NFC East: Rock Cartwright
Rabach
The other three teams in the NFC East have extended tenders to players but none of them rivaled the Redskins in terms of purging their rosters. Veteran guard Randy Thomas and wide receiver Antwaan Randle El were the most notable releases. It's not surprising the Redskins would release them, but the timing is certainly interesting. Shanahan has talked about improving from within, but now he'll also have to look elsewhere for help.
Rabach agreed to a three-year contract worth $12.3 million, according to ESPN's John Clayton. It's obvious the veteran center placed more emphasis on security than money by not testing the free-agency waters. The Redskins also released former starting cornerback Fred Smoot as well as veteran backup running backs Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright, who was a valuable specials teams player. Cartwright was also a vocal leader on the team but apparently that wasn't enough to convince Shanahan.
Basically Clinton Portis is the last running back left standing, although that will change via free agency or the draft. Keep in mind that Shanahan is a great admirer of LaDainian Tomlinson after playing against him for so many years in the AFC West. No matter what you think of the Skins' moves, no one can say they weren't decisive Thursday.
"Obviously, it's a day of change for the Redskins," Allen told reporters at Redskins Park earlier this evening.
Last year at this time, the Redskins were paying huge money to defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in free agency. This time around, the Redskins appear to be more interested in creating vacancies.
And he just completed a 51-yard pass to Rock Cartwright. This team refuses to go away. Kidding.
Some Redskins preparing for next stop
Cartwright, who has been a special-teams standout for years, had the strongest comments. He thinks the Redskins are ready to move on without him because of the $1.5 million that he's scheduled to make in 2010. For some reason, Svrluga doesn't mention running back Clinton Portis in his story. I think there's a chance Washington could move forward without him after this season.
Svrluga takes the opportunity to praise the work of second-year players Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly and Fred Davis. If there's a silver lining to this dreadful season, it's that those three players have started to live up to their immense potential. No matter who owner Dan Snyder chooses as his new head coach, there will be wholesale changes. This team needs to rebuild its offensive line and probably settle on a new quarterback and running back.
Campbell has played some of the best football of his NFL career in recent weeks, but he desperately needs a change of scenery. It's hard to imagine a scenario where the Redskins sign him to an extension. Not after the way they've courted other quarterbacks over the past year. Would you rather have Campbell or Jay Cutler right now?
I think it's an easy answer. Campbell's played better than Cutler for weeks.
Coach Jim Zorn finally got around to confirming the decision Wednesday, but it appears that the players knew it was coming. At this point, I think it's a good move to find out about some of these young players. The Redskins know that Rock Cartwright is an excellent special-teams player and a tremendous leader. But there's really no reason to keep running him out there as the starting running back.
From what I've seen, Ganther has some nice quickness and he's also able to run with a little power. If he finishes the year strong, he could be in the mix heading into the 2010 season. Of course, he'll have to prove himself to a whole new regime, but at least other teams will be able to see what he can do. Ganther's taking his promotion in stride:
"I'm not putting up any numbers, anything spectacular," said Ganther. "I'm just doing what's asked of me. Those are not any numbers. To the outside world it might be, but me, I'm always gonna hold myself to a higher standard. I haven't done anything, so I don't want the attention. I don't want the praise. I haven't done nothing."
OK, thanks for your patience this morning. I'm working on a column that will be published this afternoon.
Win McNamee/Getty ImagesQuarterback Jason Campbell has had to adjust while playing behind a leaky line.The Eagles need more from their pass rush against the Redskins on Sunday. In the first game against the Skins, the Eagles sacked Jason Campbell six times and he was constantly under duress. The Eagles only have three sacks in the past two games and they need their front four to generate more pressure in order to help a banged-up secondary. Sack leader Trent Cole (8.5) needs to have a big game against Redskins left tackle Levi Jones. It's a matchup that should favor the relentless Cole. The Eagles have allowed five yards per carry over the past two games, but I have a hard time believing that Rock Cartwright is going to go off on them. I'd be more worried about him in the passing game.
The Eagles will have some favorable matchups on the outside. I know the Redskins have the No. 1-ranked pass defense in the league. Skins fans remind me of this all the time -- even though I think those rankings can be misleading. I like to trust my eyes, which allowed me to see Brandon Marshall running free behind the Redskins' secondary two Sundays ago. And the fact that DeAngelo Hall could miss the game with a knee injury is a major issue. That means that Fred Smoot could end up on DeSean Jackson from time to time. That's a matchup the Eagles really, really like. LaRon Landry better be playing about 30 yards off the line of scrimmage and I'm sure fellow safety Reed Doughty will be in retreat mode, too. Jackson and Jeremy Maclin only need one play to knock you out, so the Redskins have to be on guard at all times.
What do the Skins have to lose? I'd like to see Jim Zorn and his playcaller Sherm Lewis loosen up a little in this game. They bogged down in the red zone against the Cowboys last Sunday, in part, because they went conservative for no apparent reason. If you have a chance to take a shot at the end zone before settling for a field goal, then by all means. Believe it or not, this season has actually been good for quarterback Campbell's development. He'll never again play behind an offensive line this bad. In a few short weeks, he's learned how to unload the ball quickly and how to successfully identify hot routes. I thought he played perhaps his best game of the season in a 7-6 loss to the Cowboys. That might sound crazy, but his ability to keep getting up after repeated shots to the chin was pretty remarkable. Keep your eye on this Richard Bartel situation. The Redskins tried to quietly insert a third-string quarterback onto their roster. I think they'd love to take a look at him soon. Maybe not in a divisional game against the Eagles, but you may see the Grapevine, Texas, native out there at some point this season.
The Redskins also lost starting right guard Chad Rinehart to a broken right leg in Sunday's game against the Cowboys. Veteran running back Rock Cartwright will replace Betts in the starting lineup and he'll be backed up by Quinton Ganther. The Redskins will likely sign another running back this week in order to create a little depth.
Clinton Portis is still recovering from a concussion and he won't play Sunday in Philadelphia. Cartwright doesn't bring as much power as Betts, but he's a better option in the passing game -- as evidenced by his 73 yards receiving in Sunday's loss.
Quarterback Jason Campbell is used to losing weapons, so this latest setback won't faze him. As crazy as this sounds, I think he may have played his best game of the season Sunday in a 7-6 loss to the Cowboys.
He did a really nice job of managing the game and he beat the blitz with quick and decisive throws. I don't think he got much help from Sherm Lewis and Jim Zorn once the Skins moved inside Cowboys territory. And Shaun Suisham picked a bad time to miss two field goals. He connected on his first 13 attempts of the season, but the miss from 39 yards at the end of the first half was a killer.
Cowboys
- Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the Cowboys' offense better figure out something in a hurry.
- Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News and ESPN's "Around the Horn" tries to figure out what's happened to the Cowboys' offense.
- Here's a columnist/blogger who always seems to have it figured out.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tries to get to the heart of the offense's woes.
- Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com says the Cowboys shouldn't apologize for winning.
- French journalist Jean Jacques Taylor says we saw good Tony and bad Tony in the Cowboys' win Sunday.
- The Dallas Morning News' numbers guy Gerry Fraley comes up with some gems.
- Todd Archer said the Cowboys defense was "nearly perfect" against the Skins. But let's admit that our old pal Shaun Suisham contributed to the success.
- What was that Terence Newman-Dave Campo squabble all about?
- Bill Nichols of the Dallas Morning News has a good story on Rock Cartwright, who gave the Cowboys some problems Sunday.
- Jen Floyd Engel of the Star-Telegram says the defense is the heart and soul of this team.
- Phil Sheridan says the Eagles somehow overcame all their mistakes to beat a bad Bears team.
- Bob Ford of the Inquirer thinks Andy Reid coached like this was a must-win.
- Rich Hofmann from the Daily News has an excellent column on Sheldon Brown.
- Paul Domowitch of Daily News fame said the Eagles did a much better job in the red zone.
- Les Bowen says that Donovan McNabb was true to his word in a big win.
- Ian O'Connor of The Record spent some one-on-one time with Tom Coughlin for this ode to Eli Manning.
- Newsday columnist Bob Glauber praised Manning's work, but also found time to criticize the defense.
- Treat yourself to a Vinny DiTrani game story this morning.
- Steve Politi of the Star-Ledger says the seasons rests on Manning's shoulders.
- GM Jerry Reese tells Steve Serby that Manning carried the Giants on his back.
- Tim Smith of the Daily News also pays tribute to Manning.
- Jason Reid of the Washington Post is reporting that Ladell Betts will undergo season-ending knee surgery.
- Ryan O'Halloran of the Times says it was a painful day for Jim Zorn and the Skins.
- Thomas Boswell says that Jim Zorn is acting more like an NFL coach than ever.
- Mike Wise of the Post praises the work of Rock Cartwright.
- Dan Daly from the Times says this season has been an "exercise in exasperation" for the Redskins.
Zorn: Portis 'very doubtful' for Sunday
"But I don't want to count him out," Zorn said.
Zorn said he would like to see Portis practice before considering putting him back in the starting lineup. And the coach continued to say that Portis hasn't lost his starting job to Ladell Betts. But at this point, you have to think that Betts gives the Redskins the best chance against the Cowboys.
Even before his concussion, Portis hasn't looked like himself this season. Betts provided some elusiveness and some power in the win over the Broncos. I think you'll also see Rock Cartwright get involved in the passing game quite a bit.
The Cowboys are still preparing for Portis, but they realize that it's unlikely they'll see him.
Skins' Betts will start against Broncos
Not long ago, I remembers coaches not thinking twice before bringing a player back from a concussion the following Sunday. Now it seems like a concussion causes an almost automatic one-game absence. With Brian Westbrook's recent concussion has kept him out for two straight games. I don't sense that Portis' concussion is as severe as Westbrook's but the Redskins aren't taking any chances.
Unfortunately, backup Ladell Betts has been a battling an ankle injury that knocked him out of practice Thursday. Coach Jim Zorn said Betts will be ready to go Sunday, but it's not like he can handle 20 carries. Rock Cartwright and someone named Quinton Ganther will serve as the backups.
Regarding the NFL's stance on concussions, it's interesting that Packers linebacker Aaron Kampman felt the need to come out and absolve his coaches and athletic trainers for sending him back in a game with a concussion. He suffered a blow to the head four plays into the game, but he was on the field in the fourth quarter. On Wednesday, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said in a conference call that Kampman would be a game-time decision.
Thursday Beastlines: Non-Cowboys Edition
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
I'm stepping away for a couple of hours to bang out a Cowboys column, but here are some headlines you may want to check out:
Eagles
- Phil Sheridan of the Inquirer thinks the Eagles should consider moving Kevin Kolb instead of A.J. Feeley.
- Cris Collinsworth has his doubts about all the "rosy" Donovan McNabb-Michael Vick talk.
- Marcus Hayes of the Daily News says that Kevin Kolb is trying to remain focused.
- Reuben Frank of the Burlington County Times says the Eagles have a different "problem" at wide receiver this season.
- John Smallwood of the Daily News has come up with some reasons to watch tonight's preseason finale.
- Sinorice Moss isn't getting any answers regarding his lack of playing time. Anyone think the Giants could get something for Moss in a trade?
- Mike Garafolo is preparing to say goodbye to David Tyree and Moss.
- Eli Manning predicts Giants will be "the most prepared team in the NFL."
- Great headline on this Ryan O'Halloran story about the Skins' final cuts. Story's not so bad either.
- We have located the one Rock Cartwright apologist in the D.C. area.
- Are the Redskins bringing lawsuits against some of their loyal fans? Yes, says this Washington Post report. But before the newspaper went to press, the team delivered a pre-emptive news release taking a jab or two at the Post. The two sides appear to be going old school.
- Dan Steinberg of the Post has an interesting little story on Colt Brennan's decision to wear a visor on his face mask.
Tuesday Beastlines: Special Skins Edition
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
As some of you know, my trip to Redskins Park was cut short because of some events that took place in Philly. But not to fret. I have phone interviews lined up with several top Redskins players and officials over the next three days. I'll also be visiting with Eli Manning via phone at some point this week. OK, let's do some Skins headlines:
Redskins
- Washington Post columnist Mike Wise has an excellent story on Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels.
- Bill Oram has a touching story about how Rock Cartwright has moved on after the loss of his mother four years ago.
- Jason Reid of the Post reports that Mike Williams has lost 111 pounds!
- I've never seen a man spend so much time trying to establish that a head coach is being honest about something.
- Jeremy Bridges tells David Elfin that his "knucklehead" days are behind him.
- Are the Redskins already wearing out Hunter Smith?
- Several skirmishes broke out in this morning's practice.
- It's 97 degrees at Redskins Park right now. Looks like "lightweight" Mike Williams and Chris Samuels are sitting this one out. Same goes for Cornelius Griffin, Albert Haynesworth and Phillip Daniels.
The Arizona Cardinals released three pretty good players Tuesday in running back Edgerrin James, cornerback Rod Hood and defensive end Travis LaBoy. The James release was pretty much guaranteed when the Cardinals selected Chris "Beanie" Wells in the first round of the draft Saturday.
I think the Redskins should target both James and LaBoy. Last year, the Redskins became so desperate at running back that they brought in washed-up Shaun Alexander to back up Clinton Portis. The Cowboys and Giants have tremendous depth at the running back position, but the Redskins are relying on Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright to spell Portis. James would be a nice addition to the team. He and Portis are both former University of Miami guys, and I think he could flourish catching passes out of the backfield.
The Redskins would also be wise to pursue LaBoy. They have Brian Orakpo now, but you can't enough quality defensive ends. LaBoy played with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in Tennessee so they're already on the same page. LaBoy would immediately challenge for a starting job. That would also help limit the reps for aging defensive ends Phillip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley New York Giants (10-1) at Washington Redskins (7-4), 1 p.m. ET
Huge game for the Redskins after watching the Cowboys improve to 8-4 Thursday. The Giants are the best team in football, though, and coach Tom Coughlin doesn't allow for letdowns. The Giants got that loss out of the way against Cleveland and haven't looked back.
The Redskins are a completely different team than the one that opened the season in the Meadowlands. The Giants feasted on Jim Zorn's West Coast offense and did a nice job of taking running back Clinton Portis out of the game. Jason Campbell has been up and down since that game, but he's certainly capable of burning you if given enough time in the pocket.
Expect Zorn to commit to the running game from the start. Everything in this offense feeds off Portis' success on the ground. The Giants are the sixth-best rushing defense in the league heading into Sunday. They'll have to survive what should be a huge emotional wave from the Redskins early. The late Sean Taylor will be inducted into the Ring of Fame before the game. Zorn wants his players to absorb the special moment and then re-focus on playing.
Both teams have some key injuries. For the Giants, Plaxico Burress and Brandon Jacobs are still banged up. And you should keep an eye on Fred Robbins' shoulder injury. He's a big part of that elite defensive line. The Redskins might have to go without middle linebacker London Fletcher and defensive end Andre Carter, who both have foot injuries. Linebacker Marcus Washington has already been ruled out.
Carter actually went through some drills in Thursday's practice, but Fletcher didn't do anything. It would be a big surprise, though, if Fletcher sits out. He's one of the most durable players in the league and he's played through pain before. Plus, he's the emotional leader for this defense.
I think this is the type of game that could hinge on a big play on special teams. Rock Cartwright does a really nice job in all phases of special teams for the Redskins. But Domenik Hixon is the Giants player who can absolutely take over a game.
Wednesday's Tom Coughlin transcript
Coughlin: We are in the division. We are excited about that. We are in the division. The Washington Redskins are a very good football team, 7-4, coming off a tough road win in Seattle. We had the opportunity to watch Arizona and Seattle and then the Redskins and Seattle. And of course the Redskins have a great running game. They are 14th in the league on offense but third in the league with the running game.
Portis is having an exceptional year. There are talented, big play people everywhere with Moss and Randle El. Cooley is an outstanding tight end. A lot of tight end screens, a lot of nakeds. Campbell is doing an efficient job. He has only thrown three interceptions, which is a tremendous improvement for that young guy. Defensively they are outstanding, third in the League, seventh against the run, fifth against the pass; very stubborn defensively -- showed some new looks up in Seattle. They did some different things with Jason Taylor, moving him around; he and [Andre] Carter working together, if you will. Fletcher is, of course, the quarterback of that defensive team and had an outstanding game against us here in Game 1. Their secondary is really loaded with very good cover people. [DeAngelo] Hall was at it. You know about Rogers, Springs and Smoot. They are outstanding. Landry, the outstanding safety, plays very deep, comes down from deep center field to get involved with both run and pass. [Shaun] Suisham, the kicker, has a very strong leg. They have outstanding return men in Randle El and [Rock] Cartwright plus Santana Moss, the big play player, has an 80-yard return which he was able to negotiate versus Detroit. So they are a good football team. We will be playing in Washington, so we look forward again to being in the division.
How do you compare the way they are playing lately to how they were in Week 1?
Coughlin: Obviously they have made great strides and done different things against different people in order to win. So they are a good football team. They were a good team when we played them here, a very stingy team if you will in that first game. And they continue to do that. They are not giving up any points. I know their scoring average is only in the eighteens offensively, but they are also not giving up many points. So they play very well together.
Do they look more comfortable in their schemes on both sides of the ball?
Coughlin: They, defensively, never missed a beat. There was no change there at all. And I think when you understand it, they tried to utilize the Redskin -- Jim Zorn had utilized the Redskins running game and then brought in his own pass attack. And to me it was never any real difficult thing for those guys. They are a veteran group and they adjust very well.
What did Plaxico Burress' MRI show?
Coughlin: He has a hamstring injury. He will not practice today. He will end up being day to day. Jacobs will not practice today. I expect him to work tomorrow. But today he will not work.
Did you send Jacobs for tests?
Coughlin: No, I don't think so.
Was Burress' hamstring basically torn?
Coughlin: He has a strained hamstring.
Anything you can do to help that along other than rest?
Coughlin: Well they will do everything they can medically to help him. He is very resilient, a very tough guy. He works his way through those kinds of things. So we are just going to have to wait and see. He will rehab as he has all along. He is constantly working on that. So hopefully that can be something that is overcome in a short amount of time. But let's face it, it is a hamstring.
Coughlin: He won't work today.
In Week 1, it looked like this offense might not be the right fit for Campbell. But he turned it around and is his play a big reason for their success?
Coughlin: That would be for you to say [about the start of the season]. I have seen the tremendous care that he has taken with the ball. And that, as you know, with a young quarterback -- that is a heck of an advantage and great growth just in itself. They are doing more with him. He does scramble but he also keeps the ball and runs the ball. And he is a big strong young man. As I said, they are utilizing everything they have. They are trying to get their two young receivers involved. They did the other day in Seattle. They had [Malcolm] Kelly involved and they have had [Devin] Thomas involved.
Coughlin: He has had a lot of big games. He has had an outstanding year. He is a tremendous slash runner, very powerful. He hits the crease as well as anybody. He is having that kind of year. He rushed for 65 yards in the fourth quarter the other day, which literally they tried very much to end the game with the ball in their hands. On the one drive they did have a fumble, but then they got it right back with [Shawn] Springs making a great play.
How much does it help your coordinators and yourself that your team can win in a variety of ways?
Coughlin: Well the one thing is that [we're] just trying to find a way to win -- in this league -- we are going into the last week in November. Teams are all trying to overcome some type of injury somewhere; just the nature of our business, our game. So we all try to just analyze exactly what it is that will put us in a position to win the game. We have had a lot of different kinds of games, no doubt. And last week was a different kind of game that we were able to find a way to win. So those are all good experiences.
Is Landry still playing very deep at safety for them?
Coughlin: Yes.
That has always been a part of their scheme?
Coughlin: No, they have extended him back more this year, I think. You see that in the league now. It is happening in a lot of places. The safeties are deep, they don't back up to start out with. They are ready if you get the high pad look; they stay back or back up. And if they get the low pad look they come from there. Which is -- as fast as some of these people are -- Landry is and he gets to the line of scrimmage fast. And there is a lot of impact when he arrives.
Do you ever look back at the last trip to Washington? You were 0-2, people were unhappy. Since that time you have won a Super Bowl.
Coughlin: Not really, no. No, we are trying to look ahead. Obviously we know the history of the rivalry. We know what has occurred. They came right back up here and beat us at the end of the season. So we are aware of all of those situations. And just trying to keep current and look ahead.
After his touchdown last week, Madison Hedgecock said he was rowing to Hawaii. Does Madison deserve to be in the Pro Bowl?
Coughlin: He has done an outstanding job. You are talking about a guy in his role, and the job that he has done, he has done an outstanding job. The one play ther
e, the catch was really a good catch for him because he really zoomed in on the ball. He made sure that he caught the ball first and then scored.
Do you find it odd that any one person on O-line could be singled out for Pro Bowl consideration?
Coughlin: It has been a very good unit and we have had outstanding play out of a lot of people throughout the course of the year. The key thing is for us to continue to play well. I'm starting to get -- I don't know where these questions are coming from -- let's talk about the Redskins.
Based on what the Cardinals did to you in the air last week, can the Redskins pick up anything from that on how to attack your defense?
Coughlin: Sure, you can always find something from studying. Well, those are two outstanding players, but that is the Cardinals offense. And we knew full well -- to come out of that game with only two big plays against that is quite an accomplishment. Although it is interesting the different style of plays -- the similarity and time of possession is an interesting thing. But you can pick up something up from every tape that you study. So I'm sure that there will be something that the Redskins can learn from that game without a doubt.
Was your intent defensively to keep the Arizona receivers in front of you?
Coughlin: That was the intent, sure.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
We've spent the morning reading NFC Beast columns and stories from across the country so you don't have to. I'm told Beastlines is a great way to spend your midmorning break:
Cowboys
- Brian Davis of the Dallas Morning News talks about whether Adam "Pacman" Jones will affect team chemistry. And in a poignant moment, Jerry Jones takes part of the blame for Pacman's suspension.
- Kudos to Rick Herrin for spotlighting one of the most underrated quotes of the Jerry Jones era:
"Because it was my guy there that created the problem," Jones said. "You might not have had the confusion with a third party. It would be like a brother grabbing you around the neck where as somebody that's not a family member might not grab you around the neck. I think it's not an excuse. I think our plan had some confusion in it."
I'm pretty sure Jones' entire plan to bring in Pacman has been confusing. And I love it how he continues to place most of the blame on former security guard Tommy Jones. When you throw Felix into the mix, it's becoming tough to keep up with the Joneses.
- T.O. blames his lack of production on "the system" during an interview with noted T.O. and Pacman apologist Deion Sanders. In unrelated news, it looks like T.O. has recovered from the flu.
- Jenn Engel says Felix Jones would've made the Cowboys offense "special."
Eagles
- Ashley Fox has a good column on the 10 years Ravens coach John Harbaugh spent with the Eagles. Funny to see Lito Sheppard say at the end that he succeeded in spite of Harbaugh.
- Les Bowen praises offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg for at least admitting that the offense has a problem. That's the first step.
- In a rare show of emotion, Andy Reid apparently lit into his team during a meeting Wednesday. He told players their season -- and jobs -- were on the line.
- Ray Parrillo has a story in the Inquirer about the Eagles' plans for Joe Flacco on Sunday.
- The Eagles have been tough on rookie quarterbacks over the years.
- Poor Donovan didn't get asked about the Ravens during his news conference, so he blogged about them instead.
- Larry O'Rourke lets us know what the local media's saying about Reid and McNabb.
Giants
- Mike Garafolo says defenders will be swiping at the ball when Kurt Warner's in the pocket.
- The Blue Screen has the latest on Plaxico Burress' hamstring injury.
- Jay Greenberg of the New York Post has a column on the Giants' amazing depth.
- Will the new stadium in the Meadowlands be worth the price of admission?
Redskins
- Jason Reid of the Washington Post talks about the offensive line's struggles.
- As Ryan O'Halloran reports in the Washington Times, Jim Zorn is staying "medium" during this tough stretch.
- Who knew that Zorn had a background in cast-metal sculpting? This may be some of Steinberg's finest work.
- The Redskins have some roster decisions to make if Malcolm Kelly plays.
- Rock Cartwright's special teams report is always informative.
- Make sure you check back for Audibles at 4 p.m. ET. I'll be "on assignment" for most of the day. Thanks for your continued support with all the recent climate changes in the North Texas area.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Dan Graziano
Graziano joined ESPN.com in 2011 after two years as a Senior NFL Writer for AOL FanHouse. He covered Major League Baseball, the Olympics and various other sports during his time at the Star-Ledger and the Palm Beach Post. A New Jersey native and author of two published novels, he now lives in Ridgewood, N.J., with his wife and two sons.
