Back in Action

To all my loyal readers (Hi Mom!), I want to apologize for my lack of posts the past month. It's been a busy time for me, and it's been hard to get my thoughts down. Things should still be slow as training camp approaches, but I'm going to try to get posts up with a little more regularity.

On that note, there has been some action at Redskins Park as of late. The biggest move has been the release of longtime right tackle Jon Jansen.

This move has been speculated over for sometime, but the timing was a bit of a surprise. It seemed like the team was committed to letting him challenge for a starting spot. If that didn't happen, he would have had the opportunity to be the main backup up at essentially all positions across the line.

As the OTA's progressed, coaches noticed that Jansen had not made any improvement since last season and it was in the best interest of the team for the two to part ways.

Jansen has been a fighter for this organization for a long time, but it was his time to go. He's be a mainstay of this line for the past decade, and it will be difficult to fill his shoes. He was a leader in the locker room and was a consummate 'Redskin'.

The release of Jansen will allow younger players to step in and get his reps along the line, but more importantly clears up the competition for starting right tackle. The players going after the position will now be Jeremy Bridges, Stephon Heyer and Mike Williams. This competition, however, should not show a true front runner until the pads are on, but it's probably between Bridges and Heyer as Williams battles to get his weight down and back into football shape.

Positional Analysis: Offensive Tackle

Starters: Chris Samuels is the only sure starter at the left tackle position. He posted another great season last year, but started to wear down as the season went on. He seemed to have several nagging injuries that didn't allow him to perform to his highest capabilities as the season went on, even forcing him to sit out four games, including the last three. Samuels will be looking to prove that he is still a Pro Bowl player, and should come into the season in peak physical condition so he can make it through the whole season.

The right tackle starting spot should be a competition between incumbent starter Jon Jansen and Stephon Heyer. Jansen will be entering his eleventh season and has a lot of experience, but can't put a full season together anymore. He was solid in the first half of last season, but seemed to slow down in the second half. Heyer, 25, won the starting job during training camp last season, but lost it because of an injury during week 3. He should have a chance to win the starting job back this training camp as well.

Reserves: The main reserve will be whoever loses the battle between Jansen and Heyer. If Samuels goes down, expect Heyer to start at left tackle and Jansen to be on the right side. Heyer is a little quicker than Jansen, and would be better suited on the left side.

Also, look for the team to address this position in the draft. There are a number of prospects that could jump in and start for this team, and if the right person is available when the 'Skins are on the clock, this could definitely be a position they address.

Positional Analysis: Guards and Center

Starters: The starter at center will be Casey Rabach. He has become one of the most consistent players along the line, often blocking opposing defensive tackles one on one with considerable success. He still has decent mobility, but his greatest asset is the ability to make the proper protection changes before the snap. Though Jason Campbell took over some of those responsibilities last year, Rabach is still savvy enough to realise mistakes and point teammates in the right direction. If he goes down with an injury, the 'Skins could find themselves in a heap of trouble.

At left guard, newly signed Derrick Dockery will be starting. Dockery, who was originally drafted by the Redskins but spent the last two years with the Buffalo Bills, is hitting the prime of his career as he enters his eighth year in the league. He's a durable player, starting every game for the past 5 years, and staying healthy on this line is very important. He is great while run blocking, and should help sustain a running attack that tailed off as the season wore on last season.

Randy Thomas enters his seventh season as the starting right guard. He has noticeably started to deteriorate over the past few years, especially after a 2006 season where he was injured nearly the entire season. He has lost burst off the snap, but can still get the job done. He's only got a year or two left in his system, so the 'Skins better being looking for a youngster to groom behind him.

Reserves: The Redskins list all their reserves on the offensive line as "offensive lineman" since each could fill several different roles. A priority this off season should be grooming last years third round pick Chad Rinehart into a capable backup at the guard position. When he was drafted, he was projected to play either guard or tackle, but the coaching staff never had enough faith in him to give him a shot during a regular season game. With the left guard spot locked up for years to come, Rinehart's best option is probably to be groomed as the eventual replacement to Thomas on the right side.

Behind Rinehart are a bunch of no-name youngsters with limited NFL experience. This leads me to believe that the 'Skins are still looking to sign a veteran lineman. Joe Bugel, the offensive line coach, places great value on veteran players who can play several positions along the line, so securing a veteran for him could be key.

Last years starter at left guard, Pete Kendall, is still a free agent and the team has expressed interest in him. He has performed well at the left guard spot over the last couple seasons, but has started at center during his career, and the 'Skins currently don't have a player on the roster with experience at center. The solution currently would be to move right tackle Jon Jansen to center, which would make pretty nervous since he hasn't played there during his NFL career. This just puts more weight on the importance of Rabach staying healthy for all 16 games, or disaster could ensue.