Washington Redskins Draft Analysis

The Washington Redskins draft analysis from NFL.com's Draft Tracker.

Round 1, Pick 4: Trent Williams, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma (6'5", 315 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: The Redskins opt to take the ultra-athletic Trent Williams over Russell Okung. Williams, who logged starts at both tackle spots and center during his collegiate career, gives the team a nimble athlete to play left tackle in their zone-based blocking scheme. Although there were some concerns about his work ethic, his ability to cutoff blockers on the backside on running plays made him a better fit for Washington.

Round 4, Pick 5 (103): Perry Riley, Linebacker, LSU (6'1", 239 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: The Redskins pick up a stout linebacker in Perry Riley to add depth to their linebacker corps. As an instinctive player with good awareness, Riley gives Jim Haslett a versatile player to line at one of the inside linebacker spots in their new 3-4.

Round 6, Pick 5 (174): Dennis Morris, Tight End, Louisiana Tech (6'2", 265 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: Morris is a tight end that the Redskins will play at fullback. He's a blocking tight end that will be their lead blocker in the zone running scheme that Mike Shanahan implements. He figures to compete with Mike Sellers for playing time.

Round 7, Pick 12 (219): Terrance Austin, Wide Reciever, UCLA (5'11", 172 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: The Redskins made clear before the draft they were interested in acquiring some more depth at the receiver position, and Austin helped himself during the pre-draft process with an impressive pro day. Austin does not have the size typically preferred by Mike Shanahan, and is extremely thin, but he can potentially earn a roster spot if he shines as a slot receiver or returner in training camp.

Round 7, Pick 22 (229): Erik Cook, Center, New Mexico (6'6", 318 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: The Redskins grab an interior offensive linemen that has good size and is a natural knee bender. Unlikely to make an immediate impact, Cook has the ability to develop into a versatile contributor in the future for coach Mike Shanahan.

Round 7, Pick 24 (231): Selvish Capers, Offensive Tackle, West Virginia (6'4", 308 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: The Redskins came into the draft looking for help at offensive tackle, and after drafting Trent Williams fourth overall, they add Capers in the seventh round. Capers is a great value in the seventh round, and will compete for a spot at an area in which Washington is very thin -- right tackle.

The 2010 NFL Draft takes place today at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It offers a chance for teams to retool their rosters with the addition of college footballs best players. The Washington Redskins have the 4th overall pick this year after a disappointing 4-12 season. With a front office overhaul and the help of new coach Mike Shanahan and new general manager Bruce Allen the 'Skins are expected to wheel and deal, with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, quarterback Jason Campbell, and linebacker Rocky McIntosh on the trading block, to add the four alloted selections they currently have.

David's Mock Draft:
1. St. Louis Rams - QB Sam Bradford (Oklahoma)
2. Detroit Lions - DT Ndamakah Suh (Nebraska)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DT Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma)
4. Washington Redskins - OT Russell Okung (Oklahoma State)
5. Kansas City Chiefs - OT Trent Williams (Oklahoma)
6. Seattle Seahawks - OT Bryan Bulaga (Iowa)
7. Cleveland Browns - S Eric Berry (Tennessee)
8. Oakland Raiders - OT Bruce Campbell (Maryland)
9. Buffalo Bills - QB Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars - LB Rolando McClain (Alabama)
11. Denver Broncos - WR Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State)
12. Miami Dolphins - LB Sergio Kindle (Texas)
13. San Francisco 49ers - CB Joe Haden (Florida)
14. Seattle Seahawks - RB C.J. Spiller (Clemson)
15. New York Giants - DT Dan Williams (Tennessee)
16. Tennessee Titans - LB Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech)
17. San Francisco 49ers - OG Mike Iupati (Idaho)
18. Pittsburgh Steelers - WR Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech)
19. Atlanta Falcons - LB Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri)
20. Houston Texans - S Earl Thomas (Texas)
21. Cincinnati Bengals - TE Jermaine Gresham (Oklahoma)
22. New England Patriots - DE/LB Jason Pierre-Paul (South Florida)
23. Green Bay Packers - S Taylor Mays (Southern Cal)
24. Philadelphia Eagles - CB Kyle Wilson (Boise State)
25. Baltimore Ravens - DT Jared Odrick (Penn State)
26. Arizona Cardinals - DE Brandon Graham (Michigan)
27. Dallas Cowboys - OT Anthony Davis (Rutgers)
28. San Diego Chargers - RB Ryan Matthews (Fresno State)
29. New York Jets - DE Everson Griffin (Southern Cal)
30. Minnesota Vikings - CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers)
31. Indianapolis Colts - C Maurkice Pouncey (Florida)
32. New Orleans Saints - DE Jerry Hughes (Texas Christian)

Redskins Roster Overhaul Begins

As NFL free agency begins, one would expect the Washington Redskins to be making a lot of headlines this offseason. The team has a new general manager in Bruce Allen, a new head coach in Mike Shanahan, and perhaps a new philosophy for a team known for signing past-their-prime talents to huge mega-contracts.

The first headlines came Thursday when the Redskins made room on their roster by releasing wide reciever Antwaan Randle El, cornerback Fred Smoot, defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, kick returner Rock Cartwright, guard Randy Thomas, quarterback Todd Collins, and running back Ladell Betts.

Offensive tackle Chris Samuels retired this offseason, leaving Derrick Dockery the only offensive lineman left on the roster among last years opening day starters.

With no salary cap this year, owner Dan Snyder should open up the purse strings this offseason, as he usually does. It being an uncapped year, he has no ceiling to worry about as far as player salaries go. The team has already signed Artis Hicks, an offensive guard from the Minnesota Vikings. Hicks is 31 years old and began his career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Super Bowl XLIV

The 2009 football season concluded at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida yesterday after Super Bowl XLIV, in which the New Orleans Saints became NFL Champions for the first time since their inception in 1967. They defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 and quarterback Drew Brees was the game MVP. Brees tied a Super Bowl record set by Tom Brady in Super Bowl XXXVIII with 32 completions. Brees also had 2 touchdowns and 288 yards passing.

Other stars of the day were Colts quarterback Peyton Manning who had 31 completions for 333 yards and a touchdown, however, he threw the interception, by Tracy Porter, that sealed the win for the Saints in the 4th quarter. The leading rusher was Indianapolis' Joseph Addai, who ran for 77 yards on 13 carries. It was a day for passing, however, as Addai, Dallas Clark (Colts), Marques Colston (Saints), and Deverey Henderson (Saints) all came away with 7 receptions each. Dwight Freeney, who was under speculation for two weeks as to whether he would play due to an ankle spain in the AFC Championship, had the only sack of the night. Indy's Gary Brackett had 12 tackles. Also, the Saints Garrett Hartley became the first kicker with 3 field goals over 40 yards in a Super Bowl game.

The story of the day seemed to be New Orleans willingness to take risks and leave it all on the field, with both success and failure. Their 4th and goal attempt from the Colts 1 yard line came up short, but their onside kick immediately after halftime proved to be genius as it caught the Colts special teams off guard and leaning away in anticipation of a long kick.

The halftime show was performed by The Who and accented by a brilliant light show. They played a medley of their hits, including "Pinball Wizard", "Who Are You", "Baba O'Riley", "See Me Feel Me", and "Won't Get Fooled Again".

The Colts were favored by Las Vegas by 4 points and the over/under was set at 57.

A 30 second commercial during this years Super Bowl cost $2.5 to 2.8 million.

12 teams have earned the right to compete in the football tournament known as the NFL playoffs. That, however, is for a later blog. Today we look back at.

The NFL announced the players voted to be the best in the league over the past 17 weeks that comprised the regular season. These players will compete in the NFL Pro Bowl, professional football's all-star game, on January 31 at Dolphin Stadium:

AFC Offense: QB Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts), Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers), Tom Brady (New England Patriots). RB Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars), Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens). FB La'Ron McClain (Baltimore Ravens). WR Andre Johnson (Houston Texans), Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts), Brandon Marshall (Denver Broncos), Wes Welker (New England Patriots). TE Dallas Clark (Indianapolis Colts), Antonio Gates (San Diego Chargers). OT Jake Long (Miami Dolphins), Ryan Clady (Denver Broncos), Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns). OG Logan Mankins (New England Patriots), Alan Faneca (New York Jets), Kris Dielman (San Diego Chargers). C Nick Mangold (New York Jets), Jeff Saturday (Indianapolis Colts).

AFC Defense: DE Dwight Freeney (Indianapolis Colts), Robert Mathis (Indianapolis Colts), Mario Williams (Houston Texans). DT Haloti Ngata (Baltimore Ravens), Vince Wilfork (New England Patriots), Casey Hampton (Pittsburgh Steelers). OLB Elvis Dumerville (Denver Broncos), James Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers), Brian Cushing (Houston Texans). ILB Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens), DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans). CB Darrelle Revis (New York Jets), Nnamdi Asomugha (Oakland Raiders), Champ Bailey (Denver Broncos). FS Ed Reed (Baltimore Ravens), Jarius Byrd (Buffalo Bills). SS Brian Dawkins (Denver Broncos).

AFC Special Teams: K Nate Kaeding (San Diego Chargers). P Shane Lechler (Oakland Raiders). KR Joshua Cribbs (Cleveland Browns). ST Kassim Osgood (San Diego Chargers).

NFC Offense: QB Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings), Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers). RB Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings), Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams), DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers). FB Leonard Weaver (Philadelphia Eagles). WR Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals), DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles), Miles Austin (Dallas Cowboys), Sidney Rice (Minnesota Vikings). TE Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers), Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys). OT Jason Peters (Philadelphia Eagles), Bryant McKinnie (Minnesota Vikings), Jon Stinchcomb (New Orleans Saints). OG Steve Hutchinson (Minnesota Vikings), Jahri Evans (New Orleans Saints), Leonard Davis (Dallas Cowboys). C Andre Gurode (Dallas Cowboys), Shaun O'Hara (New York Giants).

NFC Defense: DE Jared Allen (Minnesota Vikings), Julius Peppers (Carolina Panthers), Trent Cole (Philadelphia Eagles). DT Kevin Williams (Minnesota Vikings), Darnell Dockett (Arizona Cardinals), Jay Ratliff (Dallas Cowboys). OLB DeMarcus Ware (Dallas Cowboys), Lance Briggs (Chicago Bears), Brian Orakpo (Washington Redskins). ILB Patrick Willis (San Francisco 49ers), Jonathan Vilma (New Orleans Saints). CB Charles Woodson (Green Bay Packers), Asante Samuel (Philadelphia Eagles), Dominique Rogers-Cromartie (Arizona Cardinals). FS Darren Sharper (New Orleans Saints), Nick Collins (Green Bay Packers). SS Adrian Wilson (Arizona Cardinals).

NFC Special Teams: K David Akers (Philadelphia Eagles). P Andy Lee (San Francisco 49ers). KR Percy Harvin (Minnesota Vikings). ST Heath Farwell (Minnesota Vikings).

The Pro Bowl will be shown at 8:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Cerrato Out; Allen In

Things are changing for the Washington Redskins, and the way things have been going lately (i.e. since Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999) that's a very good thing, at least if you're a football fan.

Snyders' longtime second-hand man and Executive VP of Football Operations, Vinny Cerrato, resigned December 17. Cerrato has taken a lot of heat from the D.C. media for overspending in free agency on over-the-hill free agents that were once great NFL players such as Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Irving Fryer, Jeff George, and Mark Carrier. He was also blamed for shortcomings in the NFL draft, with depleted picks (from trading up or signing restricted free agents) and neglecting the trenches (Chris Samuels and Derrick Dockery are the only standout offensive lineman drafted, in 2000 and 2003 respectively).

While the Redskins have produced off the field (they are currently the second highest grossing team in the NFL) they have had a pretty bad decade on it. Now, however, the Redskins hope to have a fruitful football future with their latest addition, General Manager Bruce Allen. Bruce is the son of the Washington Redskins Hall of Fame coach George Allen. He has NFL managerial experience with the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Although for much of his career Allen has worked with former coach and current Monday Night Football commentator Jon Gruden, his appointment has been linked in the media with the potential hiring in a new head coach in Mike Shanahan, two time Super Bowl winner and former coach of the Denver Broncos.

Washington Redskins hire General Manager Bruce Allen

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

2010 FIFA World Cup

Yesterday the final six nations qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa this summer. The World Cup, an international soccer tournament, occurs every four years and is the world's biggest sporting event. Here is the list of 32 nations that qualified for the 19th World Cup finals (Current FIFA World Ranking in parenthesis):

Asia [AFC]: Australia (24), Japan (40), Korea DPR (91), Korea Republic (48)

Africa [CAF]: Algeria (29), Cameroon (14), Ghana (38), Ivory Coast (19), Nigeria (32), South Africa (85)

North, Central America and Caribbean [CONCACAF]: Honduras (35), Mexico (18), USA (11)

South America [CONMEBOL]: Argentina (6), Brazil (1), Chile (17), Paraguay (21), Uruguay (25)

Oceana [OFC]: New Zealand (83)

Europe [UEFA]: Denmark (27), England (7), France (9), Germany (5), Greece (16), Italy (4), Netherlands (3), Portugal (10), Serbia (20), Slovakia (33), Slovenia (49), Spain (2), Switzerland (13)

Notable Nations That Did Not Qualify: Croatia (8), Russia (12), Czech Republic (15), Ukraine (22), Bulgaria (23), Israel (26), Egypt (28), Columbia, (30/T), Northern Ireland (30/T).

The Mike Webb Team: www.northernvirginiahouses.com

Football Sunday's

Not sure where to go to watch your favorite football team? You should definitely check out Crystal City Sports Pub on 23rd Street. Boasting three floors of dining area, bar seating, and over 100 televisions, this is a Mecca for from-out-of-town football fans on the holy day of Sunday. I met up with a few friends yesterday in order to watch the Buffalo Bills play the Tennessee Titans. I found out that the owners Bill Payne, Bill Daughtry, Jim Madden, and John Finlay have created a neighborhood sports bar for everyone's neighborhood.

As they show every game on the screens that litter the walls the crowd is quite diverse. Chances are that you will be perched near someone wearing your teams jersey (2 tables away), as well as someone wearing the colors of the opponent (next table over).

The food was good, well-portioned (I had Buffalo-style chicken fingers that came with steak fries), and reasonably priced ($7.89). They also have a decent range of brews to choose from. I didn't actually look at a beer list because as walked past the taps I noticed they had one of my favorite ale's, Smithwick's, on tap. In passing, and among others, I also saw Leinenkugel's Classic Lager, Yuengling Lager, Hook & Ladder Lager, Guinness Stout, and the standard American domestics (Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Light...). There's not "something for everyone" but, much like the fans in attendance, there is a good variety.

Crystal City Sports Pub: http://www.ccsportspub.com/index2.html

The Mike Webb Team: www.northernvirginiahouses.com

D.C. United 2009

The 2009 season is over for D.C. United. The Washington D.C.-based professional soccer team missed the MLS Cup Playoffs as the season ended last week, on goal difference alone. As we wait for (there's always...) next season at RFK Stadium, let's take a look back on the season that was.

D.C. United's coach for the 2009 season was Tom Soehn, at 43 years old he has been an assistant under Bob Bradley (current coach of the U.S. Mens National Team) and Peter Nowak (assistant to Bradley and coach of the U.S. Mens U-23 National Team). He has also been a manager with the Chicago Fire.

In January, for the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, United selected midfielder Rodney Wallace from the University of Maryland with the 6th overall pick. In his rookie season Rodney made 28 appearances and scored 3 goals. Also chosen by United were Chris Pontius (7th overall; midfielder/forward; UC Santa Barbara), Milos Kocic (21st overall; goalkeeper; Loyola College in Maryland), Lyle Adams (26th overall; defenseman; Wake Forest University), and Brandon Barklage (36th overall; midfielder/forward; Saint Louis University).

The team's statistical leaders over the past year have been Luciano Emilio (4 goals), Bryan Namoff (3 assists), and Josh Wicks (19 appearances in goal). The side was captained by Jaime Moreno. The Bolivian has played in 308 games for United during his career.

The team eventually finished 10th overall in the MLS, were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League in the group stage, and finished 2nd in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

We look forward to seeing what they can do in their 15th season during 2010.

http://www.dcunited.com/