2009 Washington Redskins Season Preview: Defensive Line

In this series we are breaking down the 2009 Washington Redskins one position at a time. In this article we look at the defensive line.

Defensive Tackles

Washington made possibly the biggest splash of the off season by signing pro bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a $100 million deal during the first few hours of free agency. Haynesworth has been almost unquestionably the best DT in the NFL over the past two seasons, and the Redskins are hoping he will be able to provide the pocket-collapsing push up the middle that their defensive line has been missing for the past several years. The biggest concern over the signing is whether or not the star tackle will stay motivated now that he has a huge chunk of guaranteed money in the bank. Haynesworth joins holdover Cornelius Griffin who shows spurts of dominance but is often injured. If the two are able to stay motivated and healthy respectively, Washington should finally have the elite interior duo they have been seeking for years. Look for 2006 draft picks Kedric Golston and Anthony Montgomery to see plenty of playing time as well as they rotate into games to keep the starers fresh.

Defensive Ends

After posting 10.5 sacks in 2007, defensive end Andre Carter was rewarded in the 2008 offseason by the addition of perennial pro bowler Jason Taylor to play on the other end of the line. With Carter on one side and Taylor on the other, the Redskins seemed to finally have the passrushing combination they had lacked for years. That vision never materialized as injuries and a falling out with the Washington front office sent Taylor's season spiraling into disaster and eventually led to his release in the offseason. Taylor has been replaced by 2009 first round pick Brian Orakpo who is being groomed to play outside linebacker on running downs then put his hand down as a pass rusher opposite Carter on passings downs. This complicated role is a great deal for a rookie to grasp, and the speed with which Orakpo gets an understanding of his place in the defense will be a major factor in the success or failure of the defensive line.

The DE corps also gets a boost in depth by the returns of Phillip Daniels and Renaldo Wynn. Daniels opened the door for the acquisition of Jason Taylor when he suffered a season ending injury on the first day of training camp in 2008, and he now appears to be back in shape and ready to play. Wynn previously started for the Redskins for five seasons before signing as a free agent with New Orleans, and he now returns to Washington for the 2009 season. These two veterans not only provide quality depth, but could push for regular playing time, particularly on running downs as Orakpo shifts to outside linebacker.

Leave your questions and comments and check out the other entries in the 2009 Washington Redskins Preview series.