The All-Time Washington Redskins All-Star Team

(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

This past decade, it's been tough to be a Redskins fan. The flow of disappointment and wasted talent seems to be unending, and the level of play is wildly erratic, but usually nets something between 6-10 and 8-8.

And so I have to resort to two things, nostalgia and optimism, to keep my spirits up. This article tackles the first of those two.

I love the Redskins' glorious and varied history. The names haven't been quite as big and flashy as any other franchise with this many rings, but that's the fun. The journeymen and blue-collar underdogs are the players that have made this team great, more often than not.

And so, it is my pleasure to present my picks for the all-time all-franchise first team on offense, defense, special teams, and coaching.

The picks are based solely on their years with the Redskins, and on a combination of sheer dominance during the player's prime and total career toughness. Since I generally believe that most athletes nowadays would absolutely tear up ye olde athletes, I've also made some slight adjustments for the era.

Offense:

QB: Sammy Baugh (1937-52)

Though Baugh is widely acknowledged as the greatest Redskin to ever play, the pick between him and Sonny Jurgensen was a tough one. Remember that part of Baugh's mystique was his dominance on every side of the ball, whereas Jurgensen was a pure QB, and a great one.

Nonetheless, Baugh gets the edge. He dominated a less pass-happy era and in an age where WR was still developing as a position. His average yards per attempt is surprisingly close to Jurgensen's, even without adjusting. He also played well for a very long time, going to the Pro Bowl at the age of 23 in 1937, but also at 37 in 1951.

RB: John Riggins (1976-79, 1981-85)

There are a lot of good-sorta-great workhorses who have played for the Redskins. Riggins, definitely great more than good, had to be the pick. A Hall of Famer, Riggo has a lot going for him, including a surprising upward statistical curve during his Redskins career.

His numbers would be even better if it wasn't for strike-shortened seasons and a 1980 contract dispute.

FB: Andy Farkas (1938-44)

The only fullback of note in Redskins history, Farkas was twice a Pro Bowler and once led the league in rushing touchdowns. He'd sometimes average 50 yds/game, which is something you never see anymore.

Then again, fullbacks are more blockers than rushers these days.

WR: Art Monk (1980-93)

Not just the greatest Redskins receiver ever, but one of the most reliable in the history of the game. Monk only went to the Pro Bowl three times, but put up numbers that wouldn't be broken until Jerry Rice hit the scene.

WR: Bobby Mitchell (1985-92)

If the Hall of Fame selection isn't enough to prove his greatness to you, here's a stat to look at: 102.6 yds/game, which is what he put up in 1962. His 16.5 career yards/rec is one of the Redskins best marks ever in that category.

WR: Charley Taylor (1964-77)

There are four great picks for three spots, so major apologies to Gary Clark. But Taylor played almost as long as Monk did, and put up numbers not too far south of Monk's. This Hall of Famer beats out the exceptional, dangerous Clark.

TE: Jerry Smith (1965-77)

Chris Cooley has a good shot at dethroning this spot in the next few years. But Smith's superior yards/rec number and longevity with the Skins give him the edge.

T: Turk Edwards (1932-40)

Another Hall of Famer for the Skins, Edwards was voted one of the top two tackles in the leagues by different sources for eight straight seasons. Granted, it was a different era—but I bet you can't name me anyone else who's ever done that. I sure can't think of anyone.

T: Joe Jacoby (1981-93)

One of the anchors for The Hogs, Jacoby is one of the best lineman to ever see play for the Redskins.

G: Russ Grimm (1981-91)

One of the legendary Hogs, Grimm was a stalwart on some of the best O-lines the Redskins ever had. He made it to the Pro Bowl four times.

G: Dick Stanfel (1956-58)

The second guard position was pretty contested, but I went with Stanfel instead of another Hog because Stanfel's ludicrous efficiency. Three years with the team, three years as the best guard in the entire league.

C: Len Hauss (1964-77)

The epitome of reliable. In his 14-year career spent entirely with the Redskins, Hauss played every game. In all but three of those seasons, he also started every game. He was also a Pro-Bowler five times, the most of any non-tackle offensive lineman in Redskins history.

Defense:

DT: Dave Butz (1975-88)

At times, he was the best D-lineman in the league. Consider 1983, when he tallied 11.5 sacks on the season and catapulted to All-Pro first team. But it's Butz' longevity with Washington that is most impressive. Assuming I'm calculating strike-shortened seasons correctly, I think he only missed one game after reaching the age of 28.

DT: Diron Talbert (1971-80)

Another Washington long-timer, Talbert played in every game of his Redskins career and, excluding his final season, started every game but one. He also made the Pro Bowl one year and narrowly missed it another.

DE: Dexter Manley (1981-89)

Defensive end has been a pretty loaded position for the Redskins throughout the years, and three players make good cases for selections. Of those three, Manley has the least accolades but was probably the best.

Despite just one Pro Bowl selection, he averaged 14.5 sacks over a four year span, including 18.5 in 1986. A highly dangerous defender.

DE: Gene Brito (1951-53, 1955-58)

Charles Mann is the "obvious" pick for his longevity, nice numbers, and numerous Pro Bowls, but Gene Brito was so great over a short span of years at DE, that he gets a razor-thin edge over Mann. In his four years primarily playing DE, he was selected as the best in the league three times and the second best other time.

He was a game-changer on every snap of his relatively short career at the position

LB: Chris Hanburger (1965-78)

The best linebacker in Redskins history by a pretty sizable margin, Hanburger was great for nearly a decade and a half, Hanburger played in nine Pro Bowls and was often regarded as one of the best linebackers in the NFL during his career.

LB: Chuck Drazenovich (1950-59)

Nabbing the second spot in one of the Redskins' best career positions, Drazenovich played highly consistently for the Redskins for 10 years, during which he landed a few All-Pro nominations and four Pro Bowls.

LB: Sam Huff (1964-67, 1969)

Though the time he spent in Washington was mostly during the decline of his career, Huff is one of the most famous faces of the franchise and was a balanced, dominant defender early in his stay in DC.

CB: Darrell Green (1983-2002)

The easiest pick on the roster.

Green, rightfully a Hall of Famer, was a paragon of character and a defensive speedster. Only Sammy Baugh tops him as the greatest Redskin to ever play, but even Baugh wasn't as beloved as Green is.

Green holds all sorts of NFL records for longevity and consistency.

CB: Pat Fischer (1968-77)

Though he's a few steps down from Green, Fischer was a great and reliable Redskin in his own right. Arriving in his prime at age 28, Fischer was immediately an impact player, even earning a first team all-pro selection in 1969.

S: Ken Houston (1973-80)

A Hall of Famer and perennial All star, Houston never had a problem dismantling offenses. He arrived in DC in his prime—though his best season was with, appropriately, Houston—and never looked back, ending his stellar career wit the Skins.

S: Sean Taylor (2004-07)

Granted, I've only been watching football for a decade. But I've never seen a safety who comes close to the hard-hitting terror that Sean Taylor was during his tragically short career.

He was a talented man who was just hitting his prime when he was shot in his home in Miami, later dying from those wounds.

Special teams:

K: Mark Mosely (1974-86)

If Darrell Green's selection as the Redskins' best CB was the easiest pick on this roster, then it only narrowly beat the kicker and punter selections. The only kicker to EVER win MVP, Moseley made 20 of 21 FG attempts in 1982, including several game-winners.

His career percentage of 66.2% of field goals made isn't quite as flashy, but his longevity in a position the Redskins are known for cycling through makes up for it.

P: Sammy Baugh (1937-52)

Though he's most famous for being a QB, Baugh's longest standing records are in punting. He remains the only player to ever lead the league in punting four years in a row, and holds the second highest career punting average among all punters ever.

Returner: Brian Mitchell (1990-99)

His total career return yards rank among the best of all time, and his punt return average of 11.0 yds and kick return average of 22.8 yds during his decade with the Skins are pretty strong.

Ultimately, Mitchell was both reliable and dangerous; both his averages and season longs stayed pretty steady throughout his career in DC, even trending upwards.

LS: Ethan Albright (2002-present)

The long-snapper is a pretty unglamorous position, but Albright is about as good at it as you can get, even being selected to the Pro Bowl in 2007 and coming close to it in 2008.

Coaching:

Head coach: Joe Gibbs (1981-92, 2004-08)

The Skins have had a lot of great people running the team. Gibbs is not only the best coach among them, but the best person. Though he's solid on the fundamentals, his strengths aren't X's and O's.

He's best as a motivator and delegator known for coaxing the best out of people in terms of skill and in terms of character. He has three rings and a bust in the Hall of Fame.

What more can you ask?

Assistant coach: Joe Bugel (1981-89, 2004-present)

He put together The Hogs, a nickname for some of the best lines to ever play for the Redskins. It's possible the Redskins wouldn't have won the two Super Bowls under Bugel's tutelage without him.

Agree with the picks? Disagree? Let me know!

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