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The Redskins thought they
could spend their way into a
championship and now its coming
back to bite them. A playoff
team last year, the Redskins are
now selecting in the top 10.
Even with such a high pick, it
is not going to be easy to right
this ship, as their third-round
pick is going to Denver in the
T.J. Duckett deal and their
fourth-round pick is headed to
San Francisco to finish off the
Brandon Lloyd trade. No matter
how much of an offensive genius
your coordinator is, if you
don't play any defense you
simply become the Chiefs of the
last few years.
Defensive Backs: The
biggest off-season concern the
Washington Redskins have is the
cornerback position. They are
ranked 23rd in the league
against the pass, but an even
more glaring statistic is the 30
passing touchdowns they gave up
in 2006. That is four more than
any other team in the league.
Shawn
Springs is now into his
thirties, and the team will look
to find depth for now and the
future. Carlos Rogers is young
and still learning the game at
the NFL level, but overall, the
pass defense hasn’t lived up to
expectations. Selecting
sixth overall, they will have
their choice of available
corners. Finding a young corner
to pair with Rogers is a
priority for the future of this
defense.
Another reason for poor play
from the secondary this year is
that safety Adam Archuleta
wasn't even in the lineup.
Brought in as a free agent to
play along side SS Sean Taylor,
the Redskins threw $10 million
in guarantees at him, bringing
his yearly salary to around $5
million. What the Redskins were
thinking no one knows as
Archuleta’s style of play, is to
be an in-the-box hard hitting
safety, isn't even what the
skins were looking for. They
wanted to change him into a
coverage safety and that just
doesn't suit him at all. Without
a spot for him on the field,
money is being wasted.
Defensive Line: To
help the secondary, the Redskins
need to get more of a pass rush.
Andre Carter is adequate,
totaling 6.5 sacks this year,
but an upgrade is needed
opposite him. Phillip Daniels is
entering his 12th season in the
league, will be 34 when training
camp opens up, and just does not
have the quickness anymore to
get to the quarterback. With no
evident successor on the current
roster, the draft seems to be
the likely way to address the
issue
A
talent upgrade at defensive end
will give the Redskins much
needed improvement for the
attack in the trenches. Andre
Carter is not consistent enough
in applying pressure, and on the
right side, Phillip Daniels will
be thirty-four and has also not
impressed with his play. The
defense as a whole will be aided
by the addition of quality
talent here.
Linebacker: Lemar Marshall
has been solid in the middle,
but the thirty-year old is not
the answer for the future, and
Washington will look to add a
young play-maker that can hold
down the position for years to
come
Offensive Line:
Considered a weak spot for
Washington coming into the
season, the offensive line
markedly improved over the
course of the season, turning
into one of the few bright
spots. Each of the two starting
tackles are in their 30s and the
position needs to get younger.
Since immediate replacements are
not required, look for the
Redskins to find a young player
they like in the draft and bring
him along slowly.
Wide Receiver: Last
year the Skins brought in
Brandon Lloyd from the 49ers for
3rd and 4th-round draft picks,
and then signed him to a
multi-year deal. But
underproduction on the field
(less than 400 yards receiving,
0 TDs) and clashes with head
coach Joe Gibbs might signal his
end in D.C.. Antwan Randle El is
a fine return man and great in
the slot, but is not an
every-down receiver. Washington
will again need to find a guy to
run with Santana Moss
Notes: With all the
money the Redskins are dishing
out, you would figure they could
buy some sense; the Skins need
to start shedding overpriced
players and spending free agent
dollars wisely instead of trying
to make a big splash.
Washington Redskins Free Agency
Notes: Always
aggressive in free agency, expect the Redskins to quickly pursue and overpay for
a cornerback, a linebacker, and perhaps a safety and a defensive lineman to help
rebuild a defense that ranked 31st last season. CB Nate Clements and LB London
Fletcher are among expected targets. Offense looks OK except (again) at the No.
2 receiver spot - 2006 free agent signing Brandon Lloyd has so far been a bust.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS:
G Derrick Dockery; LB Warrick Holdman; RB T.J. Duckett; CBs Kenny Wright and Ade
Jimoh; S Vernon Fox; TEs Brian Kozlowski and Todd Yoder; T Todd Wade.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS:
P Derrick Frost; T Jim Molinaro; DT Ryan Boschetti
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