Official ES Offseason/Mini Camp tweets (whatnot & glutton free) - 6/17/14

[DMVLeGenD]

Dianna Marie Russini ‏@NBCdianna 37m

Fletcher: RG3 has to learn how to be more like Kap, R.Wilson. He needs to become a better slider and a drop passer. #Redskins

This x1000. He can't keep on taking the shots he's taking if he wants to prolong his career. It absolutely befuddles me that he hasn't learned how to slide yet. Kap and Wilson never take big hits because of it.

Dianna Marie Russini ‏@NBCdianna 37m

Fletcher: RG3 has to learn how to be more like Kap, R.Wilson. He needs to become a better slider and a drop passer. #Redskins

This x1000. He can't keep on taking the shots he's taking if he wants to prolong his career. It absolutely befuddles me that he hasn't learned how to slide yet. Kap and Wilson never take big hits because of it.

Edit: My bad, just saw zoony's post.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Grant Paulsen ‏@granthpaulsen 1m

Ranked #Redskins 15th. Ton of nuggets in here. RT @evansilva: I ranked the NFL's rosters 1-32 entering the draft: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/47034/59/pre-draft-nfl-roster-rankings ….

 

 

Pre-Draft NFL Roster Rankings

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

 

These are my second annual Pre-Draft Roster Rankings; the link to last year's can be found here. The process in devising these rankings is imperfect, and inarguably subjective. Inevitably, certain teams will perform better than I anticipate during the upcoming season. Others will do worse.

 

8. Philadelphia Eagles

 

15. Washington Redskins

 

Offensive Overview: Offensive-minded Jay Gruden waltzed into a favorable situation. While they were in Washington, the Shanahans drafted legit franchise players at left tackle and running back, signed a No. 1 wideout, and also drafted potential franchise players at quarterback and tight end. Gruden and returning GM Bruce Allen have supplemented Griffin's firepower with Jackson, who can blow the lid off of defenses and keep a safety occupied on vertical routes. With a healthy RG3, the Redskins should have little trouble bouncing back offensively. The Skins could afford to add an immediate offensive line starter in the draft. Gruden has been working to make the front five bigger with designs on implementing more power runs.

 

Defensive Overview: The Redskins boast an above-average defensive front seven, which they presumably hope will mask a secondary that got torched throughout last season and did little this offseason to improve. Clark is entering his age-35 campaign and generated scant free agent interest after a poor season in Pittsburgh. New nickel back Tracy Porter was also toward the bottom of the free agency barrel, and hasn't been an effective cover man in years. The team will hope for a sophomore leap from Amerson, a gifted prospect who took his lumps as a rookie. The Redskins can hang their hat on Hatcher, Orakpo, Cofield, and Kerrigan as disruptive presences up front. They are light on depth at all three levels and will likely address that issue in the draft.

 

 

19. New York Giants

 

21. Dallas Cowboys

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Football Outsiders ‏@fboutsiders Apr 29

Analyzing Pierre Garcon's 2013 season by @FO_RiversMcCown http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2014/factors-pierre-garcon …

 

 

 

"Behind the line of scrimmage" includes passes that traveled less than one yard. "Short" indicates passes that traveled between 1-15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. "Deep" indicates passes that traveled 16 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Red numbers show a Success Rate of 50 percent or higher. Black numbers show a Success Rate between 40-49 percent, and blue numbers show a Success Rate of 39 percent or lower.

 

 

 

1. Garcon and the Screen Game

I didn't watch much of Washington this year beyond their mandated NFC East primetime appearances. (We're all trying to forget those.) So what surprised me while Rewinding them was just how successful the Skins were on screens with Garcon.

 

This is where we need to filter out the context. The Shanaclan Washington offense utilized short passes and option plays almost to a fault in 2013. So, opponents tended to play more zone than usual. They tended to load bodies close to the line of scrimmage. To me, this makes Garcon's screen stats even more impressive. He had more space to operate with if he got past the first wave, but the degree of difficulty to get there was high.

 

I gained a lot of respect for Garcon as a runner. He's not flashy, but his vision is above-average. His standout trait is that he's a pretty powerful wideout at his listed 210-pound frame. He was able to bowl over the smaller bodies at safety and corner in the middle of the field with consistency.

 

As I said when I was looking at Kendall Wright tape, I'm not much for wideout screens as an offensive staple. But given how well Garcon did on them in spite of how defenses played Washington, I'd definitely use them as often as they did in 2013.

 

 

 

 

4. Going Forward with Griffin

It was clear that last season, Robert Griffin wasn't the same player as he was in 2012. Place blame on the Shanahans, the decision to play Griffin at less than 100 percent, and even the offensive line to a smaller extent. He favored his healing leg and there were countless throws that he didn't have a good base on. Washington spent the first few weeks of the season pretending that Griffin was healthy enough to run the 2012 scheme. That also looks foolish in hindsight.

 

So with Jay Gruden now in charge, the calculus will change. The bottomless Dan Snyder money pit brought in DeSean Jackson to be the new No. 1 receiver, and Jordan Reed will (presumably) be healthy for a full season. Early indications in Washington lean towards a de-emphasis of the run game.

 

The hanging question is: Will Griffin benefit enough to let Garcon produce numbers similar to 2013 again? I'd expect the target numbers to go down, but the efficiency numbers to bounce back closer to what they were in 2011. It's kind of odd that Garcon has blossomed out of the shadow of Peyton Manning. Garcon had sub-56 percent catch rates in all three full seasons he played in Indianapolis.

 

Garcon's role within the new system is going to be guesswork. Defenses will no longer be able to key on him. Gruden loves the screen game, so Garcon should continue to get plenty of work on that front. I would peg him as more of a good No. 2 receiver than a true No. 1 based on what I watched. Now Jackson is there to make that a reality, and both of them should enjoy the arrangement. As long as Griffin gets fixed, anyway.

 

 

 

 

[Califan007 The Constipated]

@_JakeRussell: From yesterday: New Era’s 2014 Redskins Draft Hats Revealed http://t.co/8qTURaeKsS … http://t.co/v1bdxk8Pec

[Jumbo]

I'll stick "official" in the title for ya, cali. Good job being on your toes and getting this thread going (though I'm still not part of the twitterverse  ).

[757SeanTaylor21]

That burgundy back with grey pinwheel 9-50 is sexy

[LadySkinsFan]

Gray is not a Redskins color.  Will not be buying this year.

[TK]

Josh LeRibeus came in at 316lbs. Good, but can he hold it?

Josh 3:16 says I just ate your lunch

[Sacks 'n' Stuff]

My playing?

[redrobert]

Josh LeRibeus came in at 316lbs. Good, but can he hold it?

Josh 3:16 says I just ate your lunch

That's some funny sh** right there kids!

[J-bomb]

Very excited about the potential of the team this year, especially after reading ryan clarks tweet!

[Califan007 The Constipated]

I'll stick "official" in the title for ya, cali. Good job being on your toes and getting this thread going (though I'm still not part of the twitterverse  ).

 

What-not and gluten free lol

****************

 

Desean Jackson ‏@DeSeanJackson11 1h

Last day of mini Camp was a success !! I can say we got better & bonded as a Team !! #Skins #0ne0fone http://instagram.com/p/nd-xw0ONgK/

Ryan Clark ‏@Realrclark25 2h

As I leave voluntary mini camp I will give you my one word description of the 2014 Skins!! FAST!!!!!!!! That's all!

 

Ryan Clark ‏@Realrclark25 1h

Lol!! The WHOLE dang team my friend!! RT @PrinceAmukamara: @Realrclark25 the offense or the defense?? Lol

[Mr. Sinister]

Josh LeRibeus came in at 316lbs. Good, but can he hold it?

Josh 3:16 says I just ate your lunch

 

 

 

[TK]

What-not and gluten free lol

[SWFLSkins]

Not trying to be the party pooper but if everyone could please reserve the posts in this thread for tweets that would be outstanding

 

Every time I read this post, I can help but think of this guy, Outstanding Pyle we'll make a marine out of you yet. 

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Redskins aggbot ‏@Redskins_Newz 6h

London Fletcher will announce the Redskins second round pick - Yardbarker http://aggbot.com/Washington-Redskins-News/article/22730336 …

 

Redskins Expected To Pick Up Ryan Kerrigan’s Fifth-Year Option - Yardbarker http://aggbot.com/Washington-Redskins-News/article/22730233 …

[Califan007 The Constipated]

ProFootballTalk ‏@ProFootballTalk 1m

Jason Hatcher sees the Redskins as more vet-friendly than the Cowboys http://wp.me/p14QSB-9tjA

 

John Keim ‏@john_keim 20m

#Redskins DE Hatcher on difference w/Cowboys and #Redskins: 'This is our team' http://espn.go.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/7363/jason-hatcher-this-is-our-team …

 

Jason Hatcher didn’t provide details; he didn’t want to come across as ripping his former team. But in going from Dallas to Washington, Hatcher went from a coach who had one way of running things to a coach who has a different style.

Hatcher played eight seasons in Dallas (Jason Garrett was his head coach for three-and-a-half seasons) and has only been around Jay Gruden for a couple of weeks -- and on the field with him for only three days during a minicamp that ended Thursday.
 

But that was enough time for him to formulate an initial opinion on the differences between the coaches and teams during an interview with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.

“They really take care of the veteran guys,” said the Redskins defensive end. “They give us more say-so over the team. This is our team. The head coach don’t want to be policing the team. This is our team, so when we set the foundation for this football team, the way it’s supposed to go, that’s the way it’s supposed to go, through the players and not the coaches. It’s a players’ team, so whatever we say goes, pretty much, if it’s going in the right direction.”

What this means exactly, I’m not sure. Could be more about the players taking responsibility for what goes on, both in the locker room and on the field. If that’s the case, that’s a good thing especially if you have the right leaders.

Gruden does not come across as someone who wants to control all aspects of the team, which is why, for example, he’s giving defensive coordinator Jim Haslett more freedom than his predecessor did. Which way works better? We’ll find out this fall and over the next few seasons. But every coach needs to let it be known they’re in charge, otherwise the ship will go astray at some point. Gruden knows this well, I'm sure. But when Hue Jackson took over for Gruden in Cincinnati, he vowed to be more of the disciplinarian he felt the team needed -- and to coach certain players harder on offense than they'd been coached in the past. And no coach can take a completely hands-off approach. You need to trust the players, you need to give them freedom but you also need to be in charge. Joe Gibbs did not hover over his players, but, especially during his first tenure, they were afraid of what might happen if they did not produce.

[RVAbrendan]

"What this means exactly, I’m not sure. Could be more about the players taking responsibility for what goes on, both in the locker room and on the field. If that’s the case, that’s a good thing especially if you have the right leaders."

 

So very true. With Fletch gone, guys like D Hall, Kerrigan, Clark will have to lead by example. We are also very fortunate to have Robert Griffin III leading this team - his leadership and work ethic seem to be infectious. And bonus - he's a young dude. I hope RGII/Gruden will be a dynamic 'tandem' for the ages. 

[KDawg]

The start of the new coaching regime seems promising. And although I'm still not a Haslett fan, hindsight has allowed me to see why he stayed on, and it's two MAJOR reasons.

 

1) If Shanahan handicapped him, and I'm getting that sense more and more every day, then maybe he has some good ideas and Gruden liked them. That doesn't mean that I think the calls are necessarily going to be the best, that remains to be seen. But his ideas may be very, very good. We'll see.

 

2) Continuity. I can see the argument that starting fresh may be better than what we've had. But if my first reason is accurate, than we don't really know what we had to begin with. But continuity is important. Haslett will be on a 1-year trial, essentially. Because after this season, the offense will be more versed with Gruden, and a change in DC wouldn't change the entire team in one offseason. In the grand scheme, this may be a good decision but ONLY if Shanahan handicapped Haslett. If he didn't, then this could be quite the opposite.

[darrelgreenie]

I've never been as down on Haslett as most on this forum. Sometimes his scheme are effective. Considering how bad the defense was overall they were good on 3rd down. And over the years there have been flashes of creativity.

But we know that Shanahan had influence over Haslett's defensive calls, as all HC have the right to enforce.

And apparently Haslett and some of the other staff and players felt they couldn't implement their scheme the way they intended.

 

With that being said I know Haslett isn't gonna suddenly become Rex Ryan. But the one change he mentioned specifically was allowing the OLBs more rush opportunities rings true. Rak and Ryan are both top 12 in pressures per rush, which is good. But they have fewer total pressures (sacks, qb hits, qb hurries) then some of top OLB because they don't rush as often. They were anywhere between 50-100 fewer rushes then guys like Suggs, Hali etc.

 

Only the best coaches can make due without the best talent.

And Haslett is no different, he's an average coach and will produce a defense equal to his talent.

 

Haslett didn't have a lot of talent at his disposal especially where it counts.

He didn't have leader on the backend now he has Ryan Clark, who knows the 34 defense prolly as well as any coach on the staff.

And most importantly Jason Hatcher gives him another DL that can penetrate and rush the QB from the interior.

The combo of: Jason Hatcher+more rushes from Rak&Ryan + Ryan Clark give the defense what a chance to at least be average.

And average is fair expectation from Haslett. The rest is up to the players. Can Hayward/Sharpton be less of liability then Fletcher?

Can Amerson take another step forward? Will the tackling on the backend improve? Can the offense give the defense a lead and allow them to get after the QB more often?

 

                                                                                                                                    

“They really take care of the veteran guys,” said the Redskins defensive end. “They give us more say-so over the team. This is our team. The head coach don’t want to be policing the team. This is our team, so when we set the foundation for this football team, the way it’s supposed to go, that’s the way it’s supposed to go, through the players and not the coaches. It’s a players’ team, so whatever we say goes, pretty much, if it’s going in the right direction.”

 

-Jason Hatcher

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Emmanual Benton ‏@Manny_PPI 2m

RT @WillBrinson: Redskins have exercised fifth-year option on LB Ryan Kerrigan per league source. Was expected.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

As might be expected, Cowboys fans are interpreting Hatcher's words as "1st year coach is letting the players of a 3-13 team dictate things...inmates running the asylum!"

[Califan007 The Constipated]

John Keim ‏@john_keim 5m

from Thur: What #RG3 focused on in offseason w/his mechanics -- and why. #Redskins http://espn.go.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/7341/rebuilding-rg-iiis-game …

 

The changes should result, they hope, in improved mechanics and consistent throws and more success from the pocket. The science involved can explain how one aspect ties to another, helping Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III return to his pre-injury form.

There is also this: Griffin just feels better with the changes. For all the impact the alterations in his mechanics have physically, they are also about fixing the mental game. If Griffin feels better about his base, for example, it will result in a more relaxed passer -- and better throws. Just like a batter in baseball likes the subtleties of his stance. Certain parts must be the same through the ball, but the entire goal is to feel comfortable at the plate. The same is true in the pocket.

And it’s clear: Griffin feels more comfortable throwing the way he is now.

“Just fixing those little things so I can get back to playing the game and the brand of football I know how to play,” he said.

Griffin’s time to prove that he’s back to what he was -- and what everyone thought he would be -- will be this summer and fall. But now is the time to perfect areas he could not last offseason. That is why he spent six days working in Arizona with quarterback coach Terry Shea, with whom he worked before the 2012 draft. They narrowed his base. They altered how he stepped with his front foot.

Though Griffin said his play last season wasn’t as bad as he thought, he also saw the need to improve.

“It showed me what I have to do in my game to play an effective way,” he said. “Base. Quick release. Where I hold the ball. All those things I was able to work on with coach Shea. It was getting back to a lot of things I was doing before, to fix up some of the technique that I was being coached before.”

Here’s what Shea worked on with Griffin:

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Ryan Clark ‏@Realrclark25 19m

Yes!!!!!! Getting my teeth cleaned in 10 minutes!! I am real life hype right now!!!!

[Koolblue13]

Ryan Clark ‏@Realrclark25 19m

Yes!!!!!! Getting my teeth cleaned in 10 minutes!! I am real life hype right now!!!!

I envy him. I could use a dentist visit myself.