The Redskin Report

Ah, the off-season is officially upon us.

On Sunday, when the clock wound down at the Pro Bowl, it was time to put the 2005-06 season to bed for the last time. The players have headed home to recharge their batteries and to heal their bumps and bruises. And most football fans will now turn their attention to spring training baseball or college basketball to bide their time while the off-season drags on.

But in recent years, there has been no rest for the Redskin fan. The off-season was our time to shine. We’d be scouring the internet trying to hunt down the latest rumors of who’d be named the new coach or which big name free agent we’d be targeting. While the Redskins have been dubbed as the ‘Off-season Champions’, Redskins’ fans have in turn become experts of following the team’s various moves. Scour the message boards and not only will you find every rumor published, but you’ll also find fans tracking the Daniel Snyder’s private plane in an attempt to figure out what big move would come next.

But my fellow fan, I have something to tell you. It’s something you aren’t used to hearing, so brace yourself. This is going to be a boring off-season for our team. In fact the most exciting move may have already occurred with Al Saunders being named as the new offensive guru.

The only remaining intrigue is the Lavar situation and as time passes it becomes more likely that Arrington will remain with the team. If the Redskins were going to cut ties with Lavar, they’d likely have instructed him to look for a trade by now. It’s a pretty cut and dry issue with Arrington, and I don’t believe Gibbs and crew would have waited to make a decision. Now it’s entirely possible that Arrington has been instructed he’ll be moved or released this off-season and that the news has yet to be leaked out to the media. However, considering the history of both the Redskins and Arrington, it’s doubtful either side could keep it quiet for this long.

The rest of the moves are going to be straight forward. Patrick Ramsey will be traded and a wide receiver will be signed. You’d expect the Redskins to target a pass rusher either through free agency or the draft. A few depth players will be signed on the offensive line, and there will be a few other smaller moves. That’s about it, and you must admit that compared to previous years, it sounds pretty darn boring.

So what is a fan to do to pass the time? Debating who to pick at 53rd overall in the upcoming draft or if Joe Jurevicius is a good fit just aren’t enough to keep the average fan enthralled for more than 15 minutes. But when the boredom sets in, just remember that this lack of excitement in the spring and summer is going to lead to more playoff appearances and hopefully a few more January wins. And that’s one move we’d all happily accept.

In the Post:
NFL Considers a London Game
Jets want Pennington to take a pay cut; Kornheiser calls for a American hero (not football related, but this whole Bode Miller thing amuses me)