Redskins off-season plans

The Jim Zorn era started with SUCH promise. 4-1 with St. Louis, Cleveland Detroit and Pittsburgh to go before a week 10 bye.
Then the team lost to the Rams....at home. Sure a comeback win over Cleveland and a not-as-dominant-as-the-scoreboard-said win over Detroit was nice, but Pittsburgh absolutely crushed the Redskins AT FEDEX FIELD the night before the election. After the bye week the team lost 5 of 7, including losses to the Cowboys and Giants at home, two teams that the Skins NEEDED to beat in order to have a shot at the playoffs. The Skins did beat Philly and Seattle, thus sweeping Philly and spitting on the team that knocked it out of the playoffs two of the last three years, but losses to Cincinnati and San Francisco REALLY hurt and turned a 10-6 season with a spot in the playoffs into an 8-8 year and out of the playoffs.

Now the Skins have decided to keep Zorn around (because Cowher likely said he wants to NOT coach one more season) and I'm sure while Jason Campbell likes that, most Redskins fans don't. Was 8-8 in a coach's first year EVER as a coach (remember, Zorn wasn't even a coordinator before taking the head role!) a bad start? Not necessarily. He had a better first year than (no, Mike Smith, Sparano, and Harbaugh were all better...)Scott Linehan did in 2007. I think the players stopped listening to Joe Gibbs, but they still respected his three Super Bowls. But with Zorn, they don't respect him. Clinton Portis called him, very sarcastically, a "genius!" I think he lost this team with the losing down the stretch and Portis went from MVP candidate to riding the pine. Dude was hurt, but STILL giving it his all.
Maybe the Redskins hurt themselves by turning the team over to the guys from THE U. Santana Moss, Portis and before he died, Sean Taylor. Those guys from the U usually like to do their own thing because they think they are special. They work out on their own (Taylor and Jeremy Shockey did that). They tend to pop off about things and while VERY talented, they think they are better than they actually are. They remind me of some of the guys you see your freshman year of college that still wear their high school lettermen's jackets. DUDE this is college! you want to scream at them. Hey MIAMI GUYS, this is the NFL! Not the Big East! I think too many of those former Hurricanes is NOT a good thing and that may have gotten the ship off course.

Jason Taylor's acquisition was a bust. I'll say it. he was hurt for a bunch and just never delivered the pressure I thought he was going to bring. Andre Carter did more. Now, did that come from not enough help on the inside of the line? Could have. The team didn't have much depth there because of injuries.
The two wideout rookies really didn't bring ANYTHING to the table in year one.
The offensive line is getting REALLY old.
Jason Campbell....is he REALLY the answer?
LaRon Landry is going to be good and the defensive secondary has Smoot,Rogers, Springs and DHall. Will they all be back next season?
Is London Fletcher going to get any help at linebacker? And he's getting a bit long in the tooth.

What does this team have going FOR it?
Antwaan Randle-El is a pretty good slot receiver and KR/PR. But he's getting paid #1 or #2 money when he's a #3.
Santana Moss is also a pretty good PR and #1 WR. He needs a guy to get him the ball
Clinton Portis is a beat on gamedays. Can he just shut his mouth other days? And Betts is a nice big back to complement him.
Chris Cooley is the MVP of the team EVERY YEAR it seems. What a weapon. Add in Fred Davis and his pass-catching ability that he flashed at USC and you have a nice set of TE/H-Backs
Andre Carter is good. Get him Philip Daniels and Kedric Goldston back and he'll be just fine.

This HAS to be the make-or-break year for Jason Campbell. I am not sure he is going to work out. Serviceable sure, but can he win a Super Bowl? I don't know. In the draft, the team might be able to steal Cullen Harper in the 6th round. I have killed him on this blog before about his mouth, but if he had jumped to the NFL last season, he's a first rounder. Get him in the 6th or so. Bring him along slowly as Zorn's pet project and maybe HE'S your QB of the future.

Between Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas, ONE of those two has to work out right? Malcolm Kelly was injured the entire year last year. If finally healthy, he is the tall receiver this team needs. If Thomas can give you stuff from a 4th wideout, maybe even an occasional deep threat, then COOL. I think Kelly is the key there though.

The defensive line, they don't need to go out and sign Haynesworth. No, leave that spending to the Titans and Falcons. Get depth there. Take Albert's money and sign two "smaller" so you can rotate guys in and out. Next season's draft will be one to load up on a Jeff Owens or Brandon Antwine. Or if you can steal a Jeria Perry from Ole Miss or Ricky Jean Francois in the third round (which they'll be gone, but WHAT IF they slip?) Do it. Depth is the key for the DLine. You have plenty from the ends.

LB, maybe you can address in the draft. Dannell Ellerbe might be worth a late pick. Same with Clint Sintim from UVA. Some one though needs to help out Rocky and London.

The OLine is strong with Samuels, Kendell, Thomas, Heyer, Fabini, Jansen, Rabach, but injuries have taken a toll on Jansen and Kendell and Thomas and Fabini and Rabach are all getting up there in years. If the new wave is Heyer and Samuels, then WHAT ELSE? Who else? Depth here too.

So the offseason plans: Work on interior line depth, get Kelly healthy, and decide about the QB situation.
And hope Zorn grows up some and his second year finishes with the playoffs. It seems the Skins make the playoffs every other year these days. Maybe that means 2009-10 is a playoff year?

If we look at the other teams in the division: The Cowboys might get rid of TO, and Romo is still the QB (can't win past November). The Giants crumbled down the stretch and in the playoffs. Plaxico is the key there. It could divide the lockerroom PLUS Eli is still the QB. Third worst SuperBowl MVP EVER! (Desmond and Larry Allen) And the Eagles might disband the team after this season, but not likely if they make it to the Super Bowl. McNabb is injury-prone and his surviving this year mean's law of averages will get him next year.

The NFC North will STILL stink next season. The NFC West is transitioning so just one berth from each of those two divisions. The NFC South just got rid of Gruden (and likely Jeff Garcia), so Tampa Bay is out, Nawlins must fix whatever is rotten down there. The Panthers imploded and will likely lose Julius Peppers. Will Jake the Snake be back after 6 turnovers? Atlanta seems to have it going. One, maybe two spots from the NFC South.
That leaves two, maybe three from the NFC East. I think the Redskins should have been playoff bound THIS YEAR (St. Louis, Cincy and SF, two of the three go differently, they are a #5!) so if they sneak off with a 9-7 at worst, 11-5 at best, they are In the playoffs. Next year, 10-6!