Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE

In the last two weeks, we took a look at the off season moves of both the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles.  Now we turn to the traditional division doormat, the Washington Redskins.  First of all, thank God for Dan Snyder!  He is probably the only owner in the NFL that can make Jerry Jones look like a good GM.  The Redskins have spent boatloads of money on expensive free agents and have pretty much zip to show for it over and over and over again.  As hard as it has been to be a Cowboys fan at times of late, there is no doubt it would be even more depressing and frustrating to be a ‘Skins fan.  Nobody loves dancing on their NFL graves more than me!  Maybe it is because I remember when the Redskins-Cowboys games were perrenial playoff previews and meant something.  I was in Texas Stadium on December 16, 1979 when Roger Staubach hit Drew Pearson for a short touchdown pass completing a comeback from a 34-20 deficit with 4 minutes remaining, winning 35-34, and thereby winning the NFC East and eliminating the Redskins from the playoffs - perhaps the greatest football experience of my life!  I hate the Redskins, the cross dressing “Hogs”, the annoying “Hail To The Redskins” theme song, little Dan Snyder, FedEx Field, everything that is the Washington Redskins.  If they never won another game, that would be fine with me.   I don’t like the Giants or the Eagles very much either as division opponents, but the hate burns brightest for the Redskins.  So, please understand it is hard for me to show any objectivity and say something nice about their off season.  But, I’ll try.

No one was more disappointed than me to hear that the Redskins had pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade before the draft designed to get them what they had long sought – a franchise quarterback.  Unsuccessful in free agency and clearly losing out on Peyton Manning from the start, Snyder decided instead to try going big in the draft.  Washington moved up 4 spots to the #2 pick in this year’s draft by giving the St. Louis Ram’s their first round pick in 2012 (#6 overall), a 2nd round pick in 2012 and their first round picks in 2013 and 2014.  Expensive!  But, designed to get the rights to Baylor QB Robert Griffin III.

We’ll go through the rest of the details but this offseason for the Redskins starts and ends with RGIII.  For the record, I think he is going to be a special player.  He’s got all the right skills but even more importantly he seems to have his head on straight.  It’s hard not to root for him to be successful.  That is until he was drafted by the ‘Skins.  I now get to hate him as much as any Redskin player and yearn for his complete failure while he gets to put a dismal franchise on his shoulders and hope to turn years of mediocrity into magic overnight.  If anyone can do it, he probably can but the pressure will be immense and the results aren’t likely to be immediate (at least not as fast as most Redskin fans will want).  It’s another boom or bust move by General Snyder and Coach Shanahan.   RGIII becomes the savior of the franchise and they look like geniuses.  Another bust, and the future of the franchise has been mortgaged to the hilt.

So, let’s take a look at what else the Redskins have done to improve their team so far this offseason.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Key Losses:

Jabar Gaffney, WR – Released by the Redskins after one season, signed with New England; a 10th year, journeyman receiver wouldn’t seem at first blush to be a big loss but he led the Redskins in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TDs in 2010.  They feel they have ample replacements but until they perform on the field the impact of this move may come back to haunt them.  In the meantime, Gaffney now gets to catch balls from Tom Brady but will have to fight for receptions among a crowded and talented Patriots receiving corps.

Key Additions:

Pierre Garcon, WR – from Indianapolis; the Redskins feel like this gives them the consistent threat opposite Santana Moss that they’ve been missing.  Whether Garcon is still capable of contributing with the Redskins like he did when Peyton Manning was his quarterback remains to be seen.

Mandatory credit: Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE

Josh Morgan, WR - from San Francisco; coming off IR after a promising start in 2011, it is totally unknown at this point if Morgan will be able to get back to 100% and find ways to contribute as a third option at receiver.  Combined with Garcon and Moss, the trio may be a viable replacement for Gaffney’s numbers.

Brandon Meriweather, FS – from Chicago; released by the Patriots during final cuts in the 2011 preseason, Meriweather signed a one-year deal with Chicago.  He had an inconsistent year with the bears playing in 11 games but only starting 4.  The Redskins needed a replacement for the injured LaRon Landry and Oshiomogho Atogwe, signed Meriweather to a 2-year deal.  It remains to be seen if he is able to become the starter in Washington.

London Fletcher, LB – not an addition, but re-signed by Washington; easily their most productive defensive player.  Only question I have is what took so long?  This guy is getting long in the tooth but is a monster.  I would have loved to see him go to another team outside the division.

Tim Hightower, RB – also not an addition, but a re-signing by Washington;  Roy Helu emerged as the likely starter after last season, but the Redskins need Hightower in their running back by committee approach.  RGIII can’t hand himself the ball on every play (or can he?).

2012 NFL Draft

Round 1 – #2 overall: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor – franchise caliber quarterback – only question really is if the Redskins will be able to put the right kind of talent around him and if his skills translate effectively to the NFL game.   Baylor certainly did not run an NFL-type offense and the history of the NFL is littered with great college quarterbacks who flamed out in the NFL.

Round 3 – #71 overall: Josh LeRibeus, G, SMU - largely viewed as a player with 5th round value, feels like a bit of a stretch here in the 3rd round (pre-draft grade of 64.7). 

Round 4 – #102 overall: Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State – after taking RGIII with their first pick, taking another QB in the 4th round who many believed has starter potential left a lot of people scratching their heads.  If nothing else, it may be “insurance” against a complete failure by RGIII but you have to feel sorry for this kid – #1 being drafted by Washington, a QB graveyard of late, and #2 drafted in the same draft by the team that took RGIII.  Cousins better get used to practicing and holding a clip board for the next few years.  Shanahan explained that he drafted the best player available in that slot but with all the holes this team has, not sure they could afford the “roster depth”.

Round 4 – #119 overall:  Keenan Robinson, OLB, Texas - an edge player with good instincts (pre-draft grade 68.2) but he will be a special teamer and back up Kerrigan and Orakpo this year – more roster depth.

Round 5 – #141 overall: Adam Gettis, G, Iowa - probably a decent 5th round pick (pre-draft grade of 52.2) but will most likley remain a back up for his first few years.

Round 6 – #173 overall: Alfred Morris, RB, Florida Atlantic - a fairly low pre-draft grade of 47.5 but Morris is good at finding daylight in a zone running scheme which will make him productive in Shanahan’s system if he can make the team.

Round 6 – #193 overall: Tom Compton, T, South Dakota - pre-draft grade of 68.2, he’s huge at 6’5″, 314 pounds.  But, he’s from a small school and remains to be seen if he can make the transition to the NFL.  Some quality tackles have come out of the later rounds however, so it’s not unprecedented.

Round 7 – #213 overall: Richard Crawford, DB, SMU 

Round 7 – #217 overall: Jordan Bernstine, CB, Iowa – more roster depth here in both Crawford and Bernstine but it is an area of need.  The Redskins have a bunch of defensive backs coming into camp this year between free agents coming off injury years and draft picks - feels like rummaging through the bargain bin looking for a value.  Feels a lot like Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, and company could have some big days against the Redskins secondary if they can keep Fletcher, Orakpo, and Kerrigan off of Romo.

The Redskins will be better on the offensive side of the ball with RGIII in the mix and the defense will again be solid.  But, I don’t see anything at this stage that suggests that this team will finish 2012 anywhere other than 4th place in the NFC East.   If 5th place were possible, they’d finish there – which is just fine with me!

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Dec. 4, 2011; Glendale, AZ, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

1.  GM Kudos (Not) - Although the Cowboys have somewhere around $20 million in cap space in 2012, they also reportedly enter this league year with $24.5 million in “dead money”.  That is money that counts toward the salary cap for players that are no longer on the team and is by and large a measure of the number of “mistakes” that have been made managing personnel and the salary cap.  The league average this year is somewhere around $4.65 million per team – the Cowboys are 5 times that.  Ouch!  Nice job Jerry!

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1. Special Teams: At the beginning of every season there are at least 2 games that are determined by special teams. The explanation given by commentators is that there isn’t enough time spent on special teams in practice and you have more defensive starters assuming roles they did not have to perform when the rosters were larger. Personally, I believe the game speed increases and some players are unprepared.

In what could be a close game against Washington, a punt return, kick return, or blocked kick could shift momentum and consequently the outcome of the game.

Post game analysis:  Special teams for both teams were weak.  The Redskins holder dropped a gimmie field goal and the Cowboys kick off squad allowed big returns by the Redskins.  Buehler made both tackles, but missed a field goal.  It is an absolute priority that Joe DeCamillis return the squad to the level of play of 2009.

2. Pass v. Run Ratio: The Cowboys will suit up three different starting offensive lineman versus 2009 (Free, Barron, and Holland). Their pre-season performance was lackluster and you cannot attribute false starts and sloppy play to a vanilla offensive gameplan.

If the Cowboys are able to run effectively, 4 to 5 yards per carry, will Jason Garrett lean on the run? Garrett has been known to fall in love with the pass and ignore his running game regardless of how ineffective the passing game is.

Post game analysis:  The Cowboys ran the ball well in the first half… and of course in the second half Garrett forgot about the run.  He did call some outside runs that were highly ineffective, but he all but abandoned running up the gut.

3. Albert Haynesworth: It isn’t uncommon for a new head coach to impose his will. It is uncommon for the head coach to be perceived as childish in the process.  Incredulity doesn’t begin to describe the fact that Haynesworth played in the entire 4th pre-season game or played on the scout team during the pre-season. The Cowboys would love for this contest of wills to last for one more week.  I wouldn’t mind watching Gurode dominate Haynesworth once again, though Gurode needs to super glue his chinstrap to his helmet to prevent a re-creation of one of the most gutless actions I have ever seen on the playing field.

Post game analysis:  Haynesworth was a side note in the game.  Give credit to Gurode and Shanahan for neutralizing him.

4. Dez Bryant: Set the over/under for catches at 3.5. If he is over, I guarantee you will hear the words, “Don’t get the bronze bust ready yet, but…”

Post game analysis:  Dez played well.  He caught 8 balls for 56 yards.  Some of his catches resulted in a no-gain, but at least he caught the ball.  He played well towards the end of the game catching balls in traffic.  Then he missed a hot read on a blitzing linebacker which could have lead to a game ending turnover.  Did anyone notice Dez was out of the game for the final play of the game.  The rookie is going to have a good season, especially if the Cowboys keep force feeding him 2 yard gain receptions.

5. The back shoulder throw: Romo has used the throw on occasion during the pre-season and practices. I believe this is what he was working on during the off-season, so expect to see it a minimum of three times against the Redskins with one of those being in the endzone for a touchdown.

Post game analysis:  Romo didn’t attempt one of these passes.  Nor did the Cowboys run a pump and go with Bryant.  After forcing the ball often to Bryant early in the game, I would have bet that the Cowboys would have Romo fake pump to the outside and when the corner broke for the ball, have Bryant run a go route.  Nope.  The entire passing game seemed to be out of sorts.

6.  Williams v. Ware:  Trent Williams will be a good player, but DeMarcus Ware has an opportunity to take an early lead in the defensive MVP battle.  With McNabb not being as mobile due to his ankle injury, Ware has a chance to dominate the game and the rookie tackle.

Post game analysis:  Revision.  Williams has a chance to be a great player.  Ware and Co. consistently put pressure on McNabb who scrambled well and often.  McNabb was as mobile as ever and the reports of his ankle affecting his play were greatly exaggerated.  Ware did get one sack on McNabb, but Williams will not face a better pass rusher this season.

7.  The Redskins’s new high definition screens: According to Dan Snyder, they are the best high definition displays available on the market.  Will the announcers gush over the screens the way they do over Dallas’s horizontal monolith?

Post game analysis:  Note to Dan Snyder, no one cares.  And… it’s about time.  For the longest time, Fedex field was a vacuum for all things NFL.  Trying to find a scoring update was all but impossible.

8.  Roy Williams v. Roy Williams:  Williams must play error free football.  Every drop and fumble only exacerbate the loathing Cowboys fans have for Williams.  If he catches 4 balls and limits his penalties to zero, he can begin the rehab that his image so sorely needs.  The first step is getting out of his own head and not pushing to hard.

Post game analysis:  Roy had one drop on a deep pass.  Otherwise he played error free football.  If Roy can get out of his own head, he will be the #2 WR that the Cowboys need and want.

9.  Shanahan v. Phillips - Garrett v. Haslett:  While Phillips was on the hot seat, Shanahan was the favorite of many fans to replace Phillips as head coach.  Shanahan has a distinct advantage of having zero tape on how he intends to use his offensive weapons.  Phillips has the advantage of knowing the Redskins personnel better than Shanahan did 7 months ago.  If Phillips can adjust on the fly, expect the Cowboys defense to dominate.  If the correct adjustments are not quickly implemented, expect a surprising surge early in the game by the Redskins offense.  Similarly, Garrett has a film record a mile long.  Garrett had to review film from 1997 when Haslett was the defensive coordinator for the Steelers and Ernie Zampese was running the Cowboys offense.

Post game analysis:  The Redskins drove the ball very effectively early in the game.  Phillips made the necessary adjustment and the Cowboys stifled the Redskins offense for a majority of the game.  On the other sides of the ball, the Cowboys offense could not find an answer to the Redskins defense.  The answer may have been obvious to all who watched, but Garrett was unable to see it (run the ball often and move the pocket for Romo).  Garrett was considered a genius after his first season in Dallas.  I’m not sure he would even make the honor roll at the high school level based upon his recent performance.

10.  Injuries:  The Cowboys cannot afford to lose an offensive lineman, tight end, or cornerback.  Certainly there are contingency plans, but does anyone have a great deal of faith in those plans?

Post game analysis:  The Cowboys escape the game with DeMarcus Ware only suffering a sprained neck.  Next week, both Kosier and Colombo are expected to play.  All in all, the game was awful, but the Cowboys have a chance to get better in a short period of time.