There is speculation going around now that Brian Westbrook may be heading to the Washington Redskins, where he would re-team with quarterback Donovan McNabb. For a long time it looked like Westbrook would be heading to St. Louis. If he lands in Washington it would be a steal.
Westbrook has been sidelined with injuries and concussions, so one big hit could end his career, or worse. But if he goes to Washington he would be sharing the load on an experienced team. It may be the thing his body needs to heal. Rest during the season. The Redskins have Clinton Portis, Willie Parker and Larry Johnson. Westbrook would be a spot player. But he has proven to be a playmaker, just not a durable one.
The Redskins offense needs an infusion of talent, and Westbrook would provide that. In the open field he is, and always has been, a dangerous runner. But my one worry is the history of concussions. Is it worth it for him to return? It may not be. But the will to play is strong in professional athletes. It's tough to get off the field willingly. Just look at Brett Favre. Year after year, the Favre Watch starts. This year it has been reported that he will need surgery on his ankle. Favre is 41 years old. His legacy is set. Does he need to come back and play again. No. But his will to play is still there, and Favre will most likely be wheeled off the field injured and broken.
Brian Westbrook on the Redskins would be a great addition if he can stay healthy. Brian Westbrook retired and doing commentary on the game he loves would be a smart move. Let's hope the smart move is the one he makes.
Showing posts with label Donovan McNabb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donovan McNabb. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Bringing changes with a new coach
Albert Haynesworth is not a happy camper. Although anyone who has signed a contract as big as the one he did in 2009 would be overjoyed to play football. But Albert is not happy.
When Mike Shanahan was announced as the new head coach of the Washington Redskins, the new regime made a decision to change the defensive alignment from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Haynesworth was not pleased with this as he is a 4-3 tackle, and has been since he came into the league with Tennessee. The more I think about this, the more I have to question why Shanahan would do this.
The Redskins problems were greater on the offensive side of the ball than the defensive. Washington was 10th in the NFL in 2009 in yards allowed/game. Brian Orakpo was outstanding in his rookie season, and they were 9th in sacks with 40. Now they want to change their defensive philosophy. It will be a big mistake if they do.
As good as Haynesworth has been, he may not be the dominant force in a 3-4. Orakpo may not be able to get to the quarterback as either a 3-4 end or outside linebacker. As good as these players are, they just can't turn a switch on and off and play a position they are not use to. If the Redskins defense plays the way they did in 2009 during the upcoming season, all they need is an offense to put some points on the board. Isn't that the reason they acquired Donovan McNabb, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, and drafted Trent Williams.
Washington is making the necessary changes they need to make to be a playoff contender. But they would be better served leaving some things the same.
When Mike Shanahan was announced as the new head coach of the Washington Redskins, the new regime made a decision to change the defensive alignment from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Haynesworth was not pleased with this as he is a 4-3 tackle, and has been since he came into the league with Tennessee. The more I think about this, the more I have to question why Shanahan would do this.
The Redskins problems were greater on the offensive side of the ball than the defensive. Washington was 10th in the NFL in 2009 in yards allowed/game. Brian Orakpo was outstanding in his rookie season, and they were 9th in sacks with 40. Now they want to change their defensive philosophy. It will be a big mistake if they do.
As good as Haynesworth has been, he may not be the dominant force in a 3-4. Orakpo may not be able to get to the quarterback as either a 3-4 end or outside linebacker. As good as these players are, they just can't turn a switch on and off and play a position they are not use to. If the Redskins defense plays the way they did in 2009 during the upcoming season, all they need is an offense to put some points on the board. Isn't that the reason they acquired Donovan McNabb, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, and drafted Trent Williams.
Washington is making the necessary changes they need to make to be a playoff contender. But they would be better served leaving some things the same.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Next stop for Jimmy Clausen
Mike Shanahan seems to be channelling his inner George Allen. The Future Is Now. Many believed that the Redskins would draft Jimmy Clausen with the fourth overall selection in the upcoming 2010 NFL Draft. Now that Washington has made the trade for Donovan McNabb, where Clausen lands in the draft could very well be determined by what happens to Jason Campbell.
The Redskins have two options with Campbell. Keep him as a backup, or trade him. The offseason signing of Rex Grossman seems to be the indicator that the backup role is already filled, so now they are looking to trade their former 1st Round pick. Going down from Washington on the draft board, it will be interesting to see if any of the teams in the top half of the draft will make a deal.
Kansas City has Matt Cassell, so that doesn't look like a team that would pick up Campbell. Seattle just traded for Charlie Whitehurst, and they also have Matt Hasslebeck, so their quarterback situation looks to be set. Then there is Cleveland. They released Derek Anderson and traded Brady Quinn, then signed Jake Delhomme and traded for Seneca Wallace. Since Mike Holmgren coached Wallace at Seattle, he knows what he is getting in him and I can't see the new General Manager looking to muddle the quarterback situation there even more by adding another ingredient to the mix. Oakland has JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski. They seem to be upset that McNabb did not land out on the West Coast, and they have to decide whether trading for Campbell is the move that will help them win now.
Buffalo can sit and wait at the ninth slot. They might see Campbell as an improvement over Trent Edwards, or they can select Clausen as their franchise quarterback. A week ago Jimmy Clausen looks to be signing a $20 million plus signing bonus if Washington were to select him fourth overall. Now he might fall out of the top ten if Bufflao looks in another direction. But I don't see Clausen falling too far, and some team is going to get a quarterback who played in a pro style offense in college and now has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. But Clausen will need to hit the ground running. I thought the same thing about Brady Quinn three seasons ago when he fell to #22, but he and his agent overestimated his worth and a holdout cost him dearly. If Clausen gets signed and in camp early, look for him to have an immediate impact with the team that he falls to in the draft.
The Redskins have two options with Campbell. Keep him as a backup, or trade him. The offseason signing of Rex Grossman seems to be the indicator that the backup role is already filled, so now they are looking to trade their former 1st Round pick. Going down from Washington on the draft board, it will be interesting to see if any of the teams in the top half of the draft will make a deal.
Kansas City has Matt Cassell, so that doesn't look like a team that would pick up Campbell. Seattle just traded for Charlie Whitehurst, and they also have Matt Hasslebeck, so their quarterback situation looks to be set. Then there is Cleveland. They released Derek Anderson and traded Brady Quinn, then signed Jake Delhomme and traded for Seneca Wallace. Since Mike Holmgren coached Wallace at Seattle, he knows what he is getting in him and I can't see the new General Manager looking to muddle the quarterback situation there even more by adding another ingredient to the mix. Oakland has JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski. They seem to be upset that McNabb did not land out on the West Coast, and they have to decide whether trading for Campbell is the move that will help them win now.
Buffalo can sit and wait at the ninth slot. They might see Campbell as an improvement over Trent Edwards, or they can select Clausen as their franchise quarterback. A week ago Jimmy Clausen looks to be signing a $20 million plus signing bonus if Washington were to select him fourth overall. Now he might fall out of the top ten if Bufflao looks in another direction. But I don't see Clausen falling too far, and some team is going to get a quarterback who played in a pro style offense in college and now has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. But Clausen will need to hit the ground running. I thought the same thing about Brady Quinn three seasons ago when he fell to #22, but he and his agent overestimated his worth and a holdout cost him dearly. If Clausen gets signed and in camp early, look for him to have an immediate impact with the team that he falls to in the draft.
Monday, March 29, 2010
All sorts of Quarterback news
Sam Bradford finally had his workout at the University of Oklahoma for NFL coaches, scouts and front office personnel. 63 passes later it looks like an Ivory Soap percentage that St. Louis will take him 1st overall-99 and 44/100%. The Rams have announced that they won't make up their mind until Bradford works out again for them 3 days before the draft.
Now if this is the case it looks to be a long shot that he will be signed before the draft, unless there is a little cloak and dagger negotiations going on behind the scenes. I just wonder how much of an issue the signing bonus is going to play in all of this. St. Louis has been put in their own little version of Salary Cap Hell with the bonus money paid out to the #2 overall picks from 2008 and 2009, Chris Long and Jason Smith. Quarterbacks always demand, and get, the premium signing bonus payouts for their draft slots. Matthew Stafford got a nearly $42 million signing bonus as the 1st overall pick in 2009. With the addition of Bradford's contract look for the Rams to be a vocal proponent of a rookie salary cap during the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
Even though Bradford does not look to start right away, considering his lack of experience taking snaps under center, what the Rams can't afford is a holdout. Which brings me to the other big quarterback news of the day. The Oakland Raiders has emerged as the front runner to trade for Donovan McNabb. The Eagles have stated they will take a pick in the top 42 for McNabb, and Oakland has the 39th overall selection. Now if this trade does occur, it begs the question: What will happen to JaMarcus Russell?
If there was ever a quarterback who might end up the poster child for First Overall Selection Busts, it looks to be Russell. Lengthy holdout. Rarely played in his rookie season. Then the Raiders discovered that his work ethic did not match his arm strength. After three seasons he still seems to have trouble grasping the pro game. On his side his biggest supporter is Al Davis. But when the Raiders start winning games with Bruce Gradkowski, and the rest of the team seems the journeyman backup as the real leader of the team, then you have to think that Russell's days are numbered.
Now Oakland is looking to acquire Donovan McNabb. Could it be that Russell could be released after just 3 seasons? It is possible. Oakland could sign McNabb to an extension, let go of Russell and just cut their losses. But I wonder: If Russell is released, who would sign him? I'm sure someone will, but I imagine his days as a starter in the NFL are numbered.
Now if this is the case it looks to be a long shot that he will be signed before the draft, unless there is a little cloak and dagger negotiations going on behind the scenes. I just wonder how much of an issue the signing bonus is going to play in all of this. St. Louis has been put in their own little version of Salary Cap Hell with the bonus money paid out to the #2 overall picks from 2008 and 2009, Chris Long and Jason Smith. Quarterbacks always demand, and get, the premium signing bonus payouts for their draft slots. Matthew Stafford got a nearly $42 million signing bonus as the 1st overall pick in 2009. With the addition of Bradford's contract look for the Rams to be a vocal proponent of a rookie salary cap during the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
Even though Bradford does not look to start right away, considering his lack of experience taking snaps under center, what the Rams can't afford is a holdout. Which brings me to the other big quarterback news of the day. The Oakland Raiders has emerged as the front runner to trade for Donovan McNabb. The Eagles have stated they will take a pick in the top 42 for McNabb, and Oakland has the 39th overall selection. Now if this trade does occur, it begs the question: What will happen to JaMarcus Russell?
If there was ever a quarterback who might end up the poster child for First Overall Selection Busts, it looks to be Russell. Lengthy holdout. Rarely played in his rookie season. Then the Raiders discovered that his work ethic did not match his arm strength. After three seasons he still seems to have trouble grasping the pro game. On his side his biggest supporter is Al Davis. But when the Raiders start winning games with Bruce Gradkowski, and the rest of the team seems the journeyman backup as the real leader of the team, then you have to think that Russell's days are numbered.
Now Oakland is looking to acquire Donovan McNabb. Could it be that Russell could be released after just 3 seasons? It is possible. Oakland could sign McNabb to an extension, let go of Russell and just cut their losses. But I wonder: If Russell is released, who would sign him? I'm sure someone will, but I imagine his days as a starter in the NFL are numbered.
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