In a shocking development, the Carolina Panthers have reminded their franchise tag option for their breakout cornerback Josh Norman.  In an even more surprising development, the redskins are the front-runners in signing him.  

Yes the eagles and the cowboys were quarterback-less dumpster fires this year but the line on OBJ is the most important. Breeland is a good corner but he was owned by OBJ the last two years.  OBJ averages 122 yards per game and has 5 TDs against us already in his young career.  Norman could be the answer to that twice a year.

So what does this mean about the redskins draft? Probably means that McCloughan doesn’t like his options at CB at #21. It also means McCloughan is well aware of our lack of depth in the secondary.  You can expect a DB somewhere in the first three rounds for sure.

Following along with that I’m now seeing that Mel Kiper has the redskins taking WVU safety Karl Joseph at #21.  After watching his highlights I was surprised he wasn’t on my radar.  He’s rated the best available safety on NFL.com.  He’s 5’10” 205 lbs but plays like a a linebacker. His run fills were perfect and he had no trouble delivering a big hit in space.  The knock on him is his ACL tear at the end of his senior season.  He might not be the same player when he comes back.  WVU had a great secondary this year. WVU was all over Alabama this year and he was a big part of stopping their vertical offense.  Would I be happy if the redskins drafted him? Honestly no I would not be happy. As good as he was, the knee injury is concerning.  He’s definitely a round 2-3 player with the injury.  He would help fill a need but he’s too much of a question mark to take with your first pick.  If he’s there at #57 though…

To finish today I want explore a player that you may have not heard of, Kenneth Dixon, RB La Tech. He stands 5’10 215 lbs and runs a 4.58 40.  He has a 37.5 vert and was one of the top performers at the combine in the shuttle and the cone drill.  He’s no burner but trust me he’s fast.  Just watch his highlights: Dixon RB LA Tech.  He runs ANGRY.  He’s always finishing his runs with the shoulder down. His vision is fantastic and his juke steps were excellent.  He even was a threat in the passing game.  He went up over two defenders and came down with it multiple times.  Dixon broke the FBS record in rushing TDs with 87 TDs in his career (then broken by Navy’s Keenan Reynolds in their final game). Needless to say that kind of production does not come around often.  The knock on him is his health.  He sat out a couple game his senior year with an ankle injury.  Also, one scout says his running style lends himself to be hurt more often. I felt disgusting writing that last sentence.  If that doesn’t tell you what kind of runner he is then there’s nothing more I can tell you.  Look out for his name to be announced day two and possibly even before Derrick Henry.