FanHouse Shaun Alexander

Earlier this week, EA Sports released the player ratings for Madden 10. And now, with the NFL Draft in the rearview, and nothing else to do between now and training camps, we'll ponder the important questions. Like: How is [Player who is obviously rated too high] rated above [Player who is obviously rated too low]?

It's fun and original!

Marvin Harrison has been out of work for six weeks now, and there's no reason to think that'll change anytime soon.

Teams have shown no interest in the 36-year-old, 13-year veteran and Hall of Fame lock. He barely cracked the top-10 in FanHouse's list of top available free agents, which is remarkable when you see such luminaries as Byron Leftwich, Cato June and Dre Bly ahead of him.

Former general manager and teevee talking head Charley Casserly seems unfazed by Harrison's unemployment.

I'm generally of the opinion that selecting a running back in the first round is a waste of money. Players of similar talent can be found later in the draft for a fraction of the salary-cap space, and it allows teams to address other, less fungible needs in the meantime.

There are exceptions, of course -- the Vikings and Adrian Peterson, the Rams and Steven Jackson, and the Chargers and LaDainian Tomlinson. But as we're constantly reminded, the NFL is a business with no room for sentimentality. Last offseason, the Seahawks dumped Shaun Alexander two years after he rushed for 1,880 yards, 27 touchdowns and was named league MVP.

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

Mike Holmgren has long been one of the primary identities of the Seattle Seahawks. He took them to the Super Bowl and made them a perennial winner of the NFC West. Then last year happened. As Holmgren's retirement tour rolled along, more and more injuries piled up, Seneca Wallace had to start at quarterback for a few games, and the Seahawks stumbled to a 4-12 record.

The Jaguars released running back Fred Taylor last week, in part because, as a 11-year veteran, he's already playing on borrowed time, but also to free up salary-cap space to extend Maurice Jones-Drew's contract.

It was a mildly surprising move but from a business perspective, also completely understandable. Unlike most 33-year-old running backs, Taylor looks to have plenty left in the tank. Where Shaun Alexander and, to a lesser degree, Edgerrin James, have lost a step, Taylor stills seems perfectly capable of juking or steamrolling a defender as needed. Which explains why the Patriots and Bills are interested in his services.

For the glass-half-full-types: one beneficiary of the Jaguars' decision to part ways with 11-year veteran Fred Taylor: Maurice Jones-Drew. The diminutive third-year player led the team in rushing last season, and, now that he appears to be the feature back, is in line for a raise.

Head coach Jack Del Rio did indicate that fullback Greg Jones can also expect five-to-10 carries a game, but the bulk of the work will fall to the 5-foot-7, 210-pound Jones-Drew, who also answers to Pocket Hercules. As to what he can expect in terms of compensation, the Florida Times-Union's Vito Stellino commences with the speculation:

Six weeks ago, the Redskins were 6-2. Now they're 7-6 and face very long odds to back into a wild-card spot. Mounting injuries, a porous offensive line, few big-play threats, and a struggling quarterback all compound the problem. Also probably not helping: benching Clinton Portis.

Easily the team's best, most consistent player, Portis has been battling nicks, bruises and general malaise for most of the season, and last night, he found himself on the sidelines watching the Redskins lose. Again.

Portis, however, intimated he was benched by head coach and play-caller Jim Zorn in favor of backup Ladell Betts. Because Portis didn't practice this week, Zorn said, the Redskins weren't not going to lean as heavily on him on third downs and in pass protection.

"There ain't nothing wrong with me," Portis said.

And that's apparently what happened, although it was news to Portis.

I'll be honest: I'm surprised Shaun Alexander made it six weeks. The Redskins signed the former NFL MVP on Oct. 14 to provide depth behind Clinton Portis after his backup, Ladell Betts, went down with a knee injury. Alexander played in four games, and had 11 carries for 24 yards for a nifty 2.2 rushing average.

And today, Washington released him. From ESPN.com's Mike Sando (via MDS at PFT):

Portis and Betts continue to battle through injuries, but the Redskins apparently felt they needed Alexander's roster spot to help with depth on the defensive line.

Defensive end Andre Carter suffered a foot injury against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12. Several other defensive linemen are also dealing with injuries.

So now what for Alexander? I suppose there's a chance another team with depth concerns at running back will give him a shot, but unless something opens up, that could be a wrap on his 2008 season, and quite possibly his career.

Before the abbreviated comeback, CBSSports.com's Clark Judge wrote that some NFL personnel types considered Alexander a soft runner and that, along with the ol' Curse of 370, contributed to his inability to find work. For what it's worth, he did seem more aggressive during his brief stint with the Redskins, but I doubt that'll be enough to persuade a team to offer him anything more than a minimum-salary, one-year deal.

On the upside, I won't be able to compare Alexander to Jason Campbell anymore, so there's that.

There were few bright spots for the Redskins in last night's home loss to the Cowboys (DeAngelo Hall intercepting Brad Johnson-like passes aside), and it's still hard to gauge exactly what the team has in quarterback Jason Campbell.

A few weeks ago, ESPN's Ron Jaworski called Campbell his midseason MVP, but the fourth-year quarterback has had two uninspired efforts in consecutive games. It's not completely his fault; the offensive line is a joke, Clinton Portis is banged up, and the pass catchers, save Chris Cooley, have gone missing for long stretches.

Which is why Campbell may have decided just to take things into his own hands. Midway through the second quarter with Washington holding a 7-0 lead, Campbell scrambled for 22 yards on third-and-eight. The Redskins would have to punt four plays later, and the Cowboys would tie the score seven plays after that, but that's beside the point. That Campbell steamrolled Dallas safety Pat Watkins into oblivion, that's the point.

Sure, it didn't have any bearing on the final score, but it sure had to be embarrassing for Watkins.

I have this vision of Campbell coming to the sidelines, finding Shaun Alexander, and very politely explaining, "see, that's how you run the ball."

UPDATE: via DMN Cowboys Blog: Watkins said he thought Campbell was going to slide, so he put his head down but Campbell ran him over. "Last time I do that," Watkins said.

YouTubes via Mr. I

This is the time of year when the NFL's contenders start separating themselves from the pretenders. Just because you came out of the first half of the season with a nice record doesn't mean you can expect anything in the second half.

Note the Washington Redskins. With their all-burgundy look two weeks ago, this old fan barely recognized them. Even with their normal uniforms on this week ... I still can't.

Ever since beginning the season 4-1 and beating New Orleans, Arizona, Dallas and Philadelphia in consecutive weeks, the Skins have looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL. They were beaten at home by the then-winless Rams. They needed a missed field goal to beat the downtrodden Cleveland Browns. They barely took care of the still-winless Lions. Pittsburgh then came into Washington and punched them in the face. Now Dallas has come in to FedEx Field and done the same.

So is this Redskins team truly a playoff contender? Or were they just blowing smoke?