Addressing the LB position

The LB position, particularly OLB, is a big area of need for the Redskins. We currently are limited to 4 draft picks, and aside from cutting Marcus and re-signing Fincher (http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Redskins_Re_sign_Fincher_32862.jsp) (a net loss in my opinion), we have not been active whatsoever.

Here's how it would go down ideally for me: I'd like to make a modest play for one of the three OLB's available in FA (Crowell, June, Keiaho). Then I'd trade out of the 13th pick, and take one of the three USC LBs, preferrably Maualuga, and still get a good tackle.

Play GM (or whatever Vinny's title is). How would you fill our linebacking needs?

I agree, but how many games did MW play last year? What was our w/L w/him in the lineup?

I think he did a lot for the whole unit when healthy, but did we really win more w/him last year?

I like your plan although Maualuga probably wont be there if we trade down - he might not even be there at 13. If we want him, we need to take him at 13.

If I were senior executive vice president of football and Snydersuckingup relations, id address the LB position this way:

-Attempt to sign Washington to a deal close to the vet minimum.
-Sign Matt Sinclair
-Use our natural 1st round pick on Michael Oher and use our 3rd round pick to draft the best available LB, hopefully Marcus Freeman from Ohio state or Aaron Maybin from Penn state.

In camp, Fincher and Sinclair would fight for a roster spot.

I've seen a few mocks recently that have him in the 20's...

NFL Draft - CBSSports.com Football (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfldraftscout-RobRang)

However he wouldn't be a reach at 13, and I'd be happy taking him there, as long as we find another way to seriously address the tackle position.

We need to address LB with the 13th pick. For all of our hope to trade down, it takes two teams to trade so spinning our minds around 'trading down' being a solution to any draft questions is just wasting time. If Orapko is there he should be option one, then either Cushing or Rey if Orapko is gone. We can go into next season with Heyer as our starting RT but we can't enter the season with HB Blades as a starting OLB.

We need to address LB with the 13th pick. For all of our hope to trade down, it takes two teams to trade so spinning our minds around 'trading down' being a solution to any draft questions is just wasting time. If Orapko is there he should be option one, then either Cushing or Rey if Orapko is gone. We can go into next season with Heyer as our starting RT but we can't enter the season with HB Blades as a starting OLB.Uh, well, I agree that it's not going to kill us to see what we have in Heyer, but we've seen two abbreviated years of each, and Blades has been much better.

So, from that perspective, I'd say OT is a more pressing need. But the defense in general needs another pass rusher just as bad.

So, long story short, I don't know.

Uh, well, I agree that it's not going to kill us to see what we have in Heyer, but we've seen two abbreviated years of each, and Blades has been much better.

So, from that perspective, I'd say OT is a more pressing need. But the defense in general needs another pass rusher just as bad.

So, long story short, I don't know.

You think so? Blades is so overmatched, IMO, at OLB it's not even funny. He can't cover the TE. If I was an offensive coordinator I would be running my offense thru the TE if I saw that matchup.

You think so? Blades is so overmatched, IMO, at OLB it's not even funny. He can't cover the TE. If I was an offensive coordinator I would be running my offense thru the TE if I saw that matchup.Can't cover the TE, or failed to cover Jason Witten on one play last year?

We don't have a linebacker on our team who can consistently cover Witten. I wouldn't worry about that though. Unless we're caught in a bad package, that's a safety's job. Blades has proven to be an excellent short zone defender and a fantastic asset against the run. If he had Rocky's body (minus the knees of course), he'd already be a superstar.

Again, I ultimately agree that if there's a college DE sitting there at 13 like say, Everette Brown who could play WLB for us, we have to pull the trigger. But we'll easily find a spot for Blades on this defense. Heyer, I'm less sure about, because 2009 is a make or break year for him.

I think we're hurting here more than at any other position, including offensive line. So many questions

1. How much longer can we count on Fletcher in the middle? He's basically been Superman but how close is he to just dropping dramatically in production (and even games played)

2. What are our intentions with Rocky? Assume there's a cap and he becomes a free agent after this upcoming season, are we planning on locking him up long term? And where are we playing him? Right now he's the starting weak-side backer but some would argue that he's better suited for the strong-side

3. Do we give Blades the chance to be the everyday starter at either of the outside spots, or his versatility too valuable and do we keep him as the rotating LB off the bench?

4. Where is our depth? We just signed Fincher and we've also got (for now) Tyson Smith and Matt Sinclair. Smith and Sinclair combined have only slightly more NFL gameday experience than Paintrain. And Fincher only has a bit more than that. Do we need a Cato June type veteran to come in and provide some "experience" a la Randall Godfrey?

5. What about Khary Campbell?

6. Can we afford to pass on a linebacker at #13? I'd say yes, if we had a later first or even a second round pick but right now we don't. So I don't know, it really depends on whether you feel more comfortable with Heyer/Jansen at RT or Blades at either OLB slot.

The more time goes by, it looks to me Redskins are going to draft LB in 1st round.. Redskins have been emphasizing on search for a RT through free agency, or at least that's what we have heard.. And we haven't heard of any news regarding LB beside re-signing Fincher and MW.. If we haven't found right one yet by the time, we probably will give Heyer a chance.. I just hope we would be able to draft a soon to be star LB or DE who we can depend on for the years to come..

Off the point but; a news that opened my eyes: Ravens LB Lewis signs incentive-laden, seven-year contract (http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80f2ef24&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true)
Granted, he won't be there for 7 years literally but that's still a huge commitment if you ask me.. Especially after shelling out 10 million dollars in first year..

I think we're hurting here more than at any other position, including offensive line. So many questions

1. How much longer can we count on Fletcher in the middle? He's basically been Superman but how close is he to just dropping dramatically in production (and even games played)

2. What are our intentions with Rocky? Assume there's a cap and he becomes a free agent after this upcoming season, are we planning on locking him up long term? And where are we playing him? Right now he's the starting weak-side backer but some would argue that he's better suited for the strong-side

3. Do we give Blades the chance to be the everyday starter at either of the outside spots, or his versatility too valuable and do we keep him as the rotating LB off the bench?

4. Where is our depth? We just signed Fincher and we've also got (for now) Tyson Smith and Matt Sinclair. Smith and Sinclair combined have only slightly more NFL gameday experience than Paintrain. And Fincher only has a bit more than that. Do we need a Cato June type veteran to come in and provide some "experience" a la Randall Godfrey?

5. What about Khary Campbell?

6. Can we afford to pass on a linebacker at #13? I'd say yes, if we had a later first or even a second round pick but right now we don't. So I don't know, it really depends on whether you feel more comfortable with Heyer/Jansen at RT or Blades at either OLB slot.1. We can bank on Fletch this year, but it's critical we have a contingency plan in place. I do think Blades is going to step right in for him, which is why I don't think we'll be in the market for Maualuga or for Laurinaitis.

We can't just plug in Blades if he's needed elsewhere. I also don't think you can count on him to replace the leadership of Fletcher as long as he's still on the roster. This is his defense until the day we cut him.

2. I think Rocky has lost his role as a nickel LB for good. I think we'll move him across to SLB, and I don't think he's in the future plans. Of course, a breakout season could mean a franchise tag next year.

3. Well, an impact linebacker from the draft is more of a need than getting Blades on the field, but at the same time, I wouldn't sign anyone to block Blades, and I'd work to get him on the field for 40-50% of snaps from the base 4-3 package, and he's the de-facto nickel linebacker. And, I don't think that Fletch should play 100% of snaps this year. Blades should get a small percentage of his snaps, plus it will work well that way with the whole radio in the helmet thing.

4. Getting an undersized DE in the draft will do wonders for the depth issue, but I'd still float a contract offer at Marcus Washington anyway. No smallish cover-two type OLBs please.

5. Sign that tender, son.

6. Yes, we can afford to pass at a linebacker at No. 13, and we should if one of the big four tackles there. If we could turn our third round pick into a late second rounder, the draft is deep enough to land a pass-rushing LB there.

Go with HB, Fletch, and Rocky. HB was a de facto starter for much of last year, and we finished ranked 4th in Defense. Marcus, Philip, Wynn, they are all just stop-gaps til we can address those positions next year. We don't have the picks to do it now. The O was terrible last year, we need multiple O lineman who could potentially start. I'm pretty sure Justin Geisinger started at LT when we were still in the hunt. That never needs to happen again.