Monday, June 21, 2010

Bookend Tackles?

In 2005, the New Orleans Saints used their 13th overall pick on a left tackle who would go on to make the Pro Bowl in his second and fourth years. But during their 2009 Super Bowl run, Jammal Brown was sidelined with a hip injury and a sports hernia. The Saints prevailed without him, which is why they were willing to give him up to the Redskins for a conditional 2011 draft pick.

The Redskins offensive line couldn't stop anything last year. They were BP bad. For many fans, this was priority number one. So how does the line stack up now? With rookie Trent Williams on the left and Jammal Brown on the right, not too bad. (*note: Williams was a right tackle in college, Brown played left for the Saints. Currently the Redskins have them slotted oppositely, but this could change as the preseason progresses).

What can bookend tackles mean? A lot. It's the key to the outside run. You might recall very successful campaigns for Stephen Davis and Clinton Portis when Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen were healthy. In the middle, Big Mike Williams and newcomer Artis Hicks duke it out to start opposite incumbent right guard Derrick Dockery. And then there's old reliable Casey Rabach at center. Don't get me wrong, it's not the Hogs, but if they stay healthy, I like our odds.

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