Currently Rostered Players Who Should be on the Redskins in 2011

In the past, we've always started end of the year threads based around the idea that there are some players on the current roster who do not deserve to be back for performance reasons. This thread aims to look at the other side of that: players who have contracts beyond 2010 who should be kept on those contracts.

There will be a different time/thread to look at players on expiring contracts with four or more years of service,the following players:

Rex Grossman
Santana Moss
Jammal Brown
Stephon Heyer
Vonnie Holliday
Phillip Daniels
Kedric Golston
Chris Wilson
Rocky McIntosh
HB Blades
Carlos Rogers
Phillip Buchanon
Reed DoughtyThose 13 players have expiring contracts. I want to deal specifically with only the players who are under team control next year. Let's discuss those (not on the above list) who should be brought back under their current deals. We'll deal with our unrestricted free agents at a later date.

Pick around 10 to 12 names that you'd like to see back in DC under their current contract.

Hall
Orakpo
Landry
Williams
Armstrong
Torain
Banks
Fletcher (HOF In my book)
F.Davis (like to trade him though)
Cooley

I would bring back the following 20 players on their current deals:

Kevin Barnes
LaRon Landry
London Fletcher
Brian Orakpo
Lorenzo Alexander
Anthony Bryant
Jeremy Jarmon
Ma'ake Kemoeatu
Adam Carriker
Graham Gano
Trent Williams
Kory Lichtensteiger
Will Montgomery
Chris Cooley
Fred Davis
Logan Paulsen
Anthony Armstrong
Brandon Banks
Clinton Portis
Keiland Williams

I don't want Ryan Torain guaranteed a roster spot next year, as I'd rather pay the extra $7 million to have a 30 year old Portis splitting time with a second year Keiland Williams. Torain doesn't seem to have a meaningful role on special teams, which would give him value as a third RB. But if you give him that third roster spot and let him play in front of Williams, it's poor roster management. The Shanahan's have had good success with rookies at the RB position, and I'd free up some roster spots to use on rookie runners. I know they really like Torain though.

There are guys like Rob Jackson, Perry Riley, Macho Harris, Erik Cook, and Terrence Austin who I want to see more of. I am not guaranteeing their roster spots here, but they'll get every chance to compete for a job.

Kemoeatu was not an easy inclusion on this list because he was a poor nose tackle except for a 3 game stretch in the middle of the season. But I still like his prospective value and he's only making a couple of million next year. Make no mistake, in a 3-4, Anthony Bryant is the starter at nose tackle, with Jarmon/Holliday, and Carriker on the ends. But we play a lot of 40 fronts, and Kemo gets great pressure for a guy as large as he is. That's valuable. Especially on a finesse team like the Redskins.

Hall
Orakpo
Landry
Williams
Armstrong
Torain
Banks
Fletcher (HOF In my book)
F.Davis (like to trade him though)
CooleyI agree with you that in a world of perfect knowledge, Fletcher is a hall of fame caliber linebacker. But the flawed methodology used by a lot of hall of fame voters relies heavily on pro bowls and all-pro votes. And, perhaps wrongly, Fletcher didn't collect a lot of those otherwise meaningless awards. So he won't get down to a hall of fame finalists list.

But this guy has had a fantastic career, and his consecutive starts streak is more impressive than that of any quarterback. And as far as pure effectiveness goes, he's more effective now than Brett Favre was at a similar point in his career.

I agree with your 20 except CP, I'm ready for him to go

I'm kind of a pessimist when it comes to the current roster's desire to win games. I would be satisfied if they brought back:
Orakpo
Trent Williams
Fletcher
Banks
Armstrong
Cooley
Davis

I agree with your 20 except CP, I'm ready for him to goIt's really a CP or Torain for the RB spot for the guy who doesn't play special teams. Can't afford to roster both.

I presume most will choose Torain, based on youth, and his yard production from this season. Portis is WAY more expensive, up around $8 million for next year. But Torain also might not be a pro-back in my opinion. He has poor vision, and while I think he can get a lot better as a blocker, he's just not very good right now. He's the kind of player you want to get in the open field with the football because he doesn't waste movement, but he's more of a package player than an every down back. There's a designation for package players who don't contribute special teams, it's called "waived."

Portis is a fantastic blocker and a much better runner than Torain is. He's not nearly as good in the open field. And for $8 million, that a tough sell to keep a guy. But he can still, at age 30, be the lead back in our offensive attack. So I'd like to see him back for that reason. We're an above average offense with Clinton Portis. We're a below average offense with Ryan Torain. That, to me, is worth a $8 million price tag.

I also think a potentially shortened 2011 season benefits Portis, who will be healthy around playoff time, if we make it.

I'll also stay this: for as fantastic as Brian Orakpo is at rushing the passer, he's not a complete player with a really high football IQ. His contributions to the team can be mostly replaced. We just have one of the best young pass rushers in the game, and need to complement him with other top pass rushers in order to get the most out of him. If teams can just double team him because we have no other pass rushing threats, he's a liability out there at linebacker.

Most of Lorenzo Alexander's skill set translated very well to outside linebacker. His pass rushing skills did not. He's an interior pass rusher playing on the outside.

Well, the Oline takes alot of the blame in pass protection, but after watching alot of games this year it's our RB's that have given up alot of sacks compared to the Oline missing assignments, and running out their routes to early.

I would like to see Portis back next year, and I really hope he can stay healthy for a few more years while Keiland Williams gets more adapt. I like Williams better as a runner becaue he has a quicker step then Torain does. Torain doesn't seem to be able to change direction very well, and once he changes direction it slows him down ALOT. He's more like a Brandon Jacobs type runner just smaller.

I would love to see Armstrong back next year. I still think we could use a bigger playmaker on the sides, but Armstrong has proven to be a great Possession WR this year for us, and besides the first game of the season, he has caught almost EVERYTHING thrown his way.