It’s a really good sign that I feel like I’m reaching for Morgan here. There aren’t a lot of players on this roster who I think are going to fall short of big expectations, mainly because there are very few players who are expected to do big things.

That said, Morgan is the closest thing I could find. I just think that free-agent signings see their value inflated naturally, and it’s probably not ideal that we keep mentioning Garcon and Morgan in the same sentence (I did it earlier in this slideshow).

Morgan isn’t Garcon. Only once in his career has he caught more than 50 passes, and he’s never gone over 700 yards.

By no fault of his own, I think he might disappoint some people in 2012.

The Washington Redskins look poised to acquire their first franchise quarterback since Brad Johnson was under center in 2000.

The traded their top two picks in this year’s draft, along with two other number one picks to the St. Louis Rams to move into the second slot in the draft. With that pick the Skins will land either Sanford’s Andrew Luck, or more likely Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.

Luck is, by all reports, going to be selected first and go to the Indianapolis Colts. Griffin is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and will certainly be a great prize for Washington. Whichever guy is the quarterback, the Redskins did him a huge favor by bringing in 25-year-old Pierre Garcon to solidify the receiving corps.

After the Skins add Griffin they don’t have a pick until number 69, early in the third round. But that is where they will need to show some guile in the draft to fill some needs on the cheap.

Needs like replacing 37-year-old defensive stalwart London Fletcher, who is still with the team but who will not continue to play at a high level much longer. The Redskins also need to get some help on the right side of their offensive line where the oft-injured Jamaal Brown is currently the starter.

They may also look for some help at safety; the team cut O.J. Atogwe and brought in Bears castoff Brandon Meriweather this offseason. While he will probably lock up one of the starting safety spots, Tanard Jackson, Reed Doughty and DeJon Gomes are not likely to fill the other.

At middle linebacker, players like Cal’s Mychal Kendricks or Nevada’s James-Michael Johnson stand out as possibilities. Kendricks is a bit undersized at 5’11″ and just 240 pounds but concerns about his strength vanished when he put up 225 pounds 24 times at the combine. He played both inside and outside linebacker for Cal and could do both in the NFL.

Johnson is a more prototypical size for an NFL middle linebacker standing at 6’1″ and weighing 241 pounds. Johnson is an excellent run stuffer who is excellent when going north and south, but he does not play well sideline to sideline and is vulnerable to misdirection’s and stretch plays.

At tackle the Redskins are looking at players like Osemele Kelechi from Iowa State or Jeff Allen from Illinois being available when they select at 69.

At 6’6″ the awkwardly spelled Osemele is one of the biggest specimens in the draft. He stands 6’6″ tall and weighs in at 333 pounds and he uses that massive frame to devastating effect when he is run blocking. As a pass blocker he has lacked the quickness and athleticism of the elite players but he is still serviceable.

Allen is a more manageable 6’4″ 304 pound offensive tackle who was lightly recruited out of high school. He is very polished and started 47 games in his four years at Illinois, at both right and left tackle. The major knock on his is that he may not have the physical strength to compete at the NFL level.

If the Redskins choose to go the safety route they will be looking Harrison Smith from Notre Dame or Brandon Taylor from LSU. Smith may end up being selected before the Redskins pick but if he does fall to them he would be a steal who would upgrade their defense immediately.

Smith looks the part with a 6’2″, 213-pound frame, but he is not a prototypical safety. He played some linebacker and safety at Notre Dame. His skills are a bit more downhill, face the play, hard-hitting instincts of a linebacker, but his body says safety at the NFL level.

He needs to learn to be better in coverage to play every down for an NFL defense.

Taylor is a three-year starter on the very formidable and impressive LSU defense. Though he is on the small side at 5’11″ and 209 pounds he is a very physical presence on the football field who love to lay out his opponents with big hits.

He has been a bit of a liability in man coverage throughout his career, but as a safety in that concern is somewhat mitigated by the fact that he will mostly be in zone coverage.

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Now that NFL.com has confirmed that the New York Giants have acquired ex-Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers for a 2012 fifth-rounder, the Redskins should sign former Big Blue starter Jonathan Goff.

According to the New York Times, the Giants may use the trade of Rivers as an opportunity to move Michael Boley into Goff’s sot at middle linebacker. Goff visited the Cleveland Browns earlier in free agency and yesterday visited the Miami Dolphins. The Giants cap limits have meant they have only offered minimum length deals to many of their free agents this offseason.

The Redskins front office has yet to reach a new deal with defensive leader London Fletcher. Moves made this week, including finding room for contracts for Leigh Torrence, Madieu Williams and James Lee, leaves the question, why has Fletcher still not been re-signed?

The inside linebacker is crucial to Washington’s defense and his loss would leave a huge hole in the front seven. Goff has the attributes to man the middle of the Redskins’ 3-4 scheme and could revive his career in D.C.

At 6’2″ and 241 pounds, he has the size necessary to plug the middle and take on blockers in coordinator Jim Haslett’s 2-gap system. Goff is a stout run defender with sure tackling technique and excellent instincts.

He is more of a thumper in the middle, possessing decent downhill quickness, but lacking true range and athleticism. However, Goff compensates for these deficiencies with natural smarts and the ability to diagnose plays.

A career 4-3 ‘backer, Goff has the intelligence to make a quick transition to the nuances and requirements of Washington’s 3-4 front. The only serious question mark surrounding him is durability.

Goff missed the entire 2011 campaign with an ACL injury. The Redskins front office would need to be sure that the ailment hasn’t robbed Goff of the necessary mobility and initial quickness to succeed.

He would need to quickly demonstrate that he is capable of returning to his 2010 level. Goff started all 16 games that year and tallied 80 solo tackles and one sack.

The 26-year-old is a savvy, young linebacker who has overcome a lot to earn starter’s status in the league. He fits the mould of the kind of player Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen have pursued in the last two free agency periods.

If he can prove his fitness, Goff could step in for Fletcher and develop in the scheme, or even learn from the veteran for a season before taking over. At the very least Goff would boost the Redskins’ depth at linebacker and provide insurance in case Fletcher finds a new team for 2012.

Free agent linebacker Rocky McIntosh, who spent the first seasons of his career with the Washington Redskins, had a visit with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Miami’s FOX affliate.

McIntosh, whom the Redskins drafted out of the University of Miami in 2006 as an outside linebacker, recorded a career-high 110 tackles for Washington in 2010 — his first season at inside linebacker. He re-signed to a one-year deal last July. But, he fell out of favor with the coaching staff and lost his job as a starter after eight games.

McIntosh played primarily on special teams the next seven games and then was inactive for the final game of the season. The Redskins seem content to allow McIntosh to depart via free agency.

The emergence of 2010 fourth-round pick Perry Riley is a big reason why the Redskins aren’t expected to retain McIntosh. Riley made eight starts and recorded 68 tackles and a sack. He is expected to remain a starter at inside linebacker for the Redskins as he enters his third season out of LSU.

Riley currently is the only inside linebacker under contract for the 2012 season. London Fletcher, who led the team in tackles and serves as captain of the defense, remains unsigned, but coach Mike Shanahan said last week that negotiations remain ongoing.

Keyaron Fox served as a backup at both inside linebacker positions last season, but also is a free agent.

The Detroit Lions were interested in free agent safety LaRon Landry, but will have to search elsewhere for help in its secondary.

Landry has signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets for $4 million, according to The Jets Stream writer Manesh Mehta. The Lions previously expressed their interest Landry, but the Jets won his services for 2012.

Detroit has also expressed interest in Washington Redskins free agent safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, who will visit the Lions’ facility this week. If Detroit is interested in improving its secondary, the Lions might make a strong run and Atogwe this week.

Atogwe played in 13 games (eight starts) for Washington last season. He had 60 tackles and three interceptions. Atogwe has 99 career starts since 2005, 373 tackles and 25 interceptions.

Landry, 27, spent five NFL seasons with the Redskins before today’s signing. The hard-hitting safety played in only 17 games the past two seasons due to a nagging Achilles tendon injury. He is currently rehabbing a season-ending Achilles injury that has not needed surgery.

Overall, Landry has 291 tackles and four interceptions in his career.

Detroit recently hosted cornerback Jacob Lacey, but he left Allen Park without a contract.

The agency filed a $258,017 tax lien on Moss in Broward County Circuit Court in November, according to The Detroit News’ Robert Snell.

The lien, which has been posted online, says Moss and others owe back taxes from 2006.

Moss, an 11-year veteran, has spent seven seasons in Washington. He spent the first four seasons of his career in New York after being drafted by the Jets in 2001.

Moss and the Redskins were not immediately available for comment.

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LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Tom Brady yelled at a coach because of an interception. The Washington Redskins hollered at the refs.

It’s fair to say Brady did it because he and the New England Patriots have such high expectations.

It’s safe to say the Redskins did it because they’re sick of losing.

The Patriots won their fifth straight Sunday, improving to 10-3 with a 34-27 win over the Redskins. The formula was familiar: Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker were good enough to compensate for a defense that keeps giving up gobs of yards.

What was unusual was seeing Brady throw a fourth-quarter, red-zone interception that kept the other team alive. With 6:30 remaining and a chance to put the game away, Brady tried to find Tiquan Underwood at the back of the end zone and was picked off by Josh Wilson.

The Redskins then began a march downfield that could have sent Sunday’s game to overtime — even as Brady sat on the bench and exchanged heated words with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.

“We’re both pretty emotional guys, so that’s what I deserve,” Brady said. “You make bad plays, you’re supposed to get yelled at by your coaches. It’s certainly not the first time and probably won’t be the last. You can’t do it in that situation, and it was just a stupid play by me.”

It was Brady’s first interception since Nov. 6, and most of what he did was far from stupid. He completed 22 of 37 passes for 357 yards with three touchdowns, upping his career TD pass total to 294 to move ahead of Warren Moon (291) into sole possession of sixth place all-time. Brady also surpassed the 4,000-yard mark for the fourth time in his career.

He also helped carve a place in the record books for Rob Gronkowski, who caught six passes for a career-high 160 yards and set the NFL single-season mark for touchdown receptions by a tight end. His 14th was an 11-yard grab that moved him ahead of Antonio Gates (2004) and Vernon Davis (2009), and No. 15 was a 24-yard scoring strike in the second half.

But the Patriots didn’t have the game won until they caught a couple of breaks at the end of Washington’s final possession. The Redskins drove from their own 20 to New England‘s 5, but Santana Moss‘ catch at the goal line was negated by a pass interference call on the receiver, and then Moss tipped a pass into the hands of linebacker Jerod Mayo to save the day for a New England defense that ranks last in the league in yards allowed — and one that can’t keep cutting it this close come playoff time.

“You kind of don’t want to give up those yards in the first place,” Patriots safety James Ihedigbo said. “But at the same time, we’re going to bow our necks once we get down there, and say, ‘Hey, they’re not getting in the end zone.’”

The call against Moss rankled the Redskins (4-9), who amassed a season-high 463 yards but lost for the eighth time in nine games. There was also a personal foul call in the second quarter on linebacker London Fletcher that appeared particularly egregious. The referee announced that Fletcher hit a late-sliding Brady with a forearm to the head, but Fletcher’s arm clearly hit the quarterback in the torso.

Coach Mike Shanahan said he thought the call against Fletcher was “horrible.”

“We don’t get no calls around here, man,” Moss said. “You guys have been covering us for a long time. Y’all see what goes on out there. We blow our breath on one of the doggone guys over there and it’s a penalty. Our quarterback gets killed — and you just almost hit somebody that’s a quarterback and we get flagged. So a lot of stuff goes on. But I guess we’ve got to play against a team and the ref.”

Already playing without tight end Fred Davis and left tackle Trent Williams — both suspended for the rest of the season last week for violating the NFL’s drugs policy — the Redskins lost another offensive starter during pregame warm-ups when right tackle Jammal Brown injured his right groin.

Still, they unexpectedly gave the Patriots quite a game.

Rex Grossman completed 19 of 32 passes for 252 yards with two touchdowns, but he also lost a fumble in the end zone that New England recovered for a touchdown. Kick returner Brandon Banks came on for an offensive play and threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Moss as part of a double-reverse flea-flicker. Roy Helu (126) became the first Redskins rookie to rush for 100 yards in three consecutive games.

“I don’t know what a moral victory is,” Fletcher said. “Do those count? Either you won or you lost. At the end of the day, we’re 4-9.”

Notes: Brady on the quest for perfection: “There’s nothing perfect in football — unless you are the Packers,” he said. “But other than that …” … The Redskins were the only current NFL franchise New England had never beaten on the road. … Patriots WR Welker became one of three players in NFL history with four 100-catch seasons, joining Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison. … Redskins FB Mike Sellers hyperextended his right elbow. … The end zones were marked “Army” and “Navy,” leftovers from the game the stadium hosted a day earlier.

___

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington’s London Fletcher says it’s not difficult to name the best quarterback he’s ever faced: Tom Brady.

The Redskins linebacker is speaking from experience. He has never missed a game in 14 NFL seasons, has started two Super Bowls and played in two Pro Bowls. He has dueled top quarterbacks from Dan Marino to Aaron Rodgers.

“Tom Brady is better than all those guys,” Fletcher said of the New England Patriots’ three-time Super Bowl winner and two-time NFL MVP who visits FedEx Field for just the second time on Sunday. “Look at what he has done: three rings, all those wins. It doesn’t matter who his weapons are, he just keeps rolling.”

Redskins receiver Donte Stallworth was one of those weapons during New England’s perfect 16-0 regular season in 2007.

“It was always easy with him controlling everything,” Stallworth said. “He’s always the first one there early in the morning and he’s usually one of the last guys to leave. He’s very smart back there, very calm in the pocket. He makes a lot of plays.”

Fletcher and Stallworth weren’t the only Redskins with high praise for Brady.

Redskins nose tackle Barry Cofield started on the only team to beat Brady and the Patriots in a Super Bowl, the 2007 New York Giants, but he, too, raved about the man.

“You gotta hit him, you gotta harass him, you gotta bat balls, hopefully get an interception or two, maybe strip the ball,” Cofield said. “He’s a very tough guy. I’ve seen him take a lot of shots and he would pick himself up the next play and make a great throw on the very next play. The only way you can hurt Tom Brady is win.”

Fletcher has only beaten Brady twice in 13 meetings. Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and defensive end Stephen Bowen have yet to do so.

“The key is not letting him sit in the pocket,” said Bowen, part of a pass rush that’s tied for third in the league in sacks per attempt. “If he’s able to do that, he’s going to be able to tear us apart.”

Brady did that when he last faced the Redskins in 2007, directing a 52-7 dismantling of a defense that wound up ranked eighth and that led Washington to the playoffs.

“If he’s not the greatest, he’s gotta be in the top three,” Haslett said. “He’s poised, big, got an unbelievable arm, makes all the throws, can move enough to stay alive in the pocket, (his) leadership, understanding of the offense is outstanding. And he does it day-in and day-out.”

Redskins defensive end Adam Carriker said he’s looking forward to the challenge of facing one of the game’s best quarterbacks for the first time.

Outside linebacker Brian Orakpo is taking a more cautious approach to facing Brady.

“He’s a very smart quarterback,” Orakpo said. “All of a sudden, he’s calling out audibles. He’s great in preparation, great at attacking defenses. We have to be good with our pressure. We have to be tight in our coverages. Regardless if someone’s on a receiver, he’s throwing as if (the defender’s) not even there.”

Notes: Bowen is the Redskins’ winner of the Ed Block Courage Award. Bowen’s son Skyler died in July, 10 days after he and twin brother Stephen III were born four months premature. Last Sunday, less than nine hours before kickoff against the New York Jets, Bowen’s mother-in-law, Muriel Johnson, died at 59 of muscular dystrophy. Bowen, who had torn his left PCL the previous Sunday at Seattle, started as always, although he didn’t add to his career-high 4.5 sacks. . Strong safety LaRon Landry remained sidelined Thursday with the groin he injured at Seattle and is unlikely to play against New England. Newly signed defensive lineman Chris Baker also missed a second straight day with an injured quadriceps.

The Washington Redskins on Sunday meet the New England Patriots for the ninth time in the history of the franchises. Washington owns a 6-2 record against New England, but the last time the teams faced off, the Patriots handed the Redskins a 52-7 thrashing in Foxborough.

Under normal circumstances, the Redskins would have a tough time keeping up with the Patriots. New England this season has scored 41 touchdowns. Washington, meanwhile, has mustered only 19 all year. And now the going gets tougher for the Redskins, who are without top playmaker Fred Davis and left tackle Trent Williams.

“I wouldn’t say it’s more pressure, but it’s definitely going to be tough to go out there and get a win,” cornerback DeAngelo Hall says. “But the guys in this locker room, we’re not going to quit. We’re going to go out there and fight to get a win.”

Here are some key matchups for this game:

WSH cornerbacks vs. NE wide receiver Wes Welker

Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan, defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and Hall all call Welker the best route-runner in the NFL. That’s a big reason why Welker leads the league both in catches (93) and receiving yards (1,253) and has eight touchdowns despite being only 5-foot-9. He lines up in the slot much of the time, so while Hall may find himself matched up with Welker some, a lot of the responsibility of covering him likely will fall on Kevin Barnes. The Redskins occasionally have put fellow corner Josh Wilson on the opponent’s slot receiver, however, and put Barnes on the outside. It will take a collective effort to limit Welker.

WSH tackles Sean Locklear/Willie Smith vs. NE defensive end Andre Carter

The Redskins haven’t yet announced Trent Williams’ replacement, but it will be either eight-year veteran Sean Locklear, who started two games this season at that spot with Williams injured, or Smith — an undrafted rookie, who boasts good athleticism and size. Carter, who spent the last five seasons with the Redskins, has revived his career after signing with New England this offseason and boasts nine sacks. He had a four-sack game against the Jets this season. Carter has long arms, great strength and explosion off the edge. Locklear or Smith must try to fend him off to give Rex Grossman time to throw.

WSH safeties Oshiomogho Atogwe, Reed Doughty vs. NE tight end Rob Gronkowski

The Redskins could be without strong safety LaRon Landry for a second straight game (groin strain), so they’ll rely heavily on Atogwe, Doughty and rookie DeJon Gomes, to try to limit Gronkowski, who leads the NFL with 13 touchdown catches. The 6-foot-6, 256-pound tight end also ranks seventh in the league with 65 catches and ninth in the NFL with 928 receiving yards. Washington’s linebackers aren’t strong in coverage, so the safeties will have to help over the top. The Redskins don’t have anyone in their secondary that has even close to the type of size that Gronkowski boasts, so Shanahan said the defensive backs will have to use their athleticism and leaping ability to try to combat Brady’s favorite red zone target.

WSH running back Roy Helu vs. NE middle linebacker Brandon Spikes

The Redskins will need another well-rounded effort from their rookie running back, who averages 4.7 yards a carry (15th in the NFL) and leads all rookie running backs with 42 receptions (third overall among NFL rookies). Washington’s offense runs best when the Redskins can put together a balanced attack that features runs from Helu and play-action passes. The Redskins in the last two weeks have started games with strong execution and game-opening touchdown drives. They couldn’t sustain that effectiveness against the Jets, however. But if Spikes and his fellow defenders can take away the run and put Washington in an early hole, it could be a long day.

WSH wide receiver Santana Moss vs. NE cornerback Kyle Arrington

Santana Moss hasn’t had the impact that he has had in years past for the Redskins. Part of that has to do with the four-week injury absence, and part of it has to do with the fact that teams are able to concentrate on shutting him down because the Redskins have few threats outside of Moss. Moss (averaging a career-low 10.9 yards per catch) needs to have a big game for the Redskins to help boost their struggling offense, which now is missing Davis (59 catches, 796 yards, three touchdowns). Arrington leads the NFL with seven interceptions and will likely match up with Moss often. Jabar Gaffney (46 catches, 665 yards, three touchdowns) also needs to have an effective game for the Redskins as he faces his former team, the Patriots.

More Redskins news:

Five storylines to follow

Patriots defensive player to watch

Patriots offensive player to watch

The Washington Redskins on Sunday meet the New England Patriots for the ninth time in the history of the franchises. Washington owns a 6-2 record against New England, but the last time the teams faced off, the Patriots handed the Redskins a 52-7 thrashing in Foxborough.

Under normal circumstances, the Redskins would have a tough time keeping up with the Patriots. New England this season has scored 41 touchdowns. Washington, meanwhile, has mustered only 19 all year. And now the going gets tougher for the Redskins, who are without top playmaker Fred Davis and left tackle Trent Williams.

“I wouldn’t say it’s more pressure, but it’s definitely going to be tough to go out there and get a win,” cornerback DeAngelo Hall says. “But the guys in this locker room, we’re not going to quit. We’re going to go out there and fight to get a win.”

Here are some key matchups for this game:

WSH cornerbacks vs. NE wide receiver Wes Welker

Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan, defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and Hall all call Welker the best route-runner in the NFL. That’s a big reason why Welker leads the league both in catches (93) and receiving yards (1,253) and has eight touchdowns despite being only 5-foot-9. He lines up in the slot much of the time, so while Hall may find himself matched up with Welker some, a lot of the responsibility of covering him likely will fall on Kevin Barnes. The Redskins occasionally have put fellow corner Josh Wilson on the opponent’s slot receiver, however, and put Barnes on the outside. It will take a collective effort to limit Welker.

WSH tackles Sean Locklear/Willie Smith vs. NE defensive end Andre Carter

The Redskins haven’t yet announced Trent Williams’ replacement, but it will be either eight-year veteran Sean Locklear, who started two games this season at that spot with Williams injured, or Smith — an undrafted rookie, who boasts good athleticism and size. Carter, who spent the last five seasons with the Redskins, has revived his career after signing with New England this offseason and boasts nine sacks. He had a four-sack game against the Jets this season. Carter has long arms, great strength and explosion off the edge. Locklear or Smith must try to fend him off to give Rex Grossman time to throw.

WSH safeties Oshiomogho Atogwe, Reed Doughty vs. NE tight end Rob Gronkowski

The Redskins could be without strong safety LaRon Landry for a second straight game (groin strain), so they’ll rely heavily on Atogwe, Doughty and rookie DeJon Gomes, to try to limit Gronkowski, who leads the NFL with 13 touchdown catches. The 6-foot-6, 256-pound tight end also ranks seventh in the league with 65 catches and ninth in the NFL with 928 receiving yards. Washington’s linebackers aren’t strong in coverage, so the safeties will have to help over the top. The Redskins don’t have anyone in their secondary that has even close to the type of size that Gronkowski boasts, so Shanahan said the defensive backs will have to use their athleticism and leaping ability to try to combat Brady’s favorite red zone target.

WSH running back Roy Helu vs. NE middle linebacker Brandon Spikes

The Redskins will need another well-rounded effort from their rookie running back, who averages 4.7 yards a carry (15th in the NFL) and leads all rookie running backs with 42 receptions (third overall among NFL rookies). Washington’s offense runs best when the Redskins can put together a balanced attack that features runs from Helu and play-action passes. The Redskins in the last two weeks have started games with strong execution and game-opening touchdown drives. They couldn’t sustain that effectiveness against the Jets, however. But if Spikes and his fellow defenders can take away the run and put Washington in an early hole, it could be a long day.

WSH wide receiver Santana Moss vs. NE cornerback Kyle Arrington

Santana Moss hasn’t had the impact that he has had in years past for the Redskins. Part of that has to do with the four-week injury absence, and part of it has to do with the fact that teams are able to concentrate on shutting him down because the Redskins have few threats outside of Moss. Moss (averaging a career-low 10.9 yards per catch) needs to have a big game for the Redskins to help boost their struggling offense, which now is missing Davis (59 catches, 796 yards, three touchdowns). Arrington leads the NFL with seven interceptions and will likely match up with Moss often. Jabar Gaffney (46 catches, 665 yards, three touchdowns) also needs to have an effective game for the Redskins as he faces his former team, the Patriots.

More Redskins news:

Five storylines to follow

Patriots defensive player to watch

Patriots offensive player to watch

Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan reserved comment Sunday and Monday on the suspensions of tight end Fred Davis and left tackle Trent Williams, saying he had yet to receive official word from the NFL on the matter.

The coach learned on Tuesday that the league had officially suspended both players for the remainder of the season without pay for failing multiple drug tests. He spoke on the issue for the first time Wednesday.

The transcript of his press conference follows:

Now having received official word on the suspensions, what are your thoughts?

“It’s always disappointing when you lose two of your better football players for the rest of the season. I talked to both of them this morning, they spoke to our football team, which I know you’re aware of. They’re obviously very disappointed in their decision, as we are. I’m disappointed in their decision to do what they did, and obviously, I talked to them about it.”

Did he ask them to speak to the team?

“No, I didn’t. They wanted to. I talked to them a little bit on Monday and they asked me what I thought. I said, ‘Well first of all, I’m not sure if you’re allowed to do it, through the NFL. I’ll find out if that’s possible or not. I think it’d be smart for you to do it.’ Everybody’s accountable. Everybody’s got a job to do, and when you can’t fulfill your obligation, it’s a disappointment, and they’ll pay the consequences, and so will we as a team.”

Is he concerned about the players’ futures with the Redskins following the suspensions?

“Any time someone makes a decision and they’re suspended like they are, they’ve got to prove themselves. I can’t say one way or the other. What are they going to do for the future? Time will tell. It’s just like drafts. Do you have a good draft? You really don’t know for three, four, five years sometimes. Is someone going to be a great? Some people have the ability to be a great player. But you don’t always know how that’s going to turn out. We know about their athletic ability. We talked about the bad decision they made. Are they smart enough to go down the right path? I’m hoping they do. They’ve both got a lot at stake. Time will tell.”

With Davis being a free agent, and one more failed test meaning he’s suspended for a whole year, how does that impact his status?

“That’s why when you do make decisions, you make them based on the information you have at hand, and do what you think is right.”

The report was that they failed a test at the end of the lockout and then failed a test during the season. When did you find out?

“When we find out as an organization is when they start taking paychecks away from them, and if they make a mistake after that, they’re suspended. We found out when they took paychecks away from them. When they started taking checks, if you do keep going, you’ll be suspended, and that’s what happened.”

When that happened, knowing the next time is a four-game suspension, how involved was the team in making sure this doesn’t happen again?

“First off, you talk to different people, but you’re not with them 24-hours a day. They’re going to make decisions, and you hope that the decisions they make are the best decisions for them, decisions that are in the best interest for the organization, for the Washington Redskins. They represent us. Everyone in this organization represents the Washington Redskins logo. When they get suspended like that, it’s disappointing to the whole organization, it’s disappointing for the accountability to their teammates to be there through thick and thin. When that happens, there’s not really anything you can say other than, ‘I screwed up.’ And they were men enough today to talk in front of the team, and they said, ‘Hey, I did screw up, and I promise you it won’t happen again.’ Now we’ll find out in the future if they’re true to their word.”

Does the team require them to go through counseling?

“Once it happens the first time, they have counseling all the time. That’s an on-going process. First-stage, second-stage, third-stage.”

You preach the importance of high-character players. Having drafted Trent Williams, do you feel personally let down?

“I think the whole team feels let down. There’s no question about it. Everybody should feel let down. Everybody’s accountable for what they do. You put the team first. It’s simple like that. Like I said, people make mistakes. I like the way Trent has handled himself from the first year to the second year. I like the way he’s went about his business. He had his best game last weekend. So he’s getting better and better. But that still doesn’t take away from the decisions he made. Like I said, hopefully in the future, he makes the right decisions. It takes one time. One more time and he’s gone for the year. So we’ll find out very quickly if he’s going down the right path.

Phillip Buchanon wasn’t allowed to be here during his suspension. Why are Davis and Williams allowed to be at the complex during theirs?

“I can’t tell you. They just gave us the ability to do that. We found out at 4, 4:30 and they hadn’t had a chance to talk to the football team and we were happy and willing for them to do it.”

Will they be here the next four weeks?

“Right now, this is a new CBA, and I can’t say for sure. I’ve heard a couple different reports. I’ll tell you the next couple days for sure.”

Would he want them around if they have the ability to be around?

“Sure I would.”

You had players suspended in Denver. How quickly did you find out if those players had turned things around or if it was a lost cause?

“You don’t know. You really don’t know. But you sit down and talk to players, and you say, ‘Hey, what direction are you going to go with your life? This is not football. You’re making a commitment to somebody. Once you make a commitment to somebody, it doesn’t take long to find out if your word means anything. People do make mistakes. I’ve seen guys come back from this and [they’re] fine for the rest of their career. They don’t even stumble. I’ve had other guys who are out of the league within two, three months. You just don’t know what type of problem they have, and the question about counseling and helping people and those types of things is available, and hopefully they take advantage of it.”

Did you say those type of things to them when you first learned they had failed drug tests?

“You know, I’m not going to go through my conversations with these guys. They’re very personal, but we did talk in detail and had a great conversation with both guys. I told them how disappointed I was, and they understood that. And I’m hoping that they go in the right direction, because I really believe in both of these guys. They’re very good people and made a couple bad decisions.”

How surprising was it that they didn’t learn from their first failed tests?

“Disappointing.”

Did they express remorse to you?

“Oh yes. Very much so.”

You have a commitment to Trent long-term, but Fred is unsigned for next year. Does this change your thinking on Fred at all?

“Well, I think you asked me that the first question you just asked me. I said we’ll take that as part of the evaluation process. We’ll see what direction Fred’s going in. I can’t get into a lot of detail, but any contract that anybody would sign somebody to, knowing that with one failed test that they could be gone just like that, they’re going to protect themselves in the contract and it will be based on performance and based on [staying on] the straight and narrow.”

Does the risk of losing Williams at any time cause you to have to build the line differently going forward?

“Well, you could lose somebody at any time – to a sprained ankle, to a knee. I look at this as two guys hurt themselves, and now we’re going to have guys step up and see who gets the job done. No excuses. You know, when you lose guys during the season – we lost two guys to something a little bit different other than an injury, but as a football team, there is no excuses. You lose people and you go on. We expect the rest of our football team to step up and play at a certain level, and for these guys that are backing them up to show us they can play in the National Football League and can play at a very high level.”

Do you have full confidence that they have the mental makeup and the whatnot to do the right thing from here on out, or is there a lot of questions in your mind?

“Well, let me kind of try to answer. I thought of answering it a couple times. Any time somebody makes a mistake, and they’re remorseful, you’re hoping they are. You’re hoping they learned from their mistake. Did they? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s time. We will find out in time. Am I hoping they both do? Yeah, because I like both of them. They’re good people. They work extremely hard. They made a bad decision, and we’ll find out in time. I’m pulling for them because I like them both. I like them personally. I like their work ethic. I like how they go about their business. Am I disappointed in them? Big time. Yeah. Because they affect not only themselves, but this whole organization and their teammates, and that’s a bad decision. They know they put us in a heck of a position, not even talking about themselves and what it means to them and their future.”

More on the suspensions:

Williams, Davis suspended for four games

Williams, Davis apologize to team

Boswell: Bad football, worse decisions

With a 17-tackle performance Sunday against the New York Jets, Washington Redskins inside linebacker London Fletcher leads the NFL with 124 this season.

London Fletcher tries to stop a diving New York Jets fullback John Conner as Conner picks up a first down in the third quarter of Sunday’s game. (Toni L. Sandys/Washington Post) Fletcher, playing in his 14th NFL season, has 12 more tackles than the second-leading defenders, Cleveland’s D’Qwell Jackson and Indianapolis’ Pat Angerer, who each have 112.

Sunday’s performance marked the sixth game this season that Fletcher has recorded double-digit tackles. His season high is 19, which he posted against Buffalo on Oct. 30.

“Everybody here knows what type of guy London Fletcher is, both on and off the football field,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said of the 36-year-old veteran. “He’s a guy that prepares like every game is a playoff game. When you have that type of mind-set, that type of work ethic, that type of football ability, then you play at the level he plays at.”

Fletcher has been hampered by a sprained ankle that has limited him in practice the last five weeks. But at his current pace, he would amass 165 tackles, which would surpass his career-best mark of 157, posted in 2005 while playing for Buffalo. Fletcher’s highest tackle total in his six season as a Redskin is 142 in 2009.

Cornerback DeAngelo Hall ranks second on Washington’s defense with 74 tackles. Fletcher, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons, also has two interceptions and two forced fumbles this year.

More Redskins football:

Turnover woes continue

More shuffling on the offensive line

Shanahan still mum on Davis, Williams suspensions