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Washington Redskins: Position Battles Start With an Arm and a Foot
Published: July 27, 2009
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Peruse many of the expert prognostications this preseason and you will find the Washington Redskins enter 2009 as the front runners in the NFC East….that is the front runners to finish last in a very strong division.
This is not a knock on the Redskins, who could just as easily win the division if certain things fall in to place; these aren’t big “ifs” mind you, but important ones nonetheless.
During head coach Jim Zorn’s inaugural season at the helm in 2008, he approached preseason with the same philosophy of his predecessor, Joe Gibbs. That was, get the starters in and out as quickly as possible and start the season healthy.
The strategy worked beautifully for Zorn, as there were no major casualties entering the season, which fueled the Redskins 6-2 start.
I wouldn’t look for a change in Zorn’s approach to preseason in 2009, as the NFL season is a marathon and it is vital to any team’s success to minimize injuries.
In a perfect scenario, that would be the way to proceed. However, the Redskins scenario is far from perfect as they have key personnel questions and position battles looming that need to be addressed in August and early September before they face the Giants in the Meadowlands the first week of the season.
The obvious and most glaring question concerning the Redskins is the quarterback position.
We all know the offseason saga that transpired as the Redskins flirted with the possibility of acquiring Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos (he was ultimately traded to the Chicago Bears) and hinted at moving up in the draft to select USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.
In an earlier article I stated and still believe that if Mr. Snyder wanted Cutler or Sanchez bad enough he would have made it happen.
If anything, the Redskins used this offseason to serve as a match that they hope lights a fire under their talented but underachieving quarterback in Jason Campbell.
Now don’t get me wrong, under the right circumstances, the Redskins would have made a move to acquire one of those talented quarterbacks. However, they weren’t willing to mortgage the team’s future to do so.
Campbell showed signs early in the 2008 season that he was prepared to take his play to the next level.
The old Campbell resurfaced the second half of the season, as opponents looked to shut down Portis and the ground attack while attempting to force Campbell to throw.
Entering 2009, the Redskins have no choice but to hold their collective breath and hope that Campbell produces during a contract year.
Plan “B” if Campbell should struggle in September is to turn the reigns over to second-year quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan, as you may recall, is the gun-slinging record setter out of Hawaii whose stock heading in to the 2008 draft plummeted with a poor performance on national television during the 2008 Sugar Bowl game against Georgia.
Redskins EVP of Football Operations, Vinny Cerrato, gladly scooped up the talented, but mechanically deficient, Brennan in the seventh round.
Brennan can play in this league, but he’s not ready to threaten Campbell’s spot in the preseason. Campbell and the Redskins would need to have a complete collapse for Zorn to throw Brennan to the wolves.
Plan “C” (a.k.a. Plan “V”) would be the possibility of bringing in Michael Vick, who is a semi-local product from Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Mr. Snyder will do whatever it takes to win, including taking on potential nightmares like Vick and the baggage in signing him would bring to the team.
I’m sure the Vick option has been discussed. Whether it is a viable option for the Redskins will clarify exactly how much confidence the organization has in Campbell.
The real preseason battle as far as quarterbacks are concerned is for the third-string spot.
Can 15-year veteran Todd Collins hold off undrafted rookie free agent Chase Daniel for the clipboard roster spot?
Zorn would probably like to keep Collins as the third quarterback and have Daniel spend a season as a member of the team’s practice squad, improving the one critical aspect of his game, arm strength.
One position battle I plan on closely monitoring this preseason is the duel to handle kicking duties for the Redskins this season.
Fourth-year veteran, Shaun Suisham, has held the job for two and half years. However, last season he missed 10 of 36 attempts for a 72.2 percent success rate, which is unacceptable by NFL standards.
Let’s face it; most of the Redskins games will be hard-fought battles all the way down to the wire.
They don’t have the weaponry to put up New England and Indianapolis type scores.
Last season, 11 of the Redskins 16 games had outcomes decided by eight points or less. Five of those games were decided by three points or less.
Still think the kickers aren’t important?
Kickers will determine the outcome of three to four games a year in this parody designed NFL, whether you’re a good team or bad.
To Suisham’s credit, he has a strong leg that is ideal for kicking through the gusty winds that accompany November and December northeastern games.
It is my belief that the Redskins still want Suisham to win the job, but just in case last season wasn’t fluke, veteran David Rayner will be around as the kickoff specialist should Suisham continue to struggle.
They will alternate throughout the preseason, but unless the challenger (Rayner) knocks out the champ, he will not take Suisham’s job.
As camp gets underway next week, look for more of my articles as I evaluate various position battles throughout the 2009 Redskins’ preseason.
Didn’t See This Coming: Changing My Stance On Vick!
Published: July 24, 2009
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There is one lasting image of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick that plays over and over in my head whenever his name is mentioned.
It’s not that inconceivable game-winning scramble he pulled off against the Minnesota Vikings, the diving touchdown in the corner of the end zone while leading an average football team to a playoff victory at Lambeau Field against the Packers. Nor is it the replay of Vick flipping-the-bird at Atlanta fans as he left the field after a poor performance or the helicopter fly-bys of his Virginia Beach home where so many dogs met their uncontrollable demise.
The image I can’t seem to shake regarding Vick is the one when he was hounded by reporters who followed him into a hotel lobby as the dog fighting story developed and evidence mounted against him.
“You can’t touch Mike Vick,” a frustrated but cocky Vick shouted straight into the camera as he finally dodged the reporters.
I don’t think you need to say anymore about how he perceived himself at the time he was charged for fencing a dog fighting operation.
I am not psychologist, so I dare not try to delve deep inside the mind of Michael Vick at the time he made that comment. However, you can’t help but think Vick saw himself as being above the laws of our society.
Since he was 13 years old, he was told how great he was. From the five to six thousand local Virginia Beach spectators singing his praises as phenomenal high school athlete, to a few hundred thousand Virginia Tech supporters, culminating in millions of NFL fans worldwide placing him on a pedestal.
Why are we so shocked that a dirt poor kid who grew up to realize he possessed super human abilities—and was told so by nearly everyone he met—showered with money, cars, woman, and attention thought he was anything less than a god amongst mortals?
Sure, many of us believe that we would have taken a different road upon realizing these gifts, but we were never raised in Michael Vick’s shoes.
Before you jump on that holier than holy bandwagon of yours, hear me out. I am not a Vick supporter and never was. I saw all the signs that Michael Vick’s life was spiraling downward. The “Ron Mexico” cover-up, the arrest for possessing marijuana at an airport that was dismissed, and the middle finger incident after a loss to name a few.
I was bothered by the fact that the NFL and Nike were promoting him as their poster child knowing he had some off-the-field issues. My distaste for Vick grew to the point that I found myself rooting against him and the Falcons every game.
When he was ultimately charged and arrested, so many emotions surfaced. Relieved was my first and foremost feeling as it pertained to the Vick saga. He would no longer be king of the NFL nor worshiped for the false god he was.
Sadness was another emotion that immediately worked its way into my train of thought.
Sadness for all those dogs trained to kill. For all the dogs killed fighting or put to death.
For Vick and his family, that such a talent would go to waste when he had the ability to earn enough money to care for the next three Vick generations.
For Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who treated Vick like a son and handed him the keys to the franchise.
When Vick received his sentence and was sent to jail, I thought for certain he would never surface again in the NFL.
Now some two years later, Vick is a free man and just met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who will determine if Vick is rehabilitated after paying his debt to society for the heinous crimes he committed.
If you had asked me two years ago if Vick should be allowed to participate as an NFL player ever again, without hesitation my answer would have been a definite, “NO!”
But you see I felt the same way about Kobe Bryant. Something about his entire rape case rubbed me the wrong way. Not that I thought he was definitely guilty of anything outside of infidelity, but the fact that his accuser was—for the lack of a better word—“bought off” not to testify left a very unsettling taste in my mouth for Bryant and our judicial system.
Without getting into too much detail on Kobe Bryant, let me just say he showed the same character flaws as Vick prior to being charged. He thought he was, “untouchable.” But Kobe changed his character after nearly losing everything, fighting back to rise to the top.
Since, I have softened my stance on Kobe Bryant and I believe an individual’s character can change for the better if they want it to change.
So I say, give Vick a chance to change. I am confident Commissioner Goodell will clearly lay down the groundwork for his return and, in no uncertain terms, let it be known that Vick will be playing with a two strike count for the remainder of his career.
If Vick clearly wants to change, he can start by volunteering at local animal shelters. He should insist on speaking to young kids publically in areas where dog fighting is prominent and preach ”respect all living creatures.” And finally, stay at home a majority of the time and be the best father he can be to his children.
Should Vick slip along the way even slightly, I am certain he would no longer be welcomed by Goodell and the NFL.
I am no longer rooting against Vick the player if he gets a chance to perform in the NFL. Rather, I am pulling for Vick the man, the father, the role model (a few remain dedicated), and the example he can become for so many who we believe cannot change their character as adults.
