Planted
Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers, Carlos turned 28 last Thursday the second of July.
After a senior season in which he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back, Carlos was picked ninth overall, one the Redskins two first round picks in the 2005 draft, the other being quarterback Jason Campbell, Carlos' Auburn University teammate (War Eagle).
Though he did not unseat incumbent cornerbacks Walt Harris and Shawn Springs, Carlos was the top reserve and with Walt nursing calf and quadriceps inujuries through the preseason, Carlos got his chance to start in game three against the Seahawks. Though battling some injuries of his own, Carlos finished 2005 with 47 tackles and two interceptions.
So convinced were the Redskins that Carlos was shovel ready, the team released Walt Harris in the 2006 offseason, leaving Carlos to team up with Shawn Springs. Unfortunately the 2006 season did not go as expected, with Shawn Springs having preseason surgery on a year old abdominal hernia, missing seven games and really being effective in only about six. Forced into the primary cornerback role too soon, Carlos was overmatched and had such a tough time in 2006 that I even offered to buy him flan if he would just catch an interception.
The 2007 season saw Washington re sign boomerang Redskin cornerback Fred Smoot and the trio of Shawn, Carlos and Fred started out hot and helped the team to a 4-2 record before Carlos tore his ACL and MCL in a collision with linebacker London Fletcher in game seven, the massacre by the Patriots, and his season was over. He was not on the field for the playoff run.
After a surprisingly quick rehabiliation Carlos was back for the 2008 season and there is simply no arguing that Carlos was playing at a Pro Bowl level for the first six or so games, the team began to slow down before heading off the 2-6 cliff and by the end of the season all the cornerbacks were victim to the classic let's see what we've got for next season syndrome as the Redskins tried to figure out between Carlos, Shawn Springs and midseason pickup DeAngelo Hall who was going to be with the team next year. With Carlos a known quantity, Shawn's contract expensive and DeAngelo a candidate for free agency signing, Carlos ended 2008 on the bench.
Washington released Shawn Springs in this, the 2009 offseason and signed DeAngelo to a long term contract, Carlos and DeAngelo enter this season as incumbents and with Carlos unsigned beyond this season, my hope is he will find contract year motivation, turn in a great performance and sign his own deal to stay in town a few more years.
Happy birthday Carlos!
Carlos Rogers planting Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton in the last Washington-Dallas game at Cowboys Stadium: Reuters Pictures from here.
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