Not all of you can stay
With 13 regular season games in the books and every player on the Redskins roster [hopefully] auditioning to be around next season, I thought it would be a good time to take a long look at the roster as it stands now [including practice squad and injured reserve players] and try to decide which ones should be kept around and which ones should be discarded. In making these decisions, I assumed that the Redskins will be in full rebuilding mode next year. That may well not be the case, as virtually nobody at Redskins Park appears to have the patience or guts for a true tear-down-the-house rebuilding project that I [and many others] believe is necessary and long overdue. Nevertheless, assuming a rationale regime at Redskins Park [stop laughing, I'm trying to make a point here], this is what I would do with the roster, as it stands now, if I was committed to rebuilding this broken and chronically-mismanaged franchise from the ground up.
The criteria I identified for a rebuilding team are young players who have some potential to be a regular contributor, if not a starter, and who won’t occupy a lot of cap space.
We begin with the offense. The defense and special teams will follow in an article tomorrow.
CENTER
Casey Rabach – He’s 33 years old and for the past two season I think he’s been the worst starting center in the NFL. I love his work ethic and his attitude, but he’s simply not capable of playing at a high, or even a medium, level anymore. DECISION: DISCARD.
Will Montgomery – He’s not young [28 in February], but he’s not old either and he’s cheap. I think he’s probably the best center on the team now and his versatility means he can play guard, though not well enough to start at that position. [Yes, he does currently start at guard, but he shouldn't.] Maybe he can be a decent utility interior lineman. DECISION: KEEP.
Erik Cook – A 2010 7th round draft pick, he was only recently elevated from the practice squad. He fulfills two of the three needs the team has, he’s young and cheap. Is he talented? We don’t know, but at his price we should keep him around to find out. DECISION: KEEP.
GUARD
Kory Lichtensteiger - He’s 25 and he’s cheap, so he fills to of the three needs. I haven’t liked much of what I’ve seen from Lichtensteiger, but Mike Shanahan seems to regard him as the second coming of John Hannah. Like Montgomery, I thin he’s a better center than guard so he could have value as a utility interior lineman. DECISION: KEEP.
Will Montgomery – He’s not a very good guard, but he can play it in a pinch [as he is now] and he seems more suited to center. Could be a utility interior lineman and those guys are worth having around. DECISION: KEEP.
Derrick Dockery – He’s 30, he’s not cheap and he doesn’t fit the offensive scheme. DECISION: DISCARD.
Artis Hicks – He’s got good size and is versatile, capable of playing both guard positions and right tackle. He hasn’t played well this year and may not be as good a fit for the zone blocking scheme as once thought. He’s really a utility reserve type and is miscast as an NFL starter. He’s already been benched this season and while versatile offensive linemen are nice to have, what’s the point of having a 32-year-old backup on a rebuilding team? DECISION: DISCARD.
TACKLE
Trent Williams is a keeper
Trent Williams – As the 4th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, he’s definitely not cheap. However, he is young, he is talented and he is the team’s best offensive lineman. The trick is how to build the rest of the line around Williams, who I think will be good, though probably not quite as good as his predecessor, Chris Samuels. DECISION: KEEP.
Jammal Brown — What a waste. The Redskins will send a 3rd or 4th round pick to the Saints for Brown, who has been bothered by a hip injury and been one of the worst starting right tackles in the NFL, particularly in pass protection. He’s a free agent in 2011 and based on his performance this season will not be getting the payday he was hoping for. Considering how long his hip injury has been a problem, he looks like someone who will probably have permanent difficulty. It’s difficult to see what he offers the Redskins or any other team at this point. DECISION: DISCARD.
Stephon Heyer – He’s a complete liability in pass protection at both tackle spots and not much better as a run blocker. He’s a very marginal NFL player, at best. He’s still young and cheap, but considering how many opportunities he’s already had with the Redskins, the upside just is not apparent. DECISION: DISCARD.
Selvish Capers – A huge man, Capers was taken in the 7th round after a fine college career was tarnished when he was exposed by superior talent at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. He was part of a great run-blocking line at West Virginia, but isn’t known as a pass-blocker. Athletic enough to play left tackle in college, he looks more like a right tackle in the pros to me now. Capers appeared a bit overwhelmed when I saw him in training camp. He’s spent the entire season on the practice squad. A zone blocking scheme should compensate for some of his weaknesses, but it might take another year before he’s ready to be a regular contributor on an NFL team. He’s got real potential, though, and he’s young and cheap. DECISION: KEEP.
Jacob Bender – A 25-year-old third year player from Nicholls State, Bender is a marginal NFL talent who hasn’t been able to catch on anywhere for long. DECISION: DISCARD.
Clint Oldenburg – He’s got good size, but not much else. Suffice to say he’s 27 years old and unable to find a steady job with an NFL team. He’s on the injured reserve now, but there was never much indication he could make the active roster on a team with a very poor offensive line. DECISION: DISCARD.
TIGHT END
Chris Cooley – He’s 28 years old, still in the prime of his career and actually improved considerably as a run blocker this season. His contract, while not small, is very affordable compared to what some are getting or will soon get. He’s the team’s second-leading receiver, with 62 catches. DECISION: KEEP.
Fred Davis – He will be 25 next month and proved in 2009 that he can be a real force in an offense inclined to use him. He’s done very little in the way of pass-catching in 2010, but that’s mostly because the Shanahans either don’t want to use him or don’t know how. He should be traded if management has no further use for him, so he’s still a valuable commodity one way or another. Davis will be a restricted free agent in 2011. DECISION: KEEP.
Logan Paulsen – An academic star at UCLA, Paulsen joined the team this year as undrafted rookie free agent. He’s done most of his work on special teams this year, but he caught his first TD pass of his career in week 14 against the Buccaneers. He’s the biggest tight end on the roster and, potentially, the best blocker. He’s also young and cheap. DECISION: KEEP.
WIDE RECEIVER
One stays, one goes
Santana Moss – He’s the team’s leading receiver and probably its best player. He should catch more than 90 passes for over 1000 yards this season, something only he has been able to do since he joined the team in 2005. However, Moss is 31 years old, will be a free agent in 2011 and probably realizes his best chance to win a Super Bowl is somewhere else. The Redskins offense would unspeakable without Moss this season, but if some team makes him a deservedly substantial offer it makes no sense for the Redskins to match it. It makes no sense for a rebuilding team to tie a sizable portion of its cap space to a player who is nearing the end of his productive career. Moss can still be a very good receiver in the NFL, but he’s no longer a #1 option, he needs to play on a team with a legitimate star at wideout. The Redskins don’t have that. DECISION: DISCARD.
Anthony Armstrong – He will be 28 in March, so he’s hardly young by NFL standards. However, his body hasn’t taken a lot of punishment and he’s cheap and productive. His 19.2 yards per catch leads the Redskins and is among the leaders in the NFL. Still young enough to be part of a rebuilding project and inexpensive enough for it, too. He’s a third receiver on a good team, but the Redskins have been asking more of him this season and probably would next season, as well. DECISION: KEEP.
Roydell Williams – He will be 30 in March and hasn’t been a healthy or productive receiver in years. He must be one heck of a practice player because he still gets playing time every week despite making almost no contributions in games. He’s cheap, but that’s because he has no real value as an NFL player. DECISION: DISCARD.
Brandon Banks – An undrafted rookie free agent, Banks has become so feared in two months as a punt and kick returner that opposing teams will not put the ball in his direction. Much of his good work has been undone by incompetent penalties committed by his teammates, but he’s been a very rare bright spot in a dismal season. The trick is to now get him involved as a receiver from scrimmage, so the Redskins, not the opposition, can decide whether or not he gets the football. DECISION: KEEP.
Terrence Austin – The fact that he can’t beat out Roydell Williams may mean Austin isn’t very good in practice. Or it could mean that the Shanahans are too egotistical to admit yet another mistake at the wide receiver position [see Galloway, Joey]. Austin has very good speed by all accounts and could see time as a kick returner. As a 7th round draft pick in 2010, he’s very inexpensive. Few 7th rounders become stars in the NFL, but he could be a useful role player and his speed makes him someone worth looking at carefully. DECISION: KEEP.
Malcolm Kelly - Perennially-injured and unproductive even when healthy, Kelly has been a complete bust since he was drafted in the second round in 2008. He’s still on his rookie contract so he doesn’t cost much. He’s got great size and good hands, but he’s never been able to stay healthy long enough to produce anything on the field. The team saw enough in him to stash him on IR this year instead of just cutting him so perhaps they think he can be of future use. He plays a position that is very weak on the Redskins, which changes the calculus a bit. The fact that Kelly should be kept and Moss allowed to leave demonstrates there is no justice in building an NFL roster. DECISION: KEEP.
Mike Furrey – He’s 33 years old and spent the entire season on injured reserve. DECISION: DISCARD.
Taurus Johnson – He’s on the practice squad now and though he showed some playmaking signs in college, he’s not particularly big or particularly fast. I’m not sure what would make him a good NFL player. DECISION: DISCARD.
Maurice Price – A 24-year-old who was not drafted in 2007, he’s bounced around from the Chiefs, the Patriots, the CFL and the UFL. Price led the nation with 103 receptions as a junior at Charleston Southern and then left for the NFL. He’s an amazing leaper and a solid athlete who has intrigued a lot of NFL teams, but he’s never put together a body of work in the pros. He’s got decent size, but hasn’t demonstrated himself to be anything but the most marginal of NFL players. DECISION: DISCARD.
FULLBACK
Mike Sellers – He’s got great size and experience, but he’s 35 years old and overpaid for his production. He often plays well on special teams, but is prone to penalties, as well. He’s a decent receiver out of the backfield, but a terrible ball-carrier. He’s the best fullback on the roster, but it makes no sense to have a 35-year-old fullback making a million dollars on the roster of a rebuilding team. DECISION: DISCARD.
Darrel Young – He’s moved from linebacker to fullback so clearly the coaches see something in him they like. He’s not nearly as big or powerful as Sellers, so it isn’t clear if the team sees him as a lead blocker. He’s more athletic than Sellers, though, and a far superior ball-carrier. He will have to continue to earn his way on special teams. However, he’s only 23 years old and very inexpensive so he’s worth keeping around to see if he develops into something. DECISION: KEEP.
TAILBACK
The future running back?
Clinton Portis – He’s 29-years-old and demonstrated two things this season: He can still be good running back and he can’t stay healthy anymore. Injuries are increasingly dominating the career of Clinton Portis, which isn’t surprising considering the amount of touches he’s had in 9 seasons. Even if he would take a pay cut it makes no sense to have a player of his age and health history on a rebuilding team. DECISION: DISCARD.
Ryan Torain – He’s 24 years old and is averaging 4.9 yards per carry behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. He has only a handful of starts, but already has three 100-yard rushing games. Of all the running backs on the roster, he’s looked the best this season, a natural fit in the one-cut zone blocking Shanahan offense. However, he’s never been able to stay healthy for long. He’s young so that could change, but he cannot be relied upon. He’s young, cheap, talented and injury-prone. He’s almost perfect for a rebuilding project. DECISION: KEEP.
Keiland Williams – He’s averaging 4.0 yards per carry, is 4th on the team in receptions and leads everyone with 5 TD. He’s clearly not an elite running back, but he’s shown real improvement in pass-blocking, he runs hard and has good hands as a receiver out of the backfield. He looks like a solid third down back option. He’s an undrafted rookie free agent who makes almost nothing by NFL standards. DECISION: KEEP.
James Davis – A number of teams wanted Davis, who turns 25 on New Year’s Day, but he chose the Redskins, presumably because of a backfield he regarded as weak without him. A 6th round pick of the Browns in 2009, Davis split time with C.J. Spiller at Clemson. He’s got good size and nice speed and power for a back, but he hasn’t proven he’s anything special in the NFL. He’s young, cheap and might be good. The Redskins had to lift him from a December loss at home to Tampa Bay because of his poor pass-blocking, so he’s got some work to do, but potential is there. DECISION: KEEP.
Andre Brown – At 6 feet and over 220 pounds, Brown is the big fella of the tailback crew. He started one season at NC State and never fumbled. The Giants drafted him, but he spent his rookie season of 2009 on the IR and has bounced around this season. He timed at just under 4.5 in the 40 coming out of college and his pass-blocking skills have been praised. He’s young, cheap and might be worth a roster spot, so he fits all the criteria of a rebuilding team. DECISION: KEEP.
Chad Simpson – Brought on board more for his special teams skills [he's a return specialist] than anything else, he broke a foot during pregame warmups and never played from scrimmage. He’s a bowling ball of a runner, like Maurice Jones-Drew, only a bit bigger and a lot less talented. He’s worth a look because he’s so cheap and still quite young, but he looks like a long shot to me. Worth having at training camp, though. DECISION: KEEP.
Shawnbrey McNeal - He was a bench warmer at The U [Miami], but a transfer to SMU worked perfectly, as he had a big season and left for the NFL Draft a year early. He’s a good athlete who can run and jump and he turned 22 in October so he’s an intriguing prosepect. A small man who probably isn’t as big as stated [5'9" and 190 lbs.], McNeal is a Darren Sproles type, though not as talented. Of course, Sproles wasn’t an overnight success, he was a practice squad star before being deemed ready for the NFL. McNeal’s athleticism makes him worth a look. DECISION: KEEP.
QUARTERBACK
One and done in Washington?
Donovan McNabb – The Redskins gave up two valuable draft picks to get him and he hasn’t lived up to the billing. Turns out the Eagles front office, known for making more right moves than any other NFC team in the last decade, was right again. McNabb hasn’t had great protection this year and his supporting cast is less than stellar, but that’s often been said about his Eagles teams and he had success with them anyway. Age has diminished McNabb somewhat, though he can still be a good quarterback on a team with more talent. Unfortunately, a rebuilding project is not where McNabb should find himself. It’s unlike anyone at Redskins Park to admit a personnel mistake of this magnitude so I believe he will be back next season despite the fact the offensive coaching staff has no confidence in him. At 34 and expensive [even with a cap-friendly new contract], the Redskins have little use for McNabb if they are rebuilding. Drafting a young quarterback or signing one in free agency with some of McNabb’s 2011 money would be the smart move. DECISION: DISCARD.
Rex Grossman – Proof that who you know matters more than your actual ability to do the job — even in the NFL — Grossman rode his knowledge of Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system [such as it is] to a new gig in D.C. as McNabb’s backup. If you needed further evidence that the Shanahans are typical egomaniacal NFL coaches who think any shlub can be a good quarterback if only they follow the genius system installed by the genius coaches, Grossman should seal the deal. He’s never been a decent quarterback anywhere and D.C. won’t break that streak. DECISION: DISCARD.
John Beck – He will be 30 years old when the 2011 season starts [if it starts on time or at all], so he’s not the long-term solution. He’s a former academic star at BYU, in addition to running up some big stats in that spread offense. He’s got decent arm strength, but thrives in a short passing attack. Known for his good character and smart decision-making. He’s a bit smaller than most NFL quarterbacks and it isn’t known if he could withstand the rigors of a full season. He might thrive in the west coast offense, though it is more likely that he can be a solid backup to a young new starter. DECISION: KEEP.
Here are the players I believe should be kept and discarded by a rebuilding Redskins team in 2011, presented in table form.
DISCARD
POSITION PLAYER REASON C Casey Rabach Age, salary, skill G Derrick Dockery Salary, system G/RT Artis Hicks Age, skill OT Jammal Brown Injury OT Stephon Heyer Skill OT Jacob Bender Skill OT Clint Oldenburg Skill WR Santana Moss Age, salary WR Roydell Williams Age, skill WR Mike Furrey Age, injury, skill FB Mike Sellers Age, salary TB Clinton Portis Age, injury, salary QB Donovan McNabb Age, skill QB Rex Grossman SkillKEEP
POSITION PLAYER REASON C/G Will Montgomery Age, salary C/G Erik Cook Age, salary C/G Kory Lichtensteiger Age, salary, system LT Trent Williams Skill, age OT Selvish Capers Age, salary, potential TE Chris Cooley Skill TE Fred Davis Skill, age, salary TE Logan Paulsen Age, salary, potential WR Anthony Armstrong Salary, skill WR Brandon Banks Skill, potential, age, salary WR Terrence Austin Age, salary, potential WR Malcolm Kelly Age, salary, potential TB Darrel Young Age, salary TB Ryan Torain Age, salary, skill, potential TB Keiland Williams Age, salary, skill, potential TB James Davis Age, salary, potential TB Andre Brown Age, salary, potential TB Chad Simpson Age, salary TB Shawnbrey McNeal Age, salary QB John Beck PotentialNext up, I’ll cover the defense and the special teams.
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Possibly Related Posts:
- Redskins Roundup: It’s better to throw
- Laron Landry to the injured reserve
- Redskins Roundup: The future is always now
- Redskins AM Pundit Report (12/13)
- Live Microphone: Santana Moss
Original Story:
http://dcprosportsreport.com/2010/12/...
