Nov 27, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson (7) scrambles with the ball as Washington Redskins strong safety LaRon Landry (30) chases during the 1st half at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

As a lifelong Redskins fan I believe I can speak for most when I say that I’m almost excited to not have this guy on the roster anymore. If there were ever a more definitive definition of “dead weight”, you’d be hard pressed to find. I’m not speaking to the character of the man because I know for a fact that he is a good person; I’m talking strictly from a player personnel point of view.

The Redskins drafted Landry sixth overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. Landry was then paired with third-year free safety Sean Taylor that had been chosen 5th overall in 2004. As one faithful Redskins fan said via twitter:

The potential that was area 51 was matched only by failure it ended up being… It’s sad. #Redskins – @SonofWashington via twitter.

“Area 51″ of course referring to the combination of both Landry’s and Taylor’s current jersey numbers (21+30) at the time. The two seemed destined for greatness in the NFL, but much like the Redskins history the last 20 years- things ended terribly. Sean Taylor’s life came to an abrupt end in 2007 when he was shot in his home in Florida while rehabbing an injury. Most from this area know this story, that’s not the focus here. After Taylor passed, the gap left by him was never truly filled. The Redskins did try though.

LaRon had played in 17 games since the end of the 2009 season recording 133 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception, nice stats for one complete season. His health has been the issue as of late. LaRon decided previously to forego surgery on his Achilles and decided against it again this offseason. Like I’ve said before, he is a top-tier safety when he’s health and on the field. The issue has been keeping him on the field. The Redskins are looking to get younger and faster on both sides of the ball. LaRon could probably out-bench anybody on the active roster, but unfortunately all of that muscle doesn’t translate into healthy tendons. Hopefully he will have a rebirth with the New York Jets and have success in the Rex Ryan defensive system.

With Landry gone the team can move on and the transformation of the Redskins roster from B.S. (before Shanahan) to W.S. (with Shanahan) will almost be complete. Of the notable Redskins from the previous Zorn-Gibbs-Spurrier-ish era, only Chris Cooley and Santana Moss are left. These aren’t your slightly older brother’s Redskins.

Follow Riggo’s Rag (@RiggosRag) and me (@KMawyer2) on twitter for more Redskins news and opinions.

LaRon seems to be getting older when he should be hitting his prime.

Much will be made in the follow weeks of what to do with “Dirty 30″, the other half of “Area 51″, Mr. LaRon Landry. Forgive my play on “Benjamin Button” but I just had to put the two posing in the same way together. Now to the nitty gritty. Riggo’s Rag was recently interviewed by BoltBeat.com, a San Diego Chargers Fansided affiliate of our blog. They feel as though they may need to acquire a new safety through free agency this year and they had a few simple questions about Mr. Landry and whether or not he’s a good fit. I’m afraid I was brutally honest. Here’s an excerpt from our talk: (more…)

Sean was one of the few that didn't let up, even at the Pro Bowl. Ask Brian Moorman.

Last year I wrote a piece on Sean Taylor, his life, his career and interviewed several people for their opinions and where they were when they heard he had lost his life. This year, I would like to put his life into the personal perspective of a die-hard Redskins fan. That fan just happens to be me.

Growing up, Terry Allen was my original favorite wearing 21.

As a kid I had a Terry Allen jersey, then a Stephen Davis, then a Champ Bailey, then Darrell Green in the 70th anniversary throwback style. I only wanted to invest in players I thought I could wear for a long time. I asked my father, a year after Sean Taylor was drafted, to get me his jersey. I just new. Luckily I didn’t get it until after he changed his number from 36 to 21. I just remembered sitting in the cafeteria talking to my friends about whether the Skins should go Kellen Winslow or Sean Taylor with the fifth overall pick. I had hoped for Taylor.

Sean was known for many things, but for me it was about the fear he imposed in his opponents. Watching the Redskins as I grew up was just disappointment after disappointment (sounds familiar?). When the Redskins drafted Sean something had changed. The defense seemed not only better, but they played with anger. There was a killer instinct that number 21 imposed that no offensive player he came across could match. He put Terrell Owens in his place several times, he single handedly won a playoff game in Tampa and he put the fear of God in Todd Pinkston to the point where he couldn’t even glance at the middle of the field. Sean did everything.

My first time seeing Sean Taylor was at my first Redskins game ever in 2004. My mother came across a pair of tickets through a friend and we ended up being about 15 rows from the field in the lower corner directly next to the tunnel. I had a 35mm disposable camera and all I wanted to do was snap a picture of my favorite player. About five minutes before the game began, number 36 walked up to Santana Moss, patted him on the back, and got ready to run out of that tunnel. You may remember this game for other reasons though; this was the infamous Vikings vs. Redskins game where Randy Moss walked off the field with Minnesota still in contention. Taylor had already gone head-to-head with the future hall-of-famer and denied him. This really just set off an infatuation with him as a player that never subsided, even in death. (more…)