2009 New York Giants' Receiver Outlook
After the 2008 season ended, the Giants lost two key receivers. They lost Amani Toomer to free agency and cut Plaxico Burress due to legal problems (that we all know).
Last season, these two receivers combined for 83 receptions, 1034 yards, and eight touchdowns. These two receivers were the top producers for the Giants this year, and they will clearly be hard to replace.
Rumors swirled about the Giants trading for Anquan Boldin, Braylon Edwards, or Chad Johnson. As the draft rolled closer, the trades did not work themselves out, and the Giants were forced to look to the draft to replace their star receivers.
The Giants drafted two receivers in this year’s draft, Hakeem Nicks in the first found and Ramses Barden in the third round.
The Giants currently have eight receivers on the payroll. It is likely that only five of the receivers will make the team and the rest will be placed on the practice squad. The eight receivers are Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden, Dominick Hixon, Steve Smith, David Tyree, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham, and Derek Hagen. These receivers will all enter summer camp on the same level and will be fighting for these five spots on the team.
This article will analyze each receiver and decide who these five roles go to and which of these receivers get to spend their season on the practice squad at this moment in time.
WR 1: Dominick Hixon (Height : 6-2 ; Weight: 182)
Dominick Hixon became the replacement for Plaxico Burress after he went down with his bizarre injury. Hixon ended the season with 596 receiving yards, two touchdowns, and 42.6 yards per game. Hixon had a great season, and his stats are skewed by the fact that he was not a starting receiver the whole season. Hixon is a big target like Eli Manning likes, but he is no Plaxico Burress. He does not have the leaping and the ability to catch any ball like Burress.
Hixon will more than likely enter the season as the Giants No. 1 receiver. As the season goes on, he might not prove to have the talent for the No. 1 spot, and by the end of the season, he may be replaced by rookie Hakeem Nicks.
WR 2: Hakeem Nicks (Height: 6-1 ; Weight: 212)
The Giants selected Hakeem Nicks with the 29th pick in the draft. The Giants selected him hoping he could fill one of the holes at wide receiver after departures of Plaxico Burress and Armani Toomer.
Nicks had a great career at UNC, and experts believe he is the most NFL-ready receiver in the draft. Nicks received for 2,840 yards and 21 touchdowns during his colligate career.
He has good leaping ability and may be able to run Burress’ patented fade route. Nicks also has great catching ability, making several amazing catches during his career at UNC. If he brings this into the NFL, Eli Manning would really appreciate it.
Hakeem Nicks will start the season as the No. 2 receiver in the depth chart. As the season progresses and he becomes more experienced and better at running routes, he may surpass Hixon as the No. 1 receiver on the team.
WR 3: Steve Smith (Height: 5-11 ; Weight: 195)
Steve Smith is a steady receiver who puts up steady numbers in the NFL. In the 2008 season, he received 574 yards and one touchdown. Smith has proven in his two years in the NFL that he is a good receiver that can run routes and catch the ball over the middle. Steve Smith has a playing style that can be compared to Wes Welker—a possession receiver that can put up yards.
Steve Smith will fall back into a well known role in the Giants’ depth chart. He will be a solid receiver in this spot, and Eli Manning will look to him on third-down plays.
Smith may be Manning’s new Amani Toomer in third-down situations. Smith is a receiver that will put up good numbers, even in the third spot.
WR 4: Ramses Barden (Height: 6-6 ; Weight: 229)
In the third round of the draft, the Giants selected Ramses Barden. After losing Eli Manning’s favorite target, 6-foot-5 receiver Plaxico Burress, they may have drafted his future replacement.
The 6-foot-6 receiver has great jumping ability and can probably out-leap any defensive back in the league. He will come in handy in the red zone, where the Giants struggled after losing Burress. Although he is not completely pro ready yet, he will gain experience as the season goes on.
Barden will start the season in the No. 4 receiver spot. He will get most of his playing time in the red zone, and we may see that corner-fade being thrown to him. If he proves that he can beat defensive backs and can catch a ball at its high point efficiently, he may be able to work his way up the depth chart. If he does not prove himself, he may find himself on the practice squad.
WR 5: Sinorice Moss (Height: 5-8 ; Weight: 185)
Sinorice Moss has been somewhat of a bust in his career as a Giant. He is still a good receiver that can come in and catch the deep ball. He will not rack up the stats, and he hasn’t since entering the NFL. He can also return kicks if the Giants ask him to.
Moss will earn the final receiver spot on the depth chart. He will be used to catch the deep ball in desperate situations; otherwise, we won’t see him on the field that much. He may also return kicks for the Giants, which may give them another reason for him to be on the team.
Who’s Left Out?
David Tyree—The receiver whose catch once won the Giants a Super Bowl will be left off the roster for the second straight season. Although he made that catch, he is still not a great receiver in the NFL and won’t make the 2009 roster.
Mario Manningham—It was once thought that last year he could be the replacement for Burress, but it never happened. Now he will be riding the pine again, because he has very little chance of making the team.
Derek Hagan—He has had a short career and it is already on a downward slide. He only had three receptions in 2008 with the Dolphins. He probably will make a good receiver to let the cornerbacks defend on the practice squad.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
New York Giants, Jets Drafting Well Through Two Rounds
New York Giants, Jets Drafting Well Through Two Rounds
The Giants got Hakeem Nicks in the first round, and I think it's a great choice. Decision. He's a very good player, although his personality may have caused him to fall. Which means he's the perfect replacement for Plaxico Burress.
In the second round, they got linebacker Clint Sintim from Virginia and William Beatty, a solid O-liner from Connecticut. They don't NEED them per se, but they're great values at their respective selections.
Meanwhile, the Jets made a big move and traded just about nothing to move down and take Mark Sanchez. In addition to swapping picks, they also sent this year's second-rounder and three no-names to the Browns...home of former coach Eric Mangini. Interesting...kinda like that Matt Cassel trade, hm?
All's well in Jersey thus far in the draft. Know where life sucks? Oakland. Is Al Davis high? Did he forget about Michael Crabtree, or was he enticed by the hyphen in Heyward-Bey?
Bennett switches his jersey number, Hester remains 23
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – A Bears wide receiver has changed his uniform number, but it isn’t Devin Hester.
As he prepares for his second NFL season, Earl Bennett has traded in the No. 85 he wore as a rookie for No. 80. He wanted No. 10, the number he wore at Vanderbilt, but the NFL prohibits receivers who have a number in the 80s from switching to a number from 10 through 19.
“It wasn’t anything specific,” Bennett said. “I just wanted to change my number. I feel like ‘80’ fits me a little bit better. I think it’s in my character. I didn’t really think ‘85’ really fit it.
“Number 80 has so much tradition behind it with Jerry Rice and Cris Carter and those guys, and hopefully I can become one of those guys and be a legend like they were.”
Prior to Bennett, the last four Bears players to wear No. 85 were tight ends: Keith Jennings (1991-97), Alonzo Mayes (1998-2000), Kaseem Sinceno (2000) and John Gilmore (2002-07).
The last four Bears to wear No. 80 were speedy wide receivers: Curtis Conway (1993-99), Dez White (2000-03), Bernard Berrian (2004-07) and Brandon Lloyd (2008).
Wide receiver Bo Rather wore No. 80 from 1974-78 because the number looked like his first name.
Hester, meanwhile, will remain No. 23. While the NFL requires wide receivers to wear numbers 10-19 and 80-89, the league ruled that Hester doesn’t have to switch because No. 23 is an eligible number that will allow him to play receiver without reporting to the referee.
The Bears also assigned uniform numbers to their nine draft picks and nine undrafted free agents.
The draftees will wear the following numbers, though some likely will change before the regular season: DL Jarron Gilbert (73), WR Juaquin Iglesias (17), DE Henry Melton (69), CB D.J. Moore (30), WR Johnny Knox (13), LB Marcus Freeman (58), S Al Afalava (46), G Lance Louis (60) and WR Derek Kinder (83).
Undrafted free agents will wear the following numbers: FB Will Ta’ufo’ou (45o), S Dahna Deleston (45d), CB Woodny Turenne (47), RB Tyrell Fenroy (48), LB Mike Rivera (59), G Johan Asiata (62o), LB Kevin Malast (62d), G Dennis Conley (70) and WR Eric Peterman (86).The draft picks and undrafted free agents are slated to arrive at Halas Hall on Thursday and practice Friday, Saturday and Sunday as part of the Bears' rookie minicamp.
As he prepares for his second NFL season, Earl Bennett has traded in the No. 85 he wore as a rookie for No. 80. He wanted No. 10, the number he wore at Vanderbilt, but the NFL prohibits receivers who have a number in the 80s from switching to a number from 10 through 19.
“It wasn’t anything specific,” Bennett said. “I just wanted to change my number. I feel like ‘80’ fits me a little bit better. I think it’s in my character. I didn’t really think ‘85’ really fit it.
“Number 80 has so much tradition behind it with Jerry Rice and Cris Carter and those guys, and hopefully I can become one of those guys and be a legend like they were.”
Prior to Bennett, the last four Bears players to wear No. 85 were tight ends: Keith Jennings (1991-97), Alonzo Mayes (1998-2000), Kaseem Sinceno (2000) and John Gilmore (2002-07).
The last four Bears to wear No. 80 were speedy wide receivers: Curtis Conway (1993-99), Dez White (2000-03), Bernard Berrian (2004-07) and Brandon Lloyd (2008).
Wide receiver Bo Rather wore No. 80 from 1974-78 because the number looked like his first name.
Hester, meanwhile, will remain No. 23. While the NFL requires wide receivers to wear numbers 10-19 and 80-89, the league ruled that Hester doesn’t have to switch because No. 23 is an eligible number that will allow him to play receiver without reporting to the referee.
The Bears also assigned uniform numbers to their nine draft picks and nine undrafted free agents.
The draftees will wear the following numbers, though some likely will change before the regular season: DL Jarron Gilbert (73), WR Juaquin Iglesias (17), DE Henry Melton (69), CB D.J. Moore (30), WR Johnny Knox (13), LB Marcus Freeman (58), S Al Afalava (46), G Lance Louis (60) and WR Derek Kinder (83).
Undrafted free agents will wear the following numbers: FB Will Ta’ufo’ou (45o), S Dahna Deleston (45d), CB Woodny Turenne (47), RB Tyrell Fenroy (48), LB Mike Rivera (59), G Johan Asiata (62o), LB Kevin Malast (62d), G Dennis Conley (70) and WR Eric Peterman (86).The draft picks and undrafted free agents are slated to arrive at Halas Hall on Thursday and practice Friday, Saturday and Sunday as part of the Bears' rookie minicamp.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Rutgers, Garden State continue run in second day of 2009 NFL Draft
Sunday afternoon, with his family headed to his brother's high school lacrosse game, Mike Teel needed a good way to tick away the hours on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. So the former Rutgers quarterback and his cousins decided to play a round of golf at SkyView Golf Club in Sparta.
"The round wasn't going well," Teel said, "so I was hoping I would get a phone call."
It came while he was driving away from the golf course, when Seattle coach Jim Mora called to tell him the team was selecting him in the sixth round.
After a Garden State boom on Saturday when seven New Jersey stars were picked in the first round, Teel was one of six more players with ties to the state drafted on the second day -- a crop that yielded Monmouth University's first NFL Draft pick and Rutgers' school-record five selections.
After the Jets traded up for Sicklerville's Shonn Greene in the third round, former Monmouth tight end John Nalbone -- a Lawrence High School grad -- was taken by the Dolphins with pick No. 161 in the fifth round. Teel was followed by three of his Rutgers teammates: cornerback Jason McCourty to the Titans in the sixth round (No. 203), safety Courtney Greene (Seahawks, No. 245) and receiver Tiquan Underwood (Jaguars, No. 253) in the seventh round. Underwood is also a graduate of Notre Dame High in Lawrenceville.
''These young men are outstanding individuals on and off the field, and we are excited to watch them play on Sundays," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said of his former players. ''This has been a great weekend for Rutgers."
Teel, a three-year starter who holds all of the Scarlet Knights' major passing records, didn't receive a Combine invitation and wasn't sure if he would be drafted. But the Don Bosco Prep graduate's stock was helped after a solid performance at the school's Pro Day, and the 6-3, 224-pounder wound up being the 178th pick, the ninth quarterback off the board.
Teel visited six or seven franchises, and worked out for about a dozen in total, and he said the Seahawks were one of teams he liked best. The team needed depth at quarterback, as 33-year-old starter Matt Hasselbeck was slowed last season with a bad back.
"Everything worked out perfectly," said Teel, who rebounded from a slow start to his senior season and helped his team to a victory in the Papajohns.com Bowl. "Now I get to worry about going out and playing. I've done the interviews, met with the coaches, done everything off the field I can do. Now I have the chance to compete and learn."
Teel and Greene can take the cross-country flight to Seattle for rookie minicamp together. Meanwhile, McCourty will join Rutgers' Kenny Britt, the Titans' first-round pick, in Nashville.
Even Nalbone will be in familiar company in Miami, where fellow tight end and Verona grad Anthony Fasano started last season. Fasano started his professional career in Dallas, alongside receiver Miles Austin, an undrafted free agent out of Monmouth in 2006.
I
t's fitting that two New Jersey tight ends would land in Miami with executive vice president Bill Parcells, an Englewood native.
"It's nice to be able to go there and be around people who are familiar with where you're from," Nalbone said. "I guess Parcells is keeping things from Jersey."
Nalbone received only modest interest out of high school but went on to become a four-year starter and Football Championship Subdivision All-American at Monmouth. His model for achieving an NFL future was Austin, who guided him through the predraft process.
Sunday, though, the well-built, 6-4, 258-pounder who holds all of Monmouth's records for tight ends, did his former teammate one better.
"The draft can be so funny," said Nalbone, who was in the den of his parents' house when a Florida area code popped up on his cell phone. "I'm definitely blessed to have this opportunity, because there are a lot of guys who are just as much deserving.
"I'm just taking it all in," he added. "It takes a while to sink in; it's a lot all at once."
With Sanchez, Jets Add Some Charisma
At approximately 12:45 Sunday afternoon, quarterback Mark Sanchez threw his first pass as a Jet.
Sanchez, the Jets’ first-round draft pick, was on a stage in the small auditorium at the Jets’ training facility with the owner, Woody Johnson. Johnson handed Sanchez a Jets cap, then presented Sanchez with his No. 6 jersey. After a brief photo session, Sanchez motioned for his father, Nick, to stand up. Sanchez tossed the jersey about 5 yards, his father made a fingertip catch, and a pro career had started. Son to father.
Jersey in hand, Nick Sanchez returned to the back row of seats, joining Sanchez’s mother, his stepmother, his sister-in-law, two brothers, a nephew and his agent.
This scene, perfect for April, was being played out across the country as N.F.L. teams proudly introduced their top draft choices, and young football players celebrated the fulfillment of childhood dreams.
As the media-savvy Sanchez spoke on Sunday, his mother, Olga, smiled and nodded her approval as her son gave all the right answers to a flood of questions. Most of the questions were light, a few probing, but nothing he couldn’t handle.
This was a great day for Jets fans, and a step in the right direction for a franchise in search of its first championship in 41 seasons.
This was also a remarkable turn of events for Sanchez, a 22-year-old quarterback with just one season as a starter at Southern California under his belt. In fact, Trojans Coach Pete Carroll tried to talk Sanchez out of leaving U.S.C. early, insisting that Sanchez wasn’t ready for the N.F.L. Sanchez’s one season as a starter was enough to convince the Jets that they should jump through hoops to bring him here.
They gave up three players, the 17th overall pick and their second-round selection to move up to the fifth spot to take Sanchez.
After the news conference Sunday, Johnson was asked about the inherent danger of an owner’s becoming enamored with a player and tossing millions of dollars at him. Johnson disagreed with the question’s premise — that he had been smitten by Sanchez — and pointed out that, in any event, he wasn’t in charge of personnel.
“I was not part of the decision,” he said, then referred to General Manager Mike Tannenbaum when he said: “I tell Mike that I can have my opinion like any fan, but he has to make the ultimate decision. It doesn’t matter whether I like a player or not. I want Mike to make the decisions and that’s what his function is.”
Sanchez’s function is cosmic as well as practical. The Jets’ search continues for an iconic quarterback with that priceless combination of pizazz, talent, charisma and a flair for the dramatic.
Jets fans have watched the futile pursuit since 1976, when Joe Namath completed his Jets career and limped off to Los Angeles, perhaps taking the franchise’s soul with him.
Since then, the Jets have drafted Richard Todd (1976), Matt Robinson (1977), Pat Ryan (1978), Ken O’Brien (1983), Browning Nagle (1991), Jeff Blake (1992), Glenn Foley (1994), Chad Pennington (2000), Brooks Bollinger (2003), Kellen Clemens (2006) and Erik Ainge (2008).
Sanchez bursts with personality and charm. In fact his presence — more than his arm strength, for example — has emerged as the most consistent attribute. Charisma goes to pieces if you lose, and you can have the personality of a toad and be hailed as a prince if you win.
“No matter what happens, winning is the equalizer,” Sanchez said. “As far as the media goes, it’s something that can help your team when things are going well on a wave of winning, and when things are down, it’s tough.”
For all the buzz about Sanchez, Clemens is the sympathetic figure and, as much as a millionaire athlete can be, the underdog. Clemens, a relative veteran, reminds me of a hard-working manager who waits his turn only to be pushed back or leapt over by the boss’s latest fair-haired boy.
Last season, Clemens finally was set to battle Pennington for the starting position. Then the Brett Favre drama unfolded in Green Bay and ended in New York: Pennington was jettisoned, and Favre became the starter, ahead of Clemens.
This year, Clemens was prepared to go head-to-head for the starting job with Brett Ratliff, who was entering his second year after signing as a rookie free agent in 2007. Enter Sanchez.
Sanchez, like Favre, seemed too good to pass up. Johnson said this was simply part of a successful business model.
“This is a very competitive league; you constantly have to try to improve,” Johnson said. “We think a lot of Kellen, he’s still in the mix. He’s still in the mix, big time.”
After Sunday’s news conference, Sanchez said he wanted to be one of the guys. His father told reporters that his son was a work in progress.
This much is certain: Sanchez is now part of the Jets’ continuing pursuit across time of that swashbuckling figure who will bring the franchise a long-lost championship.
Welcome to the chase.
Sanchez, the Jets’ first-round draft pick, was on a stage in the small auditorium at the Jets’ training facility with the owner, Woody Johnson. Johnson handed Sanchez a Jets cap, then presented Sanchez with his No. 6 jersey. After a brief photo session, Sanchez motioned for his father, Nick, to stand up. Sanchez tossed the jersey about 5 yards, his father made a fingertip catch, and a pro career had started. Son to father.
Jersey in hand, Nick Sanchez returned to the back row of seats, joining Sanchez’s mother, his stepmother, his sister-in-law, two brothers, a nephew and his agent.
This scene, perfect for April, was being played out across the country as N.F.L. teams proudly introduced their top draft choices, and young football players celebrated the fulfillment of childhood dreams.
As the media-savvy Sanchez spoke on Sunday, his mother, Olga, smiled and nodded her approval as her son gave all the right answers to a flood of questions. Most of the questions were light, a few probing, but nothing he couldn’t handle.
This was a great day for Jets fans, and a step in the right direction for a franchise in search of its first championship in 41 seasons.
This was also a remarkable turn of events for Sanchez, a 22-year-old quarterback with just one season as a starter at Southern California under his belt. In fact, Trojans Coach Pete Carroll tried to talk Sanchez out of leaving U.S.C. early, insisting that Sanchez wasn’t ready for the N.F.L. Sanchez’s one season as a starter was enough to convince the Jets that they should jump through hoops to bring him here.
They gave up three players, the 17th overall pick and their second-round selection to move up to the fifth spot to take Sanchez.
After the news conference Sunday, Johnson was asked about the inherent danger of an owner’s becoming enamored with a player and tossing millions of dollars at him. Johnson disagreed with the question’s premise — that he had been smitten by Sanchez — and pointed out that, in any event, he wasn’t in charge of personnel.
“I was not part of the decision,” he said, then referred to General Manager Mike Tannenbaum when he said: “I tell Mike that I can have my opinion like any fan, but he has to make the ultimate decision. It doesn’t matter whether I like a player or not. I want Mike to make the decisions and that’s what his function is.”
Sanchez’s function is cosmic as well as practical. The Jets’ search continues for an iconic quarterback with that priceless combination of pizazz, talent, charisma and a flair for the dramatic.
Jets fans have watched the futile pursuit since 1976, when Joe Namath completed his Jets career and limped off to Los Angeles, perhaps taking the franchise’s soul with him.
Since then, the Jets have drafted Richard Todd (1976), Matt Robinson (1977), Pat Ryan (1978), Ken O’Brien (1983), Browning Nagle (1991), Jeff Blake (1992), Glenn Foley (1994), Chad Pennington (2000), Brooks Bollinger (2003), Kellen Clemens (2006) and Erik Ainge (2008).
Sanchez bursts with personality and charm. In fact his presence — more than his arm strength, for example — has emerged as the most consistent attribute. Charisma goes to pieces if you lose, and you can have the personality of a toad and be hailed as a prince if you win.
“No matter what happens, winning is the equalizer,” Sanchez said. “As far as the media goes, it’s something that can help your team when things are going well on a wave of winning, and when things are down, it’s tough.”
For all the buzz about Sanchez, Clemens is the sympathetic figure and, as much as a millionaire athlete can be, the underdog. Clemens, a relative veteran, reminds me of a hard-working manager who waits his turn only to be pushed back or leapt over by the boss’s latest fair-haired boy.
Last season, Clemens finally was set to battle Pennington for the starting position. Then the Brett Favre drama unfolded in Green Bay and ended in New York: Pennington was jettisoned, and Favre became the starter, ahead of Clemens.
This year, Clemens was prepared to go head-to-head for the starting job with Brett Ratliff, who was entering his second year after signing as a rookie free agent in 2007. Enter Sanchez.
Sanchez, like Favre, seemed too good to pass up. Johnson said this was simply part of a successful business model.
“This is a very competitive league; you constantly have to try to improve,” Johnson said. “We think a lot of Kellen, he’s still in the mix. He’s still in the mix, big time.”
After Sunday’s news conference, Sanchez said he wanted to be one of the guys. His father told reporters that his son was a work in progress.
This much is certain: Sanchez is now part of the Jets’ continuing pursuit across time of that swashbuckling figure who will bring the franchise a long-lost championship.
Welcome to the chase.
Redskins fill need with Texas DE Orakpo at No. 13; Sanchez was no-go
ASHBURN, Va. -- The Mark Sanchez sweepstakes was won by someone else, leaving the Washington Redskins to take the conventional approach -- filling one of their most pressing needs with their first pick in the NFL draft.
Surprised to find him still available, the Redskins chose Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo with the No. 13 overall selection Saturday, bolstering a pass rush that had the fewest sacks in the NFC in 2008.
"Sometimes you've got to be lucky in the draft that the guy that you really covet falls to you," said Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins' executive vice president of football operations. "You know, I tried for an hour to move up to get the guy. Nobody would do it, and he fell to us."
Cerrato said he called "about five teams" in an attempt to trade up for the chance to choose the 6-foot-3, 263-pound speed rusher. When the Denver Broncos -- selecting at No. 12 -- didn't take Orakpo, there was fist-pounding excitement in the war room, according to Redskins coach Jim Zorn.
The Redskins used just 2½ minutes of their 10-minute time allotment to make the selection.
"I was shocked that he fell," Cerrato said.
Orakpo, who had 11.5 sacks last year for Texas, joins a Washington defensive line that had no player with more than four sacks in last year's 8-8 season. The Redskins had just 24 total sacks, even though the defense ranked No. 4 overall in the NFL, and a vacancy at left defensive end was created when veteran Jason Taylor was cut last month.
The Redskins first addressed the line by signing defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a seven-year, $100 million contract during free agency. Now they've added Orakpo.
"I'm ecstatic," said Orakpo, the son of Nigerian immigrants. "Having one of the best defensive tackles in the league, in the game right now, will make my job a lot easier, I'll tell you that much. Because that's what you need -- that force and that beast up the middle."
Orakpo wouldn't have been the choice, however, had the Redskins found the right price for Sanchez. The USC quarterback essentially was auctioned off to the New York Jets, who sent their selections in the first and second rounds, along with three players, to the Cleveland Browns to move up to the No. 5 overall pick.
Asked if the Redskins tried to trade up for Sanchez, Cerrato said: "We made a couple of calls, but it was too expensive."
The Redskins have spent a significant chunk of the offseason looking for an upgrade to Jason Campbell, who threw for 13 touchdown passes and six interceptions last season in his first full season as the starting quarterback. Redskins owner Dan Snyder failed to acquire Jay Cutler from the Broncos earlier this offseason, then welcomed Sanchez for a two-day visit in the build-up to the draft.
The swirling quarterback scenarios have rattled Campbell, leaving him to wonder about his future with the team, but he has apparently survived the offseason and now can be assured once and for all by Zorn that he will enter the final year of his contract as the starter.
"Things were a little bit of a roller-coaster with the whole situation, through the media, through real or unreal situations with Cutler and the stuff about Mark Sanchez as well," Zorn said. "I just feel like we stayed true to what we were planning and didn't try to ride it with everybody else."
Ironically, it was the selection of Sanchez at No. 5 that helped Orakpo fall to No. 13. With the Browns out of the top 10, that left one fewer team targeting defense ahead of the Redskins. Washington entered the draft looking at a possible rotation of 36-year-old Phillip Daniels and 34-year-old Renaldo Wynn at left defensive end.
Orakpo's top liability is run defense, with Zorn admitting that "there's going to be a learning curve there."
"Everybody's not perfect," Orakpo said. "One thing I know is 'Don't think pass too much.' I have to be able to stop the run, obviously, with the division we're in, so that's something I know I have to work on."
Orakpo's first wide-eyed, "what did he say?" NFL moment came when he was asked what he plans to do with his first NFL paycheck.
"I'm going to buy me a huge bed," he said. "I need a big old comfortable bed so I can relax and witness all of it."
The Redskins also have needs at linebacker and tackle, which they will look to address on the second day of the draft. Washington didn't have a second-round pick, having traded it last year to acquire Taylor from the Miami Dolphins.
Surprised to find him still available, the Redskins chose Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo with the No. 13 overall selection Saturday, bolstering a pass rush that had the fewest sacks in the NFC in 2008.
"Sometimes you've got to be lucky in the draft that the guy that you really covet falls to you," said Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins' executive vice president of football operations. "You know, I tried for an hour to move up to get the guy. Nobody would do it, and he fell to us."
Cerrato said he called "about five teams" in an attempt to trade up for the chance to choose the 6-foot-3, 263-pound speed rusher. When the Denver Broncos -- selecting at No. 12 -- didn't take Orakpo, there was fist-pounding excitement in the war room, according to Redskins coach Jim Zorn.
The Redskins used just 2½ minutes of their 10-minute time allotment to make the selection.
"I was shocked that he fell," Cerrato said.
Orakpo, who had 11.5 sacks last year for Texas, joins a Washington defensive line that had no player with more than four sacks in last year's 8-8 season. The Redskins had just 24 total sacks, even though the defense ranked No. 4 overall in the NFL, and a vacancy at left defensive end was created when veteran Jason Taylor was cut last month.
The Redskins first addressed the line by signing defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a seven-year, $100 million contract during free agency. Now they've added Orakpo.
"I'm ecstatic," said Orakpo, the son of Nigerian immigrants. "Having one of the best defensive tackles in the league, in the game right now, will make my job a lot easier, I'll tell you that much. Because that's what you need -- that force and that beast up the middle."
Orakpo wouldn't have been the choice, however, had the Redskins found the right price for Sanchez. The USC quarterback essentially was auctioned off to the New York Jets, who sent their selections in the first and second rounds, along with three players, to the Cleveland Browns to move up to the No. 5 overall pick.
Asked if the Redskins tried to trade up for Sanchez, Cerrato said: "We made a couple of calls, but it was too expensive."
The Redskins have spent a significant chunk of the offseason looking for an upgrade to Jason Campbell, who threw for 13 touchdown passes and six interceptions last season in his first full season as the starting quarterback. Redskins owner Dan Snyder failed to acquire Jay Cutler from the Broncos earlier this offseason, then welcomed Sanchez for a two-day visit in the build-up to the draft.
The swirling quarterback scenarios have rattled Campbell, leaving him to wonder about his future with the team, but he has apparently survived the offseason and now can be assured once and for all by Zorn that he will enter the final year of his contract as the starter.
"Things were a little bit of a roller-coaster with the whole situation, through the media, through real or unreal situations with Cutler and the stuff about Mark Sanchez as well," Zorn said. "I just feel like we stayed true to what we were planning and didn't try to ride it with everybody else."
Ironically, it was the selection of Sanchez at No. 5 that helped Orakpo fall to No. 13. With the Browns out of the top 10, that left one fewer team targeting defense ahead of the Redskins. Washington entered the draft looking at a possible rotation of 36-year-old Phillip Daniels and 34-year-old Renaldo Wynn at left defensive end.
Orakpo's top liability is run defense, with Zorn admitting that "there's going to be a learning curve there."
"Everybody's not perfect," Orakpo said. "One thing I know is 'Don't think pass too much.' I have to be able to stop the run, obviously, with the division we're in, so that's something I know I have to work on."
Orakpo's first wide-eyed, "what did he say?" NFL moment came when he was asked what he plans to do with his first NFL paycheck.
"I'm going to buy me a huge bed," he said. "I need a big old comfortable bed so I can relax and witness all of it."
The Redskins also have needs at linebacker and tackle, which they will look to address on the second day of the draft. Washington didn't have a second-round pick, having traded it last year to acquire Taylor from the Miami Dolphins.
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