Al Davis might have made my day. I’ve been tweeting about what a great birthday present it would be for me (it’s coming up soon) for the Washington Redskins to sign Oakland Raiders’ free agent (FA) cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha once the lockout is over. Reading Rich Langford’s piece on the Silver & Black Pride reiterating why the owner of the Raiders may not be re-signing Asomugha just made me all the more optimistic that it could happen.
I like Carlos Rogers. He doesn’t get enough credit. Playing opposite Redskins Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall last season, Rogers had trouble getting his hands on a few sure interceptions. But he covers well, breaks up a lot of passes and presses his receivers. In 2010, he started and played in 12 games and had 2 interceptions for 43 yards. He defended 12 passes, forced one fumble and had 43 tackles while assisting in an additional 11. Unfortunately, his days in Washington appear to be over based on what he said recently to the media about becoming a Philadelphia Eagle and playing against the Redskins. You never know what a nice monetary offer might do to change somebody’s attitude though. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett could do worse despite Rogers’ comment.
The Redskins have other DBs on the team besides Hall, who holds the number one spot at the position. As well as Hall, there is 6’1”, 190 lbs. Kevin Barnes, 5’11”, 190 lbs. Phillip Buchanon (if he is re-signed) and 5’10”, 201 lbs. Byron Westbrook plus the un-signed rookie defensive backs, 5’11”, 200 lbs. DeJon Gomes (who played safety and linebacker as well at Nebraska) and 5’10”, 188 lbs. Brandyn Thompson.
Once a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is reached and Free Agency begins, things are going to move quickly. Rather than the typical couple of months, teams will more than likely have about two weeks to fill in their rosters for training camp. Word is that the new CBA might change unrestricted FA requirements back to four years rather than current six which means the 2011 FA class will be huge. Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen has said that the team will be aggressive in free agency and head coach Mike Shanahan will probably bring in some corners to compete for Rogers’ vacated starting position. Nnamdi Asomugha is the most talented of the free agent cornerbacks out there so why wouldn’t the team look at brining him in?
A lot of teams will be vying for Asomugha’s services and it’s possible that the Redskins will miss out on him depending on whether Shanahan is willing to beat the highest offer. Even if he is, the player might simply choose to go somewhere besides Washington.
The Redskins could go after the former Cincinnati Bengals’ Johnathan Joseph – a very talented defensive back who, at 27, is still young. The Atlanta Falcons’ Brent Grimes will be available if not resigned. And the New York Jets’ Antonio Cromartie is a free agent. But the Bengals, Falcons and Jets all use a 4-3 defense and Haslett doesn’t need 4-3 personnel when the team is trying to solidify the 3-4 in its second year. Both of the Baltimore Ravens’ FA cornerbacks Chris Carr or Josh Wilson could work for the Skins because the Ravens play a hybrid defense. Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ike Taylor will be available from the Steelers who run the 3-4 defense as well.
Chris Carr, 27, started all 16 games last year. The 5’10”, 180 lbs. back logged 2 sacks, no interceptions, no touchdowns, 8 passes defended, forced three fumbles, and made 54 tackles.
Josh Wilson, 25, played in 14 games, starting 9. This 5’9”, 189 lbs. cornerback had 9 interceptions, one touchdown, 14 passes defended, one fumble recovery and 34 tackles.
Ike Taylor, 31, played in 16 games, starting 15. The 6’1”, 191 lbs. back had one sack, two interceptions, and no touchdowns. He defended 10 passes, forced one fumble and made 46 tackles. However, the Redskins need to continue to get younger.
Asomugha’s stats last year were not his best although he did go to the Pro Bowl and made First Team All-Pro (for the second time). The Raider FA started in 14 of 14 games played in 2010 but it wasn’t his most productive year. With 17 (solo) tackles, no forced or recovered fumbles, no interceptions and no touchdowns, one would have to go back in time a bit to see how talented he is. In 2006, he played in all but one game, had 50 tackles, 48 of which were solo, 1 sack, 8 interceptions for 59 yards, 1 touchdown and 19 pass breakups. Compare that to one of the most productive cornerbacks in the league – New England Patriots’ Devin McCourty. In 2010 he logged 60 tackles, had 7 interceptions for 110 yards, 2 forced fumbles and 17 passes defended.
The Redskins would do well to have any one of the aforementioned cornerbacks come to Washington and compete with Barnes, Buchanon and Westbrook. I am not saying that these current Redskins are not good enough to start opposite Hall. But, like quarterback John Beck, we have not seen enough of them to really know. Actually, I’d like to see them do really well in training camp. Team chemistry is important and they were all on the squad last season. It would be nice to see the team already in place stay together and do well. Kevin Barnes has shown some real talent.
In 2010, Barnes, 24, played in 10 games, starting two (one at safety) after Rogers was injured. Barnes grabbed an interception off of a pressured David Garrard pass and the Redskins ended up beating the Jacksonville Jaguars. Barnes also broke up 5 passes and logged 14 tackles. The former Bruin played well at the end of last year and believes he can start for Washington.
Byron Westbrook, 24, played in 16 games but did not start any. He made four tackles and picked up a fumble. The DB played primarily on special teams, returning a couple of kicks. We don’t really know what he’s capable of at cornerback full time.
Phillip Buchanon, 30, is the oldest of the three. He played in every game in 2010, starting five and having a productive year for not being a regular starter (though he did start for Oakland in 2004 and Tampa Bay in 2008). The DB had two interceptions for 51 yards (the longest was 43 yards), two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He made 40 tackles and was involved in eight more.
Given the type of play that results from good competition, and knowing how hungry this Redskins team is to win, I am going to send a big thanks to Al Davis for not having the good sense to see what he has and hang on to it… something that Washington has had problems with in the past (can you say, “Champ Bailey” or “Ryan Clark”?). Asomugha would add talent, experience and depth to the cornerback position if the Redskins were to sign him. In my opinion, he has the right character to enhance the locker room. According to Langford, Asomugha is not aggressive enough on the field and so Davis, in having to choose to re-sign Asomugha or just keep defensive lineman Richard Seymour, might choose to keep only the latter. Langford describes the cornerback as “…the ultimate professional. He is well-prepared; he keeps himself in shape; he is a student of the game; he is courteous with his time with the press, and he helps tutor the younger players.”
I hope that Shanahan makes a good move and gets the cornerback signed, sealed and delivered to Redskins Park in time for training camp and some fierce competition. Maybe then I’ll get something else I’ve wanted for my birthday (which occurs during the offseason) for a while now… the prospect of a Burgundy & Gold secondary that strikes fear into the heart of opponents’ offenses – every offense, every time.
Hail.