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Say goodbye to Rock...

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:13 pm
by dad23hogjrs
article is mainly about the kicking situation, but thrown in the last paragraph is the writing on the wall for Cartwright, and Possibly ARE if this kid works out. Most likely Rock as he clears space to release him, where as ARE eats space if released.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/f ... index.html

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:23 pm
by riggofan
Not sure I buy that. You think being the CFL special teams player of the year equates with being as good or better than Rock or ARE?

Most likely just an extra body for offseason training.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:28 pm
by dad23hogjrs
I am not trying to buy the guys Jersey or anything...I just think it means they are trying to find a cheap way to alter our return game. May end up being this guy, may not. Either way, it does not look good for Rock's future with the team.

Also, I am not saying I think Rock should be gone, I like the guy's fire...he's our special teams captain. I am just reading between the lines with the move.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:57 pm
by lowtharofthehill
There isn't much of a chance that Dominique Dorsey will beat out rock for a roster spot. He is only like 5'7 or something like that which is actually smaller than rock. He is just camp filler just like the kicker.

Don't read into buying a frozen dinner as replacing the cook.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:02 pm
by Jake
http://www.the-hogs.net/forum/viewtopic. ... 4&start=40

Isn't that what people said when we signed Jerome Mathis last year??

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:04 pm
by Jake
lowtharofthehill wrote:There isn't much of a chance that Dominique Dorsey will beat out rock for a roster spot. He is only like 5'7 or something like that which is actually smaller than rock. He is just camp filler just like the kicker.

Don't read into buying a frozen dinner as replacing the cook.


They're the same height.

http://www.the-hogs.net/washington-redskins/roster.php

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:12 pm
by Jeff Rhodes
I'm not convinced this means Rock will be leaving, either. But it wouldn't bother me if it did.

I'm sure Rock's a hard worker and a good guy, but I've never quite understood everyone's fascination with him. As a running back, he isn't big enough to be a lead blocker or short-yardage guy, and he isn't fast enough to be that change-of-pace guy the Redskins need. As a kick returner, I thought he personified Gibbs 2.0 in that he didn't fumble or make stupid mistakes, and he'd usually get positive yardage but wasn't much of a threat to bring one back all the way. A low-risk, low-reward type player.

Other than that, what's left? Wedge-buster on kick returns? You can find guys like that every day who'll work for the vet minimum.

If Dorsey can bring an element of speed and quickness to the running back position and return game, I think he'd be making a more important contribution than whatever Rock brings to the locker room.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:49 pm
by Cappster
As far back as I can remember, Rock Cartwright's job has always been in jeopardy. It would take a heroic showing of someone on kick returns to replace the rock. I am not sure that will happen, because I'm sure that Rock has learned how to deal with adversity and show why we keep him year after year.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:29 pm
by Jeff Rhodes
We'll see how that goes. Given that Zorn was in his first year as a head coach last year, didn't have a full off-season and probably didn't have a real good feel for his personnel yet, I suspect he wanted to err on the side of caution and not make sweeping changes. I'm guessing that could change this year and he'll put more of his stamp on the team.

As I noted previously, I don't think Rock's a liability; I just wonder whether he's enough of an asset to warrant a roster spot. Everyone who's looked at the Redskins this off-season has concluded they would really benefit from a running back with more explosion than Portis and Betts. I don't have any idea whether Dorsey can be that guy, but the point is, whoever assumes that role, someone else has to go. If Dorsey (or someone else) can return kickoffs at least as well as Rock plus offer a home run threat out of the backfield, I'd have to think seriously about making a change.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:52 pm
by Trample the Elderly
Rock's not going anywhere. We get more production out of Rock than ARE anyway. The should let him run more too.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:00 pm
by Countertrey
Trample the Elderly wrote:Rock's not going anywhere. We get more production out of Rock than ARE anyway. The should let him run more too.


So, you enjoy 2 yard runs.

Rock is James Thrash with a regular job. Good guy, works hard, but very limited talent.

Like James Thrash, I don't understand why he's still on the team.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:24 pm
by Irn-Bru
If Rock could return punts in addition to kickoffs, and/or if he was actually a serviceable RB for a 1-2 punch system, then I'd say he's worth keeping around. But he's taking up too much roster space to only be doing one thing, IMO.

We could be using that spot to develop some talent for the eventuality of Portis' retirement/departure. Best case scenario, we get a repeat of 98/99: we lose a Terry Allen but gain a Stephen Davis.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:36 pm
by Deadskins
Irn-Bru wrote:Ifhe's taking up too much roster space

How much space can one guy take up? :lol:

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:36 pm
by Countertrey
we lose a Terry Allen but gain a Stephen Davis


Remember when Davis' claim to fame was being the player who got beat up by Michael Westbrook?

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:49 pm
by broomboy
Being a Canadian living in Toronto I have seen Dorsey play and dude has very good speed and vision could beat rock.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:17 pm
by Trample the Elderly
Countertrey wrote:
Trample the Elderly wrote:Rock's not going anywhere. We get more production out of Rock than ARE anyway. The should let him run more too.


So, you enjoy 2 yard runs.

Rock is James Thrash with a regular job. Good guy, works hard, but very limited talent.

Like James Thrash, I don't understand why he's still on the team.


Seeing how he only got the football once or twice, yeah. They put too much on Portis.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:29 pm
by Chris Luva Luva
Rock is serviceable at KR. If he goes, oh well. If not, I'm not bothered.

He's the least of our concerns. PR needs to be addressed before KR imo.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:41 pm
by aswas71788
i'm not going to get to excited about this guy. I have not seen many, if any, CFL "stars" make it in the NFL.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:01 pm
by tcwest10
I enjoy his fire, and I can easily close my eyes and see him coming at us in either Giant Blue or Philly Green...all ticked off.
The man is a special teams demon. Despite his designated position, I've never considered him as an RB.
Surely we have room on the team for a man like Cartwright, when we have room for a man like RandleEl.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:23 pm
by Countertrey
tcwest10 wrote:I enjoy his fire, and I can easily close my eyes and see him coming at us in either Giant Blue or Philly Green...all ticked off.


So, let him. He can 21 yard kick return us to death...

Surely we have room on the team for a man like Cartwright, when we have room for a man like RandleEl


I'm not convinced there's really room for either of them...

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:13 pm
by PulpExposure
aswas71788 wrote:i'm not going to get to excited about this guy. I have not seen many, if any, CFL "stars" make it in the NFL.


Jeff Garcia has done pretty well for himself. And closer to home Mike Sellers...

Also, historically, you can look at Warren Moon and Joe Theismann.

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:45 pm
by Wahoo McDaniels
I have never been one for CFL players, except for the QBs, where young QBs who don't fit the NFL mold (Flutie, Moon, and Garcia) get a chance to play and learn how to read defenses rather than sit holding a clipboard and wearing a backwards baseball cap. But if Parcells' move to bring in the DE from the BC Lions works, it will be another sign of what having a guy who understands the game of football means to a player personnel shop. Do you doubt his track record at finding and developing pass rushers? LT (the real LT), Damarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Leonard Marshall, Willie McGinest, James Farrior were all Parcells guys.

What's even worse, if this guy pans out, is he is local...I believe he is from Maryland. Stay tuned...but I really am excited about our Special Teams player. He better turn out to be Steve Tasker for me to really care.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:00 am
by Redskin in Canada
Countertrey wrote:Rock is James Thrash with a regular job. Good guy, works hard, but very limited talent.

Like James Thrash, I don't understand why he's still on the team.

Maybe because they have shown production in special teams and somehow serviceable in a crunch?

I agree with you. I just do not feel that they are as hopeless as some seem to consider them. Show us improvements at both positions and I will be happy to join the crowd.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:40 am
by El Mexican
Rock has been here since the Spurrier era. He was drafted in 2002 in the SEVENTH round, so he has the blue-collar mentality every team should have in one or two key positions.

He is more than servicable and has a very decent average of 25.5 yards per kickoff return since taking over the spot. Only one TD, though. On the upside, he has only fumbled ONCE is KR duties since being drafted.

I say thats pretty good.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:56 pm
by SkinsChic
Rock will be here!!!