Did we sacrifice depth?

[SkinsFreak]

One Clinton's injuries and defensive injuries had nothing to do with the oline not being able to pass block. Second, do you really think that guys like Kendall, Thomas, Rabach, and Jansen are going to stay healthier the older they get?

Kendall is on the free agent market and with the signing of Dockery, he most likely won't be back. Thomas was coming off a major injury and Rabach played much better than you are giving him credit for. Yes, Rabach had a few penalties that cost Portis a TD in one game specifically, but he didn't play that bad over the course of the year.

Of veteran center Casey Rabach: “He is one of the top players I have ever coached at his position. His preparation is impeccable. He knows the offense inside and out. He knows the defenses we’re playing inside and out.

"He’s a strong cog on our football team. He’s really a very quiet, unassuming leader.”

And further, they aren't going to replace 4/5's of the o-line in one year. We need a RT for this year and will look to get younger at center and RG if Rinehart doesn't pan out, although Buges said...

Chad Rinehart, the Redskins’ third-round draft pick last year, did not play as a rookie.

Bugel indicated that Rinehart showed signs of adjusting to the NFL game late in the season.

“I’m expecting a lot from him [in 2009],” Bugel said. “When we activated him toward the end of the season, the light bulb finally went on. The last 4-5 weeks of the season, he started perking up. He started realizing what the NFL is all about.

“He was coming from Northern Iowa and these college kids sometimes hit the wall in the NFL. With preseason, we play 20 games, and that’s twice what he played in college each year.”

Rinehart had to refine his technique and eliminate bad blocking habits before coaches feel comfortable putting him with the starting unit.

“He knows exactly what he needs to do to get ready for next year,” Bugel said.

[RayNAustin]

We have to address RT with round 1 or FA before the draft. We need a day 2 starter, as previously mentioned. We currently have NO ONE that can start RT. In addition to blades, Fincher was a pleasant surprise for LB; don't leave him out of the mix. Is he elite? No, but the LB corps are serviceable.

Given the complete absence of pressure from the D-line last year, along with how well the D performed overall, I'd say we have a VERY serviceable LB corps.

The addition of Haynesworth is going to pay dividends all over the field, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Taylor and Carter both register double digit sacks this year. We know Carter is capable of 10, and a healthy Taylor is too. This is some exciting stuff!!

Now we better forget about LB's and start thinking about our passing game. Maybe Campbell and next years 2nd rounder for the unhappy Cutler?

[SkinsJock]

We have to address RT with round 1 or FA before the draft. We need a day 2 starter, as previously mentioned. We currently have NO ONE that can start RT. In addition to blades, Fincher was a pleasant surprise for LB; don't leave him out of the mix. Is he elite? No, but the LB corps are serviceable.

Given the complete absence of pressure from the D-line last year, along with how well the D performed overall, I'd say we have a VERY serviceable LB corps.

The addition of Haynesworth is going to pay dividends all over the field, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Taylor and Carter both register double digit sacks this year. We know Carter is capable of 10, and a healthy Taylor is too. This is some exciting stuff!!

Now we better forget about LB's and start thinking about our passing game. Maybe Campbell and next years 2nd rounder for the unhappy Cutler?

I am excited but I am also concerned.

Our defense was not bad statistically but there were a number of times that the defense could not get the ball back OR stop the other team from scoring when we really needed them to - stats do not really reflect that.

Primarily this team needs to get the offensive line fixed both with better depth and younger players and we all know that will take more than this FA market and a draft of only 4 this year. We are going to be a work in progress on the offensive line for at least 2 years.

The QB is a huge concern to me - I think that Zorn came in and thought he could help but it did not look like much progress to me and I just do not think he's going to be very special.

We badly need a true #1 wideout - Moss is great but he's really a very good #2 - now we have to get a #1 OR hope that Thomas or Kelly can be a #1 - that is really a bit of a stretch right now also.

Now we have done some good things and we might get lucky with Fat Albert but realistically we are another year away and all this hype and over-spending is just that - it really has not proven to work because the 2 guys at the top have no idea - we need some football people making these wonderful moves and then we might have a team that is really worth getting excited about and not just another Snyder Fantasy team.

[yupchagee]

I'd go OLB or DE at 13. You can usually get a decent OG or RT in the 3rd round.

[VetSkinsFan]

Really good write up SF. Since I haven't been able to keep up with the draft, I was going off the of notion that a top 15 pick can more likely be an immediate contributor than an early 2nd day pick. The way you laod out your situations, they do lead to more scenarios that could help us out THIS year. Hopefully next year, I'll be able to dig a little more in to the draft/college market

[Chris Luva Luva]

And further, they aren't going to replace 4/5's of the o-line in one year. We need a RT for this year and will look to get younger at center and RG if Rinehart doesn't pan out, although Buges said...

I was just knocked for having faith in the kid. I hope he does pan out. I hope Heyer pans out too. That'll set us a lot further ahead than we planned to be.

[Skinsfan55]

A report from the Times has us mulling over the possibility of re-signing Washington, Daniels and Evans.

That'd give us a lot of depth IMO, and it would get Evans as close to starting as he can get, splitting time with Daniels. I like it.

[Chris Luva Luva]

A report from the Times has us mulling over the possibility of re-signing Washington, Daniels and Evans.

That'd give us a lot of depth IMO, and it would get Evans as close to starting as he can get, splitting time with Daniels. I like it.

I said in another thread that it'd make sense to bring both linemen back. Those guys will be cheap and healed up. We can ride them for another year or have them as backups. I felt that with the addition of Haynesworth it'd help Marcus's health.

[fleetus]

Plus, as depth, at backup level salaries, all three of those guys are great locker room veteran leaders.

Wonder why we couldn't trade Jason Taylor for a draft pick? Even a 5th or 6th rounder would seem possible given that there are currently a dozen or more teams all scrambling to deal for Taylor. We always seem to get the short end of the stick, value-wise...

[Chris Luva Luva]

Plus, as depth, at backup level salaries, all three of those guys are great locker room veteran leaders.

Wonder why we couldn't trade Jason Taylor for a draft pick? Even a 5th or 6th rounder would seem possible given that there are currently a dozen or more teams all scrambling to deal for Taylor. We always seem to get the short end of the stick, value-wise...

Wouldn't that team have to inherit his salary? I'd see that as a major reason why.

[fleetus]

Plus, as depth, at backup level salaries, all three of those guys are great locker room veteran leaders.

Wonder why we couldn't trade Jason Taylor for a draft pick? Even a 5th or 6th rounder would seem possible given that there are currently a dozen or more teams all scrambling to deal for Taylor. We always seem to get the short end of the stick, value-wise...

Wouldn't that team have to inherit his salary? I'd see that as a major reason why.

Sure maybe, but the alternative is Taylor is now on the open market. I bet if Snyder had put feelers out, a team or two would have paid a low pick for exclusive rights to renegotiate that contract. In the short time that it took Snyder to dump Taylor, I doubt he even gave it a try.

[Countertrey]

I bet if Snyder had put feelers out, a team or two would have paid a low pick for exclusive rights to renegotiate that contract. In the short time that it took Snyder to dump Taylor, I doubt he even gave it a try.

You have no idea whether he did or didn't. Taylor made it perfectly clear that he had no intention of renegotiating his contract. That's a problem for any coach or GM who might have interest. We've been expecting Snyder to dump Taylor for several weeks now. You don't wonder why it didn't happen until now?

[KazooSkinsFan]

And further, they aren't going to replace 4/5's of the o-line in one year. We need a RT for this year and will look to get younger at center and RG if Rinehart doesn't pan out, although Buges said...

I was just knocked for having faith in the kid. I hope he does pan out. I hope Heyer pans out too. That'll set us a lot further ahead than we planned to be.

Too many on the site have absurd expectations from rookies. In the business world, few first year kids do anything significant except learn. We put the time in to train them because of the investment not what they produce. The NFL everyone is big, strong, fast. You need intelligence and experience. Some rookies succeed by being situational performers their first year where they don't have to know all the ins and outs of the position they are playing, just what to do in that situation. A few are gifted enough to play an actual position, probably tons of mistakes are accepted by the coaching staff as the price for playing them.

Then when they start to play well in the second or third year, still the naive say things like, look, we should have been playing them all along! No, they are playing better BECAUSE they spent the time LEARNING to position. Rinehart was a rookie third round pick, don't sweat it. This and next year will start to tell if he has a future with us or not.

[VetSkinsFan]

And further, they aren't going to replace 4/5's of the o-line in one year. We need a RT for this year and will look to get younger at center and RG if Rinehart doesn't pan out, although Buges said...

I was just knocked for having faith in the kid. I hope he does pan out. I hope Heyer pans out too. That'll set us a lot further ahead than we planned to be.

Too many on the site have absurd expectations from rookies. In the business world, few first year kids do anything significant except learn. We put the time in to train them because of the investment not what they produce. The NFL everyone is big, strong, fast. You need intelligence and experience. Some rookies succeed by being situational performers their first year where they don't have to know all the ins and outs of the position they are playing, just what to do in that situation. A few are gifted enough to play an actual position, probably tons of mistakes are accepted by the coaching staff as the price for playing them.

Then when they start to play well in the second or third year, still the naive say things like, look, we should have been playing them all along! No, they are playing better BECAUSE they spent the time LEARNING to position. Rinehart was a rookie third round pick, don't sweat it. This and next year will start to tell if he has a future with us or not.

VEry good points, Kazoo...