It has been a busy off-season for the Washington Redskins, which is centered on the acquisition of Donovan McNabb. Some think that McNabb will lead the Redskins to new heights, but it is difficult to think this is true because he will not have too much to work with. From a coaching perspective, Mike Shanahan is at the top. The offensive line is garbage, and the wide receiving core is past their prime.

But Redskins fans are hoping that their running backs will produce. On paper, a running back trio comprised of Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker looks good. But in reality, it is not. After some productive seasons, Willie Parker does not provide too much. And, injuries always come into question. With Larry Johnson, the risk has essentially no reward to lead to. He only averaged 3.3 yards per carry last year, and is absolutely a team distraction. Portis is a good player, but is coming off of a bad injury, and is aging a little bit, in terms of running-back standards.

The Redskins will certainly be a better team this year. At the very least, Donovan McNabb will provide a spark. But in reality, he has big names to hand off the ball to. That doesn’t mean those players will produce.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Even though the Washington Redskins have added Larry Johnson and Willie Parker to a backfield that includes Clinton Portis, the team has invited Brian Westbrook for a visit on Wednesday, according to sources.

Westbrook comes highly recommended by his former Eagles teammate, Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb, who apparently has made his case for the running back since McNabb was acquired by Washington in a trade, a source said.

Westbrook, who was released by the Eagles in February, has passed a physical with the St. Louis Rams, where he also has a familiarity with offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, a former Eagles assistant.

Westbrook’s ailments that have passed physical screenings include knee and ankle injuries, as well as multiple concussions.

Click here to read the full article – By Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com

ESPN.com is reporting that Donovan McNabb is lobbying for the Redskins to sign free agent reciever Terrell Owens. This report is somewhat suprising as McNabb and Owens had a rather rocky ending to their time together in Philly. Although McNabb and Owens barely spoke to one another by the end of the 2005 season, the duo had a great deal of sucess during their brief stint in Philadelphia. In Owens’ first season as an Eagle, the team reached the Super Bowl and Owens and McNabb each had arguably their best season as a pro, despite Owens missing the final two games of the season due to a broken ankle.

Owens and McNabb reportedly talked about reuniting during a filming of the Spike TV show “Pros V. Joes” in the early spring. While the move would bring on a ton of media attention and scrutiny, the Redskins undoubtedly need a big play wide reciever. The Redskins ranked towards the bottom of the NFL in touchdowns from wide recievers. Even though Devin Thomas started to come into his own towards the end of last season, the Redskins could surely use another big wide reciever. If they were to sign Owens, a trio of Santana Moss, Devin Thomas and Owens is an upgrade over the reciving corp of recent years.

by Josh Weiner at the Sports Fan Blog Network

If you take a look at Donovan McNabb’s career, he seems to be a top level quarterback in the NFL. Not to knock on Jason Campbell or anything but I see McNabb helping the Redskins reach the playoffs this year. I know it is early and the season has not started but on paper the team looks strong. With the addition of Larry Johnson and Willie Parker, the running back spot looks top notch. The receivers look to be in good shape and you can never complain about their tight end core.

The one area I think needs work would be the offensive line. If they work a little harder during the off season I believe they can be at a level that can help them succeed this season. It is not always about getting new players, sometimes you just have to work with what you have and make those players better.

Although many expected the Redskins to sign former Broncos quarterback Chris Simms, Washington made a different move at the position.

The Redskins reached agreement Wednesday with former Bears and Texans quarterback Rex Grossman on a one-year deal, the team announced.

The deal reunites Grossman, 29, with Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who also spent last season in Houston.

Grossman, whose career stats include 33 touchdowns, 36 interceptions and 6,197 throwing yards, led the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl after the 2006 season.

But he played in only 12 games the next two seasons, and left the Bears as a free agent in 2009.

Click here to read the full article – By Adam Schefter of ESPN.com

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Washington Redskins 20 Inch Double Sided Window Light-Up Player

Washington Redskins NFL Candy Cane Ornament Set of 6

Washington Redskins NFL Gnome Christmas Ornament

The Washington Redskins are shuffling their lineup again after losing their strong safety and right tackle to multiweek injuries.

In addition, Clinton Portis is recovering from a concussion and is doubtful to play in next week’s game against Denver.

Safety Chris Horton damaged a ligament in his left big toe during Sunday’s 31-17 loss to Atlanta. He’s out a minimum of four to six weeks — and it will be four to six months if a specialist decides the toe needs surgery.

Offensive lineman Mike Williams, who has started the last four games, is out two to four weeks after tearing a ligament in his ankle. He will also see a specialist but doesn’t expect to require surgery.

Portis took a helmet-to-helmet blow as he was tackled at the end of a running play during the first quarter on Sunday. He will undergo a test Tuesday to help determine his availability for the Broncos game.


Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Washington Redskins Sports Memorabilia
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Redskins fans got the weekend off. Mercifully, they were allowed to rake leaves, ready the garage for winter or watch more functional NFL teams compete last Sunday, which was Washington’s bye week.

What’s coming out of Ashburn, Va., these days has become almost comical. I write “almost” because I know for many loyal followers of the burgundy and gold, it’s not funny. A franchise that boasts five world titles, including three Super Bowls, and 17 Hall of Famers in its history shouldn’t be subjected to the increasingly frequent and loud calls for change.

Those calls aren’t directed at the embattled head coach, Jim Zorn, though. He seems to have earned sympathy points from many around the league, although it is quite clear that he is in over his head and needs a change of scenery. The masses are turning on the one person who can’t be fired — the owner.


Click here to read the full article – By Keith Schleiden of profootballweekly.com

The Jim Zorn era in Washington effectively came to an end on an unusually cold, windy afternoon before 12,000 empty seats and 79,000 angry, bundled-up customers. The coach hired for his offensive expertise couldn’t generate any points in the first half against a winless team at home for the second time in three weeks.

After Sunday’s 14-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Zorn apparently will coach again next Monday against the Philadelphia Eagles – but only after giving up the cherished playcalling part of his duties at the request of executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato, who met with the coach Sunday evening with the blessing of owner Dan Snyder.

The Redskins infamously haven’t scored 30 points in any of Zorn’s 22 games. Struggling so mightily against the likes of the Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers will earn a coach a pink slip, whether that comes after a loss to the Eagles that drops the Redskins to 2-5 or at the end of a season that’s rapidly heading toward a train wreck of a finish.

One switch that happened Sunday, the halftime benching of quarterback Jason Campbell for Todd Collins, received a ringing endorsement from the crowd but produced only brief dividends with a 42-yard bomb to Santana Moss that set up a field goal, leaving a quandary at the position for the Philadelphia game.


Click here to read the full article – By David Elfin of Washingtontimes.com

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Washington Redskins NFL Field Classic Polo Shirt

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Washington Redskins The Foundation 2009 Sideline Tee

Between them, DeAngelo Hall and Steve Smith have four Pro Bowl selections, four head-to-head matchups and some serious bad blood.

Hall, the Washington Redskins’ No. 1 cornerback, and Smith, the Carolina Panthers’ No. 1 receiver, will renew a relationship Sunday that’s more than mere acquaintance.

The 5-foot-9 Smith and the 5-10 Hall are both undersized for the NFL, helping fuel passions that sometimes boil over – as they did Sept. 23, 2007, at the Georgia Dome.

Hall, then with the Atlanta Falcons, was penalized 37 yards for interfering with Smith on a bomb, 15 for holding him on the next play and 15 more for taunting him three plays later to set up a game-tying touchdown in the third quarter. Carolina, which trailed 17-10 before Hall lost his composure, won 27-20 despite Smith catching just one pass for 6 yards.


Click here to read the full article – By David Elfin of The Washington Times

Below are links to memorabilia available for DeAngelo Hall.