Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Offense -- They stormed out of the gate last season, on the shoulders of Clinton Portis. In the second half of the season, though, the offensive line began to wear down and Jason Campbell wasn't productive enough downfield to take attention away from CP26. This season, there are reasons for optimism. The offensive line has been retooled. The growth of second-year wideouts Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly will give Campbell more reliable options in the passing attack in addition to the solid Chris Cooley and Santana Moss.
The Washington Redskins have all kinds of injury woes, but most of them involve the defense. Now, however, a huge injury has hit the offense.
The NFL's leading rusher, Clinton Portis, is listed as questionable for today's game against the Browns. Portis missed practice this week due to a hip flexor he suffered in last week's loss to the St. Louis Rams, returning to practice at the end of the week.
"He ran around pretty good," [Redskins head coach Jim] Zorn said. "Nothing for him was absolute burst full-speed, but I saw him make some cuts both left and right."
Skins fans better hope Portis plays. Not only is he the NFL's leading rusher, but his top backup is out. Ladell Betts will miss the next few weeks with a knee injury. If Portis can't play, kick returner Rock Cartwright will see a ton of carries.
This also gives Shaun Alexander a chance to show his wares. Alexander was signed by the Redskins last Tuesday to be the third-string back until Betts is healthy.
Portis is one of the toughest guys in the NFL and it will take a lot more than a mild hip flexor to keep him inactive. Expect Portis to play. How effective he will be is another matter.
Alexander's name is bigger than his game right now. The former MVP has been out of work all season and couldn't even catch on with his hometown Cincinnati Bengals -- the worst rushing team in the NFL.
The Redskins aren't asking Alexander to come in a dominate. They just need him to take on the Ladell Betts role of backing up Clinton Portis, the NFL's leading rusher. Betts will miss the next couple of weeks with a knee injury. Third stringer Rock Cartwright can also contribute but his main role in Washington is as a kick returner.
"Shaun is the kind of guy who is smart enough to understand the situation," [Redskins head coach] Jim Zorn said. "Clinton understands the situation. We said it could be temporary or it could run the full season. We are not going to put some sort of limitation on where we are at in four weeks, two weeks, however long it takes Ladell to get back."
It seems as if the "situation" is in the realm of temporary. Unless Alexander shows some of his old form and becomes a productive part of the offense, he will take his veteran minimum salary and go home when Betts is healthy.
For whatever reason, the big star in the middle of the Cowboys' stadium is considered some sort of sacred ground. I don't really get it, but then a lot of what makes Texas spin crazily around kind of bypasses me too.
Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Tank Johnson had to be restrained after return specialist Rock Cartwright stood on the 50-yard line star at Texas Stadium yesterday as he celebrated Washington's 26-24 victory.
"This is how it is. When you win, you win with class. When you lose, you lose with class," Johnson said. "One of their guys, Cartwright, took it upon himself to celebrate on our star.
"It's the fourth game of the season. No one has accomplished anything but a win. That's just disrespectful and I don't think we'd do that to them. And I'm surprised he did that to us."
Totally understandable. Tank is, after all, a Cowboy 4 Life (unlike, say, Terrell Owens, who is not a "true Cowboy"). Or not. Whatever. Cartwright pointed out that he wasn't exactly dancing on the star a la T.O., and that he merely wanted to hang out with everyone at the center of the field.
Here's the thing: even if Cartwright did stand there and shimmy on the star for a few minutes, well, big freaking deal. This is a major rivalry, both teams hate one another and when the underdog pulls a big upset on the heavily favored Cowboy superpower in their last game at the stadium, you can expect this sort of thing.
You'd think that being the leading rusher during the preseason would help. Apparently not. The Washington Redskins released Marcus Mason as part of Cut Day.
Mason led the NFL ... albeit in the preseason ... with 317 yards rushing. Sure, that number is kind of misleading since the Redskins played five preseason games while everyone else (but the Colts) played just four. But Mason was netting a 4.8 yards-per-carry average -- and that's not too shabby no matter when you do it.
The issue is another number: roster openings. Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts are locked in to the top two spots. Rock Cartwright was re-signed this offseason for his outstanding return duties (plus, he is an underrated running back who averaged 7.9 ypc this preseason). There really isn't another spot for Mason ... no matter how well he played.
Still, it won't be for nothing. Mason's rushing this preseason (which was 12 less yards than the rest of the Redskins combined) could get him a job somewhere else in the league.
What an offseason for the Washington Redskins. Two things that rarely happening are occuring: they aren't signing anyone's else free agents ... yet they are resigning their own.
Cartwright, one of the more popular Redskins and a team leader, emerged as the Redskins' primary kick returner the last two seasons.
Last year, he moved into fourth place on the franchise's all-time kickoff return yardage list with 3,157 total yards.
Cartwright was 2nd in the NFC in average kickoff return yardage (to the Vikings' Aundrae Allison, who returned just 20 kicks to Rock's 52) and has been a decent fill in at running back, when needed. The last two years haven't seen him contribute to that part of the team (only seven rushes after getting 27 carries in 2005) but he does want to get some more looks there.
For the Redskins faithful, this continues to follow the path of keeping this team together (despite all of the coaching turmoil). There have been no major losses in free agency, yet, for the Skins.
NFL Offseason Roadmap is a series focused on the needs of NFL teams as they begin the offseason.
The Washington Redskins just completed one of the most emotional seasons in their 75-year history. 2007 will always be remembered. Life, as they say, does go on ... so looking to 2008 is imperative.
1.Head Coach – Duh. Once Joe Gibbs retired, it has thrown up in the air what this team will look like in 2008. Gibbs wanted things one way -- his replacement may want them totally different. If Gregg Williams gets the gig, you'd expect the team to stay on the same track that Gibbs put them on. If they go outside the organization, who knows?
Also, if it is Williams then the Redskins need to find out a new defensive coordinator. Oh, and Al Saunders (if he sticks) won't have Gibbs to deal with when calling the game.
2. Salary Cap -- As we all know, the Redskins mess with the cap as much as any team. That being said, it is rumored that Washington is waaaay over the salary cap and will need to shave off the payroll. That means (a) cutting players and (b) reworking deals. Good thing Daniel Snyder is wealthy and likes to rework the deals. Guys like Clinton Portis, Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen and Marcus Washington may be willing to do this. Guys like Brandon Lloyd and Mark Brunell may be cut. Obviously, where these cuts come from will help determine what holes need to be addressed.
Redskins fans love Rock Cartwright. Cartwright has been a solid special teams guy, a kick returner and, at times, a running back. Despite his smallish stature, he is a fierce competitor and one of those "true Redskins" that Joe Gibbs loves. Oh ... and his name is ROCK CARTWRIGHT.
Too bad that he may not be aound much longer. His agent ... oh, crap ... Drew Rosenhaus wants him to cash in on his solid season.
"I want to be here, but my agent [Drew Rosenhaus] and I haven't heard anything from the Redskins," Cartwright said. "The last time I was a free agent [after the 2005 season], I hadn't really played much so no one was going to make me much of an offer. I've been doing a good job of returning kicks for two years and I want an opportunity to run the football. I know that's not going to happen here."
This is one of those things that the free agent era has brought us. The Redskins love Cartwright and all the things he can do for them, but there isn't anywhere for him in the backfield (he's had just two carries this season). Clinton Portis is the franchise back, while Ladell Betts is one of the top backup backs in the league. Cartwright's using his excellent returning this season to try to cash in.
"I would love to stay, but it's up to the front office," said Cartwright, whose salary cap figure this season is $680,000. "[NFL punt return leader] Roscoe Parrish just got [$4.35 million] guaranteed [in a three-year, $10 million deal] from Buffalo. I don't expect to match that, but I want something similar, some type of security."
Whenever something what happened to Sean Taylor occurs, everyone around that person starts to reassess things. In this case, safety is a concern.
"I've always been scared about guns, but I'm strongly thinking about getting one," offensive tackle Chris Samuels said. "Everybody talks about a small percentage of people having to protect themselves in their own home, but what if you are in that small percentage? What do you do? If I do get a gun, I'll go through the proper training and all of that. Some guys get 'em and think they know what to do by watching crime shows on TV."
"After what happened to Sean, I'm thinking about getting a gun," TE Chris Cooley said. "Everybody knows when we're away from home."
Well it's about time. Only, coming against the NFL's worst defense, what do we make out of it?
In a league in which dynasties are no longer a realistic possibility and every year a team or two rises from the ashes to shock the world, every victory is a hard-fought victory that shouldn't be taken for granted. And from the looks of how the Redskins have performed in the preseason and the first two weeks, beating the Texans the way they did was impressive.
So what was it that brought the Redskins to form? Was it the return of Clinton Portis? Was it Mark Brunell getting some extra time to throw the rock? Was it Al Saunders' play calling? Or was it simply a combination of everything?
Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
The Washington Redskins have all kinds of injury woes, but most of them involve the defense. Now, however, a huge injury has hit the offense.
Redskins fans around the country are buzzing about the 
For whatever reason, the big star in the middle of the Cowboys' stadium is considered some sort of sacred ground. I don't really get it, but then a lot of what makes Texas spin crazily around kind of bypasses me too.
What do you have to do to win a job?
What an offseason for the Washington Redskins. Two things that rarely happening are occuring: they aren't signing anyone's else free agents ... yet they are resigning their own.
NFL Offseason Roadmap is a series focused on the needs of NFL teams as they begin the offseason. 
Redskins fans love 
Whenever something what happened to 
