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By: John Keim
Former linebacker Bill Romanowski did indeed talk with his former bosses, Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen, Tuesday. But he said it was not about joining the coaching staff. However, he did come to Ashburn to offer help of a different sort. Romanowski is the CEO of Nutrition 53, a nutriotinal supplement company. He also helped develop a product called Neuro 1 that he says energizes the brain and helps people as they recover from concussions. "This is nothing like I'm interviewing for a position," he said Tuesday night by phone. "It's not anything offical in any way as far as interviewing for a particular coaching job. It's not about me getting into coaching or any of that. It's about is there any way I could help. "You could almost put it as a former player who...By: John Keim
Former Redskins Offensive line coach Joe Bugel always said the Hogs nickname started very simply, with him shouting at the Hogs, "OK, you Hogs, let's get running down here." But former Hog George Starke provided a little more detail and it revolved around the Redskins newest Hall of Famer, Russ Grimm. “Obviously, everyone knows that Russ is a Hog," Starke recalled, "but not everyone knows that the name Hogs came from a description of him. He was lying on the ground at the end of a blocking drill and Joe Bugel walked by and Russ had his stomach peeking out of his shirt. Buges said, ‘Man Russ get up you look like a Hog laying on the ground.’ After that the rest of us decided to poke fun at Buges and wear white shirts to practice and we all had Hogs written on them....By: John Keim
Some quotes courtesy of the Redskins on Russ Grimm getting into the Hall of Fame: Owner Dan Snyder: “Our Redskins fans have always appreciated the Hogs. This is a long deserved honor and we are proud to have Russ as a member of the Hall of Fame. Hopefully Russ is the first of the Hogs to be inducted in Canton representing one of the greatest offensive lines in NFL history.” Former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs: “I’m thrilled for Russ. He is very deserving. He was a big part of our success and our three Super Bowl championships. He was a versatile performer that could play center, guard and tackle and was a great leader. He is a great addition to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and I know there are a lot of Redskins fans that are very happy right now and I’m...By: John Keim
Two of my favorite stories involving Russ Grimm. Joe Bugel told one last month, but before we get to that one, my favorite involved longtime trainer Bubba Tyer. Grimm, by now a Redskins coach, had filled Tyer's car with popcorn one day in training camp, which, of course, was not amusing to the trainer. It was to others. But Tyer plotted his revenge. One day at practice, when Grimm was on the practice field, Tyer brought out Grimm's clothes and put them in a pile. He waved to Grimm on the field and the coach waved back. He had no clue as to what Tyer was doing. Then Tyer lit a match and then lit the pile of clothes on fire. The film crew caught the whole episode on tape. Later that season, coach Norv Turner played the tape to the team to illustrate how to get revenge on someone. OK,...By: John Keim
The Hogs are finally represented in the Hall of Fame. Former Redskins offensive lineman Russ Grimm was voted into the Hall of Fame Saturday, making him the first from the most famous line in NFL history to reach Canton. Grimm will be joined by Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, John Randle and Rickey Jackson. Jackson becomes the first New Orleans Saint to reach the Hall of Fame. Grimm played guard for Washington from 1981-91, helping pave the way to three Super Bowl triumphs. He made four Pro Bowl appearances. The most remarkable part about this era is that the Redskins, unlike many other teams, won their Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks. And the starting running backs were different in each as well. The constant was the offensive line dubbed the Hogs. But the problem over the...By: John Keim
By: John Keim
Five thoughts after watching the Senior Bowl a couple times: 1. Mel Kiper has Selvish Capers as one player who could be drafted by Washington in the second round. If that's the case, I have one word: yikes. Capers did not impress me one bit, neither at right tackle nor at left. Too often he did not stay square to his opponent, which got him in trouble. He'd lunge at times and keep his head down when trying to engage other times. Based on this performance, I would not pick him in the second round -- not if you want someone to come in and start. Maybe he looked better during the season. 2. UMass' Vladimir Ducasse wasn't bad. He could take a year or two to develop, but he had more tools to work with and had a couple good punches. However, he occasionally did not stay square as well. But...By: John Keim
Because it's been a few weeks and we missed hearing Clinton Portis talk (OK, we really didn't), we bring you yet another installment of the Portis Tapes. This time, he was on ESPN's First and 10. Not happy about this one because when he's on the radio, we know what time he'll come on. Today, we had to sit through way too much Skip Bayless. Anyway, here are the highlights: On his relationship with Jason Campbell: "They took that out of context... The only thing I said was that Jason is not a vocal leader (Oh, really? Here's what he did say). They took it and ran with it like I was saying Jason was a horrible person. I immediately squashed it. I did it on live radio and the next day they printed my comments in the paper. It wasn't like I was throwing Jason under the bus. Jason isn't the...By: John Keim
Quarterback Sam Bradford would be the perfect choice for the Redskins. Except that the risk might be too high. Bradford, coming off shoulder surgery, is expected to be the first quarterback taken. Washington needs one. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay loves him. “He has everything you look for in a quarterback,” McShay said, “from the intelligence to competitiveness to leadership to accuracy. Those are the most important traits.” But hold on. “If you miss on him it can set you back five, six, seven years,” McShay said. “Washington seems the best fit for him, but something tells me they’ll go in a different direction. They can’t afford with the first pick of a new regime to make a mistake. Bradford has enough red flags that they may...By: John Keim
Looking back: The secondary was the strength of the defense in 2008, but not this past season. DeAngelo Hall had a strong season, even if he did miss a few key tackles. But he's here to make plays and he did have four interceptions in 13 games. I love watching how he baited some young quarterbacks into bad decisions and he always seems to be around deflected passes. Carlos Rogers did not have his best season and now is losing a coach in Jerry Gray whom he really, really liked. Rogers is considered a physical corner, but in the first half of the year he seemed to get away from that and played softer in coverage than necessary. He seemed more intent on not making a mistake than on making plays. And his eyes weren't always in the right place, which is why he was temporarily benched. Fred...By: John Keim
London Fletcher played on a team that won the Super Bowl and didn't make it. He had seasons where he made big plays, a knock against him in other years, and didn't make it. He played on defenses ranked in the top five, led them in tackles and drew all sorts of praise from players and broadcasters. And, nope, he didn't make it then, either. Turns out what he needed was for the Pro Bowl to be moved up a couple weeks and for a guy ahead of him to play in the Super Bowl. New Orleans' Jonathan Vilma was voted to the Pro Bowl along with San Francisco's Patrick Willis. But with Vilma headed to the Super Bowl in two weeks, and with the Pro Bowl this coming weekend, Fletcher, as the first alternate, will take his place. Based on what he said in December after he learned he did not make the...By: John Keim
Looking back » London Fletcher had his typical season, which means he was a leader, he made tackles and he fell short of the Pro Bowl. But at least he's a first alternate. He had some tougher games, but he also had some memorable hits -- notably on Giants' back Brandon Jacobs in the opener. Rocky McIntosh had a solid season and stayed healthy, a first for him. Neither one made a lot of big plays, combining for six turnovers (three interceptions and three fumbles). Not bad, but not great, either. Rookie Brian Orakpo was a standout at end, not linebacker. He did improve at taking on blockers and funneling plays. But the run defense could have been better for Washington and part of that stemmed from Orakpo's needing to learn how to play a new position. He struggled in man coverage,...By: John Keim
A few things we’ve heard about the Redskins new offensive line coach Chris Foerster: 1. He wanted to return to this area » He coached in Baltimore from 2005-07 and apparently still has family in the area. That’s why he appealed to Mike Singletary to let him go. Initially, the 49ers denied Washington permission to speak with him. But they granted him permission Thursday morning. 2. His last five lines have not done very well » One Niners insider blamed the struggles this year on schemes and personnel. In his three seasons with Baltimore his lines had mixed results, with one good year sandwiched between two terrible years. A year after he left the Ravens line was actually solid. 3. He tried to use a zone-blocking scheme in San Francisco » Also had to use a...By: John Keim
Kyle Shanahan said his goodbyes in Houston before his dad even arrived in Washington. His name came up at Mike Shanahan’s first press conference. And it was no secret what his role would be: offensive coordinator. Finally, the Redskins made it official that he was part of his father’s new coaching staff. The other two new hires include quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur and tight ends coach Jon Embree. LaFleur spent the past two seasons as an offensive assistant in Houston, while Kyle Shanahan was the coordinator. LaFleur worked with the quarterbacks in a role similar to Chris Meidt’s the past two seasons in Washington. LaFleur coached in college before going to Houston at Ashland University, Saginaw Valley State, Central Michigan and Northern Michigan. Embree also has...By: John Keim
Looking back: End Andre Carter was the most consistent player up front; not the most dominant, but certainly reliable. He was freed from constant double teams and produced 11 sacks and more pressure. Tackle Albert Haynesworth played in 12 games and annoyed teammates by not playing through various injuries, though he did play hurt for a while. He was dominant at times and was often doubled. He played more snaps than anticipated - they were hoping for 60 percent; it was more - but missing four games diminished his impact. Plus, at times, he would not exactly give his all on certain rushes. Phillip Daniels was effective vs. the run, but was not as quick in pursuit. Kedric Golston is a personal favorite; love the effort and for a third tackle you could do much worse. Cornelius Griffin had...By: John Keim
Redskins Guard Chad Rinehart was arrested for misdemeanor public intoxication outside a pizza place around 2 a.m. Monday in Cedar Falls, Iowa. According to the police report, Rinehart smelled of alcohol and was swaying. He declined a breath test and was taken to jail. He was released shortly thereafter and will be arraigned next month. In a statement, the Redskins said, "We are aware of this incident but have no further comment.” Rinehart, a third-round pick in 2008, started four games this past season, but ended the year on injured reserve....By: John Keim
Five thoughts on the coaches retained or let go by the Redskins: 1. Kirk Olivadotti was one of the most respected coaches on the staff the past few seasons. There's a reason he's survived as long as he has in Washington (since 2000). One coach said that he could work with any group and do a good job. So why isn't he up for any coordinator jobs? Well, he was on the list in New York. I also wonder if he's not more comfortable under the radar; his dad was a coordinator who was ripped in different cities. That had to have made an impact on him. A couple years ago Olivadotti did not like talking to the press and when he did his answers weren't all that revealing. However, the past two years -- and especially this year -- he was much different. Very insightful, especially when it came to...By: John Keim
Looking back » Chris Cooley was having a solid, but not spectacular season before he suffered a season-ending injury in the seventh game. Cooley finished with 29 catches and two touchdowns. It would have been hard for him to duplicate his Pro Bowl run given the increased talent at this position in the NFC. But he was definitely a top tight end. At least as a pass-catcher. Fred Davis was a non-factor in the first six-plus games. Both he and Cooley were wildly inconsistent as blockers and that hindered the run game. However, Davis got serious about the game when Cooley was hurt, putting extra time in and it showed. Davis was very good the rest of the season. His blocking improved dramatically, though he still had a couple tough games. His routes were crisper and his athleticism was...By: John Keim
Looking back: The Redskins failed to adequately address their depth along the line so it was just a matter of time before that error was exposed. Sure enough, by early in the season Chris Samuels and Randy Thomas -- both coming off surgeries and still battling issues -- were done. Shocker, we know. Apparently it was to the Redskins. The foolish decision to rarely draft offensive linemen came back to haunt this franchise. Unless Chad Rinehart is your idea of a building block; he's the only linemen chosen in the past five drafts. Let that one sink in. Anyway, Levi Jones showed that he could not play left tackle; Stephon Heyer continued to prove he is not a legitimate starter -- though he deserves credit for playing hurt; Mike Williams, signed as a right tackle showed he was better at...By: John Keim
Mark Schlereth said the Redskins next offensive line coach should be versed in Mike Shanahan's system, know how to teach the right techniques and have a passion for the game. And then the ESPN NFL analyst listed the guy he would pick: himself. There are just a couple problems: he's under contract with ESPN, though it ends in June; and he's never coached in the NFL. The former issue can be solved, even if ESPN wants him back. All the Redskins would have to do, Schlereth said, is "pay me a boatload of money." Which is what ESPN pays him. Most likely, they pay him more than an offensive line coach and certainly more than what an assistant line coach would make (if they felt he needed to pay his dues first). But Schlereth's point was this: he wouldn't mind getting into coaching. And this...By: John Keim
The Redskins hired running backs coach Bobby Turner, a move that was expected once Denver gave Washington permission to interview its longtime position coach. Turner spent the past 15 seasons in Denver, including 14 with new Redskins coach Mike Shanahan. Six different running backs gained at least 1,000 yards under Turner's tutelage, including current Redskins back Clinton Portis. Terrell Davis went from a sixth-round draft pick to fringe Hall of Famer during Turner's tenure. Here is Shanahan's staff so far (not all are official, but will be): Kyle Shanahan (offensive coordinator) Jim Haslett (defensive coordinator) Turner Lou Spanos (linebackers) Bobby Slowik (role not yet known) Follow me on twitter...By: John Keim
Redskins defensive end Andre Carter underwent surgery at Stanford University Medical Center to reattach the tendon in his left bicep Wednesday and faces two months of rehabilitation. Carter said he'll take it easy during the organized team activities and minicamps, but that he would clearly be ready in time for training camp. His offseason workouts also will begin later than usual, especially his martial arts sessions. He'll start those after the OTAs and minicamps. Carter deserves credit for playing the final two games after tearing his biceps, especially for a team that had little to gain by winning. He finished the season tied with Brian Orakpo for the team high with 11 sacks, the second highest total of his career. This could be an important offseason for him with the Redskins...By: John Keim
A 4-12 season should not result in an increase in the cost of a ticket. The Redskins apparently agree. They will keep general admission tickets the same for the upcoming season, the fifth year in a row they've stayed the same. According to Team Marketing Report, the Redskins are one of two franchises that has not raised GA ticket prices since 2006. Given their lack of success in the past 18 years, this is a wise move. To recap for Redskins fans the past few months: Vinny is gone; Mike Shanahan is in; Dan Snyder is butting out (supposedly) and now no ticket increase. What more could fans want? Besides a good season, of course. Now, about the price of parking and food ... Follow me on twitter...By: John Keim
...The Redskins hired Lou Spanos as their linebackers coach today. He spent 16 seasons as a defensive assistant, including 15 as an assistant linebacker coach. He was with Pittsburgh when new Redskins coordinator Jim Haslett served in that same role with the Steelers in the late 1990s. ...Heard that Bob Slowik will join the staff in some capacity and it sounds as if Bobby Turner will accept the job of coaching the running backs. At one point, it appeared that all the Jim Zorn assistants would be fired, but not sure about that now. Special teams coach Danny Smith is a candidate to return, though my strong hunch is that he has options. Smith is considered one of the best special teams coaches and this is a year where there there are multiple openings. The Redskins job is his to lose,...By: John Keim
Sometimes, it's just best to stand back and let those who know Joe Bugel best describe him in their own words. So enjoy: Joe Gibbs: "Coach Bugel probably had one of the greatest passions for football. His life was football. He's one of the best teachers... One of the funny stories is the way he would torture the offensive line. He would take a softball out on the field and he would make those guys crouch over and chase that softball for half an hour. The thing I really appreciate is that you could take him ina meeting and take him to the top where he was sold on everything we're doing and if things aren't going well he'd go to the bottom and be the most depressed person in the world. I can't tell you how many times we were in there at three in the morning and he would still be roaring....By: John Keim
Looking back: Santana Moss continues to be an effective receiver, but he also showed that his days as a solid No. 1 likely are over. Moss had a good season with 70 catches. But he only scored three touchdowns and had 902 receiving yards. Some of that stems from the inability to get downfield more with the passing game; some of that is because teams effectively played various coverages on him -- double teams; brackets. A few years ago he was great at making plays in the air downfield; haven't seen that in a while unless he's in the clear. Still a good player. Antwaan Randle El caught 50 passes, but failed to score. As a No. 3 receiver, he's questionable. If he's a No. 4, that's fine. He gets open underneath, but lacks the speed to burn teams. Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly showed signs...By: John Keim
Stump Mitchell made this much clear: He likes Clinton Portis. He also made this clear: He wishes Portis had worked harder. “Clinton knows that [he must work harder],” Mitchell said. “He’s a headstrong individual. He can go out and get it done and sometimes he will, but he wasn’t getting the most out of his ability this past season because he did not prepare as well as I think he should have.” Mitchell coached Portis for the past two seasons and accepted the head coaching position at Southern University today. He interviewed with Mike Shanahan today as well, but Mitchell blames himself for the lack of production at running back this season. But knowing how many players were disappointed in Portis this season, it’s hard to blame the position...By: John Keim
Looking back:Clinton Portis was never right; despite his 34-yard carry vs. the New York Giants on the first play from scrimmage this season and his 78-yard run later in the season, he lacked explosiveness. In the past he seemed to get an extra yard or two on most runs; that was not the case this season. He seemed to get what was there and that was about all. Portis missed the final eight games with a concussion, but was still the subject of controversy as teammates, without naming him, ripped into his work habits. One anonymously called him his "worst teammate ever". Portis showed up out of shape and clearly needs a new offseason approach -- and less coddling from upper management. Ladell Betts looked the best of any back; he did a nice job pressing the hole on the cutbacks, a skill...By: John Keim
Looking back: Jason Campbell was not a Pro Bowler, but all you have to do is look what certain defenses did this past weekend to Donovan McNabb and Tom Brady. They were under pressure; they wilted and looked terrible. Campbell faced that sort of pressure each week. It helped for him that coaches began tailoring the game plan more to hide the weaknesses, allowing Campbell to survive a little better. But Campbell took good care of the ball considering the pressure he faced. He developed a better understanding of the pocket and even made a few plays. All things considered, playing behind a bad line, for Campbell to throw 20 touchdowns to 15 interceptions and an 86.4 passer rating represented a solid year. Still need to see: Quicker decisions on certain routes and more patience on others....By: John Keim
...Half of the Redskins assistant coaches met with new coach Mike Shanahan today; the other half is set to meet with him Monday. And he's told them he'll start interviewing candidates outside the organization starting Tuesday. The coach I spoke with was highly energized after his meeting. It's hard to know if he'll stick around, but he said the coaches who met with Shanahan came away with a strong desire to work with him. They like how thorough he's been in the interviews;he's not just going through the motions with them. ...Yes, Jerry Gray has a shot to become the next defensive coordinator. He has the players' support. The owner likes him, too. Cincinnati's Mike Zimmer's name has been mentioned quite a bit, but the one thing I would wonder is if the Houston job somehow came open --...To view this site, you need to have Flash Player 8.0 or later installed. Click here to get the latest Flash player.
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