FanHouse JesseLumsden

Two weekends to go before the regular season openers and the Redskins are still shuffling around with the roster. RB Jesse Lumsden and CB Dimitri Patterson were released to make room for the signings of punter Eddie Johnson and DB Vernon Fox.

With the trade to bring in TJ Duckett and Lumsden fighting off nagging injuries, the move wasn't too much of a surprise. The backfield was already considered crowded with Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright and Mike Sellers (who's actually a FB). Once Portis returned, though, there wasn't much expectations for Lumsden to get carries during the games anyway.

Patterson more than likely will end up on the practice squad if he goes unsigned. He did record an interception against the Dallas Cowboys last year late in the season and saw some action due to injuries, but he hasn't stood out enough to be worthy of a roster spot yet. Vernon Fox will be brought in to compete at the safety position. Other than starters Sean Taylor and Adam Archuleta, the safeties are Pierson Prioleau and rookie Reed Doughty. If Fox performs well enough, all the warm fuzzy feelings for Doughty could come to an end. He has had some solid moments, but he's still riddled with rookie mistakes, and the Redskins aren't looking to rebuild this year. Fox is a fifth-year player, playing in 56 games in his career bringing some experience at the position. He has played for the San Diego Chargers and the Detroit Lions.

The move to bring in a punter was less of a surprise and more of a relief. Frost has been consistently inconsistent so far, just like last year, and could get a foot in the rear if he doesn't get his foot out his own rear. The only question with this move is why did it take so long? Then again, looking at incoming punter Johnson's stats, he played in 14 games as a rookie for Minnesota and had 56 punts for a frosty 39.1 yard average.

The Washington Redskins just completed a three-team trade sending a 3rd round pick to the Denver Broncos, who then sent WR Ashlie Lelie to the Atlanta Falcons, who then sent RB T.J. Duckett to the Redskins!

With Clinton Portis' shoulder injury (which we're still wondering just how serious it is) and Ladell Betts constantly fighting off a nagging injury and Rock Cartwright being the same size as Gary Coleman and Mike Sellers having three other jobs on the team (if not four or even five) and Jesse Lumsden also recovery from an injury (if he even makes the team) – well, I guess how could we resist?

Duckett was being used less and less in Atlanta with Warrick Dunn proving he's more than just a scatback. And when the quarterback outruns you in yardage, just how good could you be? I know, unfair question since that QB is Mike Vick. But Atlanta was desperate for a WR, especially after the failed experiment called Peerless Price a while back and the current injury to Brian Finneran. And Ashley Lelie has been pouting ever since the Broncos acquired Javon Walker from the Green Bay Packers. Everything just all fell in place. Right?

Then again, maybe it's a sign that Portis' injury is worse than we thought.

Also see Lelie to Falcons, Broncos Trying to Break Lelie's Pockets, Who Needs Him Anyway? and Making Some Sense of the Trade-A-Troi.

Everyone knows that to compete for an NFL playoff spot, you have to be able to run the ball on offense and stop the run on defense. Well, the Washington Redskins have suffered injuries in both preseason games that greatly affects this formula. In the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals, RB Clinton Portis went down with a shoulder injury. In the first quarter against the New York Jets, DT Cornelius Griffin went down with a knee injury.

With Clinton Portis uncertain for the season opener, the Redskins could begin the year aiming to at least do enough. And that's in addition to losing RB Kerry Carter for the season, RB Ladell Betts recuperating from nagging injuries and RB Jesse Lumsden nursing a groin injury. RB Rock Cartwright is the size of a smurf and isn't built to handle a full load, and FB Mike Sellers, well, he's a FB (though he looked good carrying the load for three carries against the Jets).

Stopping the run will already be harder without Griffin, but then you have to consider DE Phillip Daniels' back injury, CB Shawn Springs' abdomen injury, the loss of LB Chris Clemons for the season, CB Ade Jimoh's chest injury and CB Kenny Wright playing like CB Walt Harris did last year.

With a couple of weeks to go before the season's first Monday Night game between the Redskins and the Minnesota Vikings, perhaps some of the wounded warriors will be ready to go. The injuries for the most part are minor, but none of the injured have played a full 60-minute head-knocking game in months. If we're going to make a run for the Vince Lombardi Trophy, either trainer Bubba Tyer is going to have to find a miracle cure or someone is going to have to step up and offensively make sure we're still churning yards out on the ground game and defensively making sure no runningback carries the rock past the line of hemorrhage without getting their heads busted.