bubba9497 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/11/AR2007091101958.html click link for full article On the Redskins' Offensive Line, The Loss of Jansen Is Wade's Gain __ By Jason La Canfora Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, September 12, 2007; E01 In the parlance of athletes, it's known as "The Nod," a brief-but-unmistakable tilting of the head, from coach to player, that means "strap on your helmet, it's time to get out there." After seven seasons in the NFL, tackle Todd Wade knows The Nod when he sees it, and following Jon Jansen's season-ending injury Sunday, Wade says he got it twice in rapid succession, a certain indication that he would be Washington's new starting right tackle. Nothing was spoken, but when Wade locked eyes with Coach Joe Gibbs and associate head coach-offense Al Saunders on Sunday, he assumed his time had come. This is why he worked so hard to overcome major knee surgery a few years back, why he received a $6.2 million contract in the offseason, why he was so willing to attempt a doomed conversion to guard in preseason at the team's behest. He was ready to do anything for the chance to get back on the field with regularity. Gibbs acknowledged the exchange but when asked about it Monday claimed this particular nod meant only that Wade was "going to play a huge role for us," and not necessarily start, implying an uncertainty existed whether to replace Jansen with Wade, 30, a longtime starter and veteran of 109 NFL games, or undrafted rookie free agent Stephon Heyer, 23. So by yesterday Wade was a little anxious, knowing he was the logical choice but not totally certain he was the starter until he stepped into the office of offensive line coach Joe Bugel in mid-afternoon. "I've been waiting to get in there, so I went to his office and asked coach Bugel, and that was the deal," Wade said. "It's weird, the last couple of years since I left Houston [in 2005], you kind of get a fresh look at the season and I spent training camp [in 2006] just rehabbing and all that stuff, and now I'm finally at a place in the season where I can actually start a number of games and really get back out there and get after it and help this team win some games." There were many days last year when Wade wondered if that opportunity would come. At times his professional future -- as a big tackle with a suspect knee -- seemed bleak and while he can sympathize with Jansen's plight, he is savoring his chance. "Last year was really, really tough on me, to a depressing point," Wade said. "It really, really bothered me through the season. It's not easy at all the time sitting and watching from the sidelines and not playing." Wade was an elite prospect coming out of Mississippi in 2000 -- a giant at 6 feet 8, 314 pounds at a position known for hulking players -- and was selected 53rd overall by Miami that year. Wade started all 16 games as a rookie and missed only one game in four years with the Dolphins, with 63 starts. In 2004 Houston considered him a cornerstone of the franchise, giving a six-year, $30 million free agent contract, including a $10 million signing bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWinzit Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I am so much more comfortable with him at tackle rather then guard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeMarco Murray 29 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Just like us man, injuries suck. Time to see these other guys step up and prove their worth. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWFLSkins Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Just like us man, injuries suck. Wait a minute, injuries suck just like your Cowboys do?, ----- j/k, yeah it sucks to lose players so early on. It really hurts any momentum the team built during camp and the pre-season, not to mention the continuity on a line. But it is part of the sport and thankfully it looks as though our guys will recover and walk again. You can only pray that is the case accross the board and especially in Buffalo. ---- I think the Skins are deep on the OL, and now sadly we will find out. ______________ Time to see these other guys step up and prove their worth. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizkiteer Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I am so much more comfortable with him at tackle rather then guard. I agree! I'm really surprised the 'Skins haven't brought Kenyatta Walker in for a workout. Seeing how the Jansen injury is not short term, I'm sure the depth would be welcomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizkiteer Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Just like us man, injuries suck. Time to see these other guys step up and prove their worth.Good luck Jason Ferguson going down really hurts you guys in trying to keep the 3-4 alignment that they want to run. We hurt on OL, you on DL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dblE Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 No doubt, Wade would be better at Tackle. A 6'8" guard, come on...as a QB, you would like to have a bigger throwing lane towards the middle of the field. Like having a good signal on your cell phone on each side of the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radagast5 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I agree!I'm really surprised the 'Skins haven't brought Kenyatta Walker in for a workout. Seeing how the Jansen injury is not short term, I'm sure the depth would be welcomed. Surprised why? What could Walker do, open the door for Jansen while he's on crutches? Kenyatta Walker is *awful*. I mean epically, definitively awful. No one in their right mind would bring him in to do anything except wash windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skins4eva Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 It's next man up in the NFL--I'm glad we kept Heyer on the roster and signed Kendall, those are looking like serious precient moves at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpfan Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I'm pretty confident in this guy starting for us. We will see for sure next week though. He has a tough test going about against Kearse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveStrongSkins Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I might get blasted for this but I think Jansen is one of the more over-rated lineman in the league. I hope he gets well and comes back to add great depth. I think at this point Wade is the better tackle. He is far more imposing and can hold up better against the pass rushers that like to bull rush. Jansen has been getting pushed back for 2 years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty Gut Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Bram said today on Redskins Radio that Wade has a torn labrium, so we'll just have to see how he plays with a brace on his arm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilgamesh Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 The best game we had last year was against New Orleans with Wade dominating at the RT spot. We're just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
method man Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I remember that we brought in Fred Matua for a workout yesterday. I wish we had signed him--I loved the type of player he was coming out of USC and wish we had drafted him: 2007 Scouting Report - Scouts Inc. Grade: 48 | Key Alert: E Comment: Matua is an aggressive, tough in-line blocker. He has some versatility and could back up at center. He gets off the ball well, has some power and wants to punish his man. He has a strong upper body and plays with good leverage. He is a good hand fighter and can be very stout in pass protection throwing punches and getting his arms involved. But Matua is inexperienced and seems to struggle against movement. His athletic ability isn't bad, but he doesn't keep his feet under control. He is a tad undersized and his hips are a little stiff. He doesn't always finish his blocks, a potentially disastrous habit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpfan Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Bram said today on Redskins Radio that Wade has a torn labrium, so we'll just have to see how he plays with a brace on his arm I'm wondering why no one is making a big deal about this. Hopefully because its not really a big deal. If it was I doubt Gibbs would be starting him when heyer has looked so impressive himself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoudMouth12thMan Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 may the plowing commence on Monday night. Wade will do well on this line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Touchdown Redskins Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I'm wondering why no one is making a big deal about this. Hopefully because its not really a big deal. If it was I doubt Gibbs would be starting him when heyer has looked so impressive himself... Hopefully the labrum doesn't affect his blocking, because if it doesn't, we won't miss a beat with him in place of Jansen. I think the reason Heyer looked so solid was because Cooley was helping him out most of the time. I would rather Wade handle his man one on one so that Cooley can get more involved in the passing game and open things up for everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spear Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I might get blasted for this but I think Jansen is one of the more over-rated lineman in the league. I hope he gets well and comes back to add great depth. I think at this point Wade is the better tackle. He is far more imposing and can hold up better against the pass rushers that like to bull rush. Jansen has been getting pushed back for 2 years now. I agree with you. I don't know how Jansen was still a starter to begin with. He even played terribly before going down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel2 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 The injury to Jon Jansen should have never happened if the sideline judge had done his job. One of the defensive lineman jumped off sides before the ball was snapped. Hence, the whitsle should have been blown before the play developed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mi6 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I might get blasted for this but I think Jansen is one of the more over-rated lineman in the league. I hope he gets well and comes back to add great depth. I think at this point Wade is the better tackle. He is far more imposing and can hold up better against the pass rushers that like to bull rush. Jansen has been getting pushed back for 2 years now. I agree. And, he has not been able to stay healthy over the past couple of season. Stephon Heyer is a find, and will get better with game experience.:point2sky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chump Bailey Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I'm more than comfortable with Wade at RT - nothing against Stephon at all... I'm shocked nobody tried to sign Wade. He's a good RT - he just has some durability issues I think. I just hope his truly healthy and not rushing back too soon. I would play Stephon Monday if I had the slightest inkling he was still favoring his shoulder however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 If there are no more injuries on the OL, I think our line will be noticeably better than last year (which is saying alot!) with Kendall and Wade replacing Dock and the Rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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