Redskins Offseason: Defense

I seemed to pick a good time to do this brief little primer, as the Skins made a big move last night to obtain a quarterback of the future.  More on that to come, but for now consider the Washington defense.  In truth, DC’s defense arguably belongs on a championship team, so very few changes will likely be made this offseason.  But, there are a few areas of improvement on defense, while the kicker position will need an overhaul.  I will go through the defensive groups by area of importance, finishing with the kicker.

Defensive Backs

The secondary last year showed flashes of brilliance but occasionally reminded fans of Paris Hilton in House of Wax: unable to stay relevant for very long.  When opponents needed to pass the ball, they could with some ease.  To improve and hold a lead late in games, the secondary must improve.

One question for the Skins will revolve around cornerback.  DeAngelo Hall represents a $6 million cap hit, lots to pay for a guy who gets burned consistently in man coverage but intercepts the ball with similar frequency.  With Hall, the Skins must accept high risk high reward, not to mention his inflated ego and discipline issues.  In addition, current nickelback Philip Buchanon underwhelmed last year, especially when Jim Haslett blitzed on third down.

I expect Buchanon to be back, albeit for less money than 2011, for no reason other than his veteran leadership and calming presence.  Byron Westbrook, on the other hand, should not refinance his DC property, as his value could be found in the last four rounds of the draft.

Some options to add to the cornerback class can be found in free agency.  Kansas City’s Brandon Carr would immediately upgrade the man coverage ability of the defense, who combines Hall’s ball skills with good man coverage.  William Gay from the Steelers also comes up in conversations as a good blitzing cornerback.  The most intriguing option would be Terrell Thomas from the Giants, who, if recovered from an ACL injury, would do well.

After cornerback comes safety, a sore for the Redskins since the too early death of Sean Taylor.  This offseason, the Skins must decide on LaRon Landry.  He shows serious ability at points to be like Ed Reed in athleticism, but would have issues covering your grandmother at receiver.  Additionally, he cannot stay healthy and justify his salary.  On the other side, O.J. Atogwe makes $3.6 million but played very little last year and impacted games even less.  Options, however, don’t present themselves here, so expect the Skins to resign Landry to a shorter, smaller deal and hope Atogwe can improve.

Defensive Line

The interior line showed remarkable signs of progress in the post-Haynesworth era in 2011.  The Skins lost Jarvis Jenkins to injury last season, but all reports point to his imminent impact this season.  That will make Kedric Golston’s road to the lineup more difficult, so don’t look for him to come back into the fold through free agency.  Other than that, the Skins will watch Barry Cofield’s progress this year, as they will need an elite nose tackle to anchor the 3-4 defensive scheme.

On the end, Adam Carriker comes up for free agency this Tuesday, and while he may not be flashy Carriker notched 5.5 sacks last year and proved he is worth at least some investment for the team.  By “some” I mean a two year deal.

Linebackers

The only likely departure from the linebacking corps will be Rocky McIntosh, who looked out of place in the 3-4 scheme last season and likely will want more money than he will be offered.

A big free agency priority should be resigning London Flethcer, a tackling machine in the middle of the field who continues to be stilted by most in the NFL.  Better yet, Fletcher has indicated he wants to stay with the team, a true novelty in the Snyder era.  I will be very disappointed if Fletcher does not come back due to a contract dispute.  The realistic fan in me, however, does not expect the team to appreciate his value, meaning we will see a different playcaller for the defense.

If Fletcher only stays for a year or so, look for the Skins to find an understudy for him through the draft.

Kicker

There must be someone better out there.  Nothing more to add other than Gano will not be coming back.

Bit: RGIII trade ratchets pressure

Make no mistake about it: the trade with the Rams represents the biggest gamble for the Shanaham-Allen-Snyder powers that be.  In addition, it will change the course of the franchise.

The trade tells us a few things.  First, clearly Peyton Manning was never a possibility and made that clear to DC management.  Second, the Skins are planning to spend big in free agency.  Bypassing a deal with Manning means the $40 million in cap space can be put towards any of the positions that need upgrading.  Third, they believe Griffin can start next year from the beginning.

All that said, no team has ever traded three first round picks for another pick, until now.  I believe the Skins gave the Rams too much for Griffin, but it can’t be denied we’ve needed a high prospect quarterback since Brad Johnson.  I see the appeal of Griffin for the team, as he makes lots of sense for the offense.  On the other hand, the franchise as a whole must understand it will need to work hard and add the proper pieces to make this deal worth it.  Without first round picks for the next two years, the Skins are mortgaging the farm for Griffin.  Very few players have felt the pressure of such deals, though the most recent, Eli Manning, has won two Super Bowls.  Regardless, be excited about this season as we may see a quick turnaround for the Redskins on offense.