December

Dec. 31, 2008   

Redskins could be much younger on defense next season

The Redskins could not have asked much more from their 2004 free-agent class, which included CB Shawn Springs, LB Marcus Washington, DT Cornelius Griffin and DE Phillip Daniels. Those four played critical roles in helping the team finish with a top-10 defense in four of the five seasons since then. But it’s almost guaranteed that one of those players, and very likely more, will not return next season. Joining the list of potential salary-cap cuts would be DE Jason Taylor, who had a disappointing season in Washington. Cutting those five players would save the team more than $20 million in cap room, but the defense almost certainly would take a massive hit in productivity as a result. The team chose to stick with its veterans down the stretch over younger players, but the truth of the matter is that there are few young players on defense that appear to have much in the way of upside who are not already contributing. And with only four draft picks, the Redskins might have trouble adding more help to that side of the ball.

Dec. 24, 2008   

Cerrato confirms Zorn will be back, but their futures could be tied together

Redskins executive VP-football operations Vinny Cerrato told the Washington Post this week that head coach Jim Zorn will be back next season, but as always has been the case with the team since Daniel Snyder bought the club nearly 10 years ago, Zorn’s security can’t be measured in years. And because Cerrato, some believe, was the biggest supporter for Snyder to hire Zorn, his future could be tied to next season’s success. The Redskins have pledged to be a team that operates more soundly and conservatively, but the lack of immediate success of this year’s draft class — outside of seventh-round steal Chris Horton — and a trade for Jason Taylor that hasn’t paid off as expected have some league onlookers thinking that Cerrato is overmatched in his job. One team observer believes that the 'Skins would need to show improvement over this season’s record, either 8-8 or 9-7, and a playoff trip for Zorn — and for that matter, Cerrato — to feel safe about his job.

Dec. 18, 2008   

Bad formula: Redskins’ offense struggling in first quarter, defense in fourth

Updated at 10:10 a.m. EST Monday, Dec. 22

The Redskins have lost five of seven games after a 6-2 start for a variety of reasons, but there are two clear trends that have hurt the team badly during this tough stretch. In the past five games (three losses and two wins), the team has been outscored 41-0 in the first quarter. In the two games they won, they trailed 3-0 against the Seahawks and finished in a 0-0 tie vs. the Eagles; in the three losses they fell behind by counts of 10-0 to the Giants and 14-0 to both the Ravens and Bengals. On the flip side, the defense hasn’t finished well. It has allowed time-consuming drives at the ends of games in the losses to the Ravens, Cowboys and Bengals right when they needed a stop most. There is no one reason for the deficiencies on both sides of the ball, but the team clearly isn’t scheming out its first 15 plays on offense well, nor does it have the defensive depth — injuries have been a factor — to get key stops late.

Dec. 11, 2008   

Redskins’ offense faces serious challenges to improve amid slump

Updated at 9:55 a.m. EST Monday, Dec. 15

Jim Zorn and Clinton Portis

As late as Week Nine, following the Redskins’ bye week, the team ranked seventh in yards from scrimmage (364.3 per game) and was averaging 20.6 points per game, which ranked 24th. The team has sunk in both categories (328.8 yards and 16.5 points per game), and things are getting dicey going forward as the Redskins cling to very faint hopes they can sneak in the back door of the playoffs.

The major drama of late has been between RB Clinton Portis, the unquestioned MVP of the first half of the season, and head coach Jim Zorn. Portis has suffered neck, rib and knee injuries over the past few weeks and clearly has lacked his typical giddy-up. But the team also has used him more sparingly, limiting him to a combined 22 carries and four receptions in Weeks 13 and 14, and Zorn kept Portis off the field for the majority of the second half against the Ravens, as he had only one carry after halftime. Portis got more work in Week 15’s loss to the Bengals, rushing 25 times and catching one pass.

Portis ripped Zorn for his coaching moves vs. the Ravens, sarcastically calling him a genius and questioning Zorn’s reasons — that Portis has missed meetings and practices and wasn’t releasing into pass routes as well as Ladell Betts — for the in-game benching. The two met before Week 15 and said they worked things out, but it’s never good when the team’s star player is calling out the first-year coach.

One interesting comment that hasn’t received as much attention was when Portis, speaking on the “John Thompson Show,” suggested that the team’s blocking assignments have been confusing and ineffective. Perhaps it’s one reason why QB Jason Campbell’s sack percentage has risen from one every 15.5 dropbacks at midseason to one every 12.8 since then (Weeks 9-15).

And to make matters worse, the offensive line has taken some serious hits of late. OLT Chris Samuels (torn triceps) and reserve OL Justin Geisinger, who was forced into action for Samuels late in the Ravens game are on injured reserve. ORT Jon Jansen probably will miss at least the Bengals game with a sprained MCL.

It makes sense that their replacements — Stephon Heyer at left tackle, Jason Fabini at right tackle and Chad Rinehart as the third tackle — are not nearly up to the same caliber of play.

Dec. 5, 2008   

Redskins’ Campbell not in danger of losing his job yet

QB Jason Campbell is coming to understand the pressure of playing for a former NFL quarterback, and head coach Jim Zorn is learning the delicate process of balancing being critical and productive when evaluating his most important position. Both men were a bit cautious this week when assessing Campbell's play, but Zorn said he plans to stick with his protégé, who overall has done a nice job in the first year in the offense but whose play has slid of late. Campbell knows he needs to take fewer sacks, get over the mistakes he makes through the course of a game and make more plays downfield. In the first half of the season, Campbell was praised universally for not throwing an interception until the ninth game of the season, but we hear he has been trying to be too fine in his passes and has settled for checkdowns and safer passes rather than trying to make plays downfield and letting his receivers go get the ball in the air.

November

Nov. 26, 2008   

Predictable formula has Redskins’ offense bogged down

Updated at 8:45 a.m. EST Monday, Dec. 1

The Redskins’ offense has tapered off to the point where the team might not reach the 30-point mark in a game this season. In the past four games, the team has averaged only 288.8 yards. Granted, three of those games were against good defenses, the Steelers’, Cowboys’ and Giants’, but the lack of a second option in the passing game has made the Redskins predictable. Imagine what would happen if either RB Clinton Portis or WR Santana Moss went down; combined, they have accounted for 549 of the team’s 1,155 yards in that span. Teams pack it in against Portis and double-team Moss on first and second downs, and defenses are mindful of WR Antwaan Randle El and TE Chris Cooley on third downs. The lack of another option in the passing game has created an offense that has to be formulaic to be successful, but teams are starting to notice this trend and make the proper adjustments.

Nov. 20, 2008   

Redskins loss of LB Washington weakens pass rush even more

Updated at 10:05 a.m. CST Monday, Nov. 24

The Redskins have held serve defensively this season, allowing 272 yards per game (about 50 fewer than the league average entering Week 12), been good on third downs (36.7 percent conversions allowed, also below the league average) and stopped the run (89.3 yards, more than 20 yards below the NFL average). But the lack of forced fumbles (three), interceptions (10) and sacks (17) has been alarming and has held back the Redskins from becoming a top unit. And now, with LB Marcus Washington (ankle) missing last week, and possibly one or two more games, it is affecting the blitz packages even more. Washington and SS Chris Horton are the two most common blitzers on five-man pressures, and Washington’s expected replacement — H.B. Blades — is not considered a great blitzer who can time plays up, hit the hole and take on offensive linemen at the point of attack often.

Nov. 14, 2008   

Hall's arrival could mean Springs' eventual departure from Redskins

Updated at 9:30 a.m. CST Monday, Nov. 17

The Redskins have been living dangerously, with their defense not making a lot of big plays in terms of interceptions, fumbles and sacks, so they were more than happy to add a player such as CB DeAngelo Hall. For all his coverage concerns early in the season, Hall has shown a knack in his young career for making interceptions — and he had one in the first quarter of his first game with his new team — and he could help the team in that category.

But the team also will look to sign Hall long term if he shows anything at all over the final half of the season, and his signing likely would lead to the departure of Shawn Springs, who has battled injuries the past few seasons and would carry an unwieldy salary for 2009. It would be surprising for the Redskins to pick up his entire contract, and Springs likely wouldn’t want to renegotiate unless the team added years to his deal.

That said, the team would love to have Springs healthy this season for whatever time he has left. Right now, he’s battling a calf injury, which kept him out against of last week’s loss to the Cowboys. Carlos Rogers (heel) and Fred Smoot (groin) have also been battling nagging injuries, but both managed to start Week 11.

There has been talk for more than a year of moving Springs to safety, but that wouldn’t be in place of either LaRon Landry or Chris Horton. Rather, the team could use Springs as the center fielder in its “Cobra” package that uses three safeties. This also would move Landry closer to the line of scrimmage with the hopes that he can help with the takeaway problems.

Springs still has value to this team. He shut down Cowboys WR Terrell Owens in Week Four by playing tough, man-press defense, and, when healthy, Springs can match up with some of the best in the league. Springs also can play the slot effectively, which the Redskins need. But Hall was brought in to guard against the injuries lasting longer than expected.

When all four corners are healthy, the Redskins will have a wealth at the position. They could play dime defense with four corners and match up well against some of the best passing teams and not lose that much in the run defense or tackling departments.

Nov. 6, 2008   

Offensive line fails Redskins against Steelers

By and large, the Redskins’ offensive line had been considered a team strength through the first part of the season. It has opened holes for RB Clinton Portis, the NFL’s leading rusher, and kept QB Jason Campbell moderately clean. But there were signs prior to Monday’s loss to the Steelers that the pass protection was starting to break down some. In a combined 61 pass plays against the Rams (Week Six) and Lions (Week Eight), two weaker defensive teams, the Redskins allowed seven sacks, compared to nine sacks allowed in the other 185 pass plays. And then Monday, all hell broke loose as the Steelers had seven sacks in 50 pass plays. In the past four games now, the team has allowed 15 sacks in 135 dropbacks. Against the Steelers, the Redskins were in the unfortunate situation of having to go on a silent count at home — because of the number of loud Steelers fans at the stadium — and suffered some communication breakdowns, including the radio device in Campbell’s helmet for much of the fourth quarter.

October

Oct. 31, 2008   

Landry excels for Redskins despite lack of big numbers

Updated at 9:28 a.m. CST Monday, Nov. 3

Heading into Week Nine’s Monday-nighter, FS LaRon Landry had no interceptions, one forced fumble and one-half sack, but by most accounts he has played excellent football this season. The Redskins have been playing a lot of man-free defense, where Landry’s responsibility is to cover the deep part of the field, and he is able to close extremely well with sideline-to-sideline range. When Sean Taylor died almost a year ago, the team shifted Landry to free safety full time, and he has become one of the league’s best, even though he has zero interceptions in his 25 career starts. “Opposing offenses are looking to go away from him,” CB Leigh Torrence explained to PFW. “He might not have all the numbers right now, but his presence on the field is huge. … He wipes out that whole part of the field, so you really don’t have to worry about anything but your job out there. Everything we do defensively starts with him.”

Oct. 24, 2008   

Jansen to start from here on out for Redskins

One of head coach Jim Zorn’s biggest moves as head coach early on was the benching of ORT Jon Jansen in favor of Stephon Heyer. Jansen expressed his disappointment with the decision but was viewed favorably in the locker room for the way he handled the situation. But lo and behold, Jansen got his chance again when Heyer suffered a shoulder injury after three starts. And since then, the ground game has been exceptionally balanced, running left often early in the season but lately showing the ability to go in either direction. Jansen was named the starter for the remainder of the season, rewarded for his strong blocking. Our team sources indicate that Heyer remains the top option for the future, especially because Jansen likely will be too expensive to keep at his salary for next season, but for now the job remains his.

Oct. 16, 2008   

Move at punter as significant for Redskins as Alexander signing

Updated at 9:59 a.m. EDT Monday. Oct. 20

Nothing against three-time Pro Bowl RB Shaun Alexander, who signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum, but team sources think the decision to waive injured P Durant Brooks — who was dead last in gross and net punting yards at the time — and replace him with Ryan Plackemeier was even more of significant move. But Plackemeier steps in at a spot that has been an inconsistent mess since the start of the season. Special-teams coach Danny Smith doesn’t expect his punters to boom the ball every time, but he does preach consistency and is a big believer in the field-position game. Plackemeier also will hold on PK Shaun Suisham’s FG attempts, something that Brooks also struggled with at times. Suisham missed his lone FG attempt in Week Seven. Plackemeier punted eight times in his Redskins debut, with a gross average of 37.3 yards and a net of 28.8.

Oct. 10, 2008   

Redskins shorten leash with shaky P Brooks

Durant Brooks, a sixth-round pick who was considered the strongest-legged punter in the draft this year and who beat out incumbent Derrick Frost for the job in training camp, is getting a taste of how tenuous an NFL career can be. The Redskins are near the bottom of the NFL in both gross and net punting yardage, and Brooks’ week-to-week consistency has been a big issue. He’s still not getting enough hang time on his punts and is struggling to hit back-to-back good punts. Special-teams coach Danny Smith is a stickler for details and is expecting his rookie to average a gross punt of 45 yards with a 4.5-second hang time, and Brooks is capable of it. The problem is that Brooks tends to follow a very good kick with a bad one, or vice versa. If Brooks doesn’t improve — he has gotten better at handling field-goal placements — we hear the Redskins won’t hesitate to find a replacement.

Oct. 3, 2008   

Redskins’ secondary proving to be a real strength

Updated at 9:29 a.m. EDT Monday, Oct. 6

Carlos Rogers

The Redskins have held up very well in pass defense this season, despite statistics that would suggest they have allowed quite a few yards this season. The team has five interceptions and has allowed only one pass play of more than 40 yards — on a blown coverage assignment by SS Reed Doughty, who has been replaced by rookie Chris Horton — despite playing four of the best passing offenses in the NFL in the Saints, Cardinals, Cowboys and Eagles.

The Redskins have usually been able to use CB Shawn Springs in press coverage against the opposing team’s best receiver, giving fellow CBs Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot safety help over the top. Springs, however, was inactive in Week Five’s win over the Eagles because of a calf injury. Dime back Leigh Torrance also has chipped in, tipping a key interception that Rogers caught in a game-changing play in the win over the Cardinals.

Defensive coordinator Greg Blache has praised his defensive backs often, but he especially has liked what he has seen from Rogers. There was a question of whether Rogers even would be ready to start playing before Week One following offseason knee rehab, but he not only got back in training camp but also retained a starting spot.

Chris Horton

One difference for Rogers has been his improved film study, which has allowed him to read routes and tendencies of receivers better, and he’s not relying on his athleticism only. Teams used to beat Rogers deep with a series of double moves, and he often would flinch or bite on the first move and fall way behind in coverage. Blache said that hasn’t happened this season.

Another good story has been Horton, who has gone from seventh-rounder to starter in short order. Doughty made some missteps in coverage, and Horton has taken advantage, making three interceptions, including a big one in the Dallas game in which he lined up behind the linebackers and baited Cowboys QB Tony Romo to throw to what he thought was a wide-open receiver. But Horton swooped in for a game-changing interception. The irony is that the knock on Horton coming out of UCLA was that he was more of a box safety who was not fluid in coverage.

September

Sept. 25, 2008   

Redskins’ Thomas still a work in progress, but he’s improving

Updated at 8:45 a.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 29

The early returns on top draft pick WR Devin Thomas were discouraging through a preseason that saw him injured and struggling to learn the playbook and route assignments. James Thrash began the season as the No. 3 receiver, and Malcolm Kelly appeared ahead of Thomas on the totem pole despite also being hobbled by an injury. But the team has seen improvements from Thomas, and those kernels first showed themselves in the Week Three win over Arizona. He caught only one pass (for seven yards) and had an end-around for 16 yards, but he was more involved in the offense and competed for a bigger role. He had a long TD wiped out by a penalty and, on the negative side, twice was flagged for offensive pass interference. Thomas had less action vs. Dallas, but the coaches think that he knows his assignments better and will be ready to contribute more in the near future.

Sept. 19, 2008   

Redskins’ passing game makes strides but still needs work

Updated at 9:30 a.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 22

The Redskins have been encouraged by the improvement of QB ­Jason Campbell from Week One, as he led the team to two big wins the next two games. There are still plenty of adjustments and improvements that need to be made, but the Redskins got at least one thing they wanted from Campbell.

One of the things that showed up on tape from the Giants loss was that Campbell was letting the pass rush affect his timing and delivery. The coaches wanted him to be able to duck away from or sidestep pressure and still get off his throws — especially downfield — without it affecting the placement of his passes.

In Week Two, the best example of this improvement came on the 67-yard touchdown pass to WR Santana Moss where Campbell took a short step up in the face of pressure and still managed to make a gorgeous throw to Moss downfield.

Campbell also showed more poise in stressful situations the past two games. The Redskins trailed 24-15 and were faced with a 2nd-and-22 at their own 6-yard line with less than 10 minutes left against the Saints, but Campbell calmly directed two scoring drives that led to the win. On Sunday, he made a nice play fake and hit TE Chris Cooley for a 26-yard gain that helped run out the clock. Prior to that, Campbell made several clutch, third-down completions and scrambles, twice rushing for first downs against the Cardinals.

Still, there are things that Campbell needs to improve on. He has missed a few open receivers and has had a bad habit of forgetting about Cooley, especially early in games. Campbell started slowly and got out of rhythm early in the first two games, though that was not a problem against the Cardinals.

All told, though, the Redskins feel better about their passing prospects for the season than they did after the season-opening loss, and the slow integration of rookie WRs Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly should help.

For now, the offensive line appears to be a better pass-blocking group than with run blocking. The holes just aren’t there for RB Clinton Portis, at least not the ones he and the coaches expected. He’s still running hard and through would-be tacklers, but the big-play element isn’t there. His long run has been for 23 yards this season, and he hasn’t had a run longer than 13 yards in the past two games.

Sept. 11, 2008   

Redskins’ defense might not be able to handle power run now

Updated at 8:54 a.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 15

One of the developments of the Week One loss to the Giants was the Redskins’ inability to handle a power running game. The Giants ran for 4.8 yards a clip while essentially running a straightforward attack with power personnel. Although Washington’s Week Two opponent, the Saints, does not use those formations as much as future opponents likely will, the Redskins have to like what they did defensively against New Orleans in this area. RB Reggie Bush only managed 28 rushing yards on 10 carries, and 18 of those yards came on two carries at the end of the first half when the Redskins were in a pass-prevent defense. As a team, the Saints ran 19 times for 55 yards, which amounts to an average of 2.9 yards per carry.

Sept. 5, 2008   

Redskins' Heyer gets chance to show he's ORT material

The Redskins made a tough decision moving Jon Jansen from starting right tackle to backup left guard, but the coaching staff believes that Stephon Heyer gives them the best chance to succeed, especially in pass protection. Jansen struggled to pass-block in the preseason, and his injury history had something to do with the decision. Heyer was not spectacular this preseason either, and he struggled early in the season-opening loss to the Giants, allowing a sack to Giants DE Justin Tuck on the Redskins’ first offensive play, in which Heyer appeared overmatched.

However, head coach Jim Zorn absolved Heyer from blame on the play when he said, “That was due to the quarterback not throwing the ball, 100 percent,” and Heyer’s play did appear to improve as the game went on.

Team sources say his play has been more steady to this point and that his upside certainly is greater. In the West Coast offense, having a tackle with long arms is a big plus, and the team saw enough positives in Heyer’s development to think he can control defensive ends and prevent them from batting down the short timing passes that make up a big chunk of the offense. He needs to play well early this season. The Redskins face a series of good pass rushers in the first quarter of the season, and the opponents will want to see how Heyer stands up, perhaps overloading his side with blitzes.

Jansen’s future now appears to be at guard. He could end up replacing OLG Pete Kendall down the line or at some point this season, but for now Jansen will be a high-priced backup with no clear role. …

The Redskins’ first three drives of the game against the Giants netted only 16 offensive yards, with one of the drives extended by a roughing-the-kicker penalty. To say that the first scripted plays of Zorn’s coaching career were disappointing would be an understatement.

Those plays included a sack and two false starts, and eight of the first 13 plays they ran (including penalties) either gained zero yards or lost yardage. They gained some momentum in the final drive of the half, scoring their only touchdown of the night, but it was set up by a 50-yard kickoff return that got them into scoring position and a 15-yard facemask penalty by Giants DT Jay Alford that put the ball in the red zone, where it took three plays to score.

August

Aug. 30, 2008   

Redskins' Evans, James will have to be ready in case Taylor is not

DE Jason Taylor’s sprained knee likely will make him a game-day decision as to whether he’ll play in the Thursday season opener at the Giants. In case he can’t go, Demetric Evans likely will be the replacement starter, but the team is confident that Erasmus James can help out too. James got into his first action against the Panthers, the game Taylor got hurt in, and rallied from a slow start. Head coach Jim Zorn said James needed to get more snaps, and it’s becoming obvious that James was a strong candidate for the roster, even without Taylor’s injury. Evans also will continue to get snaps at tackle, although perhaps not as much with Taylor out of the lineup.

Aug. 20, 2008   

Thomas, Kelly injuries could force Redskins to keep extra receiver

The makeup of the 53-man roster has yet to be decided, but the preseason injuries to rookie WRs Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly has slowed their development and kept them off the field more than the coaches were prepared for. They were being counted on this season to be no worse than the third and fourth receivers in an offense that plans on using more two-, three- and four-WR sets. And as a result of their slowed learning curve, the team might be forced to keep an extra receiver early this season. James Thrash is likely to open as the third wideout in the NFL season opener against the Giants. He was likely to make the roster regardless of the rookies’ development, but a player such as Billy McMullen was not. Now, with as many as six wideouts possibly making the 53-man opening-week roster, McMullen — who has earned praise from head coach Jim Zorn recently — could benefit from the rookies’ slow starts.

Aug. 15, 2008   

Taylor continues to impress Redskins

It’s a popular story these days in Washington, but the arrival of DLE Jason Taylor has been nothing but positive thus far. He has established himself as an accountable and popular teammate amid a veteran-laden roster and has been a force on the field thus far. He has been slowed a bit by a foot injury, but Taylor dismissed any suggestion that it could be serious. And he backed up the talk by whipping ORT Jon Jansen on successive drills in practice, showing good strength and a quick first step and closing speed. In one interesting twist, the team has flip-flopped Taylor and DRE Andre Carter at times, usually for a series or two, a tactic the team has used regularly since Taylor arrived. That should prevent defenses from stacking a tight end on Taylor’s side every time. It also makes sense because Taylor had rushed primarily from the right side the past few seasons in Miami.

Aug. 6, 2008   

Safety picture taking new look with Redskins

The release of FS Stuart Schweigert shouldn’t be a surprise, team sources say, despite the fact that he joined the team with a chance to start. It turns out that Schweigert was a poor fit in the Redskins’ aggressive style of defense, and the coaches just felt more comfortable with LaRon Landry and Reed Doughty starting. Landry, when he gets back on the field, should play most of his snaps at free safety alongside Doughty, who is better closer to the line of scrimmage. There also have been a few surprise performances of note at the position that will help the depth, even without Schweigert around. Rookies Chris Horton (seventh round) and Kareem Moore (sixth round) have played well, but Horton especially has caught the team’s eye. He had an auspicious debut against the Colts in the Hall of Fame game, with two sacks, a recovery of an onside kick and a near interception. Moore has been more of a factor on special teams to date, but he, too, has impressed.

July

July 30, 2008   

Redskins' Golston might make most of Montgomery's injury

There are few spots up for grabs on the Redskins’ defense, but one to watch is at defensive tackle where Kedric Golston is making a strong push to rejoin the starting lineup. After starting as a rookie and playing relatively well, Golston lost his spot to Anthony Montgomery, although the two often rotated. But now with Montgomery suffering a broken hand and perhaps facing a recovery time of 2-6 weeks, it seems only likely that Golston will replace him and Golston could end up staying there. In coordinator Greg Blache’s scheme, Golston’s low base and sneaky quickness from the interior could be a nice fit. And Blache admitted that Golston was so good in the wild-card playoff loss to the Seahawks that he likely would have started the next week had the Redskins won. It’s not as if Montgomery was having a bad offseason or training camp before the injury, spies say, but Golston has been so impressive to date that he might have earned the starting spot anyway.

July 26, 2008   

Taylor could give Redskins a Giants-esque rush

One NFL talent evaluator weighed in to PFW on the Jason Taylor trade, saying he thinks it will allow the Redskins to use more four-man pressures and simulate the kind of approach the Giants took defensively en route to a Super Bowl title. “(Washington) had to blitz too much, and what (former defensive coordinator) Gregg (Williams) wanted to do was mix up his man and zone and pick and choose, not be forced to blitz to get a pass rush,” the source said. “I don’t think you’ll see Taylor playing inside like the Giants did with (Justin) Tuck or (Osi Umenyiora), but you will see them getting into the backfield more with Taylor and (Andre) Carter. The Giants barely had to blitz, and when they did, they often were (zone pressures). That freed them up to vary their coverages behind it.” Taylor will line up on the defensive left side, most often battling right tackles and tight ends, whereas he most often was on the right side in Miami. “It will be different from what I’ve done the majority of my career. I have done plenty of it and had some success over there, too,” Taylor said during his first press conference in Washington.

July 18, 2008   

Don’t count out Redskins’ James, but patience might be necessary

Updated at 9:14 p.m. EDT Sunday, July 20

As it stands now, coming off a knee injury and entering a crowded DE situation, Erasmus James — the failed former first-round pick of the Vikings who was traded to Washington for a conditional seventh-round draft pick — is far from guaranteed a roster spot. The team hopes that James, coming off ACL surgery last season, can be in shape to contribute at some point this preseason. The cautiously optimistic hope is that he can be ready to play in the final two preseason games, which would give him a chance to show he can contribute and make the roster. But with projected starters Jason Taylor (acquired in a trade after Phillip Daniels was lost for the season with a torn ACL, suffered on the first day of training camp) and Andre Carter, plus backups Chris Wilson and Demetric Evans, two players whom last year’s coaching staff liked, James must be impressive and hope that the team will keep five defensive ends on the 53-man roster, which is not far-fetched. One thing that could help James rediscover his college effectiveness is a return to the weight he played at with Wisconsin (where current Redskins DL coach John Palermo worked with him). He was in the 255- to 260-pound range there but bulked up to 275 pounds or more with the Vikings, and new Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache is a proponent of having James drop the weight, as opposed to former coordinator Gregg Williams, who liked his ends to be bigger.

July 18, 2008   

Redskins agree to terms with top pick Thomas

According to various reports, WR Devin Thomas and the Redskins have agreed on a four-year contract that includes a signing bonus of $2.75 million and a maximum value of $4.8 million.

The last unsigned Redskins rookie is second-round TE Fred Davis, but the team is confident his deal will be done before the start of camp. Davis is working out at Redskins Park, in fact, and could sign as early as late Friday or early Saturday.

Thomas was seen as the top receiver in the draft by many teams — including the Redskins who considered taking him at No. 21 before trading down — but no wideout was drafted in the first round this year.

According to PFW draft expert Nolan Nawrocki in the 2008 Draft Preview, Thomas is “an intimidating physical specimen with major-league speed” who “has a lot of upside if he can stay focused.”

June

June 25, 2008   

Redskins counting on healthy Jansen to anchor offensive line

ORT Jon Jansen is expected to rejoin the starting lineup following a painful double injury that he incurred in the season opener last season against Miami. Jansen reportedly is in good shape following rehab of his broken right leg and dislocated right ankle, earning a big thumbs-up from OL coach Joe Bugel, but Jansen still has a ways to go before he’s completely healthy. Having him back would allow the team to move slowly with promising OT Stephon Heyer, who had his moments as an undrafted rookie who was pressed into starting duty for five games. Heyer has a future, and the new staff appears to like him, but it would be ideal if Jansen could hold down the position for another season or two before they entrust the position to Heyer. As a safeguard, Jansen took snaps at center this summer and also said he was open to playing guard if it meant he could extend his career or improve the line.

June 6, 2008   

Zorn not happy with Springs’ absence from OTAs

If you’re a half-full kind of person and a Redskins fan, you’re no doubt glad that SS LaRon Landry has returned to “voluntary” organized team activities. But head coach Jim Zorn is not thrilled that CB Shawn Springs isn’t attending and hasn’t contacted the team to let it know of his expected arrival time. It could be training camp before the team sees its best cover corner ready to play football in earnest. Zorn and Springs have not spoken. But DE Phillip Daniels spoke up when he expressed his displeasure with Springs’ absence, and our sources say Zorn is not happy either, though he told the media that he “(doesn’t) get frustrated” at this type of thing. It’s the first sign of bad news during Zorn’s tenure, but Springs typically comes to camp in shape and ready to play. Of course, it doesn’t look good for team solidarity when WR Santana Moss shows up to Monday’s session hung over from his 29th birthday celebration and was sent home with what the team at the time called the “flu.” Moss later fessed up to partying too much the night before.

May

May 30, 2008   

James a speculative pickup for Redskins

There are many who questioned the wisdom of trading a seventh-round pick to the Vikings for banged-up DE Erasmus James, but there is some sense to the deal. The choice is dependent on James making the team, and if he does that, there’s a good chance his value will be greater than that of a seventh-round pick. When healthy, James could rediscover his pass-rushing skill, which he has not shown to date in the NFL as he did in college. He’s reunited with Redskins DL coach John Palermo, who coached James at Wisconsin, and Palermo is a noted teacher who is well-respected. James joins a DE rotation that includes Phillip Daniels, Andre Carter, Demetric Evans, Chris Wilson and Alex Buzbee — Rob Jackson, Tommy Davis and Kevin Huntley are considered long shots to make the team — one that likely will land five players on the 53-man roster. Daniels and Carter are sure bets, and Evans is considered a valuable reserve; James likely would have to beat out either Wilson or Buzbee, two speed rushers who opened eyes last season, to earn a roster spot.

May 21, 2008   

Thomas, Kelly feel like they can step in immediately

WRs Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly became friends throughout the draft process, even rooming together when the two visited the Cowboys, well before they were taken in the same round (second) by the Redskins. So it’s only natural that they one day envision themselves starting opposite one another — and in their minds, soon. “I feel like I picked up on it pretty quick,” Thomas told PFW. “I noticed it’s a big playbook, so I am going to have to keep learning, but overall it’s not that hard.” Thomas has been learning the “Z” (flanker) position so far, while Kelly has been working at the “X” (split end). “It’s the West Coast offense, so there are going to be a lot of three- and four-wide sets, so there will be a chance for me to get playing time,” Kelly told PFW. “And it’s not all just quick-hitters; there’s some down-the-field stuff, too. The coaches told me they are looking for a big target, especially in the red zone, so if I go in and earn the chance, I could be a factor right away.”

May 16, 2008   

Zorn’s coaching has some Redskins feeling more free

Make no mistake, there was a very loyal faction of Joe Gibbs supporters in the locker room when he tendered his resignation this offseason. Many players grew fond of Gibbs, especially in the wake of the Sean Taylor tragedy, when some feel Gibbs supplied some of his best leadership, coaching and mentoring. But there also remained a group of players that disliked what they perceived as Gibbs' lack of trust, in the form of the coach's highly managed style and overly regimented system. The problem for others was consistency — the disconnect between Gibbs and some of his assistants became tangible and obvious, and it created locker-room tension. So far, the players appear to like the laid-back approach of new head coach Jim Zorn, who has allowed the players the freedom to learn the offensive system and self-govern throughout the early stages of the process. It has created, for some, a lighter atmosphere around the team. "We don't have people watching us constantly and telling us what to do like we're little kids," FB Mike Sellers said. "He puts it on ourselves. We're being treated like men."

May 2, 2008   

Zorn’s timing a little off, but he feels good about implementing offense

New head coach Jim Zorn admits that he would like to have more of the offense in place at this point, but that learning how to be a head coach and preparing for last week’s draft got in the way of him achieving that. He and many assistants and front-office people attended some last-minute draft workouts, including that of Clemson’s Phillip Merling, and perhaps the team didn’t like what it saw, prompting it to trade down from No. 21, where it might have taken Merling, into the second round, where the team added three pass catchers. As a result, Zorn said he’ll offer up a “minicamp book” of offensive plays that the team will incorporate into this weekend’s five practices. Zorn said that base of plays should be a good foundation for players such as WRs Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly and TE Fred Davis, once they rejoin the team during organized training activities later in the offseason.

April

April 23, 2008   

Redskins stock up on WR help after Johnson trade is rejected

Updated as of 8:00 a.m. EDT Monday, April 28

The Redskins were among the teams interested in Bengals WR Chad Johnson, and the team even made a blockbuster offer to land the disgruntled wideout. It had all the makings of a classic Redskins stroke, but Cincinnati shot down the deal. It’s hard to say if the Redskins will be better off in the long run, but they did rebound with an interesting series of moves on Draft Day, trading out of Round One and still being able to land one of the draft’s top-rated receivers, Devin Thomas of Michigan State. What’s more, just down a few slots in Round Two, the team added more pass-catching weaponry in TE Fred Davis and WR Malcolm Kelly. The moves clearly fill Jim Zorn’s desire to land a big receiver — in essence, he got three — but it clearly remains to be seen if he got a player anywhere near the caliber of Johnson.

April 18, 2008   

Could Redskins go O-line in Round One?

Convention has the Redskins going in any number of directions of need with their first pick, No. 21 overall — defensive line, receiver and cornerback are most often mentioned. But don’t overlook the offensive line, where age and injury have become two hot-button issues. In order to run his West Coast system and an effective short passing game, head coach Jim Zorn knows he must find blockers who can knock down defenders’ arms, get a powerful initial punch and have good quickness off the ball. They also might want to find some versatility in their linemen, which is why the team is bringing in USC OT Sam Baker for a pre-draft visit this weekend, Baker told PFW. Some talent evaluators project Baker to tackle, but others think he could be just as good at guard. That’s a plus for the Redskins, who have age or injury concerns at four of the five spots along the line. A player like Baker might fill in at multiple spots but eventually be groomed as a left tackle.

April 4, 2008   

Zorn says Campbell will need years to develop, like Hasselbeck did

It was not an indictment of his quarterback’s skills, but new head coach Jim Zorn did tell media at the owners’ meetings this week that QB Jason Campbell will have to “develop over several years” in order to grasp the complexities of the West Coast system he preaches and is installing, much like Matt Hasselbeck — the coach’s former protégé — had to do in Seattle. Zorn was quick to praise Campbell’s footwork, which is something the two of them have spent the most time working on since Zorn was named head coach. Although the entire offense has yet to be installed, Zorn said he has a working playbook that will be ready to be implemented in minicamp and that Campbell already has a decent feel for the plays he'll be expected to run.

March

March 26, 2008   

Defensive scheme changes might not be implemented wholesale under Blache

Many observers actually credit former defensive honcho Gregg Williams for the way he was able to adapt his defensive game plans based on the strengths of his personnel. All things being equal, Williams would have loved to blitz more often and play more single-high safety coverage the past two seasons, but he ended up having to play a lot more cover-2 and Tampa-2 defenses than he wanted to — save for the late run last season that put the team in the playoffs. New coordinator Greg Blache, the DL coach under Williams, spoke of being more aggressive upon his promotion this offseason, but it was interesting to hear MLB London Fletcher say that Blache made as much as 60 percent of the defensive calls last season. And considering the coach’s cover-2 background as a coordinator in Chicago, that could turn out to be the base defense once more.

March 19, 2008   

Draft becomes most likely route to fill WR need

The coaching staff might say that TE Chris Cooley is primed for his best season yet, or that Santana Moss has played like a No. 1 wideout before. They might even pump up the potential of Billy McMullen, who was added in January, or a trio of young wideouts (Anthony Mix, Burl Toler and Maurice Mann), one of whom might step up to earn a roster spot. But the fact remains — as head coach Jim Zorn iterated at the Combine — that the Redskins need an upgrade at receiver. Although the free-agent market appears dried up with Bryant Johnson and D.J. Hackett having picked other teams, and the trade market might be more hype than substance, the draft class is fairly strong at the WR position. The team will consider using a first-round pick on a receiver, but there could be better value down the line a bit. Either way, as it stands now, receiver is a top-three position need for the draft.

March 12, 2008   

Redskins might try to scoop up Hackett on the cheap

The Redskins have stayed true to their word of remaining mostly inactive in free agency. The pleasant surprises for them have been that they were able to retain both QB Todd Collins and KR Rock Cartwright, two players who had hoped perhaps to land starting jobs elsewhere. And the good news might continue: WR D.J. Hackett, whom many expected to be one player the Redskins might court early in free agency but has received surprisingly little attention on the market from any team, will be visiting with the team and could come at a very manageable price. Head coach Jim Zorn has talked of adding size at wideout this offseason, and he coached the 6-2 Hackett in the West Coast offense the past few seasons in Seattle, so the transition would be easier if he were to sign with Washington.

March 7, 2008   

Might the Redskins stay quiet until the draft?

Typically, the Redskins come out hot in free agency and stay cool through the draft, usually relegated to having fewer picks than most teams. In the past five years, the Redskins have had the fewest draft picks of any NFL team. But this year, the opposite could come true. The team has done nothing in free agency, only re-signing QB Todd Collins, as it is handicapped by its own past financial missteps. But with the team owning all of its original draft picks except for their fourth-rounder (which will go to the Broncos for the T.J. Duckett trade from 2006), and more picks possibly coming their way, it’s possible that the team could stay mostly quiet — expect a free-agent receiver to be added at some point — until the draft rolls around. Though we won’t know until the end of the month, the Redskins could gain at least one compensatory pick for losing free agents last offseason, when Derrick Dockery, Duckett and David Patten, plus others, signed with other teams.

February

Feb. 29, 2008   

Redskins in coupon-cutting mode as free agency opens, but trades could happen

Take a look at the wish lists of people like Daniel Snyder, Vinny Cerrato and Jim Zorn, and dreams of Randy Moss, Lance Briggs and Asante Samuel might dance on the page. But with a unwieldy salary-cap situation and a newfound commitment to prudent, smart shopping, the Redskins have said almost in lockstep this offseason they will be taking a measured approach to signing free agents. Of course, what they say and what they do oftentimes are not in accord. Instead, don’t be surprised if the team gets involved more in the trade market — perhaps a burgeoning trend leaguewide. The team needs DL help and could contact the Jets about Dewayne Robertson. The Redskins were among the teams that contacted the Falcons about available CB DeAngelo Hall. And you’ll continue to hear Bengals WR Chad Johnson’s name attached to the Redskins until there is a comment from Johnson himself that he is not going anywhere.

Feb. 20, 2008   

Smith hired as offensive coordinator; Zorn will call plays

One longtime NFL executive wonders if Jim Zorn may be biting off more than he can chew in his first go-round as the Redskins’ head coach. “Calling plays in this league is tough,” the executive said. “Being a head coach is a nightmare. Doing both … few guys can (do it). I love Jimmy Zorn as much as a lot of people, and I saw him as a guy who could do one or the other, but both, I don’t know. He’s got a lot on his plate.” The executive, though, says he won’t be surprised if Zorn at some point hands off the play-calling duties to new coordinator Sherman Smith, much as Vikings head coach Brad Childress did last season with first-time coordinator Darrell Bevell. “Or Jim Fassel (handing off) to Sean Payton,” the exec said. “Of course, Jim (Fassel) took the play-calling away from him later on, which (eventually) drove him out of New York.”

Feb. 13, 2008   

Zorn's staff coming together, but more coaches are on the way

New head coach Jim Zorn’s new staff is taking shape, but more rumors are being floated about who else might fill out his still-vacant coaching positions. Zorn said he would “definitely” hire an offensive coordinator, and many signs point to Titans assistant head coach/running backs Sherman Smith, who was a teammate of Zorn’s during their playing days in Seattle. Smith never has called plays before, but he has been Jeff Fisher’s assistant head coach the past two seasons and is a product of the respected Miami (Ohio) coaching lineage. The two men are said to be close friends. Another potential hire is Seahawks RB coach Stump Mitchell, who is also close with Zorn. In fact, there is a possible “trade” scenario of coaches: Mitchell could land in Washington, and current Redskins RB coach Earnest Byner, who recently re-signed with the team for a year, could take Mitchell’s same job in Seattle.

Feb. 1, 2008   

Fassel, Spagnuolo ahead of Mariucci in head-coaching derby

Updated as of 11:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 5

There are connections between former 49ers and Lions head coach Steve Mariucci — who has served the past two years as an analyst for the NFL Network — to both of the Redskins’ coordinator hires, Jim Zorn (offense) and Greg Blache (defense). And Redskins executive vice president of football operations Vinny ­Cerrato worked in San Francisco when Mariucci was hired as Niners head coach. That said, team sources tell us that former Giants head coach Jim Fassel and current Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo remain higher on the team’s list to fill their head-coaching vacancy. Fassel nearly was offered the job after the conference championship game weekend, we hear, but owner Daniel Snyder wanted to wait once he and his staff identified Spagnuolo as a candidate.