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QB – John Beck should be out. He didn’t show a glint of NFL talent in 3 forgettable games in 2011 and is too old at 31 to be a developmental player going forward. Rex Grossman to me is fine if you are talking about bringing him back as a backup on another one year contract to provide continuity while a first year player gets up to speed in the system. Crompton was resigned to a futures contract to provide some depth and another arm in the OTAs and camp. Would I be surprised if the Redskins added two quarterbacks in the draft? No, especially if the first pick is used on another position.
RB – Ryan Torain was recently released, a move overdue based on his attitude and lackluster play in 2011. Tim Hightower suffered a very severe injury and at 28 I don’t know that you count on him making it back to being a major player at RB on this team. Certainly, Helu and Royster provide some interesting younger depth. The Redskins could use a bigger back for short yardage and the 'Riggo Drill’ in the fourth quarter of games in 2012.
FB – Darrel Young is fine. He’s 25 and improving. Sellers at 37 needs to go. He is no longer a viable performer on offense and frankly we need to start developing better younger depth on special teams, players who may have a future at a regular position somewhere down the road.
WR – Moss at 32 is no longer a #1 receiver. We all saw that in 2011. Gaffney at 31 is not either, although both players would look a lot better taking passes in stride from an Eli Manning or Aaron Rodgers rather than the 'in the dirt’ or 'over the shoulders’ balls each was seeing from Grossman or Beck. Hankerson, Paul and Robinson will battle for the middle positions. Stallworth and Austin are likely out. I would like to see the Redskins acquire a marquee receiver either in the draft or free agency as this team’s performance in the red zone will not improve, even with better quarterbacking, unless team adds more playmakers. Blackmon may not drop to #6, but he would be a pick worth considering if he's still there. Free agents like Bowe have been up and down and are at or near 30. That's when they usually start to decline.
TE – A position that seemed set with Cooley, Davis and Paulsen is now in flux. Cooley, 30, got hurt and ended up on IR yet again. He carries a high cap number but doesn’t have the big play ability of a Witten or Jermichael Finley. Fred Davis has shown he is a risky bet due to lingering maturity issues. I have no problem with a one year tender for Davis, but anything multi-year would have to follow a successful 2012 campaign. Paulsen, 6’5 and 265, surprisingly has not turned out to be the beast of a run blocker his bio would lead you to believe he should be. Late season looks for Richard Quinn and others has me thinking Paulsen likely won’t be back in 2012.
OL – There are a lot of needs on offense. But like last year’s run on DL in free agency and the draft, the Redskins need to shore up this area to have any success. The team is not strong across the front and the pass protection from the tackle spots was poor in 2011. Trent Williams is set to make $8M in 2012 and as the #4 overall pick is a player the Redskins can ill afford to have become a bust. So, he will return at LT. Chester was OK inside at OG and he likely will return as a starter as well. That’s where things get interesting. Erik Cook played poorly when he came off the bench this year as did veteran Sean Locklear. I don’t expect either player back here in 2012. Lichtensteiger is coming back from an injury that usually takes 2 years to fully recover from, so getting inside depth is a must. I am not all that high on Will Montgomery at center. He is 100% effort, but at 6’3 and 295 is too small to hold up against the elite DTs in the NFC. At 28/29, is there any improvement ahead for Will as he gets more reps? Questionable. I know the coaches are saying the right things about Jammal Brown, and the club did give him a contract extension last summer, but his play is so compromised by his history of injuries I don’t see any way you can go into camp counting on Brown to play 16 games. If the Redskins are able to get Matt Flynn or draft a qb in Round 2, taking an OT in the first round to play the right side might not be a bad idea. To me this is an easier pick to make if Blackmon is already off the board at WR. If Blackmon is available and Washington can go WR and then OT, that might be a partial answer IF the club can find a qb in free agency or via trade.
I know some of you guys thought me crazy before, but if the price for Griffin is too high and the Redskins see their way to being able to add WR and OT in the draft, signing Kyle Orton to a contract as a free agent may not be a bad way to go.
While Rex Grossman believes he can will himself to throw fewer interceptions and manage the game more effectively in this offense, I think the evidence is there that Orton actually CAN do these things.
RB – Ryan Torain was recently released, a move overdue based on his attitude and lackluster play in 2011. Tim Hightower suffered a very severe injury and at 28 I don’t know that you count on him making it back to being a major player at RB on this team. Certainly, Helu and Royster provide some interesting younger depth. The Redskins could use a bigger back for short yardage and the 'Riggo Drill’ in the fourth quarter of games in 2012.
FB – Darrel Young is fine. He’s 25 and improving. Sellers at 37 needs to go. He is no longer a viable performer on offense and frankly we need to start developing better younger depth on special teams, players who may have a future at a regular position somewhere down the road.
WR – Moss at 32 is no longer a #1 receiver. We all saw that in 2011. Gaffney at 31 is not either, although both players would look a lot better taking passes in stride from an Eli Manning or Aaron Rodgers rather than the 'in the dirt’ or 'over the shoulders’ balls each was seeing from Grossman or Beck. Hankerson, Paul and Robinson will battle for the middle positions. Stallworth and Austin are likely out. I would like to see the Redskins acquire a marquee receiver either in the draft or free agency as this team’s performance in the red zone will not improve, even with better quarterbacking, unless team adds more playmakers. Blackmon may not drop to #6, but he would be a pick worth considering if he's still there. Free agents like Bowe have been up and down and are at or near 30. That's when they usually start to decline.
TE – A position that seemed set with Cooley, Davis and Paulsen is now in flux. Cooley, 30, got hurt and ended up on IR yet again. He carries a high cap number but doesn’t have the big play ability of a Witten or Jermichael Finley. Fred Davis has shown he is a risky bet due to lingering maturity issues. I have no problem with a one year tender for Davis, but anything multi-year would have to follow a successful 2012 campaign. Paulsen, 6’5 and 265, surprisingly has not turned out to be the beast of a run blocker his bio would lead you to believe he should be. Late season looks for Richard Quinn and others has me thinking Paulsen likely won’t be back in 2012.
OL – There are a lot of needs on offense. But like last year’s run on DL in free agency and the draft, the Redskins need to shore up this area to have any success. The team is not strong across the front and the pass protection from the tackle spots was poor in 2011. Trent Williams is set to make $8M in 2012 and as the #4 overall pick is a player the Redskins can ill afford to have become a bust. So, he will return at LT. Chester was OK inside at OG and he likely will return as a starter as well. That’s where things get interesting. Erik Cook played poorly when he came off the bench this year as did veteran Sean Locklear. I don’t expect either player back here in 2012. Lichtensteiger is coming back from an injury that usually takes 2 years to fully recover from, so getting inside depth is a must. I am not all that high on Will Montgomery at center. He is 100% effort, but at 6’3 and 295 is too small to hold up against the elite DTs in the NFC. At 28/29, is there any improvement ahead for Will as he gets more reps? Questionable. I know the coaches are saying the right things about Jammal Brown, and the club did give him a contract extension last summer, but his play is so compromised by his history of injuries I don’t see any way you can go into camp counting on Brown to play 16 games. If the Redskins are able to get Matt Flynn or draft a qb in Round 2, taking an OT in the first round to play the right side might not be a bad idea. To me this is an easier pick to make if Blackmon is already off the board at WR. If Blackmon is available and Washington can go WR and then OT, that might be a partial answer IF the club can find a qb in free agency or via trade.
I know some of you guys thought me crazy before, but if the price for Griffin is too high and the Redskins see their way to being able to add WR and OT in the draft, signing Kyle Orton to a contract as a free agent may not be a bad way to go.
While Rex Grossman believes he can will himself to throw fewer interceptions and manage the game more effectively in this offense, I think the evidence is there that Orton actually CAN do these things.