Jansen Released!

[FRPLG]

There is no real June 1 deadline this year.

[53Fan]

A little more info: Washington Redskins release longtime offensive tackle Jon Jansen - ESPN

[KLHJ2]

Originally Posted by Brian Orakpo

Damn dude I can see why your screen name is Angry.

When he came in for Heyer he improved the offensive line last year and helped us win some games. Before Jansen started Clinton Portis rushed for 84, 96, and 68 yards. The next 5 games when Jansen started Portis rushed for 121, 145, 129, 175, and 126 yards. Thats why Jansen kept his job until he got hurt later in the season.

OK the 84 yards was against the Giants who had one of the best Defenses in the league. Combine that with the fact that the whole team looked lathargic and there is not much argument for your case there.

The 96 Yard game came with 2 touchdowns and 4.6 YPC (not exactly stinking up the joint).

I agree that the Arizona game was pretty bad, but one performance shouldn't cost you your job.

Now here is where those stats are skewed a little. Any professional player or analyst will tell you that the running game doesn't truly develop until about weeks 4-8. So when the running game picked up it wasn't because of Jansen, it was because it was time for the running game to pick up.

Also the running game didn't look that hot in weeks 9, 11,13,14, and 18 (all against pretty good D's I admit) all of which Jon Jansen did start. Bottom Line we could have seen the same results out of Heyer sprinkled with a little bit more pass protection.

In my personal opinion I feel that Jansen was not taking his demotion as well as many of you think that he was and the coaching staff was too scared to pull him once Heyer was healthy. I am glad that they made this move now, but they should have had the nuts to do it last year. Getting rid of him was the only way to go because there probably would have been problems if he got beat out again.

Originally Posted by Angry

Also the running game didn't look that hot in weeks 9, 11,13,14, and 18 (all against pretty good D's I admit) all of which Jon Jansen did start. Bottom Line we could have seen the same results out of Heyer sprinkled with a little bit more pass protection.

You could be right maybe Heyer would have been better. I think the offensive line looked alot better once Jansen hit the starting lineup in Dallas. I think he was one of the key pieces to the Skins 6-2 start. As the season went on in the 2nd half I think the whole offensive line in general had problems.

Hopefully Heyer can take the experience he has and take the next step if he does get the RT job over Bridges and Williams.

[budw38]

Too bad . Always hate to see a leader and tough guy leave , hope this is a good sign that the new & young guys are looking very good . Good luck to Mr. Jansen , a true Skin.

[ChickenMonkey]

[Hopefully Heyer can take the experience he has and take the next step if he does get the RT job over Bridges and Williams.[/quote]

Heyer will end up as the backup at both TACKLE spots... Pencil in Bridges as the starting RT, he was just promoted in my opinion..

[SkinDogg]

Originally Posted by Gmanc711

Well this is bittersweet for sure. I didnt think Jansen had anything left after he snapped his ankle against Miami in 2007, and even before that he seemed to really struggle. Those two major injuries in 04 and 07 really shortened his career in my opinon... this had to be done, he's just not that good anymore in my opinion.

However, I absolutley say thank you to Jon Jansen for his years of service with the Skins'. He was tougher than nails, did a heck of a job and I had the chance to meet him twice and was a real good guy as well. It's also sad to see one, or if I'm not mistaken THE longest tenured Redskin go. I hope he gets a shot somewhere and if he makes good on it, I honestly hope the guy does well... but I really think he's done. !

Longest: Darrell Green. 19 years.

[T.O.Killa]

Originally Posted by SkinDogg

Longest: Darrell Green. 19 years.

He means on the active roster

[Nflnick11]

According comcast there saying Jansen has already signed with Detroit

[53Fan]

Originally Posted by Nflnick11

According comcast there saying Jansen has already signed with Detroit

Just heard it. Chick Hernandez and Washington Post Live are both reporting it. He has signed with his home team.

[Ruhskins]

As much as I hate to see him leave, it was time for Jansen to move on. Good move by the FO (it sounds like financially it was fine to do this) and I'm glad both parties parted ways amicable.

[johno]

thanks for the years of service, he was always a stand up guy. hes been with the team almost as long as i can remember.

[T.O.Killa]

Oh my God, we should have cut him in 2006.

[SmootSmack]

Zorn Explains


Zorn Discusses Jansen Decision

Redskins Coach Jim Zorn said the release of veteran tackle Jon Jansen was difficult, because no coach wants to tell a 10-year veteran that he is done with the only franchise for which he has played. But he said the evaluation by the coaching staff - primarily Zorn, offensive coordinator Sherman Smith and offensive line coach Joe Bugel - made it a relatively easy football decision.

"I stated, right when the offseason came about, that the [right tackle] position was going to be open," Zorn said this afternoon by phone. "We're going to see who is battling for it.

"Jon, during March, he said he was ready to fight. I think he even said publicly that he was ready to be the player he is. He was going to come back and show that he can be the kind of player he is, he felt he was. I think when he came back in mini-camp, in good shape, in OTAs, in great shape, fighting hard.

"But to me, in evaluating the situation with Joe, with Sherman, myself, just sitting down and talking about and watching, I didn't see a difference [from last season]. I'm looking for differences. 'Okay, this is different, and that's different.' I didn't necessarily see that."

Given that, Zorn said, the coaches tried to envision where Jansen - who began last year as a backup, rose to the starting job, lost it again and then regained it at the end of the season - might fit in going forward.

"What we try to do is look at all the offensive linemen," Zorn said. "You not only grade them, but you rank them. You go back and forth. What's the future look like here? The future looks more like it's the battle of Stephon Heyer, Mike Williams and Jeremy Bridges."

Thus, they tried Jansen at center and guard, where he would have served as a backup.

"I didn't feel comfortable with how I perceived him backing up all those positions," Zorn said. "I was looking for the younger guys to take a lot of snaps to improve them instead of keeping Jon in a new position for him."

Once the coaches came to a consensus, Zorn said he took his recommendation to owner Daniel Snyder. "How do you release a guy like this?" Zorn said. "And Mr. Snyder said, 'Let's do it as right as we can.' The right way to do it is talk to him face to face."

With that, Snyder sent his plane to pick up Jansen, who makes his offseason home in Michigan. Zorn and Jansen met this morning.

"Was that hard?" Zorn said. "Yep. No doubt. He's a man, and it was one person's opinion about what his future was going to be with this organization. Absolutely he was disappointed."
Stephon Heyer, 25, 6-foot-6, 330 pounds, entering third season:

"Heyer has really improved himself," Zorn said. "He hasn't missed anything in our offseason program. He's trying to change his body style and the way he moves. I have seen some improvement. He's got a ways to go. That's why I wouldn't clearly name him the starter. He's working on his technique, his strength, his suddenness. Obviously, there's a lot to work on, but he's on his way."

Mike Williams, 29, 6-6, 384 pounds (Zorn said), entering sixth season (with two years off):

"Mike Williams has got tremendous potential right now," Zorn said, "and that's what it is because he hasn't played in two years. But when I watch him move, and I watch him move his feet, I mean, he can really move a lot of weight.

"He's down to 384 today. How comfortable can you be with a guy who's 384? But he's coming down. And that's a sign that he's making himself into a better football player. He's allowing himself to give himself a chance. My biggest concern is: Can he function at a high level at the weight he is for 70 plays? You can't just have it for 10 plays. You got to have it for 70."

Jeremy Bridges, 29, 6-4, 326 pounds, entering seventh season:

"I don't know much about Jeremy Bridges yet, but I watch him, and I see another athlete that can really change direction. I think he's got a toughness about him that we're certainly looking for with the Redskins."

[GusFrerotte]

Originally Posted by mredskins

Regardless of his current state, it is a sad day. Jansen has always been one of my favorites. Good luck John and thanks for being a stand up Redskin! Gon miss ya!

Yeah, Jansen has been with the Skins forever(plus for me he is a U of M guy). He was too oft injured and it was only a matter of time til this would have happened. It was a good move by the Skins though. If we are going to totally rebuild the line we have to start somewhere.