The Road To '09: Redskins

In my continuing series on the NFL offseason, I make a stop in Washington with Daniel Snyder and the Redskins. Here are five questions the ‘Skins must answer before the 2009 season and a rundown on some of their draft picks from our resident draft expert, Wes Bunting.

Click HERE to read about the Dallas Cowboys.

The Road To ’09: Washington Redskins

1. Can quarterback Jason Campbell produce in ‘09?

Campbell steps into the huddle after dealing with trade rumors all offseason -- first for quarterback Jay Cutler in March, then in April, when the ‘Skins and owner Dan Snyder were rumored to have an interest in USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Neither of those deals materialized, and now Campbell — who has one year left on his contract — has everything to prove.

This is a luxury of sorts for Campbell, who will run the same offense for the second year in a row under head coach Jim Zorn. But there are skeptics who question how effective he can be in a west coast system. His offensive line is questionable at best, and his wide receivers — outside of Santana Moss — need to be more productive. I like Campbell as a quarterback, I like the way he throws the ball, and I think he’s due to have a solid season.

This is Campbell’s show to run, but he’s going to need everyone’s help on offense to prove to Snyder and the fans that he belongs in D.C. This is the most important season in his career, and he most likely will be playing for a new contract with a new team, because we all know that Snyder will resume looking for his replacement next spring.

2. Do the ‘Skins need to cut back on Clinton Portis’ workload?

Without a doubt.

Through the first half of the ’08 season, Portis racked up five 100-yard rushing days, the Skins were 6-2, and he was being mentioned in the discussion for MVP. But over the last eight games, Portis broke the 100-yard mark just once and the team limped to the end of the season.

Portis runs hard, is tough and plays like a power back — but he isn’t built like one. For the ‘Skins to expect some production from him in November and December, they need to limit his carries and try and reduce his workload by getting back-up running back Ladell Betts more involved in the offense.

Last season, Portis carried the ball 342 times compared to Betts’ 61 carries. I agree that Portis can handle the workload for a No. 1 back, but the gap in carries between the two is too large and it showed down the stretch. When I played with Clinton in Washington, I saw firsthand how he can put an entire team on his back in December, but to do that, Zorn will have to scale back on the number of touches he gets the first two months of the season.

The ‘Skins need a fresh Portis if they want a chance to compete with the rest of the NFC East in December.

3. Is the defense underrated?

This is a good question because when we talk defense in this league, it usually centers on the Ravens and Steelers. And when we talk defense in the NFC East, it usually centers on the Cowboys, Eagles and Giants.

Well, what about Washington?

In 2008, the Redskins finished fourth in the NFL in total defense, giving up 288 yards a game. They were sixth in total points allowed (18.5), seventh against the pass (193.4) and eighth against the run (95.4). Folks, those are impressive numbers.

But the ‘Skins still had trouble generating a pass rush, getting to the quarterback only 24 times last season.

We all know that Snyder paid a huge amount of coin to bring in Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth from Tennessee, then selected Texas’ Brian Orakpo with the 13^th pick of the first round in last month’s draft, but is it enough? Washington needs to get to the quarterback — especially in division games — and as good as this defense is statistically, if you don’t pressure the quarterback, you don’t win.

Can Orakpo and Haynesworth change this, and will it lead to more turnovers in the secondary? Greg Blache is one of the top coordinators in the game, but he needs to find ways to get his players to the quarterback so we can see cornerback Fred Smoot high stepping down the sidelines — because pressure enables the rest of your defense to make plays.

This defense is very good, and I think it will surprise the rest of the division in ’09 — if they can create havoc in the pocket.

4. Can WRs Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly provide any production?

As I wrote above, the Redskins need to get some production from the wide receiver position besides Santana Moss, and a lot is expected from last year’s second-round draft picks, Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly — two rookies who apparently took the year off.

I’ve stated before that rookie wide receivers in this league always struggle, but Thomas and Kelly have no excuses left. It’s time to play like professionals.

In ’08, Thomas had 15 receptions for 120 yards, while Kelly finished with only three for 18 yards — and neither got into the end zone in the passing game. Antwaan Randle El is a nice option as a No. 3 guy, but the ‘Skins will be again forced to play him as their No. 2 if these second-year guys fail to produce.

Washington has major weapons in Moss (79-1,044-6 TDs) and tight end Chris Cooley (83-849-1 TD), but besides that, they struggle to get the football down the field, and they struggle scoring points in the red zone. Right now, they’re limited in what they can do in the passing game, and until either Thomas or Kelly step up and produce, they will continue to struggle.

This is a big season for the second-year receivers. If they want to see Campbell improve, they need to pull their weight. This isn’t college football anymore.

5. Is this offensive line good enough to compete with the NFC East?

We’ve talked about the quarterback, the receivers, the pass rush and Clinton Portis’ workload as the feature back on this football team, but we have to mention the Redskins’ offensive line because it holds the key to any playoff hopes in ’09.

The ‘Skins are old and injury-prone up front. They gave up 38 sacks in 2008 and are pretty much the same unit outside of offensive guard Derrick Dockery, who was brought back. But there was a reason they let Dockery leave via free agency in 2007 when he signed with the Buffalo Bills, and although I do think he’s a mauler in the run game, I still wanted the ‘Skins to do more with this unit this offseason.

Sure, Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen are decent tackles at this point in their careers, but they’re old, they have trouble staying healthy and they’ll have to face the pass rush of the Giants, Eagles and, of course, DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys. Do they still have the quickness and ability to get off the ball and survive on the island in one-on-one match-ups with some of the best talent in the league?

That’s a question that has to be answered soon because Campbell needs time in the pocket, and this team needs to give Portis and Betts open running lanes to win.

The NFC East is no joke — and I see it as the best overall division top to bottom in the NFL. If the Redskins struggle up front on offense, they won’t survive.

The Draft

Resident draft expert Wes Bunting gives us a rundown on some of the Redskins’ draft picks from last month.

Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas

Is a hard worker in the weight room and uses his hands well at the point of attack. Not a physical defender in the run game, and lacks the first-step quickness off the edge as a pass rusher. The Redskins are contemplating using him as a linebacker, but he struggles in space and isn’t fluid in his movements.

Kevin Barnes, CB, Maryland

A tall, physical corner who can be a factor in the run game. Was one of the top prospects in the nation until a shoulder injury derailed his 2008 season. But he has the ability to develop into a starter and was a nice value pick in the third round.

Marko Mitchell, WR, Nevada

A big, productive wideout who’s a great fit in the Redskins’ west coast offense. He lacks great burst out of his breaks but uses his body well to shield defenders and is adept at catching the ball away from his frame. A good value at the end of the draft who could end up on the opening-day roster.

Next: Philadelphia Eagles

Comments

Add a Comment