Catching Up with Old Friends

The bad, the worse, it's ugly

Periodically we like to see how the Redskins former and most beloved players are doing with their new teams. Champ Bailey is still on track to be the second greatest cornerback of all time, Antonio Pierce is still knocking heads in New York.

Adam Archuleta and Brandon Lloyd are not most beloved but they are former Redskin players. Both are emblematic of the reckless ways of the 2006 offseason, both flamed out in spectacular fashion and sadly, they will be remembered as former Redskins for ever and ever just like Gary Clark after he moved on, just like Brian Mitchell after he moved on.

Though for very different reasons.

Adam Archuleta
Prior to the 2006 season Adam Archuleta signed the richest deal ever for a safety, 6 years 30 million dollars with 10 million guaranteed. After seven games he was benched, by the end of the season he was not even playing special teams. The Redskins traded him after one season to the Bears for a sixth round pick, Arch Deluxe was off the menu. The Bears' coach is Lovie Smith, Adam's former defensive coordinator from Adam's heyday in St. Louis.

After a middling 10 starts and 61 tackles in 2007, Chicago released Adam in May of this year, he had been supplanted by a pair of youngsters, one of whom had been drafted only the month before, the Bears saw all they needed in minicamp and let Adam go.

Moving on, Adam signed with the Oakland Raiders yesterday, the Purgatory of the NFL, for the veteran minimum, one year, 730 thousand dollars. Adam likely will get no playing time at safety so the Raiders are planning to move Adam to linebacker, the position he played in college. Good luck Adam.


Brandon Lloyd
Also prior to the 2006 season the Redskins traded a 2006 third round pick and a 2007 fourth round pick for the I guess the word is mercurial receiver, he was known for acrobatic catches and also for being kind of a prick in the locker room. The Redskins then tore up Brandon's contract and gave him a six year 30 million dollar one, with up to 12 million dollars guaranteed.

In two seasons he ran a poor pattern and gave up an INT and fumbled in the same game, the fumble allowed Jacksonville to come back and tie the game with six minutes left (link here), got into it on the sidelines with a teammate during a game and had to be separated, missed long catches when they were needed (and blaming the quarterback), threw his helmet on the field during a game earning a 15 yard penalty, threw enough tantrums to force Joe Gibbs to intervene, was inactive for the final game of the 2006 season with a made up illness, was unable to condition himself during or prior to 2007 training camp it took three weeks of camp to get him on the practice field, did nothing all season then broke his collarbone and throughout all of thought he had an attitude that was good for the team. The Redskins finally released him in February of this year

Overall for the Redskins Brandon caught 25 passes for 379 yards and no TDs.

In March of this year the Chicago Bears signed Brandon to a one year contract for the veteran minimum, just this month former Chicago receiver Muhsin Muhammad called the Bears the place receivers go to die.

And even now, Brandon still does not think it was all his fault in Washington (op. cit.). Good luck Brandon.



Adam Archuleta, form: Michael Connor / Washington Times from here. Brandon Lloyd, former Redskins receiver: uncredited photo from here.