Vooskin Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/11707935 Diner News: Biggest problem for Redskins is O-Line May 4, 2009 By Michael Lombardi National Football Post Michael Lombardi surveys NFL topics in newspapers from around the country and adds in his own analysis and perspective. FROM JASON REID OF THE WASHINGTON POST... The minicamp was the first practice since owner Daniel Snyder repeatedly pushed to replace (Jason) Campbell. According to league sources, he first attempted to trade for Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, who was traded to the Chicago Bears, and then tried to trade up in the draft to select Southern California quarterback Mark Sanchez. The Jets traded up and selected Sanchez with the fifth overall pick. Had the Redskins drafted Sanchez, Campbell's representative, Joel Segal, would have requested a trade, NFL sources said. "In spite of all the stuff that happened during the offseason," offensive coordinator Sherman Smith said, "I think he just came out here and he's taken over." Jason Campbell might not be the problem in D.C. (Getty Images) Lombardi: The 'Skins have been on my mind for some time, and now that the draft is over, their team is finally set. From the owner on down, they have doubts about the ability of their quarterback to be productive in the Jim Zorn system. No matter what you may feel about the system, the team's ability to win in '09 lies solely in the offense's ability to execute and score more points. The 'Skins' average margin of victory last year ranked 31st in the NFL, which means they were playing many close games. With a bad field-goal kicker, they ranked 30th in points scored the last eight games of the season, winning only two of those games. So for the 'Skins to catch the Giants and Eagles, they have to score more points. How will this change in 2009? They added only one new player (Derrick Dockery) to their offense in the offseason. The clear message they're sending is that they just need a better level of play from their current players. I know they went after Jay Cutler and I know they entertained Mark Sanchez, but both attempts failed, and all that remains are the same players from a year ago. Bill Walsh always believed that in the first year, we teach the players the system. The second year, we develop their skills in the system. So for people who believe in continuity, there lies hope for the 'Skins in the second year -- clearly not a plan, just hope. However, continuity only works if you have the right players. And this is where the 'Skins are well short on offense. Their offensive line is a mess. Before the 2008 season, I was very critical of this area. I thought they were too old and injury prone -- but most of all, they lacked talent. That analysis was not looking good after the 'Skins went 6-2 in the first eight games. But after the season, and in doing a recap, it proved correct. They ranked 22nd in sacks allowed, giving up 38, with a west coast-based offense that prides itself on getting rid of the ball quickly. They had breakdowns at every level on the line, and now they're bringing back the same cast of characters -- all a year older. How can they expect to play well and handle the Giants' new and improved defensive line, or the Eagles' defensive front, or even the Cowboys'? The NFC East this offseason has been like an "arms race," with the Eagles and the Giants making huge investments in their lines and making the most modifications. The burden of winning from the front office perspective seems to lie on the shoulders of Jason Campbell, whose position was the one area the 'Skins wanted to improve on offense. And yes, I have been very critical of Campbell in my posts. I don't see him as a west coast quarterback, as the system does not fit the player's skill level. However, I feel that the failure to address the critical areas of concern this offseason will, in large part, affect Campbell and ultimately kill the 'Skins chances. I love the signing of Albert Haynesworth because he will command double teams and press the pocket. I was not crazy about the signing of corner DeAngelo Hall or guard Derrick Dockery, but what bothers me most is that they didn't address their most pressing need -- the offensive line. In the NFC East, you must win games with your ability to pass protect, your ability to match the physical power of both lines. Having an old, injury-prone line is not giving yourself the best chance. The 'Skins are asking Joe Bugel, a great line coach, to make magic with the players he currently has on the roster. As a personnel man, the one area you feel a sense of frustration about is when your line is below par and there are no players available to help. You must have a two-year plan to fix the line. In training camp in 2008, the 'Skins should have placed a premium on building a back-up offensive line for the 2009 camp. There should have been a plan to make sure there were five quality players on the team who could function in games and have a chance to develop into starters. It takes a year to develop a line there are no quick fixes. The 'Skins chose to focus their attention on other areas. They'll pay a huge price for those decisions come November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba9497 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 he makes some contradictory statements he says we didn't upgrade, but Dockery is a clear upgrade, he ingores Heyer's development says the Skins should have drafted replacements in 08, what was Rhinehart? Lombardi? eh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vooskin Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 I really do not care for lombardi. He makes some points but whiffs on others. I've personally never really thought highly of him when it comes to his thought process. I think hes perceived to be somewhat intelligent but I'll bet hes pretty average. His scouting ability is not that great and his assessments of players alot of time I just don't agree with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins PR Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I really do not care for lombardi. He makes some points but whiffs on others. I've personally never really thought highly of him when it comes to his thought process. I think hes perceived to be somewhat intelligent but I'll bet hes pretty average. His scouting ability is not that great and his assessments of players alot of time I just don't agree with. That doesn't change the fact that our line is going to be horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldskool Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Lombardi's claim to fame is that he was in the Raiders front office for years and came out sane. He's been a so-so GM and talent evaluator and milks what little credibility he has on NFLN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Is it just me, or is the font in that article REALLY hard to read, for some reason ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldskool Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 That doesn't change the fact that our line is going to be horrible. Horrible? That's not even a possibility unless we have injuries. Worst case scenario is that we are the same as we were at the end of last year, which is highly unlikely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins PR Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 he makes some contradictory statementshe says we didn't upgrade, but Dockery is a clear upgrade, he ingores Heyer's development says the Skins should have drafted replacements in 08, what was Rhinehart? Lombardi? eh He says we did not address the team's biggest problem, the offensive line. He said that right after stating that he did not like the Dockery signing. If anyone thinks bringing in Dockery is going to solve the OL problem, they are fooling themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianm23 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 he ingores Heyer's development What development?...lol He got replaced by a worn down Jansen. Speaks volumes in my opinion. Then again, you think Jason Campbell is the answer at QB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 He says we did not address the team's biggest problem, the offensive line. He said that right after stating that he did not like the Dockery signing. I was just going to post that - he actually contradicted himself in the same breath, practically.....a 5th grader could have picked up on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiro Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I was not crazy about the signing of corner DeAngelo Hall or guard Derrick Dockery, but what bothers me most is that they didn't address their most pressing need -- the offensive line. Yeah ... this made me do a double take. He said we signed guard Derrick Dockery, an offensive linemen, but we didn't address the offensive line? I understand his point that maybe we didn't add as much new blood as we would've liked, but this statement in the article is just stupid. It's like he didn't even bother reading over what he wrote before he posted it. :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaBeachRedskin Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 he makes some contradictory statementshe says we didn't upgrade, but Dockery is a clear upgrade, he ingores Heyer's development says the Skins should have drafted replacements in 08, what was Rhinehart? Lombardi? eh Is Dockery an upgrade? His play was pretty poor for the Bills. Is Heyer even capable of playing at a high level? I had heard that there was talk within the organization that Rinehart wouldn't ever amount to anything. The o-line is a huge problem area and the lack of attention paid to it in the draft will hold the franchise back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba9497 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 What development?...lol He got replaced by a worn down Jansen. Speaks volumes in my opinion. Then again, you think Jason Campbell is the answer at QB. Jansen replaced him due to INJURY, and Heyer replaced Samuels after he was injured Heyer is listed #1 on the RT depth chart maybe you should know what's going on before making snarky comments, you wouldn't come off looking so silly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saeed1982 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Your right about signing Dockery is not going to solve our problems. You also forgot that the SUPERBOWL CHAMPS HAD ONE OF THE WORST O-LINE IN THE LEAGUE. ben roethlisberger got sacked 2nd most in the leage. I am not stating that we do not need major help on our O-line, but what can we do as fans. They signed Willams which was a decent pick up for depth. I am hoping that Chad Rinehart develops into an outstanding offensive lineman. D’Anthony Batiste hope he can develop. They cannot cut Jansen and if they could they would have and they signed Heyer last year. If our recievers last year could run their routes right and actually get on the feild then I think we could've won a couple of more games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usapatriot Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I think the jist of the article is correct. We keep upgrading the D when the offense is the problem. And I think the Hall signing was brilliant. Maybe he didn't like the Dockery signing because it was too much money. Not that it didn't upgrade the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiro Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Is Dockery an upgrade? His play was pretty poor for the Bills. Is Heyer even capable of playing at a high level? I had heard that there was talk within the organization that Rinehart wouldn't ever amount to anything.The o-line is a huge problem area and the lack of attention paid to it in the draft will hold the franchise back. Dockery was an overpaid player to begin with for the Bills, but that doesn't take away from the fact he was a very good player in our system. He was easily one of our best run blocking linemen, he's our biggest starter, and he's replacing a 36 year old Pete Kendall. So in my mind, this is easily an upgrade on the offensive line. Heyer has shown alot of promise up to this point, and he actually took the job of RT away from Jansen. Only reason Jansen got it back was that Heyer got hurt, and Jansen's play had improved enough for them to leave him in the starting lineup. There's no reason to believe that Heyer shouldn't improve after working out and studying in his second offseason with us. Whether he will be the answer remains to be seen, but there's no reason to give up on him yet. The same goes for Rinehart. He was a linemen from a D2 school that everyone knew would need developing. If Thomas or Dockery goes down at all this year, I actually expect that we'll end up seeing Rinehart step in because like Heyer, he's had at least one offseason of training and conditioning to improve himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saeed1982 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 We did not address the Offensive line as much as we should've, but we signed Big Al and Hall who can catch the ball. The team felt this was a bigger need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vooskin Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 Bubba is correct, also from what I saw in heyer the past two years I have seen nothing to make me believe he cannot be a starter in the league. He's had a few penalty problems over the years but couldnt be any worse then Dockery when it comes to that. Heyer was the starter at RT last season before the injury. Heyer is a good RT from what I've seen, which is why I wasnt so high on drafting a RT in the draft. I was more interested in getting guys that could play multiple positions. Currently our oline is good when healthy and fresh. We need quality backups that can spell them out for multiple snaps a game to keep them fresh and not just stand around waiting to play in the event someone gets injured. I have heard NOTHING about Chad Reinhart, is he still alive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saeed1982 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Hero21 said it best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saeed1982 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Great point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins PR Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I was just going to post that - he actually contradicted himself in the same breath, practically.....a 5th grader could have picked up on that. No he didn't. If he had liked the Dockery signing, then he would have been contradicting himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armada58 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Sportswriter............. ........One of the most sought after jobs in the US. Not because people love sports, but because it's one of those rare careers where you can be outlandishly lazy and only 50% correct, yet still get paid and viewed as an "expert". (2nd only to a weatherman) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba9497 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Is Dockery an upgrade? His play was pretty poor for the Bills. no it wasn't, the problem was more Peters Dockery and Samuels were probably the best left side of any OL his last two seasons in DC Is Heyer even capable of playing at a high level? I had heard that there was talk within the organization that Rinehart wouldn't ever amount to anything. Heyer has played at a high level, and see above for the rest He said the Skins should have drafted OL in 08.... whether Rhinehart starts or not, doesn't change the fact we did draft him in 08. The o-line is a huge problem area and the lack of attention paid to it in the draft will hold the franchise back. outside of the first round there wasn't much to draft, and just drafting a position, even though you don't have anyone rated high enough to draft is what's sets a franchise back. He also says theres no talent on the OL, but Chris Samuels is one of the BEST LT in the game, Thomas when healthy is a top fight guard yes the OL has problems, but they were one of the best up to last year, and injuries in '07. Edwin Williams is considered a pretty good pickup for UDFA, and could work his way into the lineup in a year or two to suggest the OL has been ignored, as Lombardi suggests is a flat out lie, which Lombardi is prone to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaBeachRedskin Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 to suggest the OL has been ignored, as Lombardi suggests is a flat out lie, which Lombardi is prone to do 6 offensive line selections in 9 years of drafts with only 2 of them in the money rounds. I would say that is ignoring the OL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldskool Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 6 offensive line selections in 9 years of drafts with only 2 of them in the money rounds. I would say that is ignoring the OL. You are circumventing the truth. There is a difference between ignoring and neglect. This team is guilty of the later not the former. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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