Getty ImagesBefore the draft, wide receiver Jabar Gaffney said that the Redskins were trying to trade him.
That didn’t happen, but Gaffney is still gone from Washington. Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports first reported that the team has released Gaffney and PFT has confirmed the news.
Gaffney was Washington’s leading receiver last season, but the acquisitions of Pierre Garçon and Josh Morgan as free agents helped push him out the door. With Santana Moss still around and Leonard Hankerson on the way back from a hip injury, Gaffney just didn’t have a spot on a suddenly crowded wide receiver depth chart in Washington. It probably didn’t help that Gaffney had a strange little rant on Twitter last month, but the writing was probably on the wall before that ever happened.
Gaffney shouldn’t have too hard a time finding a new job. He’s had 54, 65 and 68 catches in the last three seasons for the Broncos and Redskins and that kind of production will interest several teams. A reunion with the Patriots was thought to be a possibility earlier in the offseason, but they may be looking elsewhere after addressing the position earlier this offseason.
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Redskins wanted to avoid Controversy over the #10 jersey
I can’t wait for his tweets to roll in about this.
Would be a good pickup for the cowboys! They’re looking for a third receiver and he is a proven veteran. Would really have something to prove against his old team
They are going to wish they kept Gaffney after they see Garcon dropping balls.
He went to high school in Jacksonville…maybe a good time to return to the city?
BROWNS! And it doesn’t cost a pick!
Mike Shannahan has never been a good personnel guy outside of the RB position. Cutler probably being the only exception. Just glad he was the niners OC AND NOT HCq
Vikings anyone?
too expensive
Denver could use his experience for the rest of the Manning run.
Saw that one coming. Sucks too. He played well last year considering he had ‘ol Sexy and the Stormin’ throwing to him.
Good luck Mr.Gaffney!
Imagine how big his eyes got when he heard the news.
So who is GIII going to pass to? Cousins? Redskins aren’t making much sense to me right now..
stupid, stupid move
Don’t forget they gave away his number. The writing was definitely on the wall.
Hashsview fun fact of the day – Jabar Gaffney was drafted in the same round Rashaan Salaam was in the 95 draft, the dude mentioned in the blog post before this.
skeebo80 says:May 1, 2012 11:14 AM
Mike Shannahan has never been a good personnel guy outside of the RB position. Cutler probably being the only exception. Just glad he was the niners OC AND NOT HCq
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well that is your opinion,and ya know what they say about those,don’t you? that man has forgotten more about football than you’ll ever know mr bandwagon king!
The Pats should bring him in for competition, I think he would be a better fit than Donte Stallworth or Gonzales
Phone ringing yet Jabar ?
I know that the Browns have already thrown McCoy under the bus for their passing woes, but I’d love for them to sign Gaffney. He’d be a veteran presence who could mentor the younger guys, he’d be productive and he’d probably come at a reasonable price.
fun fact correction of the day – I was thinking joey galloway. Please disregard my above comment. This is why I sell light bulbs for a living and not working for NFl network.
Needed that number 10 jersey.
As a Skins’ fan, sorry to see him go. He was a great possession guy for us. I think he’ll be picked up on the cheap this week.
Maybe the Pats go after him…since, you know, “he hasn’t done anything since he left NE and Tom Brady”.
Hellooooooo New England!
Good luck JB you played well for us.
Better WR than Morgan and Moss at this point, meh.
cmon to Dallas!!!
I would be shocked if he isn’t brought in for at least a try out !! If he doesn’t end up on New England.
PFT Posters when Redskins Signed Gaffney: “Are you kidding me? He sucks. Shanahan doesn’t know personnell.”
PFT Posters when Redskins Released Gaffney: “Are you kidding me? He’s great! Shanhan doesn’t know personnell.”
I wouldn’t exactly call what Washington has a “depth” chart.
Bear Down!!
Let’s get those young boys on the Redskins roster to step up… Austin, Banks, Robinson,Armstrong… time to shine boys…. still have vets like Moss and FA vets like Garcon & Morgan… HTTR
Best fit with rams Bradford needs reliable hands
Releasing Gaffney was a good call. We have a crowded WR core and he was replaced with youth in Morgan and Garcon. Besides who else should we have released to keep him? I knew when we signed him it was not for long term it was just to give some of the younger players time to catch up to the speed of the game. He did have 60 plus catches but he was the only true veteran WR on the field after Moss was hurt for 5 weeks. On top of all that he is also wearing RG3′s number and I am sure he was not willing to part with it…
I’d love him in Jax. Make him and Mike Thomas compete for the last spot.
Would LOVE to have him in miami! great red zone threat
Next stop: Miami.
Welcome to the Seahawks. Where descent veteran receivers go to die.
mnomalley says:
May 1, 2012 11:19 AM
So who is GIII going to pass to? Cousins? Redskins aren’t making much sense to me right now..
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They are making more sense than your post!
I would have kept him, since there is very little statistaclly difference between him and Garcon, but since Mara and Goodell stole $36M from the Skins they had to make some tough choices and I bet it was either cut Gaffney or Cooley to clear over $2M in cap space.
They chose correctly!
The youth movement continues. I have Garcon’, Morgan, Moss to kill in the slot, Hankerson to battle to start, Armstrong because of 4.25 speed with RG3′s deep accuracy, Banks for KR, Paul for ST coverage, and maybe 1 more like Austin.
Djbleedthestar- Danny Coale is your third receiver bro. Cowgirls can’t take our Hokies and then just not use them. He’s going to be a stud, trust me, and for the record, that is the first and last time I will ever say anything good about a Dallas player.
Not a bad move by the Redskins. Creepy eyes has a tendancy to drop the ball.
I remember this guy had the softest hands in 2007 with the pats, brady made him look good.
@badegg
But shanahan doesnt know personnel, what has he done since 97-98? Not to mention he inherited elway. Overrated.
djbleedthestar says:
May 1, 2012 11:10 AM
Would be a good pickup for the cowboys! They’re looking for a third receiver and he is a proven veteran. Would really have something to prove against his old team
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I hate to agree with any Cowgirl fan, but he would be an good addition to your WR corp. In fact he has had nearly the same production ove rthe past two year as your top two WR (more in fact, but injury played into that) but Gaffney had Grossman, Beck, and Orton (and maybe he would again if he signed with girls) throwing him the ball.
Heck he might end up catching more passes then the other two guys!
Miami
My super excitement about the next Redskins season just went down the drain with this.
I wish him luck. He filled in for the’Skins in a pinch, and led them in receptions.
joetoronto says: May 1, 2012 11:19 AM
Imagine how big his eyes got when he heard the news.
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You are thinking about Reche Caldwell, not Gafney.
I wouldnt mind the Patriots giving him another shot. He was really good here and Brady seemed to like throwing to him. Towards the end of 2007 he actually passed Stallworth on the depth chart.
He is still better than most of the WR they have under contract.
Welker, Lloyd, and a bunch of question marks. Id take him over Branch, Stallworth, Edleman, or Ocho.
homelanddefense :
You are correct, sir.
cometophillyforthecrack says:
May 1, 2012 12:00 PM
@badegg
But shanahan doesnt know personnel, what has he done since 97-98? Not to mention he inherited elway. Overrated.
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Since Elway retired he has won the exact number of SB that the EGirls have in their franchise history!
Just like Andy Reid, he has won a lot of games and hasn’t won the big one.
Dream team = Overrated!
Cost cutting move…takes 2.65m off of the books. I like Gaffney, but it’s time for the young guys to step up. Hank, Garcon and Morgan will get most of the snaps if healthy…plus Moss is still on the roster (for now) will provide Washington with some good 4WR sets.
Ravens pick him up
I just don’t get it with Gaffney. Everywhere he goes he makes plays and everywhere he goes he ends up getting released (or simply not resigned). Every team thinks they can upgrade his position, but he is a solid player. Brady loves him and I’m sure he will go to bat for him with BB. Even tho I love him as a player there are about 10 other teams that would make more sense for him. There are just too many receivers on the roster as it is.
Pats have about 10 WR’s on their depth chart as it stands. There’s no way they bring him in, and on top of that, why the hell would Gaffney want to go sit as 5th WR on the depth chart when he could go to a Miami, Jacksonville, Cleveland or StLouis and actually play?
And no, not to win. He’ll get a 1 year deal somewhere and want to prove himself for a 2013 contract, not ride pine and hope to catch 5 balls and prove no value next year.
“I hate to agree with any Cowgirl fan”
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You mean the Dallas Cowboys – America’s Team!! Kidding, to a point, but Gaffney would be a solid addition to their team. I believe he used to get released because he was inconsistent, but he has definitely got better and ,with Romo throwing the ball to him, he would put up good numbers.
Seahawks already inquired and may sign him……The WR spot is one that they need to get a good #2 or #3 veteren receiver before the season gets started.
First off, for everyone going on and on about their team picking up Jabar Gaffney: he does run great routes and he does have great hands (I can remember only one significant drop throughout the entire 2011 season), but after despite 68 catches, I’m guessing he took 69 or 70 steps after the catch steps for the entire season. Yes Gaffney can move the chains, but any ability he had as a playmaker after the catch is long gone. YAC is something Shanahan is trying to emphasize this year, which is why Gaffney is packing his bags.
Also
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mnomalley says: May 1, 2012 11:19 AM
So who is GIII going to pass to? Cousins? Redskins aren’t making much sense to me right now..
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The Spins Media says: May 1, 2012 11:33 AM
I wouldn’t exactly call what Washington has a “depth” chart.
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Did both of you just skip over the entire article in your hurry to bash the Redskins? It clearly lays out the entire Washington receiver depth chart in the third paragraph. To recap for everyone who missed the actual information and also Washingtonians grumpy about this move, here is the depth chart as it stands (no particular order) along with the reason behind each player.
Santana Moss- Does he still have it? One can argue either way, but Moss is a locker room leader, fan favorite, and adds a veteran presence to the receiving corps that will help Griffin acclimate faster to the NFL
Leonard Hankerson- Promising second year player still a work in progress but could be a playmaker for years to come in DC.
Pierre Garcon- A younger guy who will essentially grow up with RGIII, but has enough years under his belt to speed Griff’s transition to the pros.
Josh Morgan- See Above
Anthony Armstrong- Undrafted speedster. With Grossman unable to throw a ball more than fifteen yards, Armstrong was not able to contribute much in 2011. Before McNabb hit the bench however, he hit Armstrong with a handful of deep touchdowns. It’ll be interesting to see if Armstrong can recreate that success with Griff under center. If not, he will be gone sooner rather than later.
Honestly, apart from Griffin, assembling this receiving corps has been the most promising and intelligent set of moves Washington has made in recent years.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Indy pick him up. He’d be a lot better than Donnie Avery. Wayne, Collie, Gaffney and Fleener wouldn’t the worst starting points for Luck.
I think people are confusing Jabar Gaffney with Reche Caldwell on this whole “creepy, big eyes” thing.
rockthered1286 says:
May 1, 2012 12:46 PM
Pats have about 10 WR’s on their depth chart as it stands. There’s no way they bring him in, and on top of that, why the hell would Gaffney want to go sit as 5th WR on the depth chart
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He would find himself behind Lloyd on the outside most likely. I don’t see him as a slot receiver.
its a good thing RGIII doesn’t wear #98… I would’ve hated to have to cut Orakpo.
I would like to see Jabar Gaffney on the BILLS as the alternate threat to help out Stevie Johnson. We all know Jabar can catch a long ball. Bad move on the Redskins.
Redskins keep getting younger and better!!!
If they stay healthy, particularly the offensive line, they’re going to surprise a lot of you…….
He would look great in purple!
It’s funny how you guys view a player as washed up or underperforming when they sign with the Skins despite their production elsewhere. Then, when they leave the Skins, they are viewed thru rosed-colored glasses as being a future contributor on another team. Amazing. I guess RG3 has forgotten how to play now that he’s been drafted by the Skins.
This guy is clutch. He came out of no where in NE and caught just about everything thrown his way. Solid player. Hope NE goes after him again after regretting letting him go in the first place.
Brown and Orange!
I wouldn’t hire Mike Shanahan as dog catcher.
It would seem that the knock on Gaffney is that he’s a possession type receiver who lacks speed and won’t make the big play downfield for you. The Eagles had him in training camp before the Patriots signed him, and released him, apparently because he didn’t learn the offense well enough. Not sure. Andy Reid usually doesn’t elaborate on those things. But Gaffney’s success since the Eagles released him would indicate that he brings value to a team. I guess he just needs the “right” team in order to succeed.
JWreck I Love the way you cleard this up….LOL!
It would be shocking if he doesn’t end up back with the PATS. Brady loves the guy!
“joetoronto says:
May 1, 2012 11:19 AM
Imagine how big his eyes got when he heard the news.”
{Queue losing music from The Price is Right}
Don’t get it, how can a rookie come still a veterans number? RG3 should be the one to change his number, if number 10 is already being occupied.