The name of the NFL's franchise in Washington, DC has been under fire for some time. That's nothing new, but now the Redskins organization seems to be under unprecedented pressure to abandon its Native American-inspired mascot. 

The logic is rather simple: "Redskin" has historically been a derogatory term used to describe Native Americans, a slur comparable to the N word. To maintain that name would be offensive to those peoples, the argument goes. And surely, many other colleges and high schools have abandoned their Native American-based monikers for mascots more benign. 

Proponents of the team's name maintain that Redskins should hold firm because of (a) the 80-plus years of tradition behind the moniker, and (b) because hey you guys it's not really that racist. While I don't necessarily agree, the first thing that pops into my mind when I hear "the R word" is the football team, not the denigration of an entire race of people. 

But that's me. What say you?

Join me as I pick a side in this political pigskin tug-of-war stemming from our nation's capital in our latest episode of "Let Me Get This Straight." Enjoy my not-so-politically-correct rants in the video above and leave your own thoughts on the matter in the comments below. 

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It's impossible to win in the NFL without competent quarterback play. 

That fact isn't up for debate anymore. The days of limping through the playoffs with a fantastic defense and Trent Dilfer or Brad Johnson under center are long gone. Front offices are hired and fired based on the decisions they make with the quarterback position, and very few survive if they're unable to bring in a great young passer to potentially lead the franchise to greatness. 

To that end, Bleacher Report set out to find the best young franchise quarterback in all of football. This list is based solely on season-long film study and specific criteria that was meant to isolate a quarterback's strengths and weaknesses apart from the help (or lack thereof) he received from his teammates or the offensive scheme. 

The names on the list you know. The order may surprise you. Click ahead to find out who was picked as the NFL's best young franchise QB. 

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The NFL has had it up to here with your bags. 

Late last week, the National Football League announced a stark change to its policy regarding what bags fans can bring into their stadiums on game days. As reported by NFL.com, almost anything short of a 12-inch-by-six-inch-by-12-inch transparent bag will be confiscated by stadium security at the gates.  

That means that most women's purses and all backpacks, fanny packs and seat cushions won't be making it into NFL stadiums this fall. The NFL claims this is being done in the name of creating "a safe and secure environment," but the unintended consequences of such a measure will certainly be dire. 

With fewer fans willing to attend NFL games in person today, won't this measure turn off prospective guests from visiting stadiums, especially women? And exactly how dangerous have purses and seat cushions been for other Sunday patrons?

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The NFL draft is only a couple of months in our collective rear-view mirror, but the 24/7 NFL news cycle makes it seem like a lifetime ago. For players, coaches and staff, this period of the offseason is an interesting time where even the tiniest of choices can have wide-ranging consequences for the future of a franchise.

The preseason is set to kick off in about seven weeks at the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. It's a fitting time to check in and see how each team is doing as it looks to climb the ladder of success toward the 2013 NFL season.

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This is part of a series of videos grading NFL teams' offseasons, from the opening of free agency to the end of the draft, up through OTAs and minicamps.

The major theme governing this offseason for the Washington Redskins has obviously been the status of their superstar quarterback, Robert Griffin III. 

Well, that and whether the team should change its name. But let's keep this on the football side of things, shall we?

In the video above, I give my grades for free agency and the draft, as well as the team's offseason overall.

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As an American citizen, Roger Goodell can't accept the noble title of "King." As the appointed ruler of the NFL, though, Commissioner Goodell eventually gets everything he wants.

He wants an NFL franchise in London.

"It’s going to be London’s team," Goodell told an NYU conference, per the New York Post's Bart Hubbuch. "It’ll be the London Whatevers playing the New York Giants. The logistics we can work out."

The royal subjects of Queen Elizabeth II had better start saving their quid for PSLs, because the London Whatevers are coming:

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June is the time of the NFL season when the luster starts to come off many of the rookies drafted this past April.

It's only natural, really, and it isn't necessarily a bad thing. Teams draft for the long term. They want to set these franchises up for more than just fleeting successes. Thus, some players are going to need more than one month to really be ready for the NFL.

Of course, to the media that covers these teams 24/7 and the fans that gobble up every tidbit of news like a dog on a fresh bone, nuance and patience aren't always readily available virtues.

Negativity in the summer isn't cause for alarm or any sort of apoplectic hair-pulling. No, just like the positivity that permeates the spring following a draft, the negativity of summer must be tempered with a longer-term view of events. Growing pains are important for these players as they transition from being big men on their respective college campuses to life in the NFL.

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