Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 1, 1991 TAG: 9102010272
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Coach Joe Gibbs, general manager Charley Casserly and their staffs have met for two days to come up with their final lists, but the Redskins are prepared to say goodbye to Mark May, Russ Grimm and others, including punter Kelly Goodburn, quarterback Jeff Rutledge, and possibly defenders Greg Manusky, Darryl Grant and Monte Coleman.
Each team is required to submit a 37-man protected list to the NFL today. The Redskins' list will include obvious players such as quarterbacks Mark Rypien and Stan Humphries and Pro Bowlers Darrell Green and Jim Lachey.
It also will include some highly regarded young players who didn't play last season, such as quarterback Cary Conklin and offensive lineman Mo Elewonibi.
Every player not on the protected list is an unrestricted free agent during February and March. Each can field offers for up to eight weeks, deciding to accept an offer and change teams or to stay under the terms of his current contract.
"It's like starting over every year," Giants coach Bill Parcells said Monday in the wake of winning Super Bowl XXV. "At the end of the week, I'll look at the roster and say, `Oh my God, I've only got 37 players.' That's the way you have to look at it."
That's the way the Redskins are looking at it.
"You don't want to lose anyone," Casserly said. "But you go into this thing knowing you're going to lose players. At the same time, you hope to sign some guys that'll help you."
The Redskins have been one of the NFL's most active teams in Plan B, having signed 15 players in 1989 and 12 last year. Last year, seven of those signees made the team. At the same time, the Redskins have lost 18 players, the most prominent being Joe Mickles, Jamie Morris and Lybrant Robinson.
Says Casserly: "You have to anticipate the worst. If you leave a guy off, you have to be prepared to lose him unless you sit down with him and he tells you he's not going anywhere."
That's why Casserly and Gibbs may be sitting down with several veterans and asking them about how they would feel about being left unprotected. Grant and Coleman are among several players the Redskins would like back, but would leave unprotected under some circumstances.
May is different. He's a 10-year veteran and didn't play last season after undergoing major knee surgery. It is clear he will be left unprotected so that spots can be saved for the new generation of Hogs - Raleigh McKenzie, Mark Schlereth and others.
Grimm is another. Gibbs considers him a coach on the field, but his role for next season is unclear. He probably will be a backup at several positions, but it's possible another team could want him to play full-time.
Offensive linemen are the most-coveted Plan B commodities and the Redskins also face tough decisions in possibly letting little-used veterans Ray Brown and Mark Adickes unprotected. But to protect one of them, they have to steal from another position.
Another problem is in the defensive backfield, where the Redskins would like to protect six players but probably can afford only five. That means one of their free safeties - Todd Bowles or Brad Edwards - will be unprotected.
There are other, easier decisions. One is at quarterback, where veteran Rutledge, a Plan B signee last year, won't be protected, but Gibbs would like for him to come to camp and compete with Conklin for the No. 3 spot.
Wide receivers Art Monk, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders will be protected. Walter Stanley, Stephen Hobbs and Joe Howard won't be, but the Redskins want them back.
The defensive line also will be an area of decisions, with either Grant or Jumpy Geathers likely to be unprotected. Grant's performance declined somewhat this season, and at 31, he's not likely to have his estimated $450,000 salary topped. But some in the organization will argue to protect him out of respect for his 10 years and the enormous respect in which he has held in their locker room.
Other Plan B news:
Cincinnati's all-time leading scorer, kicker Jim Breech, said he expects to be left unprotected by the Bengals for the third straight year.
"There's a 99.9 percent chance they won't protect me," said Breech, 34, who has scored in an NFL-record 167 straight games.
In Indianapolis, starting offensive guard Brian Baldinger and backup quarterback Mark Hermann have been told they will be left unprotected. But both players said the Colts would like them to stay.
Running back Sammy Winder, who played on Denver's last three Super Bowl teams, may be left unprotected by the Broncos.
The Kansas City Chiefs are not expected to protect center Mike Webster, offensive tackle Irv Eatman or defensive backs Lloyd Burruss and Deron Cherry.
Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press.\ Plan B Redskins Candidates
\ Linemen: Mark May, Russe Grimm, Daryl Grant, Mark Adickes and Ray Brown.
Quarterback: Jeff Rutledge
Receivers: Joe Howard, Stephen Hobbs and Walter Stanley
Linebacker: Greg Manusky, Monte Coleman
Safeties: Todd Bowles, Brad Edwards
Punter: Kelly Goodburn Special Teams: John Brandes
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