A Definite Need on O-Line - A Stud Center

[ChampSkinsFanatic]

Shanahan had all off season to address this, especially when he knows the ZBS is his bread and butter. I hope he has his depends on when we play the Giants.

[rdskn4eva]

Rabach when acquired in 2005 easily gave us a top 10-15 center. Now? He might be worst in the league. He is just physically incapable of doing some blocks and he always seems to train his defender.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

Suh used Rabach like a $2.50 crack hoe. I think Casey is a nice guy, but he needs to GO!!!

this is an understatement. this was rabachs worse game ive ever seen as a redskin. usually he can hold up but get pushed back, suh completely blew him up on countless snaps.

[MusicCitySkin]

At this point, I fully endorse using both the 1st and 2nd round picks on a guard and center.

If we land a pick too high for either, then trade out and get a center and two guards.

I would much rather have a solid crew of reliable linemen then a wide receiver who won't get the ball because his quarterback is eating grass.

[TheLongshot]

Rabach actually would be decent if we had good guards. Problem is, Lichtensteiger sucks and Hicks is proving that he's just a journeyman. I'm hoping the Lichtensteiger experiment ends soon and Dock starts again.

[McD5]

Rabach actually would be decent if we had good guards. Problem is, Lichtensteiger sucks and Hicks is proving that he's just a journeyman. I'm hoping the Lichtensteiger experiment ends soon and Dock starts again.

You overestimate him. He looks like Jansen did in his last season here. And he will only look worse next year.

He needs to go. I have no idea why they extended his contract. I am assuming it was only because of a lack of bodies. If any coach came in and was impressed with him during the offseason, that coach needs to go too.

[KDawg]

check out his sig KDawg.

My sigs are turned off.

[JoeJGibbs]

I don't think it's as easy as ... "just find someone better for the O line." The zone blocking scheme requires mobile guys and usually you have to sacrifice the size of your O line. Shanahan's lines of the past were quick guys but they weren't mamoth lineman.

I think the problem is finding an interior lineman that will suit Shanahan's gameplan.

[SlobberKnockinFootball]

A QB can survive a defensive end getting lose if he can step up in the pocket and make a throw. But when your middle is being caved in you are forced to roll to a side which greatly limits what throws are now available. Also in the zone blocking scheme the center is the key block because he creates the cut back lane on the stretch plays. Our backs are forced to try and get around the edge because the cut back lane has collapsed. I said this weeks ago, but Rabach is single-handedly destroying our offense. He has help in Hicks, but he is the main culprit in my opinion.

Very good assessment!

[SlobberKnockinFootball]

Rabach actually would be decent if we had good guards. Problem is, Lichtensteiger sucks and Hicks is proving that he's just a journeyman. I'm hoping the Lichtensteiger experiment ends soon and Dock starts again.

Lichtensteiger has his downfalls.. but for the most part it wasn't Hicks or Lichtensteigers faults here.. Rabach reacted too slow to blocking his area.. hence why they kept shooting right up his gap when they ran to the right..Last time I checked he is the one hiking the ball.. he should be the quickest to the point of attack.. now whether he gets mauled at the POA is another story.

[ntotoro]

I still think 50% of the O-Line problems can be fixed by replacing 20% of the line... Rabach.

[justice98]

You don't even need a stud, just someone competent and Rabach isn't even that anymore.

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

Watching other games, it's painfully obvious how atrocious our o-line is. McNabb doesn't have much time or space to make plays.

[jnhay]

Suh used Rabach like a $2.50 crack hoe. I think Casey is a nice guy, but he needs to GO!!!

I think it was silly to allow him to go one on one with Suh and expect anything good to come out of it.

You overestimate him. He looks like Jansen did in his last season here. And he will only look worse next year.

He needs to go. I have no idea why they extended his contract. I am assuming it was only because of a lack of bodies. If any coach came in and was impressed with him during the offseason, that coach needs to go too.

Seems like someone needs to be fired in every ES thread after a loss.

[SBChamps172226]

Not sure why this new front office's first move was to resign Rabach. He has been a liabilty for several seasons now. Not a powerful guy like you need at that position. Too many huge D Lineman that toss him like a ragdoll. Time to move on. HTTR of old. This group is killing me. HOGS no more.

[SkinsCrushCowboys]

there is usually a firing thread for losts of players post loss, but this is one that I agree that we need to find a quality center. One of those positions that you take for granted until things go badly. He is getting outplayed and manhandled each week. I strong center can help both left and right sides....a lot

[MassSkinsFan]

Center and Guard is a priority going into next year. My hope is that Mike Williams is capable at guard and Logan Mankins will come here (I really, really hope so) and we can focus our resources on a center and probably a right tackle.

Is there Mankins talk out there? I've heard nothing here in NE, but then again they're still crying over Randy Moss.

[Brotherz]

Quality interior linemen can be had in rounds 2-4. Unfortunately we like trading those picks away. We do still have our 2nd rounder though, hopefully we can land a stud C with it for the future.

Didn't we trade that for the guy we benched yesterday?

[Dukes and Skins]

Is there Mankins talk out there? I've heard nothing here in NE, but then again they're still crying over Randy Moss.

Mankins is not going to go return to NE and I think if we offer a good sized deal to him he'd come here to be our LG. That would give us an OL of Williams Mankins Cook/Draft pick M.Williams J.Brown(I think he's resigned and is ready to go at full strength next year, he's still recovering but getting better every week)

[cphil006]

I agree, just think if we had used ONE of our THREE second rounders 3 years ago....

[Dukes and Skins]

I agree, just think if we had used ONE of our THREE second rounders 3 years ago....

If we had those 3 picks and took 1 of them we'd be in better shape

At pick 34(where we took Thomas) Chilo Rachal was available who is a starter for San Francisco

At pick 48(where we took Davis) Calasis Campbell was available starter for Arizona and is a great 3-4 fit, this pick is tough to call now as Davis has the ability to be a starter and is starting to get more looks in the O

At pick 51(where we took Kelly) Mike Pollak was available who is a starter for Indy and many see as the successor to Jeff Saturday when he hangs it up

If I could have redone any of the picks I would have taken Rachal over Thomas but again you couldn't fault them for taking Thomas as he was widely considered the top WR prospect. Hind sight is always 20/20 and that's why its so hard to do these redrafts

[drowland]

Mankins is not going to go return to NE and I think if we offer a good sized deal to him he'd come here to be our LG. That would give us an OL of Williams Mankins Cook/Draft pick M.Williams J.Brown(I think he's resigned and is ready to go at full strength next year, he's still recovering but getting better every week)

Why do people assume Mankins will be a Redskin? Look at Shanahan's history, the interior positions of his OLs were made up of mostly cast-offs and late round draft picks. It's not his style to chase high priced guards in FA.

[Thirtyfive2seven]

Seriously, I can't disagree with any of the posts here. Rabach played awful as usual. I can't remember the last time I saw a center get blown up on the first play of the game and pushed into the backfield (or enough to step on McNabb not once but twice). He's one of the many glaring weaknesses. The other being Brown and Heyer. I just wish we could get away from win now, keep our draft picks and get a YOUNG core team starting with the O line.

[wildbill1952]

Start with FA. If, by draft day, you haven't procured a new center coming off his rookie contract and at least one new guard and a right tackle, then they become priorities in the draft. Getting an FA guard, center, or tackle that was just released by his team is like buying a used car and it hoping it runs like a new car off the lot. It just doesn't happen.

Yes, you do find second round players that are good. But until this team has an OLine, it just isn't going to have an offense, no matter who the QB is, no matter who the receivers are, no matter who the running back is. Too many years were wasted ignoring the OLine. The only fix now is to concentrate on it. I had high hopes for Hicks and Brown, but it's obvious they are not A-rated OL. When he first came here, Rabach was undersized but young and experienced. Now his experience is all he has left and now he's a liability. Lichtensteiger is just not cutting it. The Skins got the most important OL last year in T Williams, but one left tackle does not make an offensive line. I would prefer to spend the first pick on a skill position, but there are just too many holes on the OL to fill. You need a new guard and center minimum. Mankins would be a great FA pickup, but if you don't get 3 good OL in FA, then get them in the draft.

[Pedro]

You overestimate him. He looks like Jansen did in his last season here. And he will only look worse next year.

He needs to go. I have no idea why they extended his contract. I am assuming it was only because of a lack of bodies. If any coach came in and was impressed with him during the offseason, that coach needs to go too.

I'm with you. I'm hoping the reason we still have him is because there were worse starters who needed replacing (at LT as an example) and a low round hopeful was considered not good enough. I'm hoping we go NT/C in whichever order though of course FA has a large overall pool, someone may be able to comment on whether there's a bunch of guys who will suit/improve us there too. Too many 3/4 teams with big NT guys to have an undersized C. We need a big C that can handle a good NT with a minimum of help, then we'll have a **** hot running game.

Why do people assume Mankins will be a Redskin? Look at Shanahan's history, the interior positions of his OLs were made up of mostly cast-offs and late round draft picks. It's not his style to chase high priced guards in FA.

People said that of the whole OL excepting the Clady pick. That pick was recent and he's done it again with Williams so he obviously has had a change of mind at least partially over the years. Probably because he's been forced into it :whoknows: Big guys who are still athletic go quickly in the draft and due the size of the average interior DL these days, that means a big guy at C. In the ZBS it's gonna have to be a big fast guy at C which means a relatively high draft pick. Draft picks are in short supply so some upgrades are going to be from FA. Are there any really good guys who will be cheap? I'll take them as well as a few of the other guys at 'market' value contracts.

We need a stud at the center point of both our O and our D lines, and our current FO have shown themselves to be very competent contract dollar wise.