According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Asante Samuel has been ruled out for the Eagles game against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Not that it really matters, if any game could possibly mean absolutely nothing, it’s this Eagles/Redskins game.

But, the bigger question is, does this mean that Asante is finished with the Eagles?

Sure, he’s under contract, but how many corners do the Eagles need? They traded for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the offseason and he’s been a complete bust. However, he was also playing in the slot a lot even though he has no experience doing that.

They also signed Nnamdi Asomugha this offseason and he’s not going anywhere.

Clearly, having three great corners doesn’t help much because the Eagles will be watching the post-season at home. There are tons of teams that would love to have Asante and the Eagles could use the extra money and cap space elsewhere.

Not to mention the team has most likely tried to trade him anyway. The fact that they couldn’t doesn’t mean that Asante’s spot in Philly is safe. With all the talk of DeSean Jackson moving on after this year, I think it’s more likely that Asante leaves.

Once thought of as a possible upside fantasy player, Washington Redskins RB Ryan Torain is now homeless. Well, he most likely has an actual place to live (we’d assume), but he no longer has an NFL home. According to Chris Russell of ESPN 980 AM, the Redskins have parted ways with Torain.

“Ryan Torain had 135 yards rushing in STL & a combined total of 65 yards since, before his release this AM as ESPN 980 has learned. #Redskins,” Russell tweets.

And he isn’t kidding about those awful numbers. The Redskins really have not found anyone to run the ball since Clinton Portis was actually good. Shocking since Mike Shanahan has paid some much attention to the position. His first year with the Skins, he had old versions of Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker. And it didn’t work out! How?!

This season, he had the grouping of Tim Hightower, Roy Helu, Ryan Torain and Evan Royster. And that didn’t work out either!! Baffles the mind.

Torain could get a look in Dallas, Detroit or Buffalo, but who knows?

The Washington Redskins have not made a ton of great decisions to put their team in position for success in 2011. See: thinking John Beck and/or Rex Grossman were good quarterback options. But, they’ve also had a lot of bad luck as well. See: Cooley and Moss missing a lot of time.

Sadly, now two of the few remaining good players on offense will most likely miss the remainder of the season too. Tight end Fred Davis (perhaps the most consistent weapon on offense) and 2010 first-round pick Trent Williams have been suspended for failing drug tests, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Jim Trotter.

“BREAKING: redskins players fred davis and trent williams suspended four games for failed drug test. story coming on http://si.com,” tweets Trotter with poor use of capitalization.

It doesn’t say right now what the drugs were. Pot? Shrooms? Crack? Steroids? Combination of all of them smoked in one lethal joint?

Regardless, they can appeal but if there were indeed failed drug tests, what is really to appeal?

We certainly hope that Tashard Choice hasn’t purchased any real estate lately. Although, we would have liked to be his real estate agent if he did, because he’d be buying and selling a ton of properties right now.

Choice was surprisingly (to some) cut by the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago. He wasn’t the second coming of Herschel Walker for them, but he had filled in admirably when Marion Barber and Felix Jones had gotten hurt in the past.

He was picked up by the Redskins and then played in one game for them on Sunday against his old team, the Cowboys. He had six carries for a whopping seven yards. Say what you want about the Redskins, they sure do know how to pound the rock.

The Redskins were somehow unhappy with Choice’s production, because they cut him too this week. But, luckily for Tashard, he’s found a home. And that home is with the Buffalo Bills, who could be without the services of Fred Jackson for the rest of the season.

It’s not clear right now what his role will be with the team. He could just split carries with C.J. Spiller and make the whole backfield a fantasy nightmare.

While most Dallas Cowboys insiders weren’t surprised that the team released RB Tashard Choice, most national media were. That probably just goes to show how little the national media knows about individual teams, but we’ll leave that conversation for another day.

The truth is, Choice wasn’t playing well and he was never a favorite of Jason Garrett. That’s how you end up getting cut.

But, good news for Choice, he was claimed today by the running-back-needy Washington Redskins, according to Adam Schefter.

“The Redskins claimed former Cowboys running back Tashard Choice on waivers,” Schefter tweets.

Ryan Torain just hasn’t been getting it done, but then again falling behind 20-0 doesn’t help a coach stick with the run game. Tim Hightower is out for the year and all they have is Torain and Roy Helu. And knowing how Mike Shanahan rotates his backs, Choice will get a chance to show that he can play for them (if they aren’t down 20-0).

Choice averaged just 2.7-yards per carry this season, so memo to Washington D.C., you aren’t getting Barry Sanders.

However, the Redskins are getting a guy that over the last few seasons has filled in admirably when his number was called. It remains to be seen whether he’ll bet that guy, or the 2.7-yards per carry guy.

After rushing out to a quick division lead in the awfully weak NFC East, the Washington Redskins were looking like maybe Rex Grossman was right after all. But, the last two weeks haven’t gone exactly as planned.

As it was, the Redskins were not loaded with talent on offense. Two weeks ago, the lost to the Philadelphia Eagles and benched the same guy that said they were going to win the division this year. This week, they lost to an upstart Carolina Panthers team and have fallen to .500.

Oh, and they lost starting (debate that all you like, I know, it’s Shanahan) RB Tim Hightower this week to a torn ACL. So yeah, he’s done for the year and the team will have to ride Roy Helu and Ryan Torain for the rest of the season. Or, until…you know…they get hurt too.

So that’s not good. And in the passing game, they really only have two playmakers: Santana Moss and Fred Davis. Well, the former just broke his hand and will need surgery. Moss is expected to miss 5-7 weeks. Ouch.

But, there is good news, Redskins fans: Your coach is happy with the play of John Beck, who was really pedestrian in this week’s loss, but don’t tell him that.

“John’s a smart guy. John knows he has to go out there and concentrate on his job, make plays, and I thought he did a great job doing that,” the coach said. “Really proud of the way he played. That’s what he’s got to do. He made some plays with his feet, threw on the run, thought he handled himself well in the drop-back situation. Our goal now is to get a supporting cast around him that can play at a very high level. The better they play, the better he’ll play.”

This was Beck’s first start since 2007…for a reason. Beck is a marginal QB on his best day, but Shanahan is happy with that apparently. Grossman is the better quarterback, but Shanahan has to show everyone that he’s smarter than you.

Things aren’t looking good in D.C.

If you saw the Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins on Monday night, you sat through an awful football game. That game didn’t need announcers, it needed a laugh track (“So it became a comedy show.” “Yes it did! And it was not pleasant to be part of the comedy on stage!” Anyone know what movie?).

The high point of the comedy was the Cowboys inability to snap a ball properly out of the shotgun. We’ve never seen that level of ineptitude out of the shotgun before. Center Phil Costa continued to snap the ball before Romo was ready and it shockingly didn’t lead to disaster. Romo got some lucky bounces and then was alert enough to salvage a couple plays.

Romo was livid with Costa on the field. But, after the game, he said the reason for the poor snaps was the Redskins impersonating his cadence, which is illegal.

“We’ve got to get the snap thing worked out,” Romo said. “Costa said the D-line kept calling out the snap count. We’ll get that worked out. We’ll tell the league and see if that’s something that can be fixed because you’re not supposed to be able to do that. So we’ll see. But we can’t have that happen. We shouldn’t have been in that situation.”

If that’s the case, that’s bush league. But, something stinks pretty bad here. Either the Redskins cheated, or Phil Costa probably shouldn’t be playing center in the NFL.

It was common knowledge for some time that the Washington Redskins had soured on Donovan McNabb and wanted him out of town. But, when the question of who would start in his place came up, everyone thought Mike Shanahan was joking when he said he liked John Beck.

Really? Really.

No one believed him until they didn’t add any QB of note besides Rex Grossman. Grossman started the last preseason game and did okay, but apparently the team wants Beck to get a chance to reclaim his starting role. We just saw this tweet from John Keim of the Washington Examiner:

“Beck will start friday. #redskins,” Keim tweets.

Really? Really.

They are seriously considering this guy as a starting QB? He was a rookie in 2007 and stunk for the Dolphins. He hasn’t been in a game since 2007. He has thrown one TD pass his entire career. What is Shanahan seeing in this guy that is impressive? He’s basically urinating an entire football season away by not having a competent QB. Because even if Beck fails, you’re going to rely on Rex Grossman. Sheesh.

Have fun, Redskins fans!

The Washington Redskins right now look like dreck on paper. Their QB will either be John Beck or Rex Grossman. Do I need to continue? I don’t, but I will.

While they are fine on defense, this offense is downright deplorable. The running back situation consists of Tim Hightower and Ryan Torain. Awesome. Wide receivers include an aging Santana Moss, Anthony Armstrong (who?), Donte Stallworth, Jabar Gafney and Malcolm Kelly. Yikes.

Oh, and the offensive line pretty much stinks too. In a division that will see the Dallas Cowboys rebound from a poor season, the Giants will be good, and the Philadelphia Eagles are probably the cream of the crop….the Redskins will win the NFC East?

Yes, according to genius Rex Grossman.

“We’re fine being the sleepers right now,” Grossman said Tuesday. “You know, we’re just waiting in the wings, ready to take over the NFC East.

“Nobody’s talking about us. That’s right where we want to be. You look at us from top to bottom out here, there’s a bunch of great players. And we don’t need people saying we’re the best right now, but when it’s all said and done, I really feel like this team’s gonna win the East.”

We’ll need to see video of him making these comments. Was he laughing uncontrollably when he said it? Rolling his eyes while making a jerk off motion with his non-throwing hand?

Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reports that the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a deal that will send QB Donovan McNabb to the purple guys. The only thing now is that McNabb has to agree to a new contract for it to go through.

McNabb signed a ridiculous extension last season with a Redskins team that didn’t seem to want him. So now, he’s due $12.5 million and the Vikings don’t want to a pay that to a guy who is a seat warmer for first-round pick Christian Ponder.

While it’s not a done deal yet, it would be a pretty good situation for McNabb as long as they don’t make him feel like he has to look over his shoulder. He’d have the running game he never had (early in his Eagles career they ran the ball a bit, but you know what I mean) and an offensive line that doesn’t have Stephon Hoyer on it.

Stay tuned.

It’s been known for some time that the New York Jets really want to keep WR Santonio Holmes. He’s a free agent right now so the Jets will have to pay him a few bucks to keep him.

Especially since sources are telling the NY Daily News that the Washington Redskins have also made Santonio their No. 1 priority.

Uh oh, Jets.

Dan Snyder gets a little loosy goosey with the wallet when he wants someone. Albert Haynesworth got $41 million guaranteed for god’s sake!

The truth is, the Redskins need him way more than the Jets. The Jets can find a way to keep Braylon Edwards and they’ll still be okay. The Redskins? They have an aging Santana Moss and guys like Anthony Armstrong. Oh, they had Devin Thomas until they realized he was a waste of space. And they spent another second-round pick on Malcolm Kelly, who can’t get on the field. He’s either hurt or can’t get separation. Same difference.

So expect Snyder to open up the pocket book if he indeed really wants Santonio. The Jets could just be SOL for having to battle with Danny Moneybags.

We’re all familiar with the Albert Haynesworth saga in Washington now, aren’t we? He signed a huge, $100 million contract (actually $41 million was guaranteed) two years ago with the Redskins. By the time Mike Shanahan came in the following year, they were running the 3-4 defense and Albert hated it. So then went the back and forth between him and Shanahan, which was a huge pissing contest that ended with him being suspended for the final four games of the 2010 season.

“Despite the club’s numerous attempts to persuade Albert Haynesworth to abide by the terms of his contract, he has repeatedly refused to cooperate with our coaching staff in a variety of ways over an extended period of time,” Shanahan said in a statement. “Among other things, he has consistently indicated to our defensive coaches that he refuses to play in our base defense or on first-down or second-down nickel situations. He has also refused to follow the instructions of our coaches both during weekly practices and during actual games as well.”

So the general consensus has been that the Redskins would cut him loose as soon as the lockout has been lifted. But a source with knowledge of the situation tells Philly Sports Daily that that simply isn’t going to happen.

“They are not going to cut him,” said the source. “If the Eagles or anyone else wants him it is going to have to be by trade. Because if they cut him, that’s giving him his way.”

Okay maybe so, but they certainly don’t want to hang onto him into the season. As much as Shanahan wants to get his own way, at a certain point the two sides simply can’t co-exist and it’s best for everyone to part ways.

It was about a year ago that I sat in OTR’s very own, Micah Warren’s German luxury car (Volkswagen Jetta). We were headed to the range to hit some golf balls when I suggested an interesting, yet unlikely scenario. “The Eagles should make a move for Albert Haynesworth.”

It was evident that this guy was unhappy in Washington and first year head coach, Mike Shanahan, was switching to a 3-4 scheme. Among other things, pride slashed with an undoubtedly poor attitude left the Redskins with a very unhappy, very unmotivated and VERY expensive player for the year. That said, it wasn’t hard to assume Washington would look to move this guy either by trade or simply cutting him after the season.

Despite all this, I repeated my interest in acquiring his services. He is a big, dominant force in the middle who, when motivated, is one of, if not, the best DL in the league. I thought it made complete sense to give him a 2 year, incentive laden deal and an opportunity to rejuvenate his reputation and career. This was a specific position of need for the Eagles that could be filled and possibly exceeded with the addition. Still, I was called a fool and others wanted no part of my scenario.

Just curious: Who is one of Fat Albert’s main potential suitors once a CBA is reached? Who brought in his former tutor to coach the defensive line? More importantly, why is it accepted as a possibility now…when it was rejected vehemently when proposed in your German engineered sedan? Is it only worth considering when SportsCenter runs a VO on it or if Adam Schefter says its possible?

The 2010 MLB season came and went. The Phillies ran into the heavy arms of the S.F. Giants and were eliminated in the N.L. Championship Series. Despite trading for Roy Halladay and adding Roy Oswalt at the break, the Phightin’s came up short and were out classed on the mound. Is it any surprise that pitching wins championships? No. So even though they had a great rotation already, why is it so farfetched to think they would make a play for Cliff Lee?

I repeated myself over and over again that the Phillies could bring back Lee if they wanted to. Despite moving him to clear space for Halladay, the minute the trade went through to Seattle both Lee, the fans AND the Phillies knew something didn’t feel right. A fan favorite, who was at the top of his game, was moved across the country despite his relationship with the fans and outward desire to play in this city. So why wouldn’t the Phillies take a peek at the guy once he hit the open market?

If a few things happened, the Phillies would have just as good of, if not a better shot at signing the lefty. First, we all knew they would have to let Jayson Werth walk. Done. Second, they would have to find a suitor for Raul Ibanez’ contract. Third, they would need to rely on Lee taking a little less money. Plain and simple. Okay, so the Phillies decided to go over budget rather than find a new home for Ibanez, but all the right things happened prior to signing him. Very similar to how the Eagles are positioning themselves for Haynesworth (although not nearly at the same level).

So when news struck in the middle of the night that Cliff Lee signed a deal with the Phils, were you one of the ones completely caught off guard… or simply excited that your team took advantage of an opportunity in front of them? 

So why can’t Steven Stamkos become a Flyer? Ah, finally we’ve arrived at my point (EDITOR’S NOTE: Finally). I’m hearing nothing be negativity and doubt regarding the Flyers ability to sign Stamkos. He is 21 and arguably the 3rd best player in the game (behind Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby). So let’s address some of the facts.

Fact: Flyers would have to clear cap space
Fact: Whoever signs Stamkos to an offer sheet would have to give up four first-round draft picks
Fact: Tampa Bay owns his rights as a RFA so he would have to refuse the initial offers prior to July 1

To clear the cap space, the Flyers cleared up nearly $108 million in long-term contracts by dealing home grown studs Jeff Carter and captain Mike Richards. Cap space achieved.
In both of those trades the Flyers got young and talented. Highlighted the Richards deal was Braydon Schenn, the 5th-overall selection in 2009 and a guy nearly every team coveted. Thanks to the Carter trade, the Flyers scooped up Jakub Vorecek (6th overall in 2008) and also landed the 8th-overall pick this year.

With that selection, these guys got Sean Corturier. This guy was once ranked the #1 North American born skater and debated as the top overall pick. He slipped down to 8th where the Flyers bag an absolute steal. And let us not forget the 2007 No.2-overall selection in JVR.

So to recap, the Flyers now own the rights to the 2007 No. 2-overall pick, 2008 No. 6-overall pick, the 2009 No. 5-overall pick and the 2011 No. 8-overall pick. Signing Stamkos to an offer sheet at the expense of four future first-round draft picks doesn’t seem so extreme now…does it? They would be putting themselves in a great position to WIN now while securing youth for the future. Plus, if things go as expected, the picks would be at the bottom of the first round.

Finally, none of this is possible if Stamkos simply signs with TB prior to July 1st. How has that gone so far? In order for any of this to be possible, Stamkos and the Lightning have to come to an impasse on a new deal and allow him to test the waters. So far, the on again, off again talks have proven to provide just that.

Of course, if/when a team signs him to an offer sheet, TB has the right to match the deal. It is being reported that TB is offering around $7-7.5 million per season. Really? Crosby is getting upwards of $9 million/per and Ovechkin is just over $9 million/per. Do we really think this guy is going to sign for $7 million without at least letting other teams drive up that price tag? In addition, who says the Lighting can pay him top dollar even if they wanted to? Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Ryan Malone are all on the books for long-term, high-cap contracts. I didn’t see any of those guys get moved yet… did you?

So if a team, like the Flyers, would come in and offer part of the $108 million saved by moving Carter and Richards to Stamkos… do we really think TB can match it? In a curious move, the Flyers moved Darroll Powe earlier this week. Why? He wasn’t going to cost too much and was critical to the PK. Why make that move if you were trying to save every penny you could for a much larger plan?

Do we really think Snider isn’t eying up a big move? After all, he has given up control of the Sixers and has full attention on his prized baby. I’m not saying this is definitely happening, but what I am saying is… look at the facts. Teams, like the Flyers, can pull off a move like this if certain things fall in line. In fact, it’s really the only way moves like this get done. The Phillies took those moves, the Eagles are trying to make some moves and it appears the Flyers are doing the exact same thing.

THINK BIG!

The Washington Redskins made quite an investment in their offense back during the 2008 draft. With the 34th-overall pick, they drafted Devin Thomas, who many thought was the best wide receiver in the draft. Then they used the No. 48-overall selection to grab USC tight end Fred Davis (the pick before DeSean Jackson…oops!). And with a stunning third pick in the same second round, they pounced on Malcolm Kelly from Oklahoma.

That’s two wide receivers and a tight end. They have to get something out of that, right? Well, Davis caught 48 balls in 2009 and started to show some promise. But he caught three passes all last year in 11 games. That’s not going to get it done.

Devin Thomas could never get his attitude or work ethic sorted out and quickly fell out of favor with the Shanahan regime. He’s now on the Giants and gave the Redskins next to nothing the entire time he was there.

So what about Kelly? CSNWashington contributor Rich Tandler doesn’t see how he can make the roster this season after a 2010 on injured reserve.

“Doesn’t seem to be a Shanny-type player, think he’s out,” Tandler tweets.

It’s not Kelly’s fault. Everything we’ve heard is that he works and tries very hard. But that doesn’t fix the fact that he is often injured and can’t get separation.

This is yet another disaster for a team that actually used the crop of picks they had in 2008. They usually just trade them all away for over-the-hill, over-priced “talent.” Redskins fans really do deserve better. As much crap as Dan Snyder takes (much of it deserved), he does go out and try to win. He spends; he makes moves. It just stings that they are frequently the wrong moves. He needs more Brian Orakpo picks.

Anyone who watches football knows that Rush Limbaugh has a bit of a history with Washington Redskins QB Donovan McNabb. Back in 2003 when McNabb got off to a rough start, Rush made comments on ESPN’s NFL Countdown that essentially said that he never thought Donovan was that good and that the media had been very desirous to see a black QB do well.

The comments were all blown up and ESPN acted all surprised that Rush Limbaugh would make comments of that nature. We’re hardly Limbaugh fans, but what he said really wasn’t that bad. He accused the media of trying to prop up black QB’s and also said that he didn’t think McNabb was ever all that good. You are entitled to disagree with those statements, but they really weren’t attacking McNabb for being a black QB as many made them out to be.

Now, after Bernard Hopkins came out and accused McNabb of not being really black, Limbaugh has actually come out and…defended McNabb?

“I said nothing close to what Bernard Hopkins was saying,” Limbaugh said. “I never said a word about McNabb and blackness. I was talking about the media from start to finish….This poor guy cannot, he cannot catch a break. And it’s disgruntled African Americans that are jumping down his case, about the way he was raised? It is horrible, it is distasteful. His parents are out there having to defend the way they raised him, and all they tried to do was give him opportunity after opportunity, expose he and his brother to various things. It’s just amazing to watch this.”

We agree with Limbaugh completely here (it took seven and a half minutes to type that sentence out). This whole thing is ridiculous and we don’t understand why anyone gives any credence to anything that comes out of Hopkins mouth at this point.

By now you’ve probably heard the story that Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan claims that he asked Donovan McNabb to wear a wristband this past season so that he could remember the plays better. It was an entirely new offense for him after playing in the same system from 1999-2009. So, it doesn’t sound like it would be an unreasonable request.

Well, according to the Sports Junkies at 106.7 FM in D.C., Shanahan asked and McNabb refused to wear the wristband because it would make him look bad. In other words, he’d look dumb if he couldn’t remember the plays and had to have a guide on his arm.

This story makes McNabb look pretty bad. The guy who always claimed to be a leader, who just wanted to win and who would do anything it took to win? Now, he’s worried about his image regardless of whether it would have helped him and the team.

The story goes on where Dan Snyder then flips out at Shanahan for not being able to get him to wear it. If you’re the head coach, you make your players do things. There is also a theory that Snyder flipped out because if this happened during the tumultuous season, why is he just finding out now?

But anyway, in all of this McNabb looks bad.

Well, OTR spoke to a source close to McNabb who replied “no,” when we asked if there was any truth to this story.

“I find it amazing,” the source continued. “Only Donovan can be accused of being an Uncle Tom and 48 hours later be classified as defiant.”

We asked if Donovan was going to publicly defend himself on this topic and the source didn’t think he would.

“No,” the source said. “Donovan will stick with his policy of handling this kind of talk in house.”

We still don’t know who would stand to benefit from the wristband story getting out. The Redskins would be stupid to let something like that get out because it would hurt McNabb’s trade value. Is it possible that Shanahan made it up and that’s why Snyder was just now hearing about it? Was Shanahan trying to cover for his son Kyle yet again?

Anything is possible.

UPDATE: CSNWashington.com has also cited a team source as saying that the wristband story is not true and that he was never asked to wear it.

Before we go any farther, let me state that this little nugget (thanks, Peter) comes from a guy who covers the Miami Dolphins. That’s not to say it isn’t true, but it didn’t come from someone in Washington D.C., Nashville or Austin, TX.

Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has a story on who the Dolphins might be interested in bringing in to strengthen the quarterback position, and he mentions Vince Young as a possibility.

Photo Caption: When the other team has to console your QB…

But, during the discussion, he throws it out there that he’s hearing that the Washington Redskins are the front-runners for VY’s services. Really?

“I’m hearing the Redskins are the front-runner for his services, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Dolphins get in the game,” Kelly writes.

Is it possible that the Redskins could take yet another step backwards in the Mike Shanahan era? Bringing in Donovan McNabb didn’t work. Not just because he didn’t play his best football, but because Mike and his son Kyle thoroughly botched the whole situation. So, they would really consider bringing in a guy who has nice W/L stats, but is probably the farthest thing from being a leader as there is in the NFL?

Again, we don’t know this for sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Redskins scooped him up in free agency.

We mentioned back in February that a waitress at the W Hotel in Washington D.C. had accused Washington Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth of sexual assault. It sounded a lot worse at first and then we found out he essentially fondled her boob while paying his tab. Still not appropriate at all, but you hear “sexual assault” and you assume he went all Big Ben on her.

Now, Albert has been indicted on the misdemeanor charge of sexual abuse.

The complaint alleges that he was up in the rooftop lounge when the waitress had her hands full with glasses. He wanted to pay his bill and asked if he could put his credit card in her shirt. She nodded yes (that’s a little odd) and he put the card in her shirt and then rubbed and caressed her breast. Yeah, that’s creepy.

If convicted, Haynesworth could face up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. The Redskins are still thrilled that they gave this guy $41 million guaranteed.

We have to admit that we miss former Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell. Whether he was downing sizzurp like it was his job, or never taking responsibility for his awful, awful play on the field, the former No. 1-overall pick was always entertaining…even if it wasn’t in a good way.

Now, sources tell Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports that Russell is most likely done in the NFL after his “life coach” John Lucas recently told him to leave Houston because of his deteriorating work habits. Russell began working with Lucas last year and initially was working hard to return to the NFL. But even Lucas, who has helped a myriad of pro athletes overcome addiction problems, had to throw up his hands and give up.

Yes, this is the same guy who coached the Miami Tropics! Richard Dumas and Roy Tarpley? No problem. JaMarcus? Ehhhhh….apparently, Lucas can’t cure laziness.

Charles Barkley was even brought in in an attempt to motivate Russell, but no dice.

“The title of your article should be, ‘It’s Over,’ ” on source told Cole. “It’s just amazing that you could say that about somebody who is 25 years old and just got drafted four years ago. But it’s been almost a year since he got cut and there’s no interest. Even before the lockout, nobody wanted to get near the kid.”

It was probably over for Russell when Baltimore Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome refused to meet with him in Alabama in January (actually, it was probably over for him when they announced his name on draft day). They thought meeting Ozzie would motivate him, but they didn’t even get the chance to find out.

Russell worked out for the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins last Novemeber, but that didn’t go so well. He reportedly was 288 lbs. when he worked out for the Redskins, and 292 lbs. when he met with the Dolphins. Sheesh!

“It’s such a waste of talent,” the source said. “It’s hard to believe a guy with that much ability could let it just waste. It’s sad. … It’s like they say, you can’t coach desire.”

He’s only 25-years old, but it looks like Jamarcus’ time in the NFL is over. At least he made a few bucks.

It can be very difficult to look at the statistics of cornerbacks in the NFL and be able to tell who is really good and who is not so good. Some people see a lot of interceptions and think a player is really good, even though it could be that there is a reason balls are thrown his way very often and/or he’s out of position quite a bit.

But, FootballOutsiders.com does a pretty good job of crunching the numbers so we can see who really isn’t doing their job. Here is how Aarch Schatz describes his system:

I’ve ranked all cornerbacks with at least 40 charted passes, which means 83 total cornerbacks. I’ve removed passes marked as Hail Mary, Hit in Motion, Tipped at Line, or Thrown Away. I’ve also removed wide receiver screens, which aren’t really a good way to measure cornerback coverage because a cornerback in man coverage is going to (or at least, is supposed to) immediately get blocked out of the play by another wide receiver. Right now I’m only looking at primary defenders, so this is not adjusted to account for double coverage, or plays where the charter marks a hole in zone but lists an appropriate zone defender in the second DEFENDER column. There are no opponent adjustments yet, and pass interference is not yet included.

Photo Caption: What more evidence do you need to prove that the Pro Bowl is a joke?

So, they do their best to be fair, but even they can admit that none of this is perfect. But when you rank the worst cornerbacks in the league on several different categories (YAC, Success Rate, and Yards per Pass) and you see the same names showing up? It’s a decent indicator that those guys aren’t very good.

Houston Texans first-round pick Kareem Jackson had a particularly tough year. While he isn’t in the bottom ten for Success Rate, he is numero uno on the lists of worst YAC and worst Yards per Pass. Although, we probably didn’t need stats to know that Jackson was horrific last year. He was the poster child of a terrible secondary.

Surprise, surprise, DeAngelo Hall of the Washington Redskins made the top three on all three lists. People see that he picks off some passes (or listen to him speak about how great he is) and think he’s a good player. I’ve thought he was a fraud for years.

Another guy who showed up on all three lists is Baltimore Ravens CB Fabian Washington. Remember when the Oakland Raiders traded up in the first round of the 2005 draft? They traded up right in front of the Green Bay Packers. “Oh! They’re going to grab the sliding Aaron Rodgers!” Nope, they took Fabian Washington, the corner from Nebraska who had great speed but that many draftniks said “lacked ball skills.” Sooooo…..he’s just a fast guy that’s not really good at football? It would seem so, even six years after the fact. And when you stink up the joint with a front seven like the Ravens have, then yeah…that’s pretty bad.

Another guy we’d like to bring up is Dallas Cowboys corner Mike Jenkins (all the guys I’ve singled out are former first-round picks, just FYI). Cowboys fans don’t need no stinkin’ numbers to tell them that Jenkins blew hamsters last year. He’s in the top five on two of these lists, not appearing on the YAC list. So maybe he’s a decent tackler. Now, he just needs to learn not to tackle people before they catch the ball.

Thanks to FootballOutsiders.com for putting these lists together. You really should check out their site.

With league transactions ceasing tonight at midnight barring an extension of the CBA, the Washington Redskins were able to slip in a fairly big signing right at the zero hour. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the ‘Skins signed former Rams safety O.J. Atogwe.

It’s reportedly a five-year, $26 million deal, but who really knows with football contracts? Some of that will be guaranteed and it’s borderline impossible to tell how much of that $26 million he’ll actually see over the life of the deal.

The Rams released Atogwe recently because they didn’t want to pay him an $8 million roster bonus. We don’t blame them.

However, that doesn’t mean Atogwe isn’t a nice player. He has 44 turnovers over the past five years, ranking third behind only Ed Reed and Charles Woodson amongst NFL defensive backs.

Oh boy. Either there are some opportunistic folks down in the Washington D.C. area trying to make a few bucks, or Albert Haynesworth’s behavior has taken a significant turn for the worse. About a week and a half ago, a man accused the Washington Redskins defensive tackle of getting out of his car and assaulting him.

And now? A waitress claims that Haynesworth sexually assaulted her at a W Hotel in D.C. OTR has heard that when Ben Roethlisberger first heard about this, he called Kevin Colbert immediately to see if Albert was available this offseason and if the Steelers were interested in adding him.

Photo Caption: Haynesworth has been known to cop feels on NFL fields as well, frequently massaging opponents’ ear lobes.

Haynesworth’s agent Chad Speck, who seems to be awfully busy making comments to the media these days, gave NBC Washington a statement.

“There seems to be no truth to these allegations,” agent Speck said. “We are currently evaluating facts and considering our own legal action against those involved.”

This is what is in the police report according to NBC Washington:

According to a police report obtained by NBC Washington, the waitress stated that her hands were full carrying glasses as she was clearing the table at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

She said that “Subject 1″ tried to pay his bill by giving her his credit card, but he asked if it was OK to stick the card in her blouse near her breast area. She nodded her head yes and, according to the report, she said he then placed the card into her blouse gently, sliding the card further into her left side of the blouse and then started to caress her breast.

Well….okay. We don’t approve of this kind of behavior, but it hardly fits into what we were thinking when we first heard “sexual assault.” If this is true, he definitely shouldn’t be playing games of “Grab Ass” with women’s breasts, but we should probably ease up in the reporting of this (us included). He hardly gave her the Big Ben.

As of now, pol

Either you really can’t go out to a club as an NFL player and not get messed with, or these dudes are hanging out at the wrong clubs, at the wrong times, with the wrong people. Washington Redskins return man Brandon Banks was involved in a double stabbing that left him with superficial knife wounds, and his friend in critical condition.

The incident took place at 3 a.m. in the D.C. nightclub “The Park.” Remind us never to pop on by late night to see the ladies are getting crunk.

Police say that the argument started around 3 a.m., and then escalated to where this dude took out a knife and stabbed Banks and his friend. The suspect is currently in police custody. As of Satuday afternoon, Banks’ friend remains in critical condition. The stabber is probably praying to dear god that he pulls through. Big difference between assault with a deadly weapon and/or attempted murder than getting murder one.

The always-prescient Banks tweeted at 1 a.m. that, “park gonna b to much for me tonight.”

Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has had his share of incidents since entering the NFL in 2002. Chalk this one up to being the latest. According to the Washington Post, the 29-year old has been charged with simple assault regarding a road rage incident on the Fairfax County Parkway.

A Redskins executive was surprised by the news.

“This is the first I’m hearing about this,” Tony Wyllie, Redskins senior vice president, told Jason Reid. “At this time, we need to gather information.”

What he could have said was: “Albeeerrrrt…..I’m not sure who you are talking about. Oh, Haynesworth? Oh the dickhead, yeah I know him. He can do whatever he wants as far as we’re concerned. He sure as shit won’t be back with us. And you can run and tell that, homeboy!”

Photo Caption: If he wasn’t such an a-hole, you’d almost feel bad for him.

So, according to officer Shelley Broderick, Haynesworth’s pickup truck was traveling south behind a 1994 Civic. Apparently, the Civic dude thought Haynesworth was tailgaiting, so he made a non-verbal gesture to make him back off. When the two vehicles came up to the stoplight, Haynesworth apparently did something that Doug Llewelyn would not approve of.

Apparently, he got out of his car, approached the Civic and started shouting, and then he struck the 38-year old driver of the Civic. The driver was able to identify Haynesworth as the troubled Redskins player.

How did he identify him? The police showed up and asked Haynesworth to mime a football player dogging it out on the field. The Civic driver instantly screamed out, “That’s him! That’s him! I’ve seen that circus before! That’s him!”

Haynesworth is apparently out of town right now, but the Post indicates that he’s planning on turning himself in next week on simple assault charges. The charges come with a maximum 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Washington Redskins QB Donovan McNabb has been doing some guest hosting or whatever for ESPN this week down in Dallas at the Super Bowl. As such, he’s getting asked about what is happening with him and the Redskins.

“As of right now, I’m definitely a Washington Redskin,” McNabb told Mike Tirico. “I signed a contract to be with them the next couple of years, and that’s the way I’m treating it as such. And I think the way of approaching it myself is to make sure that this offseason I focus on being a better quarterback and being ready for the 2011 season.”

Surely, McNabb can’t think that he’ll be with the team this season, can he? Has he even heard from the team at this point?

“I haven’t talked to them,” McNabb said. “On business aspects, that’s when Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen and Fletcher Smith — my agent — get a chance to sit down and talk that aspect. But for the physical standpoint, I’ll just make sure that I’m ready when the time comes if we are playing this year to be ready to step in and have fun.”

If everything is honky dory, what is there to discuss? McNabb has a contract already (year right).

“For Fletcher Smith, as well as Bruce and Mike, they’ll get a chance to sit down and iron some things out, and after the evaluation — they’ve been evaluating the last several weeks — hear their answer as to what we’re doing next,” McNabb said. “And we’ll go from there.”

Tirico then asked Donovan if he could return to Washington.

“Well, you know, there’s a lot of things that has to be answered for all parties,” he said. “At this particular time, I think it’s important for all parties to keep everything low right now. What’s less said is better and then from now on when the time comes to sit down, kind of iron it out and be able to move forward.”

Always the diplomat. Still, does anyone really think that he and the Shanahan’s can co-exist at this point? He knows they can’t.

I’ve been saying this for months and getting considerable amounts of opposition. The Philadelphia Eagles need to take a serious look at Albert Haynesworth.

Photo Caption:  “Not according to my bank account, sukka!”

We all know that Fat Albert aka ”Hey, Hey,  Haynesworth” would come with some baggage and a few character concerns. C’mon… lets be honest with ourselves. We would all put up with a little extra aggravation and attitude from our girlfriend/wife if her name was Eva Longoria.

My point is that the upside in Haynesworth exceeds the downside. He is an absolute playmaking beast in a 4-3 scheme. Imagine a 6’6″, 335 lb. defensive tackle disrupting the backfield and drawing constant double teams. Think it might free up others on the line? Everyone in Philadelphia constantly bitches about lack of pressure from the front four. Well, there is an opportunity staring you right in the face in Haynesworth.

There is no doubt that he was unmotivated in Washington. Playing for a “my way or the highway” coach who implements a 3-4 scheme, despite having 4-3 personnel, certainly created friction. Haynesworth was an All-Pro 4-3 tackle who was not only forced out of position, but convinced that running 100 yard dashes was important. I don’t know about you, but if my defensive tackle has to make a play 30 yards downfield… I’ve got some bigger issues on my hands.

If Washington cuts ties (and he doesn’t return to Tennessee), offer him a two-year incentive laden contract with some money upfront. If you don’t think he has a chip on his shoulder and something to prove, you’re missing the boat. Not only will he look to prove to the NFL that he is still a force inside, but he gets to face Washington twice a year. You don’t want him on your side?

Say what you want, but if the Skins let him go…I want him in Philadelphia. Remember everyone who said they didn’t want Michael Vick? A motivated Haynesworth can impact a defense in the same fashion.

Who knows how good the numbers could be of San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis if he had anyone remotely competent throwing the ball to him? Surely, he can’t wait for the Niners to be done with the Alex Smith’s and Troy Smith’s of the world.

His preference for next year? Washington Redskins QB Donovan McNabb.

“Oh, man, I’d love to catch passes from Donovan McNabb,” Davis says on the T.O. Ocho Show, which airs tonight on some network at some time.

Davis said that he looks forward to whatever quarterback the Niners get this offseason, “but having Donovan McNabb, that would be outstanding.”

It’s possible that he’ll get his wish. Jim Harbaugh will be running a West Coast offense that McNabb would be very familiar with. However, there will be several teams interested in his services. One would have to think that the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and maybe the Minnesota Vikings will kick McNabb’s tires.

The Washington Redskins do have their share of characters on their team. However, these characters need to learn to make headlines with their play on the field and not things like benchings, not showing up to offseason workouts or assaulting women in nightclubs.

And that’s the latest one. Sources tell TMZ that tight end Fred Davis has been accused of assaulting a woman in a D.C.-area nightclub.

The woman claims that Davis approached her in an “aggressive” manner and grabbed her. So, she threw a drink on him. Makes sense.

A short time later, she claims, he came back to return the favor and throw a drink on her. Then, she says, that he struck her in the lip with an object. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ that it was a champagne bottle. Makes even more sense.

Davis is scheduled to meet with police today, and so far, no charges have been filed against the 2008 second-round pick.

We all know the situation with Albert Haynesworth in Washington. The Redskins gave him a ton of money despite numerous indications in the past that he was a turd. Then, when Albert acted turdish, the Redskins seemed shocked.

He was sent home for the final four games of the season and it’s clear that his time in Washington is over. However, NFL sources tell the Washington Post that it’s highly unlikely that the team will simply cut him.

But, what would they really get for him? He’s due a base salary next year of $5.4 million, but it isn’t guaranteed. They supposedly tried trading him to the team that knows him best (the Titans), and they wouldn’t cough up a fourth rounder. So, why would someone else give up even more? They are probably staring down the barrel of a fifth-round pick this offseason, and they should probably be happy to get that.

“Moving forward, I don’t know what happens,” said defensive end Vonnie Holliday when asked about his friend Haynesworth’s status. “But I hope that he uses this as some type of motivation – if he’s here, or wherever he is – to take it to that next level and to play, and he learns and grows from this.”

“I think there has to be some closure to the situation. . . . They [have to] have an opportunity to talk things out,” Holliday said. “. . . With the suspension, they didn’t get a chance to talk or communicate exactly what they were both feeling, and the reasons why, and hopefully they’ll come to some conclusion after this meeting.”

Regardless, he’s gone.

Donovan McNabb’s agent, Fletcher Smith, came out recently and blasted the Washington Redskins and their treatment of his client. He said a bunch of stuff that we all knew that McNabb agreed with, but that the QB denied to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

“I believe there is tension between Donovan and Kyle that’s rooted in the fact that Donovan has suggested modifications to Kyle’s offense based on intricacies Donovan has learned in his NFL career,” Smith said. “For example, Donovan has asked all year that the team run more screen passes to help manage the pass rush more effectively. Ironically, Kyle decided to employ Donovan’s suggestions after he unceremoniously benched him on Sunday.”

Photo Caption: It probably went in the dirt.

“While Donovan’s feelings about Washington remain the same, the Shanahans -both Mike and more specifically Kyle – have made this an extremely difficult relationship to maintain,” Smith wrote. “Their comments have been beyond disrespectful and unprecedented for a six-time Pro Bowl quarterback such as Donovan.”

But now, McNabb has come out and stated that yes, he agrees with what his agent was saying (like we didn’t already know that).

“I support my agent and his thoughts,” McNabb said on ESPN 980.

“Would I like to be the quarterback here? Yes, absolutely,” he said. “Things would obviously have to change,” he added. “Relationships would have to be better. Conversations would have to be better.”

McNabb said that he went through Smith’s comments and was fine with them.

“When I read the whole thing, I didn’t see nothing wrong with it,” he noted with improper grammar.

So yeah, McNabb won’t be in Washinton next year.