Washington Redskins (Last Year: 9-7)

2008 NFL Draft Grade:

Good Moves: Save for two major things, I liked Washington's draft. The team needed a possession receiver, and it got a pair of first-round talents in the second round: Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly. It should be interesting to see how Jim Zorn utilizes them along with Santana Moss, Chris Cooley and Fred Davis ... Right guard was addressed with the acquisition of Chad Rinehart at pick No. 96. There were better guards available, but the selection was solid ... Justin Tryon, Kareem Moore and Chris Horton will provide Washington's thin secondary with some depth.

Bad Moves: I mentioned that I don't like two things the Redskins did. Well, one was something they didn't do. I can't believe they failed to acquire a defensive end prior to the seventh round. I guess they weren't paying attention when the rival Giants stormed through the playoffs ... Picking Colt Brennan automatically prohibits me from giving Washington anything higher than a B. I've listed six reasons why drafting Brennan was a mistake:

1. Throws Like a Girl: Brennan has weaker arm strength than any quarterback who was drafted. If Brennan even attempts to throw the out, he'll continuously get picked off. Think Chad Pennington (post injury) and imagine an even weaker throwing motion.

2. Troubled Past: The average fan doesn't know this, but Brennan was once a quarterback at Colorado. He was kicked off the team because he was charged with sexual assault. He spent seven days in jail. Do you want this guy running your offense?

3. Tom Thumb: Brennan is 6-2, 201. Pretty small for a quarterback. There have been quite a few tiny signal callers in the NFL before, but none of them had a...

4. Side-Armed Delivery: Rich Gannon threw side-armed, but he wasn't 6-2. Because Brennan is short, his side-armed release point will be even lower. This will result in a lot of batted balls at the line of scrimmage.

5. Bad Teammate: When Brennan struggled at his Pro Day, he actually had the nerve to blame his receivers. You can probably Google the interview with Scout.com if you want to find out what he said.

6. He's 25: Well, almost 25. Brennan will reach the quarter-century mark on Aug. 16. Kind of old for a rookie quarterback, huh?

But he put up great stats! Yeah, so did Timmy Chang. How's he doing? June Jones' offense is designed to do that. Put any other seventh-round quarterback (i.e. Matt Flynn, Alex Brink, etc.) in Hawaii's offense and they would have put up similar (or better) numbers.

I hope you understand now why I gave the Redskins a Z for picking Brennan. I'll be shocked if he makes an NFL roster.

Grade give on 4/28/08: C



2008 NFL Draft Picks:

34. Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State
Daniel Snyder might as well have robbed a bank. Devin Thomas could have went 11 to Buffalo. Getting him at 34 is completely ridiculous. (Pick Grade: A)

48. Fred Davis, TE, USC
I didn't get this pick. Why not a defensive end? Did the Redskins forget about Chris Cooley? Still, Fred Davis is a solid player and I can't blame Washington for falling in love with him. (Pick Grade: C)

51. Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
Three months ago, Malcolm Kelly was the consensus No. 1 receiver in the draft. The Redskins are going to have a scary offense next year, assuming Jason Campbell thrives with all of these weapons around him. (Pick Grade: A)

96. Chad Rinehart, G/OT, Northern Iowa
Roy Shuening and Mike McGlynn are probably better guard options, but Chad Rinehart isn't a bad pick. (Pick Grade: B)

124. Justin Tryon, CB, Arizona State
The Redskins needed a corner but there were better options available; I had Justin Tryon in my seventh round. (Pick Grade: C)

168. Durant Brooks, P, Georgia Tech
I'm not going to grade a punter. The Redskins needed one, and this is the right place to get one. (Pick Grade: N/A)

180. Kareem Moore, S, Nicholls State
Depth at safety, but there were much better players at this position availble. (Pick Grade: C)

186. Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii
Worst pick in the entire draft. What's worse than an F? Can I give them a G? What about a Z? Yeah, I like Z. (Pick Grade: Z)

242. Rob Jackson, DE, Kansas State
Depth for a very thin group of defensive ends. (Pick Grade: B)

249. Chris Horton, FS, UCLA
Not on my board, but it's the seventh round. (Pick Grade: C)





Season Summary:
Not even a Super Bowl victory could have trumped what happened to the Redskins organization on Nov. 27 - Sean Taylor, shot and eventually killed in cold blood. The team rallied and made the playoffs with a win over the Cowboys by 21, Taylor's old number. Washington didn't go deep into the playoffs, but I doubt this season will ever be forgotten.

Offseason Moves:

Redskins re-sign OLB Rian Wallace

Redskins sign S Stuart Schweigert

Redskins cut OLB Rian Wallace

Redskins acquire DE Erasmus James from the Vikings for a conditional 7th-round pick

Redskins cut WR/KR Jerome Mathis

Redskins cut OT Kevin Sampson

Redskins re-sign RB Nehemiah Broughton

Redskins re-sign G Jason Fabini

Redskins re-sign P Derrick Frost

Redskins sign DT Matthias Askew

Redskins cut WR Mike Espy

Redskins cut WR Steven Harris

Redskins re-sign DT Ryan Boschetti

Redskins tender Shaun Suisham

Redskins re-sign RB Rock Cartwright

Redskins re-sign QB Todd Collins

Redskins cut QB Mark Brunell

Redskins cut WR Brandon Lloyd


Offseason Needs:

1. Defensive End: Phillip Daniels belongs in a museum, and the Redskins need another pass rusher besides Andre Carter. Taking away Carter's 10 sacks, Washington had 23 on the year, which is pretty pathetic. Acquiring a top-notch defensive end has to be the franchise's top priority this offseason, especially after watching how the Giants upset the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Unless Malcolm Kelly falls to them, the Redskins will draft either Calais Campbell or Derrick Harvey 21st overall. Traded for Erasmus James; drafted Rob Jackson
   
   
2. Possession Receiver: Santana Moss, 5-10; 185. Antwaan Randle El, 5-10; 192. Brandon Lloyd, 6-0; 181. James Thrash, 6-0; 200. Keenan McCardell, 6-1; 191. Notice a pattern? Who was this genius GM who assembled such a small group of wide outs? The Redskins need a massive receiver capable of going over the middle. Malcolm Kelly could be an option if he falls to Washington. If not, perhaps Devin Thomas or Adarius Bowman in the second round. Drafted Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly
   
   
3. Defensive Tackle: Anthony Montgomery is emerging as one of the top defensive tackles in the league. Unfortunately, the Redskins won't have much around him come September. Cornelius Griffin will be a cap casualty, in all likelihood. Ryan Boschetti, meanwhile, may not re-sign with the team. That'll leave Washington with Montgomery and Kedric Golston at the position. Depth, and perhaps an upgrade over Golston, is a must. A mid-round selection could remedy this. Re-signed Ryan Boschetti; signed Matthias Askew
   
   
4. Offensive Tackle: I don't think the Redskins can afford another season where an offensive tackle suffers a season-ending injury. Jon Jansen, 32, may never be 100 percent ever again. Washington could benefit from an insurance policy (a second- or third-round pick, perhaps).
   
   
5. Guard: Pete Kendall turns 35 in July, so the Redskins, despite dealing a draft pick for the former Jet, need a younger guard to take his place soon. Washington can grab someone in the middle rounds. Drafted Chad Rinehart; re-signed Jason Fabini
   
   
6. Cornerback Depth: Shawn Springs is another possible casualty of Washington's horrendous cap situation. If he's cut, Daniel Snyder will need depth at corner. Drafted Justin Tryon
   
   
7. Safety Depth: The Redskins' top two reserve safeties, Omar Stoutmire and Pierson Prioleau, are both free agents. If they're not re-signed, which could be difficult given the team's cap status, depth will be needed. Drafted Kareem Moore and Chris Horton; signed Stuart Schweigert
   
   

Washington Redskins Free Agents:

Salary Cap (As of Feb. 11): -$20.61 million

1. Shaun Suisham (ERFA), K. Age: 26. - Tendered by Redskins
   
   
2. Todd Collins, QB. Age: 36.
   Re-signed with Redskins (3 years, $9 million)
   
   Any team looking to make a Super Bowl run can definitely use a proven veteran like Todd Collins as a backup quarterback.
   
   
3. Randall Godfrey, MLB. Age: 35.
   Randall Godfrey's days as a starter are obviously over, but he can still contribute as a reserve.
   
   
4. Derrick Frost, P. Age: 27. - Re-signed with Redskins (1 year)
5. Rock Cartwright, RB. Age: 28. - Re-signed with Redskins (3 years)
6. Pierson Prioleau, S. Age: 31. - Signed with Jaguars
7. Jason Fabini, G. Age: 34. - Re-signed with Redskins
8. Ryan Boschetti, DT. Age: 26. - Re-signed with Redskins
9. Brandon Lloyd, WR. Age: 27. - Signed by Bears (1 year)
10. Ross Tucker, OT. Age: 29.
11. Reche Caldwell, WR. Age: 29. - Signed with Rams (1 year, $645,000)
12. Omar Stoutmire, S. Age: 34.
13. Rick DeMulling, G. Age: 31.
14. Mike Pucillo, G. Age: 29.
15. David Macklin, CB. Age: 30. - Signed with Rams (1 year)
16. Nehemiah Broughton, RB. Age: 25. - Re-signed with Redskins
17. Jerome Mathis (RFA), WR/KR. Age: 25.
18. Kevin Sampson, OT. Age: 27.
19. Mark Brunell, QB. Age: 37. - Signed with Saints (2 years)
20. Keenan McCardell, WR. Age: 38.
21. Rian Wallace, OLB. Age 26. - Re-signed with Redskins
22. Brian Kozlowski, TE. Age: 37.
23. Mike Espy, WR. Age: 25.
24. Steven Harris, WR. Age: 26.

Divisional Rival History:
Dallas Cowboys: Remember when the Redskins could never beat the Cowboys? Well, they've somehow won four of the past six battles. Go figure.
New York Giants: The visitor won in the two meetings last season. That's not surprising, given how much better the Giants play on the road.
Philadelphia Eagles: Pure domination. The Eagles have claimed nine of the past 11 battles.



Features to be Posted This Offseason:

1. Detailed season preview
2. Fantasy football projections
3. Positional rankings
4. Daily updates on free-agent signings

More 2008 NFL Offseason Pages:

DAL / NYG / PHI / WAS
CHI / DET / GB / MIN
ATL / CAR / NO / TB
ARZ / SF / SEA / STL

BUF / MIA / NE / NYJ
BAL / CIN / CLE / PIT
HOU /IND / JAX / TEN
DEN / KC / OAK / SD


Back to the 2008 NFL Offseason Page

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