From: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Washington Redskins News - 8/26/92
Date: 26 Aug 92 12:20:34 GMT
Reply-To: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)
Organization: Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center


Three Holdouts Now Ended:
Yesterday Jim Lachey drove a red Jeep 4x4 to the new Redskin Park at 
7:50 a.m. Desmond Howard came up in his father's old brown sedan at 
10:40 a.m. along with his father and three legal and financial advisors.  
Darrell Green arrived at 11:05 a.m. in his blue VW Beetle.

The holdouts are now over.  All three holdouts finally signed their 
new contracts and were at the practice.

Lachey was so eager that just after dawn Tuesday he drove to the new 
Redskins Park and asked strength coach Dan Riley to put him through 
a grueling weight and conditioning session.

Lachey became the NFL's highest-paid offensive tackle with a three-year 
deal worth about $4.05 million.  His base salary of $1.2 million in 
1992 easily surpassed that of Houston's Bruce Matthews who will make 
about $1 million. Lachey made $800,000 plus incentives in 1991.

Darrell Green will be the NFL's highest-paid defensive back with a
three- year deal believed to be worth $4.5 million plus incentives, 
surpassing the deal signed by Pittsburgh cornerback Rod Woodson a year 
ago.  Green made $825,000 plus incentives last season.

Desmond Howard signed a four-year, $5.9 million deal.  He also will 
receive a $2.8 million signing bonus and base salaries of around $550,000, 
$750,000, $850,000 and $950,000.  His deal is worth an average of $1.475 
million annually and places him third on the team behind QB Mark Rypien 
and Green. Howard's deal is probably worth more than the No. 3 draft 
pick Sean Gilbert (Los Angeles Rams) because Gilbert's five-year deal, 
although worth $1.5 million per season, has no performance incentive.

Lachey and Green will play in Saturday night's preseason game against 
the Minnesota Vikings.  Howard's debut may be delayed a week or so while 
he gets a crash course in his new playbook.

The Redskins made some concessions toward the end of negotiations, but 
they also accomplished their bigger goal of signing three prominent 
players to longer contracts.  The Redskins will face more tough negotiations 
in the next year when WR Art Monk, DE Charles Mann, WR Gary Clark, and 
LB Wilber Marshall are all up for new contracts after this season.


Other News:
The Redskins have trimmed the roster down to 62 players, which is one 
under their current requirement since they have two-game exemptions 
for recent signees Desmond Howard, Jim Lachey, and Darrell Green.  All 
NFL teams must have 60-player roster now.

Howard's quickest impact is expected to be on special teams.  The Redskins 
plan to use Howard and Brian Mitchell on punt and kickoff returns. Howard's 
problem is what to do when Mitchell catches the ball.  By the way, Mitchell
returned a kickoff for a 97-yard touchdown against the Raiders last Saturday.

The Redskins traded WR Joe Johnson and DE George Hinkle to the Minnesota 
Vikings for a conditional sixth-round 1993 draft choice.  If either 
Johnson or Hinkle are in for 50% of the Vikings' plays, the draft pick 
will be bumped to a fifth rounder.  Johnson's fate was sealed by Howard's 
arrival yesterday.

The Redskins have decided to keep five receivers: Art Monk, Gary Clark, 
Ricky Sanders, Desmond Howard, and Stephen Hobbs.

Hinkle failed to impress the coaches in competition for a position on 
the defensive line.  Hinkle was a Plan B signee from San Diego Chargers 
last spring.


Source: The Washington Post, August 26, 1992


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 Steve Williams                           swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil
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Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro