Redskins fans were full of hope last year with a new head coach and QB. Mike Shanahan and Donovan Mcnabb have each made super bowls in Denver and Philadelphia respectively, with the former winning two a decade ago.
It was far from a match made in heaven however. Mcnabb never looked comfortable and failed to reproduce the form that saw him put up such good numbers under Andy Reid. Things were especially bad between Mcnabb and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan who eventually benched him. Reports suggest the player who was traded for 2nd and 4th round picks a year ago will be willing to give back his signing bonus to be afforded the opportunity to seek a job elsewhere.
Despite this, QB is not one of the Redskins’ three biggest needs. If they see a franchise guy, they shouldn’t hesitate to take him, but their transition to the 3-4 defense is certainly far from complete and they’ll want to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing Monday night debacle against the Eagles.
Nose Tackle
Ask legendary defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau which position he considers the most important on his defense. Chances are he’ll point at NT Casey Hampton. Washington’s answer to this gaping hole in their plan was to sign former Panther Ma’ake Kemoeatu. The 32 year old was coming off season ending surgery in 2009 and just doesn’t seem to have anything left.
His -14.0 rating in just 370 snaps was one of the worst recorded in 2010. He had just four combined pressures (one hit, three pressures) in 170 snaps. His run defense was even worse, as he accumulated a -7.8 rating in 199 plays.
It doesn’t seem as if there’s an alternative on the roster either. Albert Haynesworth is still one of the most talented players in the league but it seems unlikely that he’s ever going to fully commit to playing NT in a 3-4. As predominantly a nickel pass rusher, he was as good in limited opportunities as Kemoeatu was bad. He gained a +13.9 rating in just 204 snaps. His best work came as a pass rusher where he average pressure around once every ten rushes (two sacks, two hits and ten pressures in 137 rushes).
Free Agent nose tackles are almost impossible to find so Washington will likely have to look to the draft to fill this hole. Rumour is they are looking to trade down. The premier talent is believed to be Baylor’s Phil Taylor who is predicted to go late in the first round.
Outside Linebacker
If Lebeau doesn’t point to Hampton then it will certainly be one of James Harrison or Lamarr Woodley. The player who many thought would benefit most from the change in scheme was OLB Brian Orakpo. His pass rushing certainly improved but there was a marked decline in his run defense where he made just 28 stops in 384 plays.
Orakpo isn’t the biggest problem however. The main issue is a lack of anyone viable to man the LOLB spot. Andre Carter showed the importance of scheme to production. In 2009 in the 4-3, he was one of our most productive pass rushers gaining 13 sacks, 16 hits and 29 pressures in 536 rushes (3rd amongst 4-3 DEs). In 2010 however, his 400 rushes from a 3-4 alignment produced just 5 sacks, 5 hits and 16 pressures. Lorenzo Alexander offered a little more attacking the QB but was also a liability against the run and in coverage.
The free agent pool is somewhat lacking in 3-4 edge rushers, predominantly being filled with 4-3 guys. Manny Lawson is a nice all-around player and Matt Roth flashed immense potential before slowly down dramatically last year. The top outside linebacker in the draft is believed to be Texas A&M’s Von Miller but he is expected to go before pick 10. Other options include Mizzou’s Aldon Smith.
Offensive Line
Not one of Washington’s O-lineman who played more than 100 snaps had a positive rating. Rookie left tackle Trent Williams showed the struggles we’ve come to expect of rookie offensive tackles and Jamaal Brown failed to show why the Redskins gave up 2nd and 3rd round picks for him. He struggled even before the injury in New Orleans and failed to improve in DC. Brown ended up ranked 63rd amongst offensive tackles while Williams was 65th (of 78 qualifying).
The interior linemen weren’t much better. LG Korey Lichtensteiger showed ability in the run game but received a -14.3 rating in pass protection. Casey Rabach was at least average protecting his QB but couldn’t move anyone in the run game (-14.2 on the year). A combination of Artis Hicks and Will Montgomery combined to for a -11.9 rating at right guard.
It’s unlikely the Skins will look to replace either offensive tackle considering the resources they used to acquire each but it would be wise to look out for possible upgrades on the interior. Marshal Yanda is a nice versatile option and Evan Mathis is a cheaper guy with a lot of potential. Shanahan will likely keep an eye out for later round prospects in the draft.
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