ASHBURN, Va. — Robert Griffin III is vibrant and fun-loving. Mike Shanahan is businesslike and no-nonsense. Nevertheless, Shanahan believes they’ll get along just fine.

The Washington Redskins coach assured fans Wednesday that he will let RG3 continue to be himself after the Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor is selected No. 2 overall in the NFL draft. The Redskins traded three first-round picks and a second-rounder to the St. Louis Rams to move into the slot.

Shanahan joked that he won’t hold it against Griffin “just because he’s got a lot of charisma and I don’t.”

“He’s a natural leader. … You want guys to lead your football team,” Shanahan said. “Everybody’s got their own way of doing things. Some guys are a little bit more serious. You’ve got to be yourself.”

Shanahan, playing the role of pragmatic, close-to-the-chest coach to the very end, even tried his best to leave just the slightest doubt that the Redskins might not get Griffin, claiming there was a “1 percent of 1 percent” chance that the choice will be Andrew Luck instead.

That won’t happen, of course. The Indianapolis Colts have said they will take Luck at No. 1, and the Redskins have invested a lot of time getting to know Griffin.

“He’s got everything that we look for,” Shanahan said, “and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Shanahan said he will incorporate Griffin’s skills into the Redskins’ offense and anticipates some growing pains along the way. Rex Grossman was re-signed earlier this offseason to be the veteran placeholder in case Griffin isn’t ready to start on opening day.

“You just don’t want to throw a guy in there right away until he feels comfortable,” Shanahan said. “And there’s a growing process. It doesn’t happen right away. Obviously when you give up a first and second, you want that guy to get in there as quick as possible, but you want to do it at the right time and make sure he’s ready.”

Shanahan stressed that he doesn’t expect Griffin alone to turn the Redskins into instant winners. Washington went 5-11 last season, its fourth consecutive last-place finish in the NFC East.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

Free-agent running back Tim Hightower might be back in a Washington Redskins uniform next season, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Washington Post on Saturday.

The four-year veteran visited Friday with the New England Patriots, who also have hosted free-agent running backs Joseph Addai and Ryan Grant.

The source told the newspaper that, despite those visits, the Redskins are still a possibility for Hightower.

The Redskins acquired Hightower in a trade last offseason from the Arizona Cardinals for defensive end Vonnie Holliday and a sixth-round draft pick.

Hightower played in and started five games for the Redskins in 2011 before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. He rushed for 321 yards on 84 carries and one touchdown. He also caught 10 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.

The Post reported that Hightower has wanted to return to Washington. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said at the NFL Annual Meeting in March that he wants the 25-year-old to be re-signed, telling the Washington Times that Hightower is “a potential starter on our football team.”

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.

The Washington Redskins on Wednesday lost out on another free agent target along the offensive line.

The Philadelphia Eagles announced that they have agreed to a five-year contract with former Buffalo Bills tackle Demetress Bell.

The Redskins had interest in Bell – who previously spelled his name Demetrius, but has since changed it – and had him in for a visit at Redskins Park on March 16.

Bell continued to field inquiries from other teams, and earlier this week visited the Eagles, who earlier this month lost left tackle Jason Peters to a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.

The Redskins entered free agency hoping to address the right tackle position, where Jammal Brown has been hobbled by a bad hip for two straight seasons. They expressed interest in Houston’s Eric Winston, but Winston ended up signing with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Redskins also had tried to fortify the left guard position, where Kory Lichtensteiger is trying to come back from a torn ACL and MCL that forced him out of the final 1 games of the 2011 season. Washington had interest in guards Ben Grubbs and Evan Mathis, but Grubbs signed with New Orleans, and Mathis re-signed with Philadelphia.

The Redskins re-signed Lichtensteiger, who was a restricted free agent, and Brown and coach Mike Shanahan both said that he is progressing in his rehabilitation. But Washington could both seek to address both positions in the draft.

The Washington Redskins have approximately $7.1 million in available salary cap space, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday.

That figure includes the free agent additions made by the team this offseason. It also includes the $18 million salary cap reduction given to the Redskins by the NFL for the way the team structured players’ contracts during the sport’s season without a salary cap in 2010. The Redskins were given a $36 million salary cap reduction over two years, at least half of which must be absorbed this season.

The Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, who were given a $10 million reduction over two years, are challenging their salary cap subtractions in a case before arbitrator Stephen Burbank.

Coach Mike Shanahan said last week at the annual league meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., that the Redskins want to re-sign free agent linebacker London Fletcher. Shanahan also left open the possibility of the team making a move in free agency to fortify its offensive line. But the pace of free agent moves has slowed considerably league-wide as teams focus on their preparations for the NFL draft later this month.

It is a foregone conclusion that the Washington Redskins will take Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The real mystery is what the Skins will do after they take RGIII.

Griffin addresses the team’s pressing need for a franchise quarterback, but G.M. Bruce Allen and head coach Mike Shanahan still have holes to fill through the draft and free agency.

Since they have traded away this year’s second-round pick, as well as the first rounders in 2013 and 2014, each free-agent acquisition and draft pick is that much more important.

The 5-11 Redskins had inconsistencies in pass coverage, on the offensive line, and at wide receiver. Shanahan was aggressive in signing wideouts Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan to complement Santana Moss and the promising Leonard Hankerson, so I think it is unlikely they will take a receiver with their third-round pick (69th overall).

That leaves the secondary and the O-line as the Redskins’ two biggest weaknesses, and one of these (or both) should be addressed in the draft.

There may be a tendency to want to protect Griffin as much as possible, and there is a good argument for this. After giving up so much to get him, it seems ridiculous not to protect that investment with a solid offensive line.

Looking at the team objectively, however, the greater need is at safety. Both starting safeties from the 2011 team are gone—LaRon Landry is now a Jet, and O.J. Atogwe was released after a disappointing and injury-plagued season.

The Redskins did sign veteran safety Brandon Meriweather to fill one of the open slots, but Reed Doughty is so slow he is liable to get beat deep by smaller offensive linemen, and he is nothing more than a backup/run stopper.

There will still be safety talent available in the third round, and Shanahan would be smart to at least give Doughty some competition with this pick.

The best option here is Antonio Allen, a safety from South Carolina who is currently projected to go in the third round.

Allen is a 6’1″ 210-pound safety who specializes in playing inside the box. He ran a 4.67 40-yard dash at the combine, and was a tackling machine at South Carolina.

This may seem like a bad fit, since the Redskins’ corners like to take chances and force safeties to help over the top.

What I love about Allen, however, is his ability to cover tight ends. In today’s NFL, the tight end is becoming an increasingly important weapon on offense. Guys like Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez create mismatches because they are too big for corners to cover in man, but way too fast for a linebacker to cover downfield.

Allen specialized in press covering tight ends at USC, a skill that translates perfectly to the NFL. He did not play a traditional safety in college, but Meriweather is an experienced cover safety that can drop back in zone or help over the top.

This would allow Allen to step up and play inside the box, where he can provide terrific run support or press a tight end on a passing play.

The Redskins do need improved coverage from their corners for a safety like Allen to really be let loose at the line of scrimmage, but he would be a terrific value pick early in the third round. His size and athleticism translate well to the NFL, and I would love to see him in burgundy and gold in 2012.

It wasn’t part of a grand, burgundy-and-gold cosmic plan back in the fall of 2009 when Robert Griffin III tore his right anterior cruciate ligament, but the surgeon who did the repair work just happens to be a former Washington Redskins player.

Mark Adickes, a guard for the Redskins in the early ’90s, is an orthopedic surgeon in Houston and Baylor alum who was a natural choice when Griffin hurt his knee (video of rehab and injury is here). He had suffered what Adickes called a “typical” ACL tear and “unfazed by the injury” but not by the lengthy rehab. “He never doubted he would recover fully and achieve his goal to play in the NFL,” Adickes said in an email. “His work ethic is ridiculous. All efforts post-operatively were spent trying to slow him down.”

Robert Griffin III rolls out during Baylor’s pro day in Waco on March 21.
(Tony Gutierrez / AP)
The Baylor and jock-to-doc connections were important. “Having a Baylor guy take care of you, staying in the family, was good,” Griffin told Baylor’s alumni magazine. “He’s had a bunch of knee surgeries, too, so he knows the feeling. To have someone like that to connect with is a good thing.”

Griffin played in 2010 and 2011, won the Heisman (thanking, among others, his doctors in his acceptance speech) and ran a stellar 40 at the NFL scouting combine in February. No one, but no one, is saying his value was in any way diminished by the injury.

“I would much rather draft a player who has proven he can overcome adversity and return successfully from injury/surgery,” Adickes said. “Very few pro athletes have an injury-free career. With RGIII there should be no doubt he is a tough guy and if at some point during his career an injury does occur you can be confident he will have little difficulty returning to form.”

Speaking as a former pro football player, Adickes likes Griffin — a lot — and says he’s “the NFL’s version of Michael Jordan.”

Griffin’s visit with Jon Gruden comes up tonight (9 p.m. EDT) on ESPN; you can judge for yourself if Adickes is right.

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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 Washington Redskins had been toying with the idea of moving their Training Camp to a different location for the upcoming season and beyond, but according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, it seems like training camp will be right back at the team facility in Ashburn this offseason. Mike Shanahan spoke with the media on Wednesday, and that issue came up.

“I think it will be right there in Ashburn,” Shanahan said Wednesday.

But he didn’t say that the training camp was going to be Ashburn for the near future, just that they had yet to find a suitable place to move it to.

“We haven’t been able to find that facility yet,” Shanahan said.

That still keeps the option open that the team could move their training camp away from the team facility at some point in the next few years.

For more on this story and all things related to Washington Redskins football, please head over to Hogs Haven.

PALM BEACH, Fla.—The Washington Redskins were interested in signing quarterback Peyton Manning in free agency even after trading up in the NFL draft order to select either Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck, Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said Wednesday.

   “There was a definite possibility” of the team getting both Manning and a prized rookie quarterback, Shanahan said at the NFC coaches’ breakfast at the annual league meeting.

   Shanahan confirmed that he and his son, Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, met with Manning at Mike Shanahan’s home outside Denver during Manning’s free agent deliberations.

   “It was interesting, fun to sit down and talk football for a number of hours and that’s what we did,” Mike Shanahan said.

   Shanahan said he thought having Manning and a highly regarded rookie quarterback on the roster would have created a perfect situation for the Redskins and didn’t believe Manning would have been fazed by such an arrangement. But by the end of the meeting, Shanahan said, he had a sense that the Redskins wouldn’t be able to sign Manning.

   Manning signed a five-year, $96 million contract last week with the Denver Broncos. The Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers also were among Manning’s finalists.

   Shanahan’s meeting with Manning reportedly took place on March 10, the day after reports surfaced that the Redskins had completed a trade with the St. Louis Rams for the second overall selection in the NFL draft.

   “We had a great conversation,” Shanahan said. “I know he gave it a lot of thought.” 

More on Redskins’ quarterbacks:

Sneak peek at RGIII

Hard hits: Which QB is the better fit for Redskins?

Griffin impresses at pro day

PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Washington Redskins are likely to hold their training camp this summer at Redskins Park, according to Coach Mike Shanahan.

   “I think it will be right there in Ashburn,” Shanahan said Wednesday.

   The team ideally would like to hold its training camp away from its regular season headquarters and has been exploring possible sites. But Shanahan said a site has not been found with what the team feels it needs.

   “We haven’t been able to find that facility yet,” Shanahan said.

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If, as widely expected, the Redskins do select Robert Griffin III in April’s draft, the pressure will be on both franchise and player, for the rookie to be a success from day one.

Ever since they traded away three prime draft selections for the right to draft Griffin, the Redskins have created an environment where he must succeed right away.

This pressure was only intensified by events prior to and just after the start of free agency. An NFL-imposed salary cap penalty, followed by the addition of three new wide receivers, means the Redskins need Griffin to win now, not later.

The proposed $36 million salary cap hit joins the lack of top draft choices in the next two years, to seriously hinder how the Redskins can build a team around Griffin. A dramatic reduction in cap space along with no first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 reduces the chances of adding premium, top-level talent.

This creates a scenario that Mike Shanahan may not be able to risk. If the Redskins are set up for more struggles, how long can the current regime expect to last after 6-10 and 5-11 finishes?

Shanahan may have pointed to a five-year plan, but a repeat of a similar record in 2012 could see him shown the door. Dan Snyder is not known for his patience and tolerance of struggling coaches.

If the cap penalty stands, it could also serve to turn many against Shanahan and Bruce Allen. If the front office was aware of the potential of such a penalty, then making a trade giving away precious draft picks would begin to look like a direct contribution to further failure.

Shanahan can be criticised for similarly dooming the Redskins to ineptitude in 2011 by opting to go with a John Beck-Rex Grossman combination at quarterback.

What do all these things mean for Griffin?

There was more than a hint of panic behind the sudden trade with the St. Louis Rams. Shanahan had been rebuffed by Peyton Manning. The free-agent crop consisted of Manning and little else and the draft class had been weakened by the omissions of Landry Jones and Matt Barkley.

So the Redskins quickly caved to the Rams’ hefty demands and relented on their previous restrictions to the deal.

By trading away so much for the right to draft him, the Redskins have indicated that the rest of the team is strong enough to contend now. That being the case, Griffin must be expected to make his his rookie season a winning one.

Recent success from rookie quarterbacks has created a new level of expectation for first-year passers. Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan and Andy Dalton all took their teams to playoffs in year one.

No longer is it the prevailing notion to expect a quarterback to endure the previously “typical” rookie jitters. By paying big contracts to Pierre Garcon, Josh Morgan and Eddie Royal, Shanahan is leaving Griffin with little excuse not to win early.

The Heisman trophy winner—touted as a franchise saviour—is joining a franchise that needs to win now. By trading away three prime picks, falling foul of the league over the salary cap and winning only 11 games in two seasons, the Redskins have traded away Griffin’s transition period.

The Washington Redskins are exploring the possibility of holding training camp in Richmond, a person with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday.

The Redskins since last year have sought to find a location away from their Ashburn headquarters to hold their summer training camp, but attempts to find a suitable location thus far have failed.

The team last month ruled out George Mason University as a camp site, but has continued to look at other possibilities. Redskins officials have been in discussions with the city of Richmond for the last month and a half, according to a story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

In the story, Richmond mayor Dwight C. Jones confirmed the discussions have been held, but Jones’ press secretary, Tammy D. Hawley said that the city is only one of several locations under consideration.

Neither Jones, nor Hawley immediately returned messages seeking comment. When asked about the matter, Redskins senior vice president Tony Wyllie said only, “We’re exploring all options.”

Members of the Redskins brass met with Richmond officials Wednesday, and are reviewed facilities the city has to offer, including the Richmond City Stadium, Virginia Commonwealth University’s sports medicine facilities, the Richmond Convention Center and area hotels.

The Redskins have held training camp in Ashburn since 2003, but Coach Mike Shanahan – entering his third season with the team — prefers to get away from team headquarters for the four weeks of training camp.

The Redskins held training camp at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., from 1963-94 and in 2001 and 2002. They held training camp Frostburg State University (where Washington had camp from 1995-99.

There is no denying that the Redskins must find a solution to the quarterback problem that has crippled the team for the best part of two decades. Yet as great as the need is, the Redskins must be careful about risking too much now for the promise of an unknown future.

Robert Griffin III is an intriguing talent, but his trade cost could be too high for Mike Shanahan after two losing years. If Griffin struggles in his rookie campaign, Shanahan could well be gone.

That would leave a new coach with a young quarterback struggling under the burden of unfair expectation and without the draft picks necessary to fix the team. The Redskins maybe better served trading back and selecting a less highly-touted rookie like Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill.

This would still leave them picks to continue strengthening the team in the hope of constructing a framework for long-term success. Or Shanahan may decide to opt for a proven veteran who could raise the level of play from the supporting cast. The steady and assured performances of an experienced pro could better complement the whole team.

Every rookie and every trade come with risks attached. The decisions are based on instincts which are only proven by time.

Yet after two seasons of mediocrity and for the kind of price expected to be paid to land Griffin, Shanahan and Allen may need to be absolutely certain that Griffin can win from day one.