» The Redskins need offensive playmakers. After Sunday’s finale, coach Mike Shanahan said the 47-yard screen to Roy Helu was the first time the Redskins had caught a pass and run the ball across the goal line. That’s not completely true, but it’s close, and the point was this: They need players who can make plays after they get the ball. Receiver Santana Moss is not a threat after the catch anymore and was unproductive. Jabar Gaffney is a good route-runner but not a playmaker. Washington’s wideouts were bad after the catch this season. More consistent quarterback play will help, but even if they add a young QB, they still will need to find a playmaker. »
The Redskins aren’t that far away from the rest of the teams in the NFC East in terms of how many players they need. The problem is those players happen to be tough to find: quarterback, playmakers. Can Rex Grossman become a solid quarterback in the NFC East? Having more playmakers around him would help, no doubt. But will the mindset that caused him to force passes in previous games ever change? Also, his inability to extend plays with his legs will continue to be a hindrance for a coach who always has had more athletic passers.
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The draft class was a solid one. Whether it becomes more than that remains to be seen; it typically takes two or three years for a class to realize its potential. But this class could yield four legitimate starters and another four or five who could be solid contributors as backups and special teamers, which would be quite a haul. There’s still work to do for all of them before that can be said. But it was a good start.
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Though players continue to say they have confidence in where the Redskins are headed, it is not done with blinders. A number of players pointed out the bottom line nature of this business, which is wins and losses. So while it’s good that the coach says they’re headed in the right direction and are in better shape than when he first came to town — and he’s right — the players still need to see more wins. They put in too much work to put up with anything other than a winning record next season. The progress next year must come in the win-loss record.
