Lavar 'Doesn't Fit'

I made my daily foray to the Washington Redskins team page on ESPN.com, and I found this gem of a story. Apparently, linebacker Lavar Arrington, formerly of the Washington Redskins, doesn't fit within the New York Giants defensive scheme, according to a source close to the coaches. There still seems to be some concern around the league, it appears, that Arrington is too much of a freelancer, who has problems adapting to more structured defensive set-ups. Gregg Williams and the entire Redskins defensive staff admitted as much last year when Lavar was benched for four games. He eventually played because Washington's depth at LB was shallow. But even then he was being replaced on crucial third downs by players such as Chris Clemons.

So it seems the freelance, rebel linebacker stigma has attached itself firmly to Arrington during this free agency period, and with the dollars he's commanding, he may not land at his preferred destination. After being released by the Redskins, he intimated that he would like to remain in the NFC East so he could face his former team twice a year. But the Giants don't seem to want him, and Philly won't take him, either, if he hasn't been able to prove he can work within a scheme successfully. He had a great opportunity last season to illustrate to the Skins that he could play with discipline, but he didn't meet the challenge. I know his playing time fluctuated, but if he couldn't thrive in Gregg Wililams' system, then something is awry.

I still like Lavar. The Redskins are seriously short-staffed at linebacker now that he's gone. Who's going to take over for him? Warrick Holdman? We saw how that went last year. But Arrington is going to have to sign somewhere for probably cheaper than he wants to and demonstrate to the league that he's still a dynamic football presence. I think he is, but now he's in the unenviable position of having to prove it.

In other football news ...

-- Minnesota is sending Daunte Culpepper to Miami for a second-round pick. Let's see if Culpepper regains his 2003 form. If he does, Miami got a steal. If not, Minnesota just won a trade in which they received only a second-round pick. It's a risky endeavor for the Dolphins, but with a decent receiving corps and emerging running back, a healthy Culpepper could help this team get over the hump.

-- The Redskins have signed Antwaan Randle El, Adam Archuleta and Andre Carter and traded for Brandon Lloyd in a busy couple of days. The guys on Cold Pizza think this is a dramatic upgrade for the Skins, who were only two games away from the Super Bowl last season, yet couldn't get there because of an offense that, if described as anemic, would be complimentary. Peter King of CNNSI.com thinks the Redskins are crazy, though, for signing two more small receivers. It's true, in addition to Santana Moss, the Redskins boast a Lilliputian corps of wide outs. But this offseason wasn't about getting big, strong receivers. It was about getting above-average talent so that teams couldn't double- and triple-cover Moss. Hell, Randle El was the prize of the free agent wide receivers, and with him and Lloyd, it's going to be impossible for teams to focus solely on Moss. Because of that very reason, these two deals are important and positive for the Redskins. The lack of a possession receiver does concern me, though. Maybe James Thrash can fill that role. Still, an offense with Clinton Portis, Moss, Randle El, Lloyd and Cooley should be pretty sound and exciting. The real concern, beside the lack of a possession receiver, is the QB position, though. Michael Wilbon touched on this topic in a recent column. And he's right. Without good QB play, these deals could be meaningless.

-- David Givens has signed with the Tennessee Titans, where he will pair with Drew Bennett to create a young and exciting receiving duo. The real issue here is how the Patriots will handle Givens's loss. New England lost David Patten when he signed with the Skins last offseason, and now the Patriots are without Givens. Who does that leave? Deion Branch is still around, which helps. But the other receivers on that team are better as third options than seconds. Troy Brown and Tim Dwight are nice players, but not good enough to relieve the pressure that will be on Branch this year. Still, Tom Brady is known for distributing the ball equally to all his receivers quite adroitly, so this may not be a big problem for the Patriots. You just start to wonder, though, when all the injuries and personnel moves will begin to hurt this team. It's a credit to Bill Belichik that he stockpiles draft choices. As a result, they always have an opportunity to get healthier and younger in no time.

-- The Lions signed Jon Kitna. This is an interesting decision. How much longer will Joey Harrington have before he's dethroned by Kitna? Good story line to follow.

-- And finally, barring what would be an extraordinary turn of events, Terrell Owens will be released today by the Philadelphia Eagles. It seems that his release is creating very little fanfare throughout the league. Good. This guy is poison to a football team. Maybe teams are beginning to notice. He'll sign somewhere, though, for what will probably be a pretty hefty chunk of change. I think it would be fitting if the Eagles didn't release him and instead deactivated him for every game the next five years. I'm realistic, though.

-- The chips continue to fall, now, as Drew Brees signed with the Saints. Like Culpepper, we'll have to wait and see if this was a good move for the Saints and the Chargers. Philip Rivers, I hope you're ready. That pretty much leaves Patrick Ramsey as the only other QB available, and it probably means the Redskins will be trading him to the Jets sometime soon.