Tight end -- Zeron Flemister? Walter Rasby? Ivan Mercer? Robert Royal? Leonard Stephens? OK, so the Fun 'N' Gun doesn't utilize the TE anyway, but Flemister's progress paved the road out of town for former Pro Bowler Stephen Alexander. And rookie Royal was a man among boys at times during his career at LSU.
Still, that uncertainty (Washington was 28th in offense last season) is why owner Daniel Snyder went big-game hunting this offseason and bagged the biggest Gator of them all: head coach Steve Spurrier. "Steve Spurrier will bring a supercharged, exciting and dynamic brand of football to our great fans," Snyder said at the time of the hiring. "His ability to energize players and teams is unprecedented. The Redskins deserve to be back at the Super Bowl and I am immensely confident that Steve is the coach to get us there."
However, Spurrier's most important move to date came off the field. Believing the offense would take care of itsself, the Skins lured Marvin Lewis away from the Ravens as defensive coordinator. "As a coach, you're always ready for the next challenge," Lewis said. "And there's going to be a new challenge with all the changes around here, with all the new faces I guess you could say. Whether it's a change in schematics or places, it's going to be new and different."
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| Stephen Davis had six 100-yard rushing games last year, the third consecutive season he's had that many. The team record is seven by Rob Goode in 1951. |
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Stephen Davis, RB -- While Davis posted his third consectutive 1,000-yard season, his TD total plummeted from 17 two seasons ago to 11 in 2000 and finally five last year. Let's call it an abberation.
The Redskins' offensive line is paramount to the team's success, starting with tackles Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen. As Samuels puts it: "Any time you have a back like Stephen Davis, the leading rusher in the NFC last season, your strength is sticking to a more balanced attack. Stephen is still the strength of this offense."
Davis' season-ending 148-yard effort helped him set Washington's single-season rushing mark (1,432 yards). He also held the previous record of 1,405 in 1999.
The problem -- for the Skins' front office -- is that Davis may play on his current nine-year, $90 million contract and be cut next offseason. That way he can make the $4 million he is due in new compensation -- $3 million in base salary and about $1 million in bonuses -- and become one of 2003's premier free agents.
Washington is deciding whether to renegotiate the deal for a running back who might not be the best fit for coach Steve Spurrier's high-octane passing offense.
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| Bruce Smith, entering his 18th NFL season, is 12 sacks behind Reggie White for the league's all-time record (198.0). |
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Passing game -- Even if Washington had a top-notch QB, outside of Gardner, the Redskins' receiving cuboard is bare. Anthony, Doering and Green all are former Gators, so they should be comfortable with the system, but they haven't excelled as NFL WRs -- yet -- and some wonder if Spurrier's offense will translate to the pro level.
Think Mike Martz.
Spurrier will create problems for opposing defenses, but execution relies on performance, which brings us back to the lack of production from said performers.
"You know," Spurrier explained, "sometimes people think all he [Spurrier] does is throw the ball all over the ballpark, and we do throw it all over the ballpark, but we also run the ball. ... Our style of offense is not a lot different than a lot of other peoples, you have to mix the run and the pass and make good throws and make good decisions.
"One thing we do that is probably a lot different from what I've been watching is that our quarterback's audible, we check off and change the play," he said. "You know there is a good defense for every play and a good offensive play for every defense. You try to get to the best play you can for every defense. Decision-making is a big part also."
Matthews and Wuerffel made those kinds of audibles at Florida, so they, too, should be comfortable. But again, neither of those QBs has lit up the league, either. So, we're back to execution relies on performance, which brings us back to the lack of production from said performers.
Off the golf course, where is Steve Spurrier's head?
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| Steve Spurrier was 122-27-1 in 12 years as head coach at Florida, including the 1996 national championship, as the Gators won seven SEC titles. He had 10 or more wins in nine seasons with UF. |
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Obviously, in the right place. At his news conference after being named head coach, Spurrier was to the point: "I've told Dan Snyder this, my first game ball will go to him when we play the Dallas Cowboys this coming season. That's the first one you're going to get. We should, and you can't make any guarantees, but we will be ready to play the Dallas Cowboys. I have learned quickly that's a game that our fans really want to win."
Not even settled in -- and never mind that "America's Team" has a nine-game winning streak against the Skins -- and already he's got the fans on the bandwagon, while the Cowboys' backers will be more than happy to put "Coach Superior" in his place, should Dallas win.
After signing his five-year, $25 million deal, Spurrier also scored points within the community by promising to "give to the charities in this area and be involved, and I feel that if you make a little more in life you should share it."
On the field, the new offense is getting rave reviews from the players after minicamps. Defensively, the additions of Lewis, Armstead, Trotter, Wynn and Dotson are unparalleled in the NFC East.
If Spurrier can revive the league's 30th-ranked passing game, which would go a long way toward making Washington a bona fide NFC title contender, who knows what could be next? A stint at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?
