Better or worse than 2010: Better, without a doubt. Last year was a tough one because of the transition every linebacker was making, in some cases switching positions. So this year would have been improved just because of a natural progression (you would hope). But the addition of Ryan Kerrigan helped and the insertion of Perry Riley provided more speed.
Key free agents: London Fletcher, Rocky McIntosh. Take your guess as to which one the Redskins want back. Fletcher and the Redskins both say they want to continue this partnership, a good sign. (Of course, I remember saying the same thing about Antonio Pierce back in the day). McIntosh is gone. I’m convinced he would not have returned this season had there been a normal offseason for Riley to better learn the defense. McIntosh would not have returned anyway, but his missed curfew before the season finale sealed his fate.
Overview: Fletcher started slow this season, missing more tackles in the first several games than I remember seeing him miss for full seasons in the past. Heck, McIntosh was leading the team in tackles after four or five games. But both players turned their seasons around; it’s just that McIntosh’s went in the wrong direction. But Fletcher continued to prove he could still play. Orakpo developed against the run and while he applied good pressure, he finished with nine sacks, it should have and could have been more. After watching him this summer I thought he’d be in double figures again. But he needs to increase his number of moves and learn how to deal with double teams. His pressure improved late in the season as they moved him around more. Riley brought speed and energy to the lineup. He played the run well, for the most part, but his coverage is an issue that needs fixing. Kerrigan was everything the Redskins could have hoped: a quick study who helped against the run and was a solid pass rusher, finishing with 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He had moments where he disappeared as a rusher – he sometimes went too straight upfield, slowing his path to the QB — and finished with 1.5 sacks in the last six games. But he was every bit as relentless as advertised and, remember, he learned this position on the fly after playing end in college. The fact that he played every snap is remarkable.
Degree of need: Low, provided they re-sign Fletcher. They have a solid veteran backup in OLB Lorenzo Alexander and two other young backup OLBs in Rob Jackson and Markus White. They do need to find help on the inside. Keyaron Fox is another free agent. But they’d be wise to find another ILB who can possibly take over for Fletcher in a couple years.
Offseason chore: Re-sign Fletcher, develop the other three. Everyone knows that it would be tough to lose Fletcher. And it’s safe to say everyone knows what he means to the defense, and the team, because of his leadership. So there’s no need to repeat. The question is, how much longer will he be effective? One year? Two years? Did the fact that he started slow this past season mean anything? Or is it trumped by a strong finish? If you’re slowing down, you do it at the end of a season and not the beginning. Still, Father Time wins every battle so any contract will be structured accordingly. Orakpo worked on his hands last offseason and it helped him defend the run better. He goes off instincts quite a bit as a pass rusher – and his bull rush is good — but it would be wise to add more to his game. Kerrigan just needs to keep working on learning the position. Riley needs to work on his coverage skills.
Best place to find help: While the free agent linebacker class is strong, I’m not sold that it’s great for finding inside linebackers in a 3-4. Which is why it makes sense to re-sign Fletcher. The draft could help in the middle to lower rounds, if you want to develop depth. Also, special teams typically are better when you have strong backups at linebacker. Maybe a guy like TCU’s Tank Carder would work in middle of the draft (have to say, I just like his name). But it’s not a lock that he’d be a 3-4 ILB. Louisiana Tech’s Adrien Cole is another late-round guy who was productive.
