Changing the Redskins Offensive Line

An enormous weakness last year, the beginning of the Mike Shanahan era will depend heavily upon the offensive line. I think the Donovan McNabb trade, the hiring of head coach Shanahan, and the switch to the 3-4 defense have taken away attention from the offensive line. However, much of the offensive success will depend on how well the line is coached up by Chris Foerster, the offensive line coach.

At the marquee left tackle position, Trent Williams was drafted fourth overall this year to protect McNabb's blindside. Williams has incredible athletic upside and should fit the primarily zone blocking scheme of the Shanahan offense. The knock on Williams coming out of Oklahoma was that he may need some motivational fire to go with his tremendous upside. I expect Williams to be a offensive cornerstone for the next decade, barring injuries.

Derrick Dockery will start at left guard in his second stay with the Redskins. A short flirtation with the Buffalo Bills ended up with Dockery being cut and returning to the Redskins. Dockery offers a great deal of natural power, but his range leaves something to be desired. At the very least, I think Dockery can be steady, although he may not be an ideal fit for the zone blocking scheme.

Center Casey Rabach started all sixteen games last year (as did Dockery), but is 32 years old. The Redskins do not have an adequate replacement for him. Rabach is experienced and tough, but like Dockery, does not fit the zone blocking scheme perfectly. I can see Rabach producing steady, but unspectacular play this year.

At right guard, Artis Hicks will have the first chance at a starting job. He comes over from the Minnesota Vikings, where he was a versatile backup. Hicks has not been a regular starter for a couple seasons. I'm sure Hicks will likely provide solid snaps this year, now that Mike Williams has been lost for the year with blood clots.

Finally, Jammal Brown is a two time Pro Bowler from the Saints, who came over in a trade. He was out with an injury for the previous year, so he may have to shake off some rust. I think he can return to his Pro Bowl form, but injuries and the full conversion from left tackle to right tackle may take a few games.

While I see a great deal of improvement over last year, regardless of what any fans think, the Redskins have a ways to go. Ideally, I would like to see some better backups in place. Dockery, Hicks, and Rabach need to improve their athleticism or face being replaced with quicker and faster linemen who can pull and reach the second level more easily. While with the Denver Broncos, Shanahan's offensive linemen typically were about 285 to 305 pounds. I see the offensive line as a work in progress at this time, but we have our bookend tackles in place. Depth and the interior line will need to be worked on next year.