Bacon Bits: Redskins News From Around The Web For The Week Of June 8th 2016
By Michael Stahl | June 8th, 2016
Ten Day Edition, in case you missed anything.
The Washington Post reports Redskins LG Shawn Lauvao (foot, ankle) is expected to be ready for training camp.
Lauvao underwent five foot surgeries after landing on injured reserve last season, but he said last month he will be ready for camp. If he can get healthy, Lauvao will compete with Spencer Long for the starting spot at left guard. Long has also seen some snaps at center this offseason.
Source: Washington Post
Jun 7 – 9:57 AM
Matt Jones is practicing with a football which emits a warning signal if he does not apply pressure to every key point.
After Jones fumbled five times in just 163 touches last year, the Redskins are pulling out all the stops to improve his ball security. “We’ve got all kinds of things that help him out,” coach Jay Gruden said, “mainly focus on the ball not just when he’s in contact or in the line of scrimmage, but outside of contact where he had a lot of trouble last year.” Jones is expected to carry the load for Washington, but he will have to protect the ball better to retain the workhorse role. Jones is shaping up as a risk/reward RB2.
Source: CSN Mid-Atlantic
Jun 7 – 9:20 AM
DeSean Jackson was on the field for practice Monday.
Jackson had been skipping OTAs to this point, forfeiting a $500,000 workout bonus along the way. He is still owed $7.5 million in salary and bonuses in the final year of his deal. He will turn 30 in December.
Source: Redskins on Twitter
Jun 6 – 12:24 PM
Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic says the Redskins are being “ultra-cautious” with first-round WR Josh Doctson (foot).
Doctson hasn’t participated in OTAs since Tuesday, but Tandler described the injury as “something that we might not even hear about if it happened in October.” There’s little doubt Doctson will be ready for training camp.
Source: CSN Mid-Atlantic
Jun 5 – 12:18 PM
Redskins signed third-round CB Kendall Fuller to a four-year contract.
Coming off microfracture surgery his final year at Virginia Tech, Fuller has been cleared fully for team drills at OTAs. He’s expected to compete for the Redskins’ nickel back job behind starters Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland.
Jun 2 – 4:29 PM
Matt Jones wants to show he is “capable of being a No. 1 back all the time.”
Jones had some impressive flashes last season, but ball security and inconsistency plagued him as a rookie. Some of those inconsistencies could have resulted from the “hot-hand” approach the Redskins utilized last year. “I felt like if I had a bad game, the next game I wouldn’t get so many carries,” Jones said. “If I had a good game, I felt like I had to put so much pressure on myself to have a good game again. It was a lot of highs and lows.” Now healthy and comfortable as the clear No. 1, Jones should be in line for a more consistent and successful season. He is a solid RB2 with some upside.
Source: Washington Post
Jun 2 – 8:49 AM
Redskins undrafted WR Reggie Diggs underwent a knee scope and will be sidelined until training camp.
Diggs (6’4/200) is an UDFA out of Richmond. He’s an extreme roster long shot.
Source: Tarik El-Bashir on Twitter
Jun 1 – 2:20 PM
First-round WR Josh Doctson “hurt his foot” Tuesday and will be sidelined at least one week.
The words “foot injury” associated with a skill player are never something a team wants to hear. But X-rays came back negative on Doctson’s foot, and the rookie will sit for at least the next 7-10 days. He’ll miss the remainder of OTAs and doesn’t sound optimistic for this month’s mandatory minicamp. Doctson should be fine well ahead of training camp, but this is something to watch.
Source: Josina Anderson on Twitter
Jun 1 – 2:17 PM
Redskins TE Niles Paul has bulked up to 250 pounds.
A college wide receiver and punt returner, Paul measured 6-foot-1, 224 coming out of Nebraska, so this is a considerable size increase. In order to earn snaps behind $50 million starter Jordan Reed, Paul will need to hold up in the running game. He could become a fantasy factor with an injury to Reed.
Source: ESPN.com
May 31 – 9:50 PM
DeSean Jackson forfeited a $500,000 workout bonus by skipping OTAs.
Must be nice. In order to collect the bonus, Jackson needed to participate in at least 90 percent of Washington’s offseason activities, which began on April 18. “He has been here, he has popped in and had a cup of coffee,” coach Jay Gruden said. “Last time I looked up the word ‘voluntary,’ that is his choice, and he has been in the league nine years.” Jackson is still owed a $3.75 million base salary in addition to a $3.75 million roster bonus.
Source: ESPN.com
May 31 – 8:56 PM
ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim said “there’s little incentive” for Kirk Cousins to sign a long-term deal unless Washington meets his asking price.
Keim reports both sides want a long-term deal, but he predicts Cousins will play 2016 under the terms of the franchise tag. That decision could end up working for both sides. The Redskins are understandably hesitant to shell out long-term guarantees after one season, and Cousins probably thinks he will be in a better position to negotiate if he puts together another solid season. It would still be slightly surprising if the two sides did not work something out, but it is not out of the question.
Source: ESPN
May 31 – 1:20 PM
Redskins third-round CB Kendall Fuller (microfracture surgery) has been cleared for team drills.
Fuller said he was “90 percent healthy” earlier this month. He remains on track for the start of training camp. Fuller should open the season in a nickel role behind Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland.
Source: CSN Washington
May 28 – 4:17 PM
Kirk Cousins thinks first-round WR Josh Doctson can be “a great weapon in the red zone.”
Doctson might not beat out Pierre Garcon for a starting job by Week 1, but he has the size and ball skills to be an immediate threat in the red zone. “Looks like he can make the contested catch. It’s very natural for him to go up and catch that type of pass,” Cousins said. “He can run well. He has got great size. I almost thought he was a tight end when he showed up because of his size.” If DeSean Jackson and Jordan Reed can stay healthy, Cousins should have no shortage of weapons to target this season.
Source: CSN Mid-Atlantic
May 28 – 11:55 AM
Kirk Cousins said he expects 2015 fourth-round WR Jamison Crowder to make a sophomore jump.
“When it’s your second year and you caught [that] many passes in your first year, you come in a little more confident and sure of yourself,” Cousins said. “All of that lends itself to taking another step forward.” Crowder saw plenty of targets with DeSean Jackson sidelined for a good chunk of last season, but he was limited to 604 yards and two scores on 59 catches. A limited slot receiver, Crowder will struggle to carve out a big role if Jackson, Pierre Garcon and rookie Josh Doctson stay healthy.
Source: CSN Mid-Atlantic
May 28 – 11:47 AM
Redskins ILB Perry Riley (foot) is still in a walking boot.
Riley injured his foot late last season and was initially slapped with a 3-6 week timetable after requiring surgery to put a pin in his fifth metatarsal. Six months later, the foot is still giving him pain and discomfort. Riley expects to be ready for camp, but is due for a second opinion on his foot soon.
Source:CSN Mid-Atlantic
May 27 – 10:37 AM
