Next Up: Steelers

The Redskins will play in their second preseason game Saturday against the Steelers, and here are three things I'll be watching out for:

Albert Haynesworth
The $100 million man makes his debut in the burgundy and gold, and let's hope it goes smoothly. fans will be looking for him to get a big push up the middle, but what they really need is for him to come out healthy. There's a lot riding on this guy being here for the majority of the season, and I don't even mean monetarily.

Offensive Line
The group looked solid in their first outing and I expect nothing less this time. They'll be facing a 3-4 defense that loves to blitz, so this will be a great test for the team. Randy Thomas should be seeing his first game which will allow the unit to get used to playing with the actual starting five.

Wide Receivers
There's a race for the number two receiver, and Malcolm Kelly put his name in the running with his strong performance last week. Devin Thomas and Antwaan Randle El are not backing down from the challenge, however, and should put on strong showings in the game as well. This battle will come down to the last game, so every game will count.

Receiver's Competition

Hello all. Sorry for my absence the past couple of weeks. I have just returned from a trip to Greece, and was away from all the action.

Luckily, nothing really happened while I was gone. I halfway expected coming back to headlines of trades or big signings, but the boys in the front office failed me.

The 'Skins are still in the news, finding themselves in a clip on NFL Network's premier show, Total Access, where Antwaan Randle El hosted a catching competition for a few young wide outs, and one player stuck out to me.

Rookie seventh round draft choice Marko Mitchell caught all six of his passes, the only receiver to do so. Not only were his hands impressive, but his great size was evident while standing next to Randle El, listed at 5'10, and Mitchell was a full head taller than him.

Not sure if a little clip like this can say much about him as a player, but this kid is now someone I'll definitely be following through training camp.

Positional Analysis: Pass Catchers

Starters: At wide receiver, Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El should be the starters, who alone will have trouble making any damage. Moss is a great receiver, but he's not a number one guy. He doesn't have the size to dominate larger corners or in the red zone. He is still very quick and can ruin a team down field if they forget about him, but since he's the only threat down field, they have him pointed out before every play.

Randle El is still a solid player, but he's most effective when playing in the slot, but as the number two receiver, he'll see a lot of time on the outside. He has trouble gaining separating and is no longer the deep threat he was when he was younger. He may be entering his last season as a starter in this offense with several young draft picks nipping at his heels.

Pro Bowler Chris Cooley will be the starter at tight end. He plays tough every down, always fighting for the extra yards, and does his part to get teammates open while blocking down field. He is probably the 'Skins biggest threat in the red zone, which teams are aware of, only allowing him one touchdown last year. Other players are going to have to step up this year to take away all the double coverage that goes Cooley's way.

Reserves: The 'Skins have a several young, raw pass catchers who have to prove themselves this year. Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, both 22, were second round draft choices last year at wide receiver and both rarely saw the field last year.

Of the pair, Thomas saw the field more, but had little impact as he struggled with the playbook. Kelly was impressive during training camp last season, but missed eleven games because of injury, finishing the season with only three catches. Both players need to come in to training camp in peak condition prepared to make an impact this season, which is desperately needed.

In addition to the two receivers, tight end Fred Davis was selected in the second round of last years draft. His work ethic has been questioned, and he struggled to see the field last year. He is going to have to make big improvements this year to see more playing time.

There are two veterans that the youngsters will have to outperfrom in training camp in order to see the field. James Thrash, 33, has more experience in the West Coast offense than the other wide receivers. He blocks well down field and plays well on special teams.

The other veteran is tight end Todd Yoder. Yoder's name doesn't show up on the scorecard too often, but his role is mainly on blocking downs and special teams, and he does a heck of a job in that role. He doesn't worry about not getting receptions and does what the team needs him to to win.

Draft: Don't look for the 'Skins to use any draft picks at these positions. They used several picks for them last year, and it would be foolish not to use valuable picks on other positions that really need to get younger.

Redskins Roster Review: Offense

In order for the Redskins to get back to the playoffs next year, the offense is going to have to make great strides.

A year ago, Jim Zorn was just getting started teaching his new team the West Coast offense. The offense started off hot but cooled off as the season came to a close.

This off season, Zorn will be able to pay closer attention to details since the players now know what he wants from them. Though progress will be made from the coaching standpoint, the personnel side still needs some work.

Upgrading the offensive line has been a goal this off season. Last season the offensive line deteriorated as the season went on, showing their age more and more each week. Though getting younger at this position is viewed as a priority, the only move made so far was the signing of left guard Derrick Dockery, 28.

There are still question marks at wide receiver, and it will be essential for second year players Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly to make strides to learn the offense better so they can play prominent roles in the offense. Incumbent starters Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El are going to be relying on the youngsters to step up and take some of the heat off them.

Quarterback Jason Campbell will have to show improvement in his second year in the West Coast offense. He played well last year, but needs to show more improvement in the red zone. This team needs to figure out how to score touchdowns, and he could make big contributions in that department.

Coach Zorn has to push these guys real hard this off season and improvements have to be made. A few more moves might have to be made, most likely through the draft, but they should have every opportunity to take those strides next season.

Redskins Roster Review: Special Teams

As free agency approaches, I'm going to take a closer look at the Redskins three units: special teams, defense, and offense.

Special teams has long been an area of weakness for the Redskins, and the arrival of Jim Zorn did nothing to change that. In 2009, the unit ranked 21st out of 32 teams in punt return average, 28th in punt coverage, and dead last in field goal percentage.

Something, obviously, needs to change.

The first thing they need to do is to find someone, anyone else to return punts instead of Antwaan Randle El. His main focus needs to be on playing wide receiver, and he hasn't contributed returning the ball like he used to. Instead of making a defender miss and racing down the field, he often dances around in one place, rarely making any significant gains.

Another change that needs to be made is at the punter position. The low ranking of the punt coverage unit is a direct result of the lack of a consistent punter. The Redskins cut Derrick Frost in favor of rookie draft choice, Durant Brooks, who was replaced mid season by Rian Plackemeir. Plackemeir showed some improvement during the season, but was inconsistent, and was cut after the season.

Danny Smith, the special teams coordinator, has been praised by both current head coach Jim Zorn and former head coach Joe Gibbs, but he has never been given any punters with significant skills to work with. The only punter currently on the roster is Zac Atterberry, who has never even played in a regular season game. Obviously, there needs to be a punter with experience added.

Smith also has not been given a consistent kicker to coach up. Shawn Suisham showed promise towards the end of the 2007 season, but posted the lowest field goal percentage in the league this past season. Suisham will be a restricted free agent this off season, and it is expected that the Redskins retain him. They can't solely rely on him, though. Some form of competition, whether it be an undrafted rookie or a veteran, has to be brought in to at least push Suisham to get better.

The kick return and coverage units, on the other hand, shined last season, both ranking in the top ten. Special teams captain Khary Campbell was a major contributor to these units. He becomes a free agent this off season, but the Redskins need to look to retain him. He has been here a while, knows our system, and plays hard every week. He can also be a suitable plug on defense at linebacker when he is needed.

There are a few things Vinny Cerrato, vice-president of football operations, has to look at in the coming weeks, but will he take the steps necessary to improve? In recent years, it seems that Cerrato hasn't taken a long enough look at improving special teams in the offseason. There are often young, unheard of players coming in the door, and walking out a few months later. How about bringing in a veteran with some staying power for a change?

I know this may be asking a lot considering the considerable salary cap bind the Redskins are in, but most of the games the Redskins find themselves in, they are losing or winning by less than a touchdown. These games are often decided by special teams. Whoever wins the field position battle and gets a few field goals through the uprights often finds themselves with the all important "W" at the end of the game. If the Redskins could generate some longer returns off punts, pin their opponents inside the 10-yard line, or even hit some makeable field goals, they could get a few more "Ws" next season.