59-year old head coach Mike Shanahan seemed like he was going to a gun fight with a plastic knife last year in the battles in the NFC East.  The result was a 6-10 record and a last place finish.  Shanahan has made a lot of changes to the roster and he’s going into this season with Rex Grossman as his starting QB.  Grossman did get his Bears into the Super Bowl a few years ago, so he might surprise some people this year.  Shanahan has a 152-108 (58.5%) career record during the regular season.  He is also 8-5 (61.5%) in the post-season as he won Super Bowls with the Broncos in 1997 and 1998.  He doesn’t have John Elway to save him this time around.

30-year old John Beck and 31-year old Rex Grossman are still duking it out for the starting QB job in 2011 as they both have looked really solid so far this pre-season.  Beck has only played in 1 game so far but it was a good one.  He completed 14 of 17 passes (82.4%) for 140 yards with 0 TD passes or interceptions (101.0 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 2 times for 17 yards (8.5 ypc) in that game.  Rex Grossman has played in both games so far in the pre-season for the Redskins and he has completed 26 of 38 passes (68.4%) for 295 yards with 1 TD pass and 1 INT (89.3 QB Rating).  The battle for the starting job will continue tonight when the Redskins have a matchup against the tough D of the Baltimore Ravens.

The Washington Redskins are turning to youth at RB in 2011 and that will likely be a positive.  25-year old Tim Hightower will likely be the starting going into the 2011 season.  He played in 16 games (13 starts) for the Cardinals last year and he carried the ball 153 times for 736 yards (4.8 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  Hightower also caught 21 passes for 136 yards (6.5 avg) last year.  Hightower is a perfect fit for the type of offense the Redskins run, as he can make one cut and get up the field.  Hightower has now played in 48 games (36 starts) in his first three years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 439 times for 1,733 yards (3.9 ypc) with 23 TD runs.  He has also caught 118 passes for 801 yards (6.8 avg) in his NFL career to date.

25-year old Ryan Torain is still trying to recover from a broken hand so that he can be ready for the season opener in less than three weeks.  Torain played in 10 games (8 starts) for the Redskins last year and he carried the ball 164 times for 742 yards (4.5 ypc) with 4 TD runs.  He also caught 18 passes for 125 yards (6.9 ypc) with 2 TD grabs (those were the first catches of his NFL career).  Torain has been a Shanahan favorite since he drafted him in Denver, so he will get his share of carries in 2011.  Torain has now played in 12 games (9 starts) in his first three years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 179 times for 811 yards (4.5 ypc) with 5 TD runs.

22-year old Roy Helu is looking good in the pre-season for the Redskins.  The rookie out of Nebraska is making a good first impression on the Redskins’ coaching staff, but I still have a feeling that he will be #3 on the depth chart when the 2011 season begins.

23-year old, rookie RB Evan Royster has also looked decent in the pre-season for the Redskins.  But the 6th round pick is likely to start his rookie year on the practice squad unless a RB ahead of him on the depth chart (Hightower, Torain or Helu) get injured before the 2011 season starts.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE REDSKINS RBS IN 2011:  C+

No team in the NFL sports a worse situation at QB than the Redskins do heading into 2011.  For some reason, Coach Shanahan has taken to 29-year old John Beck.  Beck has not played in an NFL regular season game since way back in 2007 with the Dolphins.  But, if he can beat out Rex Grossman in training camp, he will be the starter on September 11th when the New York Giants come in for a visit.  Beck has played in 5 games (4 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 60 for 107 (56.1%) for 559 yards with 1 TD pass and 3 INTs (62.0 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 9 times for 12 yards (1.3 ypc) with 1 TD run so far in his NFL career.  Beck is 0-4 as a starting QB in his NFL career.  I think it’s nuts to go into the season with a QB that has been in the NFL for five years now but has not been on the field for four years.

30-year old QB Rex Grossman is the ultimate gunslinger as he likes to throw the ball down the field.  Throwing the longball is Grossman’s best asset.  But when it comes to hitting shorter passes he throws into a lot of coverage, often resulting in trouble.  Grossman played in 4 games (3 starts) for the Redskins last year and he completed 74 of 133 passes (55.6%) for 884 yards with 7 TD passes and 4 INTs (81.2 QB Rating).  Grossman also carried the ball 3 times for 6 yards (2.0 ypc) last year for the Skins.  Grossman played well enough at the end of last season to be the Redskins’ starting QB heading into 2011, but he’s not getting the respect he deserves from the coaching staff.  Grossman has now played in 41 games (34 starts) in his first 8 years in the NFL and he has completed 598 of 1,104 passes (54.2%) for 7,081 yards with 40 TD passes and 40 INTs (70.9 QB Rating).  Grossman has also carried the ball 61 times for 95 yards (1.6 ypc) with 3 TD runs so far in his NFL career.  Grossman is 20-14 (58.8%) as a starting QB in the NFL and he did get the Bears to a Super Bowl….so why not give him a chance as he has been a winner so far in his career?

28-year old Kellen Clemens is the darkhorse in the race to be the Redskins’ starting QB in 2011.  Clemens played in 1 game (he didn’t start) for the Jets last year and he completed 1 of 2 passes (50%) for 6 yards with 0 TD passes and 0 INTs (56.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 2 times for 9 yards (4.5 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Clemens was the Jets’ #2 QB the last couple of years, so maybe he will be able to challenge Grossman and Beck for the starting job at QB in 2011.  Clemens has now played in 25 games (9 starts) in his first five years in his NFL career and he has completed 147 of 284 passes (51.8%) for 1,686 yards with 5 TD passes and 11 INTs (59.7 QB Rating).  Clemens has also carried the ball 46 times for 128 yards (2.8 ypc) with 2 TD runs so far in his NFL career.  Clemens is 4-5 (44.4%) as a starting QB in the NFL. 

24-year old undrafted rookie Ben Chappell is a longshot to make the Redskins’ roster.  Chappell was a starting QB at Indiana and he’s all over the school’s record books. 

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE REDSKINS QBS IN 2011:  D-

23-year old WR Devin Thomas will duke it out with rookie 7th round pick Terrence Austin for the kickoff return job in 2010.  Thomas has been a disappointment at WR and he doesn’t have great speed.  But he does have good hands and he’s a big guy at 6’2″, 215 pounds so he has straight line power.  Thomas played in 14 games for the Redskins last season and he returned 20 kickoffs for 439 yards (22.0 avg).  Terrence Austin is lightning quick but he’s small at 5’11″, 172 pounds.  The Redskins hope that whoever wins the starting job puts the offense in good starting field position in 2010.

It all starts at LT where rookie 1st round pick Trent Williams will be playing.  He is the kind of athletic player the Redskins want for there new zone blocking scheme.  But, he needs to develop a mean streak as he appears to be too laid back.  LG Derrick Dockery isn’t too well suited for the new blocking scheme of the Redskins.  Center Casey Rabach stays low and wins a lot of battles in the running game so he fits the new system well.  RG Artie Hicks will likely fit in well in the Redskins new system and he can play all over the O-Line.  RT Jamaal Brown is a solid all-around blocker who the Redskins stole from the Saints recently in a trade.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE REDSKINS O-LINE in 2010:  B

57-year old head coach Mike Shanahan was brought in to get the Redskins back to the playoffs.  He last coached in 2008 with the Broncos.  Shanahan has a career record of 146-98 (59.8%) during the regular season in his 16 years as a NFL head coach.  He is also 8-5 (61.5%) in the post season as he won back to back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998 with the Broncos.  Shanahan always seems to coach to the level of players he has and that bodes well for the Redskins who have improved the roster big time over the offseason.  I think Shanahan will have the Redskins in the hunt for the playoffs when December rolls around.

The Redskins are going with 23-year old kicker Graham Gano in 2010.  He played in 4 games as a rookie for the Redskins last season and he made all  4 of his field goal attempts.  He was also 6 of 7 on extra points to finish up with 18 points as a rookie.  I have a feeling that Gano is going to be a solid kicker for the Redskins in 2010 as he has a strong leg.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR REDSKINS KICKERS in 2010:  B

31-year old Santana Moss is the only WR still on top of his game in the Redskins’ WRing corps.  He played in 16 games (all starts) for the Redskins last season and he caught 70 passes for 902 yards (12.9 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  He has also carried the ball 2 times for 8 yards (4.0 ypc) last year.  Moss has now played in 127 games (103 starts) in his 9 years in the NFL and he has caught 500 passes for 7,443 yards (14.9 avg) with 46 TD grabs.  Moss has also carried the ball 40 times for 254 yards (6.4 ypc) so far in his career.  Moss has made it to 1 Pro Bowl in his career and he will be trying to make it 2 times this year as the Redskins have really improved at QB for 2010.

23-year old Devin Thomas would be the other starting WR for the Redskins if the season started tomorrow.  He played in 14 games (10 starts) for the Redskins last season and he caught 25 passes for 325 yards (13.0 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  Thomas has now played in 30 games (11 starts) in his two years with the Redskins and he has caught 40 passes for 445 yards (11.3 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  He has also carried the ball 6 times for 51 yards (8.5 ypc) with 1 TD carry in his career to date.  The Redskins need Thomas to step up in 2010 as he has a lot of talent.

23-year old Malcolm Kelly is a great athlete but he’s not a good WR quite yet.  Kelly played in 16 games (10 starts) for the Redskins last season and he caught 25 passes for 347 yards (13.9 avg).  He has now played in 21 games (10 starts) in his two years with the Redskins and he has caught 28 passes for 365 yards (13.0 avg).  Kelly has a nice upside but he needs to start showing more in 2010 for the Redskins.

38-year old Joey Galloway is in camp trying to win a job with the Skins.  Galloway played in 3 games (2 starts) for the Patriots last season and he caught 7  passes for 67 yards (9.6 avg).  He has now played in 188 games (171 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 689 passes for 10,777 yards (15.6 avg) with 77 TD grabs.  Galloway has also carried the ball 63 times for 496 yards (7.9 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Galloway is in the twilight of his career but he might have another year of being a solid #4 or #5 WR.

29-year old Bobby Wade will likely have a good chance of making the Redskins in 2010.  Wade played in 12 games (6 starts) for the Chiefs last season and he caught 36 passes for 367 yards (10.2 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  He has now played in 102 games (50 starts) in his 7 years in the NFL and he has caught 244 passes for 2,858 yards (11.7 avg) with 9 TD grabs.  Wade has also carried the ball 22 times for 93 yards (4.2 ypc) in his career.

33-year old WR Mike Furrey played offense, defense and special teams for the Browns last season.  For those reasons he might be a solid bet to make the Redskins in 2010.  Furrey played in 16 games (4 starts) for the Browns last season and he has caught 23 passes for 170 yards (7.4 avg).  Furrey has now played in 94 games (41 starts) as a offensive player and he has caught 221 passes for 2,298 yards (10.4 avg) with 7 TD grabs. 

7th round pick Terrence Austin out of UCLA will have a hard time making the Redskins’ roster.  He’s on the small side at 5’11″, 172 pounds and he goes into training camp #7 on the depth chart.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE REDSKINS WRs in 2010:  C

28-year old Chris Cooley should be ready to go this season after being dogged by injuries last year.  Cooley has made 2 Pro Bowls in his NFL career and he will be looking to make it three in 2010.  Cooley played in 7 games (all starts) for the Redskins last season and he caught 29 passes for 332 yards (11.4 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  He has now played in 87 games (80 starts) in his six years with the Redskins and he has caught 343 passes for 3,789 yards (11.0 avg) with 30 TD grabs.  Look for him to have another solid year for the Skins in 2010.

24-year old Fred Davis really took advantage of Chris Cooley’s injury last year.  Davis played in 16 games (10 starts) for the Redskins last year and he caught 48 passes for 509 yards (10.6 avg) with 6 TD grabs.  He has now played in 27 games (12 starts) in his two years with the Redskins and he has caught 51 passes for 536 yards (10.5 avg) with 6 TD grabs.  Look for Davis to cut into Cooley’s P.T. a tad in 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE REDSKINS TEs in 2010:  A