MVN - Most Valuable Network

Five Players who could Decline in ‘08

Earlier this week, I looked at 5 Redskins who seemed to be good bets to improve over last year. Today, I’ll take a look at a handful of guys who could be on the decline.

Corneilius Griffin

This is a bit tough to fathom, as Griffin hasn’t really been a serious contributor over the last two years. The Redskins opted not to extend his deal in a potential cap room creating move, so it’s clear the front office is wary of his production. The Redskins defense is typically stronger when Griffin is healthy and getting a nice push up the middle. He’s got injury problems that limit his effectiveness, but he is at the age where age itself may start to limit how many games he can play. For a team that just went an entire ten-pick draft without adding any interior line help, the Redskins are counting on Griffin more than ever for at least one more season.

Pete Kendall

In two months, Pete Kendall will celebrate his 35th birthday. Now, there is reason to think that Kendall might improve during his second year playing with Casey Rabach and Chris Samuels. Kendall might have been the player on the OL who was least affected by the Thomas and Jansen injuries. However, since Guards can play late into their 30’s before a significant decline, we have to wonder if Kendall is just now nearing the end of his effectiveness. If he was an above average player who declined due to age prior to becoming a Redskin, then he should be alright this year–at a similar skill level to last year. However, if Kendall was merely a career average player who is due to decline this season, the Redskins might have to rush Chad Rinehart into the starting lineup much quicker than originally expected.

Shawn Springs

To date, the only thing keeping Springs from being an elite cornerback is injury trouble. Well last year, he was entirely healthy and played at a high level. Unfortunately, Shawn Springs is now 33 years old, and each year from here on out is going to cost him some speed. The Redskins have good depth at corner, and by the time Springs has enough time to show if he’s still got it, Carlos Rogers should be back in the lineup. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Redskins will face Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Matt Leinart, Tony Romo, and Donovan McNabb in the first five weeks of the season. If Shawn Springs can’t mask his age, the entire football universe is going to know it by October.

London Fletcher

Fans who remember a 2nd year Fletcher playing in Super Bowl 34 for the St. Louis Rams probably think he’s ancient. In reality, Fletcher turns 33 next week. That’s not a bad age for a middle linebacker; Zach Thomas was incredibly effective through his age 33 season, and Ray Lewis will also be turning 33 this week. Fletcher can probably still be counted on for this season in the middle.

The really critical part is this: what if he can’t be counted on? The only possible solution the Redskins have at linebacker right now is HB Blades, and Blades probably isn’t experienced enough to succeed in the middle just yet. The Redskins really need Fletcher to stay on the field, but they also need to get a veteran backup LB in here right away.

Andre Carter

Carter was a very nice value signing for the Redskins, and he was their best defensive lineman in 2007. With that said, the best measure of who a guy really is lies within his three year production. For Carter, that was 4.5 sacks, 6.0 sacks, and 10.5 sacks in 2005-2007. That averages out to 7 sacks a season. Carter isn’t particularly old; he’s still in his prime and playing at his best position finally, but the Redskins would be foolish to expect 2007 type production ever again from Carter. His real talent probably lies somewhere in between his 2006 and 2007 seasons.

The real question is this: If Andre Carter is good for 6-7 sacks a year in each of the next two seasons, can the Redskins keep their defense in the top half of the league, or is the secondary going to get exposed again? Time will tell, but at the very least, it is reason for concern.

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 10th, 2008 at 2:32 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.