CBSsports.com: With healthy RG3, Orakpo, Redskins out to prove NFC East title no fluke

[SkinsHokieFan]

Fantastic read from a respected NFL writer, Pat Kirwan. It is nice to get a very positive report from someone who hasn't been at camp everyday, i.e these are fresh eyes

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/pat-kirwan/23038772/with-healthy-rg3-orakpo-redskins-out-to-prove-nfc-east-title-no-fluke

 

Link for rest

 

 

With healthy RG3, Orakpo, Redskins out to prove NFC East title no fluke

 

Last year the Redskins surprised everyone by winning the NFC East. This year there are no surprises coming out of the nation's capital. This team expects to win it all -- and they are better than last year.

There was little doubt in my mind about that after visiting Redskins camp. The team practices fast and players at every position have real playing experience from last season.

Things I saw or heard on my camp visit

1. Brian Orakpo is a man possessed and practicing like a guy who really missed playing.Trent Williams said Orakpo is bringing it on every pass rush, and Mike Shanahan said he is taking everything more seriously. I watched Orakpo practice like it was a game.

2. Robert Griffin III looked great running around on the practice field and looks like a lock to start in the opener.

3. The Redskins wide receivers and tight ends hardly dropped a ball all day with Josh Morgan and Fred Davislooking exceptional.

4. There is solid depth on the offensive side of the ball with good backups at offensive tackle, tight end, running back, quarterback and wide receiver. It's a classic Bruce Allen roster with players who the team can win with on the back end of the roster.

 

[NoCalMike]

Josh Morgan missed all 6 division games in 2012? Is that true? If so....wow.

[CaliSkinsFan92]

Josh Morgan missed all 6 division games in 2012? Is that true? If so....wow.

haha noo, he did not. I specifically remember one of his TD's getting called back in the first Giant game and everyone remembers the fumble/pitch miracle on Monday night against the Giants.

[NoCalMike]

Haha...yeah that's right.  WTF Author of article? LOL.

[TSO]

I think he was trying to say Garcon missed like 6 games and some how got caught up in the whole missed divisional games shtick.

In fact, with the way he gushed about Morgan earlier in the article I'm starting to think he's confusing him with Garcon, period.

Either way, it's awesome to see just how optimistic this guy is from watching one practice on the team's prospects.

[Audible_Red40]

It is a great positive write up, even for the blunder of the Josh Morgan blurb.  Can'd be any of our WR's he's talking about.  Just got his facts wrong.

[Warhead36]

Wow a positive article by a member of the national media.

 

Funny what a franchise QB does...

[Puma Kane]

This article makes me want to do the flash dance. I'm so pumped for this season.

Lets go!!!!

[pjfootballer]

I look at the responses in every one of these articles and it's hilarious when Redskin haters bring up Vick and saying "If RG3 doesn't stop running like Vick, he won't last long in this league."  Well, if Vick hadn't gone to prison, he'd technically be going into his 13th season, but even with the 2 years out of football, he's in his 11th NFL season.  Who hasn't lasted long?  Brunell, Cunningham, Steve Young, Elway, Tarkenton, etc. etc. all had "LONG" careers in the NFL as QBs who scrambled or ran.  Idiotic fans.

[Murphs56]

Orakpo is going to make a huge difference in the pass rush. We are going to hit the QB a lot this year 

[#BgMase76#]

Nice, an honest review. Somehow w/ our performance last year and the returning talent. Most of the media still is waiting for the the Giants to wake up or that dallass fairy tale season to happen. Its almost as if they refuse to acknowledge the Skinz are a solid squad and best team in the NFCE.

[HTTRDynasty]

8. The Skins were 5-1 in the division last year. Will they do it again?

They are a faster team this year because so many players got playing

time last year as rookies. You can see it in practice with the constant

up-tempo pace they are able to sustain. TE Fred Davis missed all five

division wins last year with an injury and he looks terrific. WR Josh

Morgan missed all six division games and he is looking like the top wide

receiver. Brian Orakpo missed all six division games last year after

averaging more than nine sacks a season in the three previous seasons.

Washington can go 5-1 again but the Giants passing game looms as the

biggest threat.  Eli Manning threw for more than 600 yards and had the only division win over Washington.

 

That's.... not true.

 

Good article, but some of his facts are wrong.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I look at the responses in every one of these articles and it's hilarious when Redskin haters bring up Vick and saying "If RG3 doesn't stop running like Vick, he won't last long in this league."  Well, if Vick hadn't gone to prison, he'd technically be going into his 13th season, but even with the 2 years out of football, he's in his 11th NFL season.  Who hasn't lasted long?  Brunell, Cunningham, Steve Young, Elway, Tarkenton, etc. etc. all had "LONG" careers in the NFL as QBs who scrambled or ran.  Idiotic fans.

 

This is true. I really don't see Griffin's career ending early. However, if you truly believe that Griffin is at risk of more serious injury then missing a lot of games over a 10-12 year career makes that career seem shorter.

 

For example, Cunningham's career spanned 16 seasons which looks great on paper. However, he didn't play much during the first 2 years, he missed significant time in 1991 and 1993 due to injury, he was out of the league in 1996, and he was essentially a backup for the last 2/3 years of his career. So, in a 16-year period, he was a "franchise QB" in only 8 of those seasons. And, even in those 8 years, he didn't play in all of his team's games 3 or 4 times.

 

So, to me it's not really about shortening a career, but reducing the impact of his stay. In my opinion, even with more serious injuries, Griffin will be our QB 10 years from now. The question is whether he will have given us 7-8 franchise QB seasons over those 10 years or if each year is hit or miss with injuries. As confident as I am in the man, I think the verdict is very fairly still out in that regard.

[dangus]

I think he was trying to say Garcon missed like 6 games and some how got caught up in the whole missed divisional games shtick.

In fact, with the way he gushed about Morgan earlier in the article I'm starting to think he's confusing him with Garcon, period.

Either way, it's awesome to see just how optimistic this guy is from watching one practice on the team's prospects.

 

Yeah I thought he was mistaking Garcon and Morgan at first too, but even that's not true.  Garcon played in both Dallas games and the last Giants game at least.  I think he played the last Philly game too.