(photo by Brian Murphy)

Sometimes I can’t help but think that Washington Redskins wide receiver Malcolm Kelly simply cannot catch a break. I mean, every time I think he’s poised to take a step forward and show his team what he’s truly capable of, the guy pulls or tweaks something and is forced out of action.

While I am a big fan of fellow third-year receiver Devin Thomas, I can’t help but think that the biggest difference between him and Kelly is opportunity and injury. Thomas has been given an opportunity to showcase his talent, while Kelly keeps getting held back by untimely injuries.

This week, in fact, rumors were swirling that Kelly injured himself yet again, this time it was a hamstring injury while working out with Donovan McNabb and friends out in Arizona during something called “Hell Week.” Team officials apparently even considered holding Kelly out of a practice or two at the start of training camp to ensure he didn’t make it worse.

But thankfully for ‘Skins fans, it never got to that. When practice started, Kelly was on the field and he participated fully. Once day one was in the books, I caught up with the 23-year-old to figure out what really happened out in Arizona.

“We were all out there working out and we were working on throwing and catching with Donovan,” Kelly said. “The first day though, I kind of tweaked it. The next few days, I just rested it, you know. It ended up being all good and I was able to go today. We’ll just have to wait and see how it carries over to tomorrow.”

How did you feel out there today?

“It felt good,” he said. “When I went, I went full speed and then I just started to tire out a little bit.”

Was the “Hell Week” experience worth it?

“Oh, definitely,” Kelly said. “Anytime you can get with your quarterback in his environment and it’s not about football … well, it appeared that it was all about football, but at the end of the day, we were all chillin’. It all worked out pretty good.”

So do things feel any different between you guys and McNabb after Arizona?

“Yeah, they did,” he said. “Even Santana [Moss] was saying it’s more like a rehearsal now that we did it last week. It was good. It all worked out for the best.”

Sounds good. Lets change gears though. I want to talk about new Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. He’s got a completely different kind of mindset, doesn’t he?

“He does and I love him, dawg,” Kelly said. “Because he’s got an aggressive mentality and he’s not conservative. That’s something that’s new for me.”

[Editor's note: I wonder who Kelly could be referring to?]

“He doesn’t care if we’re backed up on the two-yard line,” he continued. “His first play might be a bomb out of the endzone. It’s just totally different.”

What stands out to me is that he encourages his receivers to play the position like they’re playing basketball. If you run your route and you’re covered, he wants you to do what you’ve got to in order to get open. That’s not something you hear in football everyday, is it?

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

After an action-packed offseason, which saw the arrival of a new general manager, head coach, quarterback and at least 30 other new faces, the Washington Redskins officially kick off training camp today. In keeping with tradition, I present to you my 10 (semi-) bold predictions for the 2010 season.

Last year, you may remember, I had pretty solid results: Stephon Heyer over Mike Williams at right tackle, Colt Brennan continued to be irrelevant and Antwaan Randle El did, in fact give me an aneurism. I do feel obligated to point out though that I missed badly on DeAngelo Hall as the defensive MVP (should have been London Fletcher) and Ladell Betts as a fantasy football sleeper pick (Fred Davis).

Okay, enough about the past. Here’s the list:

1. Kyle Shanahan was the team’s best offseason addition.

The Redskins improved drastically at several key positions, including general manager, head coach and quarterback. But the acquisition that has me most excited is Kyle, not Mike, Shanahan. I’ve had a chance to talk to a couple players this offseason about his philosophy, and everyone we speak to on the subject gets excited. He’s not trying to wow anyone with a 700-page playbook or his bingo-calling skills. No, he’s known for turning mediocre offenses into juggernauts.

Take, for example, the Houston Texans. They have Matt Schaub at quarterback, Steve Slaton at running back and Andre Johnson at receiver. Of the three, only Johnson can truly be considered a top-10 talent at his respective position. The rest of the roster is even more obscure, with no names such as Arian Foster, Joel Dreessen and David Anderson logging playing time. And yet, Houston had the NFL’s top offense in 2009. Why? Because of Kyle Shanahan.

I asked one of the Redskins players what makes his offense different than others and the answer surprised me.

He trusts his players. If they’re covered, then he wants them to do what’s necessary to get open. He doesn’t want his wide outs to run exactly seven yards, turn around and hold their hands up in the air praying the quarterback can beat double coverage. No, he encourages the receivers to think like they’re playing basketball, rather than football.

It might not sound like much, but it could be enough to finally get solid production out of a guy like Devin Thomas, who doesn’t exactly have the reputation for running the most crisp routes. This is just one of the reasons I’m legitimately excited for the Kyle Shanahan era. He’s playing by a different set of rules and encouraging his players to think outside the box. That’s the kind of mindset that’s been sorely lacking over the better part of a decade as the Redskins have consistently struggled to put points on the board.

2. Malcolm Kelly isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Albert Haynesworth.

Nothing against beat writer Ryan O’Halloran, who was the first guy to suggest Kelly won’t survive roster cuts, but I highly doubt the Redskins release Malcolm. Even with his injured hamstring, I find it difficult to believe the Redskins would cut the cord on a youngster heading into his third season.

Honestly, what’s the biggest difference between Kelly and Thomas at this point in their young careers? Opportunity and injuries. Thomas has been given the opportunities, while Kelly has battled injuries.

But here’s something you may not know – Mike Shanahan has suggested to his players that Kelly might just have the best hands out of the 11 receivers currently on the roster. He apparently sees enough from Kelly to think he’s got someone who can contribute offensively, so it would come as a surprise to me if Kelly was seeking employment elsewhere by the end of training camp. The only way I could see him being let go is if he simply cannot get healthy and a guy like Joey Galloway has the best training camp of his life. And nothing against Galloway, who has had a lengthy and productive career, but he’s only one year younger than his position coach. If Kelly and Galloway are close, you’d have to figure a tie goes to the 23-year-old.

Oh, and no need to spend a bunch of time hypothesizing about why Haynesworth isn’t going to be traded or cut. He’ll show up and begrudgingly play wherever the team wants him to. Or he won’t. Either way, he’ll be wearing the burgundy and gold this season.

Speaking of Fat Albert …

3. Ma’ake Kemoeatu will start more games at nose tackle than Haynesworth.

The biggest reason for all the drama this offseason was because Haynesworth got it in his head that the coaching staff was going to ignore his impressive eight-year career and suddenly ask Albert to completely overhaul his game. But the only reason things got to this point is because he was too immature to pick up the phone and ask what exactly his role in this 3-4 defense will be. Had he done that, I’m confident that the Redskins could have enjoyed their first drama-free offseason in a long, long time.

4. The Porta-John backfield will party like it’s 2006.

I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that a slimmed down and motivated Clinton Portis will revert back to the running back we all know and love. It’s not difficult to envision Portis easily eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark, and it shouldn’t come as  a surprise if Larry Johnson finishes the season with 10 or more touchdowns. Sure, these two are competitors and they’d both like to start. But I think they’ll see that, at this point in their careers, they’ll be good for each other as they work together to wear down opposing defenses.

Two more thoughts on the Redskins running back situation:

4a. Brian Westbrook ends up somewhere else.

This one is pretty self explanatory.

4b. Willie Parker gets beat out by Ryan Torain and doesn’t make the 53-man roster.

For a guy with the nickname “Fast,” he’s been anything but in the practices I’ve seen over the last few months. When I’ve mentioned to some of his teammates that I don’t think Parker will be on the roster Week 1, none of them seem shocked. I’ve even had one or two guys basically say, “Yeah, that wouldn’t stun me.”

5. Carlos Rogers will set a career-high for interceptions.

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(courtesy photo)

[Editor's note: As you know by now, I've started writing a weekly sports column for SB Nation DC. Every Tuesday, my contribution to society (or at least the D.C. sports scene) is located over there.]

True story: this past weekend I was forced to face one of my biggest fears in life as I boarded a flight from Chicago back to Washington, D.C.

No, it had nothing to do with a fear of flying or claustrophobia. It was much, much worse.

It was Vinny Cerrato.

I kid you not. The biggest villain in local sports (or, technically, the former Redskins’ executive vice president of football operations. Sometimes I get those two confused) was standing just a few feet away from me as we began boarding the plane. Two things immediately stood out.

First, he was sitting at least a dozen or so rows behind me. In coach. Yeah, the guy who used to live and die to fuel up Redskins One for owner Daniel Snyder as the two flew cross country in pursuit of the most expensive free agents money can buy was now slumming it with the common folks. (I’d say something about how the mighty have fallen, but nothing on his resume suggests he was ever all that mighty.)

Second, he was wearing a Yankees hat – ensuring that, to this day, no one likes him. You got to give him that: the man is nothing, if not consistent.

While I passed up the chance to say anything to the mastermind of the “Decade of Disappointment,” simply crossing paths with Cerrato ensured I would be unable to sleep during the two-hour flight back home. Instead, my mind began to race about just how different things would have been this offseason had Vinny remained employed by my favorite football team.

Needless to say, heavy alcohol consumption and a near panic attack ensued.

Maybe you’ve never really asked yourself how bad things would be today if Bruce Allen hadn’t come to town and turned the Redskins into a respectable franchise once again. Let me welcome you to my nightmare.

For starters, there’s zero chance Mike Shanahan would be the head coach. Like Marty Schottenheimer before him, Shanahan is much too smart to let his fate rest in the hands of Cerrato. He’d have thanked the Redskins for their interest and then ended up in Dallas.

As if that thought isn’t enough of a stomach punch, remember this: without Shanahan there would also be no Jim Haslett or Kyle Shanahan. So if you’re like me, you’re already giddy at the thought of an aggressive-minded defensive coordinator who actually tries to pressure opposing teams or an offensive genius who is so skilled at his craft that he turned the bumbling Houston Texans into the top offense in football.

If Cerrato’s still here, you can go ahead and say goodbye to both of them. In fact, chances are the Redskins would have lost any chance at a top-tier head coach and would have had to settle for someone like two-time NFL failure/college-level cheater Pete Carroll or an in-house candidate like Jerry Gray.

You remember Gray, right? He was the Redskins’ former defensive backs coach who secretly interviewed for the head coach vacancy while Jim Zorn was still in the position. Doesn’t he just sound like someone you’d love to be the face of your franchise? If Cerrato was still on board, that’s probably who’d be calling the shots.

And the Redskins definitely wouldn’t have been savvy enough to pull off a trade for Donovan McNabb. Nope. Vinny wouldn’t have even thought to quietly pick up the phone and gauge the situation. If anything, the ‘Skins would have been the first team mentioned in trade talks because the burgundy and gold were never capable of keeping secrets during the Cerrato era.

Click here for the full article.

(courtesy photo)

Sorry for the lack of content this week. My schedule has been fairly hectic, but with Redskins training camp right around the corner, it’s a safe bet that I’ll be back in action next week. In the meantime, here are a few links to tide you over:

The Washington Capitals are in the news this week and it’s for all the right reasons. The Caps donated equipment to the USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program and then hosted a hockey clinic involving 40 wounded servicemembers. Very cool stuff.

In other Caps news, Alex Ovechkin recently suited up for Dynamo back in Mother Russia. To recap, while Albert Haynesworth, the Redskins $100-million athlete, can’t be bothered to practice, Ovechkin, the Caps $100-million man, is willing to play pickup wherever they’ll have him. Which team do you think is happier with their investment?

And finally, the cleverly-titled King of Leonsis blog asks the simple question – is Tomas Fleischmann worth the cash? The answer is no, but you should still give it a read anyway.

The Nationals won 7-1 yesterday, which is newsworthy because it was the first time the team won a game in which Stephen Strasburg wasn’t involved since July 8th. Prior to Thursday’s victory, the Nats were 3-0 in Strasmas games and 0-7 when anyone else took the mound in their last 10 games. And yet, team president Stan Kasten believes his Nats are “so much closer than it appears.” Spend some money to get some more depth in the lineup and I might actually agree with you, Stan.

If the Nationals are going to be competitive anytime soon, they’ll likely need to add more to the lineup. That would mean players like Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham and Matt Capps – all of which have been mentioned in trade rumors over the last month – would likely stay around. SB Nation DC looks at the value of keeping Dunn on board.

According to Bullets Forever, Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld is the 18th best GM in the NBA. I’m not sure I’d rank him that high – especially after giving Gilbert Arenas a six-year, $111-million contract in 2008 and his continual desire to trade away top five draft picks and get nothing in return – but it’s still worth checking out.

In preparation for training camp, the folks at NFL.com take a look at the 2010 Redskins. In their opinion, the transition to a 3-4 scheme on defense, the wide receiver battle and the renovated offensive line are the biggest focal points.

In other Redskins-related news, Skinscast is back for a fifth season. With a new general manager, a new head coach, a new quarterback and countless other changes from last season at Redskins Park there’s no shortage of stuff to talk about concerning the burgundy and gold.

And finally, former Redskins tight end Clint Didier has a new teammate – Sarah Palin. Try not to hold it against him.

(courtesy photo)

[Editor's note: For those who still haven't heard the news, I've started writing a weekly sports column for SB Nation DC. So every Tuesday, my contribution to society (or at least the D.C. sports scene) is located over there.]

Former Washington Redskins receiver (and current disappointment) Antwaan Randle El is in the news this week after making critical comments about his former organization.

According to Randle El – and stop me if you’ve heard this one before – the recent failures of the Redskins can be traced to one man: owner Daniel Snyder.

When Jim Zorn was there, he was hands-on,” said Randle El of The Danny. “He had great potential, but Dan Snyder was too involved because he didn’t trust coach Zorn as much as he did coach (Joe) Gibbs, and those were things that prevented us from success as a team.”

Let me start by saying that I am by no means a Daniel Snyder apologist. After all, my ideal scenario for the 2010 season involves disgruntled tackle Albert Haynesworth being paid to ride the bench in an effort to teach “Fat Albert” a little humility while teaching the owner an equally valuable lesson about the dangers of frivolous spending.

But I find interesting, to say the least, that Randle El would feel compelled to make these remarks.

For starters, he’s now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s returned to the first franchise he ever knew and the team he won a Super Bowl ring with. So why drudge up the past? Isn’t there more to do in Pennsylvania than take shots at Snyder?

Maybe Randle El could go bar hopping with Ben Roethlisberger or send a thank you note to Santonio Holmes’ substance abuse issues that created an opening for his return to Pittsburgh. Any of that would appear to be a more constructive way to spend his days than slamming the man who signed off on his seven-year, $31-million contract back in 2006.

After all, it’s not every day that a receiver coming off an absolutely mediocre season (35 catches, 558 yards and one touchdown) takes home that kind of cash. But whatever. That’s his business.

Aside from the timing, the most surprising aspect is that Randle El was available for comment. During his four years in Washington, Randle El was routinely one of the first guys out of the locker room following a game. Don’t believe me? Ask around.

Sure, he’d happily appear on a pre-recorded segment hosted by Larry Michael or some other team employee, but it was always a safe bet that Randle El would be long gone by the time the media was allowed in the locker room (roughly 10 minutes after the game ended).

I never took it personally; I just figured he was staying consistent. Randle El rarely showed up during games, so why would he be any different in the post-game locker room? I mean, we’re talking about a guy who, rumor has it, when the Redskins gave him his pink slip this past offseason, responded by signaling for a fair catch.

What exactly should we expect him to say?

But enough about the messenger. Let’s tackle his message.

Click here for the full article.

(photo by J. Pat Carter)

What the hell is wrong with the Washington Nationals? Or, more accurately, what’s it going to take for this team to finally have both the offense and defense clicking at the same time?

During a three-game series against the Florida Marlins this weekend, Nats starters gave up 14 hits, eight walks and just two earned runs while striking out 19 batters in 18 innings. Any team in baseball would be thrilled to get this type of production, right?

Well, leave it to the Nationals to somehow find a way to lose two out of three games anyway.

And it wasn’t because of a shaky bullpen either. Washington relief pitchers threw seven scoreless innings in Florida. This wasted opportunity comes courtesy of the team’s lackluster offense.

Although the Nationals had 27 hits in the series, they scored just four runs. While that’s bad, it’s even worse when you realize that the bulk of the offense came on a three-run double by outfielder Josh Willingham in Friday’s game.

Sadly, the four runs scored in the sixth inning of that series opener represented the only offensive production Washington had the entire series. That enabled the Marlins, who scored a grand total of three runs in three games, to somehow steal the series victory.

“The game is based on execution when you’ve got runners in scoring position,” said Nationals hitting coach Rick Eckstein. “That’s the bottom line. We just didn’t execute the last few days.”

So basically, the Nats bats have gone scoreless over the last 21 innings and Washington stranded 18 runners in scoring position over the last two games. That’s not going to get it done.

“When guys were on base, we weren’t getting it done,” Eckstein said. “Plain and simple. Typically in those situations, they tend to pitch us in a different way. We’ve got to make adjustments. Our adjustments weren’t up to par.”

The only possible silver lining after a disappointing weekend is that the four runs the team did manage to score ensured that rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg didn’t waste another gem.

Otherwise, there isn’t a lot to be pleased about when it comes to the Nationals offense – although, I’m apparently more concerned about the lack of production than Nats skipper Jim Riggleman.

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Let me start out by saying I’ve got nothing personally against Tripp Smith.

Under a different set of circumstances, I’m confident that Smith and I could get along just fine. Maybe we’d crack open a few cold, refreshing beverages as he offered workout advice (like, you know, stop drinking so many cold, refreshing beverages) or what have you.

But honestly, when Albert Haynesworth’s personal trainer talked with Rich Campbell about Fat Albert’s fantastic offseason this week, my initial reaction was simply, “Shut up. No one wants to hear it.”

For those who missed it, Smith said during a telephonic interview (presumably from Haynesworth’s house, where he’s been staying for the last few months) that Haynesworth has shed 32 pounds since the beginning of April when they started working out together and that he’s convinced his client is “going to open some eyes when he gets to camp.”

Since Haynesworth has turned his back on the Washington Redskins this offseason, opting to stay away from head coach Mike Shanahan and his teammates while working out on his own with Smith, I guess it would open some eyes if the man actually showed up for work. But I digress.

Smith addressed Haynesworth’s decision to blow off his employer’s wishes and remain in Tennessee this offseason.

“He was obviously not happy with his situation,” Smith said. “But I think more so he felt comfortable with me and the relationship that we had built. He knew what to expect and what I expected and the fact the past two seasons we’ve gotten ready and he has showed up to camp in shape looking good and everything.”

“We’ve gotten to know each other for the past three years, so I know what makes him tick and what doesn’t,” Smith added later. “I can be so one-on-one and focused on him, whereas in a team setting or whatnot, you’ve got 10, 20, 30 guys working out with you in that group – or however it works for that specific team – and that coach is not solely dedicated to you and working on those little things.

“I think he likes the fact that it’s just him and I,” he said. “I listen to the feedback he gives me and I change things accordingly. In the long run that’s what’s going to make him a better football player and athlete on the field.”

Okay, seriously, where do I begin? How about, for starters, we focus on the explanation Haynesworth gave for wanting to skip the team’s offseason workout program. If you remember, Albert basically said he tried the Redskins’ offseason workout plan last year and felt it didn’t cut it.

“After many years in the NFL, I know what it takes for me to perform at my highest level,” Haynesworth said in a prepared statement back in June. “My number one goal has always been to help my team win – period. It’s also important at my position to help free my teammates to make plays, which I’ve done throughout my career when I’ve been allowed to play to my strengths. I will continue to work individually to prepare for training camp and the start of the 2010 season.”

To recap, Haynesworth wasn’t happy with the team’s offseason program under Jim Zorn, so he felt it was in his best interest to blow off Shanahan and an entirely new coaching staff as they try to install a completely new offensive and defensive system.

That’s roughly equal to a child saying, “Well, my Biology teacher during my freshman year was clueless, so I’m skipping Chemistry.”

Zorn wasn’t good at his job. We all know that. So what’s that got to do with Shanahan? Last I checked, he’s got two more Super Bowl rings than Haynesworth does.

This seems like an appropriate time to point out that this is the third-straight offseason Haynesworth has trained with Smith. So if we’re passing out blame, then let’s be sure to also look in the direction of the guying playing slumber party at Fat Albert’s this summer.

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