Back to actual (rather than theoretical) football. My sincerest apologies for selfishly not posting much besides this massive nerdfest. I write a near 5,000 word essay on the two point conversion and the extra point and, typically, think it's more interesting than it is. I just couldn't bring myself to bump it.

Fortunately I am bringing to you someone who is knowledgeable about actual football in particular his Arizona Cardinals. cgolden of Revenge of the Birds graciously agreed to exchange content for the upcoming game. This will be a nice change of pace from the typical 5 Questions, as cgolden suggested we do key matchups and I feel the format worked out quite well. He also just posted a helpful injury summary for the upcoming game here. I steal stuff:

Washington Redskins: The Skins have a few more players dinged up with London Fletcher (rib) and Marcus Washington (hamstring), Carlos Rogers (groin) and Jason Taylor (knee) limited in practice. Malcolm Kelly (ankle) and James Thrash (ankle), H.B. Blades (knee) and Fred Smoot (hip), did not practice but most are still expected to play this Sunday. 

He is good at blogging.

Enjoy this:

Match-up #1: Redskins secondary vs. Cardinals WRs

Master of Universe: Advantage: Cardinals - No shame in admitting that there's no good way to deal with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Last week: 12 receptions, 293 yards, 3 touchdowns. Shawn Springs I don't worry so much about, but this is way above Carlos Rogers' pay grade. The good news is rookie Chris Horton, who both looked phenomenal last week and may or may not retain the starting position vacated briefly by a sick Reed Doughty [ED NOTE: Ben says naw, he's usually righteous which is to say correct]. Boldin and Fitzgerald, at least in this young season, are very much playing two impossibly difficult to cover roles. Boldin, despite being the shorter of the two, plays the reliable favored son, who moves chains at will. His three touchdowns are tops in the league and his impossibly high 78+% 1st down catch rate is about as high as anyone else. Fitzgerald, as stated, is a physical monster but somehow also is the speed demon get behind you receiver. His 20.4 YPC is remarkable, especially when one considers he's done most of it on 20-40 yard receptions, meaning he's consistently down the field catching footballs. Four of his nine receptions were +20 yards.

Merely extremely talented Cardinal blogger who knows much (more than I) about football but has yet to master universe: Advantage: Cardinals - I don't know that there's a secondary in this league that I'd say had an advantage over Boldin, Fitzgerald and company, but I will say that I had to at least think about this one. Shawn Springs may not be what he once was but when he's paired with Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot, you've got a solid trio of corner backs. When you add in one of the best young safeties in the league, LaRon Landry and rookie Chris Horton who had a great game last week, they're a formidable secondary. As solid as a secondary may be though when Warner is playing like he has the past two games and Fitzgerald and Boldin are catching everything in sight, the passing game is hard to contain.

Match-up #2: Redskins pass rush vs. Cardinals offensive line

Hogs Haven: Advantage: Redskins - I don't know enough about the Cardinals offensive line to really comment, so I'll just rant on the Redskins. At four sacks the 'Skins are good but not great so far. Jason Taylor is a big name with one sack so far, which is again, good but not great. Andre Carter and Cornelius Griffin round out a solid unit with the combo of Golston/Montgomery closing it out. As I'm of the opinion that Montgomery is probably the most underrated lineman on the team, I feel good at all positions. That said, who knows to what degree these guys remain healthy (or healthy enough; Taylor isn't long removed from injury)? This front downgrades subtantially when Demetric Evans is in for either Taylor or Carter. The emphasis will be the pass rush, since the Cardinals haven't looked so hot running the ball thus far.

cgolden: Advantage: Redskins - The Redskins have some formidable edge pass rushers in Jason Taylor and Andre Carter and Cornelius Griffin has been decent at providing some pressure up the middle. The turning point of this game could be whether or not the Skins are able to put pressure on Warner with their front four or if they'll have to blitz to get in his face. The Dolphins tried to blitz last week and they got burned numerous times. Warner is very capable of recognizing the blitz and standing in the pocket just long enough to deliver the pass. If Taylor and Carter are able to be get around Levi Brown and Mike Gandy, if could be a long day for the Cards.

Match-up #3: Redskins receivers vs. Cardinals secondary

Hogs Haven: Advantage: Unknown - We've been simultaneously blessed and cursed with receivers in Washington. In 2005 Santana Moss put together one of the best receiving performances in the history of the franchise. In 2007 it took us like 10 weeks to get a receiver with a touchdown. Antwaan Randle El has developed much as a receiver over the past few years even as he's totally forgotten how to return punts. The real question is who plays that #3 spot, and we've got a pair of rookies dueling with James Thrash for that right. I have to think the rookies are better in the long run but, so far, due to injury and Thomas and Kelly halfassing it apparently, Thrash is the guy. Chris Cooley should be the gameplan focus of the Cardinals. The Cardinals' pass defense is playing very well so far, although I don't know how much of that is due exclusively to their secondary. In any event, because the Redskins' receivers --passing game in general-- are so Jekyll and Hyde, there's no telling how this one plays out.

CG: Advantage: Redskins - This is a tough match-up to judge because the Cardinals corner backs haven't been tested much this season, but Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El and company should be a nice measuring stick. If Jason Campbell looks like the quarterback of week 2 instead of week 1, the Skins might be able to stretch the field and open up the underneath for Chris Cooley. The Cardinals secondary isn't star studded but they do have some talent and depth. Adrian Wilson and Karlos Dansby will likely be relied upon to limit Chris Cooley while Antrel Rolle will have to keep Moss from getting deep. If Campbell has time in the pocket, they've got enough weapons to give the Cardinals some problems.

Match-up #4: Cardinals pass rush vs. Redskins OL

Hogs Haven: Advantage: Redskins - I was terrified of our O-Line coming into the season with Jansen who, for many years was painted on our starting roster, lost his job to Stephon Heyer. He looked shaky, if only briefly, in our first game. But this O-Line is playing good football, having given up just three sacks, which is very above average especially having played the Giants (though they were limited by injury). In pass protection I'm more worried about Campbell holding on to the ball too long than I am them not giving him the time to make plays down the field. Our yards per carry (4.2) is good, nothing special, but we've done it without breaking big runs. Our running game and Arizona's running defense meet halfway, although they're a little better so far. The fun thing to watch will be their pass rush, which has generated 6 sacks and probably accounted for much of their success against the pass so far. I worry about the blitz, but the Cardinals will find that Clinton Portis is one of the best blitz pick up backs in the league. Someone will be eaten, mark my words.

CG: Advantage: Cardinals - The Redskins only gave up one sack to the Giants in week one but they really haven't faced a team that blitzes as much as the Cardinals yet. The Cardinals pulled back the intensity last week once they jumped out by three scores, but they put constant pressure on the Niners in week 1. The Skins line is full of experienced veterans but the Cardinals will be coming from every direction on Sunday. Clancy Pendergast has a plethora of pass rushers and he's had some creative ways of getting them all on the field in various situations. Campbell will have to keep his head on a swivel and make sure that he gets rid of the ball quickly.

You should definitely check out his post because he has like pictures imbedded comfortably into the side of his content. It's amazing. And they are topical. When they was picking people to run websites on this network, reader(s) here definitely got jobbed.

Regarding the Cardinals, this ain't your daddy's team (which is to say, this isn't the team we've beaten 62% of the time in like 120 games -- did you know the Cardinals have scored 2,206 points against us? WTF, mate?) now sitting 2-0 atop the weakest division in football. While I'm unwilling to admit the Cards have been tested, they've done what good teams are supposed to do against bad teams which is: win convincingly. Their DVOA is strong.

Just got off the phone with a friend (who is tortured over which two of Chad Johnson, Steve Smith, and Santana Moss to start) and the meme was that I had no useful information to provide regarding Mos because: The Cardinals are a team I don't know much about and indeed not much is to be known about them given their schedule thus far. This is a good team that has beaten two historically (don't take that term too literally) bad teams. I believe it is a good defense but don't know for sure.

Will soon.

Very unfortunate news via Redskins Insider (hat tip to CptChaosSidekick):

"He wasn't in condition to go through a training camp like this," Zorn said of Kelly. "He really wasn't."

Kelly and Thomas could not pass the team's conditioning test and their bodies quickly wore down with two-a-day practices, Zorn said (players have to perform a timed shuttle run within certain parameters). Both will miss several more weeks of the preseason and will be quite far behind. Zorn said it will be difficult to count on them to have mastered much of this system by the start of the season - if they are healthy - and they will very much be behind...

Kelly and Thomas may each find a niche in the offense early on in a particular situation (maybe Kelly in the red zone and Thomas on some fly routes), but Zorn has made it clear that James Thrash is definitely the No. 3 WR, and he isn't counting on the rookie receivers for much early on.

I'd like to briefly take a moment to really congratulate James Thrash on his tenacity. He was a Joe Gibbs guy through and through yet managed to convincingly convert this new coaching staff in spite of challenges from much younger, more talented receivers in both Kelly and Thomas.

I guess the question is: How much of that is attributable to the two of them? I am equally impressed with Thrash's ability to win out for the #3 position as I am disappointed that neither of our 2nd round wide receivers managed to do so. And while I remain optimistic that, at some point down the road, both Kelly and Thomas will earn their billing as two of the best receivers coming out of the 2007 NCAA class, it is very disheartening to hear the coach candidly discuss their lack of conditioning.

I was just asked the question on who I thought would be the most productive of our 2nd round draft picks and, strange as it is now to say this, I have to admit Fred Davis is distancing himself in that. Strange because it was Davis' sleeping tendencies that suggested, at least early on, that he would be the trouble maker regarding professionalism and mental readiness to play. Yet no word on him lacking conditioning and he's on the field, making catches and moving piles in our preseason opener. That's hollerable behaviour. I am hollering at Fred Davis. Please holler back.

The silver lining here is that even if Kelly and Thomas don't pan out for a minute or two, the coaching staff has three talented tight ends on the roster to pick up much of the slack. Todd Yoder looks better and better -- seriously, have you seen this? -- and Chris Cooley shows no signs of slowing down. Quite the opposite, his professional career to date has been one steady improvement after another culminating ultimately in last year's deserving Pro Bowl nod. There will be plenty of opportunities to pass on 1st and 2nd down with two tight end sets involving some combination of Cooley + Yoder/Davis that will give opposing defenses fits, considering that lineup would also tend to do quite well running the ball. Actually, scratch just 1st and 2nd down, what about 3rd down with Cooley lined up wide and Yoder and Davis as TE (with Moss and ARE likewise out there)? That presents its own unique difficulties and mismatches for opponents that I'd like to see. Who needs more than three receivers?

Also, in case you didn't know, Fred Davis' roommate is emerging blog superstar and Hogs Haven favorite Colt Brennan. And Chris Cooley managed to corner both of them in their room and ask them some "funny" questions (his words -- I think the questions are brilliant). Highlights, though you'll have to click the above link for the full interview as I can't imbed it:

Colt Brennan pees in trashcans and has a high opinion of Eddie Money.

Fred Davis does not get down with 80s music and knows exactly one song from that entire decade (dubious): Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard.

Clinton Portis' playgirl spread name is Talcum Powder.

The interview is fucking hilarious, go listen to the entire thing, it doesn't disappoint.

PS: Hat tip to Ben at Curly R for alerting me to the Colt Brennan Blog. More on that to come.

First off, sorry for my absence. I work. A lot. But, like General MacArthur said and Arnold paraphrased, I shall be back. Err, something like that.

Anyway, Training Camp is the place where we finally get to see the team that was put together in the offseason. Draft picks, veteran signings and trade-brought players (word up, Jason Taylor) alike will be together. And, hopefully, everyone remembered their alarm clocks.

So, without further ado... the three biggest camp battles as I see them:

#3. The Cornerback Position. This is going to be interesting. Springs and Smoot are set. Rogers is out for a while. Leigh Torrence filled in pretty well last year (as long as he wasn't covering Randy Moss... apparently that's a bad matchup.) Rookie Justin Tryon is in a great position to step in a be the #3 guy. This could be an important position, especially with Jason Taylor putting pressure on the opposing QB, because there might be more than a few balls thrown early and up for grabs. Tryon is younger and more athletic, Torrence has no learning curve.

Advantage: Torrence early, Tryon before the end of the year.

via media.scout.com

via cache.daylife.com

#2. The Wide Reciever Position. This seems kinda weird to be in the top 3, but the new West Coast offense, especially the variety that new Head Pooba Jim Zorn came from in Seattle, employs 3 and 4 WR sets frequently. If heathy, Moss and ARE are #1 and #2... for now. The interesting part come after those two. Rookies Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas are both the prototypical WR bodies that NFL GMs drool over. They are fighting for the 3rd and 4th spots. Anthony Mix has the 5th spot locked up so no need to even discuss the others (sorry Burl Toler, Billy McMullen, Maurice Mann, Horace Gant, and (regretfully) James Thrash.) James Thrash was a Gibbs guy, through and through. I just don't see him being a Zorn guy.

Advantage: Thomas over Kelly, Mix over the others, Thrash as the #6 guy, if Zorn keeps 6.

via www.nfldraftdog.com

via cache.viewimages.com

#1. The Safety Position. Newcomer Stuart Schweigert and old hand (despite going into his 3rd year) Reed Doughty are fighting it out to see who gets to line up next to LaRon Landry. Schweigert was a part of some very good Oakland defenses under Rex Ryan and has plenty of experience. Doughty stepped up big last year after the death of Sean Taylor and became a fan favorite... at least around these parts.

Advantage: Doughty.

via media3.washingtonpost.com

As I stated in SP's earlier post, the punting "competition" isn't a battle at all. Durant Brooks is the new punter. Get used to it (and better field position.)

As always, hit up the comments. What's your biggest position battle?

First, though, I'll open with my closing thoughts on TC from yesterday. I'm trying not to pilfer too much from the fine works of Gary Fitzgerald over at the Official Site, but he identified some compelling camp battles that deserve additional discussion. Moving along to...

Third Cornerback: Springs is number one, Fred Smoot is number two. If all goes well this is really just a battle for the temporary 3rd cornerback, as ostensibly Carlos Rogers occupies that spot (or pushes Smoot down into it) when he returns. I will be watching Rogers' rehab and subsequent return more carefully than whether Byron Westbrook can outmaneuver enough people to stay on the roster or whether Leigh Torrence ends up beating out newcomer J.T. Tryon (Note: I've also seen it spelled "Tyron" a non-trivial amount of times elsewhere; why can't we get this guy's name right?). Speaking of him, he represents a huge source of entertainment for the blogging community as heaping-big word thus far is he has a black belt in Fred Smoot style karate smacktalk.

Fifth Wide Receiver: Gary calls Moss, Antwaan Randle-El, and our two draft picks Devin Thomas and Michael Kelly as the locks. I would be extremely disappointed if it hashed out any other way. That leaves a lot of guys (six as of this writing) competing for one final receiver spot, though teams do carry six wide receivers sometimes, don't they? (Gary says prolly not because we'll have too many TEs.) Especially in this kind of offense? Anyways, I love James Thrash but I think with each passing year the likelihood he still has gas in the tank decreases, and he was a beloved man by the former offensive staff, now largely departed. However, a guy like Thrash is unique from, say, Burl Toler (who Gary Fitzgerald likes, and he'd know more about this battle than I would) because I think Toler can be tucked away on the practice squad, but unless we add Thrash to the lineup he's not going to be with the team in any capacity. I'll throw my support for Anthony Mix, perhaps irrationally. We got pretty worked up for no apparent logical reason earlier this offseason simply because Anthony Mix represented the largest receiver we have on a unit that lacked as much both in perception and actuality. Let's not discount his size: 6'5, 235 pounds, making him closer to Chris Cooley's size than he is to Malcolm Kelly's (our 2nd biggest receiver). That also gives him 35 pounds on any cornerback on our team, which should give you a somewhat good indication of how he matches up against cornerbacks in Re: size generally in this NFL. Burt Toler, on the other hand, is the 3rd lightest person listed on the roster, heavier than only Leigh Torrence and Cedrick Holt. Let me repeat, though, that Gary Fitzgerald would know a lot more about this battle than I would, and if he likes Toler than I'd suggest you pay attention to that guy through TC as well.

Finally, Punter: I have no hate for Derrick Frost and feel bad that it's come to this, but my position is that this ain't no jockeying for position. Teams invest resources into punters infrequently, and our team invested substantial -- for a punter at least -- resources into Durant Brooks. You don't draft a punter to give your current guy something to think about; you draft a punter to punt for you come Sunday. Derrick Frost is a decent NFL punter who will likely find a home after this battle plays out, but Brooks is loaded with potential and talent and should have little difficulty earning the spot on this team. If he doesn't, that will reflect poorly on the team's decision  to draft him, duh. If this battle drags on too long, then I'm going to be flustered.

As intriguing as positional battles are every year, the biggest story, in my opinion, will be the new offense. Coach Zorn is the newcomer here and although he has no competition for head coach, yet, he is still measured by the past moving forward. If this offense shows up equal to or better than Gibbs and Saunders offenses of the past few years, all hail Jim Zorn. If we flounder it will be all eyes on him. The word out of training camp this coming week is going to provide much insight on just how near or far this team is from getting the new offense, and that's going to matter towards the W-L department down the road.

Jason Campbell likewise has no (real) competition for his position heading into camp, but he could a year from now, or much sooner. If he can't take the next step this coming season (and this all assumes he doesn't end up watching his idol throw fooballs for us instead) then the team will begin the move in a different direction, as we are now four years into the Jason Campbell experiment. He'll have much latitude this year, from me at least, but by 2009 I'm going to need to see some improvement to remain behind him. Many of you have expressed perfectly reasonable concerns with or committment to JC and I very much look forward to seeing those two camps of fans argue over him this coming season. Whatever position you may inhabit on that issue, let's all hope he develops into a star.

Enough of me, now to the blognets:

First and foremost, a gigantic welcome to Mark Newgent, newest member of the Redskins internet chattering class and lifelong fan. His new blog, DC Redskins Examiner, is going up on the blogroll to the left here shortly and I'm looking forward to visiting his site daily. Kudos to the DC Examiner for diving into this whole "internet" thing. He also linked here, which makes him good people. This blog is comma will be big time and I encourage you to make it a daily stop. Mark Newgent is no joke; assuming his work out of the gate is any indication, he can write.

Big news for me personally is that Ben is back and all makes sense now. He's been all over the potential Brett Favre to Redskins story, more more more:

I bet if you ask Jason Campbell if bringing Brett Favre onto the Redskins would hurt his development as a quarterback Jason would say hail no son. Wouldn't you like to learn a thing or two on the job from your idol before he retires?

That's an interesting take but I think a debatable one. I think Ben would be 100% correct if JC were younger than me but, alas, he turns 27 this December. The time is now for Jason, imo. (Elsewhere, check out Sportz Assassin's take on Favre here, at Fanhouse.)

I thank Lee Gibbons of The Redskin Report for his grace in not embarrassing me.

Greg Trippiedi talks defensive backs at Hog Heaven and notes, among other things:

Reed Doughty

Reed Doughty was the biggest surprise of the season last year. He’s got a reputation as a run stuffing safety, and the numbers certainly suggest that’s his craft: No. 2 among all safeties in yards allowed per rush attempt (3.8). The team probably feels he can be a run stuffing dynamo (thanks, Mel Kiper) for the next ten years for them.

Where Doughty was more surprising was against the pass, where he actually had the numbers of a top no. 2 safety. Doughty ranked 26th in stop rate last year and 29th among safeties last year with 6.6 yards per attempt against the pass.

The training camp battle for Doughty's safety spot will be an interesting one to watch, but something to keep in mind throughout: no matter how it shakes out, Doughty will remain with the team. If he's the backup, if the defensive staff is convinced we have someone better, injury there won't kill the secondary. We know we can trust Reed to come in and play reliably, and that should never be discounted. It was circa 2006 when the defense was in shambles that an injured Pierson Prioleau necessitated the Adam Archuleta disaster, which turned into Troy Vincent into Vernon Fox into serious discussions of putting Shawn Springs at safety (even though we really didn't have the depth at corner to cover such a move). You're not going to win much of anything -- see, for example: 2006 -- unless you have injury insurance, and it's a good problem to have when your very capable starter from last year is being pushed for his position.

Over at Chris Cooley's blog (hat tip: Dan Steinberg), and I'm about a week late to this show, BEARD GROWING CONTEST:

I'm ready for a new adventure...Greatest facial hair of training camp is going to be this years motif. After leaving Wyoming for my summer vacation I came home with quite a start on my new project. It's been a little over two weeks since I've shaved and I'm as proud as I can be! One thing about my little endeavors is that it is much more fun if I can have a partner in crime, or as many participants as possible. So I've decided to start the Chris Cooley Beard Growing Contest.

Check the site for more details, all of which are awesome. I've already told my girlfriend (she said whatever, I suspect she doesn't take me seriously) that I intend to grow a mustache by the end of 2008, making me the only 25 year old in the continental United States with one. I look absolutely hideous without 1970s era facial hair, but with? Even more hideous, and it will be glorious. Pictures will be pending. In the meantime, I encourage all to participate in Cooley's Beard Growing Contest. Tickets can be won.

Speaking of tickets, CptChaosSidekick won the Redskins Rides contest. The good Cpt needs to email me so I can hook him up with those. For those of you who would likewise like to attend, perhaps with CptChaosSidekick, I'm told that more tickets will become available in the near future. Stay tuned, but while you wait you might keep an eye on Riggo's Rag, since free tickets will also be available there at some point. It is the blogosphere's position that no one should have to pay for tickets.

Homer McFanboy has an interview with Washington Times and Redskins 360 writer Ryan O'Halloran, who I read daily. Here's a teaser than I'll force you to go read the entire interview:

5. If you had to pick one Redskins player, who is most likely poised for a breakout season? Why?

Safety LaRon Landry. I got ripped pretty good for this last year but I think Landry is light years ahead of where Sean Taylor was at the same point of their career. Landry is athletically gifted like Taylor but, entering his second season, is already excellent at anticipating plays, making up for a teammates' mistake/blown assignment and sending messages with physical play. He might not make the Pro Bowl this season but he'll turn out to be the defense's best player.

David Elfin is also a Redskins 360 writer, and he has his take on Don Breaux retiring. I'm going to try and get an Ode post to Don up here later this week, as I think he's deserving of much more praise and admiration than he's received, given what he has done for/and thus what he means to Your Washington Redskins.

Finally, Chris Mottram is cool.

I've run out of time. Enjoy Training Camp; I'll be around to keep you updated to the extent that's possible, but don't be shy about posting FanShots or FanPosts. You never have to wait on me to get the word out on a story here at Hogs Haven. What I'm saying is, explore this space, register, comment, etc. This place is so much more entertaining when it isn't me talking to myself.

I'm going golfing. Enjoy all these tags.

This post cannot promise to answer that question as it's really a who knows, but Redskins 360 did the math on at least one recent snapshot in time relevant to the above inquiry. He explains:

A question posed on a recent Redskins message board wondered what Seattle ran offensively against the Redskins in the teams' January playoff game, won by the Seahawks 35-14. This is obviously asked to start predicting what kind of formations Jim Zorn will use as the Redskins' coach.

He did the actual math, provided below, but let's quickly point out that a) Jim Zorn wasn't calling the plays in that game and b) I am sure his overall offensive philosophy is subject to change given varying circumstances, including his own and opponent's personnel, down and distance, scoreboard, etc. Redskins 360 counts:

54 total snaps of which the breakdown is as follows:

14 WR and 1RB set (~26%)

10 3WR and 2RB sets (~18%)

17 3WR and 1 RB sets (~31%)

8 2WR and 2 RB sets (~15%)

4 1WR and 2RB sets (~7%)

1 5WR set (~2%)

As I stated above, this is a tiny snapshot -- one game -- of a different team's offensive sets, with different players, under a particular set of circumstances. As Ryan O'Halloran points out, the presence of at least one great TE in Cooley plus another high potential guy in Fred Davis would alter the above substantially, since 3WR and 2RB sets, for instance, wouldn't provide any space for a TE (unless Cooley or Davis is lined up wide). Only the 1WR 2RB set provides for dual TEs, and the article notes that Seattle fell on that only after they managed a solid lead.

But I don't want to wait for a solid lead to see my potent two TE, Cooley and Davis and Moss and Portis and Sellers set, I want to run it noooooooooooow.

Here's the problem for the other poor bastard... Davis and Cooley and Sellers and Portis together makes for a fearsome running group that cannot be ignored. Cooley and Davis in that set, though, along with Moss, also makes for a fearsome passing group that cannot be ignored (pretty good pass protection, too, ignoring whatever nonsense [hat tip to Fanhouse] Mike Lombardi is talking about Clinton Portis in pass protection -- name me a RB that's better). And so that guy gets to make a business decision about who and how he's going to deal with a multi-threat formation.

Then again... With both Kelly and Thomas on the team now, I kind of like a 4 WR set, which would've been hazardous when it was just Moss and ARE and then James Thrash + whoever? Brandon Lloyd?

Do I know that Kelly and Thomas are necessarily better than Thrash and Lloyd? Not really. I know they're taller at least. And when it comes to WR combos, I'll take the unknown duo with potential over the known meh group. (Note: I like James Thrash.)

And while we're on the subject of our newest Redskin WRs, and Mike Lombardi, he makes an inadvertent point about the future of another Redskin:

Zorn will try change the "Redskin Joe Gibbs" offense into his version of the west coast offense. That will be a slight challenge and there will be some adjustment time for the players as well as the coaches. Some of the assets he has on offense, like Santana Moss and Clinton Portis are not best highlighted in the west coast offense. Moss is an explosive player, who is best running over routes and deep comebacks, not slants and snags. When the Jets ran the west coast with Paul Hackett, Moss was the change of pace wide receiver he was used for specific routes as Laveranues Coles was the number one wide receiver.

I don't want to give too much credence to all this; I think Santana Moss is at least capable of exceeding in whatever system he plays under, since he can be and has been a special kind of player. There is no offensive system that is not,at least on occasion, better off with a guy who can outrun the entire opponent's secondary with unrivaled adjustment-to-the-ball-while-it-is-in-the-air. I think Moss is fine, will have a place in this offense.

What about Antwaan Randle El, though? He's very nearly the same build as Santana Moss, is a great YAC guy with good speed. Whatever criticisms can be leveled towards Moss relating to his place in a WC system apply equally to ARE. I hate to say this because ARE is a special kind of player in his own right, but, isn't he just a Moss-lite? They aren't indistinguishable, but share a skill set and Moss is simply the more productive WR over the course of their careers. I wouldn't want Moss returning punts necessarily, or throwing WR passes, but if I had to choose just one starting WR I'd take Santana over Antwaan. Am I wrong about that?

And if it's the case that Moss (and by comparison ARE) have skill sets and size disadvantages that don't lend themselves to the West Coast offense, is it possible that Randle El may not finish the year at the #2 WR?

That's the new poll question, enjoy.

Psssst: I voted for 3rd WR behind either Kelly or Thomas but not both.

Poll

Will Anwaan Randle El finish the season as the #2 WR/

39%

Yes.

135 votes

4%

No, he'll beat out an injured or slumping Santana Moss for the first spot.

16 votes

49%

No, he'll lose out to either Thomas or Kelly and be the 3rd WR.

168 votes

5%

No, he'll lose out to both Thomas and Kelly and be the 4th WR.

20 votes

0%

No, super happy fun slide he finishes 5th or below on the depth chart.

2 votes

341 votes | Poll has closed

I don't know if I'm using fan in the right context here, but we're all worried; Coach Bugel isn't. Per a Q&A at the Official Site with Bugel:

Q: Randy Thomas and Jansen have had injuries the last few years. Is there any concern about their durability heading into 2008?
A: "No, you can't be worried because injuries are a part of the game. I hate to use a cliché, but age never worries me. I coached Ray Brown at 42 years old, so I don't care how old you are. If you can still play, you're playing. Plus, Randy and Jon are in great condition. They've had time off, plus in rehab you have to work hard every single day. I never worry about injuries. Some guys who come off major injuries have great careers. Injuries are part of the game, really."

Age never worries you? This can't possibly be true. As much as I love Coach's enthusiasm about our old offensive line, I need position coaches willing to address issues, such as the unavoidable, never-ending process whereby young football players become old ones. (And I know that Coach Bugel, despite what he says publicly, is worried about the offensive line, including their collective age.)

The good news is that he has plenty of great things to say about Chad Rinehart, Stephone Heyer, and Andrew Crummey. Stephon has already developed as a reliable backup, Chad Rinehart is treated (in the interview) as a versatile offensive linemen who can play both guards and tackle, and Andrew Crummey receives heaping big praise along with his alma mater, generally. Apparently Bugel has a high opinion of Maryland prospects.

One issue unaddressed in the interview is our backup center situation or, more precisely, the non-existence of a pure backup center on the roster. No offense intended to Kyle Devan but I'm suspicious of his ability to make the team. The more likely scenario is that we ultimately brings in a veteran to fill that spot, as Jon Jansen is more useful as a starting tackle than he is as a backup center, should Rabach go down to injury.

Elsewhere, I know a couple of reader(s) are big on Byron Westbrook, but he got some bad print out of Redskins 360:

Highlights from the 7-on-7 passing part practice: James Thrash beating Byron Westbrook for a long catch, a one-handed catch by Devin Thomas and two Malcolm Kelly catches -- beating Westbrook to catch a long ball from Jason Campbell and, moments later, catching a pass from Todd Collins on a stop-and-go route. Defensively, LaRon Landry intercepted a pass that was deflected off Santana Moss.

Anecdotes such as these hardly tell the entire story on a player's development or performance in practice, but they don't encourage, either. Rather than dwell on the negative, though, let's be happy that both Kelly and Thomas are making noise in the receiving game. In the Q&A with Bugel cited above, he mentioned that the people this offense is toughest on are the quarterbacks and receivers, as it is largely the passing game that has been altered (the offensive line's pass blocking has not changed, per Bugel). It immediately struck me that, assuming -- and this is aggressive -- that both Kelly and Thomas find their way into the top 4 receivers on the depth chart, half of our starting receivers aren't really having to learn a new professional passing system, rather they're being groomed into from the get-go. For Moss and Randle El, this is a new offense. For Kelly and Thomas, this is no more a new scheme than it is for any and every rookie receiver in the NFL.

Finally, transaction news per Redskins Insider:

[T]he Redskins made two rosters moves - re-signing LB Rian Wallace and DE Dorian Smith and releasing Bryan Wilson and Eddie Jackson.

Don't know what to add besides best wishes and happy trails to Bryan Wilson and Eddie Jackson and welcome back to Wallace and Smith. I don't know enough about any of these guys to comment usefully. I will say I'm thrilled to see that Hogs Haven favorite Pete Schmitt is still with the team. Yes, it is true, I will never shut up about him.

My apologies for a short absence; I'm not used to disappearing for nearly a week, but real life monopolized my life. All I ask is that reader(s) stick with me -- regular updates this week.

This is an update on the status of our two first day wide receiver picks as well as on the emerging playbook under Head Coach Jim Zorn. Timely, too, as it comes hours after this FanPost by Ach where he wonders what immediate impact either receiver will have in the coming season. I guess that all depends on how willing Coach Zorn is to line up in three-receiver sets. Hat tip to Extreme Skins on this Pro Football Weekly article:

"I feel like I picked up on it pretty quick," [Devin] Thomas told PFW. "I noticed it’s a big playbook, so I am going to have to keep learning, but overall it’s not that hard." Thomas has been learning the "Z" (flanker) position so far, while Kelly has been working at the "X" (split end). "It’s the West Coast offense, so there are going to be a lot of three- and four-wide sets, so there will be a chance for me to get playing time," Kelly told PFW.

Before we get into just what those terms mean (and most of you probably know, but a quick refresher never hurts) the article also notes that Kelly and Thomas happened to bunk together when they visited Dallas and that Thomas believes he'll be getting some down-field and redzone looks.

Where are the flanker and split end? Look for the red dot, first, the flanker:

via www.phillyburbs.com

Look for the red dot, now, the split end:

via www.phillyburbs.com

I suppose helpful explanations are available for flanker here and slit end here. Thing to keep in mind is that neither Kelly nor Thomas is being groomed as a slot receiver (yet) which I suppose means that if/when either gets on the field in a three-receiver set, that means if we have a slot receiver, it will be ARE or Moss or a tight end. That would be -- and again, you probably know this -- the red dot on the right side if he came off the line of scrimmage and the flanker moved up to it (thus becoming a split end). I like fast slot receivers because they can more easily go right after the safeties and/or mix it up with the linebackers (or nickel back) thus creating mismatches.

Or it could mean we're running three-receiver sets such as the one pictured directly above, where ARE and Moss are lined up as split ends and Thomas is the flanker... but where does that leave Kelly? I'm a bit surprised that neither is being groomed or learned as a slot, but Coach knows best.

As I mentioned in the fanpost by Ach, I think the likelihood of both Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El making it through a 16 game season 100% healthy is, unfortunately, a tall order. Antwaan missed a game last year and three starts whereas Santana Moss hasn't played a full season since 2005 (though what a season that turned out to be for him).

But we need not worry about their injuries since we are blessed with a good problem to have; too many wide receivers. While I'm trying to find ways Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas will see the field, the reality is that I should simply be rejoicing in the fact that even if we suffer a typical injury bug at receiver we won't be substantially downgraded because of the depth at that position. And it doesn't stop with Kelly and Thomas, either, as we still have Anthony Mix -- who we all felt would challenge for the 3rd receiver spot prior to the draft -- and veteran James Thrash. And behind them are a gaggle of receivers we can place on the practice squad, all of them tall: Billy McMullen is 6'4, Maurice Mann is 6'1, Horace Gant is 6'3, and Burl Toler at 6'2. As of right now, ARE and Moss are the only receivers on the team listed under six feet.