When the CBA is ratified, there will be an axtremely abbreviated free agency, which might just be the craziest five days any of us will ever experience. The Redskins, who take this "free agency" thing as a sort of competition, figure to be as aggressive as they would be in a normal year, according to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com. Jets receiver Santonio Holmes headlines the list of players La Canfora provides as potential targets for Washington.
Signing New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes reportedly is the primary objective of Redskins coach and chief decision maker Mike Shanahan. Guard Marshal Yanda, a player whom the Baltimore Ravens will vigorously fight to retain -- just as the Jets will make a concerted effort to retain Holmes -- also is coveted in Washington.
New Summer, new Collective Bargaining Agreement, same old Redskins. Now, they do have some money to spend, and the guys listed in the article are players that I think would be good investments. You know it's a different era when a guard is listed among the Redskins top priorities.
There was also an interesting little tidbit later in the article about the Redskins quarterback situation. Apparently, Mike Shanahan isn't messing around with this John Beck stuff, he is completely serious about using him as the starter.
"He is set on Beck," said a source familiar with Shanahan's thinking. "That's his guy. He isn't just saying it for the media or to blow smoke. He's serious as hell about it."
Maybe he's just set on Andrew Luck, and starting John Beck is his way to get there.