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The Redskins handled this the right way.
Posted by
David (aka David)
May 29 '09, 12:41
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WASHINGTON (AP)�Jon Jansen(notes), a fixture on the Washington Redskins offensive line for much of the last decade before injuries took their toll, was cut by the team Friday.
Jansen was released after a morning meeting with owner Dan Snyder, front office chief Vinny Cerrato and coach Jim Zorn. Jansen and his wife were flown in Snyder�s plane from their Michigan offseason home to Redskins Park, where the 33-year-old lineman was offered the chance to retire as a Redskins player.
�He means a lot to me, truly,� Zorn said. �He�s been a tremendous part of this program. I didn�t want to just call him up and go �Hey, I�m cutting you today.��
When Jansen said he wanted to keep playing, the Redskins granted him his release, saying goodbye to a strong locker room leader rather than keep him as an expensive backup.
�What I had to do was weigh all those things together,� Zorn said. �And I will tell you, it didn�t come easy.�
Jansen started 122 games for the Redskins, validating his nickname �Rock� by missing only one snap in his first five seasons while playing close to Pro Bowl level.
A ruptured Achilles� tendon in 2004, two broken thumbs in 2005, a torn calf muscle in 2006, a broken ankle in 2007 and a sprained knee in 2008 kept him off the field and hindered his skills. Jansen temporarily lost his starting job to Stephon Heyer(notes) last year, but he returned for this year�s offseason workouts and organized team activities determined to show he could still play at a high level.
�He was going to prove to everybody that he could make the Pro Bowl and be an All-Pro player, and that�s what we were hoping for as well,� Zorn said. �At the minicamp and the OTAs, I didn�t see that.�
Jansen, however, questioned the timing of the Redskins� decision.
�My response was I would have hoped for a better chance at the OTAs and the minicamp and maybe some more reps,� Jansen said in a telephone interview as he headed to the airport for the flight home. �I think that their mind was made up prior to that, and that�s OK. I just wish it would have happened a little sooner. � There would have been more jobs available, more money available.�
The Redskins have three candidates to succeed Jansen at right tackle: third-year player Heyer and offseason signings Mike Williams and Jeremy Bridges(notes).
Jansen, a second-round pick from Michigan in 1999, had two years remaining on a five-year, $23 million contract extension he signed in 2007. He said his agent has already heard from several teams.
�I�m not concerned about having a job,� Jansen said. �I know I�ll be able to land on my feet somewhere.�
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