Redskins Tanard Jackson The sad part of the
tale for Washington Redskins safety Tanard Jackson is that
he got another chance. Redskins Tanard Jackson And another one. And another
one. Redskins Tanard Jackson And now he deserves no more, Redskins Tanard
Jackson after news Wednesday that the NFL has suspended Jackson again for
violating the NFL's Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Redskins Tanard
Jackson It's sad because he keeps doing this to himself. Redskins Tanard Jackson
It's sad because whatever he's doing with his personal life now has such a hold
on him that he's tossed away a precious career, Redskins Tanard Jackson one
that could have set himself and his family up for life. Now, it's no longer
about football for him and, in truth, it hasn't been for a while. Rather, it's
about beating a far tougher opponent than what he faced on the field, Redskins Tanard
Jackson one that could destroy him. Yes, Jackson
has made bad choices. Yes, he put himself on this path. But do you really think
this is the path he wants? Being suspended four times by the NFL, causing
anguish for his family and personal embarrassment? Taking drugs puts your life
on a slippery slope; you can choose to do them for a while and then, after a
while, they choose for you. My colleague Mike Jones pointed this out on Twitter
earlier Wednesday, Redskins Tanard Jackson but it's true: When asked in May
about changes he had made to his lifestyle, Jackson really didn't have a lot to say. It
would have been easy to say he stopped going to certain areas, or that he'd
been in rehab, Redskins Tanard Jackson or he stopped hanging around certain
people. He did talk about having to change his lifestyle. The problem is,
issues with drugs become a shadow, something that's impossible to outrun
without a lot of work or help. Redskins Tanard Jackson When he returned, the
Redskins were not expecting a lot from him unlike when they signed him in 2012
and anticipated him being a starter. They were left with an ineffective Madieu
Williams when Jackson
was suspended that August. Now they have Ryan Clark, who was firmly ahead
of Jackson on
the depth chart. He's reliable, Redskins Tanard Jackson available and a leader.
The only way Jackson would have bumped him from
the lineup is if Clark's play had slipped. Redskins
Tanard Jackson Or if Jackson
had somehow regained some past glory. I also thought it was a little odd that Jackson was not in great
shape when he returned. I would have thought he'd have been working hard to get
ready and take this last chance seriously. Redskins Tanard Jackson It wasn't as
if he was grossly out of shape, Redskins Tanard Jackson but he admitted that
staying in shape wasn't at the top of his priority list. No, it most certainly
shouldn't have been. Redskins Tanard Jackson But it should have been part of an
overall package of turning his life around. Again, it's a shame. Jackson did this to
himself, and he knows it. Redskins Tanard Jackson He didn't let fans down, Redskins
Tanard Jackson he let himself down. And, yes, while I know some do not have any
sympathy for him, he still warrants it. You know him as a player; Redskins Tanard
Jackson he's more than that. His career
is over. But his fight continues, Redskins Tanard Jackson.
Showing posts with label Tanard Jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tanard Jackson. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Friday, June 27, 2014
Ryan Clark
Washington Redskins We will be featuring a
different Washington Redskins player each day on this list, staying
away from rookies or some second-year players still finding their way. Washington
Redskins This will focus primarily on veterans at or near a career crossroads. Washington Redskins
Today: safety Ryan Clark. Any player still in the NFL at age 34
has something to prove (heck, they all do, but stay with me here) and he turns
35 during the season. Can’t imagine anyone ever expected this to be the case
way back when he was an undrafted and undersized safety, but Clark
developed into an excellent player because of his toughness and smarts. But Pittsburgh let Clark
leave, opting for someone younger and faster (Mike Mitchell). Word out of Pittsburgh
was Clark had lost a
step. That’s not surprising given his age. Clark
was never a burner and relied on knowing where to be and when. Clark often lined up a little deeper, sometimes 20-25
yards in certain coverages and depending on the offense, to compensate for any
lost steps. A quarterback who throws with anticipation could take advantage of
any lost steps. Clark will need help from the
pass rush so any slowing down doesn’t become an issue. He did play in the box
when warranted and covered backs on occasion. Make the plays that are
available. Clark is not and never has been a
playmaker. What he has been is a tough-minded, physical and smart player. You
can't have a tough defense without such players, and the Redskins did not have
enough of them defensively in recent years. The Redskins could have used a guy
like that in the secondary for a long time. When watching his tape from last
year, it’s evident Clark still likes getting
involved in the action, coming up hard against the run, for example. Maybe Pittsburgh saw that less
than it had in the past, but compared to what the Redskins have had, it’s an
improvement. His intangibles are real and, provided he can still play, he’ll be
a leader. That much was evident this spring. But Clark
will have to show he can still come up and tackle; he did so for the most part
last season (career-high 104 tackles) -- though there were some misses. Washington
Redskins How will he handle an offense like Philadelphia's that demands good open-field
tackling? Dallas and New York also will use the entire field. The
Redskins just need steady, reliable play at safety. Washington Redskins If
Clark provides that, he’ll be a good one-year investment. Washington
Redskins Starting free safety. Washington Redskins Unless Tanard
Jackson shakes off two years of rust and unless Bacarri Rambo improves
dramatically, then Clark is the guy. Washington
Redskins The other two can’t touch him in intangibles. Washington Redskins The
question will be what is the impact on Jackson
having missed the past two seasons? Washington Redskins But Clark does well
anticipating plays and alerting others as to what might be coming. That helps.
Linebacker London Fletcher used to do that,
too, Washington Redskins but it was clear in 2013 that he was done. The
Redskins hope Clark has one more solid year
left, Washington Redskins and he can perhaps mentor some of their younger
players, Washington Redskins.
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