'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Washington is scheduled to pick Friday in the second and third rounds (51st and 85th overall). The club's greatest needs are in the defensive secondary. We take a look at some players who could fill those needs Friday, according to top draft analysts.
Washington tried twice in free agency to sign a top cornerback but could not complete a deal with Aqib Talib, who re-signed with New England, or Antoine Winfield, who chose Seattle after visiting Redskins Park. On Friday, though, the Redskins can handpick their man.
Rob Jackson is a big man. So big, in fact, you wouldn't think a quarterback could miss the 6-foot-4, 266-pound outside linebacker camped in the middle of the field with all the subtlety of an elephant.
Losing back-to-back games — on the final play of regulation last week and in overtime on Sunday — is no way to begin your stretch run. It's also no way to bolster your argument for consideration as an elite quarterback.
The Redskins have won three games in a row and suddenly look like contenders. But the players made one thing clear: They have not accomplished anything yet.
Brandon Meriweather returned to the Washington Redskins' defense two Sundays ago just long enough to tease them with hard evidence of what might have been.
DeAngelo Hall's teammates enthusiastically lifted him from the Cowboys Stadium turf Thursday, knowing their contribution to the Washington Redskins' winning formula was significant even before halftime.
An already depleted Washington Redskins defense could be without two cornerstone starters Thursday, in addition to the season-ending injury to safety Brandon Meriweather.
Early in the season, it looked like the Washington Redskins could be special. They won at New Orleans and might have been 2-0 if not for a Joshua Morgan personal-foul penalty and some other mistakes.
The early-season excitement, the euphoria surrounding Robert Griffin III is gone. The Washington Redskins' fast start and unexpected promise has evaporated. Hope that a change was at hand in Mike Shanahan's third season at the helm has disappeared.
DeAngelo Hall is not a quarterback, and Eli Manning is not a rocket scientist. That much was clear Wednesday when the former Pro Bowl cornerback and the reigning Super Bowl MVP traded barbs while continuing the post-mortem of Manning's 77-yard touchdown pass that lifted the New York Giants to a 27-23 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday.
Mike Shanahan came to his weekly Monday news conference with a mental inventory of everything the Washington Redskins' defense did well a day earlier in their 27-23 loss to the New York Giants.
In the Washington Redskins' locker room late Sunday afternoon, amid the dazed looks and downcast eyes, Barry Cofield said something interesting: "We get to finger-pointing this early in the season, it can be a disaster."
Robert Griffin III trudged off the field alone late Sunday afternoon. All but one of his Washington Redskins teammates had disappeared into the locker room after the New York Giants ripped out their collective heart in the cruelest fashion.
Madieu Williams used whatever footing he had left last Sunday to dive for the end zone as he was pushed out of bounds. The Washington Redskins' free safety finished his interception return by extending the ball with both hands. Sure enough, he knocked over the pylon. And when Williams got up and saw the referee signaling a touchdown, the celebration was on.
"Now all the records are thrown out and we're starting over," cornerback Josh Wilson said. "We're just going in here and concentrating on Seattle, moving past last night's victory because every game from now on gets us to more and more important stuff."
Redskins’ celebration gives way to focusing on clash with Seahawks →
"Even though they got that hometown clock work that left one second on there," cornerback Josh Wilson said, "as soon as he threw the ball, I knew the game was over."
After earlier losses, Redskins finally pull out a close one →
