Ranking/Grading Each Unit

[SkinsGuru]

Get your minds outta the gutter.

1. Tight Ends: A

Tight end duos don’t get much better than Chris Cooley and Fred Davis. In fact the only one better I can think of is New England’s, and they’re helped by a hall-of-fame passer. Regardless of how Niles Paul’s transition to the position pans out, if Cooley and Davis remain on the team and healthy, the Skins will have a tight end situation most of the league can only envy. Oh, and it would help if Davis decided to buy a hybrid the next time he wanted to go green.

2. Defensive Line: B+

I’m quite bullish on this unit, especially with the scheduled return of Jarvis Jenkins. If I was to nitpick, I’d say I’d prefer better depth behind Cofield at the Nose, but I’m comfortable with both the starting group and the one rotating in behind them. If everyone remains healthy, they’ll play a huge role in alleviating the ills of our suspect secondary.

3. Running Backs: B+

Was tempted to nudge this up to an A-. No single all-pro game-breaker (yet), but plenty of young legs along with good depth and solid upside. With the additions of Alfred Morris and a couple of undrafted free agents capable of making less-crowded rosters, there’s enough talent within the unit to always keep a pair of fresh, capable legs in the backfield.

4. Kickers/Punters: B+

This might finally be the year we won’t hold our collective breath with every chip-shot field goal attempt. Gano will make a run for the job and his tremendous range will make it all the more tougher to decide, but I’m inclined to believe Rackers will be our kicker when the preseason dust settles. His field goal percentage was almost 10 points higher than Gano’s last year. Our punter is Sav Rocca. ‘Nuff said. The only question mark with this duo is age, but until they start some noticeable decline, that shouldn’t be an issue.

5. Linebackers: B

This unit is beginning to shape-up nicely with Fletch back, Kerrigan poised to improve on his solid, 7.5-sack rookie campaign, and Jonathan Goff providing some much-needed depth inside. I think the wild card for this unit is Perry Riley. If he continues to improve on the promise he’s shown, he’s in ideal position to play inside for us for a long time given he’ll continue to learn from a future hall-of-famer right next to him, coupled with having a top-notch pass-rushing duo on the outside.

6. Quarterbacks: B-

Potential is sky-high obviously, but we can’t be throwing around A grades before RG3 has thrown a single pass in the pros. Still, with a would-be franchise quarterback in the making, a veteran backup (not-so-solid, granted, but he's seasoned and knows the offense), and a third-stringer with upside in Cousins, there’s clearly reason to be optimistic about this group, for the first time in a while. When your only non-rookie QB is Rex Grossman though, it’s tough to grade-out exceedingly high.

T-7. Wide Receivers: C+

As is the story most years, the team still lacks a proven number 1. Still, that’s not necessarily required of a successful wide receiver corps. We know we have speed, but a big, reliable redzone target eludes us, especially with the departure of last year’s top target in Gaffney. Garçon has and can start in this league, but isn’t yet a number 1 and Josh Morgan isn’t much more than a roster-worthy contributor. I'd expect a lighter Santana Moss to have a better year than him. The wild card here might be Leonard Hankerson. His career at the U and the breakout performance against the Dolphins last season suggests he may have number 1 potential. His progression (and health) will be the difference between a fringe group and one that gives defenses some problems. Look for our tight ends to lineup in the slot on occasion to help alleviate any deficiencies.

T-7. Offensive Line: C+

Outside of Trent Williams, who devours more weed than a bottle of Ortho, and maybe Chris Chester, there’s no consensus starting-caliber player in the trenches. We seem to have improved depth there, especially after April’s draft, but there are just too many question marks, not the least of which is Jammal Brown on the right side. The plan seems to be for competition to result in a few of the young guns emerging as more than just a stop-gap. Until that happens though, this won’t be our best unit.

9. Secondary: D+

By far the most worrisome group for my money. Our CB situation is barely passable and the Safeties are anything but. Hall often makes up for his inconsistency with big plays, but what we get in return for the risks he takes leaves something to be desired. Josh Wilson is a fringe starter on the other side and Brandon Meriweather behind him gets cut more than a suicidal emo. We can go through the list but the theme is players that are borderline roster-worthy outside of Hall and Wilson. I just hope the likes of DeJon Gomes and Brandyn Thompson make significant leaps forward going into year two, and that Chase Minnifield proves the entire league wrong for not drafting him. Richard Crawford and Jordan Bernstein both have a solid shot at making the team as day-three rookies given the lack of quality.

All-in-all, I think we have room for optimism and a roster capable of keeping us in every contest. Were it not for an incompetent secondary, I’d dare say we even have a squad capable of competing for a playoff spot. We still might, if the saving grace of a gruesome pass-rush comes through. This year more than ever, the secondary’s best friend will be a healthy front seven.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Without going into detail for the grades, I'd have them slightly different:

TE: B+ (with Cooley healthy and on the team)

LB: B+

QB: B

DL: B

RB: B-

DB: B-

WR: C+

OL: C

Safeties: D

[justice98]

If the DLine and linebackers put consistent pressure on the QB, our secondary can survive. The Giants haven't had a particularly noteworthy secondary for a while, but that front 4's ability to pressure the QB paid the freight. Our front 7 is respected, but we need to take that step up to feared.

[skinny21]

LB: A-

DL: B+

RB: B+

TE: B+

QB: B

K/P: B

WR: B-

CB: C+

O-line: C

S: C-

[Pick6]

So overall it is a 2.85 GPA. I think that is far based on how young the team is and we will be starting a rookie QB.

[Khun Kao]

1. Tight Ends: B-

Fred Davis is a B+, but presently Cooley only ranks a C+ to me due to his recent history of injuries. For all the fans raving about how we have 2 solid TE’s, our coaches have never seemed to try to take advantage of 2-TE sets.

2. Defensive Line: B+

I think I agree with OP’s grade assessment. Our D-Line is pretty good, and if Jarvis Jenkins is able to come back strong, they’ll only be better.

3. Running Backs: B-

Injuries, injuries, injuries. Hopefully Helu will be able to withstand being the feature back with Hightower and Torain (?) spelling him from time to time as 3rd down, change-of-pace guys.

4. Kickers/Punters: C

While our kicking has started to show a little more promise than usual, I’m not sold yet. I like Gano and hope he continues to mature into this role, but considering our history with kickers, I’m not real optimistic.

5. Linebackers: B

I agree on the OP’s grade. We’ve got a good group of linebackers with potential, but as timeless as London Fletcher is, we better hope we have a real deal waiting to step in and fill his shoes or this grade will go down with London moves on…

6. Quarterbacks: C-

RG3 could be an A+++, but it doesn’t change the fact that he hasn’t taken an NFL snap or that his backup is Rex Grossman. I *like* Sexy Rexy, I just don’t want him on the field…

T-7. Wide Receivers: B

We have majorly upgraded our Receiving Corps, but I’m only willing to give them a “B” until we see how they fit into our offense.

T-7. Offensive Line: C+

C+ may be generous, or we may be underrating them. I’m really not confident in grading their performance when they were blocking for Grossman and Beck. Face it, Defenses played the run and dared us to pass.

9. Secondary: D+

Again agree with OP’s grade. Our secondary is the 2nd coming of the Pearl Harbor Crew.

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

So overall it is a 2.85 GPA. I think that is far based on how young the team is and we will be starting a rookie QB.

For some reason, this made me laugh. Maybe it's thinking about our Blutarsky-esque "zero point zero" performance over the past 20 years.

I give our team a solid B. Griffin breaks out, we could go B+.

[XVII_XXII_XXVI]

3. Running Backs: B-

Injuries, injuries, injuries. Hopefully Helu will be able to withstand being the feature back with Hightower and Torain (?) spelling him from time to time as 3rd down, change-of-pace guys.

Torain hasn't been on this team since December. Judging the power Morris plays with, he will be the 4th if he's not on the PS.

[bowhunter]

unless things change beyond my expectations, I think a D+ grade on the def secondary is quite generous. Is this due to some gov't mandate that no one fail? Brandyn Thompson and Minnifield should be declared the starters since Hall has been given a chance to display his "talent"

[Truant]

DBs are hard to judge. I guess if we're looking on paper I pretty much agree, but I think Josh Wilson is a solid starter, not a fringe guy. Raheem Morris over Slowik is going to be a massive upgrade. I think we'll see some guys play near their potential instead of underperforming back there. Madiueu Williams and Tannard Jackson might not be terrible.

Anyways, I think that group will have one of the better position coaches around. I'm encouraged by that but from a strictly talent perspective, yeah... it's lacking.

[DogofWar1]

I think I'll do ranges, and then explain. Excluding injuries and potential suspensions.

QB - Worst case scenario: C; Best Case Scenario: A

C: RGIII struggles to learn the playbook, the speed of the game is a problem, and he has trouble timing his throws, etc. Maybe injured a bit too and Cousins/Grossman are terrible.

A: Has all the above down and more. Plays like he's been in the league for 2-3 years, not like a rookie. Gives Newton's numbers a run for their money. Cousins wins #2 and looks good.

RB - C+ to A

C+: Hightower isn't 100%, Helu and Royster don't develop any from last year, and Morris is mediocre. Still earns C+ because Helu and Royster looked decent last year, just the 2 of them.

A: Hightower at 100%, with Helu and Royster developing into more complete backs while Morris surprises us.

WR - C- to A

C-: Garcon drops a lot, Morgan and Hank are either not 100% or their solid games last year were flukes, Moss is ineffective, Robinson doesn't develop, Austin and Armstrong don't do anything.

A: Garcon plays like a #1, and Morgan and Hank break out. Moss has a resurgence, and Robinson develops into a speedy threat.

TE - B- to A

B-: Cooley is injured or ineffective, Paul doesn't transition, and Davis has to do it by himself while getting game-planned for.

A: Cooley's back, Paul is a solid #3, and Davis plays like he was last year. 1 TE set improves in versatility due to ability to add Cooley, a better blocker, in, while 2 TE set is 2nd only to NE.

Oline - D to B

D: I said I wouldn't mention injuries, but seriously, it's the Washington Oline, you have to mention them. So, injuries. And if Williams stays inconsistent and the RT position stays weak, along with the middle being weak (INJURIES!), we could be in trouble.

B: Staying healthy is a big part, but if Williams becomes more consistently great, and Brown or Smith or someone can lock down RT, then we should be good to go.

Dline - C to B+

C: If Jenkins doesn't light it up and Cofield doesn't play better as NT, then we might flounder as a pass rush and not put much pressure on the QB.

B+: If Jenkins lives up to his hype and Cofield develops, and the others are solid, we might be blowing up holes and getting a lot pressure even with just 3 guys.

OLBs - B to A+

B: Static like last year. Kerrigan doesn't grow, and Orakpo gains no techniques.

A+: They both take a step forward, Kerrigan from very good to almost elite, and Orakpo from almost elite into solid elite.

ILBs - C to A+

C: Fletcher, even if healthy, falls off an age-cliff, while Riley proves to be a 1 year wonder. None of Goff, Robinson, or Kehl prove competent.

A+: Fletcher plays like we love, and Riley continues to develop, while Goff, Kehl, or Robinson (or some combination) prove to be solid backups.

CBs - D- to B+

D-: Hall continues to be over-matched, and no one rises to overtake Barnes at #3, making Wilson our only solid corner.

B+: Dline gets pressure forcing bad QB throws, allowing Hall to be a ball hawk, while Wilson is a solid #2, and either Barnes steps up for Minnifield explodes onto the scene.

S - D to A-

D: Meriweather is washed up, and Gomes, Doughty, Williams, Griffin, etc, are too old or not ready for primetime.

A-: 2008 Meriweather and Jackson (when he's not on suspension), make appearances for 16 games and prove highly effective.

K - C to A

C: A combination of bad blocking and inconsistency cause Gano to have another mediocre year.

A: Blocking improves with addition of young Olinemen, and Gano gets the breathing room he needs, while also developing some aim to go with his booming leg.

[sportjunkie07]

i like your rankings and reasoning OP, though my rankings were a tad lower for each group. many of the offensive positions could be higher, depending on how RG3 plays.

1. Tight Ends: B+

i agree for the most part, except, i think davis' weed smoking issue lead shows a great deal of immaturity which i hope he is done with. overall though, solid talent at the top and above average depth.

2. Defensive Line: B-

i like this unit as well, though im not as bullish as the OP. the redskins have a smart Dline though no game changers.

3. Running Backs: B-

i agree with the OP here, except the lack of a game-changer (though helu may be developing into one) keeps me stuck at a B-. the depth and upside is great here though, and with RG3 in the pocket, the running lanes should open up a bit (see Tebow circa 2011). the guys mike has picked up all fit to scheme and i could see this being an A group by the end of the season.

4. Kickers/Punters: B+

Gano is a beast and Rackers won't be taking his job. I dont put a lot of emphasis on a kicker's age as long as he can still do his job.. and Rocca still can.

5. Linebackers: B

I agree with your ranking overall. Perry Riley is an above average linebacker and i think he will outshine London this year.

6. Quarterbacks: B-

agreed.

T-7. Wide Receivers: C+

Agreed.

T-7. Offensive Line: C+

Agreed

9. Secondary: D+

I agree, our worst unit in all. we will most likely being screaming at our TV's when WR's burn us to take the lead..

[SirClintonPortis]

QB: B+

RB: B

WR: B

TE: C

OL: B-

DL: B-

OLBs: B-

ILB: C+

Secondary: D

Kicker and Punter:B

[skinny21]

QB: B+

RB: B

WR: B

TE: C

OL: B-

DL: B-

OLBs: B-

ILB: C+

Secondary: D

Kicker and Punter:B

Curious why you have ILB ranked so low? Is it Fletcher's age? The way I see it, Fletcher should be a B+ at minimum, so that would put Riley at what, D+?

Kind of the same question about the TEs, though there are more concerns there with potential suspension and Cooley's health. There, I'd put Davis at a B minimum, which would put the rest at a D or worse... seems kind of harsh.

[Uno Mas]

Without going into detail for the grades, I'd have them slightly different:

TE: B+ (with Cooley healthy and on the team)

LB: B+

QB: B

DL: B

RB: B-

DB: B-

WR: C+

OL: C

Safeties: D

Same as above except switch RB and WR grades.

[Rhodus333]

Hopefully our improvement along the d line will translate to an easier job for our secondary. While i agree that its definitley the weak spot on the team at this point, alot of the guys we have there are unknown commodities playing within this scheme, and combined with former head coach Morris, im optimistic of his ability to coach these guys up and hopefully see someone step up and make a name for themself. But its definitley gonna be contingent on how much we can get in the qbs face in the trenches. Pressure and sacks will make this secondary perfectly capable of making big plays

[SirClintonPortis]

Curious why you have ILB ranked so low? Is it Fletcher's age? The way I see it, Fletcher should be a B+ at minimum, so that would put Riley at what, D+?

Kind of the same question about the TEs, though there are more concerns there with potential suspension and Cooley's health. There, I'd put Davis at a B minimum, which would put the rest at a D or worse... seems kind of harsh.

Depth is the issue there at ILB. If one of them goes down...there's a lot of uncertainty on how the backups will perform.

Fred Davis is nice, but I'm not expecting a huge renaissance from Cooley there. Paulsen and Paul...well they will be doing the unheralded work of blocking...but their contributions to the passing game are not going to be much.

[DogofWar1]

Depth is the issue there at ILB. If one of them goes down...there's a lot of uncertainty on how the backups will perform.

Fred Davis is nice, but I'm not expecting a huge renaissance from Cooley there. Paulsen and Paul...well they will be doing the unheralded work of blocking...but their contributions to the passing game are not going to be much.

I think our ILB depth is actually rather good. Goff won the starting job in NY before getting injured. If he's capable of playing at his 2010 level then the dropoff between Fletcher and him wouldn't be disastrous. Kehl, while not starting material, is a decent cheap backup, and Robinson should grow quickly. And if Fletcher maintains and Riley continues to grow we'll have probably a top10 ILB duo. Lots of ifs, but I think we're pretty well off.

As for TE, even if Davis is all on his own, he is still probably in the top third of TEs in the league, and looked very capable of a 1k yard year prior to his suspension. Even if we have very mediocre blocking, if Davis can make mismatches and get close to 1k yards then I feel like they deserve a B.

[grhqofb5]

Grades for 2011 Season:

TE: B (Cooley was injured, but Davis was pro-bowl caliber until his suspension

LB: C+ (Fletcher was solid, Orakpo has not broken out, Kerrigan was promising, and McIntosh was benced for Riley, who was raw)

QB: C- (Rex wasn't as bad as people say, but he still sucked)

DL: C (Average production from above average talent)

RB: C- (no clear starter throughout the season, late season surge in production)

DB: D (low interception numbers, too many big plays)

WR: C (Didn't help or hurt Rex)

OL: D+ (patch-work group with too many injuries, little depth (remember picking up Polumbus off the street and starting him 4 days later?))

Safeties: D (See CB grade).

Expected Grades for 2012

TE: B+

LB: B

QB: B-

DL: B+

RB: B

DB: C

WR: B

OL: C

Safeties: C

[SirClintonPortis]

I think our ILB depth is actually rather good. Goff won the starting job in NY before getting injured. If he's capable of playing at his 2010 level then the dropoff between Fletcher and him wouldn't be disastrous. Kehl, while not starting material, is a decent cheap backup, and Robinson should grow quickly. And if Fletcher maintains and Riley continues to grow we'll have probably a top10 ILB duo. Lots of ifs, but I think we're pretty well off.

As for TE, even if Davis is all on his own, he is still probably in the top third of TEs in the league, and looked very capable of a 1k yard year prior to his suspension. Even if we have very mediocre blocking, if Davis can make mismatches and get close to 1k yards then I feel like they deserve a B.

IMO, our TE depth is just that bad to bring that grade down. Cooley is either going to get cut or be an ineffective shadow of his former self. Paul's best years will be in seasons after this, if he succeeds at all; growing pains are a part of learning a new position. Paulsen is a one-dimensional #3.

[Philip Pease]

Grades for 2011 Season:

TE: B (Cooley was injured, but Davis was pro-bowl caliber until his suspension

LB: C+ (Fletcher was solid, Orakpo has not broken out, Kerrigan was promising, and McIntosh was benced for Riley, who was raw)

QB: C- (Rex wasn't as bad as people say, but he still sucked)

DL: C (Average production from above average talent)

RB: C- (no clear starter throughout the season, late season surge in production)

DB: D (low interception numbers, too many big plays)

WR: C (Didn't help or hurt Rex)

OL: D+ (patch-work group with too many injuries, little depth (remember picking up Polumbus off the street and starting him 4 days later?))

Safeties: D (See CB grade).

Expected Grades for 2012

TE: B+

LB: B

QB: B-

DL: B+

RB: B

DB: C

WR: B

OL: C

Safeties: C

You didn't give reasons for why ever position is a grade higher than last season. I agree with the grades you gave. The reason I think every position will be upgraded is RG3. Defenses will be improved because they will be on the field less and be more energetic in the later stages of the game. RG3 will throw less interceptions keeping the offense on the field. The offensive line will be upgraded because of RG3 speed and agility and more effective with roll-outs. The receivers will all be upgraded because of RG3 accuracy; more completions and more yards after catch, including deep throws for TDs. The running backs will be upgraded because RG3 threat of play action will keep linebackers from being aggressive against the run when RG3 could burn them. In short I believe RG3 will elevate the entire team.

[Punch it in]

Last year I would have given our safeties an A during the summertime, and look how that turned out. Obviously injuries, breakout performances, and let downs will have so much to do with it, but here goes..........

TE - this could be almost anywhere - niles paul is a huge questionmark for obvious reasons and Cooleys health, Davis has to keep the strait and narrow or he will be suspended - I think Paul is going to be really good, I think Davis wont **** up again, and I think Cooley has a bounce back year - this will be a position of strength and three of RG-3's best friends for his rookie year - A

DL - B / potential for an A

RB - B / again potential for an A

K/P - Rackers, please please Rackers - B- -

LB - A

QB - A of course - RG-3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WR - another tough one - B+

OL - C+ Williams needs to have a HUUGE year and if they stay healthy and know the scheme better(which they should) than this could be a nice surprise

Secondary - so many questions here - C but maybe Morris can turn it around - think we are going to sorely lack on the outside - agree with OP here

[LaRonDontLikeUgly]

QB: A- (Young leader/face of the franchise for next decade. Like-it-or-not, Rex may be the best back-up in the entire league. Cousins was an absolute steal.)

WR: B (Ton of good, young guys here but still don't have that game-changing, big-bodied, speedster that teams have to gameplan around.)

LB: B- (Solid group with veteran leader who still plays like he's 25. Kerrigan has the tools/mentality to become one of the greats of all-time. More depth all around needed though.)

TE: B- (Cooley's play has declined. Davis is good but not great, yet. Paulsen is the only one who can block. Addition of Pauls could be interesting.)

DL: C+ (Great DEs scattered along the line but we are still missing that prototypical NT.)

RB: C (Love the young talent, but I believe that the success is more the result of the system than the players themselves. No HoFers in this backfield.)

K/P: C (Our punter is an A, and our kicker is a D, so that rounds out at C. Kickers are only as good as their stats-- so when Gano stops getting blocked, he could quickly become one of the game's best young kickers.)

OL: D (talent-wise, we don't have very much at all up front. However, because of our system, this group actually plays more like a 'C'.)

DB: D (I really don't like anyone in our secondary very much. I pray that Raheem can take what he is given and get the best out of these guys. We need to scoop up Aquib's crazyass too.)