To help answer these questions I ranked the Redskins
starters from the most expendable to the most valuable. Today,
numbers 17-24.
In inverse order, here are my rankings of the Redskins
starters, including punter and kicker, based on what I think they might do in 2006.
Their 2005 rankings here (Part
1, Part 2), where
applicable, are in parenthesis:
24. LB Warrick Holdman (NR)—If the weak side position
is manned by Chris Clemons or Rocky McIntosh, it’s a wait and see proposition.
If Holdman mans it, we’ve already seen what we have. He’d have to improve a
great deal to be considered mediocre.
23. P Derrick Frost (NR)--Inconsistency is not what
you want from a punter, but that’s what Frost delivered in 2005. He seemed to
save his best, most booming punts for when the Redskins were inside their
opponents’ territory, resulting in frustrating touchbacks.
22. C Casey Rabach (10 in 2005)—Although he improved
as the year went on, Rabach was not the road grader in the middle that the
Redskins hoped he would be. He was dominated much more often than he was the
dominator.
21. K John Hall (21)—One of the major surprises of
the offseason was Joe Gibbs’ announcement that no challengers to Hall or Frost
would be brought in. Hall missed a good chunk of the season with a leg injury.
When healthy he was accurate (12-14) but he didn’t hit one from over 45 yards
all year. His kickoffs were mostly of the maddeningly short variety.
20. CB Carlos Rogers (NR)—While it’s possible, maybe
even probable, that Rogers will be very good for a very long time, he hasn’t
done it yet. He has to show that he can stay on the field and play consistently
for a full 16 games.
19. G Derrick Dockery (23)—This monster project just
may pay off for the Redskins, but he still has to prove that he can play up to
his size and athletic ability from the first snap of the season through the
last.
18. DT Joe Salave’a (20)—He played through some pain
that would have had many of us calling in sick to our desk jobs. Salave’a is a
solid performer and that fact that he’s #18 on the list is a testament to the
strength of the team.
17. QB Mark Brunell (NR)—If healthy, he’s a good fit
for this offense. Brunell’s ability to stay healthy, though, is a question mark
and one would have to think that if he were to find himself on the open market
he might draw as much interest as, say, Kerry Collins is now.
Rich Tandler is the author of The Redskins From A to
Z, Volume 1: The Games. This unique book has an account of every game the
Redskins played from when they moved to Washington in 1937 through the 2001
season. For details and ordering information, go to http://www.RedskinsGames.com
