Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Buoyed by their first playoff in six years, they look forward to next season.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- The Washington Redskins stuffed their belongings into huge plastic bags, exchanged hugs and phone numbers, took their physicals and attended one final round of meetings Monday before heading into the off-season.
The ritual is the same every year, but this time most of the faces were bright and full of optimism. Buoyed by the team's first playoff run in six years, some players sounded as though they couldn't wait to return to work and help take the team even further next season.
"We've really set ourselves up for a good stretch here," right tackle Jon Jansen said. "We've accomplished a lot this year. We set a good foundation, and that's something we can build on."
Coach Joe Gibbs' message to the players was similarly upbeat. He said he wanted to keep his key players -- unlike last year, when Antonio Pierce and Fred Smoot departed via free agency -- and said the confidence gained from this season's success could lead to better things. He then met individually with most of the impending free agents, a list that includes two regular starters: safety Ryan Clark and tight end Robert Royal.
Built a foundation
"I think we've got a core group to build around," Gibbs said. "Everybody told me when I came back that you have a salary cap and that you can't keep a team together. I don't believe that. We're going to work extremely hard to keep everybody together -- and then hopefully improve in some areas."
One player not in that core group is quarterback Patrick Ramsey, who lost the starting job in the first half of the first game. With Mark Brunell returning as the starter and first-round pick Jason Campbell the heir apparent, Ramsey understandably declined to answer when asked Monday whether he wants to be back.
"I'd like to play," Ramsey said. "If I'm going to develop as a quarterback in this league and play well, I think it needs to start at some point soon. We'll see what happens."
Ramsey has one relatively affordable year left on his contract, so the Redskins could keep him as an alternative in case Brunell struggles and Campbell takes longer than expected to develop. Gibbs' tone suggested otherwise. A trade appears the most likely scenario.
"Patrick and I had a good talk," Gibbs said. "What we agreed to do is just continue to talk over these next few weeks. He'll probably do a little thinking, I'll do some thinking and we'll do some talking."
Didn't meet with Arrington
Interestingly, Gibbs said he didn't meet with LaVar Arrington, whose future is also uncertain. The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker reiterated the remarks he made following Saturday's game, when he said he wanted to return and expressed some regrets for criticizing the team publicly during this season. He also said he is open to reworking a contract that currently stands to count approximately $12 million against the salary cap next season.
But Gibbs was noncommittal.
"Today was awful quick to be thinking about some of that," Gibbs said.
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