Looking back » London Fletcher had his typical season, which means he was a leader, he made tackles and he fell short of the Pro Bowl. But at least he’s a first alternate. He had some tougher games, but he also had some memorable hits — notably on Giants’ back Brandon Jacobs in the opener. Rocky McIntosh had a solid season and stayed healthy, a first for him. Neither one made a lot of big plays, combining for six turnovers (three interceptions and three fumbles). Not bad, but not great, either. Rookie Brian Orakpo was a standout at end, not linebacker. He did improve at taking on blockers and funneling plays. But the run defense could have been better for Washington and part of that stemmed from Orakpo’s needing to learn how to play a new position. He struggled in man coverage, but was not asked to do it that often. Amazingly, teams did not hurt him more when he was in this role. As a linebacker, he was at his best when blitzing. He improved with his eyes, too, and was less hesitant at season’s end.
Grade » B. Orakpo’s impact came as a pass-rusher, which is why he was drafted. However, it took him a while to learn to play the run. The other two were solid as well.
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What they need » Hard to say because of the move to a 3-4. What they could use is more quality depth; Fletcher will be 34 this season and H.B. Blades is a good backup — I really like him on the roster — but a 16-game starter? Hard to fathom.
Where they’re headed » Toward a revamped look. The guess is that McIntosh plays inside with Fletcher, who has not played in a base 3-4 defense. Orakpo should be fine, as long as they don’t ask him to play a lot of coverage. The question is, who plays on the other side? Chris Wilson could help if Andre Carter can’t handle the job. But a player such as Curtis Gatewood could be intriguing; he understands the 3-4 having spent time with Pittsburgh. But they’ll need to fill out this unit more, whether through free agency or the draft. They need to get a veteran who understands how to play this defense, especially in the interior. The 3-4 funnels plays to the linebacker. But if there are issues at nose guard, then the inside ‘backers take on more blockers. That is not a strength of Fletcher, who does his best when avoiding them.
