An Oldie But a Goodie

Little bit of this would be good

Once and future Redskin Keenan McCardell is back with the team, the Redskins have signed the 16 year veteran to a one year deal to what, add body heat to the receivers bench in December?

Keenan now has the opportunity to take the Art Monk / Henry Ellard role on this team. As those guys entered the final years of their careers they specialized in running first down routes, knowing where the chains ended and getting to the sideline, a point on which Lee Gibbons and I agree.

Right now the Redskins do not have a legitimate possession receiver. Santana Moss is a big play guy and Antwaan Randle El runs deeper routes (see this Washington Post piece about the difference between the Z and X receivers in Al Saunders' offense).

And then there is nobody and I mean that in the literal sense. James Thrash used to be a possession guy but now is more of a split end, a blocker in run sets, Brandon Lloyd is off somewhere fighting the Covenant on Halo installation 04 and Reche Caldwell, well he may fit into the role that Brandon was supposed to but he is not going to be a primary threat this season. Expect the team will cut Brandon and re-sign Reche after this season.

All things considered a good deal for the Redskins but I will again remind readers that there are not enough catches on this team to warrant this many receivers. If you are third or lower on the receiving depth chart you are on receiver welfare. There are too many catches for the running backs and Chris Cooley to make third, fourth and fifth receivers impact players in this offense. That said the team needs quality players there in order to change that and right now they don't have it so get out there Keenan and catch some balls.

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So check this out, some interesting stuff about Keenan. We all know by now that the Redskins were the team to draft him, in 1991, Keenan was a Charley Casserly pick, Bobby Beathard having resigned in 1989.

He was drafted in a round, the 12th, that no longer exists and has not since 1992.

Other memorable names from that draft: Russell Maryland, number one overall to the Cowboys, Alvin Harper, Dan McGwire, Todd Marinovich, Brett Favre, Ricky Watters, Aeneas Williams, Jake Reed, Merton Hanks, Tim Ryan (now on Sirius NFL Radio), Leon Lett and Herman Moore.

In the Redskins draft that year no player but Ricky Ervins ever made a serious contribution to the team. Defensive tackle Bobby Wilson had 4.5 sacks in 1991 but was never an impact after that.

Keenan had surgery of some sort that season and was on injured reserve back in the day when injured reserve was known as the 'taxi squad' and it was where you kept not only your injured players but also your cache of future contributors you wanted other teams to keep their hands off of. The team released him after the 1991 season and he only went on to become one of the greatest receivers of all time (number nine overall in receptions). Great to hear Keenan giving Art, Gary Clark* and Ricky Sanders props in his intro Q&A with the team herald.

That Keenan has a Super Bowl 26 ring from 1991 without earning it makes him like another former Charger and Redskin, Stan Humphries.

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Omar Stoutmire was released to make room for Keenan, already the second time Omar has been cut by the Redskins this season and he may be back again if the team needs him.



Gary Clark is well deserving of the Redskins Ring of Fame if not the Hall itself, what took the team so long to put him there? Was it the way he left after the 1992 season for Phoenix? Got news for you sports fans, that was all on Charley Casserly. If there was ever a team that botched its entry into the era of free agency it was the Redskins, hey I just had a great idea for a post!

Keenan McCardell scoring: Toni L Sandys from here.