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2009 Team Report: Washington Redskins

Quarterbacks

Starter: Jason Campbell
Backup(s): Todd Collins, Colt Brennan, Chase Daniel [R]

Starting QB: Jason Campbell can't catch a break. After learning a seventh playbook in nine seasons last year, 2009 was supposed to be different. He was entrenched as the Redskins starter and would be running the same offense in consecutive seasons. The Redskins young WR tandem of Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly would be a year older and hopefully ready to contribute after uneven rookie seasons. The team would benefit from playing a last-place schedule. Yet, entering training camp no one would blame Campbell for doubting his future with the team. The Redskins flirted with Jay Cutler, and they apparently coveted rookie Mark Sanchez. Even though neither became Redskins, the message was clear: Jason Campbell isn't the franchise. But as fate would have it, Campbell remains the team's best QB and its only real chance at a successful passing attack. And were it not for the team's aggressive pursuit of alternatives, there is a lot to like about Campbell. At 6'5, 223 pounds he has great size, athleticism and the arm to make every throw. He started all 16 games in 2008 and completed a career high 62.3 percent of his passes, and was only intercepted 1.2 percent of the time. Give credit to Campbell for not throwing a tantrum and demanding a trade. It remains to be seen whether he can be a great quarterback, but he's clearly shown the capacity to be a great teammate.

Backup QB: Todd Collins will be 38 in November and will need to hold off Colt Brennan for the backup job. Collins is a steady, intelligent veteran with starting experience, but isn't going to rock the boat or lobby for the starting job. Brennan, on the other hand, would love a shot at the starting gig. He enters his second season with a better understanding of the playbook and, hopefully, a sturdier frame. Brenna was an ultra productive collegiate passer at the University of Hawaii but was considered a developmental pro prospect because he played in a gimmicky offense in college. While Brennan doesn't have the strongest arm, he has a quick release and is fearless.

Running Backs

Starter: Clinton Portis
Backup(s): Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright
Fullback(s): Mike Sellers, Eddie Williams [R]

Starting RB: Clinton Portis is the Rodney Dangerfield of All Pro running backs. It seems that every year he's the forgotten man among elite runners, as fantasy owners expect his play to fall off. And yet, evey year Portis delivers. Last year was no exception, as Portis finished with 1,487 rushing yards (fourth in the NFL), caught 28 passes and scored nine touchdowns on route to his fifth career Top 10 fantasy finish. Entering his eighth season, Portis is only 28 years old and has shown no signs of slowing down. He logged 342 carries last year and averaged a solid 4.3 yards per rush despite playing behind a banged up offensive line. Portis ran for 100-yards and/or scored in 10 games last year. As long as the Redskins offensive line can stay healthy, and Jim Zorn can get the passing game to approximate league norms, there is no reason why Portis shouldn't produce at, or close to, Top 10 results yet again.

Backup RBs: In six of seven seasons, Ladell Betts has run for less than 400 yards and has only scored 11 rushing TDs in his career. At 30 years old, some may be surprised to see Betts remains Clinton Portis' main backup. And yet, it's what Betts did. In 2006, subbing for an injured Portis, Betts ran for 1,154 yards including six 100-yard games. He's a straight ahead rusher who grinds out the hard yardage and doesn't mind contact. That kind of mentality is contagious. Another veteran, Rock Cartwright, rounds out the tailback rotation. Cartwright is a bowling ball (5'7, 223 pounds) who makes his living returning kicks and only had six offensive touches in 2008. Considering the team signed Shaun Alexander last season, it's entirely possible Washington will look to add another veteran.

Fullback: Mike Sellers caught seven touchdowns on 12 receptions during the 2005 season, which may go down as one of the biggest statistical anomalies in leagues history. Since then, he's caught 47 passes and ran 44 times, but his great value is as a punishing lead blocker. The Skins drafted Eddie Williams in the seventh round. He will have a chance to make the final 53-man roster.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El
Backups: Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, Billy McMullen

Starting WRs: After consecutive subpar seasons, Santana Moss proved that he's still a difference maker. Moss stayed healthy last year and caught 79 receptions for 1,044 yards to go along with six touchdowns. It was only Moss' third 1,000-yard season in eight, and it ended what looked like a steady decline. No longer the burner, Moss has evolved his game and is now primarily a guy who makes his living catching short and intermediate passes and generating yards after the catch. Moss remains the team's best pass catcher, but would be served well by the continued development of Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly. Opposing defenses are able to keep a lid on Moss in most cases because they don't respect Antwaan Randle El as a threat. Randle El is arguably one of the least productive starting WRs in the league. Randle El has never had more than 53 receptions or 728 yards and last year's four TD catches were a career high. He can make the easy grabs but doesn't make plays on the ball. In spite of limited productivity, Randle El remains the team's second best option sadly.

Backup WRs: Last year the Redskins took a big step toward improving an anemic receiving corps with the selections of Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly. Both were highly regarded prospects and are expected to be the foundation of the Redskins WR corps for years to come. Unfortunately, neither player distinguished himself as a rookie. Thomas caught 15 receptions for only 120 yards, but has the size (6'2, 215 pounds) to be a red zone threat provided he can show a better understanding of the playbook this year. Kelly battled injury and only caught three passes last year; but is a polished route runner with good hands. The good news for both second year players is that Washington needs them to contribute and would be more than happy to see them win starting spots sooner rather than later.

Tight Ends

Starters: Chris Cooley
Backups: Todd Yoder, Fred Davis

Chris Cooley had his best and worst season in 2008. The good news is he caught a career high 83 passes and 849 yards. The bad news is Cooley somehow managed only one TD in those 83 receptions. How did that happen? Consider it a fluke as evidenced by 27 TDs he scored in his first four seasons. Cooley is a smooth route runner with excellent hands. Although Cooley isn't much of a blocker, he's on the field in most downs and distances and is Jason Campbell's security blanket. Fred Davis is another offensive-minded TE who came out of USC with an abundance of self confidence but needs to do a lot more as a second year player if he wants to show up in the box scores. Todd Yoder is the savvy veteran blocker of the group. His job is helping to open holes for Clinton Portis.

Place Kicker

Shaun Suisham, Dave Rayner : After more John Hall injury woes, Shaun Suisham was brought in for the final five games of 2006, and actually provided some stability at the position. In 2007, his first full season in the NFL, Suisham made 29 of 35 (82.9%) field goals, including 11 of 15 from 40+ yards. Last year was not a banner year for Suisham however, as he missed the most field goals in the NFL, going only 26 of 36 (72.2%). With some of the blame attributed to the holder, the team felt that Suisham had enough potential to re-sign him for this year. They also signed the journeyman Dave Rayner to provide competition. Rayner's last full season was 2006 with Green Bay. In 2007 he played part of the year for Kansas City and later in the year as a kickoff specialist for San Diego. In 2008 he surfaced in Cincinnati for two games, filling in for the ailing Shayne Graham. Despite last years misses, Suisham has the better field goal numbers of the two, while Rayner has the better kickoff numbers

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Rock Cartwright, Mike Sellers, Santana Moss, DeAngelo Hall, Devin Thomas, Ladell Betts, Justin Tryon, Antwaan Randle El, Marques Hagans, Dominique Dorsey

RB Rock Cartwright took over the top kickoff return spot in 2006 and the Redskins have kept him very busy ever since. He led the team again last year (51 returns, 25.6 avg.). Behind him is a large cast of potential backups and upmen, including WR Santana Moss (one return for 26 yards) and RB Mike Sellers (4 returns, 13.3 avg.). Another possible backup is CB DeAngelo Hall (16 returns, 22.4 avg. in 2005 for Atlanta). WR Devin Thomas averaged 29.1 yards (11th in NCAA) on 39 returns for Michigan State in 2007. CB Justin Tryon averaged 31.0 yards on kickoff returns during his college career at Arizona State. RB Ladell Betts averaged a healthy 25.9 yards on 24 returns in 2005, but averaged only 21.6 yards on 5 returns as a backup in 2007. WR Antwaan Randle El handled kickoff returns during his first three years in the league but has only two the last four years. WR Marques Hagans has dabbled in returns during his NFL career and RB Dominique Dorsey did so in the CFL, however neither is likely to make the final roster.

Punt Returners: Antwaan Randle El, Santana Moss, DeAngelo Hall, Devin Thomas, Marques Hagans, Dominique Dorsey

In 2005, Antwaan Randle El's final year with the Steelers, he averaged 10.2 yards on 44 returns and scored twice. In 2006, his first year with the Redskins, he averaged 8.8 yards on 39 returns and scored once. The last two years his numbers have dropped off, including a 6.5 yard average on 39 returns last year. WR Santana Moss was an effective punt returner earlier in his career, however his numbers began to fade, and he did not have any punt returns for two years. The last year the Redskins decided to add him back in to the mix a little with Randle El struggling. Moss scored an 80 yard TD on one of his six returns. DeAngelo Hall served as the primary backup for Atlanta (8 returns, 10.3 avg.) in 2005. Devin Thomas saw limited work on punts during his college career, averaging 4.4 yards on eight returns.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Chris Samuels, LG Derrick Dockery, C Casey Rabach, RG Randy Thomas, RT Jon Jansen
Key Backups: T Stephon Heyer, T Chad Rinehart, G Will Montgomery

The Redskins starting five offensive linemen are as experienced as you'll see in the NFL. There is a combined 48 years of experience between the players and these five players have been playing together for a long time. That includes Derrick Dockery who left to Buffalo in 2007 but has come back home to the team he played with for his first four seasons. As talented and experienced as the starting unit is, the backup depth at this moment is terrible. If they re-sign a Pete Kendall or Jason Fabini, it would definitely help if injuries were to strike this team. While the 2009 outlook is rosy, management better begin looking long-term and developing or drafting some young talent.

Team Defense

The value of the Washington defense in your league in 2008 was dependent on scoring system. They were among the best in the league in yardage allowed and points against, likely making them a Top 10 defense in leagues that favored those stats. The Redskins however, managed only 24 sacks, 18 takeaways and one touchdown, landing them among the bottom dwellers in leagues based on big plays. That included FBG official scoring, in which the Redskins finished 27th overall. Not surprisingly, Washington threw a truckload of money at the problem this offseason by signing DT Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth will clog the middle on rushing downs and may be asked to draw blockers in the nickel package. His presence should help veteran DE Andre Carter and first-round draft pick Brian Orakpo, who is likely to play SLB on base defensive downs but put his hand down in the nickel. An improved pass rush could send the big play numbers skyrocketing in the back seven, where MLB London Fletcher is an above average zone defender and safeties LaRon Landry and Chris Horton have both shown an ability to generate big plays in coverage. The team's three top cornerbacks, DeAngelo Hall, Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot are also capable of cashing in on the mistakes of opposing quarterbacks. Despite last season's poor finish in some leagues, don't be afraid to roster Washington as a backup.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Andre Carter, DT Albert Haynesworth, DT Cornelius Griffin, DE Phillip Daniels
Backups: DT Anthony Montgomery, DT Kedric Golston, DE Chris Wilson, DE Rob Jackson

Starting DL: The Redskin defensive line slumped badly as a pass rushing unit last season, finishing tied for fourth worst in the league with only 24 sacks. They moved quickly to address the problem in free agency, throwing a truckload of money at one of the best defensive tackles in the game. Albert Haynesworth may not rack up sacks himself, but it's the hope of the Washington coaching staff that he'll attract enough attention to free up his surrounding cast to do the bulk of the pass rushing work. Andre Carter is back at one defensive end position. Carter wasn't nearly as effective as a read-and-react end under Greg Blache's new defensive system last season, but should both benefit from Haynesworth's presence and rumors of a less regimented line scheme. Veteran Phillip Daniels was re-signed this offseason and is the early favorite to play in the base defense. He's well past his prime pass rushing seasons but should still be able to hold the edge against the run. He'll likely rotate with fellow vet Renaldo Wynn, with both giving way to rookie first round draft pick Brian Orakpo on passing downs. Cornelius Griffin will start at the other tackle spot, though it's expected that the Redskins will heavily rotate their tackles.

Backup DL: Backup ends Chris Wilson and Rob Jackson will team with Brian Orakpo to give Washington a deep group of edge rushers off the bench. Neither Wilson or Jackson are above average in run support, making it unlikely that either will crack the lineup opposite Andre Carter. Wilson was briefly considered in the mix for the SLB position, but the presence of H.B. Blades and now Orakpo will probably keep him at DE. Anthony Montgomery and Kedric Golston have both seen time as starters in recent seasons and will play significant snaps in rotation.

Linebackers

Starters: WLB Rocky McIntosh, MLB London Fletcher, SLB Brian Orakpo [R]
Backups: LB H.B. Blades, LB Alfred Fincher, LB Robert Thomas, LB Cody Glenn [R]

Starting LBs: London Fletcher continues to be one the most underrated all-around middle linebackers in the NFL. Undersized and underappreciated, Fletcher continues to anchor the middle, play every down of every game and contribute stout run support and better than average cover skill. He'll be 34 this season, but has shown no sign of a major decline in play. Rocky McIntosh has the edge to start on the weak side, but may rotate with H.B. Blades in all defensive packages. He's struggled with knee and shoulder injuries since his rookie season and, due to his all-out, all-around style of play, durability remains a major concern. The Redskins wasted no time in grabbing strong, explosive hybrid talent Brian Orakpo in the first round of the 2009 draft. Entering the OTA and minicamp season, the plan is to play Orakpo at SLB in the base defense and let him rush the passer at end on nickel downs.

Backup LBs: H.B. Blades is one of the more versatile backups in the league, having given the Redskins quality snaps at all three linebacker positions in the last two seasons. He'll again be the first player off the bench in any situation at any position and is likely to see playing time in nickel packages and in rotation with Rocky McIntosh and Brian Orakpo on base downs. Alfred Fincher and Robert Thomas are journeyman players who will play big special teams roles. Mid round 2009 draft pick Cody Glenn is athletic but raw and will likely see time on special teams only this season.

Defensive Backs

Starters: CB DeAngelo Hall, SS Chris Horton, FS LaRon Landry, CB Carlos Rogers
Backups: CB Fred Smoot, S Reed Doughty, CB Kevin Barnes [R], S Kareem Moore

Starting DBs: The Redskins were pleased with the play of corner DeAngelo Hall after grabbing him following his midseason release by Oakland. Hall is a solid man cover corner with great ball skills but an all too frequent tendency to gamble and get beaten for big plays. An improved pass rusher will greatly help his play. Carlos Rogers is back in the starting lineup with Shawn Springs now in New England. Rogers got a raw deal last season when he was demoted and is one of the better young corners in the league. The Redskins also have two solid young safeties, with seventh round pick Chris Horton proving a pleasant all-around surprise after entering the lineup last season. He's allowed to roam the middle of the field and play inside the box because of the elite cover skills of free safety LaRon Landry. The expected improvement in pass rush could result in a boost in Landry's big play production.

Backup DBs: Fred Smoot will play nickel corner this season, but could step into the lineup if either starting corner falters. Reed Doughty will provide a similar veteran presence and versatility behind the starting safeties. A host of young and unproven players will fight for the last roster spots in the secondary.

Last modified: 2009-06-19 11:54:35