Culcasi's Thoughts

"We hated to see him go; he played well for us", Giants GM Ernie Accorsi said. "I don't see any falloff in his game. There's no question he can still play well."

Why did the New York Giants dump their starting middle linebacker from the past four seasons? Coming off of a year in which Michael Barrow posted a career high with 150 tackles (111 solo), the 34 year old was due a $1 million roster bonus with a base salary of $3.45 million. They obviously felt that was a little steep (offered him $2 million to stay in NY), especially with the young potential of Nick Greisen waiting in the wings. He joins the Redskins after signing a six year, $13 million contract with a $2.5 million signing bonus, taking over for the since released Jeremiah Trotter.

An 11 year vet, Barrow's biggest contribution in Washington could be his leadership. His legendary workout regimen allows him to play much younger than his actual age. A rock in the middle, he's lost some mobility but still possesses good coverage skills and excellent instincts. He will provide consistency at middle linebacker for the Redskins and he should be the glue that holds this unit together (at least six new starters on defense).

Positives

• Michael Barrow has missed only five games in 11 seasons.



• Part of the reason he's been so durable is his great work ethic. He's a leader by example, a veteran presence both in the locker and on the field, he has great football intelligence and has remained very productive with an average of 92 solo tackles with 10.5 sacks over the last three years.



• He's coming off of a year in which he posted career high in solo tackles (111).
  

Negatives

• In two of the last four seasons, Barrow has posted under 80 solo tackles. He retains value in his ability to rush the passer, but he needs to keep his tackles up to remain among the top 20 linebackers.



• No matter how you look at it, he's 34 years old. He has to slow down some day...doesn't he?

Final Thoughts

With both Michael Strahan and Michael Barrow playing the best football of their long careers after the age of 30, you have to assume there's something in the New York water...no?

Gregg Williams, the Redskins new defensive coordinator, was the LB coach for Houston in 1993 when they drafted Barrow in the second round out of Miami. With that, they know what kind of person Barrow is both on and off the field and were quick to pick him up once released by New York. He keeps himself in incredible shape and will be much more then just a veteran presence for the Redskins. Back to back career years from a 34 year old may be a stretch, but it's certainly not out of the question.

Quotes from the IDP Spotlight Message Thread:

To view the entire thread, click here: LB Mike Barrow, Washington Redskins

grady:
"Don't let Barrow's age fool you. At 34, he is one of those physical freak type of players that Jerry Rice is. Barrow is all-world and durable to boot, with the ability to still be a 4 down linebacker with better than average coverage skills. A tough guy to the extreme, he should get a ton of tackling opportunities with the poor front 4 of the Redskins. He can easily coexist with Arrington as there will be plenty of opportunity to go around."

claughren:
"I think Barrow will let up some this year as he has more talent around him at LB then he did last year in NY. I would still have him as a 2nd option for LB"

Projections

IDP Scoring System
1 pt per Solo Tackle
0.5 pt per Assisted Tackle
3 pts per Sack
4 pts per Interception
1 pt per Pass Defensed
2 pts per Forced Fumble
2 pts per Fumble Recovery