WashingtonPost - Roster analysis: Return on investment

[Champskins]

By J.I. Halsell
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Former Redskins salary cap analyst J.I. Halsell breaks down the players with the best and worst values midway through the season:
Best Values:

Return man Brandon Banks has provided a spark in the return game that hasn't been seen in these parts since the days of Brian Mitchell. In last week's loss to the Lions, Banks set the Redskins' club record for return yards in a game with 271 total return yards, eclipsing Mitchell's 240 total return yards against the Broncos during the 1995 season. Banks's performance against the Lions also represents the highest total achieved in the league thus far in the 2010 season. Had Rock Cartwright and Antwaan Randle El remained Redskins in 2010, they would have combined for $2.9 million in salary. The fact that the Redskins will pay Banks $320,000 this season and did not have to pay the electrifying return man one cent of guaranteed money shows that they have a true value in Banks.

Wide receiver Anthony Armstrong has ascended from a practice-squad player in 2009 to the No. 2 wide receiver in 2010. Armstrong is currently ranked second in the league in average yards per reception at 21.6 yards and second in the NFC in percentage of receptions resulting in first downs with 82.4 percent of the first-year wide receiver's catches moving the chains. Like Banks, Armstrong is making a league minimum $320,000 in 2010, which is a million less than what Randle El would have made this season as a Redskin.

Ryan Torain found himself out of football in 2009 and in 2010 finds himself as a starting running back. While Torain leads the NFL in percentage of carries resulting in negative yards (22 percent), the hard-nosed running back also ranks second in the NFL and first in the NFC in broken tackles with 13. For the 2010 season, Torain will pocket nearly $360,000 in total salary; comparatively, in 2010, Clinton Portis will continue to make nearly $423,000 per week.

On the defensive side of the ball, starting outside linebacker Lorenzo Alexander has been a tremendous value (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/roster-analysis/a-pay-raise-for-lorenzo-alexan.html), and has continued his excellent play on special teams all the while.

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http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/roster-analysis/roster-analysis-return-on-inve.html

[MustangSteve]

This is how you get results without paying big money to big name players who won't sell out for the team. Great job Allen!

[ddub52]

I still dont get the Dockery thing. Having Lichtensteinschneidger on the field hurts us every game. Is Dockery so bad that we cant even dress him out on Sundays? Or is this another one of Shanny's games?

[bedlamVR]

Doclery is an enigma . He plays well enough at times to turn heads but then at other times he is worthless ...

I mean he scored that massive contract with the Bills then two years later he was discarded like yesterdays garbage, and considering the overall talent level up in Buffalo that is saying something .

Last year DD was possibly the best player on a horrific line but that is calling him the nicest of the dammed . I really think there is something with DD, either his workhabbit or personality but he is a classic underachiever .

I always remember the articles floating round in 2005/2006 when people were talking about Buges being the father on offensive line and talked about how he treated them all like his family ... all except DD... it may be that Foster cannot connect with him or he really doesn't fit with the zone blocking scheme (remember Portis talking about his in ability to pull and general agility) or it really is a personal grievance . Either way i think DD has been seen for the last time as a Skin - what will be irronic is if BMW comes back in 2011 and takes a starting spot on the Oline and DD walks ...

[Laxpunk2006]

This is how you get results without paying big money to big name players who won't sell out for the team. Great job Allen!

Anthony Armstrong and Lorenzo Alexander are Vinny's signings.

[HailGreen28]

Anthony Armstrong and Lorenzo Alexander are Vinny's signings.Not really. Joe Gibbs had final say on signing LA.

And while Vinny deserves full credit for bringing AA in, Vinny might be responsible for keeping AA on the practice squad. How much leeway did Zorn have to bench the underachieving Devin Thomas (one of Vinny's precious 2nd rounders from 2008) and try out AA? (None? Full authority? I dunno.)

[Laxpunk2006]

Not really. Joe Gibbs had final say on signing LA.

And while Vinny deserves full credit for bringing AA in, Vinny might be responsible for keeping AA on the practice squad. How much leeway did Zorn have to bench the underachieving Devin Thomas (one of Vinny's precious 2nd rounders from 2008) and try out AA? (None? Full authority? I dunno.)

Well in that case we shouldn't credit Allen with Banks, since it was Shanahan who was his biggest supporter, or Ryan Torain. The only point I was trying to make is that not all of our "bargain" players were infact brought in by the current regime. That being said now that we have competent management hopefully we can begin to see more of these and less of the big money little production signings.

[bulldog]

These players are noted.

My problem is in how the regime has failed to tailor what they are doing to the most talented players on the team. If Haynesworth and McNabb are miscast in systems they are not effective in then the Redskins are not going to win the maximum amount of games possible in 2010.

And giving up a #2 pick for McNabb says to me Shanahan DOES want to win games this year.

So, let's use the bye to do something more constructive and come together as an organization instead of picking on what guys DON'T do. McNabb is never going to be Peyton Manning in the pocket with perfect footwork and impeccable timing.

It's time for Kyle to get over himself and his pre-packaged scheme and use what will work HERE, NOW.

[HailGreen28]

Well in that case we shouldn't credit Allen with Banks, since it was Shanahan who was his biggest supporter, or Ryan Torain. The only point I was trying to make is that not all of our "bargain" players were infact brought in by the current regime. That being said now that we have competent management hopefully we can begin to see more of these and less of the big money little production signings.Somebody correct me if I'm wrong; but I think while Allen handles the business end of things, Shanahan has final say on personnel matters as Executive Vice President.

Sadly this team is still built largely on Gibbs 4 years here, 3 years removed. That's a generation in the NFL. The Gibbs guys are aging out now no matter what. The challenge is, will they be replaced by guys just as good as the Gibbs guys in their prime? Or like the Cerrato years will the team continue to deteriorate?