Washington Less Sloppy Than Chicago, Beat Bears 17-14

Every win is a good win, even the ugly ones. The Washington Redskins 17-14, um, beatdown of the Chicago Bears is as butt-ugly good as any win we'll see this season. The worst that can be said is that neither team played well enough to win a playoff game.

Lets save those thoughts for another post.

The thinking around here is that the defense is the stronger part of the team and that the defense would carry the offense until McNabb and company jells. Thus, Washington's last placed defense through six games is asked to cover for a top-ten offense.

If you are a regular reader of Redskins Hog Heaven, you know that last place defense doesn't mean the worst defense. The NFL ranks teams by yards. Yardage doesn't tell you enough about a team.

The Redskins had the 10th best defense in yards last season, yet they were hardly the 10th best defense. Washington snagged 11 interceptions in 16 games, scored no defensive points, and finished with 12 losses in 2009.

This year, the 'Skins have eight interceptions in seven games, five by DeAngelo Hall, four of those Sunday against the Bears. Washington has scored defensive touchdowns on an interception return and a fumble recovery, both by Hall.

So stop the hand wringing about last place in yardage and bask in the disruption of opponent's scoring drives. With that, I tip my hat to Hall. At last, his performance is worth the money.

To read the rest of this story, go to Redskins Hog Heaven....

Jay Cutler To The Redskins; Nevermind

"The Chicago Bears pulled the big upset Thursday afternoon by acquiring Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler." ~~ John Clayton, espn.com.

So the Broncos and Da Bears made April Fools of Snyder and Cerrato.

Money is NFL's true priority

Kudos to Michael Wilbon who beefed on the NFL for fining Chicago linebacker Brian Urlacher $100,000 for wearing a hat. Wilbon, appearing on George Michael's Full Court Press on WRC-TV Friday, properly noted that commissioner Roger Goodell moved more swiftly in cracking down on Urlacher than on player's repeated criminal misbehavior.

Urlacher briefly, and I think absent-mindedly, wore a Vitaminwater-logoed ball cap at an interview leading up to the Super Bowl. Gaterade is the official drink of the NFL. Players are prohibited from endorsing other drinks at league events. Urlacher's offending hat is for sale on ebay.

Wilbon is Washington's most prominent sports columnist. DC locals know that the Chicago native is really a homer for the Bears, Cubs and Northwestern Wildcats, Wilbon's alma mater.

During a game at FedEx Field, I overheard a comment that "the NFL forgives quick" for personal misconduct of players. That doesn't apply when players violate the league's money deals, apparently.

In fairness to the league, endorsements involve large sums of money. You can imagine the blistering phone calls from PepsiCo, who owns Gaterade, to NFL-HQ. If I were in Pepsi's shoes, I would demand some give-backs. There's been no word of what Urlacher's mistake cost the NFL.

The league's response to violations of endorsement deals goes back ten years, I read. The precedent for response to violations is in place. The frequency and nature of recent player personal irresponsibility is a new phenomenon as is the NFL's response. Five or six years ago, an incident was a singular event for the player. Pacman Jones and Chris Henry lowered the bar on impulse control. I think it's a generational thing. Make no mistake, while persistent stories of player boo-boos offend fans, they also affect the NFL's ability to do endorsement deals.

Jones took out a full page ad in the Nashville Tennessean apologizing for his escapades, promising local fans "I will do everything in my power to regain your trust and respect.'' Here's a start. Drop the "Pacman" persona. It's a baby name that just might encourage juvenile conduct. I expect more of Mr. Adam Jones than of Pacman. So might Pacman.

1 Corinthians 13:11

Photo: The Washington Post
Photo: www.axcesssports.com from here.

Joe Gibbs to agitated fans: cool it!

The coach-in-chief sought to calm fans by assuring that the Redskins are just doing their homework by inviting top draft prospects to interviews at Redskin Park in Ashburn, VA. Visits by Calvin Johnson, JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn and other first day draft prospects led fans and bloggers to wonder what that could mean for players on the roster.

Gibbs called the activity "due diligence." "We have brought in every player that we felt like would be a first-round player," Gibbs said. "We brought in a top running back. Does anyone here think that we are going to entertain drafting a running back? I don't think so."

The Redskins have floated so may scenarios for the draft that no one outside of Redskins Park really knows what to expect. All the vibes suggest that the Skins would like to move their sixth pick of the first round in exchange for a player. Asante Samuel is a rumored target -- if the Redskins can sign him for a number closer to Dre' Bly's than Nate Clements'. Completing a trade with Chicago for Lance Briggs is not out of the question, although I hope that one fades away.

I bet "due diligence" calls are burning up phone lines between lots of teams. You shouldn't expect announcements of big deals until draft day (April 28) when we see how Messrs. Russell, Quinn, Johnson and Adams go in the first four picks.

Photo: www.flickr.com from here.

The draft is money

If George Preston Marshall kept the Boston Braves in Boston rather than moving them to Old D.C., perhaps Robert Kraft would own the Washington Patriots. I admire Kraft's approach to building a championship roster. It couldn't be more different than Daniel Snyder's. Where Snyder uses draft picks as currency to make trades happen, Kraft hoards them like gold. Snyder's cheap currency approach has never worked. It's the gold bug that's getting results.

There are rumors that Snyder is nosing around Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel to boost the Redskins' secondary. Thanks to promiscuously trading away draft picks, the Redskins are thin at currency to grease the deal. You might call them (wait for it . . . wait for it) thin Skinned.

It would make no any difference, anyway. The Patriots have a treasure chest of picks in their draft vault. One more pick, even the Skins high draft pick, isn't needed, not when you already have ten in the 2007 draft. To wit:

Round 1 24th pick (from Seattle)

Round 1 28th pick

Round 3 91st pick (Round 2 pick traded to Miami)

Round 4 127th pick

Round 5 171st compensatory pick (Round 5 165th pick traded to Oakland)

Round 6 180th pick (from Arizona)

Round 6 202nd pick

Round 6 208th compensatory pick

Round 6 209th compensatory pick

Round 7 247th compensatory pick (Round 7 238th pick traded to Miami)

Source: about.com found here.

The Patriots are notorious for managing their salary structure. Are they really going to sign two first round draft choices? And the biggie, do they even want to grapple with the salary demands of a number six first rounder? The Patriots, with draft bullion galore, are far more interested in re-signing Mr. Samuel. Unless the Redskins throw in players of value and 2008 picks.

Be afraid, Redskins fans. Be very afraid.

Draft Trivia #1: If the Bears accepted the Redskins trade offer for Lance Briggs, they not only would have the Redskins' first round #6 pick, but would also have the Skins' second round 37th pick, acquired through the New York Jets. I think the Bears made a mistake (for themselves) by not taking Snyder's offer and running out the door. I'm grateful to them, though.

Draft Trivia #2: If the Redskins hadn't frivolously traded away their third round pick for TJ Duckett, they would be better positioned to counter Chicago's counter-offer for Lance Briggs. Not that I think it's a good idea, but trading a first and third round pick for a sure starter makes more sense than a third round pick for an "insurance policy."

Photo: Robert Kraft, www.columbia.edu

April Foolish

I intended to debunk the April Fools stories, but find it's already done at Profootballtalk.com. Go there and scroll down to POSTED 3:24 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 5:03 p.m. EDT, April 1, 2007 and see the story OTHER RUMORS NOT TRUE.

I doubt that most fans fell for these gag stories. One story claimed that Daniel Snyder would sell his interest in the Washington Redskins if the team failed to make the playoffs this season. Essentially, Snyder would fire his meddlesome self for poor performance. No one who follows the Redskins would fall for that one! Besides, I don't want Snyder to sell the team. He is a DC native whose base of operations is in the area. He's committed here and committed to spending money to improve the team. He does everything but spend money intelligently.

Marty Schottenehimer had total control of the team under his contract. Snyder fired Marty when he refused to amend the agreement to give control back to the owner. Steve Spurrier quit after two seasons, concluding that college was the place for him after working two seasons with Snyder. Spurrier expected the owner to hire a real general manager, leaving the "ol' ball coach" free to "coach 'em up." Snyder didn't and Spurrier wasn't. I and Kenny Rogers credit Spurrier for knowing when to walk away.

The Lance Briggs deal has the earmarks of being drawn up on the back of a napkin over drinks in a bar at night. Snyder alone cooks up the deal with a sports agent; not his team president, not his coaches, but an agent with a knack for getting Danny's money. Suddenly, this deal supersedes what we thought we knew about team needs.

This is in stark contrast to Chicago. When the Bears got the trade offer, GM Jerry Angelo immediately took discussions to the down low. He consulted his player personnel guys and coaches to figure out how to make the most of the opportunity. Howard Bryant of The Washington Post says the Bears will counter-offer today. They want the Redskins to throw in a players or more picks for Briggs. Most Redskins fans want more picks from the Bears. Skin Patrol hopes Chicago saves us from our folly by rejecting the whole idea.

Chicago knows that the front office is for more than what they do. They are also for what they think and know. They know the front office is as important as players for making the team perennial winners. They consult the staff for solutions. The Redskins' front office thinks the owner knows. The front office staff are this owner's enablers; the yes men who only says "no" when the owner tells them to. The Redskins are not perennial winners.

Owning the franchise does not confer a right to mismanage the team. The team can be better if Snyder makes one simple change. Come back tomorrow to see what it is.

Photo: AP/Hillary Smith Garrison, www.images.forbes.com/

Rosenhaus

Cooler heads are prevailing in the Lance Briggs trade story, or hype. Today's Post quotes Joe Gibbs calling the news "Just a bunch of rumors." Vinnie Cerrato, Daniel Snyder's mini-me, is quoted "we don't comment on rumors." Everybody take a chill pill and calm down.

Hogs Haven goes in depth on how the story came about, citing several sources, the most intriguing of which is Tandler's Redskins Blog. Rich Tandler is the dean of Redskins bloggers. He writes infrequently, but incisively, on his blog. He repeated Jay Glazer's tale of how Daniel Snyder and Briggs and his agent Drew Rosenhaus got to talking in a Phoenix bar about Briggs. That seems to have triggered Snyder's acquisitive instincts. Somewhere in the conversation, Snyder threw up, figuratively, the "proposal" of trading the Skins #1 pick for Briggs and Chicago's #1 pick to Rosenhaus who called the Bears and the "confirmed story" was off and running. Confused? go to Hogs Haven (several stories) or Tandler's for the full account.

Rosenhaus is said to be one of Snyder's favorite agents. I don't see how that serves the Redskins. The team, Snyder in particular, get mentioned in every story about every disgruntled player. I suspect agents, especially Rosenhaus, of surfacing those rumors to bid up offers for their clients.

The Lance Briggs case is instructive on several levels. Briggs is operating on his rookie contract. He was (under)paid the league minimum $750,000 in each of his past two Pro-Bowl seasons. In his place I would not only want to be paid top dollar, but would want to recover the income my past performance warranted. What's more, he wants to participate in this year's super heated free agent market.

Enter super agent Drew "the Shark" Rosenhaus with combative tactics to force new terms: the claim of unfairness; the threat to hold out; the stated refusal to play for the team; participating at the bare minimum to meet contract requirements. We've seen these tactics before. Turn on your wayback machine to Terrell Owens and his gay adventures in Philadelphia in 2005. (I haven't had so much fun blogging since.) T.O. is repped by Rosenhaus.

The Bears have a legit general manager in Jerry Angelo who can play brinkmanship as well as the next guy. He won't be bullied by the tactics, or panicked into a trade. I think he will call Briggs' and Rosenhaus' bluff to sit out ten games. Maybe $7.2 Million isn't the most Briggs could get, but it's still ten times more than he made last season. The Bears may be pushed to move if and after Briggs no-shows. Until then, I'm not so sure. No one on the Redskins plays that role, except Joe Gibbs. He's suspect, but may have done good service slowing up a Briggs trade.

The Redskins should pay close attention to the Lance Briggs case. It may fore tell their future. Chris Cooley is a premier, pass catching tight end playing on his 2004 rookie contract. He is scheduled to make $850,000 this year and will be a free agent in 2008. Alge Crumpler signed a six year, $14.325 Million contract in 2004. Jeremy Shockey is working under a contract that will pay him $850,000 this season, $2.2 Million in '08, and $3.0 Million in '09.

Cooley is performing better than his pay. Fans would like the Skins front office to find more like him: competent role players who can grow with the team and signed to affordable contracts that parallel their playing life. Briggs would like the freedom to negotiate a deal in this unusually rich free agent market. If Rosenhaus were Cooley's agent, Chris might want the same. If Rosenhaus is Cooley's agent next season, he might use the same tactics, if the Redskins name him a franchise player. Hmmm.

If that happens, at least Resenhaus won't drop Snyder's name as a potential suitor.

Trivia: Drew Rosenhaus represents: London Fletcher-Baker, Santana Moss, Clinton Portis and Sean Taylor.

Photo: Drew Rosenhaus and Terrell Owens, sportsillustrated.com from here.

Lance Briggs ???

Ten questions about a Lance Briggs trade:

1. Didn't we just dump a player who was a poor fit in Gregg Williams defense? Lance Briggs played in Chicago's Tampa-2 defense with a 3-4 alignment. Would he be the second coming of Adam in Washington?

2. Sure he can tackle. Can he stop the run?

3. Lance Briggs and how many draft choices? Initial reports said Chicago will send Briggs and its first round selection (31st overall). That's it?

4. Briggs is young, at least. His productivity might be concurrent with his contract, unlike the thirty-somethings the Redskins often bring in whose serviceability is less than the term of their deal. How will the men of Ashburn structure Briggs' contract so that they can get out if he turns out to be the second coming of Adam? How will that money affect the Skins ability to restock the team later this decade? Do fans want Briggs if he costs us Sean Taylor at the end of his contract?

5. If Briggs is unhappy with franchise player money ($7.4 Million in 2007), how much will it take to make him happy? How will he feel when asked to restructure his contract next season? The Redskins are thought to be over the 2008 salary cap already. They need team guys willing to be flexible on their contracts for the inevitable restructure.

6. Do the men of Ashburn expect the fans to be excited by this move? Initial comments on The Warpath and ExtremeSkins message boards are highly skeptical (I'm being polite.)

7. Is Marcus Washington recovering on schedule? My negative attitude will change completely if Washington will miss significant time this season.

8. Have the coaches given up on Rocky McIntosh, because that's what this move is saying? For that matter, are the Redskins, with the league's oldest staff, any good at assessing and coaching young talent? 8a: Have the coaches given up on Lemar Marshall, too?

9. Is linebacker the area of greatest need on the defense? Wouldn't it be better (smarter) to trade our number one pick for a lineman who can bring pass rushing pressure? Then, we could apply the lower pick on an offensive guard or cornerback.

10. Whatever happened to that Dre' Bly trade idea? That made much more sense. Is it off the table? With Briggs, we seem to be solving a problem we do not have.

BONUS Question, held in reserve until a Briggs deal comes to pass: Can we fire the owner?

I have to say it (close your eye kiddies). If this deal goes through, Lance Briggs and Drew Rosenhaus are tools, and Snyder is their bitch.

Photo: http://SportsSyndicate.blogspot.com found here.

Arch speaks

. . . and he's saying plenty.

“I learned a lot about myself,” he said. “There are a lot of life lessons that I learned about last year and I think that I’m a better person and better as a football player because of it. My time there [Washington]was a negative, but as I look back I think it was a positive thing for me.”

“I definitely have a lot to prove to everybody, but one thing that I have always done is that I’m going to bet on me. I know that none of the outside stuff really matters. I know what I can do and I have a pretty good feeling what I’m going to accomplish.”

David Elfin at The Washington Times quotes Archuleta:

"I could air a whole bunch of different laundry. There's a lot more going on [at Redskin Park] than people understand."

We haven't heard the end of this saga.

More at the Bears web site.