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.
Showing posts with label Trent Williams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trent Williams. Show all posts
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Draft Grades: Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins went into the 2010 NFL Draft with big questions on offense. Was Jason Campbell the quarterback of the future? Who is going to block for whoever was taking snaps at quarterback? One question was answered before the draft, the other on draft day.
The Redskins traded for Donovan McNabb before the draft, and then traded Campbell to Oakland for a 4th round pick in 2012. The offensive line question was answered with the 4th overall selection, as Washington selected Trent Williams. Many draft experts had Russell Okung going to the Redskins, but Williams was the most athletic tackle in the draft, and seen as a better fit for their system.
Because of trades the Redskins did not have another pick until the 4th round. Perry Riley was the pick in Round 4, and he can move into a middle linebacker position on defense.
Late round sleepers look to be Erik Cook and Selvish Capers, a pair of offensive lineman. The line was a major weak spot in 2009, and Cook and Capers may be able to find starting spots along with Williams as the line looks to be revamped.
Draft Grade: C+
The Redskins traded for Donovan McNabb before the draft, and then traded Campbell to Oakland for a 4th round pick in 2012. The offensive line question was answered with the 4th overall selection, as Washington selected Trent Williams. Many draft experts had Russell Okung going to the Redskins, but Williams was the most athletic tackle in the draft, and seen as a better fit for their system.
Because of trades the Redskins did not have another pick until the 4th round. Perry Riley was the pick in Round 4, and he can move into a middle linebacker position on defense.
Late round sleepers look to be Erik Cook and Selvish Capers, a pair of offensive lineman. The line was a major weak spot in 2009, and Cook and Capers may be able to find starting spots along with Williams as the line looks to be revamped.
Draft Grade: C+
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Shaking up and settling down at the top of the draft
Moves involving veteran quarterbacks are shaking up and settling down the top of many draft boards for the upcoming 2010 NFL Draft. With the St. Louis Rams releasing Marc Bulger, look for Sam Bradford to not only be the 1st Overall selection, but to be signed and sealed before the draft. He is scheduled to work out for the Rams three days before the draft, but I can't see any scenario at this time where they will not select him. The one thing St. Louis cannot afford is to have a long contract negotiation that leads to a holdout. Bradford may not be ready to start from Day 1, but his development will suffer if he is not in training camp from the start.
The trade for Donovan McNabb has the Washington Redskins looking to take Russell Okung with the 4th selection, but what if Detroit pulls a shocker and takes the top rated tackle with the second pick. If this happens then you are looking for a major shakeup at the top. Tampa Bay will take either Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, and Washington has a decision to make. Take the next best tackle, either Bryan Bulaga or Trent Williams, or select Albert Haynesworth's new best friend and take the premier defensive tackle not selected by the Bucs. Can you imagine Haynesworth and either Suh or McCoy in the middle of the defensive line in Washington? With no pick at the top of the second round, and the draft being as deep as it is, it might be that Washington looks to trade down if they can get a pick in the 10-15 range of the first round and a package of picks later on.
The wheeling and dealing is starting to heat up in earnest. It looks to be an interesting two weeks leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft.
The trade for Donovan McNabb has the Washington Redskins looking to take Russell Okung with the 4th selection, but what if Detroit pulls a shocker and takes the top rated tackle with the second pick. If this happens then you are looking for a major shakeup at the top. Tampa Bay will take either Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, and Washington has a decision to make. Take the next best tackle, either Bryan Bulaga or Trent Williams, or select Albert Haynesworth's new best friend and take the premier defensive tackle not selected by the Bucs. Can you imagine Haynesworth and either Suh or McCoy in the middle of the defensive line in Washington? With no pick at the top of the second round, and the draft being as deep as it is, it might be that Washington looks to trade down if they can get a pick in the 10-15 range of the first round and a package of picks later on.
The wheeling and dealing is starting to heat up in earnest. It looks to be an interesting two weeks leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
2 Picks in the 1st Round
In the 2010 NFL Draft, two teams enter with with picks in the first round. Seattle will be selecting 6th and 14th, and San Francisco with have the 13th and 17th picks. For the most part there are teams that trade up and acquire another first rounder every year.
In 2007, Cleveland selected Joe Thomas 3rd overall, and did not wait to see if Brady Quinn would fall to them in the 2nd Round. They traded with Dallas and moved up to take the Notre Dame quarterback. Their two selections have been half right. Thomas has developed into one of the premier tackles in the league. Quinn held out, watched Derek Anderson have a great season, never did develop into a quality starter and was traded to Denver. Also in 2007, San Francisco had two picks, selecting Patrick Willis and Joe Staley. Their picks have fared better than Cleveland. Willis is one of the best middle linebackers in the game, and Staley, while not nearly in the class of Thomas, has produced far more at tackle than Quinn did at quarterback.
In 2008, five teams wound up with two first round picks. The pair of picks taken by Atlanta have been by far the best of the bunch. Matt Ryan has started since Day 1, and led the Falcons to the playoffs in 2008 and their first ever back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. Baker was thought to be a reach when the Falcons moved up to take him, but he has been a solid tackle, and he looks to protect Ryan for years to come.
In 2009, four teams had two picks in the first round. Detroit had an opportunity to follow the Falcons plan and take a franchise quarterback and left tackle, but after selecting Matthew Stafford first overall they passed on Michael Oher and picked tight end Brandon Pettigrew. While Pettigrew may develop into a quality tight end, Oher had a great season with Baltimore and looks to be their long term answer to replace Jonathon Ogden.
But the best pair of picks may turn out to be Green Bay in 2009, with their selections of B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews. Raji looks to be the run stuffing nose tackle they need for their 3-4 defense, and Matthews showed that even though he was a bit overshadowed at USC by fellow linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga, he excelled in his rookie season.
With the depth of talent in the 2010 NFL Draft, it will be interesting to see if either Seattle or San Francisco will trade down and stockpile picks or hold onto their selections. I have Seattle taking Bryan Bulaga and C.J. Spiller, and the 49ers taking Trent Williams and Sergio Kindle. Seattle needs to replace Walter Jones, and Pete Carroll might be looking to use Spiller the same way he did with Reggie Bush at USC. I can see them holding onto both selections. San Francisco is looking for a tackle to pair up with Staley, and there is plenty of depth at the position. If they can trade down and possibly select Charles Brown or Anthony Davis, and even get Kindle or maybe Taylor Mays later in the first round look for the 49ers to be active trading partners in the opening round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
In 2007, Cleveland selected Joe Thomas 3rd overall, and did not wait to see if Brady Quinn would fall to them in the 2nd Round. They traded with Dallas and moved up to take the Notre Dame quarterback. Their two selections have been half right. Thomas has developed into one of the premier tackles in the league. Quinn held out, watched Derek Anderson have a great season, never did develop into a quality starter and was traded to Denver. Also in 2007, San Francisco had two picks, selecting Patrick Willis and Joe Staley. Their picks have fared better than Cleveland. Willis is one of the best middle linebackers in the game, and Staley, while not nearly in the class of Thomas, has produced far more at tackle than Quinn did at quarterback.
In 2008, five teams wound up with two first round picks. The pair of picks taken by Atlanta have been by far the best of the bunch. Matt Ryan has started since Day 1, and led the Falcons to the playoffs in 2008 and their first ever back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. Baker was thought to be a reach when the Falcons moved up to take him, but he has been a solid tackle, and he looks to protect Ryan for years to come.
In 2009, four teams had two picks in the first round. Detroit had an opportunity to follow the Falcons plan and take a franchise quarterback and left tackle, but after selecting Matthew Stafford first overall they passed on Michael Oher and picked tight end Brandon Pettigrew. While Pettigrew may develop into a quality tight end, Oher had a great season with Baltimore and looks to be their long term answer to replace Jonathon Ogden.
But the best pair of picks may turn out to be Green Bay in 2009, with their selections of B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews. Raji looks to be the run stuffing nose tackle they need for their 3-4 defense, and Matthews showed that even though he was a bit overshadowed at USC by fellow linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga, he excelled in his rookie season.
With the depth of talent in the 2010 NFL Draft, it will be interesting to see if either Seattle or San Francisco will trade down and stockpile picks or hold onto their selections. I have Seattle taking Bryan Bulaga and C.J. Spiller, and the 49ers taking Trent Williams and Sergio Kindle. Seattle needs to replace Walter Jones, and Pete Carroll might be looking to use Spiller the same way he did with Reggie Bush at USC. I can see them holding onto both selections. San Francisco is looking for a tackle to pair up with Staley, and there is plenty of depth at the position. If they can trade down and possibly select Charles Brown or Anthony Davis, and even get Kindle or maybe Taylor Mays later in the first round look for the 49ers to be active trading partners in the opening round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
DSA Player Rankings 3.0
In the latest DSA Player Rankings, the value of offensive lineman is becoming more pronounced. Bryan Bulaga has moved up past Joe Haden to the seventh slot, and Trent Williams moves up two slots to the #9 position. A number of drafts placing Bruce Campbell eighth overall to Oakland has him gaining a spot, while Russell Okung and Anthony Davis hold onto their positions. That is 5 of the top 18 players in the draft being offensive tackles. It is going to pay to be one of the big guys up front in the 2010 NFL Draft. Here are the DSA Player Rankings, Version 3.0:
1) Ndamukong Suh 1.90
2) Sam Bradford 2.27
3) Gerald McCoy 2.90
4) Russell Okung 4.2
5) Eric Berry 5.63
6) Jimmy Clausen 7.27
7) Bryan Bulaga 10.17
8) Joe Haden 10.73
9) Trent Williams 11.57
10) Rolando McClain 12.23
11) Derrick Morgan 12.77
12) Dez Bryant 13.47
13) C.J. Spiller 14.03
14) Anthony Davis 15.7
15) Dan Williams 16.57
16) Jason Pierre-Paul 17.07
17) Earl Thomas 17.90
18) Bruce Campbell 18.17
19) Sergio Kindle 21.83
20) T-Brandon Graham 22.20
20) T-Taylor Mays 22.20
22) Mike Iupati 22.87
23) Kyle Wilson 23.93
24) Carlos Dunlap 26.73
25) Jermaine Gresham 27.03
26) Brian Price 27.27
27) Everson Griffen 27.40
28) Maurkice Pouncey 27.63
29) Sean Weatherspoon 28.63
30) Ryan Mathews 29.30
31) Jerry Hughes 29.60
32) Jared Odrick 29.70
33) Golden Tate 30.00
34) Charles Brown 30.20
35) Demaryius Thomas 31.00
36) Arrelious Benn 32.27
37) Patrick Robinson 32.63
38) Devin McCourtey 33.17
After his Pro Day Workout, Sam Bradford is going to be the consensus 1st Overall selection. He still ranks #2 Behind Ndamukong Suh because early drafts had him going fourth or lower, while Suh has been consistently in the top 2 or 3. The next DSA Player Rankings will most likely have Bradford at the top. It will be interesting to see if there will be any more big moves up or down the board.
1) Ndamukong Suh 1.90
2) Sam Bradford 2.27
3) Gerald McCoy 2.90
4) Russell Okung 4.2
5) Eric Berry 5.63
6) Jimmy Clausen 7.27
7) Bryan Bulaga 10.17
8) Joe Haden 10.73
9) Trent Williams 11.57
10) Rolando McClain 12.23
11) Derrick Morgan 12.77
12) Dez Bryant 13.47
13) C.J. Spiller 14.03
14) Anthony Davis 15.7
15) Dan Williams 16.57
16) Jason Pierre-Paul 17.07
17) Earl Thomas 17.90
18) Bruce Campbell 18.17
19) Sergio Kindle 21.83
20) T-Brandon Graham 22.20
20) T-Taylor Mays 22.20
22) Mike Iupati 22.87
23) Kyle Wilson 23.93
24) Carlos Dunlap 26.73
25) Jermaine Gresham 27.03
26) Brian Price 27.27
27) Everson Griffen 27.40
28) Maurkice Pouncey 27.63
29) Sean Weatherspoon 28.63
30) Ryan Mathews 29.30
31) Jerry Hughes 29.60
32) Jared Odrick 29.70
33) Golden Tate 30.00
34) Charles Brown 30.20
35) Demaryius Thomas 31.00
36) Arrelious Benn 32.27
37) Patrick Robinson 32.63
38) Devin McCourtey 33.17
After his Pro Day Workout, Sam Bradford is going to be the consensus 1st Overall selection. He still ranks #2 Behind Ndamukong Suh because early drafts had him going fourth or lower, while Suh has been consistently in the top 2 or 3. The next DSA Player Rankings will most likely have Bradford at the top. It will be interesting to see if there will be any more big moves up or down the board.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Falling in and out of favor
Has there been a player in recent memory who shot up the boards and fell back as quickly as Bruce Campbell? Going into the combine he was seen as a raw talent with all the physical skills to play at the next level. A late first round or early second round pick. Then he worked out at the Combine.
After he finished working out you thought he was going to be the second coming of Jim Parker, Anthony Munoz and Johnathon Ogden all rolled into one. But what was interesting is that everyone saw the Raiders being the team that would take Campbell. It was the Darrius Heyward-Bey Effect all over again. Workout Wonder. Al Davis falls in love with the physical skills. The Raiders make a reach and take him in the Top 10. Then you find out that he can't catch the ball, and has a wasted rookie season. Looks to be a classic draft reach bust.
Campbell had the same look. Workout wonder. No problem. Al Davis loves the players who work out great. Make a reach for him in the top 10. No problem again. The Raiders select 8th, and they need to shore up the offensive line. One problem, though. Campbell isn't much of a blocker. And that is a big problem when you are trying to protect the blind side of JaMarcus Russell.
Campbell was a popular choice to go 8th overall after the Combine. That's where I have him going in the first TMG Draft Zone Mock Draft. I still think he will go at that slot. Why? I kept telling myself that the Raiders would take Michael Crabtree with the 7th Pick in 2009, and that Heyward-Bey would go late in the first round. Then the Raiders made the pick. I can still see the same thing happening this year. If Trent Williams, or even Bryan Bulaga are still available, Oakland would be smart to take either player in the eighth slot. But I keep getting that old sinking feeling with Bruce Campbell.
Even though Campbell has been falling out of favor in just about every mock draft out there, you just never know with the Raiders. I guess everyone will know for sure on April 22nd.
After he finished working out you thought he was going to be the second coming of Jim Parker, Anthony Munoz and Johnathon Ogden all rolled into one. But what was interesting is that everyone saw the Raiders being the team that would take Campbell. It was the Darrius Heyward-Bey Effect all over again. Workout Wonder. Al Davis falls in love with the physical skills. The Raiders make a reach and take him in the Top 10. Then you find out that he can't catch the ball, and has a wasted rookie season. Looks to be a classic draft reach bust.
Campbell had the same look. Workout wonder. No problem. Al Davis loves the players who work out great. Make a reach for him in the top 10. No problem again. The Raiders select 8th, and they need to shore up the offensive line. One problem, though. Campbell isn't much of a blocker. And that is a big problem when you are trying to protect the blind side of JaMarcus Russell.
Campbell was a popular choice to go 8th overall after the Combine. That's where I have him going in the first TMG Draft Zone Mock Draft. I still think he will go at that slot. Why? I kept telling myself that the Raiders would take Michael Crabtree with the 7th Pick in 2009, and that Heyward-Bey would go late in the first round. Then the Raiders made the pick. I can still see the same thing happening this year. If Trent Williams, or even Bryan Bulaga are still available, Oakland would be smart to take either player in the eighth slot. But I keep getting that old sinking feeling with Bruce Campbell.
Even though Campbell has been falling out of favor in just about every mock draft out there, you just never know with the Raiders. I guess everyone will know for sure on April 22nd.
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