Brandon Lloyd admitted his personality didn’t fit in San Francisco, where rebuilding led to frustrations. So the Niners shipped him to Washington. And now the Redskins are struggling and, with a second-year quarterback, have officially entered the rebuilding portion.
And now the question again becomes: does Lloyd fit in here?
Lloyd won’t face any consequences as a result of throwing his helmet at the end of Sunday’s 24-14 loss to Atlanta, for which he drew a 15-yard penalty. He also met with coach Joe Gibbs on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the matter. Gibbs said Lloyd would play, but wasn’t sure if he would start.
“Things happen from time to time,” Gibbs said. “Brandon has a good attitude about all of it. We talked and laid out a plan. He’s a young guy who means a lot to the Redskins. You talk about it, work through things.”
Gibbs said it’s important for Lloyd to be on the “same page” with him.
“We always have been,” Lloyd said. “It’s just some things he needs to address. It’s not his fault. It’s not my fault. It’s just that he’s the head coach and has to address it.”
One Redskin said everything he heard about Lloyd right after the trade has proven true.
As for the attitude that didn’t mesh with the Niners, or rebuilding in general, Lloyd said, ‘It’s one of those things. I have an attitude that’s really good for a winning team. I mean, it is. But at the same time, I’m not going to change. I’m still going to be me, still going to have fun out there.”
When the Redskins traded for Lloyd, surrendering a third- and fourth-round pick to the Niners, some around the league wondered about the move. One NFC scout repeated earlier this week what he said at the time, “He’s not a Joe Gibbs type guy.”
But, after the traded, he expected him to be somewhat productive. That hasn’t been the case: Lloyd has 20 receptions for 295 yards and no touchdowns, a paltry sum for a receiver on the field more than any other Redskins wideout. Entering last weekend, Lloyd had caught just 38 percent of the balls thrown his way, another shockingly low number.
“I’m getting enough balls,” he said.
He is getting frustrated, which he said led to tossing his helmet.
“My intentions were good,” he said. “I didn’t mean anything by that. I didn’t mean anything derogatory by that. I wasn’t putting myself before the team by throwing my helmet. That was a culmination of everything: the realization that we’re probably not in the playoffs. It was everything, not an individual act by any means.”
Week 14 Notes
» Linebacker Khary Campbell (hamstring) and corner Kenny Wright (knee) both are questionable for Sunday’s game against Philadelphia. But safety Troy Vincent (hamstring) is probable.
And two starting offensive linemen, center Casey Rabach (shin) and right tackle Jon Jansen (calf) both missed practice. They’re listed as probable. Jansen has limped noticeably around Redskins Park the past couple weeks and has struggled to get through games. But coach Joe Gibbs said he’s not at risk of further injury.
Tight end Todd Yoder (thigh) also is probable after not practicing.
But corner Shawn Springs, who did not play against Atlanta, is expected to play after practicing Wednesday.
» For Philadelphia, corner Roderick Hood (hamstring), defensive end Darren Howard (knee) and safety Michael Lewis (concussion)are questionable.
» The finalists for the Washington Quarterback Club’s Redskin of the Year are linebacker Marcus Washington, tight end Chris Cooley, right guard Randy Thomas and fullback Mike Sellers. The winner will be announced Tuesday.
» Gibbs on offensive balance, ‘’You want to run the ball effectively and then you have to get the ball downfield on big shots and get the ball to key playmakers downfield. That’s where we’ve struggled. When I say balance, typically you’d like to come out of a game running 55-60 percent and throw it 40 percent or something like that.’’
» The Redskins signed defensive end Jamaal Green to the practice squad. Green, who entered the league as a fourth-round pick in 2003 from the University of Miami, has appeared in nine career games for Chicago and Philadelphia. He has nine tackles and one sack.
