themurf Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 (photo by Brian Murphy) Another week has come and gone for the Washington Redskins, which means it’s time once again to rush to judgment on all things burgundy and gold related. As has become customary around this time each year, I once again present to you my take on the top 10 Redskins players through the second week of training camp. For those who aren’t familiar, these are the players who have risen to the challenge and made a strong impression during the second week of camp. A quick reminder before we get started: these rankings are completely subjective, biased and, ultimately, meaningless. They simply represent one person’s take on the first week of training camp. If you see things differently and/or feel like I’m forgetting someone, that’s okay. Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts on the subject. 1. Pierre Garcon, receiver – Since training camp started, Garcon has consistently been the top performer on the field for the Redskins. While it’s easy to write off stellar showings when a player is competing against his own teammates in shorts and shells, there’s no denying that Garcon was the best player on the field for either team when Washington traveled to Buffalo. Fantasy football fans take note: Out of all the players battling for playing time at receiver, it seems like Garcon is the first to develop a bond with Robert Griffin III. That dynamic duo could be prominently involved in the 2012 season. 2. Trent Williams, left tackle – Williams’ effort on Garcon’s 20-yard touchdown reception against the Bills should be shown on a continuous loop to any high school or college kid dreaming of one day playing in a zone blocking system. If he doesn’t haul ass upfield and take out the safety, there’s little chance Garcon is able to somersault into the endzone for Washington’s biggest play of the night. The only cause for concern was Williams was seen limping after the game. With three out of the five starters on the offensive line already out of the lineup, it’s safe to say the team can’t afford to lose their left tackle for any length of time. 3. Ryan Kerrigan, linebacker – When the Bills starters were in the game on offense, Buffalo’s gameplan was to get rid of the ball as quick as humanly possible. As soon as the ball was snapped, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick took a step or two backwards and then dumped off the ball in rapid-fire fashion. And yet, Kerrigan still managed to get a sack one his first play and batted down a pass attempt a little while later. 4. Robert Griffin III, quarterback – Griffin was able to overcome a slow start and spotty officiating to turn in a very respectable evening (completing four of six attempts for 70 yards with a touchdown) in his preseason debut. Best of all, the new face of the franchise was never touched by an opposing player and looked right at home in head coach Mike Shanahan’s offense. 5. Richard Crawford, cornerback – Crawford jumped out to a great start with two interceptions during his first week of training camp. So what did the seventh-round pick do for an encore? Picked off a Tyler Thigpen pass and returned it 16 yards to give Washington’s offense the ball back after quarterback Kirk Cousins had thrown an interception of his own. Crawford also looks right at home in the return game, which only increases his value in the eyes of his coaching staff. 6. Lorenzo Alexander, linebacker – When saint/head coach Joe Gibbs was here during his second stint, Alexander was used as an extra offensive lineman during certain packages. These days, the 29-year-old is filling in admirably as London Fletcher’s backup at middle linebacker. If there’s a more versatile player on the current roster, I haven’t seen him. 7. Joshua Morgan, receiver – Morgan showed no signs of rust during his first playing time since last October. Not only did he finish the game with four catches for 49 yards against Buffalo, but just as importantly, he served as a safety valve for Cousins. Morgan also earned a chuckle from the media after the game when asked if he was worried about taking a big hit while trying to reel in a catch on a bobbled ball in the middle of the field. “I don’t ever think about contact,” he said. “I’m bigger than most of the safeties and corners I play against, so I feel like I’m gonna run them over anyway.” 8. Chris Baker, defensive tackle – The large gentleman in the middle of the Redskins’ defensive line came up huge during a pivotal goal-line stand — keeping the Bills’ offense out of the endzone for six consecutive plays. Buffalo then missed a 22-yard field goal attempt, which proved to be the difference in a 7-6 affair. 9. Jarvis Jenkins, defensive end – Jenkins is trying to work his way back into the rotation after missing all of last season with a knee injury. If the Bills game was his first test, he passed it with flying colors. 10. Alfred Morris, running back – His numbers weren’t great (15 carries for 54 yards), but Morris was one of the few players on either team worth watching during the second half of an otherwise forgettable preseason game. Conversely, here are five players who probably need to step up their game sooner rather than later: Click here for the full article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonYoungEra Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 No link murf... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 No link murf... Can you tell it's Monday? It's fixed now. Thanks for letting me know I'm a dumbass this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonYoungEra Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 No sweat. Thanks for the article--I always look forward to these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfdevil484 Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Good read. Agreed with the five that need to step up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrypticVillain Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 This Chris Baker thing is going to be interesting. I am pretty sure he won't make it back to the pratice squad this year and I can't think of any teams that keep three nose tackles. I don't know what to think about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stugein Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Can you tell it's Monday? It's fixed now. Thanks for letting me know I'm a dumbass this morning. I always just click your .sig anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWFLSkins Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Can you tell it's Monday? It's fixed now. Thanks for letting me know I'm a dumbass this morning. Hey everyone is a average dumbass, but your an exceptional dumbass. Another great read thanks for sharing! The OL battle is looking very interesting and maybe after the next game you could give your insight into that area. Pretty amazing too that Griff made no. 4 on you're list and that is not a bad thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 This Chris Baker thing is going to be interesting. I am pretty sure he won't make it back to the pratice squad this year and I can't think of any teams that keep three nose tackles. I don't know what to think about this. Let's be honest, this is a good problem to have considering just how bare the cupboard was when Shanahan and friends got here. The front seven is definitely the strength of this team, so anyone hoping to land a spot in the rotation is really going to have to earn it. Baker seems like a good dude and was cracking me up with his little "false start" dance he did when Buffalo got penalized at one point. Hopefully he continues to play well and force his name into the conversation. I always just click your .sig anyway. You're way too smart to be on a message board. We're going to have to ask you to turn in your keys and waste your time elsewhere. Hey everyone is a average dumbass, but your an exceptional dumbass. Another great read thanks for sharing! The OL battle is looking very interesting and maybe after the next game you could give your insight into that area. Pretty amazing too that Griff made no. 4 on you're list and that is not a bad thing! If you're gonna do it, you might as well aspire to be the best you can be! Hehehe. I'll gladly keep an eye on the offensive line against Chicago. And honestly, I thought they did a great job considering how solid the Bills' defensive line is. They got pushed around a little bit in the ground game, but were still able to keep RGIII upright and contact free. I'll take that any day of the week. As for Griffin being No. 4, that's more because of how solid the other three guys looked than a slight towards him. He didn't look like a rookie at all in his debut. Lots to be encouraged about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
authentic Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 This Chris Baker thing is going to be interesting. I am pretty sure he won't make it back to the pratice squad this year and I can't think of any teams that keep three nose tackles. I don't know what to think about this. 1. There is no way that i would let Baker go... IDK, you have to find a way to keep him on the team. 2. BTW, they let him play some DE vs The Bills.. His versatility will allow him to earn a spot. The guys to worry about, IMO would be guys like Golston, Worthington, and Scott. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrypticVillain Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 2. BTW, they let him play some DE vs The Bills.. His versatility will allow him to earn a spot. The guys to worry about, IMO would be guys like Golston, Worthington, and Scott. I was thinking about that. As of right now, I rather have him over Golston. :2cents: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
authentic Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 If you're gonna do it, you might as well aspire to be the best you can be! Hehehe. I'll gladly keep an eye on the offensive line against Chicago. And honestly, I thought they did a great job considering how solid the Bills' defensive line is. They got pushed around a little bit in the ground game, but were still able to keep RGIII upright and contact free. I'll take that any day of the week.. I still think Monty is a weak link in the run game... He got dominated in the first quarter, to where Royster didn't have any cutback lanes. Otherwise, they were able to keep RG3 clean. That was impressive considering how stout the Bills Dline is.. Actually among the best in the league. ---------- Post added August-13th-2012 at 08:49 AM ---------- I was thinking about that. As of right now, I rather have him over Golston. :2cents: yeah, i think Golston makes it because of Special teams. but Baker HAS TO make the team... it would be a crime if he doesn't. They couldn't block him the entire night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOF44 Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 I think Baker makes the team. They had him playing end too. Neild and maybe Golsten are the guys I think that needs to worry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Is this based mostly on the in-game performance? I only ask because while Merriweather did drop the pick, I had heard he's had a very solid camp and Hall said Brandon's gotten his hands on more footballs than any other defensive back throughout camp - just looking to confirm you had him on that list for the drop in the game and not necessarily his play in practice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LetThePointsSoar Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Always love these murf, great work as always. Let's be honest, this is a good problem to have considering just how bare the cupboard was when Shanahan and friends got here. The front seven is definitely the strength of this team, so anyone hoping to land a spot in the rotation is really going to have to earn it. This to me, is one of the most encouraging parts of where we're at today vs. 3 years ago. I had a long conversation with a buddy of mine who isn't a Skins fan, but is a die hard Cubs fan. Conversely enough, they're going through a very similar rebuild with a new GM and are today where I think we were in Bruce/Mike's 1st year. The refreshing thing is that in only 3 short years, we've gone from all the threads being "[insert random name] is being cut, should we???" to "We'd really like to keep [insert random name], but there just aren't enough spots, and he may not clear waivers." We're FINALLY getting to a point that we don't pick up other people's trash, and have genuine, QUALITY DEPTH. Love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 Is this based mostly on the in-game performance? I only ask because while Merriweather did drop the pick, I had heard he's had a very solid camp and Hall said Brandon's gotten his hands on more footballs than any other defensive back throughout camp - just looking to confirm you had him on that list for the drop in the game and not necessarily his play in practice... As far as camp goes, Merriweather hasn't been great and hasn't been terrible. I personally think he stood out more Week 1 than he did this last week, but he's been okay. The reason he's on the list this week though is the defense has had trouble with creating turnovers for a long, long time now and if a ball hits you square in the hands in the early stages of a game (when you can seize momentum and really dictate how a game is going to play out) you've gotta make the easy play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 I would have included Adam Gettis in the top 10. Dude had a solid game starting in place of Chester at RG and looked pretty good. ---------- Post added August-13th-2012 at 10:07 AM ---------- The refreshing thing is that in only 3 short years, we've gone from all the threads being "[insert random name] is being cut, should we???" to "We'd really like to keep [insert random name], but there just aren't enough spots, and he may not clear waivers." We're FINALLY getting to a point that we don't pick up other people's trash, and have genuine, QUALITY DEPTH.Love it. People are now trying to pick up our guys on the practice squad or guys we cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 I would have included Adam Gettis in the top 10. Dude had a solid game starting in place of Chester at RG and looked pretty good. Gettis got pushed around more than I'd like. Go back and watch Roy Helu's best run of the night -- and notice Gettis being bulldozed to the ground by his defender (I believe it was a linebacker). KDawg and I spent a bunch of time talking about him before and after the preseason game and both of us are concerned about him. In fact, here's what KDawg wrote about Gettis in the ES Coverage thread: Our starting right guard, Chris Chester, got banged up in camp the other day with a "mild" ankle sprain, so if he has difficulties or is held out we'll see rookie Adam Gettis out of Iowa get some action sooner rather than later. Gettis has very quick feet, but if you look at him his upper body isn't what a typical NFL linemen would look like. He needs to add some strength. However, it's worth being noted that Shanahan's zone blocking scheme (or any ZBS in general) will allow for smaller quicker linemen to excel. But there is a basic level of strength necessary and we'll see how Gettis matches up against Buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Gettis got pushed around more than I'd like. Go back and watch Roy Helu's best run of the night -- and notice Gettis being bulldozed to the ground by his defender (I believe it was a linebacker).KDawg and I spent a bunch of time talking about him before and after the preseason game and both of us are concerned about him. In fact, here's what KDawg wrote about Gettis in the ES Coverage thread: I remember seeing that about Gettis that he needs to add strength, but the O-Line as a whole got pushed around in the run game, not just Gettis. He and the line did pretty good to keep Griffin clean. I'm not expecting him to start, but I was just pointing out that he had a pretty good game for getting the start at RG for the first time in his career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HailToTheRedskins14 Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 I would have included Adam Gettis in the top 10. Dude had a solid game starting in place of Chester at RG and looked pretty good.---------- Post added August-13th-2012 at 10:07 AM ---------- People are now trying to pick up our guys on the practice squad or guys we cut. Hate to be the Debby Downer, but who are these guys that we cut that get snatched up off waivers instantly? Not calling you or anyone out, but I've been hearing it a lot lately and....it seems like we hear every year "Can't put them on the practice squad, they'll get snatched up", and it honestly rarely happens. Back on topic, I'd say these updates are some of the best things on this board right now. Even with the homerism that peeks up on this board time to time, there's some really, really good stuff here that any football fan has to like. Keep it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Hate to be the Debby Downer, but who are these guys that we cut that get snatched up off waivers instantly? Not calling you or anyone out, but I've been hearing it a lot lately and....it seems like we hear every year "Can't put them on the practice squad, they'll get snatched up", and it honestly rarely happens. Royster was about to be snatched up and so was Alderick Robinson last year. I can't think of any other players specifically before that, but it was just to say that we were usually picking from the scrap heap and now we have some scraps to offer other teams for once. I'm not saying we are the deepest team in the league, but we have some talent at certain positions that other teams might look at after cuts to add depth to their rosters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskindan07 Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 I think the OL will bounce back and allow the RB's to run the ball better against the Bears Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93 Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Only thing was I think you are a little hard on Wilson. He was targeted but didn't really give much up. I'm not worried about him. Oh and Merriweather's dropped pick wasn't an easy play but I guess he should have made it. Still a great post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Tater Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 1. There is no way that i would let Baker go... IDK, you have to find a way to keep him on the team. 2. BTW, they let him play some DE vs The Bills.. His versatility will allow him to earn a spot. The guys to worry about, IMO would be guys like Golston, Worthington, and Scott. I thought the coaches had said he could play DE. Man, you could probably hide Orakpo or Kerrigan behind him:) ---------- Post added August-13th-2012 at 01:27 PM ---------- Is this based mostly on the in-game performance? I only ask because while Merriweather did drop the pick, I had heard he's had a very solid camp and Hall said Brandon's gotten his hands on more footballs than any other defensive back throughout camp - just looking to confirm you had him on that list for the drop in the game and not necessarily his play in practice... IIRC, there has been a lot of gushing about Baker during TC as a whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 Only thing was I think you are a little hard on Wilson. He was targeted but didn't really give much up. I'm not worried about him. Oh and Merriweather's dropped pick wasn't an easy play but I guess he should have made it. Still a great post It was troubling to see a team come out the gate so aggressively in targeting Josh Wilson. And really, it's not like there's a ton of depth on this team at cornerback, so if he does get picked on this year, the Redskins are going to be in some serious trouble -- regardless of how nasty the front seven is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.