Vision Quest: Off Season Gameplan, Defensive Needs by Position

With last week’s offensive review in the books it is now time to turn to the defensive side of the ball. Some would argue the most important free agent signing, or in this case resigning, was done already when Gregg Williams agreed to a 3 year extension guaranteeing his presence at Redskins Park next season. His schemes have helped the Redskin defense finish #9 last year and #3 the year before. All this despite a sometimes anemic offense, a lack of a true pass rush, and questionable depth and extensive injuries at corner.

It is no small thing to say that the direction of the defense, and the free agent hunting in the meantime, is dependent on what to do with one man, Lavar Arrington. His injuries and at times bratty attitude over the last 2 years have led many, and I am sure some inside the Redskin organization, to call for his release from his team. I understand their frustration and anger, I feel it myself.

However I do not believe that the Redskins will ultimately release Mr. Redskin himself, and it has nothing to do with his play over the last two years. It may be more about the CBA that is being negotiated rather then anything else. Lavar’s cap number for 2006 is 12 million, which consists of a 6 million dollar roster bonus due to him in July, a vet minimum salary, and the left over prorated portions of signing bonus from his original rookie contract, a restructuring in 2002, and his extension at the end of the 2003 season. However cutting him would roughly equal 12.5 million in cap charges in 2006 since his pro-rated bonus would all be accelerated.

If the CBA is renewed it is both good and bad news for Lavar fans. Renewing the CBA would mean that he could convert the 6 million in roster bonus into a signing bonus, spreading out over the remainder of his contract and reducing is cap number in 2006 to roughly 7 million. Of course renewing the CBA would allow the Redskins to release Arrington after June 1st reducing his cap number to 5.5 million in 2006 and adding a dead cap charge of 7.5 million in 2007. The problem with the second scenario is that the Redskins would have to keep Lavar’s large (12 mil) cap number on the books until June 1st and it could affect free agent signings and the signing of any draft picks.

If the CBA is not renewed it is equally as ambivalent for Lavar. Without the CBA being renewed he cannot convert his roster bonus into signing bonus keeping his cap number at 12 million. However without the CBA being renewed the redskins can no longer release him on June 1st and get any cap savings either. The CBA not being renewed also offers the possibility of 2007 being an uncapped year thus negating any future cap hits.

What it will come down to is this: Are the Redskins willing to pay Lavar Arrington’s salary or are they willing to take a substantial cap hit (plus the cap hit of his replacement) to move on. In the end I think the Redskins will pay Lavar his money and hope he can play better with a full off season of workouts under his belt. Dan Snyder can basically print money as the Redskin owner and he is also a shrewd business man. He knows he can make up the extra money he will pay to Lavar over the next few years in merchandising alone. 2006 is too tight of a cap year to add Lavar’s replacement onto it. The team would be better with Lavar playing then a rookie or vet minimum signing playing weak side.

So, in my mind, I assuming the Redskins will keep Lavar Arrington and I will make my defensive analysis with that assumption in mind.

Defensive Tackle
Current Roster: Cornelius Griffin, Joe Salave’a, Brandon Noble, Aki Jones, Ryan Boschetti
Redskin Free Agents: Lional Dalton, Cedric Killings
Suggested Off Season Move: Resign our free agents for vet minimums and let them fight it out in camp for roster spots
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: None

This is the most solid and deep group on the entire defense. Cornelius Griffen is three steps beyond the entire group. His presence makes the entire line play better. Joe Salave’a is the perfect compliment to Griffen. He is tough and really occupies space. Seriously have you seen the guy’s head? His old helmets are used as apartments in his native Samoa. Brandon Noble’s playing days are done and his retirement will save the redskins some money. I think the Redskins can find 2 or 3 decent backups in Aki Jones (who slept on the steps of Redskin Park before training Camp), Ryan Boschetti, Cedric Killings, & Lional Dalton. Sign a couple of UFAs and let them fight it out in camp.

Defensive End
Current Roster: Renaldo Wynn, Phillip Daniels, Nic Clemons,
Redskin Free Agents: Demetrius Evans
Suggested Off-season Move: Resign Demetrius Evans and look for young pass rushing defensive end, most likely in draft.
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: Aaron Kampman (GB), Robert Mathis (IND), Ndukwe Kalu (PHI)

This group has been singled out for our lack of pass rush this last season, and the criticism does hold some merit. However at the end of last year Phillip Daniels started to break out to be a pass rushing force and he and the coaches credited changes in the pass rushing scheme for his revival. Still a young defensive end with pass rushing skills could be added to rotate in and help Daniels and the aging Wynn. Demetrius Evans should draw some mild interest from other teams but the Redskins should also be able to resign him.

I rather the skins look to the draft to find that young pass rushing defensive end but there are some intriguing targets out there. Aaron Kampman will be looking for a new home since Green Bay is going nowhere this next year and could play either end spot. Robert Mathis is an RFA but it is possible that Indy may not even tender him since their cap situation is questionable. Ndukwe Kalu is not young, but could come cheap and is a pretty good pass rusher that the redskins should have never let get away.

Linebacker
Current Roster: Lavar Arrington, Marcus Washington, Lemar Marshall, Robert McCune, Chris Clemons,
Redskin Free Agents: Warrick Holdman, Khary Campbell
Suggested Off Season Move: Let free agents go. Look for young special team experts to fill in at LB and be used as depth
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: Akin Ayodele (JAG), Tommy Polley (BAL), Ben Leber (SD)

As I have said before I do not believe the redskins will release Lavar Arrington. Marcus Washington is the MVP of the defense each of the last two years and could go down as the Redskins best free agent signing in the Snyder era. Lemar Marshall played very well last year and justified the Redskins faith in him. Chris Clemons is showing promise as a speed rusher and may be able to help on the outside. Robert McCune started on the practice squad and finally made the team as a special teamer later in the year. His move to outside linebacker should help him in his quest for a roster spot this year. I do not see any reason to resign Warrick Holdman. I saw Warrick get blocked onto his back by wide receivers during the Kansas City game and I am not sure why the Redskins staff was so high on him early in the season. Khary Campbell should be resigned for MLB depth and special teams alone.

The Redskins need some quality depth here and there are a few players out there that may be willing to sign a one year contract to come in and work with GW and his all star staff. Akin Ayodele may be one of them. He plays both strong and weak side LB and had an injury in 2005 keeping him from seeing the field. Tommy Polley may be out of the Redskin price range as he did a one year deal with Baltimore last year and will look to cash in, but he may be willing to move down I90. Ben Leber is young and fast but was stuck behind Shawn Merriman at San Diego.

Cornerback
Current Roster: Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers, Walt Harris, Christian Morton, Dimitri Patterson
Redskin Free Agents: Ade Jimoh
Suggested Off Season Move: Sign Jimoh, release Walt Harris. Look for a mid tier free agent CB to be our nickleback.
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: Will Allen (NYG), Jamar Fletcher (SD), Ricky Manning Jr. (CAR)

This is the position I think we will be most active on in free agency. Shawn Springs is playing like a pro-bowler whether the voters think so or not. Carlos Rogers had an up and down rookie year, but mostly up. These will be the starting corners next year barring injury. Walt Harris’ play fell off, especially when he started and was matched up against more talented wide receivers. His cap hit and potential savings makes him a tempting target to be released shortly. Christian Morton and Dimitri Patterson are nothing special and will be camp fodder next year, as they were this year. The Redskins should resign Ade Jimoh as he had his best year as a pro last year in both special teams and even in (gulp) coverage.

A true nickel and maybe even a dime needs to be found. With Springs history of injuries, and Roger’s injury plagued season last year, this person will have to be able to start as well. I like the idea of signing Will Allen to be our nickle back. Not only could he be an upgrade over Walt Harris he could give us valuable insight to the Giants’ schemes. Jamar Fletcher is a nice young corner that could also fit the bill as well. Ricky Manning Jr. lost his starting job in Carolina last year and may not want to be a backup here, but if he could be persuaded to move up I90 a bit he also could be a great cheap addition.

Safety
Current Roster: Sean Taylor, Matt Bowen, Pierson Prioleau,
Redskin Free Agents: Ryan Clark, Omar Stoutmire
Suggested Off Season Move: Resign both free agents and cut Matt Bowen. Find some cheap camp fodder in UFAs
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: None

Assuming Sean Taylor gets off with no jail time, we are pretty set at the safety position. Taylor is a pure beast and a game changing presence roaming from sideline to sideline. Wide Receivers grow alligator arms just thinking him. The rumor that Terry Glenn and Todd Pinkston keep dropping their beers in the off season is not just a coincidence. Matt Bowen should be shown the door, his price is not worth being a third stringer with little playing time. Pierson Prioleau is solid depth and can play either safety spot. Ryan Clark should be resigned at a modest price, if not Pierson can start in his place. Omar Stoutmire contributed at Safety, corner, and special teams and will be cheap valuable depth. A couple of UFAs of course could be brought in to compete in camp and add additional depth, especially if Clark cannot be resigned.

That is it for my defensive preview. Next week is the last in my off season game plan series focusing on Special Teams. If you are a fan of Danny Smith or Derrick Frost you may want to avert your eyes. Until then I will be praying that the CBA is renewed because without it we may be culling the depths of the UFAs for almost every position.

Vision Quest: Off Season Gameplan, Offensive Needs by Position

The Super Bowl is over, the pro-Bowl is on tap and soon the off season will officially be here. However most teams, including the Redskins, are already scouting and filling out their free agent wish lists. Normally this is the season we look forward to the most. The Redskins for the past few years have won the March Super Bowl but failed to produce once September came around.

Not this year. Following a very successful season the Redskins are not looking to splurge in free agency. The Redskins go into free agency with only one major offensive hole (#2 WR) and a need for role players in every other position. I do think a large signing at WR is a very real possibility with 2-3 smaller role players, vet minimum signings to flush out the offense. Of course the Redskins may opt to address some of these needs in the draft. But with only 5 picks, and no first rounder, it is unlikely that all of the role players will be found there. I expect the Redskins to be very active in the mid tier free agent market this year.

Below I have analyzed each position on offense. I have listed the current players under contract as well as any Redskin free agent at that position. I also suggest the expected off season moves for this position and my top 3 Free Agent targets for the Redskins. Keep in mind the Redskin targets do not necessarily match up with the most talented free agents expected to be on the market. Free Agency in the cap era is a balancing act and there are different needs at each position. I list the top targets I believe the Redskins should, and hopefully will, take a look at this off season.

Quarterback
Current Roster: Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell, Patrick Ramsey
Redskin Free Agents: None
Suggested Off Season Move: Trade Patrick Ramsey for a mid round draft pick, replace with a veteran journeyman QB.
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: Tim Hasslebeck (NYG), Bryson Spinner (UFA), Todd Collins (KC)

Ok Patrick Ramsey is pretty much out of DC. When you rent a U-Haul to clean out your locker and the new Associate Head Coach Offense Al Saunders fails to mention your name when talking about the good quarterbacks on the team, the writing is pretty much on the wall. On top of that Ramsey is in the final year of his rookie contract and can save a cap strapped club close to 2 million if traded and is the only real trade bait that can garner a modest draft pick and even Stevie Wonder can see this coming.

With Ramsey’s departure Campbell will move up to the #2 spot behind Mark Brunell and have an outside chance at the starting nod. So the Redskins need a #3/emergency QB to round out the roster. This should be someone who is willing to take a vet minimum and not someone who will take a large paycheck. Tim Hasslebeck may wish to move back to the DC area and Gibbs loved him in his first year here. Tim though may not be willing to be a 3rd QB again. Bryson Spinner may actually have a shot at making the final roster now. He was in training camp each of the last two year’s and is a young mobile QB who might be worth the risk. Todd Collins already knows Al Saunder’s system from his time in KC.

All three of these players would be willing to play for vet minimum or close to it. I doubt we spend any draft choices on this position in 2006, so making a correct choice in free agency will be key. Look for the redskins to sign both Collins and invite Spinner to camp and let them fight it out for the final QB spot.

Running Back
Current Roster: Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Nehemiah Broughton
Redskin Free Agents: Rock Cartwright
Suggested Off-season Move: Resign Rock Cartwright and keep unit intact for next season.
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: None

There is no position on the Redskin roster that is as chock full of talent as this one. Even if Rock does not resign with us we have 3 very good RBs in Portis, Betts, and Nemo. If Rock does resign then the squad may look to see if anyone has an outrageous offer Ladell Betts as well. If not they will keep all 4 running backs as they did last year and have great depth behind super stud Clinton Portis.

Wide Receiver
Current Roster: Santana Moss, David Patten, Taylor Jacobs, James Thrash, Antonio Brown, Jimmy Farris
Redskin Free Agents: None
Suggested Off Season Move: Sign a big name solid #2 wide receiver in free agency to start opposite Moss. Play Patten in the slot and let Thrash play #4 WR. Jacobs, Brown, Farris, and others can fight for the 5th WR spot.
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: David Givens (NE), Joe Jurevicius (SEA), Antwaan Randle-El (PIT)

The most talked about need for the Redskins in the off season is a true #2 Wide Receiver. A true #2 would make opposing defenses be honest in their coverage and open up the field for Moss. Patten could fill that role again but it makes more sense to move him into the slot. Perennial disappointment Taylor Jacobs is a practice stud but a game day dud. James Thrash is a great role player and decent depth at WR, but that is about it. Antonio Brown can’t catch and Jimmy Farris is too raw of a prospect.

The Redskins will probably look at free agency to solve this problem. Personally this writer wants Reggie Wayne, but word out of Indy is they would rather franchise him then let him get away. So given that I would love for the Redskins to bring in David Givens. He is young and has come into his own as a big strong possession receiver and would be the perfect compliment to Moss and Patten. Joe Jurevicius is my close second and only because of age. His is huge and can go over the middle as well as run a decent post pattern. Randle-El is the sexy pick and probably the most expensive, thus he is third on my list. I do like the possibilities of him returning kicks for us and throwing off a reverse.

H-Back
Current Roster: Chris Cooley, Mike Sellers, Manuel White, JR.
Redskin Free Agents: None
Suggested Off Season Move: Keep everything the same, find a couple of new cheerleaders for Cooley.
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: None.

If running back is the most stocked position this is a very close second. The only thing in flux here is what Al Saunders is going to do with the h-back. I suspect he will keep it and use more combinations of Mike Sellers at h0back and Chris Cooley lined up as TE. Manny White will have a chance at a roster spot in that case backing up Mike Sellers. With no free agents to sign and no real depth needed I see very little action here or in the draft.

Tight End
Current Roster: Robert Johnson, Calen Powell
Redskin Free Agents: Robert Royal, Brian Kozlowski
Suggested Off Season Move: Resign Robert Royal but either look in the draft or Free agency for an upgrade to start at TE.
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: Chris Baker (NYJ), Christian Fauria (NE), Roland Williams (STL)

This is my pet peeve ads some will remember last year’s love letters to Heath Miller. Still Robert Royal did prove to be a poor TE this last year. He was a little better at blocking then the previous year but he showed inconsistency in receiving even without factoring in his disastrous game against San Diego. An upgrade at TE can and should be done.

I don’t know if it can be done in free agency though. There are remarkably little talented free agents out there and none I would like to throw big money after. So I would resign Robert Royal and look to the draft to upgrade over him. However if the Redskins were unable to sign Royal or were not willing to use a draft pick on the position, then there are a few prospects out there. Before breaking his leg Chris Baker was showing signs of promise as a receiving and blocking TE for the Jets. He could provide good competition for Royal and is relatively young. Christian Fauria is getting up there in age (35) but is an underrated blocker and decent receiver. He is also coming off an injury year and may take a low salary for one more shot at a ring. Roland Williams is far removed from his glory days during the 1999 Super Bowl, but has size and talent and could be an upgrade at TE.

Offensive Line
Current Roster: Jon Jansen, Chris Samuels, Randy Thomas, Casey Rabach, Cory Raymer, Jon Alston, Jim Molinaro
Redskin Free Agents: Derrick Dockery (RFA)
Suggested Off Season Move: Tender Derrick Dockery and Release Cory Raymer, look at mid level free agents on the interior of the line and also on 2nd day of the draft.
CNY’s Top 3 Free Agents to target: Mike Flanagan C (GB), Tom Nutten G (STL), Toniu Fonoti G (MIN)

Depth, especially on the interior, is the main concern here for the Redskins. The starting five most likely to return. Dockery is the weak link here and the only free agent. However he is a restricted free agent and unlikely to see a lot of action. He will more then likely get one more year to improve and keep his job. With Ray Brown’s retirement though there is no quality sub on the interior of the line, especially with the expected release of Cory “Ole’” Raymer.

Most likely the second day of the draft will be teaming with young players to fill in on the cheap and compete for roster sots, but the Redskins would be advised to get one experienced inner lineman that can step in due to injury. Mike Flanagan has been a competent Center in Green Bay and may accept a reserve role on a championship caliber club to chase one more ring. The same with Tom Nutten, guard, from St. Louis. Both ended last year injured and may not get high offers from other clubs. Another interesting prospect is Toniu Fonoti, G, from Minnesota. He was injured in his first start with Minnesota but is a promising young guard who could push Dockery.

Discuss it in THE CHEROKEE