The Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys are expected to appear Thursday before an NFL arbitrator, who will hear arguments challenging the league-imposed salary cap reductions, according to a Washington Post report. People familiar with the case told the paper recently that arbitor Stephen Burbank is unlikely to make an immediate ruling. The hearing is expected to occur at the University of Pennsylvania law school in Philadelphia, where Burbank works as a law professor. He is also tasked with resolving disputes that arise from the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement. The NFL imposed a $36 million salary cap reduction over two years on the Redskins, at least half of which must be absorbed this season. The Cowboys received a $10 million cap reduction over two years. The reductions were imposed for the way in which the teams structured players’ contracts during the 2010, non-capped season. The Redskins and Cowboys have denied wrongdoing in the case and have cited that all of the contracts were approved by the league at the time.
That’s right! The Washington Redskins 2012 NFL schedule is out and all I can hope for is an epic fail of a year. I’m a New York Giants fan and of course who and where the Washington Redskins play is relevant to me. They owned us last season and it pains me to admit that. But that was then and this is now.
Looking at the Washington Redskins 2012 schedule I see about three games that I’m totally interested in:
SEPT. 09 @ New Orleans Saints:
Bounty-gate game numero uno. I hate both of these teams with a passion. But don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to tune in. The Washington Redskins may have RG III and I don’t know if he’s going to start, but there is no way I’m missing this game. The New York Giants will have already played and defeated the Dallas Cowboys so I’m locked in to this one. I have to scope out the competition don’t you know.
NOV. 04 vs. Carolina Panthers:
Dude, RG III (potentially) against Cam Newton. Who doesn’t want to see these two beasts going head to head?. Again, both of these teams are potential nemesis’ to my team but nonetheless this is has the makings for a very exciting game. If you play fantasy football and have either one of these guys on your team you could be in for mega points.
DEC. 03 vs. New York Giants: Duh! I’m a New York Giants fan. Of course this game means something to me. Not only is it against a divisional foe, it’s also on Monday Night Football. The world will be watching. All I want here is to watch my New York Giants pound the poo out of the Washington Redskins. I would’ve used a stronger word than poo but due to rules and whatnot I’m resigned to the word poo. Yeah, to say the least I’m all over this game.
In Closing
The NFC East is a brutal division. As much as I’d like to go on and crown my New York Giants as divisional champs, I will hold my tongue. On second thought, no I won’t. The New York Giants will once again be division champs. The Dallas Cowboys are going to be virtually the same as they were last year. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins are the two teams that I’m sweating the most.
Here’s an early prediction of how the NFC East will end up:
1. New York Giants (of course I’m biased)
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Dallas Cowboys (I wish I could put them as the #4)
4. Washington Redskins
2012 Washington Redskins Schedule
SEPT. 09 @ New Orleans Saints
SEPT. 16 @ St. Louis Rams
SEPT. 23 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
SEPT. 30 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
OCT. 07 vs. Atlanta Falcons
OCT. 14 vs. Minnesota Vikings
OCT. 21 @ New York Giants
OCT. 28 @ Pittsburgh Steelers
NOV. 04 vs. Carolina Panthers
BYE
NOV. 18 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
NOV. 22 @ Dallas Cowboys
DEC. 03 vs. New York Giants
DEC. 09 vs. Baltimore Ravens
DEC. 16 @ Cleveland Browns
DEC. 23 @ Philadelphia Eagles
DEC. 30 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Dylan Davis is a hardcore New York Giants fan but always has his finger on the pulse of what goes on in the NFC East and the NFL. His football knowledge and knack for insight is unrivaled. Bow down and show some respect.
The 2012 NFL schedule for the Washington Redskins has just been released, with the team opening at the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 9. What follows are the top three storylines coming out of the schedule.
Difficult Schedule Overall
The Redskins will likely have one of the more difficult schedules of any team in the NFL in 2012. It features matchups not only against NFC East opponents in the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants, but also the Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Baltimore Ravens. The most difficult stretch will probably be from week 7 to 9, when the team plays at the Giants and Steelers, and then comes home to play against Cam Newton and the up and coming Panthers.
Thanksgiving with the Dallas Cowboys
One of the more interesting games to watch for the Redskins in 2012 will be a Thanksgiving Day matchup against their division rival Dallas Cowboys. It is not known yet whether the Redskins will get Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III, but in any case I would expect either to be starting by the time the team heads off to face the Cowboys, if not sooner. Washington’s defense will need to step it up against Romo and the Cowboys, who will have a lot of pressure on them to make it into the playoffs after a disappointing 8-8 season last year.
Featured Matchup: Baltimore Ravens Week 14
The Redskins will be hosting the Ravens in what will likely be an exciting matchup to watch, given how close the teams are located to one another. Not only will the Redskins have to figure out a way to stop Joe Flacco and Ray Rice on the defensive side of the ball, but also how to score enough points against a Ravens defense that will likely be among the best in the NFL again in 2012.
Washington Redskins 2012 Schedule
1 – at New Orleans Saints September 9
2 – at St. Louis Rams September 16
3 – vs. Cincinnati Bengals September 23
4 – at Tampa Bay Buccaneers September 30
5 – vs. Atlanta Falcons October 7
6 – vs. Minnesota Vikings October 14
7 – at New York Giants October 21
8 – at Pittsburgh Steelers October 28
9 – vs. Carolina Panthers November 4
10 – Bye
11 – vs. Philadelphia Eagles November 18
12 – at Dallas Cowboys November 22
13 – vs. New York Giants December 3
14 – vs. Baltimore Ravens December 9
15 – at Cleveland Browns December 16
16 – at Philadelphia Eagles December 22
17 – vs. Dallas Cowboys December 30
Ryan Kekoufski lives near the Redskins’ stadium and has been following the team for well over a decade. He covers sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and currently resides in Virginia.
If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.
In an unanimous vote, the NFL owners decided to move forward Tuesday with harsh salary cap penalties against both the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins.
According to NFL Network’s Albert Breer, the vote finished 29-0 in favor of a resolution to continue the arbitration case, with one NFL team abstaining from the vote and the Cowboys and Redskins obviously not taking part. The league will now move forward with the sanctions.
The NFL is docking the Redskins $36 million and the Cowboys $10 million for illegally front-loading contracts during the league’s uncapped year of 2010. The teams are allowed to either take the hit all in 2012 or spread out the penalties over the next two years.
Both teams are currently in the process of filing grievances against the penalties, which made the vote necessary to continue forward.
The two teams will still get a chance to fight their case, but this resolution’s definitive vote only proves the kind of league-wide support that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had when he handed down one of the most severe salary cap penalties in NFL history.
It seemed unlikely that any owner would vote against the resolution.
Owners obviously had a clear incentive to move forward with heavy sanctions against the two teams for both competitive and salary cap reasons, as the Cowboys and Redskins remain cap strapped in 2012 and ’13 and the 30 other teams received $1.6 million in salary cap budget to balance the process.
For the Cowboys and Redskins, this represents only one bump in the road during their legal battle to retain the $46 million. Don’t expect this story to die down any time soon, and it’s likely to get even more ugly before a final verdict is reached, which may end up taking place in a federal court.
When NFL penalized the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins for seeking a competitive advantage by front-loading contracts during the 2010 season, when no salary cap was in place. They took $36 million of cap space from the Redskins and $10 million from the Cowboys as a penalty.
Did the NFL really think that both teams would sit by and do nothing?
Well, if they did they were wrong and now the leagues two most valuable franchises have come together to fight the NFL on this penalty. They filled a complaint against both the league as well as the National Football League Players Association with the hopes of getting the NFL to reverse the ruling.
At first, it seems like an unlikely combination but when it comes to protecting their franchises the Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and the Cowboysboss Jerry Jones are dangerous allies. Truth be told, both Jones and Snyder are good friends and fighting together against the league is something that other owners should fear.
As the NFL owners meetings begin today in Miami there will be plenty of behind closed doors conversations on how best to handle the complaint put forth by the Redskins and the Cowboys.
The complaint will be heard by federal arbitrator Stephen Burbank and both sides will be able to plead their case on the issue. In cases like this one both sides agree that the arbiter’s decision will be final and thus avoid a court battle.
The key point of contention between the two sides is that in 2010 the NFL contends that they warned teams not to dump salaries or to front load contracts during the uncapped year to take advantage of the lack of a salary cap while a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was being worked out with the National football League Players Association.
Will the Cowboys and the Redskins win the case?
Will the Cowboys and the Redskins win the case?
Yes
No
The league’s anti-salary-dumping and no front-loading policy was never put into writing.
In separate statements both teams deny any wrong doing.
“The Washington Redskins have received no written documentation from the NFL concerning adjustments to the team salary cap in 2012 as reported in various media outlets,” Redskins GM Bruce Allen said. “Every contract entered into by the club during the applicable periods complied with the 2010 and 2011 collective bargaining agreements and, in fact, were approved by the NFL commissioner’s office. We look forward to free agency, the draft and the coming football season.”
“The Dallas Cowboys were in compliance with all league salary cap rules during the uncapped year. We look forward to the start of the free agency period where our commitment to improving our team remains unchanged.” The Cowboys declared in their official statement to the press.
It really is uncertain at this point who will prevail the NFL or the duo of Jones and Snyder. But one thing is for certain and that is the process should be fun to follow.
The Washington Redskins are strongly considering arbitration to challenge the $36 million salary cap hit imposed on them by the NFL, according to three people with knowledge of the situation.
Two of those people said Monday they thought the Redskins were likely to file soon. The other said there had been discussions about the case being headed to arbitration. The Dallas Cowboys could join the Redskins in bringing the case before University of Pennsylvania law professor Stephen Burbank, the sport’s arbitrator, one person said.
The Redskins, the Cowboys and the NFL declined to comment publicly on the case.
Original post:
Is the Washington Redskins salary cap case headed to arbitration?
A person with knowledge of the case said there have been discussions about using an arbitration provision of the league’s collective bargaining agreement to challenge the penalty imposed by the NFL. The league took away $36 million in cap space over two years from the Redskins, and $10 million over two years from the Dallas Cowboys, for the way they structured player contracts in 2010, when the league had no salary cap.
The Redskins and the NFL declined to comment. People familiar with the case have said the Redskins have been considering their options in response to last week’s ruling by the league.
People with knowledge of the case have said the Redskins might contest the league’s ruling, either via an appeal or a legal challenge. The Redskins have not said what, if anything, they will do, and one person familiar with the case said last week that the Cowboys were unlikely to join the Redskins in a legal challenge.
Both teams have denied wrongdoing.
It is not clear, however, whether the Cowboys would join the Redskins in a proceeding before an arbitrator, which might generate less animosity among other team owners than a full-scale court challenge.
The sport’s labor agreement says that any club may bring a proceeding before the sport’s “system arbitrator” alleging a violation of those articles of the labor deal that governs the salary cap. Such a proceeding also could be initiated by the league, a player or the NFL Players Association.
Under the labor deal, the burden of proof would be on the team that initiaties the complaint. The arbitrator can award damages or provide injunctive relief, and his decision can be appealed to an appeals panel.
One person with knowledge of the case said it could end up before Stephen Burbank, the University of Pennsylvania law professor who was known as the sport’s special master when previous labor agreements were under the jurisdiction of a federal court in Minneapolis.
According to people familiar with the case, the Redskins technically violated no salary cap rules. But the league concluded that the team structured contracts during the uncapped year in 2010 to gain an unfair competitive advantage when the salary cap returned in later years. The Redskins paid millions of dollars to players during the year without a salary cap that otherwise would have been paid in seasons with a salary cap to give themselves extra cap space when the cap went back into effect.
The Redskins must absorb at least half the $36 million salary cap hit this season, people familiar with the case have said.
The players’ union reluctantly agreed to the salary cap reductions given to the Redskins and Cowboys, a person familiar with the union’s thinking on the matter said last week.
Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan issued a public challenge Monday to left tackle Trent Williams, saying the 2010 first-round draft pick needs to continue his on-field development and demonstrate improved commitment and maturity following his drug-related suspension. The coach also said he sees a change in tight end and /free-agent-to-be Fred Davis, who also ended the season on a four-game suspension for failing multiple drug tests.
A dejected Trent Williams after the Redskins lost to to the Dallas Cowboys 18-16 on Sept. 26 in Arlington. (Toni L. Sandys/Washington Post)Williams was the first draft pick of Shanahan’s tenure as head coach of the Redskins. Washington selected him fourth overall out of Oklahoma, and Williams this season was picked as one of the team’s offensive captains.
Shanahan said that Williams showed improvement both in his play and his work ethic this season. But the failed drug tests put a dark cloud over any positives Williams produced this year.
“He’s got to be smart enough to understand that if you disappoint your football team like you did, you’d better come back with a passion and the drive to do what we need him to do, especially being the fourth pick of the draft,” Shanahan said. “We know the talent he has, we know he’s a likeable guy. I was pleased with his work ethic coming into his second year, how he was playing, but he’s got to prove that he can do it on a day-to-day basis and set the standard for our football team and our organization.”
Davis, meanwhile, is eligible for free agency after playing the final season of the contract he signed as a second-round draft pick in 2008. Davis had a breakout year this season, recording 59 receptions for 796 yards in 12 starts – all career highs. He also had three touchdown catches.
He and Williams were among 11 NFL players who failed drug tests for recreational marijuana use following the end of the league’s lockout. Only Williams and Davis continued to fail drug tests over the course of the season.
Davis likely has hurt his chances of earning a lucrative, long-term deal. One more failed drug test would result in a one-year suspension for him. (The same goes for Williams, but he is under contract for next year).
But Shanahan said that he isn’t judging Davis more harshly because of the suspension.
“Fred made a mistake. We sat down and talked about his mistake. I do feel very good about Fred as a person,” the coach said. “I like the way he worked, I like his attitude. I like his development over the last year-and-a-half since I’ve been here. I think he’s had a complete change in the way he handles himself off the field, to preparing himself to be a consummate pro, to working out, and hopefully the mistake won’t happen that he made this year.”
The latter half of the first round will still change depending on the results of the Playoffs, but the first 20 picks in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft are just about set. There are still four picks (8/9, 11/12) that will be decided based on the results of a couple coin flips, but 16 of the first 20 picks are set, and the Washington Redskins will be picking sixth. Here is the Draft order for the first round as it stands now, according to SB Nation.
Related: Updated NFL Draft Order
1. Indianapolis Colts, 2-14 2. St. Louis Rams, 2-14 3. Minnesota Vikings, 3-13 4. Cleveland Browns, 4-12 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4-12 6. Washington Redskins, 5-11 7. Jacksonville Jaguars, 5-11 8. Carolina Panthers, 6-10* 9. Miami Dolphins, 6-10* 10. Buffalo Bills, 6-10 T-11. Seattle Seahawks, 7-9* T-11. Kansas City Chiefs, 7-9* 13. Arizona Cardinals, 8-8 14. Dallas Cowboys, 8-8 15. Philadelphia Eagles, 8-8 16. New York Jets, 8-8 17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders, 8-8) 18. San Diego Chargers, 8-8 19. Chicago Bears, 8-8 20. Tennessee Titans, 9-7
*Coin flip will be used at a later date
For more on the Redskins, visit Hogs Haven.
Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.
Read More: LeSean McCoy (RB – PHI), Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins
Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy did not discuss the severity of the ankle injury he suffered Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys, but he strongly indicated that he would not be available on Sunday during the Eagles’ season finale against the Washington Redskins.
Just 123 yards away from breaking the team’s rushing record of 1,512 yards set by Wilbert Montgomery in 1979, McCoy acted like a man who feared he would not get a chance at history.
“Montgomery, he’s probably smiling right now,” McCoy said. “I’ll get it next year – hopefully.”
McCoy rushed for 35 yards on 13 carries against the Cowboys, hurting himself early in the fourth quarter. If McCoy cannot play Sunday against the Redskins, Ronnie Brown would likely receive the majority of carries.
The Eagles don’t have much reason to rush McCoy back from injury, since the team has been eliminated from the playoffs.
For more Philadelphia Eagles coverage, visit our team page or our blog Bleeding Green Nation.
In Week 17, the Redskins (5-10) head to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Eagles (7-8).
Follow , and
Like SB Nation DC on Facebook.
Dec 26, 2011 – The Washington Redskins (5-10) finish their season this Sunday, Jan. 1, when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles (7-8) at Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff is set for 1 PM Eastern on FOX.
In the first meeting between the teams during the 2011 season, Philadelphia prevailed, 20-13. That defeat sent the Redskins’ season spinning out of control, as it was the first of six straight for Washington. Rex Grossman threw four interceptions, prompting coach Mike Shanahan to pull him in favor of John Beck, who went on to start Washington’s next three games before Shanahan elected to go with Grossman again.
The Redskins lost their most recent game on Saturday, 33-26, against the Minnesota Vikings, ending Minnesota’s six-game losing streak. They had no answer for backup quarterback Joe Webb, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. The defeat wasted solid performances from Grossman (26-of-41 passing, 284 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) and running back Evan Royster (19 carries, 132 yards).
Meanwhile, the Eagles cruised to a 20-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo injured his right hand on Dallas’ first drive of the game, forcing Stephen McGee to fill in. Only a touchdown pass from McGee to Miles Austin with seven seconds remaining in the game, and the blocked punt that led to Dallas gaining possession, prevented the Eagles from pitching a shutout. Philly has won three straight games and will look to end its season on a high note following a 1-4 start.
For more on the Redskins, please visit Hogs Haven, SB Nation’s Redskins blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Philly and Bleeding Green Nation, SB Nation’s Eagles blog.
Read More: Rex Grossman (QB – WAS), Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles, Jan 1, 2012 1:00 PM EST
[unable to retrieve full-text content]J.J. SMITH The Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys franchises aren’t poor, but they don’t have much to be proud of these days either.
Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall said he was surprised to hear that he had won NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday.
Hall learned of the award on Wednesday, three days after he recorded five tackles, six pass break-ups and an interception in the Redskins’ 23-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall (23) can’t hold an interception against Seattle Sunday. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post) Hall’s interception came with 44 seconds left in the game as the Seahawks attempted to mount a last-minute game-winning drive.
Hall was pleased to come up with his second pick of the season, but more prominent in his mind was dropping at least one other would-be interception arlier in the game.
“A lot of dropped picks. Definitely dropped a couple gifts,” Hall said before admitting surprise that he won the award. “Definitely. I didn’t realize I had seven pass breakups. I definitely remembered dropping a couple picks, but didn’t expect this at all.”
Hall’s performance came a week after he said he deserved to be cut by the team for giving up an overtime catch to Dez Bryant that set up the Dallas Cowboys for a game-winning field goal.
In the days following the game, however, Hall said he remained confident in his skills, however, and that he hoped to get the chance to redeem himself. He got it Sunday.
“It feels good to respond the way you’re supposed to,” Hall said before crediting his teammates with some of his success. “Guys came out and hit them in the mouth. We gave up some plays, but we definitely made more than we gave up. Any time you hold a team like that to 252 yards of offense, and our offense came out and put points on the board, you’ve got a chance to win the game.”
Up next is a stiff challenge from the New York Jets and receivers Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes.
“We on the corners will be challenged. We’ll be challenged by Santonio and Plaxico and their tight end. We’ve got to man up and stop their passing game,” Hall said.
The cornerback believes that if Washington can shut down New York’s running game, he and Josh Wilson will get the opportunity to make more plays because of Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez’s inconsistency under pressure.
“He doesn’t take as many chances as much as he just gets confused sometimes,” Hall said of Sanchez, who has 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions “A lot of times he just comes out and stares a receiver down, tries to throw him the ball. He puts it on those guys to make plays. They haven’t made as many plays this year as they have in previous years. But they’re definitely a capable offense and can put points on the board.”
That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.
The Washington Redskins released running back Tashard Choice on Monday, and replaced him on the 53-man roster with practice squad prospect Evan Royster.
Follow , and
Like SB Nation DC on Facebook.
Nov 22, 2011 – The Washington Redskins continue to tinker with their 53-man roster in the second half of the 2011 season. On Monday, the reeling ‘Skins announced that they had promoted running back Evan Royster from the practice squad and cut the recently signed Tashard Choice to make room for the addition. Choice had claimed off waivers on October 31st after being cut by the Dallas Cowboys a few days earlier. The former Oklahoma Sooners back had just six carries for seven yards in his brief stint with Washington.
Royster, a former sixth round draft pick out of Penn State, becomes the tenth of 12 draft picks to appear on the active 53-man roster in 2011. We’ll see if and how Royster might be used down the stretch, but Big 10 fans know Royster well from his time with the Nittany Lions. He finished as the school’s all-time leading rusher with 3,932 yards on 686 carries and 29 touchdowns while adding 61 receptions for 562 yards and three touchdowns.
Replacing Royster on the practice squad will be Tristan Davis, a 5-10, 212 back who went undrafted out of Auburn in 2009. Davis had previously been on Washington’s practice squad this fall, but was released on Nov. 8th.
The Redskins have now lost six in a row after falling in overtime to the rival Dallas Cowboys in Week 11. At 3-7, the Redskins are still just three games back of division leaders New York and Dallas. They’ll try to get back on track this Sunday in Seattle against the 4-6 Seahawks.
For more reaction to the Redskins’ Monday transactions, stay tuned here and at Hogs Haven.
Read More: Tashard Choice (RB – WAS), Tristan Davis (RB – WAS), Evan Royster (RB – WAS), Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks
Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall blamed himself for Washington’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys because he gave up a third-and-15, 26-yard catch to Dez Bryant to set up Dan Bailey for the winning field goal.
But on Monday, Hall’s defensive teammates disagreed and shouldered some of the blame as well.
“I don’t think it’s any one person’s fault,” said safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, who also was in the area when Bryant made the catch. “DeAngelo is a standup guy, a man of character and integrity, so that doesn’t surprise me. But at the end of the day, it was a team thing, and all of us on that play could’ve done something better, myself included, definitely myself included. I was at the point of attack, could’ve played it a lot better than I did. It’s something we’ve got to learn from and get a lot better.”
Hall said that he deserved to be cut for blowing that play, as well as a big catch he allowed Bryant to make in Dallas’ first win over Washington earlier this season. Nose tackle Barry Cofield said Hall’s stance was admirable, but he too agreed with Atogwe that Hall wasn’t solely to blame for the loss.
“I know that’s a guy that really cares, that’s frustrated,” Cofield said. “A lot of guys go out there, don’t play their best, go home and are just happy to get a paycheck. But a guy that cares that much, and is that motivated, you know you have something to work with.
“I know I don’t feel like I played my best game, and I’m sure there are a lot of guys who feel the same way. So we as a defense are going to work to improve, we’re going to have DeAngelo’s back and we know he has a lot of talent. And the fact that he has that attitude and feels that strongly about it says a lot about a guy that could feel differently.”
