in the top 15 and he ranked the passers, in order, as Andrew Luck, Griffin, Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, Brandon Weeden/Nick Foles. “Tannehill is the best of the second tier,” McShay said.

*McShay doesn’t expect Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon to last beyond the top 10 picks, but puts him more in the Julio Jones/Dez Bryant category than the Calvin Johnson/A.J. Green section.

*And being brutally honest, McShay said of his role: “Anything I say has zero effect on what an NFL team will do.” About agents calling him to pump up their clients, he added: “To be honest, it used to be a lot worse. I don’t know, maybe I’ve shut them out for so long, they don’t call anymore. I get e-mails. More so with the guys representing smaller-school guys to make sure we get a look at them. … Nothing you can say to me will change my opinion on a player.”

Clinton Portis says he had a ‘bad breakup’ with Redskins

By Dan Steinberg
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(John McDonnell - THE WASHINGTON POST) Last week came word that Clinton Portis still wanted to play NFL football, and that he had struggled with the idea of playing in 2011 because he was “heartbroken” over the end of his Redskins tenure.
Monday, Portis explained himself further during an interview with John Thompson on ESPN 980, and he took the love metaphor to the next step.
“I really don’t feel like the terms I exited on was my goodbye,” Portis said. “You know, I feel like I’ve got a lot left in the tank. If there’s some questions left, I want to put those questions to rest. I feel as if I can still do it, and I want to....
“Like I said before, it was like a bad breakup, when you’ve been somewhere for so long and all of the sudden you’re gone and you’re to blame for everything,” he later explained. “It was just a bad breakup. And for myself it was a question, can I really go to another city? Do I really want to move and go through this? Will I still have the same desire to go out and play for heart?
You know, I’m not playing for monetary reasons. Wherever I go, it’s not gonna [be like] oh, Clinton just signed a $10 million deal. So for myself, it’s really just about going to the right situation and having the right opportunity to go out and play and really enjoy playing again. So that’s what I’m looking forward to. I really want to go to the right situation that I can come in and just have fun and make my run and my exit be a memorable one.”
Portis said there are teams that are talking with his representatives, but that he didn’t want to make any names public. He did say that he wanted to go to a team with a bond that could go on a run like the Giants did last season, or a team that could have a quick turnaround like the 49ers.
“There’s no situation you can pick and say well this is gonna be the team,” he said. “I just want it to be wherever I go to that I can find a way to relate to my teammates and help my teammates move forward and we put together a magical run.”
Portis said he would be fine in a backup role or in a competition for playing time, and that “if I go out and play, my work’s gonna speak for itself. If I go out and perform the way I’m capable of performing, I don’t have to worry about playing a secondary role.”
And he also said that he would be more vocal about his desire to play football.
“Just for myself, I really don’t ever think I took the forefront last year to really say I want to play ball,” Portis said. “And it was probably one of the better decisions that I’ve made, to take the time off and really reflect and enjoy and appreciate the things that I have accomplished, and realize and set some goals to go out and accomplish again. So that’s what I did. I re-set my goals, and I’m looking forward to accomplishing them.”

LaRon Landry hasn’t played a whole lot of football in recent seasons, but it looks like he’s still been lifting weights. Or elephants. Or elephants stuffed with weights.
(Via his Twitter feed.)

Posted at 05:46 PM ET, 02/25/2012 Redskins wide receiver Leonard Hankerson has surgery on hip

By Mike Jones

Washington Redskins wide receiver Leonard Hankerson had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip last Tuesday after nearly three months of rehabilitation failed to correct the problem.
Hankerson, whom Washington selected in the third round of the 2011 draft out of the University of Miami, announced the news on his Twitter account (@HankTime85).
Hankerson said that he expects to be healthy in time for the start of training camp.
“Ok well the bad news is, I got surgery on Tuesday, and the good news is, I’ll be ready 2 go b4 camp start,” Hankerson tweeted.
When reached for more details Saturday evening, Redskins senior vice president Tony Wyllie said the team had no comment. Hankerson’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, didn’t immediately respond to a message left for him.
Hankerson suffered the injury on Nov. 13 while playing against the Miami Dolphins. In that game, the 6-foot-2, 209-pound Hankerson recorded a career-high eight catches for 106 yards.
But he suffered the injury late in the game, and the following day was placed on injured reserve.
Hankerson had spent the entire offseason working with Washington’s athletic trainers in hopes that the therapy would correct the problem. In January, Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan had said that Hankerson was on target to return to full strength by the start of the team’s offseason conditioning program in April. But it wasn’t clear if Hankerson had a setback, or if the treatments simply didn’t work as hoped.
The uncertainty of Hankerson’s health further heightens the Redskins’ needs to acquire help at the wide receiver position this offseason.
The team already had hoped to add a big-play receiver either through the draft or free agency, and had hoped to pair that player with a healthy Hankerson, veterans Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney and Anthony Armstrong.
Now the team could seek to add a receiver both in the draft and free agency.

Rob Carr - Getty ImagesMore photos »
Gotta do something to save a sagging reputation, why not make a bid trade?


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It took approximately 4.38 seconds for the rumor mill to get a renewed sense of vigor on Sunday morning. Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III commanded the spotlight all week in Indianapolis, and his jaw-dropping 40 time only added fuel to the fire. Howard Eskin of 94 WIP Sports Radio and NBC 10 in Philly is reporting that the Washington Redskins are willing to offer the St. Louis Rams a very substantial package of draft picks in exchange for the Rams' second pick in the draft and the chance to draft Griffin.
For more, follow us on Twitter @TurfShowTimes, and be sure to tune into Turf Show Radio today at 4 p.m. Central.
Just what kind of offer are we talking about here? A big one, the kind that changes the fortunes of a franchise over night, or at least over the course of three days in April.

Eskin cites sources inside the Redskins organization who say they are prepared to offer their top three picks in the 2012 NFL Draft as well as at least one more in 2013 in exchange for the second pick.

<A class="screen-name url" href="https://twitter.com/howardeskin" data-screen-name="howardeskin"> Howard Eskin

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I'm told by people within Redskins they are prepared to offer picks 1,2 and 3 this year, at least a 1 next year to move up to get RG3 at 2


26 Feb 12

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Washington has picks in the first (6th), second (#39) and third (#70). Given the hype around Griffin, asking for a first-round pick in 2013 would not be out of line.
The second- and third-round picks could be very lucrative for the Rams. The Rams have the first pick of the second round, and this trade would give them two picks in the first six. That could be packaged for a trade up into the bottom of the first round or used as they are to find some talented players who slip out of the first 32.
Options. However you want to look at it, this many picks would give the Rams options to move around the draft board, something Fisher and Snead both discussed in the Combine media sessions.
If Washington is willing to offer that, what about the other suitors? Cleveland has the most attractive potential trade package with two first-round picks. Those would also allow the Rams to move around the board, if they so desired.
The bidding for Griffin is only going to get more intense. His pro day is March 21.

McNabb doesn’t see Peyton playing for the Redskins


I’ve been saying for weeks that the idea of quarterback Peyton Manning wanting to play for the Redskins makes no sense, for several reasons. First, he won’t want to compete in the same division with his brother, Eli. Second, the Redskins aren’t particularly all that competitive. Third, the climate combined with a chewed-up field that hosts periodic college games doesn’t provide the kind of laboratory conditions that are conducive to big passing numbers. And, fourth, a quarterback accustomed to running the offense won’t mesh well with an offensive coordinator who is accustomed to running the quarterback like a kid playing a video game.
On that last point, a former Redskins quarterback agrees.
“Peyton’s not gonna go there,” McNabb recently told ESPN 980, via Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post. “I don’t see Peyton ending up in Washington. Because what happens is now, you’re bringing in another veteran who will be 35 36, who has been in one offense throughout his career. It’s the same situation.”
The same situation, of course, as the one McNabb confronted.
“Now he comes over, and as they say now, Peyton is such an offensive coordinator on the offense,” McNabb said. “So now what does that do to your offensive coordinator? Does he step down? Does he step back? Does he begin to change the whole offense according to the play of the quarterback that he has in Peyton Manning? Well, I didn’t see that happen, so I definitely don’t see that happening for Peyton.”
McNabb is right. But he’s overlooking two things. First, there’s a chance the Shanahans have changed as a result of the McNabb experience. Second, McNabb was micromanaged for 11 years in Philly; Peyton has been running the show for most of his career.
Still, the fit’s not there. Manning will use Washington’s interest (along with Miami’s) to drive up the price that someone else will pay. And so it will be a shock if he plays for the Redskins or the Dolphins — and frankly more of a shock if he ends up at FedEx Field.

Posted at 12:51 PM ET, 02/29/2012 Redskins may pursue free agents Vincent Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Marques Colston in the hunt for an impact WR

By Mark Maske

The Washington Redskins are making plans to add a high-profile wide receiver in an NFL free agent market that has them in abundance, according to several people familiar with the team’s deliberations.
Most of the speculation about the Redskins’ planned offseason retooling has focused on their strategy to upgrade at quarterback. But offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has publicly acknowledged the team’s need for a big-play wide receiver, and people with knowledge of the Redskins’ plans say they appear to be focusing on the free agent market, which opens March 13, rather than the draft, for that player.

San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson scores against the Dolphins on Oct. 2. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)Such a move could aid the development of a young quarterback if the Redskins add one, perhaps by trading up in the NFL draft to select Baylor’s Heisman Trophy winner, Robert Griffin III, in April. Or it could make for a more potent offense built around a veteran quarterback if the Redskins are able to sign Peyton Manning, who soon may be released by the Indianapolis Colts, or Kyle Orton in free agency.
The Redskins didn’t have a player ranked among the league’s top 25 in receiving yards last season. Their leader in receiving yards, wideout Jabar Gaffney, was tied for 26th in the league with 947 yards.
Several people in the sport said a leading target for the Redskins could be San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson. The issue with Jackson, as with some of the other top receivers with expiring contracts, is whether he will remain available after Monday’s deadline for teams to use their franchise-player tags. The Chargers, according to one source, have not ruled out using their franchise-player designation on Jackson but seem to be leaning against doing so.
Jackson had 60 catches for 1,106 yards and nine touchdowns for the Chargers last season. He has topped 1,000 receiving yards in three of the last four seasons and would become the Redskins’ clear No. 1 receiver. He averaged 18.4 yards per catch last season.
Another receiver who could draw interest from the Redskins is Pierre Garcon, a prospective free agent who has spent his four NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Garcon has not been as productive as Jackson, and has not had a 1,000-yard season in the NFL. But he had 70 catches for 947 yards and six touchdowns last season even with Manning out of the lineup, and he is likely to be in demand on the free agent market. Garcon reportedly rejected a recent contract Colts offer worth about $35 million over five seasons.
Fellow Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne also is eligible for free agency, and one source familiar with the situation in Indianapolis said he would not be surprised to see Manning join a new team and bring along f former teammates, including Wayne and Garcon. But others in the league said they weren’t certain how much influence Manning’s destination would have over free-agent decisions of Garcon and others. It seems likely, they said, that the Redskins would pursue Garcon even if they failed to land Manning.
The free-agent market could be well-stocked with receivers for the Redskins and other interested teams even if Jackson and Garcon sign elsewhere. The list of wideouts eligible for unrestricted free agency also includes Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe, Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson, New England’s Wes Welker, Marques Colston of New Orleans, Buffalo’s Stevie Johnson, the New York Jets’ Plaxico Burress and the New York Giants’ Mario Manningham. Bowe, Welker and DeSean Jackson are candidates for their teams’ franchise tags, however.
The Saints appear willing to use their franchise tag on quarterback Drew Brees if they’re unable to sign him to a contract extension before Monday’s deadline. If they can complete a deal with Brees, the Saints would be able to use their franchise designation on another free agent. But they might choose to apply it to guard Carl Nicks and leave Colston free to test the market.
Colston has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in five of his six NFL seasons since the Saints selected him with a seventh-round draft pick out of Hofstra. He had 80 catches for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns last season as Brees set the NFL’s single-season record for passing yards.

Former Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has found himself in a little bit of trouble with the NFL investigating the bounty system that he employed while serving as the defensive coordinator with the Redskins. The use of a bounty system so far can be traced back to when Williams was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, as former Bills safety told the Buffalo News that Williams praised him for ending the career of then Detroit Lions running back James Stewart.

Wire ended the career of Detroit Lions running back James Stewart with a clean hit in a 2003 preseason game. Wire had trouble justifying the idea of waylaying a man's livelihood against the rousing praise heaped upon him by teammates and coaches.
"Now, it's unthinkable that was my reality," Wire said. "I shattered James Stewart's shoulder, and he never played again. I was showered with praise for that. It's a shame that's how it was. Now I see how wrong that was."
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The punishment for Williams and the teams that allowed him to employ the bounty system is still to be determined, but the NFL will also need to check if the team as a whole we're as involved as they were like in the case of the Saints, which had the head coach and general manager ignore the owner of the team telling them to discontinue it. Williams has had stops in Buffalo, Washington, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and now is with the St. Louis Rams.

By Mike Jones
When the Washington Redskins placed the franchise tag on tight end Fred Davis last Friday, the team elected to go with the “non-exclusive” tag.
That means that any team wishing to sign the four-year veteran would have to give Washington two first-round draft picks as compensation.



The Redskins opted to place a non-exclusive franchise tag on Fred Davis, above. (Rob Carr - Getty Images) a long-term deal with the Redskins, he will play on a one-year guaranteed salary of a little more than $5 million for Washington.
The Redskins had the option of placing an “exclusive” franchise tag on Davis, and that would have prevented any teams from pursuing the tight end.
But according to the NFL, of the 21 players that received franchise tags by Monday’s deadline, only New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees received the exclusive franchise tag.

Citing “several people familiar with the Redskins’ thinking,” the Washington Post reported Wednesday morning that Mike Shanahan’s team will make an aggressive bid to sign quarterback Peyton Manning after he’s released by the Colts.
On SportsCenter Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter listed the Redskins, along with the Cardinals, Dolphins, and Jets, as the four most “legitimate” suitors for Manning.
Per the Post‘s Mike Jones, the Redskins are “poised to make an aggressive effort” to land Manning, and “will pursue him intently.” The Skins are reportedly already comfortable with the medical risks involved.
A person with knowledge of the organization’s thinking also told Jones that the Redskins will turn their attention to trading up in the draft for Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, if the Manning pursuit comes up empty. It’s also possible the Redskins would pair Manning with a young passer, and groom him behind the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer.
Washington probably wouldn’t be inclined to use the No. 6 overall pick on a quarterback if it signed Manning. But Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden, Arizona State’s Brock Osweiler, Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins, and underrated B.J. Coleman of Tennessee-Chattanooga could be options in the later rounds.