We are just a few weeks away from the opening of training camp, and about a month away from the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony that will include former Redskin greats Art Monk and Darrell Green and former Washington defensive coach Emmitt Thomas. The 'Skins will also take part in the nationally televised Hall of Fame Game the next day.
These events in Canton will probably be the highlights of the season. The Redskins have a rookie head coach in Jim Zorn, who has not served as a football head coach on any level. He will serve as the offensive play caller also, even though he has not been a coordinator in the NFL. Match these facts with the notion that the Burgundy and Gold play in the most competitive division in football inhabited by the champion Giants, the nauseating Cowboys, and the always dangerous Iggles, and you have a long year ahead that could be filled with disappointment. Of course we Redskin fans are used to plenty of disappointment.
The Redskins did try to bolster the offensive talent around QB Jason Campbell, and they have probably succeeded. Now they need to find a quarterback to replace Campbell. QB Todd Collins did a magnificent job after Campbell went down last season, and I hope he will be given the chance to win the starting job. Washington does have to see if the young QB from Auburn has what it takes to make it in the league as a starter, and this will be his chance to prove it. Because of this, feelings of frustration and anger will be more prevalent then emotions of joy and victory. I hope I am wrong.
Here are some preliminary fantasy projections for the 2008 season.
QB Jason Campbell- 288 completions, 496 attempts, 3550 yards, 18 TDs, 20 INTs, 30 rushes, 125 yards, 2 TDs
These figures are contingent, of course, on whether Campbell stays healthy and is not benched. Both will probably happen. The former Auburn Tiger is a decent runner, but he has the propensity to fumble when he is touched, a fact that is becoming alarmingly clear to opposing defenses, who will attempt to strip him of the ball at every opportunity. He also has trouble hitting receivers in stride, and he aims toward the ground, causing balls to have a fork ball type effect. He then over corrects, sending balls over the heads of his targets, and making them susceptible to crunching hits from defensive backs. He has played in a form of the West Coast offense when in college, so it is hoped that he will adapt nicely to Coach Zorn's system. We shall see. Take Campbell as your third quarterback and hope he is a steal.
RB Clinton Portis- 310 carries, 1333 yards, 12 TDs, 50 receptions, 590 yards, 3 TDs
Portis' stock is rising in the world of fantasy football after he managed to stay relatively healthy last season. I hope he returns to his 4.3 yards per carry average that he earned during the 2005 campaign. He needs room to run between the guards and tackles, not outside the tackles. His undersized but quick lines in Denver were fantastic at opening up these holes. A quick hitting style offense will create these holes for Portis, and also utilize his tremendous pass catching abilities. A slight risk as a #1 back, and a wonderful #2 for your team.
RB Ladell Betts- 138 carries, 611 yards, 5 TDs, 30 receptions, 375 yards, 2 TDs
Betts is a fine all around player who is worth a look because he can perform admirably if Portis goes down. His 1,154 yards rushing and 4.7 average per carry along with 53 catches in 2006 are testaments to his versatility. Nab him as insurance if you pick Clinton from Miami.
WR Santana Moss- 65 receptions, 795 yards, 5 TDs
Moss is a solid receiver who has been besieged by injuries over the past couple of years. A knee injury basically eliminated his rookie season, but he has been productive for many years since. Not as productive as you may think, though. He has only 2 one thousand yard seasons and has reception totals of 30, 74, 45, 84, 55, and 61 over the last six years. His career high for touchdowns is 10, in 2003. He will never again equal his numbers from 2005, but he is still capable of doing some damage to opposing secondaries. If he is your third/fourth receiver after the draft, you are doing well.
WR Antwaan Randle El- 45 receptions, 605 yards, 3 TDs, 10 carries, 90 yards, 1TD
He can't be called a bust yet, and the pathetic performance of WR Brandon Lloyd has overshadowed the disappointing productivity of the former Indiana U. quarterback. His punt return numbers were abysmal, and he does not score very often, as he is not a red zone threat as a receiver. If the rookie wide outs pan out, he will lose playing time and his punt return position. Rookie WR Devin Thomas will have similar numbers. These developments would be good signs for the 'Skins, but bad for Randle El's future. Stay away from this one.
TE Chris Cooley- 57 catches, 711 yards, 7 TDs
Cooley is a top 5 TE in the league, but the west coast offense will not benefit him. Look at the production of TE Marcus Pollard and TE Jeremy Stevens in Seattle and you will see what may happen to "Captain Caveman". Of course, Cooley is better than those two, but this is not a TE friendly offense. Rookie TE Fred Davis and hefty FB Mike Sellers will take yards and red zone chances away from Cooley also. Still, he is a #1 TE on any team.
PK Sean Suisham- 33/40, 39/40 extra points
Not good, not bad. If he gets hot, or if you need a kicker for a bye week, he would not be a poor pick up.
Have a great 4th of July, and I'll update you on the Redskins roster and the battles for each individual positon. There will be defensive stat predictions also.
