Go-to guy Plaxico Burress is gone. All-time leading receiver Amani Toomer was let go. Defensive guru Steve Spagnuolo left to become the coach of the St. Louis Rams. There is a lot missing in the New York Giants’ locker room as they look forward to defending their NFC East title, beginning with the season opener today against the Washington Redskins.

OFFENSE QuarterbackYrs.Ht.Wt. 17 Jason Campbell46-5230
15 Todd Collins146-4223
TailbackYr.Ht.Wt.
26 Clinton Portis75-11221
46 Ladell Betts75-11224
FullbackYr.Ht.Wt.
45 Mike Sellers96-3273
36 Eddie WilliamsR6-1249
Wide receiverYr.Ht.Wt.
89 Santana Moss85-10200
12 Malcom Kelly16-4227
Wide receiverYr.Ht.Wt.

ASHBURN It’s hard to hold a conversation with Albert Haynesworth without thinking about labels. Troublemaker. The guy who stomped on Andre Gurode. Injury-prone. Maybe a bit of a slacker. The $100 million man. The next Reggie White or Bruce Smith. Haynesworth has said he won’t be labeled a “bust” and would like to finish his career as one of the all-time greats.

Right tackle was supposed to be the must-watch position battle for the Washington Redskins through training camp and preseason. Which of the three candidates would replace longtime favorite Jon Jansen? Would the winner be a sufficient anchor on a line that didn’t perform well in the second half of last season? The battle turned into a no-contest. Partly by default, partly through performance, Stephon Heyer will start Sept. 13 when the Redskins open the regular season at the New York Giants. The third-year player who wasn’t drafted out of Maryland has shown more than the veterans brought in to compete against him.

Redskins rookie linebacker Brian Orakpo, the 13th overall pick in the draft out of Texas, will receive $12.1 million in guaranteed money as part of his five-year contract. ASHBURN—Brian Orakpo was enjoying a late-night, day-early birthday dinner in Austin, Texas, when he got the word: A five-year, $20 million deal with the Washington Redskins was ready for his signature.

Former Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick, who served 18 months for running a dogfighting ring, said yesterday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team. The former Virginia Tech star made the comment to reporters as he left a courtroom after a hearing in his bankruptcy case. Asked about his progress in signing with a team, Vick said: “We’re getting close.“ He declined to answer additional questions.

ASHBURN - At the end of last season, one of Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn’s biggest concerns was right tackle, a key position that opens holes for running back Clinton Portis and keeps quarterback Jason Campbell on his feet. Five months later, when the Redskins took the field yesterday for the final set of spring practices, the story was the same.

Receiver Roydell Williams yesterday signed with the Washington Redskins. Williams played three seasons for Tennessee, catching 84 passes for 1,139 yards. He had 55 catches passes for 719 yards in 2007, but ankle injuries led the Titans to cut him before last season. Williams was on hand for the start of voluntary spring practices yesterday.

Dan Snyder has selected seven quarterbacks in his nine drafts as the owner of the Washington Redskins. And he’s still looking. Having failed to land Jay Cutler in a trade, Snyder and the Redskins spent a couple of days last week entertaining Southern California’s Mark Sanchez, the latest possible solution to a long-term quarterback vacuum that’s existed in Washington since the early 1990s.

Sept. 20 St. Louis1
  Sept. 27 at Detroit1
  Oct. 4 Tampa Bay1
  Oct. 11 at Carolina1
  Oct. 18 Kansas City1
  Oct. 26 Philadelphia8:30
  Nov. 8 at Atlanta1
  Nov. 15 Denver1
  Nov. 22 at Dallas1
  Nov. 29 at Philadelphia1

The Washington Redskins will open the 2009 season the same way they opened 2008 - in Giants Stadium. Much of the rest of the schedule looks similar as well, but the Redskins will hope for better results. They lost to the Giants 16-7 last season on their way to an 8-8 record and did not make the playoffs. “Though we are facing some of the same teams we played last year, those teams have a different look with new head coaches, coordinators and players they acquired this past offseason,“ coach Jim Zorn said in a statement released by the team.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — NFC East games will be prime-time affairs for the Washington Redskins.

NEW YORK (AP)—The Washington Redskins first game is on Sept. 4 against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium.

In case this week’s Jay Cutler-Jason Campbell saga wasn’t enough, the Redskins made more noise on the quarterback front this weekend. D.C. native Byron Leftwich visited Redskins Park on Friday, and the sides are discussing a possible deal. Former Virginia Tech QB Sean Glennon also was in town as part of a predraft workout for local players. Glennon attended high school in Fairfax County.

The Redskins wooed and signed Albert Haynesworth in less than six hours. That’s quick. Too quick, according to the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are accusing the Redskins of tampering in order to land the marquee free agent defensive tackle. Haynesworth was signed to a seven-year, $100 million deal, including a record $41 million in guaranteed money, at 5:30 a.m. on the first morning of free agency this February.