One-liner analysis on every significant Redskins player and offseason move.

Washington Redskins

Predicted: 4^th NFC East

2008 record: 8-8 (4^th NFC East)

Head Coach: Jim Zorn (2^nd year)

Roster Quick View (*rookie, **new veteran)

Offense (coordinator: Sherman Smith)

QB: Jason Campbell Benefits from returning to a familiar system for the first time in his career. But he’s 27…when does development crescendo? Redskins don’t seem too eager to find out.

RB: Clinton Portis What he lacks in burst and raw speed he makes up for in intelligence and raw heart. Must be a better locker room leader, though.

RB: Ladell Betts His 1,154-yard season was in a different system four years ago. Doesn’t quite have enough quickness to come off the bench and befuddle defenses.

FB: Mike Sellers The best fullback in football. Can handle the rock or be a rock.

WR: Santana Moss This offense’s only consistent source of speed and quickness. When he’s on, everything clicks. When he’s off, almost nothing does.

WR: Antwaan Randle El Charismatic veteran who can be a great Inspector Gadget. But no defense truly fears him.

WR: Devin Thomas Good, swift speed, but didn’t come close to translating it to the pro level as a rookie last year. Don’t give up on him––but don’t get emotionally invested either.

TE: Chris Cooley Not just a fan favorite because he blogs and married a hot cheerleader; he’s an improved blocker who can also make tough catches and hearty runs.

TE: Todd Yoder A “use the force” joke would make sense if he had more force to use.

LT: Chris Samuels A natural. Run-blocking prowess makes him a perennial Pro Bowler, but can you believe he’s 32 already? (He’s also coming off a torn right triceps.)

LG: Derrick Dockery Stellar run-blocker who returns after what some bitter Bills fans believe was a two-year robbery in Buffalo. Good pickup for the Skins.

C: Casey Rabach Put it like this: if a Hall of Fame center is a 10, an awful center is a 1 and an average center is a 5, this guy’s about a 6.2.

RG: Randy Thomas A superb run-blocker when he’s on the move. Decent in other realms, though at 6’5”, 317, his nominal power in a phone booth is surprising.

RT: Stephon Heyer Development has been spotty through two years. Weighs 325 but his base might be too narrow to execute brawny RT duties.

6 OL: Chad Rinehart Versatile second-year pro who figures to get a look as a starter by 2010.

Defense (coordinator: Greg Blache)

LDE: Phillip Daniels Respected veteran leader who can play the run. But how many 36-year-olds can come back from multiple knee ligament tears?

DT: Albert Haynesworth* $41 million? Eh, that’s a fair price. Wait––what’s that? $41 million guaranteed?

DT: Cornelius Griffin Tenth-year veteran should really benefit from Haynesworth’s arrival. Can now operate against single blocking plus conserve more energy by giving up some reps to the now-deeper second-string.

RDE: Andre Carter Hard-working speed-rusher who must maintain spacing in order to compensate for diminutive size. His sack numbers rarely live up to his skill set.

3 DE: Renaldo Wynn Effective run-defender who can really crash inside. Not good enough to start, but should rotate often with Phillip Daniels.

3 DT: Kedric Golston Will share time with Anthony Montgomery as an occasional run-stuffer. Hustles and can hold his ground fairly well.

SLB: Brian Orakpo** The front office absolutely adores him. Can start at LB and move to DE in passing situations. Scouts like his explosiveness.

MLB: London Fletcher The Pro Bowl isn’t legitimate until this fervid tackling machine finally gets invited to one.

WLB: Rocky McIntosh Has good tools and awareness, but isn’t a raging game-changer. Still, Washington should re-sign him next year.

4 LB: H.B. Blades Can hold up as a starter if he has faster players around him. His best shot at a meaningful career is probably as a versatile backup.

CB: DeAngelo Hall Think pre-religious Deion Sanders, only with a little less talent and lot less consistency.

CB: Carlos Rogers Can be an excellent man-defender, but reveals too many flaws when he struggles. Should be better after having a healthy offseason (he was rehabbing a knee this time last year).

NB: Fred Smoot Feisty, physical defender who has just about everything except the second burst to handle elite receivers.

SS: Chris Horton Seventh-round pick in ’08 who would have gone early first round if scouts had been clairvoyant.

FS: LaRon Landry If ever there was a young potential star who should not skip all the offseason team activities, this would be it.

6 DB: Reed Doughty Sees some action as a dime back in the box, but is actually better in space (where, unfortunately, the Redskins don’t need him).

Special Teams

K: Shaun Suisham The sole reason Washington’s field goal percentage was an NFL-worst 72.2 last year.

P: Hunter Smith* Longtime Colt who solidifies a punting game that’s been shaky seemingly since the end of the Matt Turk era.

RS: Rock Cartwright Good straight-line kick returner who can consistently get past the 25.

Offseason Quick Glance

Draft

RD PK (OVR) NAME POS SCHOOL

1 13 (13) Brian Orakpo DE Texas

3 16 (80) Kevin Barnes CB Maryland

5 22 (158) Cody Glenn OLB Nebraska

6 13 (186) Robert Henson ILB TCU

7 12 (221) Eddie Williams FB Idaho

7 34 (243) Marko Mitchell WR Nevada

KEY PLAYERS ACQUIRED

OG Jeremy Bridges: FA Panthers; terms unknown.

OG Derrick Dockery: FA Bills; $26M/5 yrs, $8.2M guaranteed.

DT Albert Haynesworth: UFA Titans; $100M/7 yrs, $5M SB/$41M guaranteed.

P Hunter Smith: UFA Colts; (1 yr, terms unknown.

LB Robert Thomas: FA; $620,000/1 yr.

WR Roydell Williams: FA; terms unknown.

DE Renaldo Wynn: UFA Giants; 1 yrs, terms unknown.

KEY PLAYERS LOST

DE Demetric Evans: UFA 49ers; $3.8M/2 yrs, guarantees.

P Dirk Johnson (released).

G Pete Kendall (FA)

RT Jon Jansen (released)

P Ryan Plackemeier (released).

LB Matt Sinclair (released).

CB Shawn Springs (released).

DE Jason Taylor (released).

WR James Thrash (retired)

LB Marcus Washington (released).

Analysis

Dan Snyder made the NFL’s biggest splash in free agency by signing Albert Haynesworth to an eight-figure deal just seconds after the back-to-back Pro Bowler became available. The sheer size of the investment may mitigate its return, given that the financially-sated Haynesworth is likely to reduce his intensity. Of course, that isn’t to say Haynesworth can’t still fortify this front seven. He helps the run defense and makes life easier for pass-rushers Andre Carter and, more importantly, first-round rookie Brian Orakpo (a player Washington was thrilled to snatch at No. 13).

On the same day Haynesworth signed, the Skins also guaranteed $22.5 million to ’08 midseason pickup DeAngelo Hall. The cocky cornerback’s presence ensures that third-rounder Kevin Barnes will spend most of his first season learning from a backup role.

None of the Redskins’ free agent losses hurt. Shawn Springs and Marcus Washington were both getting old and injury prone. And Jason Taylor represented nothing more than a burned second-round pick (the cost of trading for him from Miami). With Marcus Washington gone, Orakpo will start at SLB, ahead of fifth-rounder Cody Glenn.

The return of G Derrick Dockery was a welcome surprise. And the timing was convenient, as successor/predecessor Pete Kendall had hit a wall. So had RT Jon Jansen, who will be replaced by third-year man Stephon Heyer.

For all of Washington’s personnel moves, it was perhaps the change they didn’t make that’s most noteworthy: quarterback. The Skins tried to trade for Jay Cutler. Then, they apparently considered making a run at Mark Sanchez. In the end, they wound up with only a miffed Jason Campbell (who, by the way is in the final year of his contract).