In Part 2 I'm going to drill down into the OL and talk about each linemen separately, starting with a true Hog, Chris Samuels.
Left Tackle - Chris Samuels
Chris Samuels is a 6-time Pro Bowler (including the last 4) and has anchored the left side of the line since he was the 3rd overall pick in 2000. In 6 of his 9 seasons, Samuels has played all 16 games. But the good times can't last forever and Samuels will be 32 at the start of the 2009 season and coming off a season cut short by a torn triceps injury. In addition to offseason triceps surgery, Samuels also had arthroscopic surgery on his knee to clean out cartilage. Based on age, offseason surgery, and Zorn admitting that the knee will most likely be an issue all season, it will be more difficult for Samuels to sustain his Pro Bowl caliber of play.
In the 14 games he played last year, Samuels was one of the best at his position. In terms of ALY (see here for definition), rushing plays towards the Left Tackle spot of the Redskins netted 5.12 ALY, 4th best in the NFL, and that included games where Samuels was out and the line played much more poorly. Samuels is an excellent run blocker and above average in pass blocking.
Grade: A-/B+
A healthy Samuels is an A+, but this is an older player fighting injuries so I'm going to bring him down just a bit.
Left Guard - Derrick Dockery
Returning to the Redskins after 2 years in Buffalo is Derrick Dockery, originally drafted by Washington in the 3rd round of the 2003 draft. Dockery had a successful, if nondescript, in his first tenure with the Redskins where he was known as an above average pass blocker. Upon becoming a free agent the Bills made him the 3rd richest Left Guard in NFL history when they signed him to a 7-year, $49 million dollar contract with an $18 million dollar signing bonus. Dockery in no way lived up to the size of his contract and was released by the Bills following his 2nd season there when he led the league in sacks allowed at 8.5.
But the Bills pain is the Redskins gain, because the team gets back a now reasonably priced LG who knows the system. He replaces a still serviceable, but much older Jason Kendall (35) who although played very well in stretches had a crucial mishap costing the Skins a game last year.
Grade: B-
Dockery is a consistent pass blocker who will fit in nicely next to Chris Samuels. He has never missed an NFL game which is an enormous benefit to the Redskins who are incredibly thin on the OL. He would be ranked higher except that his limited mobility and aggressiveness make him average as a run blocker and against rushers with speed and moves.
Center - Casey Rabach
Casey is dependable and a slightly above average NFL center who excels at run-blocking even against larger opponents. He's 31 so he may begin to enter the downside of his career, but he has only missed one start in 5 years which is again a huge advantage considering the lack of depth.
Grade: B
Right Guard - Randy Thomas
Randy Thomas is huge at 6'5", 320, and is an important part of whether the Redskins will have an effective line this year. He is the oldest of the starters at 33 and coming off minor offseason knee surgery. He played with a herniated disc for much of last year limiting his mobility, and missed a large part of 2007 with a triceps injury. Thomas is an above average guard but an injury waiting to happen.
Grade: C
Thomas is a good run- and pass-blocker and a solid part of the right side of the line, but is also an injury risk. HIs backups, Chad Rinehart and Jeremy Bridges are below-average substitutes and so Thomas gets a C instead of B.
Right Tackle - Stephon Heyer
Stephon is the weak link on an above-average line. He has the unhappy trifecta of not much experience, being injury prone, and low pedigree as he was an undrafted free agent out of Maryland. Heyer's ascendancy to starter reflects the poor way Jon Jansen's career ended and the Redskins lack of options due to not drafting enough linemen over the years. (We'll get into that in another post). Heyer has had enough good moments to believe that with some great coaching by Joe Bugel, and an injury-free year, that he can grow into at least an average RT.
Grade: C-
In summary the Washington OL is an above-average line going into 2009 but with injury concerns at LT, RG, and RT and not much depth. If Samuels or Thomas goes down it is going to be a long year.
Overall OL Grade: B (if stays healthy) / D (if gets hit by a major injury and cannot find an adequate bench or FA replacement)
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