Some things to watch at Redskins' practice today

[MTK]

Redskins Insider - Some things to watch at Redskins' practice today

[Monkeydad]

Terl has been reporting that Portis and LJ are both taking turns with the 1st team at OTAs...seem to be getting an even look. Interesting...

Cooley at TE will work, he's lined up out there before. Anything that gets CC and FD on the field together...great.

[Longtimefan]

This team has changed so much at so many positions, I'd be comfortable in seeing development in every area of the game. The chemistry with McNabb is going to be the area most watched.

[30gut]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Redskins Insider - Some things to watch at Redskins' practice today

Do we have an insider to answer our questions?

Here's mine:

o Is London Fletcher the SILB or the WILB

o How does Artis Hicks look at RT

o How does Malcolm Kelly look?
Are his routes sharp?
Where is he lining up the most X or Z?
What routes does he run the most when they're going through plays?

^^ ditto for Devin Thomas

o Which receiver (out of all the receivers) looks the best running routes, getting open and catching the ball?

[SBXVII]

Originally Posted by 30gut

Do we have an insider to answer our questions?

Here's mine:

o Is London Fletcher the SILB or the WILB

o How does Artis Hicks look at RT

o How does Malcolm Kelly look?
Are his routes sharp?
Where is he lining up the most X or Z?
What routes does he run the most when they're going through plays?

^^ ditto for Devin Thomas

o Which receiver (out of all the receivers) looks the best running routes, getting open and catching the ball?

I have the same questions. I think it's funny how we fans are expecting Kelly and Thomas to become 2, #1 WR's and yet we hear nothing about them. All I keep hearing is Armstrong is making all the catches.

But as some have pointed out.... it seems everytime we hear about how a certain player is doing and how well they are performing, said player ends up cut or on the practice squad. So my presumption is the players we keep hearing so much about are players no one expected to do well in the first place and the media simply talks about them cause their play is unexpected. Everyone expects for Thomas and Kelly to do well so they are not being talked about.

[Kalisto2010]

The only position I'm worried about is WR. I hope all of you are right about Malcom Kelley and Devin Thomas. I personally think they're number 3's at best. We can't go deep into the playoffs with our current receiving corps.

[SBXVII]

Originally Posted by Kalisto2010

The only position I'm worried about is WR. I hope all of you are right about Malcom Kelley and Devin Thomas. I personally think they're number 3's at best. We can't go deep into the playoffs with our current receiving corps.

cough, T.O., cough.....

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by Kalisto2010

The only position I'm worried about is WR. I hope all of you are right about Malcom Kelley and Devin Thomas. I personally think they're number 3's at best. We can't go deep into the playoffs with our current receiving corps.

If that's the case, then those were wasted picks. You don't draft WRs in the 2nd round to be #3 at best. It still pisses me off that we're looking for a #1 WR and a decent punt returner, yet we passed on DeSean Jackson, who has filled both roles in spectacular fashion for Philly. It's year 3 - time for Kelly and Thomas to put up or shut up.

[SBXVII]

^ I think it all goes back to two things.....

Piss poor scouting team

and

Piss poor coaching.

I'm not saying Kelly and Thomas are busts cause I think the coaching of them for their first 2yrs sucked. But if they do end up being nothing but #3 WR's then they should have been shot for letting DeSean Jackson slip by them.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by SBXVII

^ I think it all goes back to two things.....

Piss poor scouting team

and

Piss poor coaching.

I'm not saying Kelly and Thomas are busts cause I think the coaching of them for their first 2yrs sucked. But if they do end up being nothing but #3 WR's then they should have been shot for letting DeSean Jackson slip by them.

Well, Vinny said that though they graded DeSean as more pro-ready (if he's being honest) they had our two rated, due to potential, higher on the draft board.

Not to bundle Vinny and Shanahan together, but you can argue that we just did the same with the selection of Trent Williams.

[SmootSmack]

People would have been screaming to high heaven had we drafted DeSean Jackson what with Moss and Randle El on the team.

We'll be just fine with DT and MK (and Fred Davis). Just wait and see

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

People would have been screaming to high heaven had we drafted DeSean Jackson what with Moss and Randle El on the team.

We'll be just fine with DT and MK (and Fred Davis). Just wait and see

Hmmmm....there is much of the usual sky in various forms of descension to...SEE the light?

[skinsnut]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

People would have been screaming to high heaven had we drafted DeSean Jackson what with Moss and Randle El on the team.

This is an outstanding point...as you recall some were even going so far as to say height was arguably more important as talent at the time.

People were screaming for big targets, possession type receivers who could run fades in the corner of the endzone as example.
I was one of them.

Didn't we have Moss, Randel El and Thrash at one point?
We had a ton of smurfs that got pushed around at the line....and it seemed the only one that got separation (beyond the line of scrimmage screens) was Moss...but he only got separation 20 yards down the field....which we didn't have time for.

Solution?....get big recievers that can catch in traffic and mow people over.
hindsight is 20/20 on Jackson...but he isn't the possession big body guy we needed to round out our squad...the guy is 5'10" at best. Malcolm Kelly is a half a foot taller and 50 lbs heavier. Thomas is just a tad shorter and lighter....not in the same category of our wannabee smurfs.
We got who we got and they are decent number 2 picks at this point...performing more like 3rd rounders so far...give em a chance.

Remember...the thinking was we signed two with the odds that one would succeed...I believe that will be the case. Kelly disappointed me a bit last year as I thought he would be more successful...he may end up being a #3 possession role receiver, and that is ok. I think the only guy that has a chance to be a #1 is Thomas...but I put that chance at 50/50. I really think we need a legit #1 or #2 vet...I am just worried that we end up with the Curse of Death on our squad...I'd rather underperform for another year and just use a TE as a reciever.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

People would have been screaming to high heaven had we drafted DeSean Jackson what with Moss and Randle El on the team.

We'll be just fine with DT and MK (and Fred Davis). Just wait and see

There are still non-Jackson 2008 draft picks (after pick #49) who have more approximate value through two years than any two of our non-Jackson picks combined (Fred Davis - 7, Devin Thomas - 4, Malcolm Kelly - 3). Most, admittedly, are running backs.

• RB Ray Rice
• RB Steve Slaton
• OL Carl Nicks
• RB Tim Hightower
• RB Jamaal Charles
• RB Kevin Smith
• DB Brandon Carr
• OL Josh Sitton
• DB Charles Godfrey

I'm not saying, "we should have drafted a RB, look at that value!", because pretty much every draft is like that, where the RBs compile their value a lot earlier than other positions. But, there were at least two lineman there we could have taken with those picks who have already become top ten guards in the NFC. To be fair, both were still on the board when we took Rinehart, so this could be a development issue that I'm spinning as a draft issue.

Either way, the point is that, if you are strong enough at a position to limit your draft pool based on size, you don't have a need at the position. A team that is going to try to justify taking three pass catchers in a single draft round cant also be acting like they don't actually have a need for smaller receivers. That thought process is ridiculous.

[GTripp0012]

Having Devin Thomas rated ahead of DeSean Jackson is bad, but, you know, it happens even to professional evaluators. That's just part of the game. Not having DeSean Jackson on our board exclusively because of his size would have been retarded.