Buchanon sees opportunity with Redskins

It made sense for the Redskins to move on free-agent CB Phillip Buchanon, given GM Bruce Allen's familiarity with Buchanon from their days together in Oakland. But it also made sense because the 29-year-old corner came fairly cheap at $1.5 million and could end up playing a significant role. As for how he'll be used, Buchanon, who has played for five teams in his career and has joined his third team in three years, he is ready for a lot of action.

"I still want to be a starter," Buchanon told PFW by phone this week. "It's not like I want to settle for being a nickel; that's not my point of view. By (no) means am I down and out. I still feel good. I still feel like I can play at a high level, a Pro Bowl level. That's how I feel."

As for the defensive scheme he'll be playing in, Buchanon said the coaches told him to expect to see "a little bit of 4-3 and a little bit of 3-4." Yet, in terms of coverage it will be nothing like his days in Oakland running strictly man defense. The Redskins, like most clubs, hope to be diverse in what they run.

"The coverages, they want to run everything — from man to zone, press to off (coverage). They haven't said they want to stick to one coverage," Buchanon said. "It's not like Oakland. There it was, everybody line up and just cover somebody. There was really no game plan or anything behind it. I mean, no disrespect to (them), but that's just kind of how it was."

Buchanon also was asked to play a lot of man last season with the Lions, who were forced to alleviate a poor pass rush by blitzing an abnormally high percentage of the time. He suffered through a tough season, with zero interceptions and only two wins, and said one of the reasons he picked Washington was because of the comfort with new head coach Mike Shanahan.

"I like the whole Mike Shanahan move. He's a players' coach, and he definitely takes care of his players. And me and Bruce Allen, we have a lot of history together," he said.

In his ninth season, more than winning, money or opportunity, Buchanon said he just wanted a place where he felt the lines of communication were open between players and coaches.

"It's more about the respect of the coaches and the coaching relationship," he said. "That's the best thing I can really ask for. My thing is, if I can't talk to the defensive coordinator or I can't talk to my position coach as we can't make something try to work between us, then this whole thing is not going to work."

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



(profootballweekly.com)