1. It's official...the most exciting player in the NFL will be wearing a Redskins jersey next season. That's right...Rex "Human Heroin" Grossman is coming back. He's quickly becoming the Reed Doughty of our offense. You know...the player that--no matter what happens, or what we do, or what plans are made--somehow, some way, he ends up on the field.
2. Robert Griffin III (or Andrew Luck) will be plenty exciting to watch, but you can't deny the inescapable feeling that absolutely anything could happen with Rex Grossman under center. We have had quarterbacks where we knew exactlywhat was going to happen. There is obvious, unmistakable and proven downside with #8 on the field, but some of the signal callers we have employed over the last decade have been all downside. Rex Grossman gives you a puncher's chance sometimes. His familiarity with the offense, his ability to make "NFL" throws to underneath patterns and his incredibly short memory make him an ideal backup for our team.
3. Remember the part about the "NFL" throws. In September, we will likely be asking a rookie to learn on the fly. No matter how polished and ready this rookie may or may not be after one offseason and one preseason schedule, he will struggle with the throws that Rex Grossman is capable of making. I think it could be fair to suggest that our rookie will probably commit fewer turnovers than Rex--that is not really a bad bet. When Griffin or Luck miss quick slants, outs at the first down marker and read patterns, that is when we might--for a second--have a tiny bit of appreciation for Rex Grossman. That doesn't mean we will chant "REX! REX! REX!" from the stands.
4. If at any point this season fans chant for Rex, it will signal the beginning of ten more awful years.
5. I had completely fallen in love with the idea of Pierre Garcon, Josh Morgan and Eddie Royal spearheading our receiving efforts, with Hank the Tank, Fred Davis and Chris Cooley working in for big catches. I am over Eddie Royal this morning, but what kills me about that little experience is that I had come to grips with Santana Moss and Brandon Banks being cut from the roster. I love watching both Moss and Banks on Sundays. Royal--a young, fast receiver who has proven he can play in this offense in the slot in addition to possessing quality return skills--would have displaced both of them. The truth is that both Santana Clause and Banks are probably longshots to make it back on this team in 2012, but now there will be some drama to the decision. Eddie Royal made it quick and painless. Now, we might have to watch this thing unfold in dramatic fashion. If Banks gets a chance in the preseason, you know he is taking it to the house. If Moss trains all summer with this crew, you know he is going to show why he still belongs in the NFL. Competition is always the best way to determine who makes the team in training camp, but in March, some decisions allow teams to skirt distractions that detract from proper team-building in August.
6. I am stopping short of calling Santana Moss a distraction. If the Redskins plan to keep him in 2012, great. He is a Redskin. He has earned the right to come to camp and prove he is one of our best receivers. If the Redskins do not see Moss in their plans for 2012, it might be a good idea to make that move sooner rather than later. When veterans that are loved and respected as much as Moss get cut, it creates an emotional reaction in the locker room. This happens around the league every year of course, but for a young team with a roster full of second- and third-year players ready to take over as leaders (hopefully), perhaps avoiding that scene has value. I am torn. I can't picture Santana as a distraction. Here's hoping some team makes us an offer for him at the draft that nets us something decent in return and allows us to end the Moss era without cutting him. (Don't we need the salary cap space he is currently occupying?)