I Dislike Your Favorite Team

Abdicating the crown of offseason champs to the Philly "Cream Dream" Eagles, the DC Skins are embarking on an outrageous scheme: building for next year.

Washington needs to field 3 quality receivers, find a durable RB, add a shitload of defensive players to finish the conversion to a 3-4, overhaul the O-line and establish a starting QB. Their approach has been subtle, of all things.

Given all their holes, Washington has no realistic chance of contending this year, barring a totally plum awesome miracle.

Wide Receiver
Their biggest free agent acquisition was re-signing their own leading receiver Santana Moss. Adding slow-but-steady Jabar Gaffney for 4 years/$10 million allowed them to take a fly on meteoric-yet-manslaughterish Donte Stallworth for 1 year.

They drafted two receivers and early accounts show that rookie Leonard "Lanky" Hankerson (coached by Cris Carter, tutored by Mark Duper) looks quite impressive; Aldrick Robinson is showing good stuff too.

Tight End is the deepest position on the team, and I may be alone in this, but I think they might deal away one of them for help elsewhere. Considering the poor talent level in key positions, the Skins have a superfluity of receivers at this moment.

Running Back
Incumbent power back Ryan Torain showed flashes last year, but also displayed the fragility which has marred his career. In addition to drafting two speedy backs, they added Hightower from the Cardinals who is a great talent with a slight fumbling problem.

This position battle is the most intriguing on the team. Now we just have to hope that Kyle Shanahan calls runs more often than last year's 35% (30th in the league -- blecch).

Defense
Washington has emphasized Defense in the draft and free agency. Not a bad idea, since they fell from a top ten unit the previous ten years to *barf* 31st in 2010. I swear I'll never ask again, but why did we switch to a 3-4?

DC signed OJ Atogwe for free safety before the lockout, a great complement to Laron Landry should our SS ever recover from his Achilles injury.

The other acquisitions all require transitioning players from a 4-3 base. This is frustrating. Players such as Barry Cofield and high-touted rookies Kerrigan and Jenkins will learn new positions on a new team in only a few weeks. I should note that Cofield played NT in college, and is looking forward to returning to a 3-4.

Last year they were once again one of the oldest teams in the league and it showed. With perhaps 7 new starters on defense, DC is emphasizing youth over previous accomplishments. No, really.
No, really.

Offensive Line
This third-rate unit has been the boner in the pudding for years. Re-signing T Jammal Brown and adding G Chris Chester at least keeps them from getting worse. But unless they find a true center and another guard, not to mention some backups who don't completely suck, improvements in the skill positions won't matter.

For some reason, I feel like I'm repeating myself.

Quarterback
Saving the best for last? Ick.

I have a feeling this is going to get worse before it gets better. The known quantity is a pile of shit I've been making fun of for years, Gross Rexman. Poor arm strength, no charisma and deplorable ball protection.

I don't have an action photo of John Beck because there simply isn't one. His only experience was mop-up duty on a terrible Dolphins team way back in 2007, before I was a published novelist. He has not played a game since.

DC also added Kellen Clemens, a career backup for the Jets. Another unknown quantity, he hasn't done anything to indicate that he can be a starting QB in the NFL. There are also a couple rookies in the mix, but they probably won't make the first cut.

This is how it breaks down: Gross Rexman knows the offense, but reached the shrink-wrap limits of his ability years ago. Clemens is another short-passing specialist without the experience to make a serious challenge. The titular starter, Beck, has the physical tools but apparently isn't throwing well in practice.

This is the time of year when I'm normally drafting hopeful columns about how DC might squeeze out ten wins. I have no such illusions. However, the overall movement towards younger talent and away from overpaid has-beens might be considered a victory in itself. Such a strategy, looking ahead to 2012, may eventually pay dividends. Unless Snyder fires the coach after our 6-10 season.