2009 Redskins Season Preview: Receivers & Tight Ends

When the Redskins (finally) announced the hiring of Jim Zorn, no position on the team looked quite as deficient as the wide receivers.

While the team preached continuity on its roster, it was converting from the vertical offense of Al Saunders and Joe Gibbs to the Mike Holmgren brand of West Coast. All of a sudden, the lack of a big possession receiver and a second tight end to compliment Chris Cooley became the team’s biggest holes on the squad.

Apparently, Redskins defector GM agreed. Wheelin’ and dealin’ on draft day netted the team a trio of second-round picks, all of which went to address these deficiencies. Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas were both prospects with first round potential that, for various reasons, slipped out. Fred Davis lit up the scoreboard at USC at the tight-end spot after moving inside from wideout.

The good thing about these selections is that none of the three had to come in and be the guy right away. The bad news is that none of them were even “a” guy in 2008.

Kelly and Thomas were both hurt during camp, dramatically limiting their progress. None of the three seemed quite prepared for the NFL environment.

Devin Thomas did the best of the three, logging 15 catches for 120 yards. Davis and Kelly were limited to three grabs apiece, and none made an impact anywhere on special teams.

With the release of James Thrash during the offseason, the team was left with only two veteran receivers on the squad, Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El, both 5’10.”

Moss is entrenched as the team’s top option, a down-field burner who is good after the catch as well. He has led Redskins wide receivers in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns each of the last four seasons.

Randle El is the classic third receiver; quick and agile who is the best out of the slot. He does gadget plays, reverses, returns punts and even tosses the occasional touchdown.

A quarterback in college, Randle El is better as the Swiss-army player, but has been forced into more of a full-time roll as the team’s second receiver. This has worn him down, perhaps limiting his effectiveness on punt returns during the same period.

While both are solid receivers, one of the pair of rookies is going to have to step up and put Randle El on the bench. Zorn’s offense requires a couple of bigger possession receivers who aren’t afraid to go over the middle and can grab the ball out of traffic. Beyond Thomas and Kelly are a group of retreads and unproven.

The best of the retreads (and the one with the best chance of logging some snaps) is D.J. Hackett, who spent the first four of his five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

In 42 career games, Hackett has logged 118 passes, 1,575 yards and nine touchdowns. Signing with the Carolina Panthers in 2008, he didn’t catch on, only grabbing 13 passes.

Of the unproven, the leg-up goes to Marko Mitchell, the team’s 2009 seventh-round choice. At 6’4″ 218 pounds, Mitchell developed as one of Nevada’s big play threats, racking up 22 touchdowns in three seasons. Given his raw ability, he’s more likely to make the team’s practice roster than the final 53 right out of the gate.

Any discussion of top tight ends in the NFL right now has to include the Redskins’ Chris Cooley. Cooley has developed as one of the top receiving threats at the position, catching 83 passes in 2008 and being named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl. Cooley has it all; good speed, hands and no fear of catching passes in traffic. All that and he can block, too.

Davis was drafted to compliment Cooley and add another threat in the defense’s second level. He is, however, off to a rough start in 2009. In the team’s preseason game with the Baltimore Ravens, he fumbled the ball twice in the space of three plays.

The second, and more costly, appeared to be because Davis didn’t tuck the ball away. However, he set up to gut-catch the ball and appeared to flinch as he hauled it in, leading one to believe if he was more focused on an impending hit (which didn’t come), than completing the catch. A tight end that may have concerns about catching balls in traffic is a source of concern.

Rounding out the spot is Todd Yoder, who is more of a blocker than a receiver. He makes the occasional short-yardage grab, and has five touchdowns in his career.

Much has been written about the situation of starting quarterback Jason Campbell. The team drafted two receivers and a tight end in 2008; who’s going to step up and catch Campbell’s passes?

Two Moves The Redskins Need to Make Right Now

The Redskins are in a make it or break it season.

In the normal course of events, a head coach would get three seasons to prove his worth. But there are a pair of reasons why Jim Zorn will only get two. The first is Redskins owner Dan Snyder and the second is a quintet of Super Bowl winning head coaches who will be on the market in 2010.

Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell is on the hot seat as well.

This is his second season in Zorn’s offense and his fourth as the team’s starter. He was drafted in the first round and his initial five-year contract has expired. While he has respectable numbers and a commanding presence in the huddle, the team’s overall offensive performance and win total during his tenure has not merited the type of deal a young, up and coming NFL starter deserves.

The team has a deep and solid defense, a young and developing receiver corps and one of the better backfields in the NFL.

There’s only one problem: the team’s offensive line.

The line has four solid starters, but no sure thing at right tackle and little depth. The team won’t be able to weather any sort of injury, even for a quarter or two, let alone losing someone to injured reserve.

If the team wants to make it and not break it in 2009, there are two moves the team can make right now to secure their best chance.

The Redskins need to sign right tackle Jon Runyan and guard Pete Kendall.

As soon as possible.

Runyan has played the last several seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles and has started 192 games throughout his career. He’s been known as a ferocious blocker and at 6-foot-7, has been dubbed by John Madden as “Big Ol’ Jon Runyan.”

He was released by the Eagles during the offseason after having microfracture surgery on his knee, however he is expected to be medically cleared within a week.

While he isn’t the player he once was, having Ruynan in the mix at the right tackle spot is an instant upgrade over Stephon Heyer, who is the presumed starter. Mike Williams, who is back in the league after three seasons out of the league, once showed the potential to be taken fourth overall, but is a virtual unknown at this point.

Kendall was the starter for the Redskins at the left guard spot, but was not re-signed by the team after the re-acquisition of Derrick Dockery. Like Runyan, Kendall is an aging veteran who has started nearly 200 games in his career. Kendall can play both guard spots and, even though it’s not his preference, can snap the ball as well.

Adding Runyan and Kendall would give the team a solid starting five and three experienced veterans coming off the bench. With the addition of 2008 third round pick Chad Rinehart, who spent last season on injured reserve, the team would instantly have one of the deeper, even if older, offensive lines in the NFL.

Assuming that either Devin Thomas or Malcolm Kelly, the team’s two younger over-the-middle receivers can step up and make an impact as a solid starter in 2009, the Redskins won’t have any major holes anywhere on the roster.

If the team is serious about making it and serious about Jason Campbell taking his place among the better quarterbacks in the league, the team can not afford to pass on these two key veterans.

2009 Washington Redskins Season Preview: Running Backs

If a team’s offensive line provides its structure and security and a quarterback provides its brains, the running backs are its heart.

To put it another way, an offense’s running game makes the whole thing go.

The Redskins have running backs in spades and any conversation about top five all-around backs in the league needs to include Clinton Portis. A slasher, cutback type back when he played for the Broncos early in his career, Portis has evolved into one of the most complete backs in the league.

It started when Joe Gibbs got ahold of him. Gibbs’ passing game emphasized the best possible protection for its quarterback while the receivers took time to get open, meaning the running backs had to hold their own against the pass rush.

Portis, who weighed around 195 at the time, never wanted to come off the field. So he took up the mantle of adding an extra 20 pounds of muscle to his body by becoming an offseason workout freak. (He’s added more since).

With the extra 20 pounds Portis morphed himself into one of the better blocking backs in the league and also rediscovered how much fun it is to hit people (so much so that he hurt his shoulder running down an interception during the preseason a couple of years back).

Blocking the pass rush isn’t easy for a back. A defender gets several steps to get up to top speed before crashing into the back. Combine this with 30 carries a game, and that’s a lot of hitting for anyone This is why “complete” backs, the kind that never come out of the game, have the shortest careers in the league.

Portis is one of these backs. He can run up the middle, cut back to the outside. He can catch and get to the flat. He’s got good open field speed. And he can block.

As Portis goes, so goes the Washington Redskins (and that’s okay with Jason Campbell).

Portis’ understudy is the sturdy Ladell Betts, one of the better reserves in the league. Betts has his critics; primarily they lament his yards per carry and overall lack of flash. The one season he became the starter, however, Betts reeled off a healthy 4.7 YPC en route to a 1,157 yard season.

Was Betts a flash in the pan?

The simple answer is: no. Betts’ running game is between the tackles, meaning his first hit is always going to come a yard or two off the line of scrimmage. When defenders are fresh, they’ll tackle better than when their tired and pull him down three yards off the line.

However, when you ram Betts down the pipe three, four, five times on a drive, he’ll eventually wear them out and make one miss, clicking off seven or eight yards in the process as he gets past the linebackers.

Betts wasn’t used like that the last two seasons, nor should he have been with Portis at full strength. Portis goes through the tackles every bit as good as Betts, and can go to the outside as well. While Betts can block and catch, he lacks Portis’ breakaway speed and this is why he opens games on the bench.

The third and fourth (if applicable) running backs on a team are generally special teams stars on most teams, and the Skins are no exception. Rock Cartwright, a converted fullback, has held this spot for the last seven years by taking all the jobs no one else wanted. He ran down on kickoffs and blocked on returns.

In the last couple of seasons, he’s also picked up the return duties, where he’s done a credible job. Cartwright is the definition of a lunch-pail player, and he’s a locker room favorite for it.

Trying to unseat Cartwright is Dominique Dorsey, a CFL stud who led the league up north in all-purpose yards last season despite missing five games. Dorsey made his name in the return game, but also did some work as a speedster out of the backfield.

Unfortunately for Cartwirght, Dorsey might be exactly what the Redskins need at this spot. While Betts is a good power change-up for Portis, the team has lacked a reserve back that can get to the flats in a hurry on sweeps and screens since Trung Candidate.

It also helps that Dorsey, as a one-year player, makes a minimum salary less than half of what Cartwright’s is as a seven-year.

No matter what trio of backs the Redskins use though, it’s very clear who will be their bodyguards.

Mike Sellers is a huge fullback and has spent virtually all of his nine seasons in Washington. Sellers has a reputation as a nasty blocker who will blow a hole open, sometimes even where there aren’t holes to be had. As a former tight end, he has good hands and has caught far more touchdowns than he has rushed for.

Backing up Sellers as the only other fullback on the team’s roster will be Eddie Williams, a seventh round pick this season and a potential bargain if he makes even a nominal impact in 2009.

His background is quite similar; like Sellers, he has experience at tight end, H-back and fullback. Like Sellers, he has caught nearly four times as many touchdowns as he has rushed for. And like Sellers, he is a top-notch blocker with a thick frame.

With all the talk about Jason Campbell the rushing game has been nearly forgotten during the offseason. But our biggest problems come when things that we take for granted stop working for a minute.

Good news is, this heart isn’t likely to have an attack anytime soon. It’s more likely to give one.

2009 Redskins Season Preview: Secondary

For a team that finished fourth overall in defense in 2008, the Redskins have certainly done a lot of remodeling to their front seven. The team dropped nine figures on uber tackle Albert Haynesworth, drafted three linebackers, and grabbed a potential starter at end in the supplemental.

But curiously, if anything, the team took a slight downgrade in the defensive backs department.

Sure, the team drafted Kevin Barnes in the third round, but it also released veteran Shawn Springs. Springs’ release had more to do with his high salary rather than his performance. Certainly age is catching up, but as a third or fourth corner and locker room leader, there are none better, and the Patriots snatched him right up.

Barnes might turn out to be a good cover man, but certainly he’ll be no Springs in 2009.

Everyone else, however, was brought back.

The Skins may have overpaid a bit for DeAngelo Hall, signing him to a six-year, $55 million contract only months after the Raiders inked him to a seven-year, $70 million deal. But they like Hall’s playmaking ability, averaging 4.5 interceptions and 11 pass-breakups each year of his career.

The playmaking ability is something that’s sorely been lacking for the team. While finishing fourth in overall defense is an accomplishment, interceptions and sacks are the true drive killers.

Any defensive coordinator worth their salt will speak of coverage sacks and pressure interceptions. Pressure on the passer creates rushed throws and turnovers, and good coverage on the receivers will create the coveted quarterback sack.

If this is true, this should help out Fred Smoot and Carlos Rogers a whole lot. The pair only have five interceptions in the last two seasons, and that’s no where near acceptable for a pair of NFL starters. Both have good reputations as cover corners; Smoot as a bit of a gambler with good closing speed and Rogers did have 24 pass breakups last season.

All three corners are considered the starters for this team, since the team would prefer to rotate the three based on match-ups and whoever has the hot hand turnover-wise. The key reserve will be Barnes himself; a good-sized corner with a reputation for hard hits and a nose for the ball.

It’s anyone’s guess who will take the fifth spot behind the quartet, but the early favorite is Byron Westbrook. Westbrook, the brother of Eagles’ playmaker Brian Westbrook, has spent the last two seasons on the team’s practice squad, and could also factor into the return game if he makes the final 53.

Sean Taylor has not been, and can never be, replaced at safety. The thought of him playing center field with LaRon Landry roaming the flats in front of him on the 2009 edition of the Redskins defense is downright scary.

But life goes on and so does the last line of the Redskins defense. LaRon Landry is clearly the best and most talented at the spot, and has established himself as one of the fiercest defenders in the NFL.

Hard-hitting with a nose for the ball, Landry had taken up Taylor’s spot in center field but may return to his more natural position closer to the line. If so, Landry’s #30 will turn up in the nightmares of tight ends and running backs through out the league; they may catch the ball, but they will pay.

Landry’s potential return to the line is in no small part due to the surprising development of Chris Horton, the steal of the 2008 draft.

Horton, a seventh-round pick for the team last season, impressed after the injury to Reed Doughty. Horton started 10 games, finishing the season with a healthy 76 tackles, five passes defended, three picks, and a sack.

Pushing Horton will be none other than Doughty himself, returning to the field after a back injury prematurely ended his 2008 season. Doughty took over as starter after Taylor’s death, but more likely will fill a reserve roll this season as his skills are better suited closer to the line of scrimmage.

Behind the trio on the depth chart, like at cornerback, is anybody’s guess. A variety of players look to take the one or two potential slots, and those who excel on special teams are more likely to win then those who don’t.

One to keep an eye on is rookie free agent Lendy Holmes out of the University of Oklahoma. While he may not make the 53 this season, he played safety, cornerback, and wide receiver during his college years, and any player with a variety of abilities is always welcome as a backup.

Continuity and depth in a team’s coverage is always critical, and the 2009 Redskins have that. The team’s staff (and it’s fans) hope that the addition of the big guns up front will change some of those tackles and pass defenses into the more exciting sacks and interceptions.

Two hands on the ball is always better than one.

2009 Redskins Season Preview: Quarterback

“Now starting at quarterback for the Washington Redskins…a labrador retriever.”

It almost got that bad for Jason Campbell during the offseason.

The whole mess kicked off when Jay Cutler whined his way out of Denver. The Redskins, like everyone else in the free world, expressed a bit of interest, and Washington seemed to be the most likely destination for the QB for a while. The interest was certainly understandable; Cutler was coming off a Pro Bowl and looks like the franchise.

That whole mess was followed up by an inane courtship with incoming rookie Mark Sanchez. Sure, Sanchez lit the world on fire coming out of USC, but what has he done in the NFL? Squat. He’s taken as many NFL snaps as the aforementioned labrador retriever.

The Skins have since been linked to rumors about Brett Favre and Michael Vick.

So the question we have to ask ourselves is: What’s wrong with Jason Campbell?

Maybe Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato have simply gotten bored with him; the team has had 10 different starting quarterbacks in the decade since Snyder took the reins. Maybe the team wants to sell new starting quarterback jerseys. Maybe Campbell doesn’t shower after practice and stinks up the meeting room.

It certainly isn’t about his character. While Jay Cutler pouted like a little girl, Campbell remained philosophical, not uttering any displeasure whatsoever. Campbell oozes cool in the pocket, never looking rushed or flustered, and that translates to his classy off the field game as well.

It certainly isn’t about his performance. In his first season in yet another new offense, working with yet another new offensive coordinator and yet another new quarterback coach, Campbell posted a healthy 84.3 QB rating, completing 63% of his passes. That’s a far sight better than the last QB Jim Zorn tutored, a younger Matt Hasselbeck, whose QB rating barely ticked above 70 and completion percentage was almost nine percentage points lower.

No, none of these are problems. The problem is that quarterback is the single most important individual position in the history of professional sports, going all the way back to the Garden of Eden. No other individual is so responsible for the performance of his team than the quarterback; win or lose. No other individual really, not even the head coach, comes under the scrutiny of the media quite like a quarterback.

And this is where Campbell’s problems lie: the team lost six out of its last eight for yet another mediocre season, and everyone wants someone to blame, another body for the sacrifice. Can’t blame the head coach; he just got here. Can’t blame the owner; we can’t fire him. So let’s blame the quarterback.

Anyway. Campbell’s stats were much more than adequate for a team that was just getting going on Jim Zorn’s offense. Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas, both drafted in the second round last year, were injured during camp, significantly slowing their progress. This led Campbell to rely solely on Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El, neither of whom are built to catch passes in the crowded middle of the field. As a tight end, Chris Cooley is one of the best in the business, but even he can only do so much. The offensive line lacked (and continues to lack) depth and a legitimate starter on the right side.

Even if the quarterback is the most important position on the field; there are 10 other guys out there with you.

For 2009 at least, Campbell’s job is safe, which should allow him a chance to flourish. But count on the fact that if his team can’t produce a few more wins, he’ll be looking for work come March and the team will play another round of duck duck quarterback.

That’s because the next starter likely isn’t going to come from within. Todd Collins signed with the team three seasons ago, following former Offensive Coordinator Al Saunders to Washington. Collins was a perfect fit for that team because, while Trent Green flourished under Saunders in Kansas City, Collins watched every move for the better part of a decade. He got his chance when Campbell went down late in the 2007 season, leading the team to four straight wins and a playoff appearance, and parlayed that success into a spot for 2008 under Zorn.

Why Collins remains on the team is something of a mystery. He’s never successfully run a West Coast offense, doesn’t have the natural skill set for the system and his arm isn’t as strong as it used to be.

Behind Collins are two quarterbacks whom have never taken NFL regular season snaps. Colt Brennan was a record setting quarterback at Hawaii and might actually be a long-term project for Zorn, assuming Zorn’s long-term last longer than the next 16 weeks. He has a cannon for an arm and looked great in mop up duty during the 2008 preseason. Chase Daniel has even less experience; signing with the team as a rookie free agent out of Missouri. Daniel put up gaudy numbers in the show-me state, rolling up 12,500 yards and 101 touchdowns in four seasons and being named a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2007.

Unless the team is going to part ways with Collins, the 2009 depth chart will remain unchanged from last season with Daniel having a shot at the practice squad. Unless the team improves, however, 2010 will be a different story.

Woof!

2009 Washington Redskins Season Preview: Special Teams

If you decide to stop by the Washington Redskins training camp this summer, grab Head Coach Jim Zorn one day in the autograph line and ask him if he might be interested in one play that would almost always gain 20 yards or more each time he ran it. Do you think that’s something he might be interested in?

That’s how pivotal the special teams units are for NFL franchises. Any kick return unit worth its salt will average over 20 yards per attempt, with the better ones eclipsing 25.

Think about that: in a game of inches, you can run a full quarter of the field in one shot!

It’s almost pathetic how little anyone cares about the special teams units, and the media ranks right up at the top of the list of offenders. How many articles have been written about Jason Campbell vs. Jay Cutler vs. Mark Sanchez vs. Michael Vick ad nauseum? How many more times must we hear about Jim Zorn’s warm butt (coach on the hot seat; get it?) as we enter 2009?

Well, a lot more, and definitely more from this writer. We all have column space to fill.

But the reality is, the Redskins special teams unit may look completely different on September 13 in New York than it did last year on the same field. The punter has already been replaced (twice) and there’s full-fledged battles at kicker and kick returner. The only specialist from last year who will definitely be there in five weeks is stalwart long snapper Ethan Albright, among the best in the game.

Ever remember a time when the Redskins actually had a good punter? Memories are distant and vague; but other than Reggie Roby and Matt Turk in the mid to late 90’s, the team has had to suffer through some pretty bad ones (Kelly Goodburn and Derrick Frost come to mind).

To that end, the Redskins grabbed Hunter Smith off the free agent market, to the acclaim of just about no one. Despite Smith’s lack of DC publicity, he is one of the better punters in the league today. He has spent the last 10 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts (picking up a Super Bowl ring in the process) averaging 43.3 yards per punt for his career and never falling below 40.

Perhaps the most crucial (and impressive) stat for 2008 is that Indianapolis led the league with 43.4% of their punts landing inside the 20…and Smith has never missed a game. In comparison, the Redskins ranked 20th with 29.6%.

Despite a certain kicker competition, the Skins did little to upgrade the position by adding veteran journeyman Dave Rayner to compete with incumbent Shaun Suisham. Rayner adds a bit more leg on kickoffs, having averaged 64 yards per kickoff to Suisham’s 61. Despite missing 10 kicks last season, Suisham still has a better career average (77 % to 71%) than Rayner.

While the two kickers are somewhat comparable, the Redskins know what they have in Suisham. Adding Rayner feels more like Special Teams Coordinator Danny Smith giving his current kicker a swift kick in the butt rather than a real competition. That said, however, if Suisham goes in the tank during the preseason, the team won’t hesitate to make that change.

Another move that’s been completely overlooked is the Redskins signing of Dominique Dorsey. Dorsey has played the last four seasons in the CFL, establishing himself as one of the league’s top return specialists. In 2008, with the Toronto Argonauts, Dorsey led the league with 2,892 yards…and missed five games. For his efforts, he was named a league All-Star and won the CFL’s John Agro Special Teams Award as the league’s most outstanding special teams player. While Dorsey has yet to prove himself south of the border, those are impressive credentials.

Dorsey will be attempting to unseat long-time Washington special teams ace Rock Cartwright, and it’s unlikely the season will open with both on the roster. Cartwright averaged a very healthy 25 yards per kickoff return last season, but also didn’t take one to the house. Nothing can change a game quicker than a kickoff return for a touchdown and, unless you’re in Tampa Bay, you need to take one back everyone once in a while. It should be a very competitive preseason for Dorsey and Cartwright.

Punt returner is a bit of a mixed bag. Antwaan Randle El has handled the duties for years, but is coming off two down seasons at the spot, averaging 6.5 yards in 2008 and only 6.1 the year before. Expect Dorsey to get a long look at this spot as well if he can prove himself as a viable kick returner. If not, Randle will probably hold onto the job by default, but we might see Santana Moss shagging a few more kicks this season.

Maybe the Redskins SHOULD sign Michael Vick, to return some punts.

2009 Redskins Season Preview: Offensive Line

Call a priest.

It’s confirmed: The 2009 Washington Redskins have a “holey” offensive line.

It’s not that they’ve been blessed. The Redskins have as many holes on their offensive line as a good piece of Swiss cheese.

Looking left to right, the starters look pretty good. Anchoring the line for the entire decade is the always steady LT Chris Samuels. In nine season, he has been to the Pro Bowl nearly as many times (six) as he has missed a regular season game (eight), and has more than lived up to his status as a number three overall pick.

Samuels’ has been reunited with his former left-side running-mate Derrick Dockery after the latter was brought back from the Buffalo Bills this offseason. While Dockery has yet to make a Pro Bowl, he also has yet to miss a regular season game or even a start since being named Washington’s starter early in the 2003 season.

Casey Rabach mans the center position for the fifth consecutive season. Rabach, who signed with the team after becoming Baltimore’s starter during the 2004 season. Like Dockery and Samuels to his left, he has been another incredibly steady force on the offensive line, missing only one game in his entire Redskins tenure.

In a recurring theme, RG Randy Thomas enters his seventh season with the team and, aside from a stint on injured reserve in 2007, has only missed three starts in six seasons.

The fearsome foursome of Samuels, Dockery, Rabach and Thomas have paved the way for a 1,000 yard rusher each and every season they have taken the field together. In fact, the team has had a 1,000 yard rusher every season since 2004, with Pete Kendall holding Dockery’s spot during his two year absence.

If only the NFL had four offensive line spots.

The right tackle spot has been a constant source of trouble for the team since 2004, when stalwart Jon Jansen tore his Achilles tendon in a preseason game. Since then, the tackle spot has been a revolving door of journeymen and the off-injured Jansen himself, who was released earlier this offseason after failing to regain his former Pro Bowl form during the last five seasons.

The coaching staff loves presumed starter Stephon Heyer. Heyer signed with the team as a rookie free agent from Maryland three seasons ago and immediately made an impression, starting a couple of preseason games along the way.

Despite the feel-good, rags-to-riches story, Heyer has been mediocre at best. He is slow off the line, stiff out of his stance and has a hard time holding his own one on one against even the NFL’s average pass rushers. He’s been given many chances to hold the starting spot, but has lost it each time, most recently to Jansen last year.

Challenging Heyer for the spot is former fourth overall draft choice Mike Williams. Williams spent the last two seasons out of football after battling weight problems during his first professional stint.

He was signed after being recommended to the team by former college teammate Dockery, with whom Williams has been working out this offseason. Williams had the talent, but let his weight balloon and was rumored to be well over 400 pounds at times, significantly limiting his athleticism.

It’s been reported that he now weighs closer to 350, and on his 6-6 frame, that’s probably where he ought to be.

Depth on the offensive line is also a problem. While the team has a number of contenders for significant time in the rotation, most are retreads and other team’s throwaways. (In point of fact, four of these eight challengers are castaways from the Carolina Panthers).

With an aging starting core (only Dockery is under 30) and little depth, it’s surprising that Vinny Cerato and company have failed to address this position in the draft. In fact, the team has only spent two picks in five seasons addressing the offensive line, and only 2008 3rd round pick Chad Rinehart remains with the team, and he has yet to take a regular season snap.

The team is counting on Jason Campbell to lead the team back to the playoffs, and as we all know, everything starts up front. Four of the five spots are solid and, while they’ve been steady, injuries do happen. With no fifth starter and no legitimate depth, the team is truly living on a wing and a prayer.

Maybe we should ask a priest to bless this line after all.

2009 Redskins Season Preview: Defensive Line

The Washington Redskins have spent the lion’s share of the offseason bulking up their defense.

When you see most teams drop $100 million on a defensive superstar, followed by spending all but their seventh-round choices on one side of the ball, you would assume poor performance the previous season.

But the team finished fourth overall in team defense last season.

So what’s up?

Simple answer: it all starts up front. While the Skins did clock in at the fourth spot in total yards allowed, they ranked consistently near the bottom of the league in sacks (28th), forced fumbles (26th) and interceptions (17th).

Pressure on the quarterback creates mistakes by way of forced fumbles and interceptions, which keeps your defense off the field and gives your offense more chances.

To that end, the Redskins lured famed QB-hater DT Albert Haynesworth with the now-infamous nine-figure contract from the Tennessee Titans to shore up the front lines. While Haynesworth comes with the reputation for only playing roughly two thirds of his team’s defensive snaps, the team isn’t too concerned.

In the trenches with Haynesworth will be team stalwart Cornelius Griffin. The durable nine-year veteran doesn’t have the flashy numbers of Haynesworth, but is known as a solid run-stopper and has drawn his share of double-teams in recent years.

Anthony Montgomery and Kedric Golston, who started opposite Griffin last season, give the team solid depth. Two-way threat Lorenzo Alexander and former Arena Leaguer Vaka Manupuna will also vie for roster spots.

While the team’s fortunes are solid inside at Defensive Tackle, things aren’t quite as good on the edges at Defensive End. On the right side, Andre Carter will start his fourth consecutive season with the team. Carter has been incredibly durable since joining the team, and has yet to miss a game while averaging seven sacks a season.

The left side will be manned by a rotation of multiple players with no clear starter as the team enters camp. Phillip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn have 25 years of experience between them, and will receive the bulk of the time as the team kicks off its 2009 campaign. Both have been solid starters throughout their careers, but they are aging and their better days are behind them.

First round pick Brian Orakpo will man the spot on passing downs, but will spend most of his time at strongside linebacker. The X-factor in this formula is Jeremy Jarmon, the team’s newest and youngest player. Jarmon, who was selected in the supplemental draft last week after an NCAA suspension, was a potential first-day pick in 2010, but the Redskins feel they got a bargain and a potential future starter at the position.

Jarmon’s progress will be critical for the team, as only one other end on the team’s camp roster has ever logged any playing time.

It all starts up front. For the 2009 Redskins, they are banking that their success starts with their defensive line.

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