Wow, is the only word that comes to mind after that terrible performance. We started brilliantly on special teams, but our defense was horrendous. 7-0, run,run, run, punt, 14-0, terrible 3rd down protection dropped pass by Moss leads to an interception, 21-0. Ballgame after 10 minutes of play.

I said in the pre-season that this was an 8-8 at best 9-7 team, and we all knew that this wasn't going to be easy. However that last loss was tough to take. The problem is that our top two weaknesses have remained the same, interior offensive line and wide receiver.

I propose the following four sets of roster moves immediately.

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Shawne Merriman soon to be placed on the waiver wire marked an interesting moment. The Redskins weren't tied to him on every news network, unlike every high profile free agent previously. This indicates the culture change that has spread through the organization, however I make the case that we should take advantage of our position on the waiver wire to grab Shawne Merriman.

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We are all angry right now. A season that begun with hope and an amazing victory over Dallas has been ruined just two short weeks later with a shameful loss to the Rams. However, as we look around the NFC East, we see that we are one of three teams in our own division with a 1-3 record. The Minnesota Vikings, a popular SB pick also have the same win-loss total and the 49ers, trendy NFCCG contenders are winless.

We need to keep in mind that with a new coach comes new schemes and ideas. Shanahan brought his new offensive scheme and a 3-4 defense. We must remember that he and Haslett are trying to achieve this with many of the pieces from the previous regimes. However the problem becomes when you try to fit a square peg in a round hole.

We have seen this time and time again in Washington. Instability with coaches and schemes leads to miscast players being inherited by the new regime. The problem then becomes when you have a player with more talent than his back-ups who isn't fitting the system. The difference is that our current head coach has a track record of success, has a few Superbowl Rings and is accompanied by a competent GM. No Skins fans honestly believed that this season would end with victory in February, it will take at least another off-season to start to expect this team to be a true contender for the later rounds of the playoffs and the culture to change.

With this in mind, let's establish a 'Watch list' - players that may need to lift their game or be deemed ill-fitting for the system at seasons end.

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Let's take a look at 4 players who either had great games, or need to up their game. Now, certainly we need to realise that this is Week 1 in a new scheme against a very good opposition. However here are my thoughts after the jump...

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Today is always one of the most interesting days of the off-season. Dozens of players stripped from each squad, leaving GM's and armchair GM's alike to pick through the remnants of players looking for a fresh start.

The Redskins have kept only 2 of their draft picks, a sign that Shanallenhan is in a win now mentality. From my vantage point he is looking to establish a new culture then bring some youth in to replace vets.

Here are three changes I would make to the current roster.

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In the last column, we explored the drafted rookies and the roles that they will play for their first season. I am glad that most of the comments agreed with me, therefore we need to explore some veteran options who can help this team as stop gap solutions. The transition to this offense and 3-4 defense will be challenging, therefore having some extra veterans could be a good idea.

When you are a 4-12 team, you need be exploring any options available. So here are a few people who we should be looking at for small contracts. These are low risk, high reward players who for various reasons are still out there.

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The second minicamp has wrapped up, and now the contracts will start rolling in soon enough. At first there is a trickle, then a flood of new contracts. This time last year, the Lions already had a contract prepared which set the prices for last years rookie pool. This year, the Rams didn't have the same fervour to talk numbers with Bradford.

What about our boys?

I don't expect all our rookies to make too much of an impact on this team. Sometimes we can get caught up in the hype, a circus catch or a killer workout which skews our perception of how the player will actually perform.

Besides, you can pull this post back up and rub my face in the errors down the track.

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Redskins fans are being treated to the second mini camp under new Head Coach Mike Shanahan. However, once again we don't see Albert Haynesworth in attendance. This is an opportunity for Shanahan to swing a deal to show decisive leadership. We all know that Haynesworth was the most coveted player just over a year ago when he signed that monster deal, but if the 100 Million Dollar Man is going to try and play the victim, then no one should tolerate that behavior.

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The essence of what makes a winning football team generally stays the same. Obviously strong player personnel and scheme play a large part, the ability to exploit your oppositions weaknesses cannot be overlooked - then you have the aspects that you can't control - luck (NO had less forced fumbles than Washington, but had more than double the Fumbles recovered - bounce of the ball, ricochets, timing etc.), weather, injuries just to name a few.

However what comprises a strong roster?

The Saints won the Superbowl with Jermon Bushrod and Carl Nicks playing left tackle and left guard, Mike Bell (unwanted by the Saints) and Pierre Thomas taking the bulk of the carries, Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meacham and Jeremy Shockey as their top receivers.

On defense their three of their starting linebackers were Marvin Mitchell (7th round), Scott Shanle (7th Round) and Scott Fujita (5th round). With respect, while you could make an argument for Colston and Shockey (who only 569 yards and 3TD's), the others are hardly all-pro players.

Their stars on the other hand:

Certainly Drew Brees and Sean Payton were their centerpieces on offense. Payton with his clever play calls and Brees with his quick release. However none of their players were in the top 5 for passing, receiving or rushing yards.

Their defense was helped by a very good defensive line [28.5 of 35 sacks], Jonathan Vilma [110 Tackles, 2 sacks and 3 INT's] in the middle and their defensive backs creating turnovers [19 of 26 INT's (5TD's), 7 of 15 FF's].

However through scheme and execution, they defeated the Colts who had a better roster and came from the tougher conference.

With this in mind now we turn our attention to the Redskins and the Mike Shanahan era.

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