As the Redskins headed home for the offseason, they exited with hefty bags of belongings and more than a few questions. For some, it centered on their fate. For others, on what the team would do to improve on a season that ended strong.
“It’s a season that no one who was a part of it will ever forget,” Redskins linebacker Marcus Washington said.
The trick is making next year even better. But as the Redskins packed up following their final team meeting with coach Joe Gibbs, they have three big unresolved issues:
Quarterback » Todd Collins will be more expensive to keep. Collins will be a free agent and said he’s interested in testing the market after leading Washington to four straight wins before Saturday’s 35-14 playoff loss in Seattle.
“He’ll probably be signed back here next week no ifs ands or buts about it,” Redskins running back Clinton Portis said. “To lose him would be a disaster.”
The interesting question is this: would he come back as the starter? Or would Jason Campbell enter training camp as the No. 1 quarterback? Receiver Santana Moss said he wants all the quarterbacks to return and said, “This is Jason’s team.”
“It’s almost like, ‘what do you do?’” receiver Antwaan Randle El said. “Jason was playing well when he got hurt… It’s a tough deal.”
Coach » Gibbs has not officially said if he’ll return for his fifth, and final, season of his contract. But Gibbs has maintained in the past that he intended to return. There’s no sense among the assistant coaches that Gibbs is going anywhere.
“If he’s not back, it’ll be a sad day in Washington,” center Casey Rabach said.
“I hope he doesn’t go anywhere,” Moss said. “Every player wants a coach like Joe Gibbs. He’s more than a coach; he’s more like a father figure.”
Salary cap » The Redskins are approximately $20 million over the 2008 salary cap, which will be $116 million. They can restructure contracts, turning bonuses into salaries, and quickly close that deficit. Four players will have cap numbers higher than $8 million — left tackle Chris Samuels ($8.3 million), right tackle Jon Jansen ($8.8 M), running back Clinton Portis ($8.9 M) and right guard Randy Thomas ($8.9 M).
