Ten more college stars are giving up their final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft. Among the latest, four members of the LSU Tigers from the powerful Southeastern Conference.

David Amerson CB NC State- Led the nation in interceptions as a sophomore, but lost a bit of luster this season. May not have the speed and hips to play corner and poor tackling was an issue. May be a better fit at safety and would be welcome in Washington. Prototype size at 6'2" and 195 pounds.

Travis Frederick C Wisconsin- The Badgers lose a starting center early for the second year running. Great size at 6'4" and 340 pounds and can excel at both guard and tackle. While Frederick has the kind of versatility the Redskins love, he would require a second round selection and the need is more on the edge at tackle.

Jordan Reed TE Florida- The second tight end to declare early, Reed has enough athleticism to have served as the Gators wildcat quarterback in 2011. A first team All-SEC selection, Reed is projected in the middle of the April draft. Should the Redskins decide not to pursue free agent Fred Davis, Reed would be a nice option.

Justin Pugh OT Syracuse- Actually a senior, Pugh had been seeking an extra year of eligibility (medical redshirt). A left tackle at Syracuse, Pugh may project on the right side at the next level. Injury concerns (shoulder) may push his value down and may be worthy of a gamble by the Redskins.

Bjoern Werner DE Florida State- The former German exchange student is projected for an early first round selection with some mock drafts slotting him as high as first overall. The 6'4" 255 pound Werner was a key to the Seminoles defense this season with 13 sacks. While any team would welcome him, the Redskins don't have the pick or the luxury to do so.

Jarvis Jones LB Georgia- My projection for the top overall pick in April is Georgia outside linebacker Jarvis Jones. Jones began his career at Southern Cal, but transferred back home to Georgia after a neck injury. An impact player, Jones set a Bulldogs school record with 14.5 sacks and also led the nation in forced fumbles with seven.

Spencer Ware RB LSU- A true power back at 5'11" and 225 pounds, Ware saw his work load cut in half this season. With the emergence of freshman Jeremy Hill and a large stable of elite backs, Ware saw the need to move to the next level before getting buried in his own team's depth chart. Expect a mid-day selection of Ware.

Tharold Simon CB LSU- Nobody cranks out NFL corners like LSU, witness Patrick Peterson and Morris Claiborne in the past two drafts. At 6'2" and 195 pounds and possessing a tremendous upside, NFL teams will need to step up with an early mid round pick to land Simon. A bit of a project, he might be just what the 'Skins are looking for.

Kevin Minter LB LSU- Les Miles and staff did everything in their power to keep Minter for another year, but the potential of the NFL was too great for Minter to pass up. A Butkus award finalist, Minter has the size (6'2" 245) and production (130 tackles in 2012) to warrant a selection in the opening rounds.

Eric Reid S LSU- A tough off-season for LSU with so many elite players passing up their senior seasons. A sure first first round pick, Reid is 6'2" 210 and is a definite play maker. Reid has known to miss a tackle or blow coverage, but will proper development has the talent to be a long time Pro Bowl performer.

Riley Barber and his Team USA have won gold at the 2013 World Juniors, beating Sweden 3-1 in the final.

USA had previously finished third in preliminary group B, before beating the Czech Republic 7-0 in the quarter-final and Canada 5-1 in the semis.

Barber, who skated on a line with fellow Miami RedHawks forward Sean Kuraly and top Montreal Canadiens prospect Alex Galchenyuk, did not record any points in the final, nevertheless ending the tournament with an impressive three goals and three assists in seven games played.

Fellow Caps prospects Christian Djoos and Filip Forsberg each captured a silver medal, very impressive considering the Swedes were missing arguably their four most important players in Ottawa Senators forward Mika Zibanejad, who scored the tournament-winning overtime goal in last year's final, Minnesota Wild blueliner Jonas Brodin, Edmonton Oilers prospect Oscar Klefbom, and Anaheim Ducks first-rounder Hampus Lindholm.

Sweden had finished top of preliminary group A, going on to beat Russia 3-2 (SO) in the semi-final to reach the gold medal game.

Djoos and captain Forsberg were both pointless in the final. Djoos ended the tournament with three assists and a -2 rating from six games. Forsberg had three goals and two assists and was named to the tournament All-Star Team.

All three players remain eligible for the 2014 tournament to be held in Malmö, Sweden, and though Forsberg is unlikely to feature as there is a good chance he'll be starring with the Washington Capitals, Djoos and Barber will both likely return.

Russia beat Canada 6-5 (OT) to capture bronze on home soil.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Washington Redskins tailback Alfred Morris has been named NFL Pepsi Max Rookie of the Month for December, according to the NFL. This marks the third time Morris has won the award. 

In five December games, all Redskins victories, Morris rushed for 631 yards and 7 TD on 127 carries, five yards per carry. Morris' best game of the month was the last one, where he ran for 200 yards and 3 TD on 33 carries against the Cowboys on December 30, leading the Redskins to a 28-18 win that delivered the NFC East division championship to Washington. 

This concludes an amazing run for Redskins rookies, who won the Rookie of the Week award 11 of the 17 weeks this season. In addition to Morris' three wins, QB Robert Griffin III won the award seven times and backup QB Kirk Cousins won the award once, in his only start of the season. 

Both Morris and Griffin are finalists for the Rookie of the Year award, along with Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Doug Martin.

Left guard Kory Lichtensteiger [ankle] did not practice again today and will be a game time decision for the Redskins on Sunday at FedEx Field when they face off against the visiting Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the playoffs. Lichtensteiger was injured in the week 17 win over the Dallas Cowboys and was replaced by backup rookie Josh LiRibeus last Sunday. If Lichtensteiger cannot play against Seattle, LiRibeus would again take his place, this time in the starting lineup. 

In other news from Mike Shanahan's presser today, the coach confirmed that QB Robert Griffin III will continue to wear a brace on his injured knee, though he said the knee is healthy. It is not known if RG3 will continue to wear the bulky brace that causes him to limp or if he will choose a lighter one that permits him to be quicker and more mobile.

Additionally,

• DB Cedric Griffin has been activated to the roster and DB DJ Johnson [aka "Toast"] has been placed on injured reserve with a busted coverage;
• Shanahan praised front office honcho Morocco Brown, who will reportedly interview for the GM job in Arizona;
• Shanahan said the field surface at FedEx is fine, citing the 277 rushing yards the Skins ran up last Sunday against Dallas

Washington Redskins starting left guard Kory Litchensteiger did not practice again today.  Litchensteiger was injured in the season finale against Dallas, suffering an injured ankle, that forced him out of the game.   Although Litchensteiger and the Redskins previously have said that he appears to be a game time decision, the fact he has not practiced all week does not bode well for Sunday. 

Litch was replaced late Sunday by third round draft pick Josh LeRibeus.  LeRibeus earned praised from Mike Shanahan on a superb performance subbing in for the injured starter.  LeRibeus was drafted by the Redskins last year in the third round out of Southern Methodist University. 

GETTY PHOTO

Sources are reporting that Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III and TB Alfred Morris are two of the five finalists for NFL Rookie of the Year. I'm not sure who the other three nominees are, but if I had to guess I'd guess Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, Colts QB Andrew Luck and Buccaneers TB Doug Martin.

Griffin set a rookie record with a passer rating of 102.4 this year, while Wilson came in second all time with a passer rating of 100. Griffin also set a rookie record with 815 rushing yards. Wilson tied the rookie record for passing touchdowns with 26. Griffin also set a rookie record by throwing an interception on only 1.3 percent of his passes and turned the ball over only seven times all year -- five interceptions and two lost fumbles. 

Like Griffin and Wilson, Luck led his team to the playoffs this season, a year after all three teams missed the playoffs. Luck's team made the biggest jump in wins, going from two in 2011 to 11 this year. Luck also set a rookie record with 4374 passing yards. He threw 23 touchdowns, but also 18 interceptions, far more than Griffin or Wilson. His completion percentage of 54.1 and passer rating of 76.5 were far lower than Griffin or Wilson. 

Alfred Morris rushed for 1613 yards and 13 touchdowns, both Redskins rookie records and the former also a franchise record. Doug Martin rushed for 1454 yards and 11 TD and, unlike Morris, Martin was a factor in the passing game, too. Martin caught 49 passes for 472 yards and another touchdown. In addition, Martin lost only one fumble this year, while Morris lost three. Morris had the better average yards per carry, leading Martin 4.8 to 4.6. 

I would rank the nominees this way, in terms of who had the best rookie season: 

1. Robert Griffin III [Rookie of the Year]

2. Russell Wilson

3. Andrew Luck

4. Doug Martin

5. Alfred Morris

DISCUSS THE REDSKINS IN OUR FAN FORUM

INJURY UPDATE: We still don't know if LG Kory Lichtensteiger [ankle] will play on Sunday. If not, rookie Josh LiRibeus will start in his place. ILB London Fletcher [ankle] practiced fully, as did QB Kirk Cousins [flu]. Safety DeJon Gomes was limited in practice. CB Cedric Griffin, coming off a four game suspension for PED use, looked better in practice on Thursday than he did on Wednesday.

It's the Year of the Rookies for the Redskins, led by QB Robert Griffin III and TB Alfred Morris, both of whom wrote themselves into the record books this year. 

ILB London Fletcher won NFC Defensive Player of the Month for December. Amazing he did this on a bum ankle. As this point in his career, Fletcher finds himself appreciating this playoff run a lot more than he would have in his younger days.

“Definitely, I’m appreciating this a lot more,” he said. “You think about this group, this team, where we’re at after being 3-6 at one point in the season, winning seven straight games to win the division and to get in this position. So I guess I can say I’m enjoying this a lot more now, I’m more appreciative of it.”

The Redskins signed a new defensive back.

A major weakness for the Redskins this season has been the pass defense, particularly the poor play of the secondary. Things have been looking better recently, though. 

On Thanksgiving Day, the Redskins allowed Dallas 423 yards passing, the most they gave up all year, in a game when the Cowboys were playing catch-up and were forced to throw. When Dallas arrived for the rematch last Sunday, a game that decided the division title, Dallas passed for just 196 yards.

Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan wants a head coaching gig. Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett's name is also being mentioned for head coaching gigs, but he doesn't want to hear it, insisting he's focused on nothing but winning a Super Bowl in Washington.

John Keim calls Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett a "mad scientist" since the bye week.

Rick Snider writes RG3 is already one of the best quarterbacks in Redskins history, but he's no Sammy Baugh just yet.

Go listen to what RG3 said and did during the week 17 win over the Cowboys. It's fun and fascinating.

Thom Loverro thinks RG3 and Seahawks QB Russell Wilson will be compared to each other for many years to come.

Tarik El-Bashir compares and contrasts RG3 and Russell Wilson: 

In 15 games, Griffin set franchise records for a rookie in almost every passing category, as well as team records for rushing attempts by a quarterback (120), yards (815) and touchdowns (7). RG3 also set NFL rookie marks for passer rating and percentage of passes intercepted (1.27).

Watch John Keim discuss the mood in the locker room heading into the wild card weekend: 

The list of NFL draft eligible players continues to grow with six more giving up their final year of college eligibility, including a trio from Michigan State.

Mike Edwards CB Hawaii- Edwards projects as a mid-round pick and could be someone the Redskins target. Edwards has two children, which may have played a role in his decision to leave for the pro level. Edwards began his career at Tennessee, but was kicked off the team by then Head Coach Lane Kiffin due to an off the field incident. While he ranked 12th in the nation in passes defended this season, Edwards is known for his prowess in the return game. Edwards returned three kickoffs for touchdowns this season, a UH record.

Sharrif Floyd DL Florida- The 6'3" 305 Floyd is very versaitle, capable of playing 4-3 tackle or 3-4 end at the next level. One of the most hotly recruited players out of high school, Floyd projects to be selected in one of the first two rounds on draft day. A third team All-American, Floyd led the Gators with eleven tackles for loss in 2012. Floyd joins fellow Gator Matt Elam, who has officially submitted his name as well.

Joe Kruger DE Utah- Kruger becomes the eighth defensive lineman to submit paperwork to forgo his final year of college eligibility. The younger brother of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger, Joe is even bigger, at 6'7" and 280 pounds. Kruger, who led the Utes with six sacks this season, is projected by some scouts as a 3-4 end. Due to his prototype size, scouts believe Kruger could be gone on day two if he has a strong showing in workouts.

Le'Veon Bell RB Michigan State- Bell will be high on the wish list of NFL teams looking for a "big" back. Bell finished 2012 third in the nation in rushing with 138 yards per game. Bell's 1793 yards rushing earned him All-Big 10 first team honors and the total was good enough for second in school history. At 6'2" and 237 pounds, Bell has the size to operate between the tackles in the NFL.

Dion Sims TE Michigan State- Sims has excellent size at 6'5" and 285 pounds. Scouts project Sims to be selected in early to mid rounds, mainly on his enormous potential. Sims is generally considered the fourth best tight end in the draft, trailing three other juniors. For now, Sims is the only tight end that has declared for the draft, so he tops the list. Should the Redskins not bring back Fred Davis, Sims should be under consideration.

William Gholston DE Michigan State- Gholston was easy to spot on the Spartans defensive line. At 6'7" and 280 pounds, Gholston towered over teammates and foes alike. Gholston also wore uniform number two, certainly unusual for a defensive end. One of the nation's most decorated high school players, Gholston is projected to go early to mid rounds in the April draft.

Washington Redskins inside linebacker and team captain London Fletcher won NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for December, a month when the Redskins won all five games they played and Fletcher compiled 51 tackles, three interceptions and two quarterback sacks. Fletcher was the only NFL player with at least three picks and two sacks last month. 

Fletcher finished the regular season with a team-high 139 tackles, a team-high 5 interceptions, three sacks and 11 pass deflections, tied for the best number of his career. 

The Washington Redskins have signed free agent safety Devin Holland, who previously played for Secondary Coach Raheem Morris when Morris was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is according to a report from Zac Boyer.

Holland, a 24-year-old who played his college ball at McNeese State and Tulane, signed with the Bucs in 2011 as an undrafted free agent. He played sparingly in Tampa in 2011, compiling four tackles in five games through the early part of that season. 

Holland is an enthusiastic hitter who earned two fines worth a total of $15,000 in the 2011 preseason for hits on Danny Woodhead of the Patriots and a Kansas City Chiefs player. 

The Redskins did not cut anyone to make room for Holland, instead using a week-long roster exemption to add him to the roster.