Rich Tandler's Blog (5)

The Redskins announced today that Ryan Plackemeier, the team's punter for the last half of 2008, would not be back to compete for the job in 2009. This is mildly surprising since signed for next season at a salary of just over $500,000 and there didn't seem to be any urgency to create that cap space. However, if you decide that a player just isn't in your plans and that nothing is going to happen to change your mind there isn't any point in keeping him around. Although it appeared that he was i… Continue

A year ago this coming Saturday, Darrell Green was in Arizona in order to attend the announcement of the Class of 2009 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Art Monk didn't go West with his former Washington Redskins teammate but there's no doubt that he kept his cell phone on just in case his name was called in that press conference. As we know, both Green and Monk ended up on the list for enshrinement. This coming Saturday, Russ Grimm, another member of those storied Redskins teams, will not be… Continue

The defensive backfield was the strong suit of the Washington Redskins defense in 2008. For that matter, it probably was the strongest unit on the team. It would be great if the team could just carry that area of strength into the '09 season intact. However, some decisions must be made and some major change is possible. The first piece of the puzzle is cornerback DeAngelo Hall. After being picked up in midseason following an unceremonious dumping by the Raiders, Hall worked his way into the st… Continue

In 2002, I published The Redskins From A to Z, which had accounts of each game that the Washington Redskins played from when they moved to Washington in 1937 through the end of the 2001 season. The book was well received by members of the media, who used it as a reference tool, and by the fans, who viewed it as the ultimate argument settler. It you're not familiar with the book, you can view a few chapters here to get an idea of what it's about. The book, published by my own publishing company… Continue

If fans of the Washington Redskins are looking for a rooting interest in the NFL playoffs, they should look about 32 miles to the north of FedEx Field to M&T Bank Stadium. They should think purple. Yes, Redskins fans should be rooting for the Baltimore Ravens to win the Super Bowl. I know that the idea is anywhere from repulsive to uncomfortable to most. It's just not natural to want to root for the team from the neighboring city. It certainly doesn't feel right to me, although the feelin… Continue