In uncapped year, ‘Skins show rare restraint

Grady did a great job for the Packers

Andrew,
The Patriots needed to sign Wilfork and send the message to their locker room that they won't lowball every player that gets to free agency. I disagree with you that Wilfork needs motivation year to year... He is a guy who gets it and is one guy who is a warrior, he could've been an ass this past year but he was a professional and played hard. Those are the kind of guys you pay...

We'd call him Gravy Jackson, he was also a Ton of Fun as a Raider.

As a longtime Redskins fan, I can't decide how I feel about these moves. I hope you'll devote a future piece to really hashing out what you think Allen's plan is for the franchise.

I certainly applaud the cuts -- in each case, these are guys who had maybe one or two effective years left, but the main advantage of an uncapped year is clearing out the deadwood and moving on. Thomas and Griffin were injury prone, Randle El is an overpaid slot WR and a poor returner now, Smoot is a nickel corner at best, Collins doesn't fit the Shanahan scheme, and you didn't mention the four running backs they let go - Cartwright, Mason, Ganther and Betts. Of these, the only one I'll miss is Cartwright, a cheap returner, hard worker, and special teams workhouse -- but he's an undersized guy getting up there in years.

The big question for me is what in the heck they're planning to do about the offensive line. I'm glad they didn't overpay for a 33 year old Clifton, but worried they lost out on Pashos. They've resigned Rabach at Center and kept Dockery at LG, but everything else is a question mark: they have no LT, they have no pro-quality RT, and RG is going to be a contest apparently between Big Mike Williams and their lone free agent signee thus far, Artis Hicks. Hicks appears to be a quality backup who can play four positions well, but the other linemen on this roster -- Rinehart, Heyer -- are backups at best. And do any of these guys really fit a zone blocking scheme?

Are the Redskins really going to try to fill both tackle positions in the draft? What do they do if (I don't even want to think about it) someone takes Okung before #4? While it's certainly possible to find a guard on the free agent market after the draft, if there's one thing the Redskins have learned the hard way in the last two seasons, it's that you can't fill the OT spot with a spot starter.

Bruce Allen is a master of backloaded deals, from his Oakland days. He gave that kind of offer sheet to Clifton, knowing year three would never be seen outside of pending bonus prorations.

Green Bay was able to take this cap free window and sweeten the front of the deal to keep Clifton. A class move on Thompson's part, he shows some good people skills with this when the team needs intersect the player's value.

Credit Allen in valuing Clifton, and still keeping the aims of their money in line for his DC team. Credit Thompson in rewarding a player whose comeback career has become a marvel for fans, in a football titletown known for its heros and their gridiron deeds. Here's to a heroic season in the coming uncapped year for all those parties!

@Ben,

I agree. It's hard not knowing what the FO is thinking. What I see is they aren't willing to pay up just to get aging guys, particularly if, like pashos, they are marginal to begin with. They could have signed a couple of tackles and a couple of NTs by now, but it would have meant taking a risk on someone else's castoffs. I'd just as soon wait for camp cuts. We can still do some deals and get some extra picks. Of course, I would try to package some combination of Moss(small and getting older), Cooley ( doesn't block and how will we use him and Davis) and Campbell(had his chance) for a trade. Maybe to Denver for Marshall or Seattle for picks.

And keep your fingers crossed Okingkong is there at 4.

I also remember the "Over the Hill Gang" in Washington. They took on the Dolphins in the SB when the Dolphins were undefeatd in the regular season, and Mike Bass ran back a Garo Yepremian "pass" for the 'Skins only TD. Unfortunately, because now we have to still hear the screechings of Eugene "Mercury" Morris every time a team comes close to having a perfect regular season.

I also have very fond memories of Grady Jackson. He came in a solidified a Packers run defense that was really pathetic. If not for his falling out of favor with Atlanta, and the Packers having such a dismal record because of their non-existent run defense, the Packers record that year (I don't remember the year) would have been horrendous.

I also hope he finds the ability to handle retirement, and doesn't literally eat himself into an early grave.

@meateater

See, it's hard to say whether your moves would make sense, mostly because I'm not sure what kind of offense Kyle Shanahan wants to run. His father's offense in Denver certainly was not TE friendly, and needed better blocking skills -- but in Houston, he made Owen Daniels a star. Moss might function well as a slot receiver -- he's still got speed, and if they sign a cheap Antonio Bryant, he might be workable. As for Campbell, I personally think he's got a short leash, probably just one season -- they'll draft someone like Colt McCoy or Tony Pike in the second or fourth as a project.

One guy who definitely should be moved is Andre Carter. He's coming off a great season, maybe his best, as a DE in the 4-3. He had a subpar experience in San Francisco as an OLB in a 3-4, and he's too undersized to be a DE in that system. He's 30 and at the top of his game -- absolutely worth a 3rd.

My feeling is Shanny might reach on one of the less polished TE with huge big play potential and hope it ignites like a Shannon Sharpe kind of item. He could put three of them on the field at once, Cooley as fullback, Davis as the blocking TE, and move the new guy all over the place. Teams wouldn't know who to cover.

A correction for Ben: they haven't released Quinton Ganther. He is a UFA, however. As usual, Mr. Murder and meateater provide interesting insights on the team. There was a memorable comment made by former 'Skins lineman D'Anthony Batiste in regards to Grady Jackson. In a roundtable discussion at a DC restaurant, he said that when he lined up across Jackson (this was when Batiste was with another team), Grady was sweating hamburger water.

@Ben,

I agree they should move Carter. I suppose you're right about getting a third for him, but it seems low for a guy who had 11 sacks on a bad team. I'd take that third and go get Vick or Charley Whtehurst with it. Other than possibly Tebow, none of the QBs in the draft do anything fo rme. Let's see what Colt can do.

@Mr. Murder,

The problem is that neither Cooley nor Davis block very well. They are strictly receiver type TEs. Dallas Clark fills the same role, but he can block on the line. Cooley cannot hold his own versus a linebacker.

@MP

Thanks for the correction, my mistake. I was just a little surprised that the only RB they kept was Portis. Willie Parker hasn't landed anywhere yet, but they really need to pair Portis with some younger RBs who have speed and burst -- I think following the Jets model last year of Jones and Greene/Washington would be feasible, though Portis isn't as tough a runner as Jones.

@meateater

Carter's young enough that he's worth a 2nd, but I doubt you'll find that in this market. As for QB moves, I liked Whitehurst coming out, but I don't know that he fits the Kyle Shanahan system. Again, hard to predict where they're looking here, but I think everyone seems to agree they're going to pair a project with Campbell. If I were Whitehurst, I'd prefer to be in Arizona.

@Mr. Murder

Cooley's blocking is much maligned, but I wonder how much of that has to do with poor coaching. While his pass blocking is poor, I think he's a better run blocker than some might think, and as an H-Back, he proved to be capable under Gibbs. Jon Embree, the new Redskins Tight Ends coach, has spent the last several years in Kansas City -- as Cooley comes back from injury, we'll see how much Embree can get out of him and Davis.

By the way you skipped all around the facts bout white people being handled the same as blacks in the aboved mentioned statement by MICHAEL WILLIAMS. You answered two of them i guess, but please feel free to explain the rest, i'm listening.