He inherited a team coming off a playoff season, with a young quarterback, stout defense and former Pro Bowl running back. For Jim Zorn, the decision to take the job was easy.
“This is a team that’s not in a rebuilding program at all,” Zorn said.
But exactly where are the Redskins?
They at least have their first- and second-round picks, giving them a chance to land immediate help. And they did manage a 9-7 record and playoff berth.
However, they also play in arguably the toughest conference in football — the NFC East. The Super Bowl champion New York Giants, remember, didn’t win the division; Dallas did. And Philadelphia, led by its defense, finished strong at 8-8.
But among the issues Washington faces:
Salary Cap » The Redskins are approximately $16 million over the salary cap — the only NFL team to be in that position. Even if they shave money by redoing contracts or cutting players, they will still have a hard time spending much in free agency. The Redskins could be forced into a more frugal offseason. Of course, that might not be a bad thing.
That means they might be better off trying to keep corner Shawn Springs rather than cut or trade him. Springs remains a valuable performer. With Carlos Rogers coming off an injury, losing Springs would be bad and his replacement would be costly.
The quarterback » Jason Campbell might flourish in the West Coast offense. Or he might not. But one of the offense’s main proponents — Zorn’s former boss, Mike Holmgren — said it takes a quarterback three to five years to fully learn the system and feel comfortable. In many ways, Campbell is a rookie again. Nobody will feel the coaching change more than Campbell, who gets a new position coach and offense.
Offensive line » The Redskins have to shore up depth along the line, particularly at guard. They haven’t groomed a young inside player, even as a backup, and with right guard Randy Thomas coming off an injury and left guard Pete Kendall playing on achy knees (and who will be 35 next season), the Redskins need help here.
Also, right tackle Jon Jansen missed almost all of last season with a leg injury. How much does he have left?
If Jansen returns to start, then the entire starting line would be over30. To stay competitive and grow, they’ll need to find a young player — or two. The same is true along the defensive line where end Phillip Daniels turns 35 next month and tackle Cornelius Griffin is 31.
Coaching Notes
» The Redskins hired Chris Meidt to be an offensive assistant. Meidt spent the past six seasons as the head coach at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. He joins defensive line coach John Palermo as new members of the staff. Palermo had spent his previous 29 years coaching in college, but has ties to new coordinator Greg Blache.
» Washington still needs to hire a running backs coach and an offensive coordinator. The Redskins likely will pursue Tennessee Titans assistant head coach/running backs coach Sherman Smith or perhaps Seattle running backs coach Stump Mitchell.
