So, Has Free Agency Started Yet?

Last time we checked in, the Redskins had offered tenders to 10 players and released 10 more. The ones who were shown the door, for the most part, were well recognized and very popular among teammates and fans.

PLAYERS RELEASED

RB Ladell Betts

RB Rock Cartwright

QB Todd Collins

DT Cornelius Griffin

RB Marcus Mason

WR Antwaan Randle El

DL J.D. Skolnitsky

CB Fred Smoot

G Randy Thomas

FB Eddie Williams

PLAYERS  OFFERED TENDERS

QB Jason Campbell – Original Round (First)

CB Carlos Rogers – Original Round (First)

S Reed Doughty – Second Round

DL Kedric Golston – Second Round

T Stephon Heyer – Second Round

LB Rocky McIntosh – Second Round

LB Chris Wilson – Second Round

DT Anthony Montgomery – Original Round (Fifth)

OL Will Montgomery – Original Round (Seventh)

LB Lorenzo Alexander – Right of First Refusal

The releasing of players seemed to be the beginning of true restructuring in this organization, and rebuilding from a personnel stand point.  For those of us who are accustomed to the spending ways of the Washington Redskins, you could have imagined them going after the high priced, trophy free agents.  Julius Peppers, Darren Sproles, and Karlos Dansby immediately come to mind.  But by day’s end, Peppers went to Chicago.  Sproles looks to remain in San Diego, and Dansby appears to be headed to Miami.

In years past, the Redskins mortgaged away their future and traded picks for big names.  However, none of that happened in Ashburn. The Batimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks, however, used the Redskins formula for spending on to aquire players of their own.   The Seahawks look to send their sixth overall pick to Denverin exchange for the services of Brandon Marshall. The Ravens, meanwhile, only had to give up a third and fourth round pick, to secure Anquan Boldin.

All these moves, yet the Skins aren’t budging.  Maybe they feel, as some do, that the amount of talent available is not worth the asking price. It is not not like they cannot they compete in the money, game because everyone knows that the Skins have that. The talks yesterday with Chad Clifton, led to no contract, and Clifton is now back in Green Bay with a new contract with them.  Perhaps failure to secure him may be in the Redskins best interests, as they can look to draft a stud offensive lineman.

It looks like the Redskins will continue doing due diligence, as Larry Foote and Willy Parker (both former and current Steelers) will be coming in for visits.  These to me look just like that, due diligence.  Though the moves that have been made have not been stellar, they have been business like, rather that splashy.  Though, I have no opinion on the players signed or being met with, I throughly approve of the manner things are going.

Tags: Chad Clifton, Larry Foote, Tony Pashos, Willy Parker