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OK, just to make it clear, that was not Albert Haynesworth. The man who kind of passed the shuttle test was ESPN Radio Mike & Mike co-host and 16 year retired NFL player Mike Golic. Sure, he kind of jumped the gun and didn't exactly go "line to line", but he substantially finished it. Lindsay Murphy of Fox 5 also completed it. Ivan Carter of Comcast SportsNet also did it. But Haynesworth has yet to complete it.

Now granted, it does not look easy. I'll volunteer that it's highly unlikely I could complete the test. But I'm not a trained athlete. And from the results so far, we should question whether Albert Haynesworth is either.

Sure, I'm piling on. Haynesworth's contract is the fault of the Redskins, in particular owner Daniel Snyder and former yes man Vinny Cerrato. But Haynesworth, while living up to the "letter" of his contract, is not being a team player. He should have showed up for some of the off-season workouts. He claims he did his own plan, and appears lighter. But as this test proves, he's not in condition. So what does Mike Shanahan do now? I say make him run it until he makes it. Sure he took that huge roster bonus, but it's done. Make Haynesworth work for it. Have him run the shuttles everyday until he passes. Then run him to the ground in practice. He'll either live through it and be a better player or he'll end up weakened. Frankly at this point, as a Redskins fan, I don't care which Haynesworth comes out of it.

Redskins Training Camp started this past weekend. While there is much focus on the Albert Haynesworth situation, it's worth taking a look a what else is going on.

This morning, I went out to Redskins Park. For the hour or so, they ran passing drills, blocking drills, and then some actual plays with offensive vs defense. The passing drills were not there to impress, but simply to make sure timing between the QB and receiver were in sync. The above picture had Donovan McNabb in the passing drill. After one attempt, the QB rotated out so all four had decent shots. To the left is McNabb speaking with coach Mike Shanahan after one of his attempts.

The blocking drills were more interesting to watch. We heard yesterday that TE Chris Cooley was upset about a hard hit against him. In the drills today, it seemed that they hit hard, but didn't "chase". At one point TE Fred Davis should have been stopped after about 12 yards, but the defense let him run for 30 yards.

While the visit was the hope to see NT/DE Haynesworth out on the field, well all have to wait for another day to pass before that might happen.

Through all the Albert Haynesworth issues, the Redskins made another significant stride towards improving the offensive line by trading for Jammal Brown from the New Orleans Saints. Brown, a two-time Pro-Bowl OT was limited in playing time last year due to a sports hernia. He signed a $3.62M tender offer to pave the way for the trade.

His signing almost ensures that Artis Hicks now moves back to a more natural position of guard (along the right side) as Brown takes the RT position. The move brings more talent, depth, and flexibility along the offensive line and was speculated in April (see final paragraph on The DC Sports Page). Should Trent Williams become injured Brown steps in at LT and Hicks moves to RT, as well as a situation where Brown succumbs to injuries Hicks could slide to RT.

The offensive line with the addition of Brown, 29, now has most of the offensive line set to turn 30 or slightly over with the exception being Trent Williams. Although the unit should still be a target for an upgrade in the draft, the Redskins have drastically improved enough to ensure that McNabb shouldn't become close friends with the turf.

The move that is tied to the McNabb trade for the following reason - if a 3rd Round pick goes to the Eagles the Saints receive a 4th Round pick and if the Eagles garner a 4th Round pick the Saints receive a 3rd Round pick. The Skins also pick up a 5th or 6th depending upon which way the higher pick falls.

The addition of Brown signals what many fans have come to realize over the years and a verdict that the front office has finally reached - Stephon Heyers isn't a starting tackle in the NFL. Trent Williams was drafted and immediately inserted into the lineup as a starter, as was Jacoby, Grimm, Samuels, and Jansen. Heyers couldn't even push Jansen out of the line up on his own. At this point Heyers is what he is - a journeyman reserve tackle.

One more move could be made before the final roster is set. Washington could re-sign Levi Jones as further depth. He may not be the answer at tackle, but was the unsung hero along the offensive line last season providing the stability the unit needed. Jones would be an upgrade as the first tackle coming off the bench over Heyers or at least push him in camp if competition is what the coaches really want, but rookie Capers (OT) may also have something to add to the equation and warrants watching in training camp. It now appears that tackle could be a position of strength and versatility on the line while the interior part of the line could stand an infustion of upgraded skills over the current reserves.

Well, we all saw this coming didn't we? Albert Haynesworth's agent has informed the Washington Redskins that he will not be reporting to the mandatory training on Wednesday. This is a very fitting final jab from the Vinny Cerrato era. Granted, we all know Dan Snyder was behind many of the moves, Cerrato was supposedly the master in the plan.

Last pre-season, the NFL was trying to figure out who would sign Haynesworth. It came as little shock the Redskins were the winners (or maybe losers) in the race. But at what cost? Now that the player's intentions are public, his value with potential suitors go down because they know the Redskins have to unload. Then there's the thing about a disgruntled employee. That might turn off a few teams. Ultimately this is the biggest free agent bust the Redskins have signed. His out of shape, out of breath 2009 campaign only help usher Cerrato and Jim Zorn out the door. Then again, maybe that's not so bad.

The Redskins, under new direction by Head Coach Mike Shanahan, have stressed the importance of competition at all positions on the team. The release of WR Marko Mitchell underscores a similar thought process throughout the Dan Snyder owned Redskins. It's a process that has weighed a team that has invested large salary figures on free agents over the development of its young existing players to the bottom of the division.

Mitchell became a fan favorite upon reading reports that he was lighting up practice and torching his counter parts on defense similar to starting receivers the Redskins faced on game days. His tall stature and likeable demeanor endeared him to the fans. The question during the season was if Mitchell had developed to the point where he could not only provide a good test for the starting secondary, but beat them on routes why wasn't he further ahead on the depth chart.

The answer was simple. Mitchell didn't consider himself a special teams player and preferred not to participate on the special teams squad...or at least that was the scuttlebutt.

Taking the following points into consideration a strong case could be made that the Redskins have fallen back onto a similar path when evaluating and making personnel decisions.

If you don't want to hear "whining" then you should stop reading now, otherwise continue at your own peril.

So how many times have you watched a game (or even played in one) where the referee or umpire made a bad call that you felt cost a team a real shot at winning? I'm sure all sports fans have gone through it. And what's the typical response to that? It's the old, "Well it wasn't just that one call. They had plenty of other chances to win the game." or "They should be good enough team so that calls like that don't matter." Well, I'm here to say, "Fiddlesticks!" (It's a family friendly blog. I'm trying to keep it clean here.)

The Washington Redskins are on the clock with the 4th Pick in the 2010 Draft.

The Redskins would love to move down to acquire additional draft choices, but it may be difficult to do so and still have a top pick in the first ten. The Redskins didn't have enough ammunition to move up to take Bradford #1 overall so it seems even less likely now without a 2nd Round pick and the acquisition of McNabb. Is it possible Washington selects Clausen - absolutely, but the new team of Shanahan & Allen seem to have a plan in place and acquiring a top tier QB in McNabb without the protection to make use of his skills wouldn't make much sense.

4th Pick: OT Russell Okung (Oklahoma St.)

The Redskins could also select OT Bryan Bulaga who's versatility to play four positions along the line would fit nicely despite what some may say enough of a lack of arm reach to play LT or OT Trent Williams who could also warrent taking as the top OT.

Okung has all the physical talent to start immediately for an old and ailing offensive line. Detroit could also make things interesting if they decide to take Okung over DT Suh or DT McCoy. This would set the potential trade wheels in motion or make a difficult decision between one of the elite DT in the draft or the next best OT to replace Chris Samuels who retired in the offseason.

The Redskins make news again but this time through a trade and not via free agency. The Redskins often known for their offseason free agent spending sprees were busy on Easter Sunday dealing a 2010 2nd Round pick and either a 3rd or 4th Round pick in 2011 based upon performance for Donovan McNabb. McNabb earlier shot down Oakland and Buffalo as possible destinations and as Washington stepped up with an additional pick next year the Eagles felt it was the best offer on the table that was to both McNabb's and the Eagles liking. It was also very classy of the Eagles to honor McNabb's wishes and move him to Washington.

Redskins fans are rejoicing at inserting a team leader and Super Bowl starting quarterback into the lineup, while Eagles fans much watch their team be dismantled and stripped of its offensive statistical leader in most categories. Trades of this magnitude don't occur very often in the NFL let alone dealing a top player to a division rival. From an Eagles perspective the word rebuilding becomes a dirty and unecessary word to some fans, but after releasing and trading veterans the past couple of years the McNabb trade was the final blow to Philadelphia fans. They'll move forward with McCoy at running back and Kolb at quarterback.

The Redskins are now missing their 2nd Round pick (traded to Philadelphia for McNabb) and their 3rd Round Pick (due to drafting DE Jarmon in the 2009 Supplemental Draft), as well as their 6th Round pick for the DE Taylor trade.

At first glance the trade offers Skins fans the hope of leader at the most important position on the team. Much like UPS says, "What can brown do for you", Redskins fans can now see what a real GM can do for them as the Vinny Cerrato era seems even farther in the rear view mirror with more credible trades and free agent signings this past offseason.

Shanahan & Allen have remade much of the offensive personnel with the exception of the offensive line unless you count the versatile OL Artis Hicks as the savior. The duo of Shanahan and Allen have assembled Larry Johnson, & Willie Parker at running back and Donovan McNabb & Rex Grossman at quarterback with hold overs Clinton Portis and Jason Campbell creating the type of team compitition the new head coach had talked about.

At 33 years of age, how much is left in the tank for McNabb remains to be seen but now he'll have something he's never had before - a running game with a coach dedicated to pounding the ball. In the short term the Redskins have the ability to win now but how far they go is a different story. The Eagles receive a quality pick in a deep draft to rebuild. Washington receives a bonafide leader and starting quarterback it's desired after trying upgrade the position the past offseason. While the Eagles appear more ready to take a few lumps to rebuild and reload, the Redskins have chosen to defer that decision by taking a similar path of acquiring veteran players like Jason Taylor or Jeff George but hopefully with different results as neither of the afore mentioned players were still contributing near levels in the prime of their career.

The trade also seems to have answered other draft related questions. The acquisition of McNabb indicates that the team didn't have enough ammunation to move up to take the top rated QB on their board - Sam Bradford nor did they think highly enough of Clausen at the #4 overall pick or McCoy with the #37 overall pick.

It's still possible for the Redskins to take a QB with the #4 pick, but seems less likely at this point. The team may decide to take more action along the offensive line in order to keep McNabb and any future QB on their feet and not on the ground.

In what many feel is a deep 2010 draft, the Redskins may also move more aggressively to trade down to acquire additional picks in 2010 or in 2011 to bolster their chances of moving up to take Jake Locker of Washington (who may have been the #1 rated QB on some boards if he had declared for the 2010 draft.) San Francisco and Seattle could also be looking to move up in the draft to take a quarterback and both teams have two 1st Round Picks.

Some good fortune may strike DC twice in consecutive drafts. Should the Redskins decide to hold the #4 pick they could find the LT they so desperately need in Okung or if Detroit decides to keep Matt Stafford standing upright by selecting an OT one the top Defensive Tackles could slip right into their hands to pair up along side Orakpo & Haynesworth.

With three veteran running backs and quarterbacks on the roster, the team may not be finished with an extreme make over on offense before the draft. Adding more picks and quality along the both sides of the lines would be a top priorty especially if the team chooses to line up in a 3-4 defense.

The trade just changed the dynamics within the division and NFC besides stroking the fire of division rivalry games. The physcial division match-up just went up a few notches. The match up has a history of very close games being played dating back to Joe Gibbs Version 1.0 and now will take on even more meaning the next few years.

So in the span of about a month, I have given up season tickets to both the Redskins and the Nationals. Before I continue, I should define what I mean by season tickets. To me, it means a plan that includes several games over the course of the season. In the case of the Redskins, it was the entire season. In the case of the Nationals, it was a 20 game plan. There were a number of issues that came up to help to make these decisions. Economy and the performance of the team were common in both, but there were others specific to the teams and sports.

Over the course of my post-college adult life, I have owned or been part of a group that owned tickets to the Redskins, Nationals, Orioles, Capitals, and Terps Men's Basketball. I'm down to just the Terps now. My alma mater holds a great place in my life, and they could be in a losing season...I'll still watch them anytime.

For the Orioles and Capitals, it came to distance and time commitments respectively. Baltimore is not that far, but committing to every Sunday game (and for awhile, several weeknight games as well), just wasn't great. The nail in the coffin for the Orioles was when the Nationals arrived in town. The Capitals are a great ticket to have, but my work got in the way and I just could not commit to any games ahead of time to justify keeping those tickets.

The Nationals was easy. The 20 game plan was not onerous. We even actually split the tickets so I was only obligated to about 10 games a season. But in reality, why should I prepay for games they decide I should buy when I can show up on virtually any gameday, 10 minutes before first pitch to buy the exact same seats and probably have a 90% chance of getting them? It sounds harsh, and I'm becoming what the team does not need...a fan who barely spends money on them. Note to the Lerners, I'm probably not the only one.

The Redskins was much tougher, yet was easily justifiable. I once had season tickets in the upper level for a couple of seasons during the Norv Turner era. Then I had given up until a friend decided he was interested in getting premium seats (lower level). So for the past few seasons, we have been 20-30 rows from the field, in the end zone, cheering on those fans. This past season, we were upgraded to the club level to test out the seats there. But ultimately, it was not enough to keep our interest. Besides some personal issues, the Redskins simply don't have the draw any longer. The price was not justified and while the fan experience there is great, watching games on TV is almost as good as being there. After you weigh in parking, getting there, and the simple hassle of possibly not sitting an entire half, it was too easy a thing to drop.

One day, I hope to reacquire some of these tickets. I may sound like a fair weather fan, but a dozen or so Terps games is plenty. Add in the occassional ticket I'll be purchasing as a one-off game for all these teams, I'll still end up going to 25 or so sporting events live each year. Which means I'll essentially creating my own season plan.

Mike Shanahan signs a 5 Year deal as Head Coach and EVP of Football Operations of the Washington Redskins. He becomes the seventh head coach for Washington in the last ten years. Adam Schefter, of ESPN, reports that Shanahan will have ultimate authority on football operations.

The recent signings of GM Bruce Allen and Head Coach/EVP Football Operations Mike Shanahan signal a change in the front office roles and responsibilities and thereby limiting some of the influence Snyder may have in personnel decisions. How much Dan Snyder relinquishes influence in personnel decisions remains to be seen and will not fully be known until April's NFL Draft and the ensuing free agency period.

The Redskins had complied with the Rooney rule by interviewing Secondary Coach Gray while Zorn was still head coach of the team. It appears that Allen and Snyder had a plan in place as the team pursued Shanahan quickly rather than waiting game and what other coaches would be available.

Now Shanahan must help rebuild a front office and team with only a handful of young talent. Shanahan's best years in Denver coincided with Hall of Famer John Elway. Handing over final say of personnel decisions to a head coach with a track record of choosing Brian Griese and then clamoring for Jake "the snake" Plummer at QB leave much to be desired. The years following Elway's retirement weren't as fruitful even with Shanahan's choice at QB. It's difficult to replace a HOF and Shanahan found duplicating the early success quite the challenge while HOF Coach Gibbs was able to lead four Redskins teams to the Super Bowl with three distinctly different quarterbacks.

Most head coaches rebuilding a team seem poised to stamp the team their own with a young face of the organization most notably a quarterback. With Shanahan's propensity to filling the role a top priority will he, Allen, and Snyder be able to assess the draft properly with the #4 overall pick in the draft and defer taking a QB until the 2nd Round and another QB next year while rebuilding this year? Will the Skins look to improve in other areas during the draft in what's considered a weak year for OL and potentially a better group of franchise QB's declaring for the draft next year? Both QB and OL are positions of need for the team. Do the Redskins choose to rebuild from stockpiling the best talent available or force a pick out of need from a position that could be stronger in next year's draft?

There's plenty evaluating between now and the end of the NFL Draft for the Skins and by fans. What the change in the front office structure and coaching staff boils down to is how the group works together to make sound rational decisions that pan out. Shanahan has proven he can coach, but much like other head coaches that have assumed some of the role as a part GM it doesn't always work out successfully. Fans will have to wait until April to see how much this administration in Washington differs from past ones and how this five year plan differs from any of the previous plans.

Only 2 days after ending a 4-12 season, Redskins players are taking shots at each other. Let's hope they don't do that literally and help the Wizards Gilbert Arenas out by taking one of those guns he does not want in the house.

Seriously, running back Clinton Portis started off by calling Jason Campbell an ineffective leader on ESPN980's The John Thompson Show. The Post summarizes it here. It seems #26 is trying to position himself to return next season, even though it will be to play for a head coach that gave him up a few years ago.

Quarterback Campbell fires back via an interview with the Post's Jason Reid. At first, you think it's frustration from yet another bad Redskins season. But the more you think about it, Campbell is probably frustrated for all the antics Portis has put the Redskins through.

No doubt Portis was a star. He came from Denver because Joe Gibbs wanted him as an essential cog in the offense. But production and his attitude, has come far below expectations. Did anyone expect him to be a model citizen? Not really, but his cocky attitude has only grown. So much to the point earlier this season, when he asked to have fullback Mike Sellers benched. Portis seems to forget that without Sellers, he'd get less than the pathetic few yards on average he achieved.

This seems to be the final straw. A couple of weeks ago, we wondered whether Campbell or Portis would return to the Redskins. Now, with reality setting in, Bruce Allen and the rest of the Redskins management has to figure out how to fill those roles. Campbell may not be the best quarterback, but he's the best available to the Redskins to start week 1 of the 2010 campaign. Portis is possibly past his prime. With Ladell Betts and company, there are already capable backs on the Redskins roster. It's time to cut Portis loose.

Redskins Head Coach Jim Zorn was fired early this morning. According to Lindsay Czarniak at WRC Channel 4, Zorn told her he was dismissed after the team returned from the loss yesterday in San Diego. The team arrived around 2 AM and he was told when he went to Redskins Park after landing.

This comes as absolutely no surprise. I would say it was cruel to fire the man in the middle of the night, but in this case, everyone saw it coming. It would have been torture to wait a day or a week, just because they hadn't finalized the contract with the new head coach. Which now brings the question, when will Mike Shannahan be unveiled? Also according to Czarniak, the team had not finalized the contract with him as of game time yesterday. Wonder if it could turn into the debacle that put Zorn in the head position when Joe Gibbs retired again.

To Zorn, thank you for 2 decent season. Going 8-8 and 4-12 may not look stellar, but working under the constant scrutiny of Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato, you managed to get wins out of dysfunction. You may not have been ready for the job, but you did the best you could.

So there was that. In Monday Night Football, the Redskins got crushed by the NY Giants 45-12. There's nothing positive to report for the team. Defense played awful from the beginning and the offense reverted back to the squad we knew from earlier this season.

In a bizarre twist right before halftime, the Redskins opted to go for a fake punt twice. Yes, similar to earlier in the season, they set formation to run a fake. The Giants called a timeout. When play resumed, it was still the fake on. This time however, Hunter Smith threw an interception. So for those of you scoring at home, Smith has the following stats, 1/2, 35 yard, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 Rushing TD this season. I calculate the passer rating as 75. I think Brady Quinn might be jealous.

Aside from the trick plays, the regular plays were simply awful. Nothing to write home about. The defense looked like they were playing prevent the entire game, essentially providing a 5 yard cushion for every Giants receiver. The offense sputtered and only had the ball for 1:26 by the end of the first quarter. Pathetic.

The Redskins were poised to spoil the playoff chances, or at least diminish the playoff seedings of their last 3 opponents. We've helped the Giants move closer. Next week is Dallas, who upset the Saints over the weekend and stopped their regular December fall down. It's time for the Redskins to step and play. Bruce Allen is watching, and it may well determine whether some of these players are back next season.

I'm going on record as saying this might be the happiest day in my life as a Redskins fan since the return of Joe Gibbs. ESPN 980 first reported this morning that Vinny Cerrato has resigned from the Redskins. This was followed by the announcement that Bruce Allen was hired as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the team. On the Cerrato front, I have noted my disapproval of him many a time. In fact, despite my dislike for Marty Schottenheimer, the one absolute great thing he did was fire Vinny. While we can not blame all the Redskins woes on him, he was part of the mastermind team that put together the disasterous resulting football organization. His "playoff caliber team" that this group of Redskins were declared is much short of that goal. Short at least 3 offensive linemen and at least one cornerback. The 2008 draft class was both his best and worst. Drafting Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, and Fred Davis all in the second round (BTW after trading in to get all in the second round) made little sense. No argument a good number one receiver was needed to take the place of Santana Moss, but an extra one and a receiving tight end to backup Chris Cooley? Vinny was proven somewhat right only that Cooley would miss nearly half of this season and Thomas has turned in a couple of good to stellar games. But no excuse to ignore the rest of the teams needs for places that were not the worst.

Bruce Allen is the former GM of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fans may also know that he is a son of former legendary coach of the Redskins George Allen and brother of former Governor of Virginia and Senator George Allen. Finally after a decade of near total control by Dan Snyder, the team appears to have a professional front office manager to handle team operations. Whether he will be the missing piece to right the Redskins ship will need to wait. However, I think all Redskins fans think it would be hard to do a worse job than Cerrato did.

The rebuilding of the Redskins has started and it begins with Shaun Suisham. Multiple sources including ESPN 980 and ESPN's Adam Schefter repot that Suisham has been released. To take his place, kicker Graham Gano has been signed. Gano most recently played for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the UFL and was a contender for the kicker position in the Ravens pre-season until he was released just before the regular season started. Based on his bio, I find it funny as he reminds me of Nigel Gruff from the 2000 movie "The Replacements" as both are from "across the pond". However, Gano is genuine as he played for Florida State in college.

Suisham had a longer than expected stint with the Redskins, at least in the eyes of everyone except Washington's front office. I wished that he were cut immediately after the game on Sunday, but somehow he lasted until Tuesday. Really, there is always someone else out there. Consistently inconsistent, one might argue this was his best season until we faced the Cowboys a couple of weeks ago and the team began losing games because of his missed kicks. He was also never a great kickoff man, always landing the ball well short of the endzone. There was one season the Redskins had a second kicker on the squad just for kickoffs. That might have been former Maryland Terrapin Nick Novak, who was at Redskins Park this week trying to win Suisham's job that eventually went to Gano.

Goodbye Suisham. There are few Redskins I wish ill on. I won't dwell on it, but I do wish he ends up with the Cowboys, the Giants or the Eagles so he can screw up their team. So also ends the poll we put up yesterday. Inexplicably, there were a few responses of keeping Suisham. Maybe they were doing it in jest. There was an argument that at least we know what Suisham is capable of. Which is total BS, because a professional kicker should not miss 23 yard chip shots. He's missed a bunch of "easy" kicks in the past. At least even is Gano is bad, we will find out soon and maybe Snyder and Cerrato have a short trigger now.

This is of course, the question on everyone's mind. Over the past seasons, Suisham has had his up days and his down days. It seems the Redskins have not had a stable kicker since Chip Lohmiller? Suisham is doubly painful as his field goals are iffy and does not have the strength to send kickoffs into the endzone. My fill of Suisham ended at least 2 seasons ago and I still can not believe he is on the team. I understand there is the thought that there is no one better available, which I disagree, but sometimes cutting a player proves a point. So we have this poll. It will end at 4 PM next Sunday, right before the next Redskins game, or when Suisham gets cut, whichever comes first.

Interception stripped and returned for touchdown, punt bounce off the back, fumble in your own territory in overtime, and missed chip shot field goal. All these events are rare occurances for one team in the NFL in one season, yet all happened in one game with the Redskins. Again, the Redskins lose, this time to the New Orleans Saints, 33-30 in overtime. This was the hardest game to take as a loss because had any of those 4 things not occur, the Redskins basically had a victory.

Toward the end of the first half, Kareem Moore intercepts Drew Brees, only to get stripped of the ball by Robert Meachem who runs it in for a touchdown to tie it a halftime. A shanked punt by the Saints bounces off Barnes and into the arms of the Saints. Most egregious though were the missed field goal by Suisham and fumble by Sellers. The missed field goals occurred when the Redskins could have been up 33-23 with less than 2 minutes left in the game. Surely a 2 score lead with a minute plus holds 99% of the time. Yet Suisham again shows how much value he is to this team. There is no excuse for Mike Sellers. You have to hold on to the ball, especially in overtime. He simply let it go.

I heard this morning that this should be a "moral victory". Well this moral victory eliminated the little remaining shot the Redskins had at the playoffs (not that we were counting on that anyways). And it doesn't feel so good, when there were so many opportunites to win. Inexplicably, all facets of the team played well together for over 60 minutes. Offense worked well, defense is the great defense, and special teams were adequate. But 4 plays cost the game. Rarer even is that 3 of those mistakes could have been made and the game was still likely the Redskins to win.

In the turmoil that might be the worst season in recent Redskins history, new lows are being achieved. The Wall Street Journal wonders if the team is losing Washington. In short yes. It's hard to judge. Real fans don't drop their teams because of a bad season. But a bad decade could set the fan base back a bit. I have been a Redskins fan for a long long time. But the Snyder ownership era has worn on me. Once upon a time, season tickets were the coveted treasure of the fan base. But now? I had my opportunity to buy regular season tickets the past two seasons. Ultimately I declined, and now I go to the end of the wait list. And that's OK, something likely I would not have said just a few years ago. Maybe it's the increase in capacity of the stadium, or the rising price of tickets, but the drop in interest in the team has something to do with the lack of urgency for tickets.

In other great news, in a Harris Interactive poll from October, the Redskins are the 17th most popular NFL franchise, dropping 8 slots from the last poll. Also a sign of Snyder? Living in the Washington Metropolitan area my entire life, it's hard to understand how team popularity exists for other towns, other teams. But I know die-hard lifetime fans. I consider myself a big fan. That should not waver. It's not like we are the Cleveland Browns. What about the NFL teams who still have yet to win a Superbowl? The Redskins have three championships. Yet the popularity is dropping?

In the end, you wonder what causes the drop. Winning and losing seasons are cyclical, especially in the salary cap era, so that should not really affect fandom. There are teams in more dire straits (re: Oakland Raiders). Ultimately the owner is responsible. I don't question Dan Snyder's fanatical spirit. I question his ability to lead and guide the team and the fans. Look at Bud Adams, with the Tennessee Titans. He's so fanatic, he flips the bird at games. Sure it cost him $250,000, but I'm guessing if you ask the average Titan fan, they are proud of their owner. You ask 99% of the Redskins fans about Snyder? Let's not go there.

So what does Dick Jauron have to do with the Redskins? Nothing much, except that when he was dismissed as the Buffalo Bills head coach, that has affected the Redskins non-search for a new coach.

We have known for weeks, maybe even since the beginning of the season that this was Jim Zorn's last as Redskins Head Coach. Along with QB Jason Campbell, they'll be swept out the door shortly after Week 17. Dan Snyder's obsession with the big name coach has never ended. He was thrown offguard with Joe Gibbs suddenly retired and was left to find a new coach without the weeks of wooing he, Vinny Cerrato, and the private jet offered.

Now with Bills owner Ralph Wilson actively recruiting new coaches, the pool of candidats may be shrinking. They have made no attempt to hide the fact that Mike Shanahan is at the top of their list. Shanahan is high on Snyder's as well. So what happens if Shanahan goes to the Bills before the Redskins even fire Zorn? The pool suddenly shrunk as Jon Gruden has already re-signed with ESPN for a few more years of Monday Night Football. Jim Haslett has been spurned twice by the Redskins, Mike Holmgren will probably want a Team President role instead of coaching, and it's been long rumored Bill Cowher is waiting for the Carolina Panthers. This leaves the Redskins with a large shortage of qualified, experienced candidates.

We'll have to see how it plays out, but the Redskins can not afford another Zorn hiring incident and the team has to change their colors to "Maroon and Black".

After surrendering a quick 40 Yard TD to Marshall by cornerback Carlos Rogers on a double move, the Redskins came back to tie the score with a Campbell to Yoder 2 Yard TD. Orton came back to Marshall again for a 75 Yard strike for a TD due to poor communication in the secondary between Hall and the safety.

Hunter "the punter" delivered another impressive offensive performance as he threw a perfect strike to FB Mike Sellers for a TD on a fake FG to even the score at 14.

The defensive line began to pressure Orton and eventually a tackle by Orakpo led to Orton leaving the game. Orton twisted his body during the tackle and was also fallen on. The defense appeared much sharper in the second half and was aided by the rust of QB Chris Simms who replaced Orton.

The OL improved during the game and eventually settled into a groove as Betts began to find open lanes to run through especially on the left side where LT Levi Jones saw his first action of the season. During the summer The DC Sports Page mentioned that Jones should be signed to compete for the open RT position. His release from the Bengals wasn't due to performance but the inability to stay healthy as his contract expired last season. Jones performed well in pass protection and pancaked defenders on the run.

Surprised as many fans were to see the Redskins defeat the Broncos 27-17 at home; many fans were left scratching their heads why yet again in short yardage and 4th downs the Redskins chose to run wide/sweep play rather than run north south or use Sellers to obtain the first down. Later in the game Yoder was used as the FB rather than Sellars for Betts lone TD of the game.

The Redskins held their own with the exception of a few lapses on defense. A trick play, a solid Redskins running game and the short passing game kept the chains moving. The offensive play calling has more of a rhythm than earlier in the season, but still lacks the execution and consistency necessary to win many games. Campbell is still inaccurate with throws as well as indecisive. Devin Thomas drops almost as many balls as he catches and Stephon Heyer is still overwhelmed as a starter on the offensive line. The unsung hero of the game belongs to Levi Jones. Little did anyone hear his name called, but the steadiness and he brought to the OL provided the Redskins an opportunity to be more successful. The Redskins know what they have in their young receivers and quarterback for better or worse, but the stability and high level of play of Jones should garner greater attention with any future success along the OL and in the offense.

There was word around town prior to the Redskins loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was that there was a fan blackout. Fan's were supposed to come to the game in black to show their distaste in the things that are the current Washington Redskins, specifically the way the team is managed. What is not a surprise is that the team is fighting back against the fans. And not in a good way.

In the aftermath of Monday Night Football loss to the Eagles, stories are coming out about how Dan Snyder is handling things with the fans. Banners are no longer welcome at Fedex Field. T-shirts are being turned around. According to WUSA-TV, the local CBS affiliate, their sports director Brett Haber was told that they could not interview fans tailgating on the Fedex Field grounds. In essence, the Redskins are trying to blackout the rightful negative attitude of the fans.

It's amazing that in the season that has a losing team with no hope of recovery this was the tactic chosen. Stories of the team suing fans who signed ticket contracts came out earlier this season. Even possibly worse than that was the news that tickets were sold to brokers instead of allowing fans sitting on the legendary wait list to get them. It is unbelievable that Snyder is authorizing the latest actions. Don't let anyone tell you that he's not at least knowing about this activity. He is the real GM as Vinny Cerrato is clearly a puppet...great front man to take the the brunt of the hits, but terrible at building a team. The surprising part of Snyder's actions is that he built huge marketing company from scratch. He sold the firm to buy the Redskins. See Snyder Communications for those of you who have not heard this.

Amazing how fast this team has fallen in the short decade Snyder has owned the Redskins. Hiring JIm Zorn may not have been ideal, but it is not completely Zorn's fault the team is not winning. It is the total package, from Owner/GM to the clear ignorance of Cerrato down to the water boy. Something is fundamentally wrong with the system and structure of the team. Now the question is can change come quick enough to convince the fans. Even die hard fans like myself are losing faith.

Recently hired Sherman Lewis may be calling the plays as Sherman Smith relays the plays to QB Jason Campbell as Head Coach Jim Zorn listens and look on, but there may be a more simplistic route available to the Redskins. The Redskins could set up a PSIII or Wii system in the booth and play Madden 2010. Queue up the game and when the Redskins are on offense they could ensure Madden 2010 is loaded for the Skins to be on offense too. Then the Redskins can just click the "Ask Madden" button. It's simple and effective - no fuss no muss and no need for the play to come in late causing a delay of game penalty or a wasted time out.

This could even lead to the next coach of the Washington Redskins. If Dan Snyder could lure "The Ball Coach" Steve Spurrier from the college rankings, coax Joe Gibbs out of retirement and talk Marty Schottenheimer to coach the team then why not bring John Madden out of true retirement. Madden could coach home games and road games via satellite phone with Dan Snyder on the sidelines for away games. Snyder could then claim victory as assistant head coach on road games besides being owner and as some say GM, too.

Unless you've been in a cave somewhere for the past 10 weeks, 10 months, or 10 years (as long as Dan Snyder has owned the team), the Washington Redskins suck. PERIOD. And they might have hit rock bottom losing to the previously winless Kansas City Chiefs, Yes, they get their "i" back now that they have won. Great Googally Moogally.

How do we count they ways they suck?

Coaching debacles. Steve Spurrier, Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Zorn. All had reasons to be the coach. Spurrier deserved to be fired. Schottenheimer did not. Only AJ Smith and the San Diego Chargers made all time top head coach firing for dropping him after a playoff birth. He only managed 8-8 in his one Redskins season. The book has been written for Zorn since the day he was hired as QB Coach Offensive Coordinator Head Coach. We are just waiting to read the last chapter.

GM/Drafting debacles. Fine, you don't want a GM. But at least put a good guy in the spot. Vinny Cerrato, who sounds like a good man with his personality does not know how to run a football team. You could use the analogy that a blind date has a nice personality. Evidence Exhibit A: 3 receivers in the 2008 draft in the second round, when the team was and still seeking, good offensive line help.

But we've somewhat expected that from the Redskins over the years. What may have finally got them to hit rock bottom? That the Redskins post game show called out Cerrato. For those of you not in the know, the official Redskins post game show is produced by the flagship radio station, WTEM 980. WTEM is owned by Red Zebra Broadcasting, which is part of the Dan Snyder empire. Late after the game, I was listening to the post game show when they got Kevin Sheehan on the phone. Sheehan, who is WTEM's main reporter covering the Redskins slammed Cerrato. Vinny needed to go and they need to bring in a real head of football operations to run the team. That's harsh when a sister company calls you out. You've hit rock bottom.

However, the Redskins have to be the Redskins, and dig a deeper hole. They relieve Jim Zorn of his call playing duties and hand them over to Sherm Lewis, a man retired from football 5 years ago. Can Lewis be effective? Maybe, but this move alone will not turn around the entire team. Cerrato stated on his Friday morning radio show that Zorn's job is safe for the remainder of the season. Finally, apparently, Snyder is tired of buying people out. Guess what? Us fans have been tired of that for nearly a decade.

So 14-6. 14-6. In case you are not sure of the acronym in the title, refer to this NSFW site. Redskins lose again.

What is there to say? It seemed to be a better game than usual. Yet, the hook was put on Jason Campbell as Todd Collins started the second half. Well losing 3-0 at half didn't help. As usual, the defense played well. That 14 points was not 2 touchdowns. All you can expect from a solid defense is to hold the opposition. Apparently ours needs to score. Collins in the game seemed to spark the Redskins, but that was short lived and only amount to 2 field goals. The best part of the game? I got into the Montecristo Club on the Club level and spent $20 on a cigar and a jack and coke.

At this point, you wonder why the Redskins just don't cut Campbell? Tomorrow. Really, are we to expect him to bounce back? Start Collins and sign a free agent. Jeff Garcia is out there.

Pictures will be loaded later. Very telling is how empty the concession stands and parking lot were.

If this sounds familiar, well that's because it is. Due to lack of everything, the Washington Redskins lost to the Carolina Panthers this past weekend and yet let another team record their first victory for the season. On the bright side, The Sports Freak, Q, and I ventured down to Charlotte to see the game in person and visit a friend of ours. That was such a great idea in pre-season when it was planned out. Not so much last week.

Name the facet of the game and there was a problem with it. The offense was the classic Jim Zorn offense. No guts, thus no glory. Throw a 6 yard pass on 3 and 7. Simply not enough. Add to that, Chris Cooley, our leading receiver, was taken out of the passing game because he had to stay in and help an injury depleted offensive line. Note to Vinny Cerrato, in case you hadn't noticed in the past 4 seasons, we need offensive linemen. There's this little thing called the NFL draft. I hear you can find these magical unicorns called O-Linemen there.

The Defense fared as good as they can. That's one of the few good things on this team. Sure Carolina is awful, but shutting down the opposition's offense deserves accolades. Because that 2 points wasn't the defenses support. Note to Carlos Rogers, work with the wide receivers, maybe they'll show you how to catch the ball.

Even Special Teams had their bad moments. Hunter the Punter Smith was sidelined so we got some guy to kick in his place. If it was going to go like that, you might as well have let backup punter Cooley punt, since he wasn't doing much on offense. Of course there was also that "fumble" on the punt return. Note to zebras, please get it right after you get 3 chances. Maybe you finally did give the right call, but you didn't correct the fact that you told us there was a violation of fair catch spacing.

So now we get the Kansas City Chefs (spelling intentional until they get a win, like probably this week). Matt Cassel is no Jake Delhomme...no, he's better. That is scary, but the defense can possibly contain him. Unfortunately points are required in order to win, and unless their kick/punt returners give it up like Carolina, it's going to be a long afternoon at Fedex Field.

As the Redskins face the Carolina Panthers in today's game, there's really only one key to the game. It's the same issue that persists week in and week out and has been an issue for the past few seasons. Can Campbell become the leader of the offense and effectively move the team down the field and into the endzone consistently.

The Redskins could definitely win the game despite the lack of production from the offense led by Campbell, but ultimately for the team to succeed the level of play must improve from the starting QB.

It's too easy to say that the keys to victory for Washington today would be to shut down the one dimensional offense and running game of Carolina or not to allow a big play on defense (by allowing Steve Smith to make a game changing play) which Hall (prone to giving up a play on double moves) or Rogers (who drops potential interceptions and lacks the speed to cover elite receivers) have occur.

Jason Campbell has the talent and skill, as well as the intelligence to move the ball, but at a certain point in time its easy to see that Campbell doesn't command the offense when young quarterbacks like Ryan, Flacco, Sanchez, Stafford, and Cassel have all adapted to the speed of the game and the complexities of the professional defenses thrown their way.

Many of Campbell's peers can move their team down the field where Campbell falls short repeatedly. The Redskins may not have the best offensive line or receivers, but do the Jets, Lions, Raiders, Broncos, Bucs, Ravens, and Falcons have such a vastly superior offensive line or recievers? Do any of these teams have a better running back than Portis or tight end that's better than Cooley (ok well maybe Tony G.), so it really only leaves the QB.

When the lowly Raiders and Lions can even move the ball down field and the Redskins can't it falls on the leader and facilitator of the offense and on the field that role belongs to the starting QB. Campbell isn't the most accurate QB either, but the lack of leadership and confidence in himself to make the right read quickly to deliver a quick and accurate strike to inspire and invoke confidence in himself and the team inhibits the team from forming a sustained drive. Does anyone feel when the offense steps onto the field that the offense will successfully drive down the field or is it more likely that fans feel a three and out is more likely? The answer at the QB position will have more to do with the success this season then any other question that fans had to start the season.

Is Week 4 too early for a must win? Not for the Redskins. After subpar performances against the NY Giants, St Louis Rams, and Detriot Lions, Washington is looking at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers squarely at 1 PM today. This should be a win, but so were the Rams and the Lions. Only the Rams more inept play squeaked out a Redskins win.

The Sports Freak and I will be at the game today, hopefully getting out of there with a win. Follow BMTSports on Twitter to get semi-live tweets.

Remember way back when, like almost 20 years ago, when the Redskins last won a Superbowl? Then a series of events occurred that was going to bring sports championships (plural is intentional).

1. Wizards being declared a team to be reckoned with.
2. Capitals make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
3. Baseball returns to Washington.
4. Redskins sign/hire Spurrier, Gibbs, Haynesworth, Campbell

In Pardon the Interruption style, Toss Up, though we'll change it up a bit and give you a few choices. I get the feeling I already know the answer.

Redskins fans expect more. The Washington Redskins were defeated by the Detroit Lions 19-14. Appropriately, that broke the Lions 0-19 losing streak. If either team were in playoff contention, their 1-2 and now slightly better than the Redskins 1-2. I would like to comment on the game play, but frankly I gave up watching after the first half. Besides, there is nothing new to report, except that they actually scored 2 offensive touchdowns. Progress?

Maybe Redskins fans expect too much. It has been nearly 2 decades since the 1991 Superbowl win, yet the fans expect so much more. The comments earlier may have said it best...everyone is on the hot seat. Washington went through some rough times starting with owner Jack Kent Cooke deciding to build the stadium on his own outside of the city. It continued with his death, the stewardship and ownership through his estate, and failed ownership bids by Cooke's son and others. Through all of that, Daniel Snyder emerged as the winning bid for ownership. That might have been the problem.

So now what? Tampa Bay rolls into town next weekend. What might have looked like a win, now is up in the air. Frankly, after today's performance, looking at the remaining schedule, I don't see an easy win anywhere. 1-15 is not likely, as the team will find a way to win a game or 2, but it is probable. So right now, I can say, thanks for your service, Jim Zorn, Greg Blatche, the rest of the coaching staff, and thank you Jason Campbell. Heart helps, but production is king. Given how bad this season might end up, Snyder and Vinny Cerrato might not need to mortgage the future and trade away draft picks. They might be at the top of the draft. Welcome Tim Tebow.

Plight, what plight? The Redskins won this past weekend. Well, that win wasn't particularly spectacular. It wasn't a defensive battle, or pound the ball by running game. It wasn't even a come from behind miracle that frankly, we might have enjoyed better. No, it was just pathetic.

As we know, the Redskins won 9-7 over the St Louis Rams. Sure, "A Win is a Win" and all that. Of course 11-5 composed mostly of 9-7 wins will likely put them in the playoffs, but to be real, that's not going to happen. The game was won on the backs of the defense and dare I say it...Shaun Suisham's leg? I am not the biggest fan of Suisham's. In fact, I don't know how he still has a job in the NFL, let alone the Washington Redskins. But his 3 field goals did it.

The season that was predicted by some, including Mike Wise of the Washington Post and 106.7 WJFK, The Fan, as a coming out party for our QB Jason Campbell. Well so far, that is only true if coming out means doing exactly what's he's done in past seasons. The defense is the defense, strong like the past few years under the watchful eye of Gregg Williams and now Greg Blache.

Where is the offense? You can count one offensive touchdown so far this season and that was to TE Chris Cooley late in a game they had already lost. You know the glaring stat that still stands out there? As of today, your leading scorers for the Redskins are Suisham - 14 and tied for 2nd, Cooley and P Hunter Smith with 6 each. Kickers are always at the top of the scoring board, but when your top 3 include your punter, something is definitely wrong with this picture.

The easy thing to say is that they will get it together against the Lions this weekend. Well that's what they said prior to week 2 against the Rams. You would think Campbell, who is working for his next contract, likely not in Washington, would put more effort. It just appears he'll be a journeyman who may not be able to hold Gus Frerotte's j***, I mean towel. And Daniel Snyder will coax Cowher or some other proven winner out of retirement to coach this team to failure again and again.

With only one day available for both Big Money Tony and I to attend Redskins training camp, we opted out for various reasons. I was brimming with anticipation of attending my first training camp. I desperately wanted to see Albert Haynesworth, Brian Orakpo, and the competition at right tackle. Somehow along the way I was derailed by Tony's discouraging reasons that jolted me back into reality.

Below are the top ten reasons we didn't attend Redskins Training Camp:

10. Wake up early:

That's right get up before the crack of dawn to meet Tony at his place to begin the trek to camp. That's not really an issue, but getting ready to roll out that early to see the world when catching up on sleep lost from the work week or at least relaxing around the house attending to some weekly chores could be more tempting, but I soldiered on and still was interested in going.

9. Get some exercise:

After Tony told me how early we'd need to get moving, he also told me it was to get a better parking space and not walk as far.

8. Bring sunblock:

No shielding from the sun, no problem. I've got sunblock.

7. But I can get autographs, right?

So at least I can get a couple of autographs, right? What, if I'm lucky I can get Larry Michaels autograph. Thanks, I'll pass!

6. Standing room only:

When I asked about bleacher seating, Tony told me to get used to standing because there is no seating unless you collapse on the grass for a seat.

5. Damn it's hot:

It's DC and it's August. All native Washingtonians know what type of weather to expect, but Tony also delighted in regailing me with how hot it gets out there and with no shade for protection.

4. The bugs:

For a man that seldomly complains, I took the threat of bugs and being bitten up seriously from Tony on top of an already hot day without seating. When he said there's also lots of nats he wasn't talking about the Nationals he was talking about gnats.

3. Great pictures:

It's all worth it because I have some pictures that I'll treasure...Tony what do you mean that even with your professional camera you can't get a good picture?!

2. I like indoor plumbing:

Oh, and you have to use port a johns. Considering the coniditions of some of the rest rooms at FedEx Field...I'll pass.

1. No Cheerleaders!:

How can this be? It's hot and everyone's wearing skimpy clothing and yet I'm to believe the cheerleading uniforms aren't ventelated enough to keep our beloved Redskins Cheerleaders cool? That's just crazy talk!

The Redskins released James Thrash today. The wide receiver had spent most of his career with the Redskins, save a short stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.

This move is not surprising. Thrash has spent 12 seasons in the NFL. Though not ever the number 1 receiver with any team, he proved to be a fairly good number 2 and in recent years beat out younger, healthier players for playing time. More than a good player on the field, by all reports he was a great teammate and locker room leader.

Following the dismissal of Jon Jansen in recent weeks, it is unlikely Thrash will sign with another team and should concentrate on healing. Jansen subsequently signed with the Detroit Lions. The move by the team on Thrash clears the way for second year players Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly to step up and take stronger roles in this coming season's offense.

The writing was on the wall the past two seasons at Redskins Park for Jon Jansen. Battling back from injuries and more notably a dislocated ankle, Jansen looked to survive the competition to reclaim his role as the starting right tackle. Anyone that witnessed Jansen for interviews in the local media such as Comcast Sports before the draft saw him looking svelte at 295 lbs. He proclaimed himself healthy after such a serious injury and in the best shape in years, but somewhere along the way the first player in Dan Snyder's rebuild from the Gibbs version 1.0 era fell out of favor.

The alternatives now rest with Stephon Heyer who couldn't wrestle the starting position away from Jansen and suffered through an injury plagued 2009 season. Derrick Dockery's friend, Mike Williams hasn't played in the NFL since 2005 and has reportedly dropped down to a slimming sub 390 lbs. The other candidate vying for the starting tackle position is 29 year old Jeremy Bridges.

Interesting that nowhere was it mentioned that any of the remaining offensive tackles could run block as effectively as Jansen. Nor was it reported that anyone's pass blocking skills were superior enough to play on the same line as Chris Samuels. Usually when a player is cut there's a younger better player waiting for an opportunity to play, but not in this instance.

The Redskins were fortunate the best player available with the 13th overall pick in the draft happened to be someone that could fill a major need. The Redskins have lacked a legitimate edge pass rusher for years. They filled the void at defensive end through the years by substituting linebackers coming off the edge, but haven't had a true presence at the position since Fred Stokes, Charles Mann, and Dexter Manley.

The addition of Brian Orakpo (DE) should finally provide the Redskins with the help they've been looking for along the defensive line. Orakpo's athleticism along the line and ability to get to the quarterback in pressure situations when his team needs it the most will be welcomed, so why have him also learn how to play the "sam" linebacker position?

The Redskins have successfully duplicated failed strategies (their own, as well as others) time and time again. Last season the Redskins touted 3rd Round Draft Pick Chad Rinehart (OL) as an athletic, intelligent, and versatile lineman that could become a starter. They soon shuffled him from one position to another (OG & OT) and by the end of training camp soon realized that by throwing two different positions at him so soon he mastered neither.

If indeed Orakpo's destiny resides in becoming the edge pass rusher that can put constant pressure on the quarterback and make the big play at the end of the game when needed, then why jeopardize the future to solidify a weakness at linebacker due to a management decision? It's a simple decision. Allow Orakpo to fill out his physique as he matures and allow him to completely understand the role as he begins to dominate at the defensive end position before layering additional responsibilities, techniques, and defensive schemes from other positions onto his plate.

Placing Orakpo in the best possible position to succeed helps him and the team in the long term rather than minimize the weakness created by releasing Marcus Washington without first having his replacement on the roster. His speed and size may have the Skins thinking that he can improve the linebacking play, but if he's "The Guy" destined to play the edge in the mode of Mann and Manley then much like these two predecessors he should be given the opportunity to play at this position. The Redskins should work to solidify the linebacking play elsewhere.

The Redskins choice for the draft was not QB Mark Sanchez. Nor was it any one of the wide receivers. In an effort to improve the defensive line, they selected DE Brian Orakpo out of Texas. Orakpo fell to the Redskins after a series of moves and surprises before them. The New York Jets traded up to #5 to take Sanchez. And in Al Davis' brilliance, the Oakland-LA-Oakland Raiders took Terp WR Derrius Heyward-Bey.

Orakpo fills a void the Redskins have had since the days of Charles Mann and Dexter Manley. Sure, they've had players there, but while stars were targeted, then turned out less than stellar in their Redskin careers. Orakpo may finally fulfill that role.

Back to the moves that caused Orakpo to fall to #13, the Jets taking Sanchez left the Redskins with no reason to move up in the draft. Then the Raiders surprise pick of Heyward-Bey, who was projected at a mid-first rounder at best, made WR Michael Crabtree available to teams who figured he wouldn't be there for them. The Heyward-Bey pick was criticized by many including the one and only Mr. Draft Mel Kiper, who said that the Raiders should've traded down if they wanted Heyward-Bey that bad. Nobody was going to go after him that early. We're all happy for Heyward-Bey as now he can demand a Top 10 conract. His pick also caused some Redskins fans, including the Sports Freak and myself, to worry that Crabtree might interest the Redskins. There was little chance he would fall to 13, but if San Francisco had not picked him up at 10, who knows what would have happened?

While Orakpo was a lucky break for the Redskins, it's also a smart one. It also again puts pressure on Jason Campbell, since the defense has shored up some more. He needs to prove himself throughout the 2009 season to justify a new contract. Otherwise, he'll follow in the footsteps of Gus Frerotte, Patrick Ramsey, and other Redskins QB's of the past in journeymen roles. That's if he's lucky.

As the Redskins prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft next weekend, they should look at their roster over the next few years to formulate a plan to better position themselves not just this coming season, but in future seasons too. The lack of looking past the current season has been a sticking point for Redskins fans for years now. It's blatantly obvious how poor the pass rush has been for the past two decades, as well as how much criticism the offensive line has received. These are two most immediate areas of need for the team, but neglecting other positions could prove just as disastrous in the long term future of the team.

The team's most productive unit the past couple of seasons has been its linebackers. They've been worn down due to the lack of pressure and production by the front four. The Skins already released Marcus Washington. London Fletcher played most of the season despite various injures and will turn 34 in May. Rocky McIntosh battled through aching knees down the home stretch of the season and may face these problems the rest of his career. What once was the strength of the team could quickly become the weakest if adequate steps aren't taken. Re-signing Washington would be a good start.

Portis has carried quite the load since coming to Washington. Gone are the gashing long runs that Portis had in Denver and in comes the power running game that's shouldered most of the load for Redskins victories all on Clinton Portis' back. He's nearing 30 and with the pounding Portis takes the team should look to find the next running back for the team.

Here are a few possible options to help acquire some draft picks and talent:

The aftermath of the Cutler trade from Denver to Chicago left the Redskins reassuring their starting QB that he's still their guy. Michael Wilbon often expressed the opinion that someone needed to grow up on George Michael's "Full Court Press." Jay Cutler's reaction to his name being offered in trade talks may have spurred some in the media or fan base to rally around the Redskins QB a little too much. Wilbon's remark from the old show could be used here and about Cutler.

We're talking about players being paid millions of dollars to play a game. Quite often players hold out in training camp during contract negotiations and their teammate's reactions are it's just the business so why shouldn't any organization try to make a trade if they believe it's in the best interests of their team? Doesn't every fan base want to improve the team and see it win?

In MLB near the trade deadline many names often appear in trade rumors, but ultimately may never be traded. It's a business and all the players mentioned go back out and play. Why is the NFL trying to be so different?

So recently we've heard about Twitter creeping into the professional sports world. Charlie Villenueva of the Milwaukee Bucks tweeted about his play and how he has to step up. Shaquille O'Neal actually twitters away at all times of the day. OK, really night. You can follow Shaq at @THE_REAL_SHAQ. The amazing part is that he does a bunch of it from his Crackberry Blackberry.

There are also a few parodies of front office people. Like your hockey? Follow Brian Burke or Bob Gainey. For a local twist, Vinny Cerrato is waiting for you.

If you did not already know, you can follow @thedcsportspage for some live commentary. We tweet often.

To continue our own mock draft, the Washington Redskins are on the clock with the 13th Pick in the draft.

Assuming the Skins still have this pick and haven’t traded up or down or acquired Jay Cutler, Washington has several areas of needs. The Redskins could definitely use help along both lines, as well as upgrading a line backing unit that was battered and aging all last season. Washington also needs to plan for the future and draft a cover corner and running back. Betts and Portis are approaching 30 and with the load that Portis has carried it has him mirroring an Earl Campbell like ending.

Below are the positions of need with analysis:

So the rumored cut of Terrell Owens from the Dallas Cowboys spurred new rumors of who will sign him. The Washington Post reports today that the Redskins are saying no.

Good for them and us. There is no argument that he could help the Redskins on the field. Antwan Randle-El would probably have to go, but Santana Moss and Owens starting would be a pretty strong receiving team. But at the cost of his money and his mouth? Probably not. Of course until Owens is actually signed by a team, he could always use the Redskins as a ruse to get a bigger contract. Or then again, like last season, a key injury to a player might bring a trade or in this case, a signing that was denied earlier.

I like T.O. as a player. He is on my fantasy team right now. But if you ask me if I want him on the Redskins, I might would say no.

The Redskins decided to part with Jason Taylor yesterday. After Taylor declined to spend the majority of time in town working out in the offseason to spend more time with his family, the Redskins severed ties with the former all pro defensive end. Taylor was in the last year of a contract. He was due to count $8.5M against the cap.

Although the move itself isn't too surprising the timing of it may have caught some off guard. Would it have been necessary to cut Marcus Washington if releasing Taylor would have provided the same salary cap relief? In a weak free agent season for defensive ends Washington will scramble to fill the void and most likely reach out to Evans and Daniels. The vacancy at outside linebacker has yet to be filled and with so few draft picks and so many needs, the team may use the additional cap space for more depth in the secondary, offensive line, or a starting linebacker.

The loss of Taylor for some wasn't that great at all. Would it have been nice to see what Taylor could do in a pure pass rushing role next to Haynesworth? Absolutely! It's difficult to judge last season's performance by Taylor amid all the injuries contributing the lack of success. Another year older and unwilling to stay in the area for team workouts, the writing was on the wall as the two parties decided to part ways.

Minor free agent spending could come across the tickers with new found cap space and many vacancies to fill. What takes place next will have an impact on the draft, as well. Offensive Tackle an obvious need, but the Skins could also find themselves with a decision among one of the four top offensive tackles, Orakpo (DE), Maualuga (LB), or even Raji (DT) if he slips that far.

The huge contract Haynesworth signed with Washington worth a record guaranteed $41M and a total amount of $115M that includes $15M in incentives represents more than money but a returned focus to interior line play. Some critics believe that Haynesworth's great play the past two years has been fueled by the Titans keeping him hungry while in two consecutive contract years. His effort level on every play has been questioned as has maturity for the longest suspension for an on field incident. Yet since the suspension he's dedicated himself to be the best at his position making this record contract possible.

Is it the money that's drawing such stark criticism or that few teams were willing to compete for Haynesworth's services at such a price? No matter how much the pundits express that Dan Snyder is back to his freewheeling spending ways, no one can argue that the Redskins have "the" best defensive tackle in the game while he's in the prime of his career. It isn't the same situation as the best available player that became overpaid such as Stubblefield or Gilbert. The closest comparison would be the Packers signing Reggie White. The difference in the two signings being Haynesworth is younger and in his prime, while White entered into a Packer uniform near the end of his career and as the final piece of a puzzle to win a title in Green Bay.

Haynesworth's ability only makes the defense and offense stronger due to pressure and turnovers. Much like UPS here's what Haynesworth can do for the Redskins.

An interesting entry by Cindy Boren at the Washington Post's Redskins Insider blog. What's so interesting about it is that the Redskins seem to imply that the economic downtown is responsible for why "revenue from tickets and season tickets was not where it needs to be."

UMMMM.... Dan, are you sure it's not because of the team's performance on the field? And hey, I thought this stadium was sold out, baby!

The readers have spoken and a winner is crowned. Noriko wins the inaugural cheerleaders vote-off here on the DC Sports Page. If you want to see a larger version of the above photo, just click on it for a pop-up window.

Also...

After the improbable 6-2 run to start the season, the Redskins finished a mere 8-8. On offense the team has several areas of concern from Zorn completing a full second season as coach, Vinny & Danny's making the right personnel decisions, finding a starting receiver opposite Moss, to Santana's shoe shine problems, the offensive line woes, Clinton's outburst, and Campbell's execution on the field. The only position without concern is that of starting TE, Chris Cooley.

On most championship teams the most vocal or inspiring player on offense is the quarterback. He leads by his command of the game, the ability to bring out the best in players around him, and by execution. In some cases the leader on offense leads by example, but it's the quarterback the rest of the team listens to and follows. The quarterback is the extension of the coaching staff's game plan. After days of preparation, it's the job of the quarterback to execute the offense to perfection and lead the team to victory.

There have been many great running backs that never won a title let alone made it to the Super Bowl. Eric Dickerson never made it to the Super Bowl neither did Barry Sanders. There have been other great running backs in a similar situation and the striking similarity regarding the leadership stemmed from the quarterback position. Make no mistake about it. It was Eric Dickerson's Rams and not Jim Everett's. Just like this is Clinton Portis' team not Jason Campbell's.

This beckons the question; does Jason Campbell have 'it'? No quarterback can win without a strong running game, but can Campbell lead the Redskins to another Super Bowl?

It's down to two. Anabel and Noriko have made it to the finals. Much like in sports where the teams might bring a little different game, we have new photos for each contestant. Voting will last until 1/4/09. Many thanks for those of you who voted in the past.

We have a winner. Thanks to everyone who voted.

After a promising 6-2 start to the season, the Redskins mercifully end their season with a dismal loss to the San Francisco 49ers to end the season going 2-6 in the second half. The game itself displayed the same issues which has plagued this team the entire season.

Week 1 playoffs are done. Here is the week 2 lineups. We are featuring 3 this week because Dawn and Anabel ended in a tie. Unfortunately Poll Daddy is having issues again this morning. Maybe they are depressed because of the cold weather and the holidays. As soon as it's working, we'll get the new poll up.

Update: 3 PM The poll is up now.

Update: we have a winner!

The Redskins won a hard fought low scoring affair 10-3 and essentially made the way to the playoffs very difficult for the Eagles. The team demonstrated heart and toughness. It showed a team in support of the coaching staff as opposed to the first five games under Coach Marty where the players didn't buy into system or practice methods before pride kicked in after the ridicule in the media and late night shows.

Landry was everywhere on defense from helping stop the game tying touchdown at the end of the game with no time left on the clock to separating the ball from the Eagles Jackson with a jarring hit in the first half. Troy Aikman also brought up on TV the ability of Hall to step up into the play and make tackles along the line.

So why write a “keys to the game” for something which won’t mean anything with regards to the playoffs by the time 4 p.m. rolls around? This, of course, assumes Tampa Bay will beat San Diego and since Norv Turner coaches San Diego, it’s a forgone conclusion. The only answer I have is that there should be some pride in the fact that it’s a classic NFC East Division showdown. That and it will help keep my mind off my first championship game in the fantasy football league I run along with The Sports Freak.

Uh, what happened? Last I checked, the Cincinnati Bengals are bottom feeder. The Redskins were playoff contenders, although in a long down-spin. The Bengals dropped the Redskins 20-10 and also erased Washington's playoff chances.

The Sports Freak and I agreed that no pre-game analysis was needed. It's been the same for weeks...keep up the defense and step up the offense. Glad I didn't waste those 30 seconds of my life. Chris Cooley, of all players, fumbled the ball on the first drive to allow Cincinnati to score early. Then they never looked back. The offense was slightly better as they seemed to go down the field more often. Santana Moss was getting looks, passes, and receptions down the field. Of course with this incarnation of the Redskins, downfield means more than 10 yards. Even Fred Davis, the backup to Cooley, got a catch.

But there were so many problems, it's hard to say what caused the loss. Besides, Cooley, Mike Sellers fumbled the ball at the goal line to give up an easy touchdown. The Redskins kicker, who I will not address by his name any longer, because that would mean I have an ounce of respect for him, sent a kickoff out of bounds again. I don't know how many he's kicked out this season, but it feels more than just accidental. The defense, who has played pretty admirably all season with constant injuries, could barely stop the Bengals. The Bengals The only bright side seems to be the patchwork offensive line. But even then, they've played as well as they have all season, so that's not saying much.

While playoffs are out of the picture, the team has to get their act together next Sunday when the Eagles come to town. We should work hard to spoil their chances.

After 4 weeks of voting, we have some results so we'll put on playoffs. This week features Toccara and Noriko, winners of the first two weeks of voting. We'll pit the third and fourth week winners after this poll ends and then the championship the following week. At least we put our championship unlike the BCS. Poll on the right hand side.

Update, 12/14, 4 PM: Poll Daddy seems to be having trouble on their website. As soon as it is back up, I'll post the poll.

Update, 12/14, 4:45PM: It's working now. Poll on the side.

The Results are in!