Pasquarelli with some praise for our CB situation

[MTK]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insid...len&id=2897429

Redskins load up at cornerback: Washington owner Dan Snyder has never been much for heeding conventional wisdom. But one football axiom to which Snyder must have paid attention is the old saw that you can never have enough cornerbacks. The Redskins, already rich at the position, got a little fatter at that premium spot on Thursday when they signed free agent Jerametrius Butler, the six-year veteran released by St. Louis earlier in the week after two injury-ravaged seasons. In landing Butler, 28, the Redskins actually got their man on the second attempt, and at a much thriftier price than it would have cost them the first time around. In the spring of 2004, the Redskins actually signed Butler to a restricted free agent offer sheet, a six-year deal worth $15 million that included a $4 million signing bonus. But the Rams retained Butler, an emerging young cover man at the time, by matching the offer sheet. Unfortunately, Butler suffered a knee injury in training camp in the summer of 2005, then after working hard to rehabilitate, sustained a severe hamstring injury in 2006. In his final two seasons with the Rams, the former Kansas State standout, who had nine interceptions in 2003-04, played in only six games. On Thursday, the Redskins landed him for the bargain-basement price of $595,000, the minimum base salary for a six-year pro. If he is healthy, and that's really a big if, Washington may have gotten a steal.


And they will certainly have gotten markedly deeper at what was already a pretty well-stocked position on the depth chart. In addition to starters Shawn Springs and Carlos Rogers, the Redskins added Fred Smoot (Minnesota), David Macklin (Arizona) and Butler, all former starters. That's a lot of veteran cornerbacks, and one has to wonder if Washington can keep them all. For now, there is no odd-man out, but keep an eye on Springs, the 10-year veteran who resurrected his flagging career with the Redskins in 2004, but is now 32, banged up and starting to show some erosion. Washington was shopping Springs in trade talks earlier this offseason. In terms of base salary, Springs is the priciest of Washington's cornerbacks, with a contract that calls for base salaries of $4.88 million (2007), $5 million (2008) and $6 million (2009). The big money could put a bull's-eye on his chest if the Redskins need cap room and eventually decide that they are sufficiently girded at cornerback.