Why No Defensive Line Drafts?

[JimAmy2005]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

[GSPODS]

A lot of people are wondering that. It must mean either the Redskins weren't impressed with who was available, or they felt they had bigger needs, or they have another plan of action, whether it be UDFA's or otherwise.

[tj123456]

we did DE rob jackson our first 7th round pick...

[CanesSkins26]

we did DE rob jackson our first 7th round pick...

He's not much of a pass rusher and isn't an upgrade over what we currently have.

[SCSkinsFan]

Golston & Montgomery both added significant pounds prior to training camp last year. Maybe Chris Wilson will show up weighing 285 lbs.

[VetSkinsFan]

I'm not comfortable with these "pass rush specialists." We need two every down ends and we currently have 1. As stated, previously, Chris Wilson needs to bulk up or some other course of action or we're going be lacking this year at the end. Daniels is too far past his prime to play full time end.

[CanesSkins26]

I'm not comfortable with these "pass rush specialists." We need two every down ends and we currently have 1. As stated, previously, Chris Wilson needs to bulk up or some other course of action or we're going be lacking this year at the end. Daniels is too far past his prime to play full time end.

Not only that, but if either Daniels or Carter get injured we're in big trouble because we no depth at that position.

[jazzskins]

Well, we could have done what the Jaguars did. We could have traded way up and reached for a guy (Harvey) then later drafted a guy who doesn't translate to our system (Groves) just because we felt that we needed pass rushers and they were the only ones available.

But, If we did that we would have left the WR's on the board and people would have complained about that as well.

Instead we took what fell to us. We didn't address every need but we are a better and younger team now!

[CanesSkins26]

As I posted in the draft thread, I just hope that not drafting any defensive linemen doesn't mean that we're planning on going after Jason Taylor.

[yupchagee]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

A lot of things have me The only way this draft makes sense to me is if there are some trades in the works, or we plan to play a lot of 4 WR 2 TE formations this yr. If not, we used 2 2nd rnd picks on situational players who are unlikely to start for many yrs, if ever.

[CanesSkins26]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

A lot of things have me The only way this draft makes sense to me is if there are some trades in the works, or we plan to play a lot of 4 WR 2 TE formations this yr. If not, we used 2 2nd rnd picks on situational players who are unlikely to start for many yrs, if ever.

At first I thought that taking 2 receivers was excessive, but I think it makes a lot of sense. ARE tries hard and all, but he's not much of a receiver. Hopefully both Thomas and Kelly can pass him on the depth chart sometime this season. The tight end pick is a bit of a head scratcher and a defensive lineman probably would've been a better pick, but Davis is a stud and at least this gives JC some weapons. It's the 2nd day picks that don't make much sense to me.

[PMG12569]

Boris....bring me the receivers....yessssss

.....coming master

[skinsfan#33]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

A lot of things have me The only way this draft makes sense to me is if there are some trades in the works, or we plan to play a lot of 4 WR 2 TE formations this yr. If not, we used 2 2nd rnd picks on situational players who are unlikely to start for many yrs, if ever.

At first I thought that taking 2 receivers was excessive, but I think it makes a lot of sense. ARE tries hard and all, but he's not much of a receiver. Hopefully both Thomas and Kelly can pass him on the depth chart sometime this season. The tight end pick is a bit of a head scratcher and a defensive lineman probably would've been a better pick, but Davis is a stud and at least this gives JC some weapons. It's the 2nd day picks that don't make much sense to me.

It really baffles me why so many people are hard on ARE, but defend Pete Kendall. ARE defiantely had a better season last year than Kendall, but people just want to talk bad about ARE!

Was ARE great? No! but he was good (solid at worst), while Kendall was solid at best.

The guy everyone should be hoping is good enough to start, is Rinehart!

[crazyhorse1]

we did DE rob jackson our first 7th round pick...

He's not much of a pass rusher and isn't an upgrade over what we currently have.

Far from being an upgrade, I can't see him making the team.

[crazyhorse1]

As I posted in the draft thread, I just hope that not drafting any defensive linemen doesn't mean that we're planning on going after Jason Taylor.

My guess is that the deal or one like it is more or less made. Otherwise, what we've done makes less than obvious sense.

[crazyhorse1]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

A lot of things have me The only way this draft makes sense to me is if there are some trades in the works, or we plan to play a lot of 4 WR 2 TE formations this yr. If not, we used 2 2nd rnd picks on situational players who are unlikely to start for many yrs, if ever.

At first I thought that taking 2 receivers was excessive, but I think it makes a lot of sense. ARE tries hard and all, but he's not much of a receiver. Hopefully both Thomas and Kelly can pass him on the depth chart sometime this season. The tight end pick is a bit of a head scratcher and a defensive lineman probably would've been a better pick, but Davis is a stud and at least this gives JC some weapons. It's the 2nd day picks that don't make much sense to me.

It really baffles me why so many people are hard on ARE, but defend Pete Kendall. ARE defiantely had a better season last year than Kendall, but people just want to talk bad about ARE!

Was ARE great? No! but he was good (solid at worst), while Kendall was solid at best.

The guy everyone should be hoping is good enough to start, is Rinehart!

We can all hope that, but the chances are zip. I sniff some trades on the way. Either that, or we're going to throw 80% of the time.

[HEROHAMO]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

A lot of things have me The only way this draft makes sense to me is if there are some trades in the works, or we plan to play a lot of 4 WR 2 TE formations this yr. If not, we used 2 2nd rnd picks on situational players who are unlikely to start for many yrs, if ever.

Well we drafted one DE out of Kansas St. WE will see how good he is.

[VetSkinsFan]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

A lot of things have me The only way this draft makes sense to me is if there are some trades in the works, or we plan to play a lot of 4 WR 2 TE formations this yr. If not, we used 2 2nd rnd picks on situational players who are unlikely to start for many yrs, if ever.

At first I thought that taking 2 receivers was excessive, but I think it makes a lot of sense. ARE tries hard and all, but he's not much of a receiver. Hopefully both Thomas and Kelly can pass him on the depth chart sometime this season. The tight end pick is a bit of a head scratcher and a defensive lineman probably would've been a better pick, but Davis is a stud and at least this gives JC some weapons. It's the 2nd day picks that don't make much sense to me.

It really baffles me why so many people are hard on ARE, but defend Pete Kendall. ARE defiantely had a better season last year than Kendall, but people just want to talk bad about ARE!

Was ARE great? No! but he was good (solid at worst), while Kendall was solid at best.

The guy everyone should be hoping is good enough to start, is Rinehart!

Well, JG and co thought that the tandem of Kendall/Samuels was better than whoever happened to be healthy at the opposite side. Funny that none of the articles I've read in the past year condemn Kendall yet you, the arm chair GM, have deemed him unworthy of donning a Redskins uniform.

[GSPODS]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

A lot of things have me The only way this draft makes sense to me is if there are some trades in the works, or we plan to play a lot of 4 WR 2 TE formations this yr. If not, we used 2 2nd rnd picks on situational players who are unlikely to start for many yrs, if ever.

At first I thought that taking 2 receivers was excessive, but I think it makes a lot of sense. ARE tries hard and all, but he's not much of a receiver. Hopefully both Thomas and Kelly can pass him on the depth chart sometime this season. The tight end pick is a bit of a head scratcher and a defensive lineman probably would've been a better pick, but Davis is a stud and at least this gives JC some weapons. It's the 2nd day picks that don't make much sense to me.

It really baffles me why so many people are hard on ARE, but defend Pete Kendall. ARE defiantely had a better season last year than Kendall, but people just want to talk bad about ARE!

Was ARE great? No! but he was good (solid at worst), while Kendall was solid at best.

The guy everyone should be hoping is good enough to start, is Rinehart!

Well, JG and co thought that the tandem of Kendall/Samuels was better than whoever happened to be healthy at the opposite side. Funny that none of the articles I've read in the past year condemn Kendall yet you, the arm chair GM, have deemed him unworthy of donning a Redskins uniform.

This is a ridiculous discussion topic. You could have taken Steve Hutchinson, Alan Faneca, or Russ Grimm in his prime and any of them would have struggled last season. Linemen count on the linemen on either side of them to all be on the same page with blcking schemes. When a team replaces 3/5ths of the line, every lineman is on his own page. Linemen have to play together for at least a full season. Even the Hogs had to play together for more than one season before they were "The Hogs."

[Snout]

I have to admit that my heart sank when I saw that we drafted so many receivers withour second round picks. I wanted to bulk up on linemen in the early rounds, but instead we drafted a bunch of skinny guys.

I understand the logic of going for the best player available regardless of needs, but in truth drafting receivers and quarterbacks is a crapshoot. To some extent that is true of all positions, but it is really true for QBs and WRs.

I could care less how fast these guys ran the 40 in the workouts -- what I really care about is whether they have the mental toughness and the mindset it takes to succeed. We won't know the answer to that for a long time.

In the meanwhile I will be skeptical of what all the draft critics have to say, whether positive (Kiper) or beyond-the-bounds-of-reason outrageously negative (Boswell).

[Fios]

Thomas Boswell was a so-so columnist yesterday and he still is today, his opinion is just that. Remember, the well is beyond poisoned in the Redskins-Post relationship and regardless of who is to blame for that, it has and will continue to influence the way that paper covers the Redskins.

[CanesSkins26]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

A lot of things have me The only way this draft makes sense to me is if there are some trades in the works, or we plan to play a lot of 4 WR 2 TE formations this yr. If not, we used 2 2nd rnd picks on situational players who are unlikely to start for many yrs, if ever.

At first I thought that taking 2 receivers was excessive, but I think it makes a lot of sense. ARE tries hard and all, but he's not much of a receiver. Hopefully both Thomas and Kelly can pass him on the depth chart sometime this season. The tight end pick is a bit of a head scratcher and a defensive lineman probably would've been a better pick, but Davis is a stud and at least this gives JC some weapons. It's the 2nd day picks that don't make much sense to me.

It really baffles me why so many people are hard on ARE, but defend Pete Kendall. ARE defiantely had a better season last year than Kendall, but people just want to talk bad about ARE!

Was ARE great? No! but he was good (solid at worst), while Kendall was solid at best.

The guy everyone should be hoping is good enough to start, is Rinehart!

Well, JG and co thought that the tandem of Kendall/Samuels was better than whoever happened to be healthy at the opposite side. Funny that none of the articles I've read in the past year condemn Kendall yet you, the arm chair GM, have deemed him unworthy of donning a Redskins uniform.

IMO, the problem with Kendall is his knees not necessarily his talent. His knees caused him to miss significant practice time last season and even some game time. I agree with that skinsfan#33 that he needs to be replaced, only for a different reason.

[SkinsFreak]

It appears they were trying to get d-line guys, but the players they were targeting were snatched up before we were able to get them.

Prior to the NFL Draft, Redskins team officials had identified defensive line as a need position.

With Phillip Daniels turning 35, it was thought that the team needed to infuse some more youth at the position.

To everyone's surprise, the Redskins came out of the draft with just one defensive lineman: Rob Jackson of Kansas State in the seventh round.

So what happened?

Turns out the Redskins tried several times to draft a defensive lineman, but the player they had targeted was snatched up right before they picked.

"There were two occasions where, right before we picked, a [defensive lineman] we earmarked went right off the board," head coach Jim Zorn said. "So we had to go to our next choice. That is the way it is in the draft. There are 31 other teams picking. It's a situation that no one can predict."

Zorn was asked if there was any disappointment about losing out on the defensive linemen they had targeted.

"Not disappointed, because that really is the way the draft went for us," he replied.

Executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said the team would sign two undrafted free agent defensive ends this week.

Marcus Washington (Don Wright Photo)
Cerrato has said the team likes the combination of Andre Carter at right defensive end and Phillip Daniels, Marcus Washington and Chris Wilson rotating at left defensive end.

Carter had 10.5 sacks last season. Washington and Wilson replaced Daniels on third downs and combined for nine sacks.

It appears that rotation at left defensive end will return in 2008.

"With defensive line, the thing about it is, you have to get them early," Cerrato said. "When we got to the fifth and sixth rounds, you look and say, 'All right, does that guy have a chance to make the team, or is it better to take a guy who has a chance to make the team?'

"We brought [defensive coordinator] Greg Blache in and asked, 'What do you think?' He said, 'No, take those other positions first.'"

[skinsfan#33]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

A lot of things have me The only way this draft makes sense to me is if there are some trades in the works, or we plan to play a lot of 4 WR 2 TE formations this yr. If not, we used 2 2nd rnd picks on situational players who are unlikely to start for many yrs, if ever.

At first I thought that taking 2 receivers was excessive, but I think it makes a lot of sense. ARE tries hard and all, but he's not much of a receiver. Hopefully both Thomas and Kelly can pass him on the depth chart sometime this season. The tight end pick is a bit of a head scratcher and a defensive lineman probably would've been a better pick, but Davis is a stud and at least this gives JC some weapons. It's the 2nd day picks that don't make much sense to me.

It really baffles me why so many people are hard on ARE, but defend Pete Kendall. ARE defiantely had a better season last year than Kendall, but people just want to talk bad about ARE!

Was ARE great? No! but he was good (solid at worst), while Kendall was solid at best.

The guy everyone should be hoping is good enough to start, is Rinehart!

Well, JG and co thought that the tandem of Kendall/Samuels was better than whoever happened to be healthy at the opposite side. Funny that none of the articles I've read in the past year condemn Kendall yet you, the arm chair GM, have deemed him unworthy of donning a Redskins uniform.

I agree that the left side of the line was better than the right, but that will not be true this year, unless Thomas gets hurt again.

I never said that I didn't want Kendall in a Skins uni! I just hope we end up having someone better to start. And would be happy with Kendall as a backup (really happy!)

[yupchagee]

Just wondering why we did not draft any Pass Rusher Prospects? I am glad to see the WR's but do not understand 2 Safeties and no Pass Rushers. Anyone have any ideas?

A lot of things have me The only way this draft makes sense to me is if there are some trades in the works, or we plan to play a lot of 4 WR 2 TE formations this yr. If not, we used 2 2nd rnd picks on situational players who are unlikely to start for many yrs, if ever.

Well we drafted one DE out of Kansas St. WE will see how good he is.

Based on both his measurables & college production, probably not very.