John: Niles Paul is thus far a very good blocker and special teams player, why don’t they throw the ball though more his way? For a rebuilding team looking for answers on offense, he seems like a potential cog for the future thus why not give him more opportunities?
Mike
Mike: For a fifth-round pick he has played a decent amount. But when you’re in a game you’re going to throw to receivers who are open and who you trust. If he’s getting open, he’ll get more opportunities. Thing is, it still seems like most plays he’s in the game they’re going to run. But what they need is to move the chains and score points. And other receivers are producing more: Jabar Gaffney, Santana Moss and Donte Stallworth. I’m not a believer in just giving chances to guys because they’re young, unless they’re supremely talented. I don’t view Paul as a potential playmaker, but rather a guy who will help in many ways throughout his career. If he didn’t block so well – and he does that very well — I’m not sure he’d play much at this stage. But Paul also has had a chance to play because of one skill while still improving another.
JK
John: Any update on our IR crew? Specifically interested in Hankerson, Jenkins, Lichtensteiger and anyone else you think is important to the team moving forward. Thanks
Scott
Scott: Just talked to Kory the other day and he’s moving around pretty well. His goal has been to be 100 percent by the time OTAs roll around in the spring. That doesn’t mean he’ll participate, but it does mean he’ll be fully recovered. Right now he’s on pace for that. It helped that he tore it so early in the season. I’ve heard that Jenkins’ recovery is going well. Again; it helped that it happened early. In the offseason he’ll at least be able to spend some time strengthening his knee and not just rehabbing. Makes a difference. And Hankerson was in the locker room the other day. He says he’s doing fine, but I think his is still too early to really know. The good news for him right now is that as of now they say he does not need surgery.
JK
John: I am hearing some whispers from around the league that Jim Haslett will not be returning next year. Is there any truth to that and if so, who would they target to come in a take his place? For the record, I am not in favor of replacing Haslett. I think a 3rd year in this system will do wonders for the defense plus we will add back in Jenkins and hopefully some healthy safeties.
Thanks,
Amani
Amani: I have not heard anything legitimate that suggests he won’t return. Would it stun me? Nothing here would. We’ll start to hear more over the next few weeks about any potential changes. The defense has generally played well and there’s legitimate hope for the future with this front seven. Haslett and Mike Shanahan have different approaches and personalities, but they both like to be aggressive. You always wonder if someone serves as a fall guy after a bad season, but the defense has been the one constant this season. There are definite areas they can tighten up on defense — one thing I’ve heard from scouts is that they’re not sound enough in coverage for the style they play. But if he’s let go it would seem to be for reasons other than coaching. It would be hard to justify otherwise.
JK
John: The Redskins’ special teams have been dreadful this year. Why? How much of this can be blamed on the coach, how much on specific players, how much on injuries, and how much on bad luck?
Bruce Fitzgerald
Bruce: Well, it depends what part you’re talking about. They rank first in defending kickoffs and seventh in punt coverage. That’s coaching and players. But the blocked kicks have been an issue – partly because of new guys forced to play because of injuries — and that’s on both as well. I know Danny Smith tells players what to do so anyone new should be prepared. However, if guys fail to do the right thing a few times then the coach will get heat too. But you can’t blame the coach for missed field goals. The returns have not been that good; teams have done a good job taking away Brandon Banks, pinning him to his left. The unit has not performed as well as they would have liked in the return game. I don’t see any bad luck, however.
JK
John: DeAngelo Hall shows no signs of learning from his mistakes…poor coverage (he even admits this) as well as poor professionalism. It seems to me he has put himself above the team. He is surely not a team leader.Do you think he should and can be unloaded during the off season. The Pats obviously need help at corner.
Thanks, Chris Day
Richmond, VA
Chris: Yeah, the Pats have been searching for corners for a while. Obviously Bill Belichick is a great coach, but he’s also lucky to have Tom Brady. Otherwise they’d be the Redskins. As for Hall, when you’re 4-9 no player should be a lock to return. Hall’s strength as a corner is intercepting passes. When he doesn’t pick off passes he’s just not as good. But he has had some very good games this season, including vs. the Seahawks and Jets. However, I don’t consider him an elite cover guy. I actually think he’s been more consistent this season than in 2010 (when I did not think a Pro Bowl berth was warranted) and when I’ve talked to coaches about him they’ve generally been pleased. I don’t think Hall showed good leadership this week, coming off the game he did and then not wanting to talk all week. He’s a captain; it’s part of the job. If they can find a better corner, that’s great. I think they need to add another one anyway. But with so many needs elsewhere, do you want to create another one? Maybe I just had lower expectations than others for Hall.
JK
John: I’m guessing there’s a high number of players around the league that will be free agents after this season. Do you plan a column or two on possible targets for the Redskins this off-season? They’ll have to sign 4 to 6 quality free agents, along with having another strong draft, in order to be a contender (or at least .500) for 2012. Any opinion on whether the team will dump Atogwe and Brown this off-season? And what would the money ramifications be as far as the salary cap? Neither one is worth the money they’re being paid (the same is probably true for D-Hall, but I’m sure he’s around in ’12). I wonder if Chris Cooley (a true Redskin) will take less money to stay and whether London Fletcher will be back; if you’re him, do you take less money and sign with a team that has a chance at the Super Bowl next season, or re-up with the Redskins? He’s having another great year (probably the only Pro-Bowler on the team) and if he’s not back, there’s another need the team has. It looks like the only position the team is set at is RB. Thanks to you and all the writers that cover the team for the coverage this season, especially since it’s been another losing year. I’m sure there’s more excitement in following a winning team, but everyone does a terrific job with the stories, win or lose.
Deene in Des Moines
Deene: I would assume there’s more excitement covering a winning team. But I’ve only covered the team since 1994 so I really don’t have that much experience in that situation. As for your question, yes I’ll do something at some point after the season about attractive free agent possibilities. I would assume they’ll be aggressive – not just throwing money wildly at guys, but in pursuing the guys they really want. As far as Atogwe and Brown… Atogwe would cost approximately $2 million against the cap if released (he has a base salary next season of $3.4 million and a cap number of $5.4). Brown would cost $4.6 against the cap if he returns; looks like he’d cost approximately $4.4 million if he’s cut. Keep in mind that if a player is cut after June 1, you can split the cap hit into two seasons (for example, on Brown he would count $1.1 in 2012 and $3.3 in 2013).
As for Fletcher, he wants to stay here – he enjoys playing in Washington. There are no guarantees in this sport so a good contract is a key. Remember, Fletcher has won a Super Bowl and this could be his last contract. Get a good one; this is a business for them after all.
JK
John: I don’t understand why offensive linemen do not wear knee braces. I suspect that the players think the braces will slow them down, but it seems to me that I would rather keep my linemen healthy than have them slightly faster. I want my wide receivers to be as fast as possible, but not the interior linemen. Have any studies shown how much faster they are without using braces? Are there any other reasons?
Fred
Fred: Linemen don’t like wearing them; it restricts their ability to move as fast as they want and limits their mobility. They often wear them in college, but some of them think it’s because colleges want to say they’re doing what they can to protect them. However, I’m not sure there’s real proof that suggests they prevent injuries. And linemen in particular don’t think they do. In some cases, colleges will have quarterbacks wear them on their front plant leg to keep it stiff.
JK
