LANHAM, Md. (CBSDC) — A pair of former Washington Redskins are going Hollywood… or at least they’re taking some steps toward it by learning the business from some heavy hitters including the producer of The Dark Knight series.

Shaun Alexander and Phillip Buchanon, both of whom had brief stints in DC, are among 20 current and former players participating in the second annual “NFL Pro Hollywood Boot Camp.”

From March 11-15, the athletes will learn all facets of the industry, including screen writing, directing, producing, and film financing.

The players will be under the tutelage of actor/director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, Chicago Hope), producer Thomas Tull (The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception) and writer/actor/director Robert Townsend (The Five Heartbeats, Hollywood Shuffle). Tull is also a part-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Among the group of players participating is former Oakland Raiders running back Justin Fargas whose father portrayed the iconic jive-talking pimp Huggy Bear on the cult television classic Starsky and Hutch. The character was later played by rapper Snoop Dogg in the 2004 film revival starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.

Alexander, 35, had a cup of coffee with the Redskins in 2008, but has not played in the NFL since. In 2005, the first-round pick from Alabama was named NFL MVP after rushing for a staggering 1,880 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Buchanon, 32, also ended his 10-year NFL career in Washington where he played in 2010 and briefly in 2011.


(cbslocal.com)

Every Thursday Night proCanes.com joins All Canes Radio to bring the latest news on not only current Hurricane football but also proCane news and exclusive interviews with current and former proCanes live from the Titanic Brewery in Coral Ga Gables. Click here to listen to this week’s show and hear our exclusive interview with former Hurricane great DB and current proCane Phillip Buchanon. Buchanon talks about the glory days at “The U” his time with Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders and how his rehab is going. Buchanon also talks about his latest business ventures and what his type of lady is.

The Redskins released a statement Saturday announcing that they have placed cornerback Phillip Buchanon on the Reserve/Injured list and added cornerback Brandyn Thompson to their 53-man roster.

Buchanon (5-11, 190) was in his 10th NFL season and his second with the Redskins. Buchanon has played in 123 career NFL games, including two during the 2011 season.

Thompson (5-10, 177) appeared in two games in 2011. Thompson saw action at cornerback in the Redskins’ Week 2 win against Arizona, and he appeared on special teams in Washington’s Week 3 game against Dallas.

Phillip Buchanon broke the news earlier via his personal facebook page, ending his season before it really got started.

The post is time stamped at about noon on Saturday. It says, “I will be placed on IR today so my season would be over & what a crazy year.”

After playing as the team’s nickel back in 2010, Buchanon was resigned to a one-year contract after the lockout ended. He served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy before rejoining the roster.

Click here to order Phillip Buchanon’s proCane Rookie Card.


(csnwashigton.com)

Washington Redskins’ defensive coordinator Jim Haslett declined to commit Thursday on whether cornerback Phillip Buchanon would make his season debut Sunday. Buchanon re-joined the team Oct. 3 after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Buchanon practiced with the Redskins on Oct. 4 before the team took the rest of the week off for its bye. Buchanon practiced Monday and was listed as “limited” with a neck injury for Wednesday’s practice, but has said he will be ready to play when he gets the nod from his coaches.

Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said Wednesday that he and his staff need to further evaluate Buchanon’s conditioning. On Thursday, Haslett said: “It all depends. We’ll see.”

“We can’t activate everybody, so we’ll see how they do the next couple of days, and we’ll make a decision,” Haslett added.

Buchanon is competing with Kevin Barnes and Byron Westbrook for playing time as one of Washington’s backup cornerbacks. Barnes has served as the team’s nickelback, covering teams’ slot receivers, while starters DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson cover the receivers on the outside. Barnes said Wednesday: “I’m still the nickel.”

Haslett said Buchanon has gotten work both in the nickel and outside corner positions, but that he still is getting up to speed on the inside position, where he has played only sparingly during his pro career.

“I don’t know if he’s ready for that task yet. … That’s a hard position to play because we ask them to do a lot of different things,” Haslett said. “Not just covering, you’ve got to blitz, you’ve got to mask the defense, you’ve got to know if they’re regular people … gotta know where to line up, get set, know the guy that runs the option route or the deep routes, so there are a lot of plays to know at that position.”


(washingtonpost.com)

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Washington Redskins’ cornerback Phillip Buchanon has yet to receive word whether he’ll make his season debut on Sunday, but if given the nod, the 10th-year veteran believes that he can help his team against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“If my number is called, and I’m suited up, I’ll be ready to play,” said Buchanon, who was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Buchanon -- who last season served primarily as Washington’s third cornerback, recording 49 tackles and two interceptions – was activated by the Redskins last week. Wednesday marks his third practice with the team. Coach Mike Shanahan said last week that Buchanon “can help us right away,” but so far, Buchanon hasn’t received any indication whether he will play against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday.

Buchanon said he has worked to ensure he remained in game-ready shape, but conceded that there’s nothing like game action. At the same time, he said he wouldn’t lobby for playing time if he wasn’t ready to take the field.

“I’m a person and a player that I take pride in playing football and I want to do the best,” he said. “I don’t want to embarrass myself or my teammates or my coaches, so I’m ready to play whenever the coaches are ready for me to play.”

With Buchanon out, third-year pro Kevin Barnes has held down the nickel corner spot, lining up against the opposing team’s slot receiver. Although Buchanon has received work at both the inside and outside positions and says he feels comfortable at either, Barnes said as far as he knows, nothing about his role has changed.

“I’m still the nickel. Still the nickel,” Barnes said. “You’re better off asking coach, but right now, it’s as is and I’m sure we’ll find a way to get Phil in there whenever and I’m sure he’ll produce.”

Barnes, who has recorded eight tackles, one pass deflection and an interception, added that he feels like he deserves to keep his job, however.

“I did what the coaches asked me to do and made some plays here and there, and pretty much staked my claim that I should be playing,” he said.

Fellow corner Josh Wilson, who starts opposite DeAngelo Hall, said whenever coaches decide to put Buchanon on the field, it will help the Redskins’ secondary. He joked that he hopes Buchanon stops offering his coaching expertise whenever he does get on the field.

“I’m about tired of hearing him talking and ready for him to get out here and do something,” Wilson said with a laugh. “He’s out there talking about plays, how you can jump something, make a play on this, make a play on that. I’m like, ‘I feel you, I feel you.’”

Wilson then expressed appreciation about having Buchanon in the mix.

“That’s a great player,” he said, “and any time you get great players back off of whatever, it makes your team better.”

Click here to order Phillip Buchanon’s proCane Rookie Card.


(washingtonpost.com)

Redskins cornerback Phillip Buchanon is back with the team following his four-game suspension, and he’s declining to say what substance he took to earn that suspension — other than that he didn’t mean to take it.

Buchanon said it was “an honest mistake,” according to CSNwashington.com.

The NFL has strict privacy rules regarding drug testing, and so there’s no way to tell which players were busted for taking steroids and which ones merely took an over-the-counter supplement that had a substance on the banned list. Buchanon didn’t want to volunteer anything.

“Things happen,” he said. “I look forward to trying to make plays.”

The Redskins have their bye this week, and Buchanon is expected to start making plays in Week Six against the Eagles.


(profootballtalk.com)

ASHBURN, Va. -- The NFL revealed Friday that Washington Redskins cornerback Phillip Buchanon's four-game suspension to start the season is for a violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

While the NFL officially announced the suspension Friday, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said a month ago that Buchanon would be suspended for the first four games of the regular season, but he didn't reveal why.

Buchanon re-signed with the Redskins on Aug. 1 after playing in all 16 games during his first season in Washington, starting five. He saw limited action during the preseason because the coaches wanted to focus on players who would be available during the first month of the season.

The NFL said the suspension officially begins Sept. 3, and Buchanon will be eligible to return to the active roster Oct. 3, following the team's Week 4 game at St. Louis entering their bye week.

Click here to order Phillip Buchanon’s proCane Rookie Card.


(nfl.com)

The Redskins quietly re-signed cornerback Phillip Buchanon Monday.  The veteran didn’t have much of a market in free agency, and we now know one reason why.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan informed reporters Tuesday that Buchanon will be suspended for the first four games of the season by the NFL.

For now, the Redskins aren’t saying what the suspension is for.  We should find out soon enough.

Click here to order Phillip Buchanon’s proCane Rookie Card.


(profootballtalk.com)

The Redskins and veteran cornerback Phillip Buchanon have agreed to terms on a deal that will bring the cornerback back to Washington for a second season.

Buchanon, a 10th-year veteran, announced, on his twitter account that he was returning to the team.

“D.C. I’m on my way... #HTTR...#NFL #LetsGo,” Buchanon tweeted.

Terms of the deal were not immediately known.

Buchanon last season served primarily as the Redskins’ third cornerback, but he did make five starts in place of Carlos Rogers when Rogers was injured. Buchanon recorded 49 tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.

The Redskins last week signed former Maryland standout Josh Wilson, who presumably will start at the cornerback position opposite DeAngelo Hall. Buchanon and Kevin Barnes likely will compete for the third cornerback spot.

“It’s great,” Hall said of the signing. “It’s another guy that’s been to war with us, has a lot of experience in the league and that’s what we need.”

The Redskins entered free agency with 12 players up for new contracts. They now have re-signed Santana Moss, Jammal Brown, H.B. Blades and Buchanon and plan to re-sign quarterback Rex Grossman as well.

Click here to order Phillip Buchanon’s proCane Rookie Card.


(washingtonpost.com)

The New York Jets got rejected by Nnamdi Asomugha in their efforts to sign the star cornerback, so they began working on Plan B -- Antonio Cromartie. While negotiations between the two parties are reportedly heating up, the Jets have decided to keep their options open should Cromartie decide to lend his talents to another team.

Enter Phillip Buchanon.

According to ESPN's John Clayton, the Jets have reached out to the 10-year veteran cornerback from the Washington Redskins. He "worked out" for the team, according to a tweet by Clayton.

The 17th overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft, Buchanon recorded two interceptions and 49 tackles in 2010 with the Redskins.

Early in his career with the Raiders, Buchanon occasionally served as a return man -- a position the Jets are looking to fill after the loss of Brad Smith, who signed a four-year deal with the Buffalo Bills after the Jets neglected to make him an offer during their attempts to sign Asomugha.

Click here to order Phillip Buchanon’s proCane Rookie Card.


(nesn.com)

Cornerback Phillip Buchanon has switched agents right in the middle of free agency, the 10th-year veteran announced on his twitter account.

Buchanon, who served primarily as the Redskins' third cornerback last season, ended his relationship with Drew Rosenhaus and has hired Joel Segal. Buchanon didn’t give a reason for the switch, and didn’t return a message left for him.

Buchanon’s contract is up, and he has listed Washington, Tampa Bay, Miami, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New Orleans, Oakland and the Jets as teams with which he has interest in signing.

The Redskins are believed to have interest in re-signing Buchanon, who last season recorded 49 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Buchanon previously was among five Redskins free agents – Santana Moss, Rex Grossman, Stephon Heyer and Rocky McIntosh being the others — that also were clients of Rosenhaus.

In all, the Redskins entered this week with 12 free agents, but Moss is the only one of that has re-signed thus far.

Click here to order Philip Buchanon’s proCane Rookie Card.


(washingtonpost.com)

The Jets are pursuing free agent CB Phillip Buchanon, according to Redskins beat writer John Keim.

Despite working for the Examiner, Keim's sources are respected on the 'Skins beat. While the Jets are working on possibly adding Nnamdi Asomugha and considering re-signing free agent Antonio Cromartie, it appears they are also looking to add secondary depth. Buchanon projects as a nickel corner.


(rotoworld.com)

Phillip Buchanon – Used mostly as a third corner (he did make five starts), Buchanon proved to be a solid veteran, racking up 49 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. The Redskins would like to have him back, and Buchanon has them atop the list of places he would like to go. Last night, a close friend of Buchanon’s tweeted the cornerback’s wishlist for destinations, and Buchanon re-tweeted it. Washington ranked first, followed by Tampa Bay, Miami, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New Orleans, Oakland and the Jets. But if the Redskins believe neither Kevin Barnes nor Buchanon are what they need in a starter, then they’ll let him walk, stick with Barnes as the third CB and bring in someone else.

Santana Moss – He’s the biggest name on this list, and was the Redskins’ leading wide receiver in each of the last six years. Although he is 32, Moss remains productive. Mike Shanahan has said he wants to re-sign Moss, and No. 89 himself is on record multiple times saying he wants to come back to Washington. It won’t be a surprise at all to see him back in a Redskins uniform.

Rocky McIntosh – He likes it here, and attended some of the player-led workouts this summer. But McIntosh probably is better suited to play outside linebacker in the 4-3 (as he did the first four seasons of his career) than he is inside linebacker in the 3-4 (where coaches moved him last season). It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Redskins let him move on. "This is my town, but I also want to win more than six or eight games a season," he said. "I want to go somewhere where I can fit in as a winner." McIntosh also said that versatility was one of his strengths and that he believes he could make even more strides in the Redskins' 3-4 defense if he stayed. Last season was a struggle for him at times. McIntosh appeared a bit uncomfortable as an inside linebacker in the odd front, having been a 4-3 weak-side linebacker previously and having his most success in that role.

Click here to order Phillip Buchanon’s, Rocky Mcintosh’s or Santana Moss’ proCane Rookie Card.


(washingtonpost.com)

The Redskins are expected to pursue a new contract for free agent CB Philip Buchanon.

With Carlos Rogers set to sign elsewhere, the 'Skins have just Kevin Barnes, Brandyn Thompson, and Byron Westbrook behind DeAngelo Hall. Buchanon won't receive heavy interest on the open market.

Click here to order Phillip Buchanon’s proCane Rookie Card.


(rotoworld.com)

Welcome to our 1st annual and long overdue proCane Rankings where we look back at the 2010 NFL season and rank the 43 proCanes that took snaps in 2010 (except for Sinorice Moss who was placed on IR before the start of the season).

Stay tuned as we countdown from number 43 to number 1. Our rankings are based on each player’s performance last year. In August we’ll go ahead and re-rank the player’s based on our 2011 expectations. For now read our review of each player’s 2010 season and where they rank overall. Enjoy!

To read our rankings of players 43-35, click here.

34. Tavares Gooden LB Baltimore Ravens: The knock on Gooden since his college days has been his inability to stay healthy and 2010 unfortunately was no exception as Gooden played in 10 games, he did not start any and only tallied 18 total tackles last season. He was used by the Ravens on obvious passing situations because of his speed and coverage skills, but missed six games due to injury and was not able to secure a starting spot. At one point the Ravens saw Gooden as Ray Lewis’ successor but his inability to stay healthy has put that in doubt. It would be great to see him be able to play an entire season, hopefully 2011 will be the year.

33. Kelly Jennings DB Seattle Seahawks: Jennings under new Head Coach Pete Carroll had a solid mini camp which translated to him starting 14 games for the Seahawks and tallying a career high 13 pass deflections. Jennings also had his first interception since his rookie season in 2006, was far more consistent this year and wasn’t pushed around as much by opposing receivers. Jennings will be a free agent, but look for him to draw interest from teams including the Seahawks.

32. Rashad Butler LT Houston Texans: Butler who has been activated for all 16 games the last two years for the Texans started four games this past season and performed quite well at left tackle. Butler as a matter of fact opened the eyes of opposing coaches with his solid play and most probably will be snatched up by a team in need of a starting left tackle this offseason.

31. Phillip Buchanon DB Washington Redskins: In his first year with the Redskins, Buchanon, who played in all 16 games and started 5 had a career high in pass deflections (18) and recorded two interceptions. Overall, Buchanon had a solid year, but was at times inconsistent and found himself in Shanahan and Co.’s doghouse on several occasions. Buchanon didn’t contribute as much as was anticipated on punt returns but is still a threat on special teams as well. With one year under his belt with the Redskins look for Buchanon to have a bigger impact in 2011.

30. Calais Campbell DE Arizona Cardinals: There were high expectations coming into the 2010 season for Campbell as he was expected to record double digit sacks and more than adequately replace free-agent departee Antonio Smith. Unfortunately in 15 games Campbell only recorded six sacks, 1 less than the 2009 season though he did have more total tackles (60). The 2011 season will be an important one for Campbell to prove that he can be an elite pass rusher in the NFL, because most expected him to already be one.

29. Darryl Sharpton LB Houston Texans: Sharpton in his rookie season with the Texans was a surprise contributor on defense as he started 6 of the 12 games he was active for before sustaining an injury which ended his season prematurely. When playing though, Sharpton was solid both on special teams and defense where he accumulated 34 tackles and a sack. Look for Sharpton to work his way up the Texan depth chart and eventually become a full-time starter, if not in 2011 then 2012.

28. Vernon Carey RT Miami Dolphins: Carey battled a knee injury for most of the 2010 season but still started 12 games for the Dolphins before being put on injured reserve. Carey playing with a below average Dolphins offensive line was one of the few bright spots. Carey has been solid throughout his career and talk of him moving to the guard position is unfounded. Carey, though still recovering from his knee injury should be 100% by the start of the season.

27. Roscoe Parrish WR Buffalo Bills: Parrish was having the best season of his six-year career as through eight games he had career-high receiving yards, rushing yards and receiving touchdowns. Parrish was the Bills’ #2 wide receiver after finally being given opportunity to shine on offense while he continued to be a threat on punt returns as well. Unfortunately his season was cut short in week 8 after he sustained a season-ending wrist injury, but look for him to return as a starter to the Bills’ offense despite the emergence of Steve Johnson last season.

26. Frank Gore RB San Francisco 49ers: Gore was on pace to have another stellar season for the 49ers with their new-found dedication to the running game. Through 11 games Gore had 853 yards on the ground and over 450 yard receiving along with five touchdowns before fracturing his hip and being placed on injured reserve. It was the fourth consecutive season that Gore was unable to play in all 16 games, but when Gore is healthy, there are few in the league that are better than him especially with how involved he has become in the passing game as well.

Check back tomorrow to see which proCanes were ranked 25th through 16th!