NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

The latest rumor du jour surrounding the Redskins and their 10th overall selection in this year's NFL draft, in typical fashion for this offseason, contradicts a report about the Redskins considering trading up in the draft that surfaced a few days ago.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com reports the following:

There have been some reports that the Washington Redskins are looking to trade up to draft a quarterback.

I hear it's the exact opposite.

According to a league source, the Redskins are looking to trade down in the first round with the idea they will draft either Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder or TCU quarterback Andy Dalton.

Prisco does go on to say that the proverbial apple of the Redskins eye still remains Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert – and that the Redskins would pounce at the opportunity to draft Gabbert if he were available at that pick – but the majority of mock draft projections have Gabbert being gone by the eight pick (belonging to the Tennessee Titans), and that's even in a worst case scenario.

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The Broncos have once again requested they open the 2011 season at home according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. It can happen, but probably only if they play on Monday night, September 12th.

Here's the situation: The Broncos' 2 p.m. home starts conflict on week 1 Sundays with CBS' (the AFC's network) coverage of the U.S. Open tennis tourney. So there was little NFL schedule maker Howard Katz and company could do but send the Broncos on the road for week 1. The Broncos have gone 3-3 in their last six road/season openers: Losing at Miami and St. Louis, winning at Buffalo, Oakland, and Cincinnati, and losing at Jacksonville.

But the Broncos are hoping the league realizes a six-year drought is too long. The NFL has been scheduling two Monday night games for its opening week since 2006 and Denver is a strong contender to get one of them when the 2011 regular-season schedule is announced in the next eight days or so.

And if ESPN is going to pull a decent national rating for a prime-time game featuring the 4-12 Broncos, it might encourage an AFC West division rival as an opponent (Oakland, Kansas City, San Diego), or the return of Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears).

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was interviewed for the Post-Gazette’s Sunday edition, and spoke openly about losing Super Bowl XLV to the Packers in February. The QB says that it’s a loss that will not go away quietly.

“I want to see that every day. It hurts a lot,” Roethlisberger told the paper. “To see that every day is just motivation for me to work out, to bust my butt to not let it happen again because I want to be a champion. And, right now, I’m not a champion.

“The first loser, and that kills me,” added Roethlisberger. “Until I can get back to that point (winning a Super Bowl title), I want to remember the pain, and it’s going to burn in me until we can get back and win one. If it never happens, I’ll be killed, but I’m going to do my best to get back there.”

Roethlisberger went on to tell the paper that his goal is to become the quarterback with the most Super Bowl rings. Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana both have four rings, with current Pats QB Tom Brady with three.

“I want to get one more than anybody else,” Roethlisberger said. “This would have been a great step, but now I feel I took a step back. This will haunt me until I can win another one. And it’ll still probably haunt me a little bit. But until I win another one, it’ll haunt me a lot.”

The QB said he is hoping to have at least three more shots at the Lombardi Trophy, like he did in his first eight NFL seasons. “That’s what I want to be known for — winning games, winning Super Bowls.”

Let's play "If There is Free Agency…" the fun game where we try to predict which free agents the Giants might be interested, if there is free agency.

All of this, of course, with a caveat: If there is free agency, we don't know what it's going to look like. Will some players who were slated to be free agents not become one? How will the franchise tag and other mechanisms apply? These are questions we just don't have the answers to. But, we'll have some fun and play around with some guys who would look good in Giant blue.

Harvey Dahl and Carl Nicks

The class of the guards. Both are physical, nasty and have been incredibly productive during their careers with the Falcons and Saints, respectively. Dahl is likely to be retained by Atlanta. Nicks is a wild card, and would fit in nicely at left guard.

Justin Durant

The oft injured former Jaguars linebacker could provide valuable depth. When healthy, very productive. Obviously, the key is staying healthy. But, if you're not banking on him to be a starter–he wouldn't–he would provide valuable depth at a position that needs it.

DeAngelo Williams

The best of the running backs. With one of either Bradshaw or Jacobs not expected to be back, a workhorse back is needed. Williams is that. He's physical, tough and can break a long run. He'll be expensive though: The Panthers put a first and third round tender on him.

Richard Marshall

Another Panther castoff, Richard Marshall would fit in nicely as a third corner. Productive, great tackler and a decent ballhawk, Marshall would come cheap. He could be the perfect fit.

Zach Miller

The former Raiders tight end is brimming with upside. Not necessarily there yet, but he's a player who, with a good quarterback, could become a really good player. If Kevin Boss isn't back, Miller could be a nice alternative.

After four years in the front office of the Tennessee Titans, G.M. Mike Reinfeldt has been given an extension through 2014.

After the departure of Jeff Fisher, it appears like Reinfeldt will have more weight with team matters as he tried to repair a struggling team and help first year head coach Mike Munchak.

Reinfeldt has been known as someone who has always worked well with the team and front office, helping the two organize team matters. It will take a large consensus to decide who to select in this years NFL draft. The G.M. could go a number of ways with the No. 8 pick. Talented quarterbacks will be available as well as solid coverage corners and defensive lineman, all positions the Titans could use help in.

There is only less than two weeks left until the draft, and I am still 100% confused on who the Dolphins could pick on the first day of the draft. Sure, the popular pick is Alabama running back Mark Ingram, but I'm not sold on that pick. They have also been rumored to be looking at multiple quarterbacks, such as Cam Newton (who will most assuredly will be gone by the time we pick), Christian Ponder, Ryan Mallet, and Colin Kaepernick among others.

But the Dolphins have multiple holes on their team, and for them to fulfill their hopes at contending for an NFL title next year, they need to address the line first and foremost, and acquire more picks while they are at it as well.

The Dolphins have had a good (not great) history at drafting the past three years since the Trifecta of Jeff Ireland, Tony Sparano, and the now departed Bill Parcells came into town. Yes, there were some busts in the process such as Pat White, and Patrick Turner, but there were some big hits as well, with Jake Long, Koa Misi, Vontae Davis and Sean Smith coming to mind.

To continue the string of success for this franchise, the Dolphins will have to be active on all three days of the draft, and to be honest, I fully expect them to trade back into the first round, if not out of the first round all together, to garner future picks. The difficulty level though to do this is higher this year more than others. For one, there are not as many elite prospects this year that teams will be willing to leapfrog to acquire, or steal from other teams.

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