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Overview of the 2007 Washington Redskins' Defense

Written by Jerrard Ellerbe
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
{mosimage}We’re at the halfway point of the preseason and it appears that the defensive unit of the Washington Redskins made a drastic improvement from last season. So far, in two preseason games, the defense has yet to give up an offensive touchdown. It’s apparent that this unit has speed and the ability to quickly get to the ball. Joe Gibbs certainly hopes that the defense can become dominant like they were in 2004 and 2005 where the unit was ranked top ten in both seasons. In 2006, the Skins were worse that abysmal. The defense ranked 31st in the entire league and set shameful NFL records with the least turnovers (12) and the least amount sacks (19). Injuries plagued the entire unit and big time free agent acquisition Adam Archuletta did not fit in at all. There was no depth in the secondary and opposing teams took advantage of it. In the off-season, the front office made moves that they hope will benefit greatly on the field. The Buffalo Bills let middle linebacker London Fletcher-Baker go and the Redskins wasted no time scooping him up. Fletcher-Baker is one of the most prolific tacklers in the NFL and brings leadership to a defense that has lacked a true leader for some time. So far in the preseason, London’s presence has been felt, running from sideline to sideline making plays. He joins linebackers Marcus Washington and Rocky McIntosh. Washington is coming off of hip surgery in the off-season and suffered a dislocated elbow in the preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He expects to be healthy for the regular season opener against Miami. Second year player Rocky McIntosh sat out for most of the 2006 season for his inability to understand Gregg Williams’ defensive scheme. So far in the preseason, McIntosh has proved to the coaches as well as the public that he’s ready for the next step in the NFL. If you missed the game against the Steelers, McIntosh recorded 7 solo tackles. The Redskins added some much needed depth in the secondary, bringing back the popular Fred Smoot from Minnesota. He is currently in a 3-way competition for the starting cornerback job with Shawn Springs and Carlos. Regardless of who starts, I believe the Skins are set at cornerback. The reserves include Jerametrius Butler, David Macklin, and Omar Stoutmire. In the 2007 NFL Draft the Redskins picked LaRon Landry with the sixth pick of the 1st round. Landry is a big time hitter and he will compliment the style of play that the Skins already get from Sean Taylor. Taylor and Landry are poised to be the best safety tandem in the league. The biggest hole of the Redskins defense has been the defensive line. For several years now, the D-Line has been unable to generate a decent pass rush. As a result, the secondary suffers due to the opposing QB having too much time in the pocket. Andre Carter was brought in from San Francisco to become a dominant pass rushing DE in 2006, but failed to produce until the end of last season. Cornelius Griffin and Joe Salave’a were injured most of the 2006 season and Phillip Daniels seemed to be suffering from the old age syndrome. Surprisingly, Gregg Williams and the front office did not address the front four at all in the off-season, stating that injuries have been the problem to the line’s inability to produce. The Skins will have to hope that Andre Carter can carry the success he had late last season into this season. If Cornelius Griffin and Joe Salave’a remains healthy throughout the season, this squad will be better in 2007. Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Trackback(0) TrackBack URI for this entry Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Website Title Comment smaller \| bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 22 August 2007 )