Might the Redskins be better off without Okung?

The general consensus among NFL scout-types and Redskins fans alike is that the team from Washington will draft Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung with the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

But I'm here to ask a question:

Might the Redskins, who lack draft picks, be better off trading down, thereby picking more draft picks, and selecting either Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams or Iowa's Bryan Bulaga?

There's a growing thought that Williams and/or Bulaga might actually be better than Okung for various reasons -- athletic ability, NFL potential, etc. But there's also the question of whether Williams especially, but also Bulaga, might fit the Redskins' new blocking schemes better than Okung, who has struggled against speed rushers.

It's something to think about at the very least. The team could obviously use more draft picks, but the likely trades of Jason Campbell and/or a running back might solve that issue. Don't be surprised if the Redskins bypass Okung.

Of course, the Lions might make the decision much easier if they select a left tackle with the No 2 overall draft pick.

CSN's Rich Tandler had a far more detailed write-up, and you should all go read it. 

Okung highlights/lowlights



Williams highlights/lowlights



Bulaga highlights/lowlights

McNabb to the Redskins

Offseason champs, baby!

For those fans who thought that the Redskins were being too quiet under Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan this offseason, the team had a big answer Sunday.

The Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a deal to send veteran star quarterback Donovan McNabb to Washington in exchange for a second-round pick in this year's draft and a fourth-round pick in next year's. Considering the relatively low cost, getting a guy like McNabb -- who has started 142 games in his NFL career -- was a good deal.

But what does this deal really mean? Well, for starters ...

• The Redskins found their starting QB for the 2010 season. Say goodbye to Jason Campbell. It doesn't make much sense to keep a guy like Jason, who has sizable trade value, when it's obvious that Campbell won't be starting unless McNabb gets injured. Rex Grossman was brought in to be the system guy.

• The Redskins' first-round pick is probably settled. Now that the Redskins have a suitable starter at QB for this season, it seems likely the team will select an offensive tackle (like Oklahoma State's Russell Okung) later this month. 

• The Eagles have been weakened. If McNabb knows anything, it's how Philly's offense works. He's been starting for the Eagles since 1999. The Eagles now figure to start either Kevin Kolb or Michael Vick, but McNabb being with the Redskins should cause the Eagles some headaches. 

Still far more to come about this.

And your next Washington Redskins draftee will be ...

(March 18 edition)

All signs point to the Redskins either selecting a quarterback or a left tackle in the first round of this year's draft.

But which one will it be? Do the Redskins trust quarterback Jason Campbell? Can they protect him with their current offensive line?

The team has signed several offensive linemen this offseason, but none appear to be the standout left tackle. Wednesday, the team also signed quarterback Rex Grossman, who worked with new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and QB coach Matt LaFleur in Houston. Grossman doesn't figure to start ahead of Campbell.

That leaves us with little to go on for whom the Redskins may be targeting.

A lot will depend on what the teams ahead of Washington do in the draft. Up first are the Rams, who could use either a stud defensive lineman or a big-time QB. The general feeling right now is that St. Louis will pick Sam Bradford, a quarterback from Oklahoma.

The Lions are next, and they have a solid QB in Matthew Stafford. Look for the Lions to either go with Oklahoma State OT Russell Okung or defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

If the Lions take Suh, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will likely take Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. If the Lions take Okung, look for Tampa to pick Suh.

Now come the Redskins, who seem to like Bradford, Okung and Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

Here's how I see it: If Bradford is there, they'll pick him. If he's gone, they'll go after Okung. If both are off the board, they'll pick Clausen. The Redskins can't trade down too much or risk losing Clausen to a team like Seattle, which also needs a QB.

The third option is to stick with Campbell and trade down for more draft picks and a shot at lower tier offensive line talent like Rutgers' Anthony Davis.

Best bet for your newest Washington Redskin:
Jimmy Clausen.

Jason Campbell deserves more time

As the season comes to a close, one of the more pertinent questions for the Redskins is that of their quarterback.

Do the bring back Jason Campbell, or do they go in another direction?

Earlier this year, I would bet some good money that the team was planning on going in another direction. After all, Campbell and the offense as a whole had not played well. Even last week, de facto GM Vinny Cerrato scouted both Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen and Texas QB Colt McCoy.

I myself have been long calling for Campbell to be benched. I still think he holds the ball too long and doesn't make quick reads and decisions.

But maybe it was too soon to start looking elsewhere.

Since Sherman Lewis started calling the plays and especially over the past four games, Campbell and the offense have thrived.

Has it saved his job?

It's undeniable that Campbell is not a perfect quarterback. He will never be a Brett Favre or a Peyton Manning. But he is better than Trent Dilfer, who quarterbacked the 2000 Ravens to a Super Bowl championship.

As the weeks go on, the more and more I think that the Redskins SHOULD bring Campbell back.

No, he probably will never put the team on his back and will it to a come-from-behind victory, but he's good enough to manage the game and won't lose many games by himself.

The Redskins have spent much of the last 15 years tearing everything down and rebuilding. Maybe it's time to just let things coast and see where it takes the team.

Sherman Lewis seems to be having an effect. Let he and Zorn run things awhile longer with Campbell in place.

But please, dear god, solidify the offensive line.

Things that need to change

Since the Redskins' season is nearing its halfway point (bye week this week, and the team's 8th game next week against Atlanta), it's as good a time as any to go through what I'd like to see from the team for the rest of the season.

It appears increasingly unlikely the Redskins (2-5) will turn their season around. At this point, they'd need a good 7-game win streak to turn it around, and looking at the team's upcoming schedule, that seems highly unlikely.

With that in mind, here are some things I'd like to see in the coming weeks ...

1. Who is Marko Mitchell?
The rookie receiver stood out in the preseason. That is to say that no one else played well. But Mitchell does have some promise. He's tall, he's fast and he seems to have good hands. I'd go so far as to say that he's played better than either Malcolm Kelly or Devin Thomas in his one year than they have in their two. So let's get him some reps. Antwaan Randle El is not long for this team, that much is clear. Get Mitchell some reps.

2. Free Brian Orakpo.
It's fairly obvious that the Redskins were fooling themselves thinking that Orakpo was going to be some fierce defensive end/linebacker combo linebacker in the mold of some Pittsburgh linebackers of old. I think the Giants picked up a linebacker - former Virginia LB Clint Sintim - who could be that guy for them, but Orakpo - from his first day on the team - always seemed to be more comfortable on the line. I still say that any play that doesn't have him on the line is a wasted play. In Orakpo's place, try out Chris Wilson. He's a former defensive end who has looked decent as a linebacker.

3. Time for a curtain call, Mr. Portis.
Truthfully, I feel really bad for Clinton Portis. The guy came to Washington coming off a pair of 1,500-yard seasons with Denver. He was young and dangerous. In Denver, he was a smallish, quick, break-away running back. When he leaves Washington, he'll still be relatively young (he's only 28), but god, what did the Redskins do to him? He has lost at least two steps (did you see his long run a few weeks ago? He had one guy to beat and a blocker, and still got caught from behind), and he's not small or quick. He beefed up for Gibbs' offense, and took pounding after pounding. He's injured every week, and it shows. I do think the guy has been a warrior for the Redskins, but the Redskins have burned him out.

It's time for the team to look at younger options. I'd even like to see Ladell Betts get more carries.

4. It's Collins time - yeah, I said it.
Todd Collins, that is. I've seen enough of Jason Campbell over the years here to know that he isn't going to be the guy - ever. He's never been consistent, but he's had flashes of genius that have buttered our opinion of the guy. Truth is, he hasn't improved in any way since his first year in the NFL. Collins won't be the Redskins' guy in the long term, but I do think that he'll give the team a better chance to win this year. Next year? Probably try Colt Brennan and finally see what he has, and bring in a veteran for some insurance. Draft a big-time QB in 2011 if need be.

5. Pray for our offensive line.
Seriously, I am pretty sure there is nothing that can be done about this group of fat guys. Stephon Heyer is obviously not a long-term answer at left tackle. He might be decent at right tackle, but the Redskins probably will be looking for a premier LT in next year's draft. Luckily it's looking like they'll have a relatively high pick to spend on that LT. Mike Williams hasn't looked horrible (that I can remember), but he hasn't exactly looked like a former 1st round pick. It's hard to count on anyone on that line right now. Randy Thomas has been injured quite a bit over the past few years. Chris Samuels sounds like he'll retire. Casey Rabach isn't getting any younger. Dockery has been solid, but that's about it. Questions with no answers right now.

Quick reactions, Redskins-Lions

Ladies and gents, we now know who the Washington Redskins really are. It took an embarrassing loss to figure it out, but it's finally done.

Yes, the Redskins lost to the Lions 19-14 Sunday afternoon. Yes, Detroit broke their 19-game winless streak against the Skins.

And oh boy, I was enraged. I felt anger and pain, but most of all, I felt confused about where the team is headed.

Some points:

The Jason Campbell show is finished.
Until now, I was unsure whether Campbell would continue to be the starting QB of the Washington Redskins after this season. His performance against the Lions solidified my belief that he will not be. Yes, he put up ok numbers Sunday, but not when it mattered. And he never really seems to be in charge of games like a starter should be.
I wish that Colt Brennan wasn't on IR so that we could see if Brennan has what it takes. Alas, we've probably wasted Brennan's time on the team yet again.

Jim Zorn is on very thin ice, but not finished. Yet.
I'm sure most fans would like to see Zorn gone right now, and I think that he is calling some piss-poor plays (especially in the red zone). But it's not time to kick the head coach off of this island. I think if this season turns south, it'll be the end of Zorn's tenure here, and I can only blame Zorn. He chose to attach himself to Campbell. He chose to keep the play calling duties despite the fact he had never been an offensive coordinator before, much less a head coach. Nothing about his tenure in D.C. has been good.

What happened to the defense?
The Lions were able to drive up and down the field pretty much at will. Detroit continually took advantage of the Redskins' defensive backs and completed 55 percent of their third-downs. (The Redskins completed just 20 percent.)

I do believe that Mr. Greg Blache is in denial about how poorly his defense played against Detroit. The Lions held the ball for over 36 minutes and had drives of 99, 74, 86 and 84 yards. Those are whoppers of drives.

If this is a reflection on how the defense will perform, the team is in trouble. On top of this, Haynesworth's hip injury is a huge concern.

Some (too few) positives

• I don't think the Lions are as bad this year as people are making them out to be. Blache pointed this out in a post-game interview. They lost to the Vikings, who are unbeaten. They lost to the Saints, who are unbeaten.
• Santana Moss still proves he's the Redskins' best receiver. He had 10 catches, 178 yards and a touchdown. That's double what he had coming into the game. He needs to be consistent for the Redskins to have any success.
• Hunter Smith is awesome. The Skins haven't had too many good punters over the last 20 years. Hunter the Punter averaged 45 yards per punt, with a long of 58 yards. Simply excellent.

A question
Is it too early to talk about "blowing up" the team? I'm talking about a complete overhaul. New QB. New RB. New coach. A new general manager. Everything.

Jason Campbell against Detroit

I read an article this week from Sports Illustrated about how Detroit's pass defense has been very bad since 2007, and apparently the Lions are only getting worse. The Detroit Lions have the worst pass defense in the history of the NFL.

That got me wondering how Redskins QB Jason Campbell has performed against the Lions over his career. I knew that he had done well in the past, but I had no idea how well.*

Campbell has played two games against the Lions, but those games make up most of his career-high single-game totals.

In 2008 alone, he set career highs in completion percentage (82.1), average yards per attempt (11.7) and passer rating (127.4). He also threw for 328 yards, a season-high and second only to a 2007 game in Dallas where he passed for 348 in a loss.

His numbers against Detroit are simply out of this world compared to his numbers against everyone else.

Campbell	vs. Detroit	Everyone else
Yards per game	288	202
Completion Perc.	80.7	60.6
Yards per pass	10.1	6.6
Passer rating	126.4	80.2

The passer rating stat stands out. 126 is a phenomenal, elite number. His 10.1 yards per pass is very large as well.

Another number stood out - 0. Campbell has never thrown an interception against Detroit in his career. He has thrown three touchdown passes.

What do the numbers mean? They provide good hope going into Sunday's game at Detroit. The Redskins certainly need all the offense they can muster.

On another note
Check out this video from the NFL Films folks. They had Jim Zorn mic'd up last Sunday against the Rams. The communication between he and Campbell is great. I'd say this is definitely one of the best videos I've ever seen on the Redskins. Perhaps the best.


*Numbers are averages and thus a little off. They should be close enough to the real numbers not to make much of a difference. I spent 2 hours on this and you'll like it, damn you.

After reviewing the tape ...

Alright, I forced myself to re-watch the Giants game. I had meant to do it Monday or Tuesday, but whenever I thought I'd sit down and watch it, I either did not have time, or I found anything and everything else that I had to do.

Here's what I saw:

The Redskins defense kept the team in the game.
Yeah, no duh, right? While coordinator Greg Blache's defense seems to be in the "bend-but-don't-break" variety, they did a good job of stopping the Giants when they reached the red zone, forcing FG attempts instead of giving up very many long touchdowns. Fans have complained that the Redskins cornerbacks play too far off the opponents receivers, but they do that so that opponents won't be getting behind the defensive backs and scoring many long touchdowns. Giants QB Eli Manning, however, did a good job of moving around in the pocket and avoiding the Redskins rush for the most part. But the Redskins defense did enough to allow the team to win. Jason Campbell and the Redskins offense gave up a touchdown on offense when Osi Umenyiora sacked Campbell, creating a fumble and returning in for a TD.

Along those same lines ... DT Albert Haynesworth is indeed a monster.
The Giants had almost no success whenever they tried to run near Haynesworth, and they attempted to double-team Haynesworth almost all night. The Giants did have some success running the ball, but only when they ran away from Haynesworth and/or Haynesworth was out of the game.

Orakpo had a decent game. London Fletcher was all over the field.
When I watched the game the first time around, I thought that rookie LB/DE Brian Orakpo was virtually invisible, but Orakpo held up fine. He didn't stand out, but he didn't give up any major plays that I noticed. I still would like to see him rushing the passer way more than dropping back in coverage, which is his weakness, but he's a work in progress.

Fletcher was credited with 18 tackles, which currently leads the league (Yeah, Week 1). He had a great game helping to slow down the Giants running game.

Too many missed tackles, though.
On Manning's first half touchdown pass to WR Mario Manningham, Manning did a good job of checking into a quick WR screen to counter the Redskins all-out blitz. It was one-on-one coverage, and Manningham beat CB Fred Smoot's tackle (which would have resulted in a punt) then beat DE Andre Carter's tackle, then beat CB DeAngelo Hall's attempted tackle. Great run after catch, but putrid tackling. Combined with misses from Chris Horton and LaRon Landry earlier in the game, the Redskins had six missed tackles at this point. Too many.

Does Jim Zorn trust Jason Campbell?
Whenever the Redskins were backed up deep in their own red zone, the Redskins usually tried running the ball twice, and then attempting a quick screen or dump off. On their first possession of the second quarter in backed up, the Redskins ran in all three downs, not even attempting a pass to pick up the first down. Perhaps Zorn is justified, when Campbell makes bad decisions like trying to throw the ball after he's already cross the line of scrimmage and ends up throwing an interception. And the Redskins attempted just one deep pass, a mixed up bomb to Santana Moss, where Moss went a different direction than Campbell threw. Bad times.

Offensive line did a pretty good job ... Campbell not so good.
The Redskins offense as a whole did not play well, but the team's offensive line was not to blame for the most part. They kept the dangerous Giants defense off Campbell almost all game.


Campbell, though he had a good passer rating, did not play as well as the rating. He looked a little lost, a little flustered, and a little confused. He turned the ball over and it cost the team deeply. He also must do a MUCH better job of feeling the pass rush and know when to step up, and when not to.

On sack-fumble-TD for Umenyiora, as announcers pointed out, he had a lot of space in front of him to step up. That's something that a pro QB has to feel.

The Giants have a good defense, so I'll give him a bye this week. But he won't get any pass from fans if he doesn't light up the Rams defense for some real numbers and touchdowns.

Playcalling bone to pick
After Hall's INT late in the third quarter, why wasn't the first play after that a shot into the end zone, looking for a touchdown?

Instead, the Redskins handed off to running back Clinton Portis, and Giants DE Justin Tuck split between tackle Stephon Heyer and guard Randy Thomas (Heyer was left looking for someone to block) and stopped Portis for a 5-year loss. All of that momentum gone in a flash. The next play is a 9-yard screen to Portis. Decent, and getting back the yardage lost. I'll accept it. Then Campbell uses the Redskins' second timeout of the half, leaving the team only 1 for the rest of the game. Not that timeouts are important at the end of the game, right?

And then on third and six from the 8 yard line, Campbell is sacked because he couldn't get rid of the ball fast enough. Poor play calling, poor execution. The Redskins settle for a FG.

Other bits...
Carlos Rogers dropped another easy interception early in the first quarter. Hit his stone hands and bounced off them, laughingly. ... Cedric Golston and Lorenzo Alexander are no substitute for Haynesworth in the middle. They played okay, but don't provide the push of Haynesworth. ... When will Landry ever live up to his potential? He had a decent game vs. Giants. Missed too many tackles for my liking, but his deflection caused Hall's INT. ... I like the look of Campbell in the shotgun. He seems to have more of a feel out of that situation. ... What do you think about using the trick field goal play so early in the season? Holder Hunter Smith scored on the run, but now that play is on film. Will that matter? Think the Redskins will use it again later in the year? ... The Redskins ran to their left side the vast majority of the time, right behind Chris Samuels and Derrick Dockery. Casey Rabach got pushed back quite a bit by the Giants DTs. ... I personally don't mind the end-around/trick pass play to Antwaan Randle El on the second play of the season. I just didn't like the execution. Randle El should have thrown that pass away, or at least not tried dancing around. ... WIth six minutes left in the half, the Giants had outgained the Redskins 203-68. The Redskins had just 26 passing yards. ... TE Chris Cooley had a good day, despite putting a scare into the team with a fumble that was called back after a replay. He has been an excellent value draft pick for the Redskins.

Redskins miss out on Leftwich

Back from a wedding. Sorry for the lack of updates.

Anyway ...



If the Redskins ever really wanted Pittsburgh backup quarterback Byron Leftwich (and I don't think they ever did), apparently he'll sign with the Buccaneers soon. Leftwich is promised a shot at a starting spot in Tampa, something the Redskins weren't about to give him.

If Jason Campbell isn't a good fit in coach Jim Zorn's system, with Campbell's slow delivery and such, Leftwich is even worse. Leftwich has a slower delivery. The Redskins are better off without him.

If the team wants a good backup, former Tampa QB Jeff Garcia would have been an excellent backup. Too bad he signed with the Raiders last week.

What does this all mean? Are the Redskins really looking for a backup quarterback? To be honest, I'm not sure. My feeling is that the team is probably looking to add someone. But why the team seems to be giving up so early on second-year QB Colt Brennan is beyond me.

Rumors have gone a little wild lately after the Redskins worked out Southern Cal signal-caller Mark Sanchez, right. ESPN draft guru says that the Redskins will draft Sanchez in his latest mock draft.

I think there is little chance that 1:) Sanchez will be left on the board when the team is "on the clock," and 2:) the team will select him. Just don't see the Redskins not only dropping Campbell, but also giving up on Brennan so quickly.

To me, it looks more like the Redskins were trying to make teams think about the possibility of them drafting Sanchez, maybe getting some draft-day trades in order. Should be interesting.

Other Redskins news

• Defensive tackle Kedrick Golston signs an offer sheet, essentially keeping him a Redskin. Solid worker. Should improve with the signing of Haynesworth.
• The team signed oft-injured linebacker Robert Thomas. I really like this signing. Hopefully this will keep H.B. Blades from starting as an outside linebacker, which would be a mistake.

Why aren't you all dancing in the streets?

Say it with me now, folks. And wipe that sweat off your brow.

PHEW!

It's (apparently) finally over. Jay Cutler is no longer a Bronco. And the best of all news? He is NOT a Redskin.

Oh yes, that is good news, my friends. Don't let anyone tell it it's not good news. On ESPN's PTI, the big headline was "Redskins miss out on Cutler" or something like that. No. It's a good thing the team "missed out" on Cutler. A very good thing.

Look, just take a gander at what Chicago gave up to get him. They got rid of quarterback Kyle Orton ... and then gave away two first-round draft picks and a third-round choice. For Cutler and a fifth-round draft choice.

Talk about a fleecing.

The Redskins need every draft pick they can get. So if the Broncos were asking for Campbell and all those draft picks I'd be saying no, no, no, no.

Not that I think that Campbell is the "quarterback of the future." I'm pretty sure I don't think that. Pretty sure. But I do know that Cutler cost way too much. And people in Chicago aren't even happy.

Good luck to the Bears. But I, for one, am glad the Redskins didn't pull the trigger on this trade.

Other Redskins news

• The team will apparently meet with Campbell, now that the Redskins have done to him what the Broncos did to Cutler.
• Lucky strikeout: Wilbon says the Redskins are lucky to have Campbell. I disagree. But here you go.

Cutler, AGAIN!?!

From the "Why won't this story die again?" file:

Apparently, the Redskins are STILL looking to trade for Denver QB Jay Cutler.

I've already written much about this story. So I'm not going to talk much more about it.

But suffice to say that I think, in the end, it'll cost way too much for the Redskins if they trade for Cutler.

While I'm not too worried about losing Jason Campbell (Cutler would be an improvement, no doubt), losing draft picks and/or multiple players could be very, very costly. And I don't think mortgaging your future on a single player is a good idea.

The team needs to learn to live (and die) with its home-grown talent.

Oh, and that's offseason-king Redskins owner Dan Snyder over there on the right. In case you know nothing. And in that case, how did you get down to the bottom of this post?

zorn: campbell our dude. seriously?

Sorry, I've been in the midst of moving and haven't been able to get into all of this, but Jim Zorn not only recently said that the team was not interested in Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, but Zorn has now committed himself to Redskins QB Jason Campbell.

If Zorn can get Campbell playing like he should be playing, everything will be all good. But my feeling is that Zorn has now attached himself to a sinking ship. Sadly.

I don't have great confidence in Campbell to do what he needs to do.

I hope I'm surprised this season. Because if Campbell doesn't play well, some fans will be calling for him to be replaced. And soon.