2010 Washington Redskins: Defending the Defensive Line

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Barring a remarkable turnaround, the 2009 Washington Redskins season is basically over. In the first of a series of articles, I look towards 2010, when the team is expected to have a new head coach, potentially a new general manager, and a whole host of new players.

This week, I evaluate the Redskins’ defensive line.

There are a lot of positions on the Redskins that might need some revamping or outright overhauling for the 2010 season.

The good news is, the defensive line isn’t one of them.

The unit hasn’t looked its best this season, ranking near the bottom of the league in rushing yards, but this is more because of the random combination of ill-timed blitzing with a secondary that doesn’t come within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.

With a lack of support in the secondary and the second-level, the team is highly susceptible to draws and delays in the running game.

Working from the inside out, the obvious place to start is with the $100 million man, Albert Haynesworth.

Haynesworth has not been worth the huge sums of money paid out to him, but how could he be? Only quarterbacks have the potential to have a nine-figure effect on the game, and there aren’t many of those, either.

For those paying attention, Haynesworth has been quietly doing a good job all season. Despite missing some plays and series due to poor conditioning, Haynesworth consistently gets pressure and draws double-teams, freeing up edge rushers Andre Carter and Brian Orakpo to up their sack production.

Carter surpassed his entire 2008 production in a half season, and Orakpo is a Rookie of the Year candidate.

Playing next to Haynesworth is stalwart Cornelius Griffin. Griffin is an aging veteran who still has a couple of years left in the tank. He's one of the team’s most consistent defenders, and does a great job stopping the run in the trenches.

With a defensive line rotation as deep as Washington’s, he should remain a consistent and productive player for the next few years.

Providing the immense depth at the defensive tackle spot are Lorenzo Alexander, Kendric Golston, and Anthony Montgomery. All are young players in their mid-20s, and all have seen plenty of playing time this season.

They will help provide a backbone of a strong defensive line for years to come, and one or all might be able to fill Griffin’s shoes if his productivity declines in the next few years.

Manning the right end spot is Carter, who has proven to be a solid if somewhat unspectacular pass-rusher.

While no one will mistake him for Dwight Freeney or Julius Peppers, Carter will get his share of sacks as part of this talented defensive line. He's also big enough to be a factor in run support. Despite being on the wrong side of 30, he is showing no signs of slowing down yet.

One of the few inspired moves the Redskins have pulled off in the last few seasons is grabbing defensive end Jeremy Jarmon in the supplemental draft this past summer.

While Jarmon is not yet ready to be a full-time starter, the team’s youngest player is one of its brightest up-and-coming stars. He has the ability to pass rush and assist in run support. He can also play both tackle and end. He should hold down the left end position for years to come.

The current starter at that spot is Phillip Daniels, who remains somewhat productive despite his 36 years of age. If the team could get one more year out of him as a backup and mentor for Jarmon, they would be quite fortunate.

The only other end on the roster is Renaldo Wynn, and given the fact that he has been cut twice already this season and hasn’t been a factor at all, he likely will need to be replaced.

In short, the team will need to find a backup defensive end, and that’s about it.

The defensive line is certainly one of the few bright spots for a team approaching yet another tumultuous offseason.

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