As another NFL season approaches, Scouts Inc. breaks down every roster and offers position-by-position breakdowns.
Quarterbacks
With Patrick Ramsey coming off a season-ending injury, and head coach Joe Gibbs coming off an 11-year retirement, Washington felt it needed to bring in a veteran quarterback during the 2004 offseason. As a result, it traded a third-round pick to acquire Mark Brunell from Jacksonville.
Unfortunately for Redskins' fans, Brunell had the worst season of his career and Gibbs replaced him with Ramsey in mid-November. Ramsey performed well enough for Gibbs to name him the starter heading into the 2005 season, effectively quieting any rumors about a possible quarterback controversy during the offseason. However, there are a couple of potential problems here.
Ramsey may not be the long term answer, as he loses the strike zone too much and holds onto the ball too long at times. Look at the Redskins last two offseasons and their actions don't seem to reflect a lot of confidence in him. After all, they traded for Brunell last year and drafted Jason Campbell in the first round of this year's draft.
The second potential pitfall is Brunell believes he can still play at a high level and wants to start. It's unknown how he'll react if Ramsey struggles early. In addition, Campbell needs to work on his ability to read defenses and isn't expected to push for playing until his second season at the earliest, so it's unlikely he sees the field.
The problem is fans generally aren't patient and they could put a lot of pressure on the team to play Campbell, especially considering Brunell's poor showing last year. Keeping that in mind, a quarterback controversy could develop quickly despite Gibbs publicly putting his faith in Ramsey.
Running backs
After averaging five and a half yards per carry in each of his first two seasons, Clinton Portis averaged less than four yards per carry in his first season with Washington. Putting him in a position to make more big plays is a priority, and one of the ways the staff is expected to help Portis is simplifying the offense. Portis can be overaggressive at times and often appeared to hit the hole too quickly last year.
The Redskins are expected to run less motion, use fewer shifts and tweak their blocking schemes. This should eliminate some of the mistakes that hurt this team last year and help blockers get into position.
If the changes have the desired effect Portis, who is just one of three running backs in league history to record over 1,500 yards rushing in each of his first two seasons, could have a big year. However, the lack of a consistent passing game allowed defenses to stack the line of scrimmage with eight-men, and they will do the same this year if Washington's quarterbacks don't keep them honest.
Backup Ladell Betts isn't much of a homerun threat, but is quick enough to turn the corner and runs with good power. He's also a reliable receiver out of the backfield. Getting him more touches would help keeping Portis fresher so he could play a bigger role this year. Rock Cartwright carried the ball just two times last year, and 2005 seventh-round pick Nehemiah Broughton could push him for the No. 3 role.
Fullbacks
The Redskins use H-Backs rather than fullbacks. An H-Back is basically a hybrid tight end/fullback and versatility is essential, making Chris
ey a good fit. ey can line up in the backfield, at tight end and out wide. He is a relentless blocker and reliable possession receiver. He steadily progressed over the course of his rookie season last year. In fact, the Redskins' coaching staff is expected to get him more involved in the passing game this year.
Backup Michael Sellers isn't as athletic as
ey, and offers little as a receiver, but is a powerful lead blocker who plays with a mean streak. 2005 fourth-round pick Manuel White should provide quality depth and could even push Sellers for playing time. White, who lined up at fullback during his collegiate career, isn't big enough to line up at tight end at this point. However, he is the best runner of the three and catches the ball well.
Wide Receivers
This unit underwent a facelift during the offseason. Washington traded Laveranues Coles to the Jets for Santana Moss, gave Rod Gardner permission to seek a trade and signed free agents David Patten and Kevin Dyson. The problem is the moves may not significantly improve a passing game that finished 29th in the league last year.
MossWhile both receivers were unhappy with their situations, and the Moss-Coles trade makes sense in that regard, Coles has better size and career numbers than Moss. With that said, Moss is a playmaker and the Redskins will look to get the ball into hands as much as possible.
Gardner remains on the roster at this point, but a resolution to his problem with the team is highly unlikely and the Redskins will likely cut him if they can't trade him. Patten, who has excellent speed and is coming off a strong season, is expected to replace him. The problem is he may not be much of an upgrade. Now that Patten is a No. 2 receiver, he'll work against No. 2 corners and his production will likely drop.
Darnerien McCants is expected to win the No. 3 job, and could even push for Patten for playing time, but needs to show significant progress during training camp. McCants had problems picking up the offense last year and appeared in just five games. Thrash and Dyson, if he can stay healthy, should provide good depth as the No. 4 and 5 respectively.
Tight End
This is an area of concern heading into the season. Robert Royal is a relentless blocker and is developing into a productive red zone target, but is a marginal starter at best. He lacks the lower body strength to push the pile in the running game and lacks the burst to separate from man coverage.
There isn't much depth behind him, as Washington signed free agents Billy Baber and Jabari Holloway during the offseason. Keeping the situation here in mind, look for
ey and Sellers to frequently line up at tight end.
Offensive line
The return of ROT Jon Jansen from an Achilles tendon injury that forced him to miss the entire 2004 season, and the signing of OC Casey Rabach, should give this unit a much-needed boost. Jansen plays with a mean streak and is one of the best run blockers in the league.
Updated: July 20, 2005, 10:14 AM ET
Gibbs placing faith in Ramsey (Cont.)
Rabach rarely loses a battle once in position and should be an upgrade over last year's starter, Cory Raymer. The good news doesn't stop there either, as LOT Chris Samuels signed a new seven-year contract during the offeason. Samuels isn't a dominant drive blocker, but flashes the ability to get movement in the running game, and has the athletic ability to consistently hold up on an island in pass protection.
At guard, Derrick Dockery will line up on the left side and Randy Thomas will line up on the right side. Dockery and Thomas don't always play with sound technique, but are tenacious and almost always find a way to get the job done. If all five starters can stay healthy and gel quickly, this could be one of the better offensive lines in the league. In addition, the return of Jansen and the signing of Rabach allow Raymer and Brown to move into backup roles where they should provide quality depth.
Defensive line
Although his effort and intensity has been questioned in the past, DT Cornelius Griffin was a force in his first season with the Redskins last year and is young enough to continue to get better. Griffin has the explosive first step to shoot gaps, sheds blocks quickly and is an effective tackler.
Brandon Noble is expected to start opposite Griffin. Noble doesn't have great closing speed and isn't going to make many big plays, but plays with good leverage, has good lower body strength and is stout against the run. No. 3 Joe Salave'a started 11games last year and provides excellent depth. He is relentless in pursuit and always seems to be around the ball at the end of the play.
The Redskins failed to make any significant additions at defensive end, despite the fact that Griffin is the only defensive linemen who finished with more than four sacks last year. However, it shouldn't come as that big of a shock because they blitz so much. In addition, the hope is RDE Phillip Daniels, who missed 11 games with wrist and groin injuries last year, will be able to stay healthy, and his presence in the lineup should improve this unit.
Daniels lacks ideal quickness and speed, but shows a variety of pass rush moves and defends the run well. Renaldo Wynn, who is expected to start opposite Daniels, possesses a rare combination of size and speed. If he continues to improve as he did last year, he should develop into a quality starter this year. Demetric Evans and Ron Warner filled for Daniels nicely last year and provide good depth.
Linebackers
The departure of Antonio Pierce through free agency has created a void in the middle, and it's unclear who is going to step up and fill it. Lemar Marshall, who started 14 games last year, free-agent-signing Warrick Holdman, 2005 fifth-round pick Robert McCune and Mike Barrow all have a chance to win the job. The front runners appear to be Holdman and Marshall, because McCune probably won't be ready to push for playing time until his second season and Barrow has had problems staying healthy.
Holdman and Marshall both possess good combinations of range and athletic ability, but they are both undersized and struggle when teams consistently run at them. WLB LaVar Arrington missed 11 games with a knee injury that required two surgeries to repair, but is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season at this point.
Gibbs placing faith in Ramsey (Cont.)
That's a scary thought for opposing offenses, considering how strong this defense was without him in the lineup last year. Arrington sheds blocks quickly, has sideline-to-sideline range and rushes the quarterback well. He is one of the best in the league when he's healthy.
Pro Bowl SLB Marcus Washington is arguably coming off the best season of his career, and should be even more productive playing opposite Arrington, who will draw some attention away from him. Washington is an explosive pass rusher, relentless in pursuit and always seems to be around the ball at the end of the play. However, there would be a substantial drop off in talent should either starter miss significant time.
Defensive Backs
The biggest concern here is the future of second-year FS Sean Taylor. Taylor is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison if convicted on charges of pointing a gun at a person during a dispute in June. While it's unlikely the trial concludes before the end of the regular season, it's expected to start the day after the Redskins open the regular season against Chicago.
TaylorTaylor possesses a rare combination of size, range and athletic ability, but his focus has been questioned in the past and it's hard to believe this case won't be a distraction. The Redskins have improved the depth behind him by adding free agents Pierson Prioleau and Tony Dixon. Both have starting experience and are capable of stepping into the lineup in an emergency. However, they aren't difference makers like Taylor.
Matt Bowen and Ryan Clark are expected to compete for the starting strong safety job. Bowen is more experienced and rarely gets caught out of position, but is an inconsistent tackler and sustained a season-ending knee injury last year. Although Clark lacks ideal athletic ability, he played well in Bowens' absence last year.
The reason Taylor's situation is more of a worry than 2005 first-round pick DC Carlos Rogers' foot injury, is Rogers isn't expected to start. Washington doesn't want to risk hurting Rogers' confidence by throwing him into the starting lineup too early.
In addition, Rogers is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. Walt Harris is expected to line up opposite Shawn Springs at the start of the season. Harris doesn't have Rogers' natural ability and should eventually move to the nickel back role, but rarely makes mistakes or gives up the big play. He's more than capable of holding down the fort while Rogers gets comfortable with the defense.
Special teams
PK John Hall missed five games with a groin injury during the middle of the season last year and while he returned to the lineup, he sustained a season-ending quadriceps injury in December. Washington released Ola Kimrin once Hall was cleared to play in late November, so it signed Jeff Chandler after placing him on injured reserve.
Chandler, who connected on five of his six field goal attempts, performed well enough to earn an opportunity to compete with Hall. However, Hall should get the nod if he's healthy. He has the leg strength to connect on long range field goal attempts, handles pressure well and gets good distance on his kickoffs.
P Tom Tupa gets rid of the ball quickly and has good hang time on his kicks. He is also accurate and can pin opposing teams deep, but he is 39 years old and doesn't have ideal leg strength. The Redskins signed undrafted rookie free agent Andy Groom to give Tupa some competition during training camp as a result. Although Groom is fundamentally sound and has a powerful leg, he out-kicks the coverage at times and needs to have an impressive training camp to move ahead of Tupa on the depth chart.
After losing Chad Morton to a season-ending knee injury, Ladell Betts retuned kickoffs and performed so well that Washington terminated Morton's contract during the offseason. While Betts lacks breakaway speed, he possesses good combination of size and quickness.
PR Moss has the elusiveness to make multiple defenders miss and shows a second gear once he locates a seam. He is always a threat to go the distance and has returned two punts for touchdowns during his career. In addition, DC Rogers is explosive and has the elusiveness to make multiple defenders miss, so look for the Redskins to get him involved in the return game as well.
Coaching
Expectations were high when owner Dan Snyder named Joe Gibbs head coach in January of 2004. After all, the Redskins won three Super Bowls under Gibbs, who was the team's head coach from 1981 until 1992. Unfortunately for Washington fans, those expectations proved too high, as the team finished with a 6-10 record last year.
Gibbs is a former offensive coordinator who stresses the importance of preparation and believes in controlling the clock with the power running game. However, Gibb's willingness to tweak his schemes is somewhat underrated and he is expected to be more aggressive on offense this year.
Don Breaux is listed as the team's offensive coordinator and it's important not to undervalue his 24 years of NFL coaching experience. However, Gibbs does most of the play-calling and assistant head coach Joe Bugel contributes to the game planning, so the title is somewhat misleading.
It's also worth mentioning that the Redskins named Bill Musgrave, Jacksonville's offensive coordinator the past two seasons, quarterback coach during the offseason. Musgrave has extensive experience in the West Coast offense and Gibbs is hoping he can implement certain components of it into the offense.
The situation on defense is similar. Greg Blache is an experienced NFL coach who is listed as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach, but assistant head coach Gregg Williams runs the defense. While Williams' tenure as Buffalo's head coach ended unceremoniously after the 2003 season, the outstanding job he did last year reaffirms his standing as one of the sharpest defensive minds in the league.
The Redskins finished third in total defense last year, compared to 23rd in 2003 and the pass rush finished ninth in the league with 40 sacks, despite the fact they lacked a dominant pas rusher up front.
Special teams' coordinator Danny Smith has coached tight ends and defensive backs, as well as special teams. He is coming off his first season with Washington and it was a disappointing start, as he needs to get more out of his cover and his return units. However, it's important to note that injuries played a role.
