Defense Sets Tone at Practices

As training camp has progressed, it has become obvious that the defense is ahead of the offense.

Many players have said this is normal. The defense always starts fast, and the offense will catch up, nothing to worry about. Though the offense isn't worried, opponents probably should be.

Last season, the defense ranked fourth overall but had trouble getting pressure on the quarterback and creating turnovers. To change this, the team added defensive linemen Albert Haynesworth, Brian Orakpo, Phillip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn, and it's definitely evident that there is a difference.

During drills at camp, these guys were all over the place. They seemed to beat our line with ease on just about every play. Good thing for Campbell there's no hitting the quarterback during drills, or he'd be in a world of pain.

The secondary is the youngest unit on the team, with the oldest starter, Laron Landry, only 24. There are four players entering their second season with the team, and with a full offseason with the team they should show a lot of improvement. Knowing their assignments will allow the players to go out and play and not have to think.

At linebacker, the team will use draft choice Brian Orakpo as a speed rusher. This role had been lost with the injuries to Marcus Washington for several years, and the team believes Orakpo will resurrect this position. The man is fast and strong, and any lineman will have his hands full playing against him.

This defense has the potential to be one of the best in Redskins' history. They have a great mix of veterans and youngsters, and if they can stay healthy, they can do a lot of damage every week.

Positional Analysis: Safeties

Starters: Laron Landry will be the only unquestioned starter, playing free safety. He has improved over his first two years in the league, even while playing away from the position he was drafted for, strong safety. He has the ability to drop back in to coverage and play center field while landing punishing hits on receivers who dare to go across the center of the field.

The starter at strong safety will be a close competition between 4-year veteran Reed Doughty and second year pro Chris Horton. Doughty entered last season as the starter, but his season was cut short with an injury, allowing Horton to step in to the starting role, in which he performed at a much higher level than expected. Both players play the run well, but can be exploited in coverage. Play during preseason games should decide the starter, but the other will be sure to see playing time with Greg Blatche's creative scheming.

Reserves: Kareem Moore will be the primary backup for Landry. Moore, a sixth round draft choice by the team last year, didn't see the field much last year as he had trouble grasping the playbook. His playing time should increase this year, but he will also be a solid contributor on special teams.

As training camp approaches, I wouldn't be surprised to see the team add a veteran to this group. Last year they added Mike Green to the mix, and he made good contributions while injuries were keeping players off the field. This is the youngest group on the team and there is no reason for them to address it during the draft.