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from the beating a dead horse dept .
As the Washington Redskins enter the draft Thursday, I’ll take a look at some positions of greater need -- how they might address it or if they even will.
Position: Center
Rate the need: Moderate. The Redskins do want to upgrade, but there's an in-house option that could block the need for drafting someone at this position. But they do have some options at center.
Ryan Kelly. One scout raved about his game and his character, both of which would please general manager Scot McCloughan. Kelly could end up going late in the first round, and I’m not sure that’s where the Redskins would go, even if they traded back. But Kelly would be a good pairing with Redskins line coach Bill Callahan. Kelly is athletic and moves well off the ball, getting to the linebackers in time. He offers more size than Washington has now at the position -- Kelly is 6-foot-4, 311 pounds. But there are definite issues that Callahan would have to correct -- a lot about consistency of form and how he comes off the ball. Those seem correctable. Notre Dame'sNick Martin is the second highest-rated center (second or third round); he’s only 299 pounds, so a bit smaller than Washington would like. But he offers toughness and smarts, prized traits at this position. If you want an immediate upgrade, you have to take a center high in the draft. If you don’t, then you’re really drafting for the future, and the Redskins have in-house options that likely would be superior.
The incumbent: Kory Lichtensteiger. He’s a smart player who does an excellent job with line calls, which helps out the quarterback. He returned for the playoff game against Green Bay after getting hurt in Week 5 against Atlanta, but was still not at full strength (he got pushed back once or twice, but did a terrific job working to the linebackers). The fear moving forward for the Redskins is that he’s a smaller center whose nerve damage in his shoulder might cause him to be at less than full strength. At 31, it could well be that the Redskins opt for a younger, cheaper and bigger player at center.
The in-house option: Spencer Long. He replaced injured Shawn Lauvao as the starting left guard and did not have the same initial impact. That’s no surprise considering Long was in his second season and starting for the first time. But watch his tape at the end of the season; he definitely improved. But with Lauvao back and Arie Kouandjio also at left guard, the Redskins can afford to tinker. And, as has one source first said in January, Long will get an opportunity to play center in the spring. If he shows he can handle the position -- in terms of line calls, snaps, etc... (it's hard to show all without pads on, but they already know about his toughness) -- he’ll get the job and Lichtensteiger would be cut. Callahan would be starting from a good spot: Long has good size at 6-foot-5, 311 pounds and can play. Some do view Long as a better guard than center, but that doesn't mean he can't play the position. Remember, he’s a third-round pick from two years ago, so this is when he should start hitting a good stride. The Redskins also have Josh LeRibeus and Austin Reiter, but Long will be the one to watch. Knowing they want to do this would allow the Redskins to focus on other areas in the draft.
As the Washington Redskins enter the draft Thursday, I’ll take a look at some positions of greater need -- how they might address it or if they even will.
Position: Center
Rate the need: Moderate. The Redskins do want to upgrade, but there's an in-house option that could block the need for drafting someone at this position. But they do have some options at center.
Ryan Kelly. One scout raved about his game and his character, both of which would please general manager Scot McCloughan. Kelly could end up going late in the first round, and I’m not sure that’s where the Redskins would go, even if they traded back. But Kelly would be a good pairing with Redskins line coach Bill Callahan. Kelly is athletic and moves well off the ball, getting to the linebackers in time. He offers more size than Washington has now at the position -- Kelly is 6-foot-4, 311 pounds. But there are definite issues that Callahan would have to correct -- a lot about consistency of form and how he comes off the ball. Those seem correctable. Notre Dame'sNick Martin is the second highest-rated center (second or third round); he’s only 299 pounds, so a bit smaller than Washington would like. But he offers toughness and smarts, prized traits at this position. If you want an immediate upgrade, you have to take a center high in the draft. If you don’t, then you’re really drafting for the future, and the Redskins have in-house options that likely would be superior.
The incumbent: Kory Lichtensteiger. He’s a smart player who does an excellent job with line calls, which helps out the quarterback. He returned for the playoff game against Green Bay after getting hurt in Week 5 against Atlanta, but was still not at full strength (he got pushed back once or twice, but did a terrific job working to the linebackers). The fear moving forward for the Redskins is that he’s a smaller center whose nerve damage in his shoulder might cause him to be at less than full strength. At 31, it could well be that the Redskins opt for a younger, cheaper and bigger player at center.
The in-house option: Spencer Long. He replaced injured Shawn Lauvao as the starting left guard and did not have the same initial impact. That’s no surprise considering Long was in his second season and starting for the first time. But watch his tape at the end of the season; he definitely improved. But with Lauvao back and Arie Kouandjio also at left guard, the Redskins can afford to tinker. And, as has one source first said in January, Long will get an opportunity to play center in the spring. If he shows he can handle the position -- in terms of line calls, snaps, etc... (it's hard to show all without pads on, but they already know about his toughness) -- he’ll get the job and Lichtensteiger would be cut. Callahan would be starting from a good spot: Long has good size at 6-foot-5, 311 pounds and can play. Some do view Long as a better guard than center, but that doesn't mean he can't play the position. Remember, he’s a third-round pick from two years ago, so this is when he should start hitting a good stride. The Redskins also have Josh LeRibeus and Austin Reiter, but Long will be the one to watch. Knowing they want to do this would allow the Redskins to focus on other areas in the draft.
