The Huddle:Team report on April 7th

[michael_33]

HOT TOPIC

--New Redskins coach Jim Zorn isn't intimidated by the move from the creampuff NFC West -- which his Seahawks won the past four years, once with a 9-7 record -- to the rigorous NFC East, home to the Super Bowl champion Giants, the NFC regular-season king Cowboys and the NFC's best team this decade, the Eagles.

"The NFC West isn't a puff division," Zorn said. "The attitude there is 'attack and defend' like everybody else. Our teams competed very well against the teams in the NFC East. I feel (the NFC East) could be the best in football, but I don't feel overwhelmed by the daunting task. I think it was so hard to win in Seattle. This is a division where teams can beat each other up. What we have to do is make sure that we keep our guys healthy."

Zorn was not only hired a month later than the three other new coaches -- Baltimore's John Harbaugh, Atlanta's Mike Smith and Miami's Tony Sparano -- but he has to start earlier. The Redskins are playing in the Hall of Fame game against 2006 champion Indianapolis and the regular-season opener at the Giants makes Washington one of the first to play in the preseason and regular season.

"I didn't think someone was out to get me, but I did think, 'Oh my gosh,'" Zorn said. "But in the next breath, you set yourself and go. ... What more could a rookie head coach ask for? The challenge is there. The challenge is set. I hope to meet the challenge, not only as a head coach. I hope our team is well prepared to really go out and play hard."

The Redskins almost always played hard for Zorn's predecessor, Joe Gibbs, but the new man doesn't feel he has to measure up to the retired Hall of Famer.

"I won't pretend to try (to be Joe Gibbs)," Zorn said. "I'll try to do my thing. I can't worry about comparisons. We're starting out with a clean slate. Players realize that things change. Each year is a new year. Joe did it his way. That's out. I'm saying let's do it this way now. I'm not discounting what Joe did. I can sense that throughout the building. But we do have to move forward."

The Redskins are doing so with a virtually stand-pat roster, having not added a player and having only lost backups Reche Caldwell and David Macklin to free agency, while reserves Mark Brunell and Brandon Lloyd were released. A few other backups remain unsigned and could return.

"It's not a shock," Zorn said of the usually spend-happy Redskins not signing a free agent. "It's kind of the way it's worked out. There were several guys that we looked hard at. Sometimes you just get immediately out of being able to sign a guy because that's not what you want to spend on that player and somebody else does."

Zorn remains surprised that he has a job for which he didn't apply, but he's glad if he can be a trendsetter for other position coaches.

"There's other (position coaches) out there as well who could be qualified," Zorn said. "It's not an exact science. There isn't one formula. I'm just glad I didn't have to be on the fast track."

PLAYER NOTES

--Safety Pierson Prioleau, one of the prominent unsigned Redskins, isn't worried that his phone hasn't been ringing with offers more than a month into free agency.

"I'm chilling at home and working to get myself in top shape for next season," said Prioleau, who'll be 31 in August. "I'm feeling great. They say the second year after you have major knee surgery (Prioleau had surgery in September 2006 after being injured on the season-opening kickoff) is when you're really like yourself again. I know I can help someone this season. I just don't know what team that is yet."

Prioleau's best bets are the Redskins, for whom he played the last three seasons and whose secondary coach, Jerry Gray, was his coordinator in Buffalo in 2004, and Jacksonville. The Jaguars' new defensive coordinator is Gregg Williams, who coached Prioleau with the Bills and the Redskins.

"When I was out of football for two months (after being cut by San Francisco) in 2001, I learned patience," Prioleau said. "I signed with Buffalo in November and was there for four years. I'm just being patient again now."

--Offensive lineman Jason Fabini was the only Redskin among the NFL's top 25 in performance-based pay for 2007. Fabini, who had earned $475,000 in 2007, was awarded $230,042 on April 1. He played all but a few snaps at right guard after longtime starter Randy Thomas tore a triceps in Week 2 at Philadelphia.

--The Redskins were awarded three compensatory picks in this month's draft: a third-rounder (96th overall) as compensation for losing OG Derrick Dockery to Buffalo. The seventh-round picks (244th and 249th) are compensation for losing RB T.J. Duckett to Detroit, CB Kenny Wright to Cleveland and LB Warrick Holdman to Denver.

After choosing just nine players in the first four rounds of the last five drafts, the Redskins have four picks in the first four rounds for the first time since 2002.

--The Redskins set three attendance records in 2007. The 90,910 fans on hand for the Dec. 30 regular season finale against the Cowboys set a FedEx Field record. Washington's total home attendance of 711,411 set an NFL record (an average of 88,934) as did the 1,264,890 who attended its 16 games, home and away.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I talk to Chad a lot. I might call Chad just to tell him how relaxed we are here. Hopefully, he can get out of Cincinnati and come join us. You always want to play with a guy like Chad. He's a great guy, very talented. Trying to top his antics week-in and week-out, I'm sure that would bring a lot of excitement." -- Running back Clinton Portis on rumors that his pal, standout receiver Chad Johnson, wants to leave Cincinnati for Washington:

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

TEAM NEEDS/OFFSEASON STRATEGY

The Redskins have been uncharacteristically very quiet this month. Through March. 25, they and Indianapolis were the only teams not to add a player as opposed to their usual free-agent signing frenzy.

Washington has about $7 million in cap space but has all 22 projected starters under contract.

For a change, the draft will be a major priority at Redskin Park even though the Redskins only have the 21st pick. If they receive an early compensatory pick for losing guard Derrick Dockery to Buffalo last March, they'll have four picks in the first three rounds, equaling their total from the previous three years.

1. Defensive line: The line overachieved last season, but left end Phillip Daniels is 35 and left tackle Cornelius Griffin is beginning to wear down at 30. They need a pass rusher to complement right end Andre Carter. Anthony Montgomery and Kedric Golston have each started a year at right tackle with mixed results. Situational pass rusher Chris Wilson is swift but skinny.

2. Receiver: Santana Moss, a 2005 Pro Bowl pick, suffers from recurring muscle pulls. He and fellow 5-10 receiver Antwaan Randle El combined for just four touchdowns in 2007. New coach Jim Zorn would like a bigger target for quarterback Jason Campbell to throw to in the West Coast offense.

3. Guard: Cornerback Carlos Rogers won't be ready for the start of the season and the Redskins need a capable backup outside linebacker but this is a bigger need since left guard Pete Kendall will be 35 this year and right guard Randy Thomas, 32, finished 2005 and 2007 on injured reserve. The top backup is Lorenzo Alexander, a defensive tackle until he began playing both ways in 2007.

MEDICAL WATCH: CB Carlos Rogers continues to rehab from reconstructive knee surgery. Rogers, who tore an ACL and an MCL last Oct. 28 at New England, isn't due back until after the start of the season. Rogers could start running with teammates next week.

--WLB Rocky McIntosh, who tore an ACL in the Dec. 16 victory over the New York Giants, is expected back in July. Like Rogers, he's not finished with rehab.

--RG Randy Thomas (triceps) is close to resuming full workouts.

--QB Jason Campbell (knee) and RT Jon Jansen (leg, ankle) both of whom finished last season on injured reserve, have resumed full workouts.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: None

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

--G Rick DeMulling was signed in September, cut in November and re-signed in December. He played sparingly in six games and will only return with a minimum contract.

--LB Randall Godfrey signed in training camp because of his history with assistant head coach Gregg Williams. Godfrey was a solid run defender while starting four games because of injuries to Marcus Washington and Rocky McIntosh. Godfrey, who mulled retirement last year, will be 35 in April and might choose to follow Williams to Jacksonville rather than return to the Redskins.

--TE Brian Kozlowski played in at least parts of the past four years for the Redskins. He was signed during the season in 2006 and 2007. he had one catch in three games last year and with Joe Gibbs gone, maybe the 37-year-old Koz is finally gone for good, too.

--WR Keenan McCardell was the Redskins' 12th-round pick in 1991. He finally made his Washington debut in October 2007. McCardell caught 22 passes in 10 games and doesn't plan to retire at 38. He has experience in the West Coast offense so perhaps new coach Jim Zorn wants him back.

--S Pierson Prioleau rebounded from missing all but the opening kickoff of 2006 with a knee injury to play regularly in dime defenses in 2007. However, Prioleau is small and not very fast. Like Godfrey, he might be more inclined to rejoin mentor Williams with the Jaguars than return to Washington where youngster Reed Doughty seems to have nailed down the starting job previously occupied by the late Sean Taylor.

--C/G Mike Pucillo was the extra lineman in jumbo packages in 2006. However, Pucillo's surgically repaired back gave out in him in October and Lorenzo Alexander assumed his old role. Pucillo, who'll be 29 in July, will have to prove he's fully healthy to receive a new contract.

--S Omar Stoutmire played regularly as a backup in 2005 before signing with New Orleans where he started most of 2006. Stoutmire returned in 2007 but was cut and re-signed twice while playing sparingly in three games. Stoutmire will be 34 in July and is probably finished.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered offers)

--RB Nehemiah Broughton (not tendered as ERFA).

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED: None.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

--LS Ethan Albright: Potential UFA; terms unknown.

--DT Ryan Boschetti: UFA; terms unknown.

--RB/KR Rock Cartwright: UFA; $3.55M/3 yrs, $300,000 SB/$300,000 RB; $200,000 RB '09; 2008 cap: $705,000.

--QB Todd Collins: UFA; $9M/3 yrs, $3M SB.

--OT Jason Fabini: UFA; $870,000/1 yr, $40,000 SB; 2008 cap: $485,000.

--P Derrick Frost: UFA; $805,000/1 yr, $200,000 SB.

--K Shaun Suisham: ERFA; terms unknown.

PLAYERS LOST

--QB Mark Brunell: UFA Saints; 2 yrs, terms unknown.

--WR Reche Caldwell: UFA Rams; $645,000/1 yr, $40,000 SB.

--WR Brandon Lloyd (released; post-June 1 designation).

--CB David Macklin: UFA Rams; $770,000/1 yr, $40,000 SB.

--C Ross Tucker: UFA; retired.

I sure hope he's a draft day trade,if it doesn't cost the farm!!

Having Chad,Moss and El at WR would be very tough to beat..(I just hope we could get him without dumping our 1st for him....)

Good read none-the-less! HTTR! :point2sky

[Fifty Gut]

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