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Bramlet Hopes Experience In NFL Europa Pays Off

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luvsmesumme

luvsmesumme

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/11/AR2007061102108.html

By Jason La Canfora

With his team's World Bowl hopes fading Saturday, and the final minute of regulation ticking down, Casey Bramlet unleashed a perfect 50-yard strike for a game-winning touchdown, giving Hamburg a 33-31 lead and securing its biggest victory of the NFL Europa season.

That moment was one of several recent triumphs for Bramlet, a free agent signed by the Washington Redskins this offseason, and might boost his confidence when he reports to Washington for training camp next month. Then again, given the uncertainty that always comes with trying to project too much from NFL Europa success, Bramlet's heroics against Frankfurt might be the highlight of his professional career.

For him, finding a way to crack the Redskins' final roster this summer as the third-string quarterback would qualify as a major accomplishment, and thus far, the decision to apprentice in Europe this spring looks like a smart one.While the Redskins' other quarterbacks -- veterans Jason Campbell, Mark Brunell and Todd Collins, and rookies Jordan Palmer and Sam Hollenbach -- spent the last six weeks training and practicing at the team's facility -- Bramlet gambled that the chance to get game action in a league thousands of miles away would best serve him.

With one game to play -- and a berth in the June 23 World Bowl highly probable -- Bramlet, 26, leads NFL Europa with a 15-5 touchdown/interception ratio (he is tied for the lead in touchdown passes). He is second overall with 1,810 yards through nine games and is third with a 100.0 rating (he had a poor 73.7 rating in Europe in 2005). Bramlet is completing 60.5 percent of his passes -- less than ideal -- but has shown an ability to absorb a playbook and lead an offense.

"I knew I had a chance to be successful if I came over here, and I just wanted to make the most of the opportunity," Bramlet said in a telephone interview from Hamburg after a recent practice. "After I came over the last time [2005], I felt like I got better as a leader and as a quarterback, and there are so many things that go into this position that you just can't duplicate unless you are actually playing games -- leading the huddle, knowing the playbook, the timing of the game -- and that's what makes it so great having the chance to play over here."

After getting cut by the Redskins last summer, Bramlet, who graduated from Wyoming in 2004, reached another crossroads. He had not spent an entire season in the NFL since his rookie year, 2004, when he bounced between second and third string for Cincinnati, who signed him as an undrafted free agent.

During last year's training camp with Washington, with the top quarterbacks learning a new offense, Bramlet had extremely limited action in the preseason before being released (he never appeared in an exhibition game), and has not taken regular snaps since Bengals camp in 2005.

Going to Europe, and rebuilding his game-day muscle memory, seemed like the thing to do, and the Redskins were on board with the plan. Bramlet has been near the leader of the six-team league, splitting time at quarterback in the first game before taking over fulltime.

"From every report I get he's doing great," Coach Joe Gibbs said. "I think Casey is somebody we like, and certainly he's made the most of his opportunity over there."

Quarterbacks Coach Bill Lazor is keeping the closest eye on Bramlet. They exchange e-mails on occasion and every Monday Lazor checks the Europa stats to see where Bramlet stands. Lazor has seen Bramlet play some on NFL Network broadcasts from Europe -- he tuned in about 15 seconds after Bramlet's winning pass Saturday -- and, once the coaching game film arrives at Redskins Park (it takes some time for it to arrive from Germany), Lazor views segments of that as well.

"Our number one goal for Casey was to go over and be productive, and obviously he's done a really good job of that," Lazor said. "I've seen him a bunch of ways -- live, on replays or game film -- and it looks like this has been really good for him. He looks like he is playing with a lot of confidence and is doing a really good job on his presence in the pocket."

Whether any of this translates to Washington remains to be seen. The NFL Europa record book is littered with former top passers like Gibran Hamdan and Danny Wuerffel (record 25 touchdown passes in Europe in 2000), former Redskins who have never came close to playing at a high level in the NFL, although it was also the breeding ground for future starters Kurt Warner and Jake Delhomme.

Bramlet also faces a crowded crop of quarterbacks to compete with here. Campbell is the clear starter, and Brunell, once 100 percent recovered from labrum surgery, is the backup.

Should Brunell prove to be fully fit, the team could part with veteran third-string passer Todd Collins, who hopes to get a chance to be at least a No. 2 quarterback before his career is over. The Redskins would like to identify a young, cheap quarterback to serve as a backup down the road, and Bramlet hopes his time is now, even if it means just carrying a clipboard on the sideline this year.

"That's what I am going for," said Bramlet, whose younger brother Corey is a quarterback with Amsterdam. "I know I am not competing for the starting job or the backup job, and I just want to find a way to make the team. I'm ready to come to Washington and try to take over there where I left off."

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TheLongshot

TheLongshot

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Going to Europe, and rebuilding his game-day muscle memory, seemed like the thing to do, and the Redskins were on board with the plan. Bramlet has been near the leader of the six-team league, splitting time at quarterback in the first game before taking over fulltime.

"From every report I get he's doing great," Coach Joe Gibbs said. "I think Casey is somebody we like, and certainly he's made the most of his opportunity over there."

I guess Lombardi's Kid Brother needs to eat his words...

Jason

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Zazzaro703

Zazzaro703

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Man i would love for him and Palmer to be on the roster, but we have to have Brunell on there this year for insurance. Would we be able to sit Todd Collins down and ask him if he would stay with the team if he kept his salary, only he would earn it as a coach instead of a player that takes up a roster spot. He would be valuable teaching the young guys Saunders playbook. Hopefully we will be able to keep Bramlet and Palmer in some fashion, most likely one of them will be on the practice squad IF they clear waivers.

*Edit* i actually heard today on skins radio that Brunell is looking sharp during the most recent drills which is good news if Gibbs can resist giving him back the reigns. We might need him for a couple games this year knowing the NFL and QB injury situations.

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CDH

CDH

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Man if this guy does good in preseason aswell (if they let him play), I wanna see him take Brunell's back-up spot!

Man you better watch what you say I said the same thing last year and I almost got kicked off of the site for good, if it weren't for a loophole I would have been out of here for talking like that. But I am glad to see people starting to come around. I knew that you all would after you see him play. And for all of you out there saying he isn't playing against the best of the best or whatever the case is. Everywhere this guy has played he has dominated. At any level, just give him a chance and you will see. You can only beat who is on the field. And Todd Collins he can beat off.

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TheLongshot

TheLongshot

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Why, what did he say?
He is in NFL Europe because the Skins see little potential in him. If they saw potential' date=' they would not be risking an ACL tear in Germany.

Do you know how teams fill out their NFLE allocations? They sign a bunch of guys off the street and ship them overseas. They never send anyone who has potential.

NFL teams send players to Europe because they are REQUIRED to do so. It's not Triple A. It's not even Single A. It's like the Independent Leagues in Baseball. Sometimes, a player emerges but it is buy pure chance.

The guy has been in Europe for three freakin' years. He has a better chance of becoming mayor of Munich than an NFL signal-caller at this point.[/quote']

Jason

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Gregpeck99

Gregpeck99

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Good job Jason ... putting LKB's feet to the fire ... it looks like Bramlet will indeed take the SeaDevils to the World Bowl because even if they lose agianst the Fire, the "Birmingham safety" gave them the tiebreakers over Cologne and Frankfort. CB's 50yd. toss to Maxwell to win the Galaxy game was no fluke ... the TV replay clearly shows them (CB and Maxwell) discussing the play on the sidelines BEFORE Loyd missed his chip-shot FG.

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Leonard Washington

Leonard Washington

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Bramlet is completing 60.5 percent of his passes -- less than ideal -- but has shown an ability to absorb a playbook and lead an offense.

60.5 is good to me?

also i'm not surprised bramlet is doing well since we have invested so much in JC. typical redskin luck, b/c if JC struggles here come the bramlet fans. :laugh:

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4skins23

4skins23

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Seems Bramlet is further along than Campbell. So opening up competition for QB seems like common sense. I'd like to see 1.Bramlet,2.Campbell,3.Palmer,and 4th Brunnell.

I'd also like to see Espy make the roster this year. I thought he was good enough last year.I think he's much better than a couple receivers that made the roster.

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Awgustlab

Awgustlab

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I think cutting Collins might come back and hurt us. He knows all of the offense, if someone picks him up I dont think Al Saunders will like that. Bramlet wont see a down ever with the Redskins if everything goes right.

QBs leave thier teams all the time. I highly doubt Collins leaving the Skins would hurt us in any way. Hell, he left KC and they still somehow made the playoffs last year.

I'd like to see Campbell, Brunell, and Palmer as our 3 QBs next year. Bramlet will most likely be a PS guy.

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Lombardi's_kid_brother

Lombardi's_kid_brother

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Yea...I am eating my words.

The Skins think so much of him that the QB Coach occasionally looks up his stats and watches a few minutes of game film on him.

Quarterbacks Coach Bill Lazor is keeping the closest eye on Bramlet. They exchange e-mails on occasion and every Monday Lazor checks the Europa stats to see where Bramlet stands. Lazor has seen Bramlet play some on NFL Network broadcasts from Europe -- he tuned in about 15 seconds after Bramlet's winning pass Saturday -- and, once the coaching game film arrives at Redskins Park (it takes some time for it to arrive from Germany), Lazor views segments of that as well.

There are people on this site who have watched more film on Bramlet than Lazor has.

Bramlet may surprise and clearly win the #3 job. Right now, he is obviously #6 on the depth chart.

Once again, if the Skins thought he had potential, they would not have let him go to Europe. Maybe he is a late bloomer, and shocks everyone. I doubt it.

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CM916

CM916

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Bramlet 100 rating :excited:

I think he had a 76 or so last time he was in Madden which was unheard of for the NFLE teams. When I'm really bored or kind of drunk, I like to set up NFLE seasons and have done several with Amsterdam and Hamburg. Now I'm an actual Hamburg fan since 2005's struggle to get a win at 0-6-1 ended in a three win streak. My faith in the three year old Hamburg franchise seems to be paying off.

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