Jansen Cut by Redskins, Is Still A Man

I guess the writing's been on the wall for a while now, but today the 'Skins made it official, releasing right tackle Jon Jansen. The longest tenured 'Skin and bulldozer of a run blocker was set to make $1.35 million this season and $4.35 million each of the next two. That's pricey for a guy who is basically a back-up at this point so, you know, nothing personal Jon, just business.

Jansen was an absolute rock who stepped right in as a 2nd-round pick in 1999 and proceeded to start the first 82 games of his career, including two playoff games. Then that cruel football mistress, Ms. Excruciatingly Painful Injuries, popped his achilles before the '04 season and broke his leg during game 1 of the '07 campaign and ol' Jonny Boy was never the same.

On a team characterized by its high player turnover, Jansen lasted 10 seasons (minus the two on the IR), which is pretty remarkable. Plus, he was man enough to admit that Casey Rabach has a way bigger nutsack, rent and park an RV during training camp, win a national championship at Michigan in '97 and the Little Brown Jug, which titillates me as I will become a Wolverine myself this fall.

So while downing a Friday beer, toast one to #76. Stephon Heyer might be the better player now, but he'll unlikely become the Pro Bowl rock who was always at least a 92 in Madden when that game was still playable.

[Pic via Washingtonpost.com]