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Unit Analysis and an Eye Towards the Draft: Offensive Backs

Who’s Returning?

Now that Rock Cartwright is back on board, the Redskins will return every player who threw a pass, or carried the ball in 2007 (well, at least all offensive backs that did any of the above).  The team will look for a rebound year from both Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts, continued progression from Jason Campbell, and if all goes well, Todd Collins will return to his content, baseball cap-wearing self.  The Redskins definately have quality depth and above average talent throughout the backfield, but will need the week to week consistency to be better in 2008.  One player who certainly doesn’t need to improve is pro-bowl caliber Fullback Mike Sellers, who was the only Redskins RB to post an above average DVOA in 2007.

Who’s Leaving?

Overcompensated bum turned wily veteran turned underrated passer turned injury prone backup Quarterback Mark Brunell was released and signed in New Orleans.  Having Brunell as a security blanket for Jason Campbell was nice, but the Redskins found that they already had a sufficient security blanket in Todd Collins, who is a youthful (by comparison) 37 years old.

Who can the team add?

To replace Brunell, the team will look towards the draft.  Second day Quarterback prospects include Tennessee’s Erik Ainge, San Diego’s Josh Johnson, Oregon’s Dennis Dixon, and Tulsa’s Paul Smith.

The team may look to add another RB or a backup FB in the late rounds.  NW Missouri State’s Xavier Omon can potentially fill either position.

Unit Prospectus

The skill of the offensive backs will in general determine the skill of the entire offense.  Though a compentant offensive line is a necessary component for achieving success, a great combination of passers and runners will propel the offense to the next level.  Jason Campbell will continue to improve with experience, and a different philosophy on offense should really help out Clinton Portis this season.  It’s Betts’ butt that’s on the line this year as the Redskins curiously opted to not prorate his 2 million dollar roster bonus this year, a move that would have saved the team 1.7 million dollars, despite the fact that the team saved more than 30 million dollars this offseason in prorated salary.  That fact alone signifies that Betts could likely be gone by 2009 if his production this year isn’t more in line with 2006.  Having Rock back is a significant win for the special teams units this year.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 21st, 2008 at 12:36 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.