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Daily Slop : Redskins Media Links Roundup

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NFL.com news: Redskins LB coach Spanos hired as UCLA's defensive coordinator
Spanos was the Redskins' linebackers coach for the past two years, coaching 2011 NFL tackles leader London Fletcher, Brian Orakpo and Rocky McIntosh to Pro Bowl seasons.

Could Rex turn it around like Alex Smith? - Rich Tandler's Real Redskins
Around Washington, it seems that only Congress has lower approval ratings than Rex Grossman.

Willie Smith Stepped Up Against Elite Pass Rushers
"It was definitely an adjustment [to the speed of the game], because you go out and practice against the same type of pass rushers every day but during the game, it’s live bullets flying. Guys are out there moving really fast, so you just have to go out there and step your game up and play at a level everyone else is playing at."

Where does Smith fit heading into next season?

If Lorenzo Alexander Was GM | NBC4 Washington

Linebacker Lorenzo Alexander discusses what went wrong with the Redskins' season and what moves he'd make in the off-season.

Star-divide

Improved Skins’ Defense Started With Defensive Line " CBS Washington

Choosing the area where the Redskins improved the most from coach Mike Shanahan’s 2010 debut to this season is as easy as an extra point:.

NFL playoffs 2012: Quarterback play offers lessons Redskins should heed - The Washington Post
Hopefully, Washington Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan has been watching the NFL playoffs. There’s definitely a lot for him to see. The Redskins are trying to get it figured out at quarterback, and the four still playing should remind Shanahan of what’s most important in this league.

In Reserve Role, Anderson Stayed Prepared
"I came in here realizing that there was going to be an opportunity and that I just had to make the most of it," Anderson said. "I just stayed prepared. Coach [Kyle Shanahan] once told me, ‘You can only catch the balls that they throw to you.’ So I just prepare that way and whatever ball comes my way, grab it."

Redskins position review: Defensive backs | Washington Examiner
Better or worse than 2010? What do you think?

Redskins positional review: linebacker | John Keim | NFL | Washington Examiner
Better or worse than 2010: Once again...what is your opinion?

Drop Rate 2011: Which receivers are dropping the ball? | ProFootballFocus.com

One Redskins player in the top 10, one in bottom 20

Would Browns trade up to get Robert Griffin III? - CBSSports.com
"In a perfect world, we would stay at 4, but it’s not a perfect world," he noted. "If we think we can get the same guy by moving down a few spots getting an extra pick or picks, why not do that?"

Do Cowboys need to draft a QB? - NFC East Blog - ESPN

This is nothing against Tony Romo, but he has two-years left on his contract and Stephen McGee is the backup and doesn't appear ready to become a No. 1 quarterback in this league.

2012 Senior Bowl | NFL DRAFT fanspeak.com
What to watch for at this year's Senior Bowl game in Mobile, Alabama.

Alabama CB, and top NFL draft prospect Dre Kirkpatrick arrested - SI.com

Former Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick has been arrested on a marijuana possession charge. How far will he fall in the draft now?

NFLPA Game Practice Report: American Team Day 1 - Big Cat Country
Observations and analysis from the first day of practice for the American Team at the NFLPA Bowl.

NFLPA Game Practice Report: National Team Day 1

Observations and analysis from the first day of practice for the National Team at the NFLPA Bowl.

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Could Rex Grossman turn it around like Alex Smith?

How is this even a comparison? Let’s see: Smith has been on an offensive coordinator carousel his entire career. Grossman has been through, what, 2 systems? Grossman already saw Superbowl action while riding the coattails of the Bears defense, and fell short. Smith has made great strides and played consistent football. Grossman continues to turn the ball over more than a red-shirt freshman in college.

Both of these guys are playing the best football of their lives. If Rex hasn’t figured out how to take care of the ball by now, he’s not going to. It’s way past time to get someone who won’t force this team to play with a 2 turnover handicap each game.

by willster on Jan 18, 2012 8:50 AM EST reply actions  

No, Alex Smith was more of finding the right fit, tailoring to his talents, and a confidence/getting the most out of him thing.

Rex already has his mind made up on what he is going to do. He’s also 32, old dog kind of thing.

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 9:07 AM EST up reply actions  

agreed

grossman some sauce

The Beat Box aka skins secondary.

by Al_CaPWNED on Jan 18, 2012 10:01 AM EST up reply actions  

I must have missed Willie Smith stepping up

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 9:05 AM EST reply actions  

You didn't think he was decent?

Aside from the safety and some QB pressures and sacks, I thought he wasn’t bad. Could potentially be moved to RT (though I would prefer we draft one).

by mbedner on Jan 18, 2012 9:07 AM EST up reply actions  

Id say he was better than expected

But right now shouldn’t be considered as anything other than a backup.

by PJ_21 on Jan 18, 2012 9:24 AM EST up reply actions  

He wasn't good, he is what he is, a developmental prospect. I'm happy to have him here and I'm glad he got some experience
Aside from the safety and some QB pressures and sacks,

Those are some pretty big things.

People can’t look at Willie Smith as a solution, its the same situation as Capers. He was clearly out matched. He’ll certainly add depth to the line, which is what we need. But at the same time he is still extremely raw.

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 9:25 AM EST up reply actions  

I think it is safe to say Smith has far more potential than Shevlish Capers.

Tons of scouting reports on him said that he had the highest ceiling of any tackle in the draft. The only reason he was a UFA was due to his relative inexperience. He could very well turn out to be a fantastic player. It all depends on is work ethic and ability to adapt.

I think for the amount he played and his relative inexperience with the position, the few bad plays he had were minimal in comparison to the rest of the quality of his game.

by mbedner on Jan 18, 2012 9:28 AM EST up reply actions  

Tons of scouting reports on him said that he had the highest ceiling of any tackle in the draft.

WOAH! Where did that come from? Maybe the most out of the UDFAs.

Capers was beyond heralded by many here and was looked at to be a steal.

He could very well turn out to be a fantastic player. It all depends on is work ethic and ability to adapt.

I completely agree with you and, once again, I’m glad he got the experience this year. But he didn’t “step up”, he didn’t perform well. I’m sure he’ll learn from it and hopefully he’s a valuable Redskin for a long time.

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 9:30 AM EST up reply actions  

It came from dcprosportsreport.com via cbssports.com
WOAH! Where did that come from?

This is what they said:

He earned All-Conference USA honors each of the past two seasons, and might have a higher ceiling than any tackle prospect in the 2011 NFL Draft.

I would find others, but I’m pretty lazy.

by mbedner on Jan 18, 2012 9:39 AM EST up reply actions  

How did he not?

UDFA who starts 4 games against Carter, JPP, Allen, & Cole. His easiest assignment was Carter and he made the ProBowl this year as a pass rusher.

It’s not like he played lights out and shut them all down, but I’d say he definitely played well above reasonable expectations given his spot on the roster.

I’m curious Parks, what were your expectations and what did he need to do to impress you?

by SkinsLifer on Jan 18, 2012 9:24 AM EST up reply actions  

Apparently that's the case.

Dear Passionate fan, I know you are passionate, but please reply with a logical answer or I will ignore you.

by TerpsAllTheWay on Jan 18, 2012 9:29 AM EST via mobile up reply actions  

There were no expectations, he's a UDFA that hasn't even been playing football long.

He didn’t do a good job when he was in. Just b/c he started 4 games means he “stepped up”. He was given an opportunity by default, he hasn’t earned anything yet and, frankly, he wasn’t very good. Hopefully with the experience he received he can continue to develop and become a valuable part of our OL rotation.

But I’m not going to sit here and say Willie Smith “Stepped Up” just b/c he faced top pass rushers, those pass rushers ate him for lunch. If it was a 5th round pick that played like Willie then we’d be calling for his head.

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 9:28 AM EST up reply actions  

Agreed

At this point my highest expectations are that he turns out to be a servicable backup, which I would be fine with.

by SkinsOsTerps on Jan 18, 2012 9:46 AM EST up reply actions  

So giving up 1 sack in each game is “eating his lunch”? He was apart of a piecemeal line that allowed 100+ yard rushers in most of those games. And from a rookie backup LT, I’d argue that 1 sack per game is pretty damn impressive.

Perhaps your expectations, like our starting LT, are a tad bit too high?

by SkinsLifer on Jan 18, 2012 9:52 AM EST up reply actions  

Completely Agree
And from a rookie backup LT, I’d argue that 1 sack per game is pretty damn impressive.

by mbedner on Jan 18, 2012 9:55 AM EST up reply actions  

Look beyond the stat sheet. Its not just about sacks.

He struggled, it’s not a bad thing. Like I’ve said several times now, hopefully he’ll learn from it. The article was titled “Willie Smith Stepped Up Against Elite Pass Rushers”, I think that isn’t true. He stepped in, not up.

Yea my expectations are a little more lofty than an Oline that would give up 80 sacks per year.

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 10:03 AM EST up reply actions  

How could you have lofty expectations with the rag-tag group of players we had this season?
Yea my expectations are a little more lofty than an Oline that would give up 80 sacks per year.

Going into the season, I expected significantly worse than what they showed each game. They outplayed my expectations and I have to give a great deal of credit to the coaching staff — specifically the linemen coach. I think they far outplayed their own abilities.

by mbedner on Jan 18, 2012 10:06 AM EST up reply actions  

We must be watching a different o-line.

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 10:10 AM EST up reply actions  

There was definitely a lull in the middle portion of the season, where the performance wasn't adequate,

but the first 5 games and the last 5 games, I felt the O-line played very good.

I’ve blocked out that ten sack Buffalo game, so please don’t use that as an example…

by mbedner on Jan 18, 2012 10:13 AM EST up reply actions  

Our quarterback got hit the 3rd most times out of any team in the league.

That’s not good.

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 10:15 AM EST up reply actions  

That stat is a bit misleading

Because that is just hits, that’s not sacks. I would bet our sack total is far less than last year and the 2009 season.

by mbedner on Jan 18, 2012 10:22 AM EST up reply actions  

How is that misleading? The offensive lines job is to protect the quarterback

Do you really want a rookie QB to come in here and get hit 100+ times?

The line is very comparable to 2009, 2010. They gave up 41 sacks this year and in 09 and 10 they gave up 46. As Steve points out below, Grossman significantly helped this lines’ numbers look better.

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 10:25 AM EST up reply actions  

No, but I also expect the O-line to be much improved this off-season
As Steve points out below, Grossman significantly helped this lines’ numbers look better.

Probably true given Beck’s ten sack performance

by mbedner on Jan 18, 2012 10:27 AM EST up reply actions  

and the o-line can be much improved this offseason if Willie Smith is on the bench

i like the kid’s upside, but i’d be even a little leery as him being our primary backup tackle.

Steveospeak - Content Manager of Fanspeak.com

by Steve Shoup on Jan 18, 2012 10:29 AM EST up reply actions   1 recs

This is all I'm trying to say.
No, but I also expect the O-line to be much improved this off-season

Yea and I’ve been saying that the past two years.

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 10:32 AM EST up reply actions  

This is true,

but we all have the consensus that this is the year they focus on the offense. I think we all assume they do a remodel of the O-line this off-season.

by mbedner on Jan 18, 2012 10:35 AM EST up reply actions  

I completely agree

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want him starting; however, I felt the games that he did start, he played well. He has room to grow, but overall, I think he could be a starting RT in two or three years.

by mbedner on Jan 18, 2012 10:32 AM EST up reply actions  

i thought he showed flashes of potential

but each game there were enough plays that left me scratching my head, and the Philly game he was abused.

Steveospeak - Content Manager of Fanspeak.com

by Steve Shoup on Jan 18, 2012 10:37 AM EST up reply actions  

But that's why they're a backup.

You’re not going to have Joe Thomas being backed up by Jake Long.

I see it as more cushion for the pushin'

by iH8dallas on Jan 18, 2012 10:33 AM EST up reply actions  

What does this have to do with anything?

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 10:34 AM EST up reply actions  

Because Steve is uneasy with him being our backup.

Backups are backups for a reason, probowl level play isn’t excpected of them.

That’s why Flynn is a hot item right now. He had an All-Pro performance as a backup.

I see it as more cushion for the pushin'

by iH8dallas on Jan 18, 2012 10:37 AM EST up reply actions  

But good teams have quality depth.

Something we don’t have and hence starting a UDFA and dumpster diving for other pieces (Polumbus)

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 10:40 AM EST up reply actions  

i'm not suggesting we need a star, but i'd like to have another decent guy in there

if TW gets suspended or hurt, or say our rookie RT gets hurt, than an extended look of Smith could spell big trouble for this offense.

You are talking about a guy who would have been on pace to finish worst or next to worse in every pass blocking category.

Steveospeak - Content Manager of Fanspeak.com

by Steve Shoup on Jan 18, 2012 10:41 AM EST up reply actions  

a cheap free agent

while there might only be two FA’s capable of starting at Tackle (and Anthony Collins might be cheap enough to get for this role as well), there are 4-7 others who could be decent stopgap tackles. They might not be good full time guys, but could fill in better for a game or two.

My point is if we rely too much on Willie Smith, and don’t have a fallback plan we will likely get burned.

Steveospeak - Content Manager of Fanspeak.com

by Steve Shoup on Jan 18, 2012 10:49 AM EST up reply actions  

Or if they retain Brown a 3rd or 4th round prospect

Editor at Hogs Haven - Redskins Blog
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by Parks Smith on Jan 18, 2012 11:00 AM EST up reply actions  

oh god i just died a little inside

and our starting QB next year, died a little on the outside

Steveospeak - Content Manager of Fanspeak.com

by Steve Shoup on Jan 18, 2012 11:13 AM EST up reply actions  

i know people dont' like this acknowledgement of Rex

but the line looked a lot better b/c of him.

Out of the 24 QB’s that took 50% or more of their team’s snaps, Grossman was pressured the 5th most (37% of the time), of those plays though, just 13.9% of those were converted into sacks, which was the 4th lowest among those 24 QB’s.

Now of course other QB’s might do more with the ball and complete big time passes, but Grossman at least avoided sacks for us, which made our line look a lot better. Even if Grossman was more middle of the pack you’d be talking about an extra 5-8 sacks.

Steveospeak - Content Manager of Fanspeak.com

by Steve Shoup on Jan 18, 2012 10:18 AM EST up reply actions  

That's true

We really need to get some better talent in there. TW is one phatty away from bagging groceries

The Beat Box aka skins secondary.

by Al_CaPWNED on Jan 18, 2012 12:18 PM EST up reply actions  

haha

Steveospeak - Content Manager of Fanspeak.com

by Steve Shoup on Jan 18, 2012 12:49 PM EST up reply actions  

one sack per game would be 16 on the year and more than ANY tackle in the league gave up this season

But lets look at Smith’s numbers this way. He was involved in 22% of the pass blocking snaps this year and gave up 3 sacks, 10 QB hits, and 7 QB pressures, so of his 151 plays, 20 of them, he let his man get to the QB. Let’s look at it this way, if you extrapolated the data (and i’ll round up to 25% to make it easier) you’d have 12+ sacks, 40+ hits, and 28+ pressures. Now i would hope at least the hits would come down, as no lineman has even given up as many as 20 hits a year in the last 4 seasons.

Steveospeak - Content Manager of Fanspeak.com

by Steve Shoup on Jan 18, 2012 10:27 AM EST up reply actions   1 recs

haha

Steveospeak - Content Manager of Fanspeak.com

by Steve Shoup on Jan 18, 2012 10:08 AM EST up reply actions  

What's up with Tandler's "Can Rex Turn It Around?"

Of course he can’t. He is a second-third string QB at best. Which is cool, it’s the world’s greatest job.

But Rex is set in stone. He’s a verified turnover machine.

I see it as more cushion for the pushin'

by iH8dallas on Jan 18, 2012 9:41 AM EST reply actions  

Off-season….things to write about go way down, except of course at Hogs Haven.

"Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen." --Homer Simpson

by Kevin Ewoldt on Jan 18, 2012 10:50 AM EST up reply actions  

Why would you have

Two third string quarterbacks?

Where do they teach you to talk like this? In some Panama City "Sailor wanna hump-hump" bar, or is it getaway day and your last shot at his whiskey? Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here.

by CJHutch on Jan 18, 2012 3:03 PM EST up reply actions  

Fwiw

In Mel Kiper’s 1st mock draft he has us taking Morris Claiborne. Which would be amazing, but I’d be shocked if he fell to us.

by 2up2down on Jan 18, 2012 1:11 PM EST reply actions  

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