Adam Schefter is a good man, and thorough

by Skin Patrol on Jun 8, 2007 6:29 PM EDT in Analysis

Adam Schefter is quickly becoming one of my favorite persons. He was the first to whisper Pro Bowl and Jason Campbell in the same sentence or, as I like to call him, Jason Pro Campbowl.

And now he's got all kind of love for your 'Skins and their secondary (hat tip ES), which is looking a bit crowded. That's a good problem to have:

CORNERING THE MARKET
When it comes to free agency, the Redskins do not have a reputation of being spendthrifts. But check out what they did Thursday.

More than three years after they signed restricted free-agent cornerback Jerametrius Butler to a six-year, $15.04 million offer sheet that included a $4 million signing bonus that the St. Louis Rams matched, the Redskins signed Butler on Thursday to a one-year, veteran-minimum, $595,000 contract.

They now will get Butler's services this season at a considerably cheaper rate than they would have had he been playing under the offer sheet that they signed him to, which was due to pay him $2 million in base salary this season.

Also, Butler becomes the latest addition to a position in which the Redskins have hoarded players this offseason. Already the Redskins have signed former Vikings cornerback Fred Smoot, former Cardinals cornerback David Macklin and now former Rams cornerback Butler, who was cut earlier this week after starting 31 games in St. Louis.

Washington knows a team never can have enough quality cornerbacks and with Shawn Springs and Carlos Rogers also in Washington, the Redskins have loaded up.

Per the Official Site, here are the people competing for 5 cornerback spots on the roster:

22 Rogers, Carlos
27 Smoot, Fred
24 Springs, Shawn CB
32 Jimoh, Ade
38 Macklin, David
35 Butler, Jerametrius
34 Eubanks, John
29 Torrence, Leigh
34 Westbrook, Byron

Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers, and Fred Smoot are locks. I would include David Macklin as well. That leaves Ade Jimoh, Jerametrius Butler, and Byron Westbrook (has been making noise) competing for one spot, with Leigh Torrence and John Eubanks vying for some Practice Squaddery.

That's a problem but, again, a good one. Ade Jimoh has distinguished himself as a ST ace which is probably why Butler specifically mentioned special teams when he signed with the team. He realizes that he's probably competing for limited space and has to make himself a utility wherever possible, just as Ade has done. Byron, brother of some guy, had a good story, the pedigree, and the hype going in his favor, though he's still a long shot.

This will be as interesting a positional battle as the Redskins have this offseason and I hope the addition of Butler brings out the best in all our cornerbacks. What we can sleep easy knowing is that the Redskins are much better off in the secondary than they were this time last year.

By the way, we beat the Cowboys last year:

Guy is definitely high. Have a great weekend, reader(s). Cheers.

AOL Fanhouse, Redskins Sign Yet Another DB This Offseason

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My art has been called vaginal.

by smutsboy on Jun 8, 2007 7:59 PM EDT 0 recs

+1

I spat on my keyboard after reading that. I have nothing else to say but

Well played, Sir.

Go Register. Or else.

by Skin Patrol on Jun 9, 2007 12:04 AM EDT up 0 recs

seems like a lot to pay a 5th CB

by Burgundy and Gold on Jun 9, 2007 12:16 AM EDT 0 recs

Legally

we cannot pay him any less.

Go Register. Or else.

by Skin Patrol on Jun 9, 2007 12:59 AM EDT up 0 recs

I read this totally wrong

thought we were the schmucks giving him a huge signing bonus

by Burgundy and Gold on Jun 9, 2007 9:54 AM EDT up 0 recs

Is the 5 CB number...

set in stone? I mean, last year is a good example of needing more than 5 guys. I'd probably try to keep 6 if possible.

by TexSkins on Jun 9, 2007 2:17 PM EDT 0 recs

I thought the same thing

Then again, GDubs likes to keep 12 safeties on the roster so maybe there aren't any extra slots available.

by smutsboy on Jun 10, 2007 12:22 PM EDT up 0 recs

Defensive Backs

Kept 10 in 2004, 9 in 2005, and 10 in 2006. Given recent injuries to Pierson Prioleau and Shawn Springs, and the amount of DBs we brought in this year (Stoutmire, Macklin, now Butler) I would wager that we're going with 10. Sean Taylor, Landry, Prioleau, Stoutmire are locks at Safety. Shawn Springs, Rogers, Smoot, and Macklin are locks at CB. That leaves two spots for the rest of the safeties and DBs. I think either Jimoh or Butler get one of those spots, with the last one going to Doughty or Vernon Fox. That's a guess.

Go Register. Or else.

by Skin Patrol on Jun 10, 2007 1:21 PM EDT up 0 recs