Washington Redskins

Walk anywhere in the DC Metro area and say the name, Joe Gibbs, to anyone over 30, and see if you don’t end up in a half hour conversation about the good ole days. Since his lackluster return to the Redskins’ head coaching job, he’s lost more games than he’s won, and has looked like the game may have passed him by. To counteract that, he has surrounded himself with some of the most respected names in NFL coaching – Joel Bugel, Al Saunders, Gregg Williams, in an effort to get a more modern perspective of the game.  In doing so, different ideologies have made the team struggle to find its image and the fans have suffered. 2007 will be a crucial year for Gibbs’ future. If the Skins fail to make the playoffs this year, I’d expect Gibbs to resign and hand the team to Gregg Williams.

Washington Redskins Off-Season Moves

In the 8 years since Daniel Snyder purchased the Redskins, this was the first off-season I can remember where he didn’t completely tinker with the team. Most teams build through the draft, whereas Snyder has chosen to build through over paying free agents. While you may get an NFL ready stud in a key position, it creates a nasty atmosphere in the locker room where nobody feels safe and ruins team chemistry. NFL players’ egos are remarkably fragile and they won’t play at their best if they feel like they are under a microscope 24/7.

My favorite signing this off-season was London Fletcher from the Bills. Due to the Skins’ inability to get to the quarterback last season, Fletcher will be an absolute upgrade and I expect to see him making key plays this season.

In other good news, since the Skins also had the worst deep pass defense in the NFL, I’m excited to see Fred Smoot back in the lineup. Kenny Wright and Mike Rumph were disasters at CB, and seeing Smoot opposite Carlos Rogers will be a welcome change.

For the Redskins, it was addition by subtraction by losing FS Adam Arculeta, CB Kenny Wright, WR David Patten, K John Hall, OL Derrick Dockery, and TE Christian Fauria.

Washington Redskins 2007-08 Season Outlook

Last season was a huge disappointment in Redskins Nation. Like he’s always done, Daniel Snyder spent a huge amount of money to acquire some big names that are meant to fill holes exposed the season before. In 2005, the Washington Redskins went 10-6 and made the playoffs, however their lack of speed at wide receiver outside of Santana Moss hurt them. Defenses could just double up on Moss and Mark Brunell had no downfield options. So they sign former Niner speeder, Brandon Lloyd, and he proved to be a complete bust on the field, and a liability in the locker room. Former Ram, Adam Archuleta was brought in to give Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams, a tricky pass rusher from the safety spot. You look at his stats and you see he leads the team in tackles. One would say, “Wow, nice pick up.” Well, if he leads the team in tackles because his man is always wide open, suddenly he becomes the poster child for all of Daniel Snyder’s mistakes of over paying free agents.

Hopefully the Skins will return to the bruising running team they were in the 80’s and in 2005. Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts are both healthy, and both are high quality backs that can break big runs at any time. This season will be the first full season for Jason Campbell as starting QB. The Redskins will only go as far as Campbell can take them. He only has 7 NFL starts under his belt, so he better learn how to be an effective NFL quarterback quickly. Daniel Snyder and the Washington Redskins fans don’t have the patience for another rebuilding season.

The Washington Redskins’ defense last year was, to put it bluntly, laughable. Gregg Williams is supposed to be a defensive genius, but his unit’s lack of ability to get takeaways really made me question his reputation. If the Skins can figure out a way to put pressure on the opposing teams’ quarterbacks and force them to make bad decisions, the secondary and linebacker corps are good enough to get some turnovers. As a life-long Redskins fan, I long for the days when teams were intimidated when they saw the Hogs and Joe Gibbs run out of the tunnel. This team could do as well as 10-6, or as bad as 2-14. I can live with 2-14 as long as those two wins are against the Cowboys.

Washington Reskins Trivia

The Washington Redskins came into the league as the Boston Braves in 1932.

George Preston Marshall was the Washington Redskins' first team owner.

The Redskins moved to Washington, D.C. in 1937.

The Washington Redskins first victory came against the New York Giants.

Slingin' Sammy Baugh and George Preston Marshall were the first two Redskins inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Mark Mosely is the Washington Redskins all time leader in points with 1207.

Jay Schroder holds the Washington Redksins team record for passing yards in a single season with 4,109.

Sonny Jurgenson holds the Washington Redskins' team record for touchdowns in a single season with 31.

The Redskins won their first Super Bowl in SB XVII against the Miami Dolphins.

The Redskins played in the highest scoring game in NFL history when they beat the New York Giants 72-41 on November 27, 1966.

Washington Redskins 2007-08 Roster

Washington Redskins 2007-08 Depth Chart

Washington Redskins – FedEx Field

Construction Began: March 1996
Opened: September 14, 1997
Capacity: 91, 665
Location: Landover, MD
Surface: Natural Grass

Originally named Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, this home of the Redskins replaced the former RFK Stadium, offering Redskins fans the largest stadium in the NFL. Through it's 10 years of existence, the current FedEx Field has received frequent face lifts and renovations that have pushed its capacity beyond the 90,000 mark. It is the only NFL stadium to approach that number. In 1999, Daniel Snyder bought the team, and sold the naming rights to FedEx in a multi-year naming rights agreement. The stadium houses many modern amenities, including shops, restaurants and a Redskins Hall of Fame.