1. Jammal Brown’s agent, Ben Dogra, said the offensive tackle has waited a long time for free agency and will keep his options open. Brown was hurt in the 2010 offseason when the free agency rules were changed, preventing him from becoming unrestricted. But Brown did like playing in Washington and he’s also spent part of the offseason working out with Redskins left tackle Trent Williams. Also, Dogra said Brown, a former Pro Bowl left tackle in New Orleans, is open to playing either side. He also said this is the healthiest Brown, who played with a sore hip most of last year, has been in a while.
The Redskins would like to keep Brown, but as with others they won’t overspend to do so. By the way, safety Reed Doughty and end Kedric Golston had been told before the lockout that the team would like them back. The guys I’d be surprised to see return are corner Carlos Rogers and linebacker Rocky McIntosh, unless neither gets many offers on the open market. Nothing would surprise me on the others, though my hunch is that tackle Stephon Heyer and linebacker H.B. Blades will be elsewhere.
2. Talked to rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan for a minute (interrupting his packing). He’ll be driving all day Tuesday to get here; it’ll be about a nine or 10-hour drive. He said he’s hopeful a contract will be finalized quickly. But Kerrigan wasn’t thrilled with the reduction of rookie salaries. “Of course it stinks that this happens, but I’m happy the lockout is over,” he said. “I’m just ready to play. The contract will take care of itself. I’m ready to earn what I get now.”
3. Just my little prediction, but I think eventually Leonard Hankerson will be a solid receiver in the NFL. All the guy seems to do is work; he seems to enjoy it as well. Problem is, for 2011 Hankerson knows he’s at a disadvantage thanks to no offseason work with coaches. “Any great player needs that time. Any great player wants to be able to put the time in in the offseason to watch film and meet with the coach,” he said. “So, yeah, I’m worried about it. I know I’m behind but I can’t do anything about it. I can’t let it affect me. I’ll go in and work and do what I’ve got to do to get better.” Guys like this will put in extra time to catch up. And one of the ex-players he contacted this offseason? Brian Mitchell. Few worked harder than him. Still remember talking to Mitchell about being drafted. He said that some guys view themselves as having made it when they get drafted; for him, it was a starting point.
4. During the draft, the Redskins tried hard to pick players they considered self-starters, guys they knew would work if the lockout wiped out the entire offseason. Why? Because it wouldn’t leave them far behind when camp opened. They knew they’d at least be in shape and possibly able to contribute. Gotta say of the rookies I saw the only one I worried about as far as conditioning was guard Maurice Hurt. At least he attended the player workouts, but he’d best report in better shape this week.
5. Couple weeks ago one GM predicted that a lot of free agents would have to re-sign with their old clubs for one year. Not everyone agrees with him. But with so many free agents, and so little time, it makes sense. Dogra agrees. “Some players will be left out,” he said. “Some very good players. Having the best information and the relationships will be more critical than ever. If it’s misjudged, you could end up signing a short deal or you might lose a landing spot for a client. So the timing is very important. There might be spots where you do a short-term deal and come back in 2012 to get that home run.”
