Brett Favre Needs to Go Away

I think the Madden Curse this year is on the entire country, not on Brett Favre, because we have to continue to see his mug on TV. I'm sick of hearing about him, and yes, I know I'm contributing to all the noise out there about him right now, but really, just retire. I don't even want him to play because I'm just tired of hearing about him. If he plays this year, it means his waffling comes up again next offseason. Do us all a favor Brett and just walk away for good. Sorry for the short post, but I'm going to (finally) review the wide receivers tomorrow, so stay tuned!

The Official Redskins Blog and the Readers that HATE it

We all know that the blog is an invention of the current internet generation, and their success or failure typically depends on how interesting, or in some cases how controversial their commentary proves to be. Things like Stuff White People Like, and Deadspin appeal to specific crowds, but also light a fire in the belly of certain readers. Even though readers can be hateful (and comment boxes provide them the means to act in such a way), the controversy typically attracts readers, and thus propels the popularity of the blog. Maybe that's why this one is only read by my 7 friends and commented by another 3-4 (those few comments are GREATLY appreciated by the way).

Anyway...

The reason I was compelled to post tonight was triggered by my daily lunchtime blog check-up. I usually check the staples, but in light of training camp starting this week, I've also made it a habit to check up on Gary Fitzgerald's timestamp updates on Redskins.com. The new addition to the 'Skins official site this year is their official Blog, written by 31-year-old, life-long fan Matt Terl. The guy moved his family here from MD to be paid zilch to cover the Redskins from a new angle. If anybody follows the Redskins regularly, especially during their yearly preseason hype period, they understand that Ashburn is constantly overrun with throngs of media and fans throughout training camp. Typically, in a year when Danny Boy brings in a novelty act, these numbers are higher (which is almost every year nowadays). That being said, each media outlet seems to cover the same things, the same players, and the same coaches. There isn't a great deal more to be said about Jason Taylor beyond his daily reps, Jason Campbell's progress, or our aging offensive line until they begin taking live snaps in the preseason. Terl's responsibility is to bring his readers some of the ins and outs of training camp that fans don't get to see by lining up 25 yards away from the players in the heat.

However, Terl seems to be getting destroyed by his "readers." Today, he was completely blasted for his commentary on Brad Berlin and the Redskins Equipment Room. Personally, I feel like that's something not many people get to see, or hear about, and might be interested in. The logistics of keeping an entire 80-man roster stocked up through an entire training camp, let alone an entire season are mind-boggling, and that's something I'd like to hear about. People are griping that Matt should write about camp and the players, but there's only so much he can report on that other members of the media that haven't already covered a hundred times over. He's also being accused of stuffing the comment boxes, which may or may not be true, but I thought I would post this in support of him, and say that I think it's nice to see a change-of-pace official blog on my favorite NFL team. Maybe the controversy will bring about more readers for him, and hopefully pull up some supportive ones. So this one's for you. Keep up the good work Matt!

The Poor Man's Version of the Uni Watch

As you may or may not know, I'm a big fan of Paul Lukas's Uni Watch Blog, which makes the occasional appearance on ESPN.com. Like I've said before, I find the presentation of sport to be almost as interesting as the sport itself at times. That being said, I'm going to address new developments from Blacksburg and Ashburn with a Uni Watch Spin.

The acquisition of Jason Taylor brings a lot of certainty to the Redskin defensive group, but some questions as well. Not the least of which will be who rocks the #99 jersey this year. Andre Carter has worn it throughout his tenure as a Redskin, but wore #96 as a 49er dating back to 2001. Taylor has worn the number throughout his career, and has apparently expressed interest in buying the number off of Carter. It should be interesting to see the bounty that #99 will bring in this year. These issues are not new to the league (a la Jeff Feagles), or the Redskins (a la Clinton Portis v. Ifiyani Ohalete), so it should be interesting to see who comes out on top. My prediction is that Taylor will take the number and Carter will enjoy having the relief from another legitimate pass rusher on the line with a side of free vacation.

On a more serious football note, there is a legitimate debate about who will play on the left side for the Skins' defensive line, as both guys have played there for the majority of their careers. Odds are that Taylor will make the move into Daniels' vacated side, since he's spent more time over there, and has more natural pass-rushing ability. Regardless, his presence on either side should free up Carter and Marcus Washington to make a Tony Romo sandwich more than a few times this year. Maybe I should just shut up about Jessica's boy toy or I might upset TO more...

On a different note, the annual ACC Football meetings just concluded, with my beloved Hokies being picked to win the Coastal Division and to finish 2nd to the Clemson Tigers in the league. I'd have to say that I wholeheartedly agree with this pick. While we lost what seems like 8,000,000,000 seniors from last year's ACC Championship squad, we still have exponentially more talent than UVA and the other schlubs in the Coastal by default (sans Miami, whose talent won't live up to their billing while Randy Shannon retains his headset in Coral Gables). However, I believe that our strategy this year was given away too quickly at the meetings. As you can see above, our primary objective this year is to blind our opponents with horrifyingly hideous uniforms, and then take the extra time we bought to find some skill players (that haven't yet hurt themselves). In all seriousness, as much as I love my Chicago Maroon and Burnt Orange, I identify that they really don't go well together, and in any case, Orange should be nothing more than a complimentary color. That being said, the new home uniforms use WAY TOO MUCH orange down the sides and bordering the numbers. The white jerseys aren't horrible, but I felt like Nike is ruining a perfectly good thing we had going with the old jerseys. We should stick to the all-white for night road games, all-maroon for night home games. Oh well, Jim Weaver, Beamer and the bunch are all slaves to Nike and their lack of taste.


Oh and Sean Glennon still sucks...

I didn't realize he could play football too!

That smell you just noticed is Tony Romo shitting his pants as we speak. If I have to read one more press release about how the Redskins acquired an extremely talented ballroom dancer, I might throw up. Yes, this trade has brought me out of my "new job vs. blog" slumber, and I couldn't be happier. This trade makes a previously thin Redskins front-seven into a force in the NFC. Jason Taylor is still a top-5 pass rusher in the NFL, and teaming up with Andre Carter's double-digit sack ability, Cornelius Griffin's presence (when he's present), and a solid tandem of young defensive tackles makes the Redskins defense scary. There are still a lot of 'ifs' present with this group, but any secondary problems could be completely irrelevant if the opposing quarterback can't get rid of the ball. This move makes Marcus Washington a better linebacker and Fred Smoot, Shawn Springs and Carlos Rogers exponentially better. If Jason Campbell can take a step forward, this team could be a force in the playoffs. As John Clayton put it, 1-2 wins in the toughest division in football is EASILY worth a second rounder. While it's not a guarantee, I like the move. Condolences to Phillip Daniels, who I've always found to be a class guy that has never gotten his due, as this probably spells the end of his career in Burgundy and Gold, if not totally. Hats off to a solid locker room guy, a good leader and a true Redskin. The rest of the previews will be coming in the next few days, now that wedding season is coming to a close. Expect a full report from the Hall of Fame induction ceremony in two weeks!

Part Two: Running Backs

Part Two will cover both Running Backs as well as fullbacks, mostly because I don't think Fullbacks need their own section. The Redskins have one of the deepest crops of Running Backs in the NFL, with Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright all posting 100-yard rushing performances in their careers, and with Portis and Betts both with the potential to rush for 1200 yards in a starting role. Portis has been knocked in recent years because the Redskins traded Champ Bailey away to acquire him, and his performance is not what it was in Denver. I disagree with this. I'll admit that I've had times when I've missed Champ a lot, but his play hasn't been nearly as strong the last two years in Denver. He's been making the Pro Bowl more on his reputation, while his passing defense consistently ranks at the bottom of the league. Clinton Portis (save 2006) has been a stabilizing force for the Redskins rushing attack, and the Skins have been one of the strongest rushing teams in the NFL in recent years. If they expect to make the playoffs again, the rushing attack will be the most important factor for the offense. Here are some things to look for going into summer:

Shaping Up: Portis has had injury troubles the last few years, and many people are beginning to think he's not a very durable back. Many people are reporting that Portis is in the best shape of his Redskins career this offseason, and is poised for a very strong 2008 campaign. This may have been derailed a little bit when Portis and Safety LaRon Landry decided to race after practice one day, and Portis came out of it with a strained hip flexor. Hopefully the coaches are right in saying he should be ready for camp, but fans should be a little concern about his injury tendencies the last few years.

Out in the Flat: Because of the implementation of the West Coast offense, look for Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts to catch the ball more out of the backfield. Both have proven to be pretty good receivers out of the backfield, but the offensive rhythm will rely on their hands as much as their legs now. Portis actually had his best receiving season in 2007 with the most catches (47) and yards (389) of his career. Betts had 53 catches for 445 yards in 2006 when he was in the starting role for a majority of the season. Jim Zorn will rely much more on their receiving abilities than Joe Gibbs did, and they need to perform well in order for the offense to work.

Yards Per Carry: Portis has also been knocked because his career YPC has dropped to 3.9 since he joined the Redskins. Last year, he was very up and down with his YPC varying greatly from month-to-month (September-4.7, October-3.1, November-4.5, December-3.5). The Redskins need to keep him above 4.0 to consistently win games. Zorn needs to find a way to keep Ladell Betts' average up, as it dropped from 4.7 in 2006 to 3.6 in 2007. If the running game can consistently gain over four yards-a-carry, they will be very difficult to defend overall.

Positives: Clinton Portis (26) and Ladell Betts (28) are both in the primes of their careers, and should have a strong season, especially if Zorn balances their carries well. Betts should be able to spell Portis in order to keep them both healthy, and they seem to have a good relationship, so they shouldn't bicker over carries too much. On top of this, Portis is the best blocking running back in the NFL, so he allows Zorn to keep him on the field in obvious passing situations. He and Betts allow for a very diverse offense. If one or both goes down, Rock Cartwright is a strong 3rd option, and Mike Sellers provides a lot of brute force in the short yardage game. Overall, this is one of the strongest if not strongest units on the roster, and should go a long way towards a 2008 playoff push.

Negatives: Portis has been nicked up the last few years and his YPC stats can be a little scary in some outings. The Redskins need to see much more consistency from game-to-game if they want to see a strong season as a whole (rather than a late surge to put them in as a wild card). If they expect to compete for the division, they must stay healthy, must catch well, and must make the most of their opportunities. If the running backs don't play well, it could be a very long season.

Grade Review:

• Skill- This backfield doesn't have the home-run ability as some (Adrian Peterson) but they hit a lot of singles and doubles, and like to grind down the opposing defense. While none of them is very big, they are physical and quick, which is a good combination
• Athleticism- Clinton Portis is not only a strong back, but a great blocker and receiver. His body adjustments and versatility allow for him to be one of the most athletic backs in the NFL
• Depth- The Redskins have a Pro Bowl caliber back in Portis, a strong starter in Betts, and a quality backup in Cartwright. Sellers is a solid Fullback as well as a punishing runner. All of them are experienced with their line and quarterback. That counts for a lot
• Experience- Clinton Portis has rushed for over 7700 yards in his 7 NFL seasons, and seems to be in the best shape of his career. Betts has a season of starts under his belt and has been on the roster since 2002. Portis began his career in Denver in the West Coast, so that should allow him to have a very big year
• Intangibles- These guys don't really have to run with a chip on their shoulders, but Portis is itching to get back to the Pro Bowl and prove to people that Denver did not make him a great back. Their major motivation is to carry the Redskins to the playoffs and stabilize Jason Campbell's offense

Overall: Like I said earlier, this is one of the best units on the tean (if not the league), and they will be the driving force behind a playoff run. If they have an OK season, the Skins make a playoff push. If they have a great season, the Redskins could challenge for the division, or maybe even the NFC. We just need to see some consistency.

Next Section: Wide Receivers

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