By now, most football fans know that the NFL has decided to look into possible tampering by the Redskins relative to Albert Haynesworth. That’s a noteworthy and serious matter, but it’s not particularly important in terms of assessing the value Haynesworth brings to the Redskins. The issue which speaks directly to his value to the team is the fact he was charged late last year with reckless driving and driving on a suspended license.

For the record, Haynesworth has pleaded not guilty. Still, he’s facing the possibility of up to 7 months in jail. He could also be suspended by the league for as many as eight games, regardless of how favorably his legal case is resolved. Obviously, Albert Haynesworth’s immense value as a football player is only realized when he’s actually on the field. All of the legal maneuvering in the world may not enable him to play more than half of a season this year. And, if he’s convicted, Haynesworth could miss the entire season. You have to wonder if the Redskins knew a charge of this nature was pending when they signed him to his mega-deal. I tend to believe they did, and that they thought he was worth the risk.

As for that other matter - the tampering charge - cry me a river Tennessee. You had a year to sign the man to a new deal, and yet failed to do so. You didn’t even enter into serious talks until the end of December last year. And, you reportedly offered Haynesworth about one-third of what as many as six teams were willing to pay him.

Did the Redskins meet with Haynesworth’s agent too soon (at the Combine)? Apparently, they did. However, it’s totally reasonable to believe the focus of their discussion was Malcolm Kelly’s knee. After all, Chad Speck is Kelly’s agent too. Could Haynesworth’s name have come up? Duh. Were the parameters of a contract discussed? That’s something the league will have to decide and weigh.

If the league determines that the Redskins tampered with Haynesworth under its definition of the term, the team will likely lose a mid-round draft pick in next year’s draft. So, there’s definitely a substantive consequence to having the Commissioner’s ruling go against them. Nonetheless, if you believe a recent article by Fox Sports, tampering is a common practice (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9586094/Tampering-has-become-NFL’s-dirty-secret).

The issue of tampering is being reviewed by the Competition Committee. Until the committee implements a practical policy that all teams are actually expected to follow, singling out the Redskins won’t scare off other teams. Neither will it scare off the players’ agents. For their part, the Redskins won’t like losing a draft pick, but they’ll survive. Besides, me thinks the team will be a whole lot unhappier if Haynesworth doesn’t get on the field this year due to legal issues. Frankly, I believe he’s likely to miss half of the upcoming season, at a minimum.

Like many of you, I reflect on Memorial Day. First and foremost, I think about my dad who died 25 years ago from lung cancer. He smoked as a teen-ager, getting hooked on unfiltered Lucky Strikes while serving in the US Marine Corps. (At that time, the public was not aware of the dangers of tar and nicotine though the tobacco companies were starting to study their effects.) Speaking of the Marine Corps and all of our fallen military heroes, I am and will always be truly grateful for their sacrifices which continue to enable our way of life. Always.

When I think of my dad, I think of my best memories growing up, which largely included watching the Redskins together. Reflecting on those times on Memorial Day ultimately made me think of Sean Taylor. My last impression of him was a person who worked through character flaws to become what Greg Williams referred to as a fine man. He is still missed by many in Redskins’ Nation. So too are other members of the Redskins’ family. Dating back to 1932 when the team was called the Boston Braves, here is an alphabetized list of some of those who have passed: John ‘The Tree’ Adams, George Allen, Sammy Baugh, Cliff Battles, Ozzie Clay, Jack Kent Cooke, Carlton ‘Bud’ Erickson, Otto Graham, Mel Kaufman, Wally Kleine, Eddie Lebaron, Earl Leggett, Vince Lombardi, George Preston Marshall, Harold ‘The Tank’ McLinton, Kevin Mitchell, Fran O’Brien, Dave Sparks, Edward Bennett Williams.

Back to Sean Taylor … I was surprised at the utter lack of class and clear bias Colin Cowherd demonstrated the day after after his death. I was recently researching a comment on riggosrag.com by Redskinsguy when I came across an article by Dan Steinberg. The headline read: ‘Colin Cowherd on Sean Taylor’.

If you read past the first three paragraphs of Steinberg’s blog, the next few paragraphs are likely to make your blood boil. They did mine. I’ve listened to Colin Cowherd’s show many times, but didn’t start until 2008. No more. After confirming what Steinberg wrote, I’ll do as Cowherd himself suggested at the time and change the station. Not only is he classless to have made the statements he made about Taylor’s death, he’s sickening and pathetic. I knew the man was arrogant. I expect that from radio Talking Heads, especially those at ESPN. But Cowherd crossed the line. To me, and hopefully to many in Redskins’ Nation, he simply no longer exists. I don’t listen to morons, especially self-righteous ones.

Check out the following video, and you’ll hear from someone who routinely demonstrated a ton of class and actually knew Sean Taylor.

May all of the Redskins I named above, and those I should have named, rest in peace. From Redskins’ fans to all of you (and to my dad): thanks for the memories. In honor of your collective memory, DALLAS SUCKS.

In the Spring of 2008 there was a lot to like about Fred Davis. He had decent size for a Tight End, and was fast enough to line up occasionally as a Wide Out.  The year before he had been awarded the John Mackie Award. Davis led USC’s receivers with 62 catches, 42 of which resulted in first downs. His yards-per-catch average was just over 14. At the 2008 Combine, Davis ran a 4.76 40-yard dash while weighing 255 lbs. He was also timed at 4.67. With long arms and the strength to have benched 225lbs 24 times, he was quite the athelete.  Still, blocking was a shortcoming for him.

Despite his abilities, Fred Davis managed to underwhelm his teammates and the Redskins’ front office by oversleeping and missing a practice before his first training camp.  Gary Fitzgerald briefly reminded Redskins.com readers of that fact today when he wrote about Davis’ progress as a player. Fitzgerald’s article was informative, but he did not turn my focus to Davis.  Colin Cowherd of ESPN beat him to it.

I listen to Cowherd fairly regularly. We disagree on music (7 months in Seattle was enough for me) and personal ownership of guns. Otherwise, I tend to agree with him. He’s one of those cut and dried ‘what I think and say makes sense’ kind of guys. He’s very forthright, and is perfectly willing to justify his opinions.  Willing to do so or not, he simply can’t justify the label he heaped on Fred Davis during this morning’s show.   He doesn’t know the man or the player. If he did, he would not have lumped Davis in with a group of USC graduates whom he says have underachieved due to a poor work ethic.  To be sure, Fred Davis has yet to reward the Redskins for drafting him 48th overall in last year’s draft.  He only played in 11 games last season, and started just 2. And, he caught just 3 passes, averaging 9 yards.  Davis has a lot to prove.

But, just as judging the value of a draft pick after one season is short-sighted, labeling a player based on one incident from a year ago is lazy and irresponsible.  Fred Davis has grown up.  Jim Zorn, given his quote in Fitzgerald’s article, certainly thinks so. As for Davis, he described himself in the article as hungry and as someone who can get on the field if he keeps working hard. He has a goal, he acknowledges hard work is the path to achieve it, and he’s working hard.  It doesn’t sound to me like he has a work ethic issue.

My real problem with Cowherd’s characterization is that labels have a way of sticking.   Sure, he didn’t invent the “Fred Davis has a work eithic issue” comment.  He just regurgitated it a year later to make a point about USC.  Regardless of his purpose, he’s wrong about Davis.  So, here’s an idea Colin. (I can call you Colin, can’t I?)  How about interviewing Fred Davis?  Ask him about his work ethic, his progress, his goals, etc.   I mean, you did effectively trash him to a national radio audience.  You could always interview Jim Zorn and ask him about Davis.  If you do, you might just learn that the label you applied to him so easily hasn’t fit him in many months.  Display a little professional pride - talk to the man.

One more thought, Mr. Cowherd sir.  Please, please don’t let your Producer lead in with Soundgarden.  Nirvana was okay, but having seen the Black Hole Sun video, I think the guys in Soundgarden were just plain weird.

Mike Williams is a man on a mission; a big man on a mission. That mission is to start at Right Tackle for the Washington Redskins. At first glance, his history strongly suggests he’ll fail. That’s what multiple pundits clearly think, anyway. But, how realistic is that? Like anyone, there’s more to Williams than meets the eye. All you have to do is dig a bit, and you’ll notice that the issue isn’t his athletic ability. It’s his mental toughness and heart. That is to say, it’s his football want-to and his courage to dis an unforgiving mistress - food.

Here are a few facts about Mr. Williams …
He’s 6′ 6″ tall, which was the average height for Defensive Linemen at the 2002 NFL Combine;
He currently weighs about 400 lbs;
In 2002, he ran the 40 in 5.28 (1/100th faster than the average DL at his Combine);
In 2002, he benched 225 lbs 29 times (3 more than the average DL at his Combine);
In 2002, Gill Brandt remarked at how fleet of foot he was;
Won the Outland Trophy’
Was a unanimous All-American selection’
Was a Playboy Magazine Preseason All-American’
Was an All Big 12 Selection’
Was favorably compared to Bryant McKinney in draft previews;
Started 47 games for the Buffalo Bills in 4 seasons;
Played for 3 different line coaches at Buffalo;
Played for 2 failed head coaches at Buffalo.

Pro Football Weekly wrote this about Williams before the 2002 draft …
Awesome size. Huge all over and can play at 340 pounds without losing anything. Is still very young. Turned 21 in November and has just scratched the surface of his ability. A terrific athlete for one so large. Williams is very active, flexible, coordinated and light on his feet for a man his size. He has quick feet and quick, strong, explosive hands. Will often jar defenders with his hand punch. Can bend his knees, sink his hips and play with leverage, and when he does, no one is going to overpower or even push him backward. Can be a devastating drive blocker when he plays with leverage. Was the Longhorns’ co-offensive lineman of the year in 2000 while playing on the same line as Leonard Davis, the No. 2 overall draft pick last year. Williams was the team’s best blocker in 2001. Has Davis-like size and may be an even better athlete.

So, what’s the deal with this guy? I’ll tell you what it is. He needs to finish what he’s started - working with Derrick Dockery to lose the weight and get into great shape. He needs to make football his mistress and treat over-eating as his worst enemy. He needs to ignore what the pundits say. He needs to play angry every down, from the opening of training camp to the day he retires. He needs to learn better pass blocking technique from Joe Bugel. And lastly, the Redskins need to keep him at Right Tackle and not move him to Guard or Left Tackle.

If Williams does his part and the team does its part, Mike Williams will not only play Right Tackle for the Redskins, he’ll anchor what could be The Hogs, Edition II. Ultimately, it starts and ends with him. He has to decide - man or mouse? Based on what he’s accomplished so far this year, I see a man’s man.

Antwaan Randle El is one slippery dude. He’s quick, and he’ll cut on a dime.  He probably doesn’t receive enough recognition in the press for his receiving prowess.  The past two years he’s caught over 50 passes while playing in a less-than-prolific offense.  Last year he averaged over 11 yards-per-catch (YPC). The previous season he averaged over 14 YPC.  Some might expect a # 2 receiver to get open more frequently, but it’s not like he’s been playing in the most prolific offense on the planet since coming to Washington.  When Randle El catches the ball, he moves the chains.  And, he rarely fumbles.  The numbers tell us that, and they don’t lie.  Unfortunately, there’s another set of numbers which tell an entirely different story.
In his first year with the Redskins (2006), Randle El averaged nearly 9 yards per punt return. Among all punt returners, including those who only touched the ball a handful of times, his average yards-per-return ranking was 31st.   If you discount those who returned punts less than once per game, it appears he would have tied for 15th.   Not too shabby.   But, the past two seasons his average yards-per-return ranking against all returners was 51st (2007) and 54th (2008).   He fumbled twice in each year, and failed to run a punt back for a touchdown in either year.   In 2008 he led the league with 21 fair-catches.
Obviously, there are multiple factors at play here such as blocking schemes, injuries, Danny Smith’s instructions in certain situations, etc.  But, the fact is, Antwaan Randle El’s production as a punt returner is declining.  If you compared his 2007 average yardage output to just those players who returned at least one punt-per-game that season, he’d be ranked 21st out of 28. In 2008, that ranking would be 22nd out of 28.
I like Antwaan Randle El, a lot.  He’s a productive receiver who moves the chains.  He enhances the offense’s trick-play options, and he’s a class act.   But, someone else needs to step up and take over the punt return job.  Until that happens, forcing the other team to punt won’t result in the kind of field position the Redskins’ offense needs in order to be competitive at an elite level. There are other Special Teams’ performance issues, to be sure.  Still, this one needs to be addressed before the season opener against the Giants.

Daniel M. Snyder purchased the Washington Redskins and their new stadium in 1999. By 2001, this lifelong Redskins’ fan began to think Snyder was copying Jerry Jones’ marketing strategy a bit too closely. I believed that so strongly that I contacted Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News in the summer of 2001 and told him it seemed to me Dan Snyder was the ‘bastard son of Jerry Jones”. I’m not proud of that comment, and Mr. Cowlishaw, to his credit, wasn’t very receptive to it. Let’s face it though; Dan Snyder made more than a few decisions that irritated and embarrassed many of the Redskins’ faithful. That whole deal where training camp attendees were charged $10.00 each was particularly vexing. Dan Snyder’s dream come true – owning the Redskins and restoring them to greatness – felt more and more like a nightmare to me. Nonetheless, I believe in giving credit where credit is due. And in Mr. Snyder’s case, credit is due. Over the past 5 years, he’s run the team much more wisely than he did prior to Joe Gibbs’ reincarnation. Of course, you wouldn’t think so listening to the mainstream media.

Look and listen; you could see and hear the winds of change blowing

The hiring of Joe Gibbs … I don’t know what terms Gibbs demanded upon rejoining the Redskins as Head Coach. From the outside looking in, it appears he was allowed to have a tangible, positive impact on the team’s front office. You began hearing less about Snyder and Vinny Cerrato, and more about Gibbs. You also began hearing criticism of draft selections, few as they were, rather than hindsight mocking of big-ticket, past-their-prime free-agent signings. The right topics were gradually being discussed. Foundational change was in the air.

The hiring of Jim Zorn … Zorn may or not be successful in his first stint as a Head Coach. Time will tell. But, I haven’t heard anyone argue that Dan Snyder failed to state his rationale for anointing Zorn as Gibbs’ replacement. Snyder knew what he was looking for, and ultimately, he acted on his best judgment rather than impetuously going with a big name. Question Snyder’s judgment and his criteria all you want, but at least he acted in a logical manner that can be explained in terms other than “I’m the owner, I’ll do as I please.”

The QB trade that didn’t happen … Dan Snyder took a lot of flack in the electronic media for exploring the possibilities of a trade for Jay Cutler and for the right to draft Mark Sanchez. But, he didn’t make the trade. He discussed it, so what? Media pundits pounced all over him for that, suggesting he had irreparably damaged Jason Campbell’s psyche. The worst example of that occurred earlier this week. The NFL Network displayed a caption that read ‘Redskins’ QB Quandary’. Are you kidding me? Did Jason Campbell sound for one minute like he thinks there’s a quandary? Has Zorn sounded like he doesn’t know who his starter will be this season? Puhlease! Besides, if the owner of the team explores the possibility of a trade, that’s his job. Coaching Campbell up in the midst of those considerations is Zorn’s job, and playing to his peak level regardless is Campbell’s job. Everybody at Redskins’ Park is doing his and her job. Some in the media apparently think their job is to try and invent the news rather than simply report it.

Today’s Dan Snyder is not the Dan Snyder of old. He doesn’t refer publicly to his wife’s comments about which punter to sign. He spends millions on star players who are still in their respective primes. And, he didn’t trade away the 13th pick in the draft just because he could have made a splash. When it comes to Snyder, it’s about time the mainstream media reported today’s news and stopped clinging to yesterday’s sound-bites.

Hallelujah!

I was skeptical when the Redskins signed a huge contract to make a big splash to grab high-priced Free Agent Albert Haynesworth.  I just didn’t think he would be able to turn things around all by himself, and obviously our record of signing big name free agents isn’t exactly perfect. However, the Redskins finally did the sensible thing and avoided the temptation of trading up for USC Quarterback Mark Sanchez.  Instead, the bargain of the draft may have fallen into their laps.  Big name defensive end Brian Okapo fell to #13 and the Redskins wasted a whole 2.7 seconds before pulling the trigger. It might not be as flashy as a Mark Sanchez, but I think it will help the team win and it will help them win THIS YEAR.  I mean, we might have an actual pass rush this year!  I can’t believe I actually just typed that; somebody pinch me!

I think I was more excited than Jets fans when I saw them trade for Sanchez.  While I’m not a huge Jason Campbell supporter, we had much more pressing needs and if we were going to blow a bunch of picks for a quarterback, we’d have been much better off getting a known franchise guy when Cutler was available.  But thank goodness, the Redskins managed to stay reasonably sensible and they stuck to their guns and got a great player and a real need.

So far, so good…

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Albert Haynesworth, the marquis name of the 2009 free agency, has signed with the Washington Redskins for a mind-boggling 7 year, 100 million dollars.  The deal likely makes him the highest paid defensive player in the league.  The 27 year old player could potentially add exactly what the team has lacked for so long — a decent pass rush. It’s certainly refreshing to see Washington voluntarily address defensive line needs, though the past experience in free agency cannot help but make me cringe a little at the sheer price tag involved.

The team also signed one-time bargain basement corner DeAngelo Hall to a 6 year contract worth 55 million.  Scuttlebutt also mentions names such as Offensive Lineman Derrick Dockery, Dallas Defensive End Chris Canty as potential points of interest.  Shawn Springs seems likely to become a salary cap casualty, meaning that we’re going to rely on Hall to potentially start which is a scary proposition.  I liked him when we had him for dirt cheap, but now that we’re paying real money, I’m especially wary of him returning to his Oakland Raiders form.  Without knowing the particulars however (especially the signing bonus), it’s difficult to say how cap-friendly the contract is, so it’s possible that it’s still a reasonable deal.

I want very badly to get excited about these signings,  I really do.  Still, the Pavlovian response in me is to cringe when I see this sort of spending spree.  Maybe it will work out.  Maybe if we stick our hand in the fire enough times we’ll find one that doesn’t burn us.  I suppose anything is possible.  Prove me wrong Redskins.  I’m begging you.

At least we didn’t have to give up any draft picks I suppose.