The NFL Pro Bowl rosters have come out and, not shockingly, no Redskins have made the team in the ultimate popularity contest, But, why not? London Fletcher is making more plays than ever, Ryan Kerrigan is making the DE-OLB transition look easy, and Orakpo, despite not huge sack numbers, is still an unblockable terror that makes even the fastest footed offensive tackles look like amateurs. What is up with this though? The NFC OLBs are: DeMarcus Ware, Clay Matthews, Lance Briggs. The NFC ILBs are: Patrick Willis, Brian Urlacher.

In my humble opinion, there is no reason why Orakpo and Kerrigan should not be in over Matthews and Briggs and why Fletcher shouldn't be in over Urlacher (and still probably Willis). The stats tell the story though: Fletcher certainly out-produced Willis and Urlacher. Ware is having an extraordinary season and deserves his bid, but Kerrigan is certainly having a better season than Briggs and Matthews while Orakpo is one of the best pass rushers in the NFC (despite lower sack numbers).

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Before I even get started on this, this is not a Terrelle Pryor for QB discussion, so leave that behind. That guy is the rawest QB prospect on Earth; however, there are two guys we should be looking at in this supplemental draft that I believe could be impact players for our team. It is not an incredible set of talent in this supplemental draft, but there are two big talents out there, both needing position changes, but it could be exactly what we need and what they need.

Michael McAdoo - DE (OLB for us) UNC. 6'7" 250lbs. The short story for why he is in the supplemental draft is that he got caught up in the swarm of violations UNC had last season. He was one suspected of receiving improper assistance from a tutor. He tried to sue against the NCAA for ruling him permanently ineligible, but after that request was denied, he entered the supplemental draft. To say this guy is an immense talent is an understatement. In the 2010 UNC spring game, the guy had 4 sacks and an interception. Keep in mind a spring game is nothing but a glorified scrimmage, but this guy is a pass rushing talent. Undersized for a 4-3 DE and maybe even slightly undersized for a 3-4 LB, this guy is still a can't miss talent in my opinion, and the draft pick price is likely to be very low for a guy who missed his junior (2010) season, a season where he was fighting to break out. With Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo, we have a dangerous starting 2 OLBs, and Markus White has been impressing as a back-up, but we could still use one more solid OLB. I wouldn't suggest giving up a pick if I didn't think this guy couldn't make the team and make an impact. 2nd string OLB to relieve Orakpo and Kerrigan a break every now and then and another influx of talent on this roster. He'll go somewhere between rounds 4-6.

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The depth chart goes three deep, with an "other" category for 4th stringers. It's easy to assume that right now if you are an other, you are likely to be cut. The depth chart is on redskins.com but for simplicity sake, I'll post it here so that we may discuss.

OFFENSE

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So, for the past week, I've been working tirelessly on getting my junior year highlight tape done so that I can start getting it out to colleges and getting some looks. I was looking to maybe get some feedback from you all at Hogs Haven before I send it out just to see the good and the bad. I think I've got a good format, pretty organized. If there are any plays you don't think should be in, do say so. Any and all feedback, criticism, is welcome. It's 9 minutes long, no music, and I'm an offensive lineman, so understandably, it is probably not the most exciting thing you'll ever watch. But I really appreciate any help and feedback. And sorry for doing something non-Skins related and kinda selfish, but I wanna hear some feedback, and some good feedback from some real football fans will be nice. It's on youtube, and the link is below.

Highlight Tape

Something a lot of people confuse is thinking all 3-4 defenses are the same. They have the same big bodies on the defensive line, the same pass rushing OLBs, and the same tackling machines at ILB, with just some decent DBs who can cover for three seconds until the blitz gets there. What a lot of people don't see is how a few key players really determine the identity of a 3-4 defense. I'm going to break down a few 3-4s with notable (superstar) players to help predict where the Redskins will play their 3-4. I will be looking at the 2009 Jets', Ravens', Steelers', and 49ers' 3-4 to see how the Skins can find success.

New York Jets: Looking at their defense, the first player you think of is Darrelle Revis. While Kris Jenkins is a very good 3-4 NT, the team focuses around the ability to keep Darrelle Revis always one-on-one, and allow extra guys to cover other threatening receivers and tight ends. It's easy to think that the Jets were the #1 passing defense, at 154 YPG, and one would probably assume that their OLBs were monsters. That is a mistake though: their OLBs only picked up 10 sacks last year (if you count Carter as an OLB, we would have had 22 in comparison). The Jets focus their 3-4 defense around pass coverage. With an elite CB, they can cover any other threats and smother the opposing offense by leaving no passing options open. Then, their defensive line led by Jenkins will eventually penetrate and force a bad throw or sack. With strong defensive back play, the Jets created a lockdown pass defense that truly shutdown any opponent.

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ESPN recently reported that Shawne Merriman's asking price from the Chargers was dropped to a 2nd round pick. DC native as a child, he was a Redskins fan as a youth. Posting impressive stats early, his first three seasons he achieved double digit sacks, a 10, 17, and 12.5 sack campaign in chronological order. He has never been a pass cover guy, but great strength and athleticism has distinguished himself as a 3-4 OLB threat. Obviously, the biggest concern with a man who had three straight all-pros is his injury concerns.

In 2008, he suffered from two ligament tears in his knee, and the 2009 season he suffered from problems there as well as a foot injury. Most people have said "lights out" to Merriman, but I think for a team switching to a 3-4, Merriman's experience, potential, and athleticism is something to be sought after. I will be the first one to say I think a 2nd is a little too high, considering OLB is not a pressing need, nor does Merriman's recent play deserve a 2nd round pick, and a big contract that he is likely seeking.

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I've been making my sweep around, looking at all kinds of mock drafts, seeing who the experts think Washington is gonna draft. I've seen a number of thoughts, but I just started realizing that we probably have the worst draft pick in the draft. With St. Louis appearing to go after Bradford and Detroit taking a liking to Okung, we are losing the only two picks that would make sense from a needs perspective. While I am not Bradford fan, we could have reacted to the situation, traded Campbell for a pick or two/a LT and made due. But look at us now: if Tampa Bay takes Suh, we are probably in the worst possible scenario. With only a few possibilities, the Skins may have a tough decision to make.

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So we've seen FA so far, and I think the major movement is done. Rex Grossman, Larry Johnson, and that sums up our offseason, but, I think there is a lot to learn from these fews moves about what is in store this season. 

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Tomorrow at noon, the most consistent Redskin of the decade will retire. Chris Samuels, a perennial pro-bowler, will announce his retirement, and as a fan, I wish this was not so much a premature goodbye. Chris Samuels has always been one of the best LTs. He would give it all he had, every play, every game, every season. There was really anything to say bad about Samuels. He had his good plays, and bad plays, but what set him apart was that when he made a bad play, he worked to improve it.

Not just a player, Samuels was one great person. I didn't know him, and can't pretend to know him, but I remember when him, Randy Thomas, and Stephon Heyer were having fun with a bunch of little kids at the Redskins Beach Blitz. They would line up in front of the kids and look as intimidating as ever, and when one of them hiked the ball, they'd let the kids knock them right over. And Samuels always had a smile; he loved that these kids were having so much fun.

As a fan, I don't think any of us realized how much of an asset he was to the team. This year, we all got to see the pain of not having them here. Jason Campbell was on the ground as much as a running back this year, and while he matured because of it, the loss of Chris Samuels clearly costed us many wins.

A great player, a great character, and in my opinion, a great Redskin. I wished his career had not been cut short, but he should and will serve as a role model to younger players who have aspirations of being a pro. He never got any trouble, never bad-mouthed anybody, he just did work. Goodbye Chris Samuels, once a great player, always a great player.

Hey guys, I wanted to give a huge, quality post out for FA. Just under a week away, we are looking at what will surely set the tone for the remainder of the Redskins offseason. Who will they pick, what positions will they help, no one knows. What is sure is that we will not sit back and let things happen, we will go out and make something happen. I'm just gonna break down the real athletes the Skins could go after: the UFAs. The RFA market is somewhere I don't intend to speculate on until I know the tenders players are given, but I have my ideas there already.

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So, something that has really surprised me the past couple days is the release of LeDanian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook. I wanted to start a debate here about 30 year old running backs, because I don't see why a team like SD or PHI would release either of these two when it is an immediate downgrade, when, if they wanted to get some more talent, they could just release a 3rd/4th string back. This pertains to us because of Portis, and he is probably the one guy on the Skins most likely to be cut before FA

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There has been something that I have thought to be absolutely silly going around here, that everyone is obsessed with rebuilding. That we have to get rid of veterans, Campbell, and other perfectly fine players so that we can get a swarm of young players who could hopefully play well. This is just crazy to me. The Jim Zorn era was the rebuilding phase, and many of you look past that. Time to look through a different perspective guys, because we don't need to spend another four years with a losing record when we could win next year. Let me break it down for you guys.

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Obviously, the big talk is of Shanahan coming here, and while at first I was hesitant, I think this could be a very successful move specifically thinking of our quarterbacks. So, I'm not gonna play favorites to anyone here. I am an avid Campbell supporter because I think O-Line needs to be first, and I think he hasn't played in the right system yet, but I'm going to mention three quarterbacks here, Campbell, Brennan, and Bradford. I think if we were to draft a round 1 QB, it'd be Bradford, so for all rookie purposes, I'm using Bradford (he is similar enough to Clausen anyways)

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There has been a lot of talk this offseason about getting another quarterback. First Jay Cutler, then Mark Sanchez, then everyone at ESPN seems to think we are going to go after Vick, even though Cerrato has said no. Many people believe Todd Collins is a better choice, and of course there is Colt Brennan's cult following that wants him to start. There are even a few people who believe Chase Daniel may turn out like Colt. But has everyone forgotten the good of Jason Campbell? He lead Auburn to an undefeated season, he is a proven winner. I think there are a couple good points that everyone forgets, why we all should love Jason Campbell.

One: The PHYSICAL Adjustment to a New System. Jason Campbell is known for being faster then average, and having a very strong arm. He is not inaccurate, but he is not known as an accurate quarterback. His decision making is normally smart, but still makes a number of mistakes. Sure, he may now know the West Coast system, but his athletic talent is not built for the West Coast system, and he has to adjust his body to it too. Take Matt Hasselbeck as a typical West Coast quarterback. Doesn't have a super strong arm, very accurate, almost never scrambles, does not make many mistakes. The West Coast system is a big adjustment for Campbell, if we give him the time to adjust, he may just bring some of his impressive Auburn seasons to Washington.

Two: The 2010 Quarterback Battle (Without Campbell). The 2010 quarterback battle could be horrible mystery that leaves all Redskin fans wondering what is going on. At first glance, it would Colt Brennan versus Todd Collins, which would be okay, but that is unlikely. If Chase Daniel made the team, there would only be 3 quarterbacks on the roster, and very little experience. I am unaware of what 2010's free agency brings, quarterback wise, but I know Micheal Vick might be looked at. If he gets signed this year, it will probably be a one year contract. The Redskins might look for a veteran talent, and Micheal Vick could get picked up. The draft would also add to the chaotic quarterback battle. A guy like Sam Bradford would probably get drafted too early, so a person like Tim Tebow, who I could easily imagine Snyder falling in love with, would probably get picked. Now, a quarterback battle involving Colt Brennan, Todd Collins, Micheal Vick, Tim Tebow, and Chase Daniel is unlikely, but remember, this is the Redskins. If Snyder wants to find the best quarterback he can get, he'll bring every quarterback he can get into camp.

Maybe this hasn't convinced you, but I definitely trust Campbell over any other quarterback that we could get right now. He has not proved himself as a winning NFL quarterback, but those first 8 games last year he played mistake free football. He may not have won any games by throwing 4 touchdown passes, or 400 yards passing, but he didn't lose games. Look to see him play more mistake free football this year, but add some more touchdowns, and not an end season collapse. I see consitancy this year, he may throw some picks, but I doubt to see a lot, and I bet he'll average at least 2 touchdowns a game, and less then 1 interception a game.

So, do you agree with me that Campbell should be our QB of the Future? Or do you believe the Redskins need to pick someone else?