Even though trade rumors had been swirling for a few weeks prior, it was still a little bit surprising when the Redskins decided to release Devin Thomas. Usually the parties involved are a little more in the know and aren't surprised by things like that, but that might not be the case this time.
In addition to his work here Brian Murphy is a big part of the online magazine Hail! that covers everything Redskins. In the newest issue Murphy talks to Devin Thomas, and we learn some pretty surprising things about the circumstances surrounding his release. You can sign up for the magazine (which is totally free by the way) here. We'll have a taste of the interview after the jump.
The most surprising thing to me was that just days before his release Thomas had a meeting with Shanahan that he actually thought went pretty well.
"He said, 'Devin, You're doing everything that I want you to. You're working hard. You're not complaining. You're not doing anything wrong. You're doing good on kick returns and everything. There's no question if somebody goes down you can hop right in there and play.' Everything he said was what I wanted to hear."
Yet, only a few days later Thomas was a member of the Carolina Panthers. His biggest regret is that he never got the chance to prove what he was worth to the new coaching staff after a hamstring injury in training camp. Murphy points out that Thomas only participated on one offensive play as a member of the Redskins this season.
"It's just kind of weird how someone can tell you things to make you feel good and say nice things to your face and things can change so drastically two days later."
Based on his side of the story it seems like the Redskins weren't totally honest with him about his standing with the club or their plans for him. But it's important to remember that this is only one side of the story, and Mike Shanahan's account of the same events would probably be pretty different. I'm not discounting what Thomas said, it just bears repeating that this is a disgruntled player taking a shot at his former employer.
The rest of the interview is just as eye-opening. It makes it sound like Thomas was willing to do everything the Skins asked of him, when in the past we had heard that his work ethic was questionable. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. Check out Hail! for the rest of this interview and the latest news and features about the Redskins.