The Washington Redskins re-signed right tackle Jammal Brown to a five year, $27 million deal according to a story in The Washington Post and The Sporting News. “My heart was here with the Washington Redskins and I believe in the chemistry Mike Shanahan is building,” Brown said in a telephone interview with The Insiders Mike Jones Sunday evening. “He’s a Super Bowl coach and I think we can win a Super Bowl, too. We started something special last year. I want to be a part of that.”
The Redskins traded DE Vonnie Holliday and an undisclosed draft pick to the Arizona Cardinals for 25-year-old running back Tim Hightower. The native of Alexandria, Virginia, was the Cardinals’ leading ground-gainer with 736 yards, 4.8 yard average, and five touchdowns. Second-round draft pick Ryan Williams and Beanie Wells will carry the rushing load for the Cardinals this season.
Larry Johnson was 31 when vied for a spot on Washington’s roster last season. The math on Hightower works in Washington’s favor. The Redskins may carry five running backs on the 53-man roster, with three active during games. The ‘Skins preseason roster features Ryan Torain, Roy Helu, Evan Royster, Shaun Draughn and James Davis. Keiland Williams is working out at fullback with Darrel Young while Mike Sellers is working with the tight ends.
Holliday (35) was a victim of Mike Shanahan’s youth movement. The much-travelled 14-year veteran appeared in 15 games for the ‘Skins in 2010, two as starter. He is credited with 29 total tackles. Holliday was elected Redskins team rep for the NFL PA.
The Redskins added undrafted free agents Obi Ezeh (ILB, Michigan) and Joe Torchia (TE, Virginia) to the roster.
The headline of a July 30, 2011 story in The Washington Post is Redskins defense looks to improve. As the story points out, it has nowhere to go but up.
There are two things I like about Shanahan’s personnel moves with the defense. First, he gave the incumbent roster the first shot at the 3-4 defense. As we know, the results were horrible, but I love it when the new management gives current employees a chance to grow in a new direction. There is a long-term payoff to that sort of thing, even if short-term pain is involved.
Second, I like the moves Shanahan and Bruce Allen are making in 2011, from restructuring Albert Haynesworth’s contract, to their renewed emphasis on the NFL Draft, to drafting nuts and bolts seniors whose resume includes team leadership chits, to their free agent moves that focus on the up-front guys without the splashy contract waiting to be restructured. (It felt like Vinny Cerrato was whispering in Shanahan’s ear throughout 2010.)
ESPN’s John Clayton may have had a silly notion that Washington was a division co-favorite when they traded for Donovan McNabb. Most of the local media and Redskins bloggers I follow projected a third or fourth-place division finish for the team. The ’10 season was coyote ugly.
Now the national media is too far down on the ‘Skins, perhaps projecting them to finish fifth in a four-team race. That’s an opportunity for Shanahan. Don’t waste the low expectations. Play the young guys. The free agents need a season to transition to the new (to them) scheme anyway. Even more so because of the lockout.
Washington’s year to contend will come in 2012. Watching how this team develops will be much more fun to watch, I promise you, even with a third or fourth-place division finish. Shanallenhan might even teach the owner a thing or two about growing stars, keeping starters and laying the foundation for true long-term success.
Is that too much to ask?
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