Football

Redskins Gamble on Rambo Despite Their Own Substance Abuse Problems " CBS DCThe Washington Redskins have rolled the dice in the draft on Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo despite struggling with a bevvy of substance abuse problems of their own. Will RG3 be ready for Redskins camp? GM isn't certain - NFL.comBruce Allen wants to see Robert Griffin III back on the field as much as anyone, but the Washington Redskins GM isn't making any predictions about the QB's return to the field. CAMPBELL: RG3 has chance to head off potential image problem - Washington TimesWhat he wrote Sunday on Twitter to thank fans for their unsolicited purchases from his wedding registry was a nice gesture. We like our heroes humble, and D.C. has no greater icon these days than RG3. To know he cherishes the jerky maker and the corn peeler and the napkins is reassuring. But the picture Griffin posted with the thank-you message was a bad look. 5 Free Agents the Redskins Should Consider | Fanspeak Washington Redskins BlogA look at five free agents still on the market that would make sense for the Redskins. 5 Free Agents the Redskins Should Consider: Part II | Fanspeak Washington Redskins BlogPart 1 | Part 2 3. Larry Grant- -The Redskins are counting on London Fletcher to give them one more season, but the reality is that could be a lot to ask. Alfred Morris OK with Redskins Plans; Seeks Advice on Avoiding ‘Sophomore Slump’ " CBS DCNobody expected Alfred Morris to have the record-setting rookie season that he did. Now, as the Washington Redskins regroup in Ashburn, Morris wants to make sure he doesn't have a sophomore slump. The Redskins Blog | Under The Radar Special Teams Ace Redskins-Cowboys: Just The TouchdownsThe Washington Redskins scored nine touchdowns in a season sweep of their arch-rival Dallas Cowboys in 2012. Here's a look back at the cornucopia of scoring. Countdown to OTAs: Who plays free safety? | Comcast SportsNet Washington Will the Redskins retool the offense? | Comcast SportsNet WashingtonEven though their offense was one of the better attacks in the NFL last year, the Redskins are going to change their offense in 2013. The only question is, how much? RG3: Thank you Redskins fans for wedding gifts - NFL.comHow's this for fan loyalty? Washington Redskins fans helped buy all of the items on Robert Griffin III and Rebecca Liddicoat's wedding registry at Bed Bath & Beyond. Need to Know: Is clarity coming from RG3? - Rich Tandler's Real RedskinsHere is what you need to know on this Tuesday, May 21, 65 days before Redskins start training camp. RG3 to speak Robert Griffin III will talk to the media that covers the Redskins as a group for the first time since his press conference after the Redskins’ playoff loss to the Seahawks on Jan. 6. Griffin has been seen frequently since he had his right knee surgically reconstructed three days after that game. He was in New Orleans to... Redskins Legends Gather on Maryland’s Eastern Shore | Hog BlogsLast night, I had the chance to head across the Chesapeake Bay to take in the 9th Annual Mickey Steele Poker Tournament, which honors a fallen friend of former NFL looks to change draft date | Comcast SportsNet Washington

  The Miami Dolphinskicked off OTAs (Organized Team Activities)yesterday. The team is scheduled to complete OTAs May 20-23, May 29-31 and June 3-6. This will be the first time we will see the new-look Miami Dolphins in action after a complet

Miami Dolphins defensive players play paintball to build unity and comradery on and off the football field.

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Tuesday that they have hired former cornerback Chidi Iwuoma to the personnel department as a BLESTO scout and that Mike Butler will now become a college scout. Iwuoma was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2001 out of California, but played for the Steelers from 2002-2006. While he never started a game for the Steelers on the defensive side of the football, he was a special teams ace and he served as the special teams co-captain in both 2004 and 2005. During his time in Pittsburgh, Iwuoma registered 62 special teams tackles, Read more [...]

When Eagles coach Chip Kelly was trying to downplay the significance of offseason snap counts, he joked: “Someone charted them, I would imagine.” That they have, and it’s obvious that Kelly’s trying to keep his quarterback job competitive for as long as possible. According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Nick Foles took 21…

Nov. 25, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA: Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett against the St. Louis Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Most coaches, whether it be the NFL, college or high school, have the idea that teams need to have one base defense.  Why? Perhaps it is easier to assign players to positions and have them work on that one specific position.  Perhaps it makes scheming for other team easier. But what if you have the talent to run multiple fronts?  When I think of a defense I think of a boxer.  It is great to have a good jab, but what good is a jab if you do not have a straight to go behind it? Most boxing fans know that the jab is not a huge punch, but it is a great punch to gain rhythm. Having a straight power punch allows you to effectively use the jab. Then again perhaps you have a great jab and a good straight hand, and no hook or uppercut?  I am sure you see where I am going with this.  All great boxers are able to throw the jab, straight hand, hook and or the uppercut effectively.  It allows different types of combinations of punches to be thrown always keeping your opponent off-balance. The Arizona Cardinals’ defense is entering a year with a new defensive coordinator in Todd Bowles, who is used to running a 4-3 alignment.  The problem is, he is taking over a defense built to run a 3-4 alignment. Both are very effective when ran correctly and from a personnel standpoint makes sense to run both.  Most players coming out of college were groomed on the defensive side of the ball to run a four-man front. But you are seeing more and more that they are being taken from what they have known since youth football and thrown into a new alignment with expectations not only from the fans but from the owners and coaches as well. Now a paycheck is involved. For example, take O’Brien Schofield. He was a dominant force as a defensive end at Wisconsin in a four-man front.  And since he has been in the NFL, he has struggled to pick up the concept and positioning of a OLB in a 3-4 alignment. He is a below average defender in a 3-4 but may be a force in a 4-3. When looking at the guys up front the Cardinals have Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett and Dan Williams as the front three. Bringing down Schofield or Sam Acho from the OLB spot to the DE spot allows them to put their hand on the ground and play how they used to. Thinking is not a part of what comes naturally, so they would be able to do what the Cardinals expected them to do coming out of college; play strong and play fast. Dockett would serve better to play in a multiple-front alignment as well.  He was known as a beast in the middle prior to Horton coming in and moving him to the outside. With Bowles in place, the word is that Dockett will be played more on the inside, allowing him to beat guys off the line of scrimmage. Using a four-man front would allow the Cardinals to tinker with Dockett, Williams and Campbell. The secondary could benefit from a multiple-front as well, especially in third-down situations.  With Patrick Peterson coming off a Pro Bowl year and the addition of Antoine Cason and Jerraud Powers not to mention the addition of Tyrann Matthew, guys should be able to make plays due to pressure up front being provided by guys who are now in a more natural position. Eliminating the space the 3-4 can create by using a four-man front (a 4-3) will help reduce lanes for the opposing running back to choose from.  The Arizona Cardinals had one of the worse rush defense in the NFL last year so mixing up the fronts could provide an extra piece of confusion the opposing offensive coordinator would have to contend with. The Arizona Cardinals by using multiple fronts would provide the arsenal needed to improve on their already good defense. So, using different formations along with the scheming should help turn the defense from a fighter fighting on ESPN on Friday nights to fighting

December 2, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein (4) looks on after kicking the game winning field goal during overtime against the San Francisco 49ers at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis defeated San Francisco 16-13 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports While the bulk of fans of the NFL will wait until August for the start of the season, some will start a little early, with the beginning of Fantasy Football season. In the past, it has been difficult as a loyal Rams’ follower to go through the draft, watching as the entire St. Louis’ roster remained in the “available” column. Aside from Steven Jackson, there hasn’t been a player on the team that would deserve serious consideration for a first or second pick in the draft. Has that changed? Maybe not, but, for the first time in a half a decade, it wouldn’t be unfathomable to see a couple of Rams find a home in the starting lineup. While it is still a bit early for projections about the 2013 season, it is not too early to see where some of the top Fantasy “rankers” have St. Louis’ players listed… According to FantasySharks.com, Sam Bradford is ranked as the 24th projected fantasy quarterback next season, good for last place in the NFC West. They predict a 3,800 yard season, with 24 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions. That might be good news for those looking for a backup quarterback in some of the latter rounds; one that might prove to be valuable trade bait by the midpoint of the season if the offense gets the jumpstart expected with the new acquisitions. Switching over to running backs, the Rams’ three-headed-monster has been broken down into its individual pieces. Zac Stacy is the top ranked St. Louis Ram on the list, which hints at the role that some believe he will have in the offense; short-yardage and goal-line. Anyone that had Matt Forte on their roster last season (myself included) regularly cursed the existence of Michael Bush on the Bear’ depth chart, stealing touchdown after touchdown in the red zone. However, these rankers are projecting Stacy to not only lead the ground game with six touchdowns, but in rushing yards as well. If I were consulting, I would put Stacy at the top of my fantasy board too, at least in terms of Rams’ players. However, unless you have a deep, DEEP roster in your league, the smart move would be to shy away from Daryl Richardson, Isaiah Pead, and Stacy. Now comes the interesting group… the wide receivers. According to Fantasy Sharks, the top ranking Ram in this draft is Tavon Austin, ranked 26th overall among wide receivers. Their massive projection for him in 2013 includes 1,150 yards receiving on 80 receptions, with 7 touchdowns… not a bad year. You have to drop all the way down to the late-50s before the next Ram pops up, which is Chris Givens. Both players might be solid selections in the mid-rounds of a draft, but none deserve to be picked in the opening three rounds. Austin would be an enticing selection if individual players were allotted points for return yards, on either kickoff or punt. However, most leagues bundle a teams’ defense and special teams into a singular unit, meaning that Tavon Austin returning a kickoff for a touchdown won’t get you any points. Much like with the running backs, if you have a deep roster, it might not be a bad idea to snag a player like Chris Givens or Tavon Austin in the later rounds, if they are available. If you are a gambler, you might even take a flyer on Brian Quick, who was recently projected as a potential “break out” fantasy player by Pro Football Focus. At some point in the season, someone will emerge as Sam Bradford’s favorite target, with Danny Amendola now catching passes from Tom Brady in New England. However, it’s anyone’s guess who that player will be… In terms of tight ends, the Rams now have two viable f

At his introductory press conference at Bank of America Stadium last month, Star Lotulelei sat at the dais as a poised, humble, mature and (very) large man. Both head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Dave Gettleman extolled the virtues of not only getting a quality defensive tackle with the 14th overall pick, but also getting a mature 23-year-old who wouldn't succumb to the normal pitfalls that NFL rookies do. But the same Lotulelei that will take the field today on the first day of organized team activities is not the same one from Utah's Bingham High School, according to this account from the Salt Lake Tribune. In a column by Kurt Kragthrope, Lotulelei was described by high school coach as being a "lazy student" at one point in high school. The school also instituted what's known as the "Star Rule," raising the minimum GPA needed to play football from 2.0 to 2.5 after he didn't make the cut for BYU. We've documented Lotulelei's rise from a furniture mover to line mover at Utah in our paper before, but it's always interesting to get a different perspective from those who knew and covered him back then. --Jonathan Jones

ESPN NFL Analyst Adam Schefter reported Tuesday morning that Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo had a surgical procedure last month to remove a cyst on his back that could have him sitting out until the start of training camp. The exact cause of the injury or when it occurred is unknown at this time. But one thing is for sure: the pressure is cranking up in Big D. Nov 18, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) on the bench during the game against the Cleveland Browns at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports Romo will be held out of all the organized team activities that are scheduled for the next three weeks. Back-up quarterback Kyle Orton will take his place in the starting lineup. The news of this procedure is especially alarming as Romo has come under fire recently from owner/general manager Jerry Jones for a perceived lack of commitment. Jones wants Romo to show a more Peyton Manning-type work ethic, especially during the off-season and at practices. I’m sure sitting out all of the OTAs was not what Jones had in mind. The pressure on Romo to win this season has been compounded by the enormous six-year extension he signed  in March worth $108 million. And it appeared, as of late, that he had responded to the criticism by taking action. It seems that Romo has been more focused on football this off-season as he has elected not to play as much recreation golf as in the past. There have also been rumblings that Romo is stepping up by getting more involved in the play-calling decisions as well. The Cowboys do not believe that the injury to Romo’s back is long term. And a cyst on the back doesn’t seem like it would hinder the three-time Pro Bowler that much anyway. Especially, when you consider he has played with a broken rib and punctured lung before. So Romo being held out of OTAs seems to be just a standard precaution. The main question is: how will a three week lay-off effect the progress Romo has made so far this off-season? Guess, we’ll have to wait until training camp to find out.

Tony Romo had a nagging back issue and decided to take care of it now for precautionary reasons. But that means the Dallas Cowboys QB will be absent from organized team activities.