1. WR Malcolm Kelly is hurt again and now it has to be difficult for the Redskins to keep him. They could put him on injured reserve; if the hamstring acts up this way after a three-plus week absence, there’s no way they could keep him on the active roster and wait for him to get healthy. How long would that take? Three weeks? Six? They would have been better off putting him on the Physically Unable to Perform list before camp started, but they didn’t think it would be this bad. The guess Sunday was that all he had to do is show that he’s healthy (and knows the plays) to earn a roster spot. He failed.
2. Kelly underwent an MRI earlier in camp and it showed no significant damage. This is just a bad pull. Maybe it would be better for him had there been something worse; then surgery could correct. This smells like a season-long nagging issue. Do you keep someone with this?
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3. You have to wonder how many former draft picks will be cut this week. Could be as many as four: Kelly, Devin Thomas, Jeremy Jarmon and Justin Tryon. Gut feeling is at least two of those four will be gone. And don’t be surprised if the Redskins try to trade them first. The only one who could yield anything is Jarmon, simply because with him it’s a matter of being a poor fit in a 3-4 more than anything. But once you start offering guys, teams know they’ll likely be cut and will just wait.
4. And now with TE Dennis Morris traded to St. Louis (for an undisclosed draft pick), there’s a good chance only two draft picks make the roster: LT Trent Williams and LB Perry Riley. I’d be a little surprised if this is the case, but let’s say only three make the roster. Is that a good thing for an aging team? That said, if you’ve seen practice, it would be hard to make a case that more than three should be on the 53-man squad.
5. That led to a good quote from Mike Shanahan on the matter. “The worst thing people do is keep a draft pick just to keep a draft pick,” he said. “If 50 percent of your draft choices make a team, you’ve had a heck of a draft.”
6. They also view Adam Carriker and Donovan McNabb as part of their draft because they used picks to land them. I get that view, but for the purposes of rating your rookies, it doesn’t work.
7. The Redskins received Hall Davis from the Rams, also for an undisclosed conditional draft pick. Guessing that means a seventh-round pick if he makes the roster. Davis apparently could be a better fit in a 3-4 as a linebacker than he was as a 4-3 end. That makes him a curious pick by the Rams. Here are two good scouting reviews of Davis – from CBS Sports and NFL.com.
8. QB Donovan McNabb (ankle), RB Clinton Portis (ankle) and FB Mike Sellers (knee) did not practice. Still not much of an update on their situations. I still expect McNabb to be ready for the opener. Not because it’s vs. Dallas, but because it’s the start of the regular season. RB Willie Parker also was limited today and Riley (foot) rode the stationary bike. Riley won’t play Thursday.
9. WR Joey Galloway missed practice to attend a funeral.
10. WR Terrence Austin said he’s received good grades from his coaches. “I really haven’t made any mistakes that cost us,” he said. But he admitted he’s getting used to running behind a two-man wedge on kick returns as opposed to the four-man wedges he had protecting him in college. “It’s a little harder for the runner because you have guys coming in and you don’t have that much space. It’s a little tougher, but it’s all about getting a rhythm. I think I have that timing down now.” Not that he’s counting a roster spot already. “You never feel like you did enough,” he said.
11. One reason RB Larry Johnson did a better job in pass protection? He didn’t try to cut blitzers as he had in Kansas City (where his reputation was one of a poor pass protector).
“Now it will change the minds of guys when we play blitzing teams, ‘Now I can’t run around or over him, I have to challenge him,’ “ Johnson said. “Me putting that on tape makes my job easier.”
