Hogs They Aren't: Questions Abound on Redskins '09 O-Line

As nice as it is to have an owner like Daniel Snyder open his coffers for high-priced free agents, anyone who follows the Redskins can tell you the money spent in the offseason hasn't equated to wins on the field.

Snyder's penchant for buying high-priced free agents was no different this past offseason as Albert Haynesworth, DeAngelo Hall and Derrick Dockery all got the paydays Redskins fans are used to seeing every winter.

While the signings of the Haynesworth and Hall, along with the drafting of Brian Orakpo and Kevin Barnes, the team's defensive worries may have been put to rest.

However, fans are still left to toss and turn over the questions that surround the 2009 offensive line.

The queries can begin with the signing of Dockery. Dockery was in the middle of a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Buffalo Bills, which at the time made him the highest-paid guard in the history of the league.

However, to call his play over the past two seasons in Buffalo "underachieving" is kind. There was talk midway through last season that the Bills thought about benching Dockery, as his motivation and work ethic were questioned. This comes after a tenure in Washington that was plagued by mental lapses, blown assignments, and horrid penalties.

Offensive line coach Joe Bugel has made his name in coaching some of the best offensive lines in NFL history, but to turn around Dockery's career would be beyond a testament to how good the coach really is.

The other guard position has just as much uncertainty surrounding it. The injury-plagued Randy Thomas, who is coming off major surgery for a herniated disc, is now 33. Chad Reinhart, a 2008 third-round pick, showed signs of progress in the latest round of OTAs, but not seeing any action in 2008 means Reinhart could be fed to the wolves if Thomas cannot avoid another setback.

Age and injuries are a common theme among the remaining players, as 31-year-old Chris Samuels comes off his third straight season of knee surgery, which cost him the final three games of the 2008 season. Casey Rabach,31, is the only option at center, with 6'5", 248-pound long-snapper Ethan Albright the only other player with any sort of professional snapping experience on the roster.

A battle that will be highly watched as training camp nears is the battle for right tackle, as 33-year-old Jon Jansen will be battling with 25-year-old Stephon Heyer, a combo that split time starting in 2008. Heading into camp, it is believed that Heyer has the edge on the veteran, but to make matters even murkier, the Redskins recently signed Mike Williams, a former first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, to provide depth and provide a push to the competition.

The push Williams could provide could be disputed, as Williams was 400 pounds when the Redskins signed him. Undrafted free agent Devin Clark and journeyman Jeremy Bridges also plan to compete for roster spots.

While the Redskins line has shown promise when healthy (fifth in the NFC in rushing at 130.9 yards per game), it has its glaring weaknesses (fifth in the conference in sacks given up), and broke down during the team's 2-6 finish in 2008.

In a division where the margin for error is razor-thin, the answers that come from the questions surrounding the 'Skins O-line will determine if they can make the next step in becoming an elite NFL team.