The Redskins Blog

Niles Paul Honored With Dance, Video

I have a feeling that “doing the Niles Paul” is going to be the next big dance craze.

OK, actually, I try to keep as far away from dance floor as possible, but thanks to YouTube user MyRyTunes and the “Niles Mafia,” we have some new steps to learn.

MyRyTunes has what I’m guessing are self-produced videos with self-produced songs and self-produced dances. Here’s his tribute to Paul, the Redskins’ second-year tight end:

Read more »

Chris Neild Reflects On Rookie Season

Last season, Chris Neild achieved his dream of playing in the National Football League.

This season, the Redskins’ nose tackle is hoping to follow up his quality rookie year by adding some more muscle to his 6-foot-2, 313-pound frame.

Read more »

80th Tour Stop A Homecoming For Royster

Being able to play professional football just an hour away from his hometown gives Redskins’ running back Evan Royster plenty of opportunities to visit his old stomping grounds.

So it comes as no surprise that Friday’s Redskins 80th Anniversary Thank You Tour stop at Westfield High School in Chantilly, Va. – Royster’s alma mater – was a pleasant homecoming for the second-year running back.

Read more »

Back When ‘Truck Neild’ Delivered Offense

AP Image

In only his rookie season on the team, Redskins nose tackle Chris Neild developed a reputation as a quality defender.  He earned his snaps as the season went on, and proved to be many things on the field: a reliable run-stuffer, a vicious blocker in the return game, and an able-bodied pass-rusher when the pocket collapsed.

Off the field, he endeared himself to fans with his facial hair and amusing interviews, becoming a locker room character and always answering my stupidest questions.

But one thing he will most likely not be known for in his pro football career is a great offensive threat.  That part of Neild’s game is a thing of the past, with only an awesome Twitter picture remaining: Read more »

A Seven-Round Mock Draft With Credibility

AP Image

[Editor's Note: The information in this post is not associated with the thinking or decision-making of team executives.  Any information is based purely on the speculation of the writers referenced.]

Driving home from Redskins Park last night, it was finally warm enough to roll down the windows for the first time this year.  After an unseasonably warm winter, spring is right around the corner in the Nation’s Capital.

This can only mean three things: cherry blossoms, Nationals baseball, and Redskins mock drafts.  Out of respect to fans of the American League and those with seasonal allergies, we focus on the third here at Redskins.com.

Today’s featured draft comes to us from Josh Buchanan of JBScouting.com, who has compiled the first seven-round mock draft that I’ve seen for the Redskins this offseason.  Here’s what you need to know:

• Buchanan, a North Carolina native, has been a Redskins fan since birth.  If his name sounds familiar, that’s because he was featured on the blog last season as well.
• He runs his draft site, which focuses primarily on the smaller non-BCS school players.  He is also a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA).
• Along with 31 other draft-heads, he Twitter mock-drafted all 32 teams’ draft spots for NFLDraftWizard.com.  The rules are simple: you get the original draft slots of your respective teams, and you can trade up or back, but no trading players or for future picks.

As a personal philosophy, Buchanan told me that he never, ever trades up, and will always look for the best value at a given pick.  Last year, Buchanan targeted none other than Ryan Kerrigan with his first overall pick, but traded back to the mid-20′s to acquire more picks.  Tragically, Kerrigan was mocked-up at 22nd overall, so Buchanan dropped back to second round and selected receiver Randall Cobb. Read more »

Neild Relishes Mountaineers’ Bowl Victory

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Last night’s Orange Bowl matchup between West Virginia and Clemson was the battle of rookie alma maters between Chris Neild and Jarvis Jenkins.

Going into the game, I spoke with both men to hear some predictions on how they thought the game would go.  A confident Jenkins had spoken with Neild already, and knew that there were some injuries on defense for the Mountaineers.  He confidently predicted a victory of “at least 14 points.”

After I relayed the information to Neild, the nose tackle declared that there’s no way that the Mountaineers would lose, but predicted a close, low-scoring game.

It turns out that both of them were wrong.  At halftime, the Mountaineers had already scored 49 points, in route to a West Virginia rout: 70-33.

For two defensive players, it must have been difficult to watch a game that featured 103 combined points and 1,032 yards of offense.  Both players pride themselves on their individual ability to stop the run, and yet their former defensive teammates allowed a combined 381 yards on the ground.

But that didn’t exactly shame Neild, who celebrated his team’s victory on Twitter, in caps lock: Read more »

Grossman, Moss Provide ‘Little Smiles’

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Yesterday, as the team buses arrived at the hotel, one of the biggest and bravest Redskins fans was there to meet them.

Tyler Litts is a 7-year-old from Strousburg, Pa., and loves to watch the Burgundy and Gold every weekend with his dad.  His favorite Redskins are Santana Moss and Rex Grossman, because those are his dynamic duo on Nintendo DS.  He’s also a big Chris Neild fan, given that he goes to his same elementary school in Strousburg.

Tyler receives oncology treatment at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.  He and his family have been staying at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House during treatment, and he’s been looking forward to the Redskins-Eagles game in Philadelphia all year.

Through the Little Smiles program, in conjunction with the Redskins and the Eagles, Tyler got his wish to see the Redskins coming into the hotel, as he was visited by two Redskins in particular:

Read more »

Redskins Players Christmas Day Recap

In honor of yesterday’s moderately well-known holiday, most players had a chance to spend time with some version of family or adopted family.

While many players hosted family or made it home, some of the visits were unexpected.  Safety DeJon Gomes was his own surprise present, playing Santa Claus for his delighted mom.  From the looks of his pristine suit, I don’t think he had to brave the chimney:

Other players had a visit from Santa…or at least from nose tackle Chris Neild’s “nutty Nephew”: Read more »

Neild Brings Hess Trucking Joy To Fans

By now, many of you are familiar with Redskins nose tackle Chris Neild, and the nickname “Truck” that he acquired in the fifth grade.

Perhaps not surprisingly, trucks were a favorite toy of Neild’s growing up.  Each Christmas he would thunder downstairs to find a new Hess truck under the tree.  His sister even called him “Hess” from time to time, a nickname that was overheard by the fine folks at Hess Express, makers of the iconic toys.

Understanding his affinity for trucks, Hess sent him two wrapped versions of the 2011 Hess Toy Truck and Race Car, which led to this:

Thanks to @HessExpress, and since it is the season of giving, I will be giving away the 2011 Hess Toy Truck and Race Car……—
Chris Neild (@TruckNeild) December 19, 2011

To the first person on Twitter that can answer…

What team did I get my first sack against in college?—
Chris Neild (@TruckNeild) December 19, 2011

And year!—
Chris Neild (@TruckNeild) December 19, 2011

Read more »

Roy Helu Has A Beard And A Noble Cause

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Move over Movember, it’s time for DecemBEARD.

Redskins running back Roy Helu is spearheading an effort in the Redskins locker room, to sponsor facial air growth for the month of December.  His beard may not measure up to Chris Neild proportions, but his cause is just.

“You grow your facial hair and you get people to sponsor you,” he explained.  ”They give all the profits to DecemBEARD, who partners with an organization called ‘Tiny Hands.’  They go to India, and they build up posts where they check for sex trafficking.

“The more money that gets donated, the more posts that gets built, and the people that are doing the trafficking are getting caught, which is a good thing.”

I think that’s something that we can all agree on, and an epidemic in some countries that gets forgotten in the United States. Tiny Hands is Helu’s charity of choice, but it’s part of a larger network called “I’ve Got A Name,” the faith-based conglomerate that organizes DecemBEARD.

Helu said that the scruffy look isn’t his first choice, but he’ll stick it out for a good cause.  In the mean time, he’s got a few sponsors in mind, because as he pointed out, “there’s some money in this locker room.”

Go get ‘em, Rookie.