2012 NFL Free Agency: Expect Redskins To Be Aggressive Early, According To Report

The Washington Redskins made a trade over the weekend that makes free agency more important to their franchise in two ways. First, they now have a player (presumably) that needs talent put around him and secondly, they reduced their draft picks making free agency their best option to add top level talent. Throw in the penalty that the Redskins are reportedly facing, and this could make for a very interesting period. But according to John Clayton of ESPN, we can still expect Dan Snyder to be the same aggressive owner we have come to know.

That news should strike fear into the hearts of teams such as Chicago, which will likely go after Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson. Watch for the Redskins to target Jackson, Broncos wide receiver Eddie Royal, Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan and others. Snyder and the Redskins suffered a big blow Monday when the league took back $36 million of cap room for cap moves made in 2010, but he'll find a way to get whom he wants in free agency. Despite the cap hit, he's a player.

Would you expect anything else? Even with a penalty that could greatly reduce their resources, Dan Snyder is expected to make a big splash early in free agency.

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

Redskins Free Agency 2012: Status Of Redskins Salary Cap Penalty Remains Unclear

NFL Free Agency is finally starting on Tuesday, and it's scheduled to start at 4 pm. But the Redskins are in a very difficult situation as they have just been assessed a cap penalty by the NFL that could cost them $36 million this year, or maybe next year, or maybe in both years. Unfortunately there are conflicting reports about how it will affect them totally, and no one really seems to know.

Per @ProFootballTalk, the WAS/DAL cap charges can be taken in 2012 OR 2013, not and. As PFT said, spend now, fight later.

— SC_DougFarrar (@SC_DougFarrar) March 13, 2012

Now if you go to Pro Football Talk's twitter, you will find tweets that say that the Redskins can choose how much to allocate in each year and also a report that says they have to choose to take the whole lump in one of the two years. The again, there is this report from CSN Washington that says the Redskins have already been penalized half of the total sum for this season.

Schefter also said that the league has already reduced the Redskins' salary cap number on the website dedicated to such things by $18 million overnight. That would represent half of the cap penalty imposed.

It seems at this point that the only thing we know for sure is that we don't know exactly what the deal is for sure. In that very same article Adam Schefter is quoted as saying this is a battle that is just beginning. Expect lawyers to get involved and for the whole thing to get a lot worse before it gets better. The Redskins have already said that they plan on entering free agent with the same intentions that they were before these penalties were announced yesterday. Stay tuned. . .

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

NFL Free Agency 2012: Eagles, Jets, Bears Front-Runners For LaRon Landry, According To Report

LaRon Landry may very well be leaving the Washington Redskins in free agency, as was reported over the weekend, but the Redskins might not be quite willing to let the safety walk without a fight.

Per Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports:

Aside from the Jets, as report by ESPN's Rich Cimini, Chi and Philly appear interested in LaRon Landry. Wash wants him back.

— Jason Cole (@JasonColeYahoo) March 12, 2012

By comparison, Dan Pompei's "Sunday Blitz" report for the National Football Post said that the Redskins and Landry had already decided to part ways due to the center's poor health.

Meanwhile, per Hogs Haven, ESPN New York's Rich Cimini explained why he expects the Jets to show interest in Landry.

They need a safety and Landry probably is the best one in a market watered down by three franchise tags. The Redskins' former first-round pick (sixth overall in 2007) is coming off two injury-plagued seasons, so maybe his asking price won't be crazy. He's a beast as an in-the-box safety, but there are questions about his coverage ability -- and that's where the Jets need help.

For more on the Washington Redskins, head over to SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven.

NFL Free Agency 2012: Redskins $31 Million Under Salary Cap Entering Free Agency

The NFL released the official salary cap numbers over the weekend, days before the official start of free agency. The Washington Redskins currently stand $31 million under the cap of $120.6 million.

The Redskins figure to be big players in free agency, with their main goal being to sign a wide receiver to complement whichever player they choose in the NFL Draft. Vincent Jackson and Pierre Garcon are two receivers consistently mentioned as having the Redskins' interest.

The Redskins may also be looking to sign a corner back to help with the secondary or even a new offensive lineman to help protect the Redskins' new quarterback.

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

Redskins Free Agency 2012: Mike Shanahan 'A Big Fan' Of Vincent Jackson

Now that the Washington Redskins have secured the second overall pick to presumably draft Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, the Redskins can now focus on their targets in NFL Free agency. One of those targets is expected to by San Diego Chargers free agent wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan is apparently a big fan of.

RE: V-Jax & #Redskins - Shanahan had high grade on V-Jax in '05 draft. Was "not happy" when division-rival SD took him: bit.ly/Ag72gw

— Evan Silva (@evansilva) March 10, 2012

Shanahan reportedly was interested in attempting to trade for Jackson last offseason, but with the lockout and shortened off season it wasn't very feasible, not to mention the fact that Jackson was franchise tagged by the Chargers. Most expect Shanahan and the Redskins to make Jackson a priority when free agency starts on Tuesday March 13.

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

Redskins Free Agency 2012: Washington Will Show Interest In Mario Manningham, According To Report

We are on the verge of NFL Free Agency, and it should provide an opportunity for one of the heroes from the Giants Super Bowl run to cash in. Speaking on 106.7 The Fan Friday morning, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said that he expected the Redskins to show some interest in Manningham when he becomes available. Rich Tandler of Real Redskins has a little bit more information on what kind of contract Manningham could command.

Would Manningham be a good fit for the Redskins? It depends on the contract. The Redskins do need to upgrade their receiver corps, no doubt about it. And Manningham would represent and upgrad. But if he gets paid close to what top free agent receivers like Vincent Jackson will get, in the neighborhood of $10 million per year, it would not be a good acquisition for the Redskins. Even at $7 million, the Redskins would be paying him like a No. 1 receiver when his production is that of a No. 2 or 3 receiver.

Manningham would be a talent upgrade for the Redskins, but I have to wonder if he is really a great fit. They already have a bunch of guys who aren't quite a good size for the position, and Mannignham duplicates that. A guy like Marques Colston or Vincent Jackson, who are much bigger than any other target on the Redskins, might be a better fit. But then again, they will also come with a hefty price tag.

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

Peyton Manning Not Interested In Playing For Redskins, According To Report (UPDATED)

Peyton Manning does not want to play for the Washington Redskins. At least, that's what Chris Russell of ESPN Radio 980 believes. He says that sources inside the Redskins organization told him that Manning's camp has already reached out to the team to inform them. Here's Russell's quotes from his appearance on SportsCenter, via Pro Football Talk.

"A couple of different sources inside the organization have told me that Manning's camp made it pretty clear to Redskins officials he doesn't want to come here ... There's lots of reasons for that. His brother Eli, the colder weather, the whole situation down in Miami and so on and so forth. But unless that changes - and I'm taking my sources at their word - I don't think Manning's coming here to D.C."

Regardless of what you think of Russell, this makes plenty of sense. Manning owns real estate in Miami and it seems reasonable that he wouldn't want to compete against his brother as a division rival.

UPDATE: Well, not so fast. This from Pro Football Talk Thursday evening:

A source with knowledge of the situation disputes [Russell's] account, telling PFT that Manning has not told the Redskins to take his name off their wish list.

Yet.

So Manning hasn’t told the Redskins he’s out, but that doesn’t mean he’ll eventually pick the Redskins. It also doesn’t mean he’s genuinely interested.

PFT's Mike Florio believes that Manning is not, in fact, interested in the Redskins, and will formally confirm his lack of interest with the organization sooner or later. We tend to agree with this. In the end, though this is all just playing semantics, and we're essentially back where we started.

For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

Redskins Free Agency 2012: Washington One Of 12 Teams To Contact Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning just hit the market so to speak, and as expected, he is already generating a ton of interest. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Washington redskins are one of 12 teams to reach out and contact Manning's representatives, joined by (among others) the Dolphins, Jets, Seahawks, Titans and Chiefs.

"I have no idea who wants me, what team wants me, how this process works," Manning told a group of reporters in South Florida, where he has a home and flew after the news conference. "I don't know if it's like college recruiting where you go take visits. I mean, this is all so new to me."

There are some reports out that that Manning would not want to join an NFC team because he wouldn't want to meet his Brother in the Playoffs (should it get that far) before the Super Bowl. So it would seem even less likely that he would come to the NFC East and face his brother twice a year.

Peyton Manning Press Conference: Former Colts' QB Now Officially A Free Agent, Redskins Interested, According To Report

The news became official today, Peyton Manning is now the former quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. His press conference along with Colts president Jim Irsay started at noon and both player and president took turns making remarks to the assorted press present. Then they started to answer questions and the question on everyone's mind is where will he go next.

The Redskins, as previously reported, are interested in making a push to sign Manning. But other teams that are being speculated as potential landing sites for Manning include the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals. If the Redskins do sign Manning, that would not preclude them from selecting a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

Peyton Manning Released: Redskins Expected To Make Hard Push For Manning

Reports started emerging yesterday that Peyton manning would in fact be released by the Indianapolis Colts, which means the pursuit of him is ready to begin in earnest. As expected, the Redskins are going to make a "strong push" for Manning, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. But there was a little tidbit towards the end of the article that I found interesting, in regards to their backup plan should Manning fall through.

One person with knowledge of the Redskins’ planning said the team intends to go after Manning aggressively and, if Manning signs elsewhere, turn its attention to strongly pursuing a trade for the Rams’ pick. But two others familiar with the Redskins’ intentions said signing Manning would not preclude the addition of a young quarterback in the draft--either Griffin or Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M, who could be selected with the sixth pick.

So that means that Manning, who was made expendable in Indy by the presumed pick of Andrew Luck, would join another team that would then bring in a rookie for him to compete with. it doesn't sound like this is actually their plan, and they may be posturing while working on what their real plan is. Either way, it should be an interesting next couple of months.

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

Peyton Manning To Be Cut By Colts, According To Reports

Sources have told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the Indianapolis Colts are expected to announce the release of quarterback Peyton Manning tomorrow. The announcement is to come at a press conference Wednesday with both Manning and owner Jim Irsay in attendance.

Manning missed the entire 2011 season after neck surgery and will be a very attractive free agent to many teams in need of a quarterback, including the Washington Redskins. According to the report, Manning is feeling improvement in his throwing strength, and intends to play next season.

In his 14-year career with the Colts, Manning led the team to the playoffs 11 times, winning two AFC championships and one Super Bowl title.

For more developments on this story and Redskins free agency, make sure to stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all things Redskins, stop by Hogs Haven. For all the latest NFL news, please visit the SB Nation NFL Hub Page.

2012 NFL Free Agency: Fred Davis, LaRon Landry Candidates For Redskins Franchise Tag

Monday represents the first day that NFL teams can place a franchise tag on one of their free agents that they would like to keep. The fellas over at SB Nation put together a feature on which player from every team is most likely to receive the franchise tag ranked in order of likelihood. They name a couple of options for the Redskins before ultimately settling on Fred Davis, which corroborates the reports we've heard.

Fred Davis. LaRon Landry is a possibility, too, but both players have concerns when it comes to a long term deal. Davis will be suspended for a year if he tests positive again, and Landry has had major injury issues. Reports out of Washington indicate Davis likely gets the tag at about $5.5 million.

Fred Davis had a breakout season last year, but he represents a fair amount of risk in his signing. A franchise tag might be a great way to give him a trial run to turn things around before offering him a big money long-term deal next offseason.

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

2012 NFL Free Agency: Is Marques Colston A Possibility For Redskins?

The 2012 NFL Free Agency period is fast approaching, and the Washington Redskins are in great financial shape, having just over $47 million in available cap space. The quarterback issue is obviously at the forefront for Washington, be it a free agent signing or draft selection, but should the Redskins also start thinking about investing some serious dough on wide receivers? Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com wrote a column with his choice of best match of free agent and NFL team, and he did indeed pair Washington with a wideout:

Washington Redskins
Best match: Saints WR Marques Colston

They need to get a reliable pair of hands in their offense. Colston could really be a big help to a team that needs it in the worst way.

Colston had a stellar season for the New Orleans Saints, catching 80 balls for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. 55 of his receptions were for first downs. For his career, the former Hofstra star has 449 receptions for 6,240 yards and 48 touchdowns. But if the Saints can afford to retain him, would he even make it to the open market for Washington to bid on? Doubtful.

Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.

2012 NFL Free Agency: Randy Moss A Favorite To Sign With Redskins According To Oddsmakers

According to CSNWashington Redskins insider Ryan O'Halloran, odds makers from the sports betting website Bovada have pegged the Redskins as a favorite to sign WR Randy Moss when free agency begins.

Odds on who will sign Moss, who announced this week he is coming out of retirement:

Patriots 5-2, Bears 7-2, Redskins 5-1,49ers 5-1, Jets 11-2, Rams 7-1, Cowboys 10-1 and Eagles 10-1.

While the Redskins could use a deep threat like Moss, the consensus from most analysts is that Moss is past his prime and wouldn't be worth bringing in with his history of locker room problems and lack of route running. The Redskins would be better served signing a younger wide receiver like Dwayne Bowe, or looking for a receiver in the draft.

The New England Patriots strike me as an odd choice as they released Moss himself after he became a distraction early during the 2010 season. Would the Patriots want to go in again on a player that has the potential to drive a locker room into disarray.

For more on the Redskins, visit Hogs Haven.

NFL Free Agency 2012: Redskins Have Ample Cap Room To Make Offseason Improvements

The Redskins have a lot of salary cap room this off season. Where will they spend to help address some of their needs?