Curtains Fall: Redskins 2007 Season in Review - Part One

A season of ups, downs and serious downers

The 2009 season looms so why look back at 2007? Because it happened, tragedy and change, it happened quickly and it already seems like a long time ago. One of the best parts about being a Redskins fan is the sense of football history, too much happened to let it pass. Today The Curly R begins its ten part series on the Redskins 2007 season.

Part One: 2006 Season, 2007 Offseason
Part Two: 2007 Training Camp, Preseason
Part Three: 2-0 Hot Start
Part Four: 3-3 Sawtooth
Part Five: 0-4 Slump, Tragedy
Part Six: Monday Afternoon
Part Seven: Tuesday Morning
Part Eight: Tuesday Afternoon
Part Nine: Wednesday Morning
Part Ten: Wednesday Afternoon

Other Curly R Redskins Seasons in Review: 2006

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2006 Season
Joe Gibbs called it his worst season ever. In fifteen years as an NFL head coach, all with the Washington Redskins, he had been never been 5-11 and had just presided over a team that finished 31st in overall defense and was last in yards allowed per play; was last in passes of 20 or more yards allowed; was 31st in passes of 40 yards or more allowed. Washington set an NFL record for fewest takeaways in a sixteen game season with twelve. By Thanksgiving ESPN was running a story, sourced to an anonymous player, of total disarray, of poor player evaluations and of rank hubris and petulance among the defensive coaches. The Washington Post called 2006 The Lost Season.

There was a bright point, the ground game. The Redskins were fourth overall in rushing, this despite Clinton Portis separating his shoulder in the first preseason game, breaking bad on coach Gibbs and never regaining form; behind an offensive line that started the same five players for thirteen straight games, Ladell Betts managed better than 1100 yards rushing on only nine starts.

2006 also saw the elevation of Jason Campbell to the starting quarterback position, after a cold and wet game nine in Philadelphia, Jason ultimately went 2-5 in his seven starts.

And this season, this awful outcome with a coaching staff in its third season together and coming off a playoff season in 2005. It would be hard for the Redskins to be much worse in 2007 than in 2006.


2007 Offseason
Heading into the 2007 offseason the Redskins were at the wire, about one million dollars under the projected 109 million dollar salary cap. The defense was a wreck, with upgrades needed at safety, middle linebacker, cornerback and defensive line. On offense receiver Brandon Lloyd had not worked out, left guard Derrick Dockery was headed into free agency and quarterback Mark Brunell, now the backup, had a 2007 salary cap number in excess of five million dollars.

As for the draft, the team had the sixth overall pick in the first round, along with picks in the fifth, sixth and seventh round, the rest had been dealt to other teams in trade. Washington's 2007 second round pick had been sent to the Jets in the 2006 draft day trade that landed linebacker Rocky McIntosh in Washington. Washington's third round pick had gone to Denver in the trade for tailback TJ Duckett, and the fourth round pick had been sent to the 49ers in the trade to acquire Brandon Lloyd.

But even before free agency and the draft, the team had business to attend internally. Right tackle Jon Jansen was awarded a five year 52 million dollar contact extension, featuring a ten million dollar signing bonus, an extension that would keep Jon signed through the 2011, virtually assuring he would play his entire career in Washington which of course did not happen.

Quarterback Mark Brunell, no longer the starter, still wanted a chance to start though Washington was to be the only place where Mark would accept a backup role, renegotiated his contract to reduce his salary cap number.

A number of players from 2006 were released, including tight end Christian Fauria, kicker John Hall, safety Troy Vincent and receiver David Patten. Safety Adam Archuleta, signed as a free agent before the 2006 season to a six year thirty million dollar contract, was traded to the Chicago Bears for a sixth round pick, even with the Bears agreeing to pick up Adam's five million dollar roster bonus for the 2007 season, Washington still took a four million dollar dead cap hit to unload Adam.

The 2007 free agent pool opened up at one minute past midnight on Saturday 3 March 2007 and by the time the dust had settled the Redskins had fulfilled a promise to focus on defense as they landed middle linebacker London Fletcher and cornerback Fred Smoot, a boomerang Redskin that had left Washington for Minnesota after the 2004 season. Later, veteran offensive tackle Jason Fabini was signed from Dallas. Free agency was not all good news as 26 year old left guard Derrick Dockery left Washington to sign a seven year 49 million dollar contract with the Buffalo Bills.

To go with this haul the Redskins re signed fullback Mike Sellers (op. cit.), re signed reserve tackle Todd Wade (op. cit.) and extended the contract of right guard Randy Thomas in a similar fashion to that of right tackle Jon Jansen, giving Randy a ten million dollar bonus and locking him up through the 2011 season. Tailback Clinton Portis and receiver Santana Moss also had their deals reworked to create more cap room (op. cit.). The team tried to move injury prone cornerback Shawn Springs for Lions then Broncos cornerback Dre Bly and when that failed the team made overtures to Shawn about renegotiating his deal to make it more affordable what with Shawn's 2007 cap number jumping to 7.3 million dollars. Shawn flatly refused.

April's draft came and saw the Redskins pick safety LaRon Landry, seemingly a player at a position the team already had filled with Sean Taylor. Linebacker HB Blades, linebacker Dallas Sartz, quarterback Jordan Palmer and tight end Tyler Ecker rounded out the 2007 draft class. Two of those players made the final cut in September.

Joe Gibbs had put another team together, time to get ready for the 2007 season and put 2006 behind them for good.


Curtains Fall: Redskins 2007 Season in Review continues tomorrow with part two, 2007 Training Camp and Preseason.



Sean Taylor's empty parking space: uncredited AP photo from here.