Let's take a brief, albeit painful, look back our post "Yet Another Blown Opportunity". Back on February 27, 2009, our beloved Washington Redskins, who needed an entirely new defensive line, owned the headlines by signing one player, DT Albert Haynesworth, to a 7 year $100 Million contract. With incentives, the deal would pay Hayensworth $16 Million per year.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants quietly and smartly spent the same $16 Million per year on 3 players: starting DT Chris Canty, reserve DT Rocky Bernard, and starting LB Michael Boley.
Since that time, Michael Boley has been a key defensive player for the Giants making plays all over the field. While Canty and Bernard do not get a whole lot of press coverage in the New York media, they have done a very solid job plugging the middle of the defensive line for the Giants. This is one of the main keys to the Giants success rushing the passer. With the middle clogged and the opponents running game minimized, the Giants' much publicized defensive ends can go all out rushing the quarterback. It leads to a steady flow of sacks, pressures, mistakes, turnovers, and mayhem in general.
While none of the may be selected for the pro bowl, Bernard, Boley, and Canty are the types of players that the Redskins should have been targeting for the last decade. They are good, and young, players that have solid characters and they are pushing their way towards a second Super Bowl win in the last 4 years for the Giants with a very impressive win over the Green Bay Packers.
Meanwhile, we have absolutely nothing to show for our investment. Haynesworth, as all fans know, was so bad, on and off the field, that he was traded away by the Redskins to the Patriots for a minimal 5th round pick in 2013. And just to solidify how bad he was, and now is, he has since been released by the Patriots as well as the Buccaneers.
The good news is that Dan Snyder is, supposedly, not making these decisions anymore. Last offseason, Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen, did do a fine job upgrading the defense and transitioning to a 3-4 scheme. It is not a dominant or elite level defense, but it is in the top half of the league and moving in the right direction.
Of course, we all spent last season complaining about how bad the offense was and how they virtually ignored that side of the ball in free agency and the draft. We will find out soon enough if they can have a second straight successful offseason and improve the offense as much as they did with the defense in 2011. Here is to hope!
---
JacksGhost
Washington Redskins Hog Blog
