Redskins head to Canada, Eh?
The Washington Redskins are a team in transformation and the changes keep coming. The Redskins have decided to make more improvements to the front office with GM Bruce Allen. One name which surfaced this week was the newly released personnel director for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Doug Williams.
Of course Williams has joined the Redskins before, coming from Tampa, when he was an actively playing quarterback and went on to lead the Redskins to the Super Bowl and collected a MVP trophy along the way.
However, the latest possible move for the Redskins is a jump north of the border to Canada. According to the Montreal Gazette, Montreal Alouettes GM Jim Popp is on a short list of personell the Redskins are serious about adding to the front office.
Popp has been the general manager of the Alouettes since they returned to the CFL in 1996. During his tenure, the team has only finished below second in the East division twice, they have never missed the playoffs, and have been to sever Grey Cups since 2000. The Grey Cup is the CFL equivalent of the NFL’s Super Bowl.
During Bruce Allen’s tenure in the NFL, he has a reputation of finding talent in unique places and a signing of Popp, who is in his final year of a contract with the Alouettes, would be no different.
Washington Redskins to bring in RB Shaun Alexander
The Washington Redskins have scheduled a visit with RB Shaun Alexander. No. Not really but he could very well be next on the list of worn out running backs the Redskins interview. It was announced on Tuesday that Washington will bring in Brian Westbrook today for a visit.
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Westbrook, 31, was released by the Philadelphia Eagles in February. He has been a successful running back in the league but has been plagued by a variety of injuries during his career. Westbrook has undergone a torn triceps muscle, foot injuries, knee problems, ankle ailments, rib injuries and last year only participated in 7 regular season games after two separate concussions.
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Westbrook worked out with the St. Louis Rams a few weeks ago and it was reported that he did pass a team physical but the Rams let Westbrook walk without a contract.
Mike Shanahan has a reputation of finding late round, little known running backs and plugging them in his system and finding great success. Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson, Reuben Droughns, Tatum Bell, Olandis Gary and current Redskins running back Clinton Portis are all examples of Shanahan’s successes while he was coaching the Denver Broncos. However, with the Washington Redskins, Shanahan seems to be collecting running backs, the older the better. Willie Parker 29, Larry Johnson 30, and now the visit from Westbrook, 31, are examples of going the wrong way in the backfield. If the Redskins wanted a veteran running back who is productive over the age of 30, they should have signed Jets RB Thomas Jones in free agency. Parker and Johnson are no Thomas Jones. At this point in his career, even Clinton Portis’ productivity has to be in question with his history of injuries.
Perhaps Shanahan has little say in these moves. Joey Galloway, who will be 39 this season, was signed as wide receiver help. Galloway played for Bruce Allen when he was the GM in Tampa Bay. Buccaneers fans will speak at length about Allen’s love for older players who are at the end of their careers. If Bruce Allen is calling the shots in Washington, a visit from Shaun Alexander, 32, isn’t out of the question. After all, he has been out of football for 2 years, so he should be fresh. Who’s next for a visit? Jerome Bettis?
Haynesworth drama continues……….
With the Washington Redskins holding a minicamp this past weekend, Albert Haynesworth became the focus of ire from his teammates. First the disgust with Haynesworth’s behavior started in the media with sports writers and bloggers digesting his enormous free agent contract last season and lack of production on the field. What did Redskins fans expect?
Then came the unspoken but alluded to disgust from head coach Mike Shanahan and GM Bruce Allen. In a radio interview last week, Allen said he was “frustrated” by Haynesworth’s absence.
Now, his teammates are angry with his absences as well. A quote this week in the Washington Post by Redskin Phillip Daniels sums it up. “I’m here, Fletcher’s here, everybody’s here. He’s got to understand that. We need him to come here, be here and show these young guys that the veterans have bought in and that we want to win games”.
Problem is Haynesworth wants everything on his terms. He doesn’t want to be a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. He claims he wants to be a playmaker and rush the quarterback. Well Albert, you had that chance last season when the Redskins played in a 4-3 alignment and you didn’t produce anything special on the field.
Albert is quickly becoming a cancer for the Redskins and this weekend a few rumors began circulating on the internet that Haynesworth might be heading to the Vikings. Minnesota will be without the use of their two defensive tackles, Pat Williams and Kevin Williams with a 4 game suspension. While Haynesworth could be useful in the Vikings defense while the Williams Wall serves their suspension, what happens when they come back and Haynesworth loses playing time. Redskins fans would say that is Minnesota’s problem and at this point any other NFL team would be a welcome destination for a player threatening to disrupt everything Mike Shanahan is trying to put in place. In the end, Shanahan will show Haynesworth who is in charge.
McNabb to Jackson- shut up loser
The Washington Redskins held a minicamp this weekend and newly acquired quarterback Donovan McNabb had a chance to address the media after camp concluded. It didn’t take long for someone in attendance of McNabb’s press conference to show him a copy of the Sporting News which included the quote from former teammate DeSean Jackson.
When asked about the trade of McNabb to the Redskins, Jackson responded, “I don’t think we lost anything”. McNabb responded, “It’s so wild what people get to talking when you’re not there but when you’re there everybody loves you……Who ever may say thing’s while I’m gone, more power to ‘em but it’s not making you look like a better man”.
McNabb went on to say that the Redskins are making good progress and he can see that progress in improvement from the first minicamp to the second. He appeared to be excited with the prospect of playing with TE’s Chris Cooley and Fred Taylor. “I think for the guys that we have we feel like it could be a mismatch versus the safeties and definitely versus the linebackers with those guys”.
McNabb also stated that he would like to remain with the Redskins for several more years. Washington has failed to renegotiate a longer term contract with McNabb yet.
Haynesworth frustrates Redskins
Washington Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth continues to frustrate the teams as well as GM Bruce Allen. Allen was on ESPN 980 according to Redskins Insider. While Allen said he hasn’t had any discussions about extended new Redskin QB Donovan McNabb but said that “there will be plenty of time to have those discussions.”
Allen went on to voice his displeasure about DT Albert Haynesworth’s absence from voluntary camps. Allen said it was “frustrating ” to talk about players who were not at camp. “We’re counting on his to be in great shape when he shows up,” Allen concluded.
I still believe that Haynesworth will be moved before mandatory camps begin. The Redskins still try to put on the facade that he will be part of the plans moving forward, but Haynesworth is already in head coach Mike Shanahan’s doghouse and I don’t see this division being rectified prior to the start of 2010.
