Vision Quest: Pre-Draft Roster Analysis: DEFENSE
In an effort to assess our draft needs I am continuing my positional analysis of the current Redskin roster. This week I am focusing on the Defense, having done the offense last week.
DEFENSE
Overview: This was the lone bright spot of an otherwise dismal 6-10 campaign last year. Despite no help from the offense for many games the Defense shined, despite trading all-pro cornerback Champ Bailey in the off season. Greg Williams not only had to deal with poor field position and being on the wrong side of the time of possession clock, but also the season ending loss of Mike Barrow in Mini-camp and the minimal participation of Stud linebacker Lavar Arrington and newly acquired defensive end Phillip Daniels. However his blitz schemes and the emergence of young players like Sean Taylor and Antonio Pierce and newcomer Marcus Washington, Cornelius Griffin, and Shawn Springs more then made up for their losses. In fact despite 6 one time or projected starters going down for most of the season, the defense ended the season as the 3rd ranked defense in the league, and one of the best defenses in Redskin history. The off season has not been kind to Greg Williams for the second year in a row as fan favorite Fred Smoot (CB) and the team defensive quarterback Antonio Pierce (MLB) has left for greener pastures. So far no real off season pickups however the return of injured players from last year and another year in the Greg Williams scheme should make our defense even stronger this year.(Note players with an * bolded and in italics are new free agent pickups this year).
Position Analysis
Defensive Tackles
Projected Starters: Cornelius Griffin, Joe Salave’a
Notable Bench: Brandon Noble, Ryan Borschetti, Cedric Killings
Analysis: Cornelius Griffin was arguably the best free agent signing for the Redskins last year. Many experts considered him to be washed up after a promising rookie year just 3 years earlier. Griffin revitalized his career in Washington as well as the defensive line play. He occupied blockers allowing our linebackers record the tackles on occasion and many times did the job himself recording 96 tackles (66 solo) and 6 sacks. That is a remarkable number of solo tackles for a defensive lineman. Griffin should of made the pro-bowl last year however was only selected as a fourth alternate in a travesty of judgment.
The other tackle was manned down by a rotation of Brandon Noble and Joe Salave’a during the early part of the season with Salave’a winning the spot by mid season. Salave’a was another Williams reclamation project and it worked. He recorded 30 tackles (22 solo) and two sacks while starting nine games for the Redskins. More importantly Joe occupies blockers well freeing up our linebackers to attack the offense with abandon.
Brandon Noble provided solid backup after coming off a devastating injury the year before. He is a big defensive tackle and another year back from injury will allow him to contribute even more this year. Ryan Borschetti is a versatile lineman even starting one game at defensive end last year when injuries piled up. Cedric Killings spent provides depth, but that is about it.
Draft Outlook: It is hard to see that the Redskins will address this position in the NFL draft. The Redskins most likely will stand pat and wait for June 1st cuts to address any backup issues. If the Redskins even look at this area it will be in the 6th or 7th rounds and only if a talent drops down that should have been drafted earlier
Defensive Ends
Projected Starters: Renaldo Wynn, Phillip Daniels
Notable Backups: Ron Warner, Demetric Evans, Nic Clemons
Analysis: Another season and another group of underperforming unheralded defensive ends. The group as a whole did not do too bad last year, but they also did not do anything spectacular. Those of us that hated watching Bruce Smith’s last year with the Redskins and his pursuit of the sack record appreciate these no nonsense group of veterans that just try and get the job done. Renaldo Wynn is once again slated to start at one of the ends. But that is nothing new as Renaldo has recorded three straight seasons of 16 game starts and started a total of 111 of 121 games in his career. He is not a feared pass rusher but is a consistent tackler and recorded 58 tackles and 3 sacks this last season. He will never be a dominant end but he is Mr. Consistency as well as a great locker room guy.
The other end will be manned by Phillip Daniels, if he can remain healthy. And that is a big if. He only played and started in only 5 games last year. However when he was in he was a force in the pass rush. He only had 8 tackles (5 solo) and 1 sack but often times collapsed the pocket enough to allow one of our linebackers to make the sack or at least force the incomplete pass. If he can stay healthy he could provide some needed pressure on the outside.
Ron Warner and Demetric Evans each saw time last year when Daniels went down. Evans was the more consistent of the two appearing in 12 games starting 8. He recorded 31 tackles (15 solo) and 2.5 sacks. He will be the primary backup to either end in case of injury. Warner recorded 17 tackles (9 solo) 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception appearing in 14 games and starting twice. He is more of a pass rushing end and could see a lot of time in nickel packages replacing Wynn or moving him inside to tackle. This is a make or break year for Chris Clemons after spending 2 years on the practice squad. He has decent pass rushing skills and could be part of a nickel package alignment if he can make the squad.
Draft Outlook: This position is the most in need of improvement on the entire defense. The team tried to address this need with the pursuit of Courtney Brown, but they were unsuccessful. The question is whether there are any defensive ends out there worth picking at #9. It is more likely the Redskins will either draft a defensive end in the 3rd round to compete for the backup spots or trade down for #1 and pickup a defensive end late in the first round. If the trade down option happens then Erasmus James and Dan Cody have to be strong candidates to compete for a starting job.
Linebackers
Projected Starters: Lavar Arrington, Mike Barrow, Marcus Washington
Notable Backups: Lemar Marshall, Clifton Smith, Khary Campbell
Analysis: Does the projected starting unit look familiar? It should it was the same this time last year. However Mike Barrow never recovered from a knee injury and didn’t play a down for the Redskins. Greg Williams converted Antonio Pierce from an outside Line backer to the middle linebacker position and bam a whole was filled. Lavar Arrington went down with an injury and only played in 4 games last year and bam in steps Lemar Marshall. Marcus Washington comes here from Indy and dominates. The linebacker position was one of the deepest and best units for the Redskins all year.
However this year Antonio Pierce is gone. So what does Greg Williams do? Right back to the same game plan. They are rehabbing Mike Barrow in preparation for him to start. They also resigned Lemar Marshall and he is moving to the inside position as well. This could be a great move for both the Redskins and Lemar. Lemar is a bit smallish for the inside being a converted safety. However in starting for Lavar he recorded 82 tackles (52 solo) and 1.5 sacks and excelled in pass coverage. Even if Barrow wins the job, Lemar could see time in nickel packages.
Lavar Arrington is coming back from injury and the Redskins need him. Although the pass rush was adequate last year without him, it was not dominant. Lavar was very frustrated with his missed time last year and should come back with a vengeance this year. On occasion he will line up at end and on occasion he will drop back in pass coverage and disrupt the crossing routes. However look for Lavar to be blitzing a lot more this next year looking to stuff the run as well as take the quarterback’s head off.
Marcus Washington can only benefit from one more year in the Williams system. Last year he piled up 130 tackles (102 solo) and 4.5 sacks. He was the sole Redskin Pro Bowl representative and deserved all the honors bestowed upon him. He rates as one of our best free agent acquisitions of the Snyder era. Marcus can rush the passer, stop the run, and cover the pass. More importantly he plays the strong side and frees up Lavar to freelance on the weak side. He is the ying to Lavar’s yang and could well be the rock that Williams builds his defense around this year.
Clifton Smith will compete along with Lemar Marshall for the Middle linebacker spot. He is an imposing linebacker and could surprise many people in pre-season. It was thought he would battle for the starting spot last year before he got injured. Chris Clemons showed flashes of speed and pass rushing ability last year recording 3 sacks late in the season. He could get time in passing situations. Khary Campbell is a great special teams player and could see some reserve work at either outside linebacker spot.
Draft Outlook: There are some that say the Redskins will try and replace Antonio Pierce in the draft. I just don’t think so. This draft is weak when it comes to line backing prospects and the Redskins have needs at other places and not a lot of picks. Williams will probably either convert Lemar or go with Barrow to fill the hole at MLB. If anything look for the Redskins to sign a few UFAs to compete for roster spots.
Cornerbacks
Projected Starter: Shawn Springs, Walt Harris
Notable Bench: Garnell Wilds, Rufus Brown, Ade Jimoh. Roosevelt Williams
Analysis: The loss of Fred Smoot hurt this unit greatly. Not because Fred Smoot was the great of a cornerback but because of how Williams uses the position. Corners are left on an island to allow safeties and linebackers to blitz on a regular basis. The Williams defense does not need shut down corners to be effective but they do need capable corners.
Shawn Springs is the perfect candidate for the Greg Williams defense and showed that last year. Replacing Champ Bailey he made good on his promise to make the fans forget the old #24 and welcome him as he piled up 89 tackles (56 solo), 5 interceptions, and 6 sacks. He has the size to cover the big receivers and the speed to cover the small ones. He also is adept at blitzing as he led the team in sacks as well as interceptions.
The job of replacing Smoot falls to Walt Harris. Walt recovered from a devastating knee injury in the off season and served as the nickel back for the Redskins compiling 21 tackles (12 solo) and two interceptions. He also contributed on special teams. The word on the street is that it takes two full years to recover from the knee injury he had so he should be back to top form this year. Before the injury he was a decent cornerback for Chicago and Indianapolis when he was in his prime. At the very least he will serve as a temporary veteran starter to allow the youngsters time to grow.
Garnell Wilds comes into camp as the favorite to play nickel back. His claim to fame is his dreadlocks and the fact that Randy Moss did not dominate him in the last game of the season. Don’t get me wrong, he is good and has the size and speed of a Williams type corner. But he is unproven. If he has a good camp he could eventually win the starting Corner Back opposite of Springs by the end of the year.
Ade “sure thing” Jimoh got better last year but is primarily a special teamer. Rufus Brown spent a lot of time on the practice squad and has some raw talent that could develop. Roosevelt Williams has a lot of experience but spent last year out of football. He will try and resurrect his career as a backup in training camp and could win a roster spot.
Draft Outlook: It sure is hard to argue that the Redskins could use a stud at CB opposite Springs. And there is nothing wrong with drafting a cornerback this year to groom for next year as well as Harris and Springs are both getting up there in age. If Rolle or “Pac Man” Jones are still on the board at #9 the Redskins may have to pull the trigger on one of them. Carlos Rodgers is also a possibility if a trade down scenario develops. However just as likely is taking a corner in the third round.
Safeties
Projected Starters: Sean Taylor (FS), Matt Bowen (SS)
Notable Bench: Andre Lott, Pierson Prioleau, Ryan Clark, Pat Dennis, Jason Doering
Analysis: This is a talented and deep group of players. After starting the season with Lott and Bowen at the two safety spots. Taylor finally broke into the starting squad and Bowen went down to a season ending injury. Lott came off the bench to start again and then he went down to a season ending injury. Finally Ryan Clark came in to finish the season. And throughout all this turmoil safety play remained at a high level.
Sean Taylor is the reason for that. Selected at #5 in last year’s draft this kid really impressed the Redskin faithful. Sure he has hired and fired more agents then Kristie Alley on a comeback tour, but boy can this guy play racking up 89 tackles (62 solo), 4 INTs, and 1 sack. Speed of a safety body of a linebacker. This might be the best draft choice of the Snyder era and he can only get better. He is the starter from day one this year and will be an intimidating presence to receivers coming over the middle (yeah Pinkston I mean you).
Matt Bowen finally showed the promise he had when popping trung candidate a few years back in training camp. With Taylor in the backfield Bowen can play strong safety and blitz more often and be free to support in the run game, which is his strong suit. Coming back from injury he will need to prove he has not lost anything. But his versatility should win the day and a full season of Taylor and Bowen will give any wide out nightmares on Saturday night.
Andre Lott played exceptionally well before his injury and even held Taylor on the bench for the start of the season. Lott is a converted CB and could find himself going back there in nickel and dime packages. Ryan Clark started the second half of the season after coming close to being cut and filled in adequately. Prioleau should excel on special teams and fill in spot duty at Safety. Pat Dennis and Jason Doering are mainly special teams players and emergency backups.
Draft outlook: If we spend a draft choice on this unit it would be severely wasted. We have 4 safeties capable of starting and several capable backups on top of that. This unit is pretty set and I doubt it will be addressed either day of the draft.
DEFENSE
Overview: This was the lone bright spot of an otherwise dismal 6-10 campaign last year. Despite no help from the offense for many games the Defense shined, despite trading all-pro cornerback Champ Bailey in the off season. Greg Williams not only had to deal with poor field position and being on the wrong side of the time of possession clock, but also the season ending loss of Mike Barrow in Mini-camp and the minimal participation of Stud linebacker Lavar Arrington and newly acquired defensive end Phillip Daniels. However his blitz schemes and the emergence of young players like Sean Taylor and Antonio Pierce and newcomer Marcus Washington, Cornelius Griffin, and Shawn Springs more then made up for their losses. In fact despite 6 one time or projected starters going down for most of the season, the defense ended the season as the 3rd ranked defense in the league, and one of the best defenses in Redskin history. The off season has not been kind to Greg Williams for the second year in a row as fan favorite Fred Smoot (CB) and the team defensive quarterback Antonio Pierce (MLB) has left for greener pastures. So far no real off season pickups however the return of injured players from last year and another year in the Greg Williams scheme should make our defense even stronger this year.(Note players with an * bolded and in italics are new free agent pickups this year).
Position Analysis
Defensive Tackles
Projected Starters: Cornelius Griffin, Joe Salave’a
Notable Bench: Brandon Noble, Ryan Borschetti, Cedric Killings
Analysis: Cornelius Griffin was arguably the best free agent signing for the Redskins last year. Many experts considered him to be washed up after a promising rookie year just 3 years earlier. Griffin revitalized his career in Washington as well as the defensive line play. He occupied blockers allowing our linebackers record the tackles on occasion and many times did the job himself recording 96 tackles (66 solo) and 6 sacks. That is a remarkable number of solo tackles for a defensive lineman. Griffin should of made the pro-bowl last year however was only selected as a fourth alternate in a travesty of judgment.
The other tackle was manned down by a rotation of Brandon Noble and Joe Salave’a during the early part of the season with Salave’a winning the spot by mid season. Salave’a was another Williams reclamation project and it worked. He recorded 30 tackles (22 solo) and two sacks while starting nine games for the Redskins. More importantly Joe occupies blockers well freeing up our linebackers to attack the offense with abandon.
Brandon Noble provided solid backup after coming off a devastating injury the year before. He is a big defensive tackle and another year back from injury will allow him to contribute even more this year. Ryan Borschetti is a versatile lineman even starting one game at defensive end last year when injuries piled up. Cedric Killings spent provides depth, but that is about it.
Draft Outlook: It is hard to see that the Redskins will address this position in the NFL draft. The Redskins most likely will stand pat and wait for June 1st cuts to address any backup issues. If the Redskins even look at this area it will be in the 6th or 7th rounds and only if a talent drops down that should have been drafted earlier
Defensive Ends
Projected Starters: Renaldo Wynn, Phillip Daniels
Notable Backups: Ron Warner, Demetric Evans, Nic Clemons
Analysis: Another season and another group of underperforming unheralded defensive ends. The group as a whole did not do too bad last year, but they also did not do anything spectacular. Those of us that hated watching Bruce Smith’s last year with the Redskins and his pursuit of the sack record appreciate these no nonsense group of veterans that just try and get the job done. Renaldo Wynn is once again slated to start at one of the ends. But that is nothing new as Renaldo has recorded three straight seasons of 16 game starts and started a total of 111 of 121 games in his career. He is not a feared pass rusher but is a consistent tackler and recorded 58 tackles and 3 sacks this last season. He will never be a dominant end but he is Mr. Consistency as well as a great locker room guy.
The other end will be manned by Phillip Daniels, if he can remain healthy. And that is a big if. He only played and started in only 5 games last year. However when he was in he was a force in the pass rush. He only had 8 tackles (5 solo) and 1 sack but often times collapsed the pocket enough to allow one of our linebackers to make the sack or at least force the incomplete pass. If he can stay healthy he could provide some needed pressure on the outside.
Ron Warner and Demetric Evans each saw time last year when Daniels went down. Evans was the more consistent of the two appearing in 12 games starting 8. He recorded 31 tackles (15 solo) and 2.5 sacks. He will be the primary backup to either end in case of injury. Warner recorded 17 tackles (9 solo) 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception appearing in 14 games and starting twice. He is more of a pass rushing end and could see a lot of time in nickel packages replacing Wynn or moving him inside to tackle. This is a make or break year for Chris Clemons after spending 2 years on the practice squad. He has decent pass rushing skills and could be part of a nickel package alignment if he can make the squad.
Draft Outlook: This position is the most in need of improvement on the entire defense. The team tried to address this need with the pursuit of Courtney Brown, but they were unsuccessful. The question is whether there are any defensive ends out there worth picking at #9. It is more likely the Redskins will either draft a defensive end in the 3rd round to compete for the backup spots or trade down for #1 and pickup a defensive end late in the first round. If the trade down option happens then Erasmus James and Dan Cody have to be strong candidates to compete for a starting job.
Linebackers
Projected Starters: Lavar Arrington, Mike Barrow, Marcus Washington
Notable Backups: Lemar Marshall, Clifton Smith, Khary Campbell
Analysis: Does the projected starting unit look familiar? It should it was the same this time last year. However Mike Barrow never recovered from a knee injury and didn’t play a down for the Redskins. Greg Williams converted Antonio Pierce from an outside Line backer to the middle linebacker position and bam a whole was filled. Lavar Arrington went down with an injury and only played in 4 games last year and bam in steps Lemar Marshall. Marcus Washington comes here from Indy and dominates. The linebacker position was one of the deepest and best units for the Redskins all year.
However this year Antonio Pierce is gone. So what does Greg Williams do? Right back to the same game plan. They are rehabbing Mike Barrow in preparation for him to start. They also resigned Lemar Marshall and he is moving to the inside position as well. This could be a great move for both the Redskins and Lemar. Lemar is a bit smallish for the inside being a converted safety. However in starting for Lavar he recorded 82 tackles (52 solo) and 1.5 sacks and excelled in pass coverage. Even if Barrow wins the job, Lemar could see time in nickel packages.
Lavar Arrington is coming back from injury and the Redskins need him. Although the pass rush was adequate last year without him, it was not dominant. Lavar was very frustrated with his missed time last year and should come back with a vengeance this year. On occasion he will line up at end and on occasion he will drop back in pass coverage and disrupt the crossing routes. However look for Lavar to be blitzing a lot more this next year looking to stuff the run as well as take the quarterback’s head off.
Marcus Washington can only benefit from one more year in the Williams system. Last year he piled up 130 tackles (102 solo) and 4.5 sacks. He was the sole Redskin Pro Bowl representative and deserved all the honors bestowed upon him. He rates as one of our best free agent acquisitions of the Snyder era. Marcus can rush the passer, stop the run, and cover the pass. More importantly he plays the strong side and frees up Lavar to freelance on the weak side. He is the ying to Lavar’s yang and could well be the rock that Williams builds his defense around this year.
Clifton Smith will compete along with Lemar Marshall for the Middle linebacker spot. He is an imposing linebacker and could surprise many people in pre-season. It was thought he would battle for the starting spot last year before he got injured. Chris Clemons showed flashes of speed and pass rushing ability last year recording 3 sacks late in the season. He could get time in passing situations. Khary Campbell is a great special teams player and could see some reserve work at either outside linebacker spot.
Draft Outlook: There are some that say the Redskins will try and replace Antonio Pierce in the draft. I just don’t think so. This draft is weak when it comes to line backing prospects and the Redskins have needs at other places and not a lot of picks. Williams will probably either convert Lemar or go with Barrow to fill the hole at MLB. If anything look for the Redskins to sign a few UFAs to compete for roster spots.
Cornerbacks
Projected Starter: Shawn Springs, Walt Harris
Notable Bench: Garnell Wilds, Rufus Brown, Ade Jimoh. Roosevelt Williams
Analysis: The loss of Fred Smoot hurt this unit greatly. Not because Fred Smoot was the great of a cornerback but because of how Williams uses the position. Corners are left on an island to allow safeties and linebackers to blitz on a regular basis. The Williams defense does not need shut down corners to be effective but they do need capable corners.
Shawn Springs is the perfect candidate for the Greg Williams defense and showed that last year. Replacing Champ Bailey he made good on his promise to make the fans forget the old #24 and welcome him as he piled up 89 tackles (56 solo), 5 interceptions, and 6 sacks. He has the size to cover the big receivers and the speed to cover the small ones. He also is adept at blitzing as he led the team in sacks as well as interceptions.
The job of replacing Smoot falls to Walt Harris. Walt recovered from a devastating knee injury in the off season and served as the nickel back for the Redskins compiling 21 tackles (12 solo) and two interceptions. He also contributed on special teams. The word on the street is that it takes two full years to recover from the knee injury he had so he should be back to top form this year. Before the injury he was a decent cornerback for Chicago and Indianapolis when he was in his prime. At the very least he will serve as a temporary veteran starter to allow the youngsters time to grow.
Garnell Wilds comes into camp as the favorite to play nickel back. His claim to fame is his dreadlocks and the fact that Randy Moss did not dominate him in the last game of the season. Don’t get me wrong, he is good and has the size and speed of a Williams type corner. But he is unproven. If he has a good camp he could eventually win the starting Corner Back opposite of Springs by the end of the year.
Ade “sure thing” Jimoh got better last year but is primarily a special teamer. Rufus Brown spent a lot of time on the practice squad and has some raw talent that could develop. Roosevelt Williams has a lot of experience but spent last year out of football. He will try and resurrect his career as a backup in training camp and could win a roster spot.
Draft Outlook: It sure is hard to argue that the Redskins could use a stud at CB opposite Springs. And there is nothing wrong with drafting a cornerback this year to groom for next year as well as Harris and Springs are both getting up there in age. If Rolle or “Pac Man” Jones are still on the board at #9 the Redskins may have to pull the trigger on one of them. Carlos Rodgers is also a possibility if a trade down scenario develops. However just as likely is taking a corner in the third round.
Safeties
Projected Starters: Sean Taylor (FS), Matt Bowen (SS)
Notable Bench: Andre Lott, Pierson Prioleau, Ryan Clark, Pat Dennis, Jason Doering
Analysis: This is a talented and deep group of players. After starting the season with Lott and Bowen at the two safety spots. Taylor finally broke into the starting squad and Bowen went down to a season ending injury. Lott came off the bench to start again and then he went down to a season ending injury. Finally Ryan Clark came in to finish the season. And throughout all this turmoil safety play remained at a high level.
Sean Taylor is the reason for that. Selected at #5 in last year’s draft this kid really impressed the Redskin faithful. Sure he has hired and fired more agents then Kristie Alley on a comeback tour, but boy can this guy play racking up 89 tackles (62 solo), 4 INTs, and 1 sack. Speed of a safety body of a linebacker. This might be the best draft choice of the Snyder era and he can only get better. He is the starter from day one this year and will be an intimidating presence to receivers coming over the middle (yeah Pinkston I mean you).
Matt Bowen finally showed the promise he had when popping trung candidate a few years back in training camp. With Taylor in the backfield Bowen can play strong safety and blitz more often and be free to support in the run game, which is his strong suit. Coming back from injury he will need to prove he has not lost anything. But his versatility should win the day and a full season of Taylor and Bowen will give any wide out nightmares on Saturday night.
Andre Lott played exceptionally well before his injury and even held Taylor on the bench for the start of the season. Lott is a converted CB and could find himself going back there in nickel and dime packages. Ryan Clark started the second half of the season after coming close to being cut and filled in adequately. Prioleau should excel on special teams and fill in spot duty at Safety. Pat Dennis and Jason Doering are mainly special teams players and emergency backups.
Draft outlook: If we spend a draft choice on this unit it would be severely wasted. We have 4 safeties capable of starting and several capable backups on top of that. This unit is pretty set and I doubt it will be addressed either day of the draft.
posted by Dustin M. Czarny @ 6:18 AM
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