Redskins 2009 Draft Prep - Part One

Take your pick

Well it is draft week, the 2009 NFL Draft will be held next Saturday whether Redskins fans and team officials are ready for it or not. Tonight The Curly R begins a five part series looking at what the team has, what it needs and what it should do with its five draft picks, let us get prepared to add some new players to the Redskins roster.

Part One: The Offense
Part Two: The Defense and Special Teams
Part Three: The Contract Years
Part Four: The Draft Picks
Part Five: What the Redskins Must Do

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The draft is the cheapest way to build and maintain an NFL team, teams that apply real football smarts to the draft get better players, keep them longer and for less money. But to do that you have to have real football smarts to apply.

To say the Redskins have struggled building the team through the draft is not only an understatement, it is not entirely logical, for Dan Snyder throughout his ten years as owner in Washington has stubbornly stuck to thenotion that he can bring veteran players in from the outside, pay them handsomely and watch them make plays.

It is almost as though George Allen, with his preference for veteran players, started a game of Operator 35 years ago with a story about how a team can get good quickly with veteran players in exchange for the uncertainty of draft picks and by the time that story got around to Dan Snyder it had morphed into DRAFT PICKS DON'T MATTER.

Well it does not work, and for one shining moment Redskins fans thought the team had gotten religion last year when the team parlayed two draft day trades into ten total picks... until the three pass catchers picked in the second round failed to make a meaningful contribution, the offensive lineman selected in the third round never played a snap despite season ending injuries and demotions and remotions among the starters, the cornerback selected in the fourth round could not get on the field and the punter selected in the sixth round was cut six games into the season.

Unless Colt Brennan turns into Drew Brees then the Redskins 2008 draft is going to look a lot like Chris Horton and a bunch of short timers.

So how will the team approach 2009? How is the team evaluating needs and players? Will Vinny Cerrato get the free hand he did last year to make picks, perhaps even better ones than last year, based on needs, or will Dan Snyder return to the draft room after a one year absence and get back to drafting the shiniest thing on the board?

Well that is the question is it not.

Here is Curly R's review of the offensive positions and their relative state of need, these are strictly the opinions of Curly R writers and editors:

Quarterback
Players: Jason Campbell is the incumbent starter, but with no contract after this 2009 season. He had the best season of his brief career in 2008 and will be playing in the same offensive system for the second consecutive season. Jason is backed up by talented and touted but raw and undeveloped rising second year Colt Brennan and the cagey veteran Todd Collins, who may or may not be in the team's plans.

State of the position: the team is stocked at the position but may well not realize it. To look elsewhere at this point will hurt the offense and defense and the coach, basically everyone.

Draft need: DO NOT WANT!!!1!! Drafting Mark Sanchez would be a HORRIBLE mistake. Note to Mark Sanchez if you are reading, if you get drafted by the Redskins that means they did nothing to youthen their 33 year old offensive line. Think about that while you spend your money.


Tailback
Players: Clinton Portis is still Clinton Portis, some may argue ball carriers are fungible, even if that is the case, head case Clinton is a special player. He grinds, he blocks and plays hurt, all of which more than compensate for the step or three Clinton has lost over the years. Ladell Betts is trucking along as the primary backup, Ladell is a good change up and the team worked last season to minimize his fumbling problem.

State of the position: the team needs to be thinking of the future, but not this year.

Draft need: DO NOT WANT!!!1!! These stories of Knowshon Moreno are giving me heartburn.


Receiver
Players: Santana Moss begins his fifth season with the team, he is a legitimate downfield threat but accumulates injuries every year, limiting him at the end. Antwaan Randle El begins his fourth season with the team, shows flashes as a possession receiver and is a number three kind of number two. Rising second year players Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly were for all intents and purposes both busts last year.

State of the position: the team should be concerned. Year after year no legitimate second receiver emerges to complement Santana, meaning opposing defenses simply double Santana and take away the deep ball. Unfortunately the team is more or less stuck for another season, waiting to see if Devin and Malcolm can play at the NFL level.

Draft need: Tough argument to make. The team could spend a later draft pick on a receiver but I doubt it, if you were a Redskins executive would you want to risk seeing a fifth or sixth round pick beating out the second rounders from 2008? Or even worse, see them beat out Devin and Malcolm then simply pretend they did not?


Tight end
Players: Chris Cooley is morphing before our eyes from a football player into a media player though there is no reason to think he will not be a big part of the offense, especially if Jason Campbell is under center. Veteran Todd Yoder is more of a blocker and comes up with one or two big catches each year. Rising second year Fred Davis apparently cannot remember the plays, has room to improve.

State of the position: the team is set at tight end, unless Chris Cooley's desire to be a media figure derails him.

Draft need: DO NOT WANT!!!1!! The team is set in theory for years to come with Chris Cooley and whereas the fleeting rumor about trading Chris to Cleveland never got any traction, if you could get a first or second round pick in trade for Chris, a third rounder in 2004 then you have created value. That of course would mean you knew what to do with the pick...


Left tackle
Players: Chris Samuels will be back after ending the 2008 season on injured reserve with a torn triceps, Chris will be 32 when the season starts. The backup situation is unclear as rising third year undrafted tackle Stephon Heyer was Chris' primary backup, a notion complicated by the fact that Stephon is also the backup at right tackle and seems to be solidifying at that position.

State of the position: the Redskins need to line up a replacement for Chris Samuels as soon as possible, while not as dire as right tackle, this position is now of serious concern.

Draft need: I CAN HAS DRAFT PICK? The Redskins need to be looking at the best tackle on the board and then worry about where he can play.


Left guard
Players: Derrick Dockery is back after two years in Buffalo, Derrick is 28 and 6-6 330, he is in his prime and it is nice to have Derrick back. Pete Kendall started all of 2007 and 2008 at the left guard spot but is a free agent at this time. Chad Rinehart in theory could be a left guard, some day.

State of the position: you always want depth because a starter could go down. Pete Kendall has drawn little interest on the open market and the Redskins need to step up and bring him back as a backup, I know Pete wants to start somewhere but he is eight years older than Derrick and if Pete can swallow his pride and be a role player then he may extend his career a by a few years.

Draft need: Tough argument to make. With needs at both tackles, right guard and center, left guard is in good shape relatively speaking. If the team can lock down Pete or develop Chad or one of the other reserves then they will be ok.


Center
Players: Casey Rabach is the incumbent in his fifth year with the team, Casey will turn 32 during the 2009 season. Currently the backup spot is open.

State of the position: Casey has been a good center though has a tendency to run off penalties and bad plays in clusters. The team could use an upgrade and to get younger at center. Casey's backup from 2007, Mike Pucillo, is currently out of football and 2008 backup Justin Geisinger is currently a free agent.

Draft need: I CAN HAS DRAFT PICK? After the first round the team needs to look at the best center on the board and weigh him against the relative quality of the other players, this team needs a center not necessarily to start in 2009, but definitely able to compete in 2010.


Right guard
Players: Randy Thomas will be in his sixth season with the Redskins and just turned 33. Randy was not terrific in a 2008 comeback after missing nearly all of 2007 with a torn triceps, but then again Randy was forced to play next to a right tackle that was never consistent no matter if it was Jon Jansen or Stephon Heyer. Randy's principle backup the past two seasons was Jason Fabini, now a free agent.

State of the position: although reports of Randy's imminent talent collapse I feel are premature, Randy was not terrific in 2008 and like the rest of the line is getting to an advanced age. Even if the team was to re sign his backup Jason Fabini for depth, Jason Fabini will be 35 when the season starts. The team may be able to squeeze another good season from Randy and then needs to deal with the future.

Draft need: I CAN HAS DRAFT PICK? Though not as dire as the need for a new and talented tackle, any tackle, right guard is a matter for consideration. If the team could get a right guard for development with their third or fifth round pick then that would be great, we are looking at no later than 2010 to get some competition for Randy.


Right tackle
Players: Jon Jansen is the longest tenured Redskin heading into his eleventh year and just turned 33. A stalwart, Jon lost his starting spot to backup and rising third year undrafted Stephon Heyer, but regained the spot after four games. The two will both be back in 2009.

State of the position: Jon seems to have declined in his ability to pass block and Stephon seems unable to run block to the level of competition in the NFL. This creates a problem. A big one. The Stephon Heyer Experiment to evolve him into a starting caliber tackle likely will last another season and the team cannot afford to sit back and hope Stephon comes a long someday. Offensive linemen can take years to develop and between the aging veteran and an unsure youngster the team need to improve this position through the draft.

Draft need: I CAN HAS DRAFT PICK? Both offensive tackle positions I rate as the most serious needs for the team. The Redskins need to use that number thirteen overall pick to select the best tackle on the board, then we will worry about whether he looks better at the right or left spot.


Redskins 2009 Draft Prep continues tomorrow with part two, The Defense and Special Teams.



Draft beer selection from here.