Rebuilding the Redskins: Step 2 - the Defense

[GrimReefa]

After the loss to the Patriots, I wrote that the Redskins needed to completely phase out their offensive line, ideally in the next two seasons. Now it's time to get onto the other aging unit - the defense.

Unlike the offense, where all of the aging is going on in one place, the defense has a lot of aging veterans on all three levels - as well as some very good pieces which need to be kept around. But like the offense, it is all of the thirty-somethings who are holding the team back. Not because of bad play, but because of no play.

With the exception of London Fletcher, all of the 30+ starters on defense have been missing significant time the last two seasons. This includes players like Shawn Springs, Marcus Washington, and Cornelius Griffin.

They've got to go. All of them, and soon. As much as I love the production they give us when they are on the field, they are not on the field nearly often enough. We have the most fragile team in the National Football League, and good teams do not keep players around who can not play. If all of the defensive starters are under 30 by 2009, and the scouting department does its job, then this will be a championship caliber defense by 2010.

The team can not continue to try and plug holes with older veterans - not unless they are already at an extremely high level and want a Seau type guy for leadership purposes. Even London Fletcher - as good as he has been so far - was a step in the wrong direction. The question is not whether his body will break down and he will start missing more and more time, it's when will that happen? I'm guessing either later this season or next.

They all need to go. The Redskins can not continue to put an all-pro team on their inactive list every week. The salary cap will not allow a team that does that to be great.

Step 3 is rebuilding the coaching staff.