***OFFICIAL*** Washington Redskins 2011 Season Thread (2 Viewers)

[fatness]

And of course I've already had nightmares about the Colts shopping Manning after they grab Luck, and you know who offering him a HUGE contract only to watch him Deon or Bruce Smith us....

I don't think the Colts would shop him, and if they did it would be a big mistake for the Redskins to trade for him. Huge contract, downside of career, 3 neck surgeries already. Big potential to throw away draft picks, players, and salary cap space into a pit. I do think if the Colts have the first pick they'll take Luck, period. I think any other team picking first will as well, and I don't see anyone trading that pick for any price.

 

[fatness]

Imagine Peyton Manning learning Kyle Shanahan's 'system'.

 

[dgreen]

And of course I've already had nightmares about the Colts shopping Manning after they grab Luck, and you know who offering him a HUGE contract only to watch him Deon or Bruce Smith us....

I'm all over this thread praising the team for finally eschewing glamour free agents for youth and draft picks, but I would have no problem with this at all (assuming we don't give up TOO much to get him and assuming we could get a healthy Manning for 2-3 years).I think Manning is the greatest QB in the history of the game- we're just now seeing what a difference-maker he was for the Colts. He would instantly make the Skins an 8-9 win team without a single other personnel change. For this franchise- one that hasn't had an elite QB (except for that one freak Mark Rypien year) since at least the days of Sonny freaking Jurgenson- it would be huge.

As long as they also still have a decent pick to draft a QB in April, I'd be ok with this (assuming Manning makes a full recovery, of course). They'd have to both acquire Manning and start to plan for his replacement, IMO.There's also the possibility that St. Louis gets the top pick and trades Bradford. Shanahan really wanted him last year.

 

[dgreen]

From the proverbial Nowhere To Go But Up category:

Mike Shanahan sees improvement in John Beck

By Mike Jones

The Washington Redskins’ offense continued to struggle Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, but coach Mike Shanahan said he observed improvements in quarterback John Beck.

A week after he was sacked 10 times and failed to lead Washington on a single scoring drive in a 23-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Beck on Sunday completed 30 of 47 passes for 254 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was sacked once.

Against Buffalo, Shanahan said, Beck was guilty of holding onto the ball too long, contributing to those franchise-record ten sacks. But Shanahan said Beck corrected that problem against the 49ers.

“I like what John did from one week to the other,” the coach said. “We had 10 sacks the week before and we had one sack against a team that can really get after the quarterback. Was it a perfect game? No, not by anybody, but we’ll keep on working to get better and hopefully we can do it this weekend.”

Shanahan said Beck still has areas he must improve, however. As Beck said after the game, he could have been more patient at times, and rather than settling for dump-off passes, he missed open receivers downfield.

That timing and balance between knowing when to hold onto the ball and when to get rid of it will come with more playing time.

“You have to be disciplined enough to know where to dump the football,” Shanahan said. “Those are the things you have to do as a quarterback. You have to understand the clock and John would probably like to have four or five throws back to actually throw a little bit farther downfield. … It’s a combination of all of those things. You can have some hot reads, you can have a four-man rush. You’ve got to know where your outlet is. I thought John did a great job on a number of throws getting the ball out when they did a good job on a couple of stunts and he dumped the ball off a lot quicker than the week before. Then, a couple of times, I thought he did a little too quick where, the week before, he was kind of standing in there because we were going against a team that wasn’t known for a great pass rush and this team was a lot better. And it’s a growing experience.”

 

[Sidewinder16]

Donte Stallworth released to make room for WR David Anderson. Anderson played in Houston under Kyle.

Also, from the "Who could have possibly seen this coming?" department, the Pats release Haynesworth.

 

[TobiasFunke]

Donte Stallworth released to make room for WR David Anderson. Anderson played in Houston under Kyle.

Also, from the "Who could have possibly seen this coming?" department, the Pats release Haynesworth.

The Washington Redskins got the better of the New England Patriots in a personnel transaction. I never thought I'd see the day.A small victory to be sure, but it's the only kind we're getting these days.

 

[dgreen]

Donte Stallworth released to make room for WR David Anderson. Anderson played in Houston under Kyle.

Also, from the "Who could have possibly seen this coming?" department, the Pats release Haynesworth.

The Washington Redskins got the better of the New England Patriots in a personnel transaction. I never thought I'd see the day.A small victory to be sure, but it's the only kind we're getting these days.

Throw in winning the McNabb deal (with the Vikings; not the one with Philly) and we're on a hot streak!

 

[Sidewinder16]

A small victory to be sure, but it's the only kind we're getting these days.

Throw in winning the McNabb deal (with the Vikings; not the one with Philly) and we're on a hot streak!

I think if you look at the net result of all the transactions of the ShanAllenhan era there are a lot of this types of "victories". Especially in the players cut. If you play "Where are they now?" with the players Shanahan has let go, the vast majority are doing virtually nothing, which of course speaks to the woeful personnel situation (and that's an understatement) that was inherited. The one player, off the top of my head, that is doing anything substantial seems to be Andre Carter (5 sacks w/ the Patriots, so far).

 

[Dexter Manley]

Donte Stallworth released to make room for WR David Anderson. Anderson played in Houston under Kyle.

Also, from the "Who could have possibly seen this coming?" department, the Pats release Haynesworth.

The Washington Redskins got the better of the New England Patriots in a personnel transaction. I never thought I'd see the day.A small victory to be sure, but it's the only kind we're getting these days.

Throw in winning the McNabb deal (with the Vikings; not the one with Philly) and we're on a hot streak!

And they owned the Broncos in the Gaffney deal too! Go back a year and half when they moved JC to the Raiders for a 4th rounder, and that's 4 in a row baby!

 

[Dexter Manley]

Unfortunately, building a very good oline generally takes longer than building any other position group. Until the Skins develop a good starting oline with decent depth (which is going to take at least the next 2 drafts and FA classes imo) this offense isn't going to be very good no matter who the OC is.

Good thing the Redskins started addressing this problem so aggressively 2 years ago.

Actually, Shanahan has addressed the oline pretty aggressively since he took over. 7 out of the 8 OL on the opening day roster were his guys. Nearly a complete turnover on the OL since he took over, with Montgomery being the only player who wasn't brought in by Shanahan. His first personnel move was signing Kory Lichtensteiger, who was an adequate starter at LG before he got hurt. His first draft choice was Trent Williams, the 4th overall pick in the draft, and he's drafted 3 other OL and signed a priority rookie FA. He traded for Jamaal Brown in season 1. He has filled the RG spot through FA for 2 years in a row (unfortunately Hicks didn't work out so they moved on from him).

 

[dgreen]

A small victory to be sure, but it's the only kind we're getting these days.

Throw in winning the McNabb deal (with the Vikings; not the one with Philly) and we're on a hot streak!

I think if you look at the net result of all the transactions of the ShanAllenhan era there are a lot of this types of "victories". Especially in the players cut. If you play "Where are they now?" with the players Shanahan has let go, the vast majority are doing virtually nothing, which of course speaks to the woeful personnel situation (and that's an understatement) that was inherited. The one player, off the top of my head, that is doing anything substantial seems to be Andre Carter (5 sacks w/ the Patriots, so far).

Agreed. And I think it may happen again this offseason, especially on offense. Maybe half the guys will stick around next season and the others will be dumped and hopefully upgraded. Of those half who are let go, not many will find their way to significant playing time on another team.

 

[dgreen]

Donte Stallworth released to make room for WR David Anderson. Anderson played in Houston under Kyle.

Also, from the "Who could have possibly seen this coming?" department, the Pats release Haynesworth.

The Washington Redskins got the better of the New England Patriots in a personnel transaction. I never thought I'd see the day.A small victory to be sure, but it's the only kind we're getting these days.

Throw in winning the McNabb deal (with the Vikings; not the one with Philly) and we're on a hot streak!

And they owned the Broncos in the Gaffney deal too! Go back a year and half when they moved JC to the Raiders for a 4th rounder, and that's 4 in a row baby!

And I'd count Hightower.

 

[Dexter Manley]

Donte Stallworth released to make room for WR David Anderson. Anderson played in Houston under Kyle.

Also, from the "Who could have possibly seen this coming?" department, the Pats release Haynesworth.

The Washington Redskins got the better of the New England Patriots in a personnel transaction. I never thought I'd see the day.A small victory to be sure, but it's the only kind we're getting these days.

Throw in winning the McNabb deal (with the Vikings; not the one with Philly) and we're on a hot streak!

And they owned the Broncos in the Gaffney deal too! Go back a year and half when they moved JC to the Raiders for a 4th rounder, and that's 4 in a row baby!

And I'd count Hightower.

Oh yea, I forgot about him. That's 5 in a row!!!1!!! Pretty soon other GM's won't even pick up the phone out of fear when Shanahallen shows up on the caller id!

 

[fatness]

Go back a year and half when they moved JC to the Raiders for a 4th rounder, and that's 4 in a row baby!

They'd be better off if they had kept Jason Campbell. The McNabb trade wouldn't have been made, they would have kept the 2nd and 4th round draft picks they lost for him, and the QB position would have been stable and better off than what they've had at QB the last season and a half. They lost out on the Jamaal Brown trade in my opinion. He's been injured and below average for a season and a half. You can get performance like that cheaper than a 3rd round pick.

 

[Marvelous]

Donte Stallworth released to make room for WR David Anderson. Anderson played in Houston under Kyle.

Also, from the "Who could have possibly seen this coming?" department, the Pats release Haynesworth.

The Washington Redskins got the better of the New England Patriots in a personnel transaction. I never thought I'd see the day.A small victory to be sure, but it's the only kind we're getting these days.

Throw in winning the McNabb deal (with the Vikings; not the one with Philly) and we're on a hot streak!

And they owned the Broncos in the Gaffney deal too! Go back a year and half when they moved JC to the Raiders for a 4th rounder, and that's 4 in a row baby!

I was not a fan of trading Campbell for a 4th rounder 2 years later. But the Redskins had to move him after acquiring McNabb. I would have much rather they work with Campbell and find the qb of the future. In hindsight, most would probably agree.

 

[Marvelous]

Unfortunately, building a very good oline generally takes longer than building any other position group. Until the Skins develop a good starting oline with decent depth (which is going to take at least the next 2 drafts and FA classes imo) this offense isn't going to be very good no matter who the OC is.

Good thing the Redskins started addressing this problem so aggressively 2 years ago.

Actually, Shanahan has addressed the oline pretty aggressively since he took over. 7 out of the 8 OL on the opening day roster were his guys. Nearly a complete turnover on the OL since he took over, with Montgomery being the only player who wasn't brought in by Shanahan. His first personnel move was signing Kory Lichtensteiger, who was an adequate starter at LG before he got hurt. His first draft choice was Trent Williams, the 4th overall pick in the draft, and he's drafted 3 other OL and signed a priority rookie FA. He traded for Jamaal Brown in season 1. He has filled the RG spot through FA for 2 years in a row (unfortunately Hicks didn't work out so they moved on from him).

I am actually ok with the player personnel for the most part. Shanahan has rebuilt the offensive line. And except for Williams, it has been with low round draft picks and value free agent signings. Granted, you don't get a spectacular OL on day one going this route, but it is probably a much better plan long term. I am pulling for Maurice Hurt and Eric Cook to work out. Obviously Cook may need some more development time.

 

[Marvelous]

Go back a year and half when they moved JC to the Raiders for a 4th rounder, and that's 4 in a row baby!

They'd be better off if they had kept Jason Campbell. The McNabb trade wouldn't have been made, they would have kept the 2nd and 4th round draft picks they lost for him, and the QB position would have been stable and better off than what they've had at QB the last season and a half. They lost out on the Jamaal Brown trade in my opinion. He's been injured and below average for a season and a half. You can get performance like that cheaper than a 3rd round pick.

Adam Carriker looks like a good trade. I think they gave up nearly nothing for him. Also, the wheeling and dealing on draft day to trade down and get up to 12 picks was great.So good trades:HaynesworthMcNabb (to Minnesota)HightowerGaffneyCarriker2011 draft day trades (as a whole)Not so good:McNabb from Philly and the complementary Campbell tradeBrown

 

[Marvelous]

If you want to look at the free agent signings this past offseason, I think once again, Shanahan/Allen have done well.

Bowen - great signing

Cofield - great signing

Rocca - great signing

Otagwe - might be ok if he could stay health

Wilson - marginal for a starting CB

Chester - marginal for a starting OG

 

[dgreen]

Don't forget they traded for Beck!

 

[dgreen]

I think Brandyn Thompson is going to set a record for number of times signed and cut in one year. Cut again, I assume to clear waivers and go back to the PS.

 

[Sidewinder16]

I think Brandyn Thompson is going to set a record for number of times signed and cut in one year. Cut again, I assume to clear waivers and go back to the PS.

Probably. They opened up a PS spot yesterday, too (Tristan Davis released).Here are the transactions from yesterday:

The Washington Redskins have signed receiver David Anderson, defensive end Kentwan Balmer and defensive back Domonique Johnson.

The Redskins on Tuesday also waived receiver Donte' Stallworth, tight end Dominique Byrd, defensive end Darrion Scott and cornerback Brandyn Thompson.

...

Also, running back Tristan Davis was cut from the practice squad.

Along with the PS spot, there is one active roster spot still open. Keim postulated on Twitter that it's being held open for Kareem Moore, who has to come off the PUP list, one way or another, in about a week.

 

[Marvelous]

I think Brandyn Thompson is going to set a record for number of times signed and cut in one year. Cut again, I assume to clear waivers and go back to the PS.

Probably. They opened up a PS spot yesterday, too (Tristan Davis released).Here are the transactions from yesterday:

The Washington Redskins have signed receiver David Anderson, defensive end Kentwan Balmer and defensive back Domonique Johnson.

The Redskins on Tuesday also waived receiver Donte' Stallworth, tight end Dominique Byrd, defensive end Darrion Scott and cornerback Brandyn Thompson.

...

Also, running back Tristan Davis was cut from the practice squad.

Along with the PS spot, there is one active roster spot still open. Keim postulated on Twitter that it's being held open for Kareem Moore, who has to come off the PUP list, one way or another, in about a week.

Kentwan Balmer was a high draft pick that many thought the Redskins should have considered drafting when Cerrato was ignoring the DL. A lot of the names that were thrown around during the various drafts really have not developed.

 

[Marvelous]

I think Brandyn Thompson is going to set a record for number of times signed and cut in one year. Cut again, I assume to clear waivers and go back to the PS.

Probably. They opened up a PS spot yesterday, too (Tristan Davis released).Here are the transactions from yesterday:

The Washington Redskins have signed receiver David Anderson, defensive end Kentwan Balmer and defensive back Domonique Johnson.

The Redskins on Tuesday also waived receiver Donte' Stallworth, tight end Dominique Byrd, defensive end Darrion Scott and cornerback Brandyn Thompson.

...

Also, running back Tristan Davis was cut from the practice squad.

Along with the PS spot, there is one active roster spot still open. Keim postulated on Twitter that it's being held open for Kareem Moore, who has to come off the PUP list, one way or another, in about a week.

Kentwan Balmer was a high draft pick that many thought the Redskins should have considered drafting when Cerrato was ignoring the DL. A lot of the names that were thrown around during the various drafts really have not developed.

One more thought: a lot teams struggling on the level of talent churn the back of the roster, looking for players that may be able to contribute in the future. I don't think Vinny did this while he was the GM, but I am glad Shanahan/Allen are doing it.

 

[dgreen]

Gomes, Doughty will start for Redskins if Landry, Atogwe can’t play

I have no confidence.

 

[Marvelous]

Gomes, Doughty will start for Redskins if Landry, Atogwe can’t play

I have no confidence.

It's not like Landry and Atogwe have been playing spectacularly. Doughtly played most of the last game. Gomes is an unknown quantity.

 

[dgreen]

Gomes, Doughty will start for Redskins if Landry, Atogwe can’t play

I have no confidence.

It's not like Landry and Atogwe have been playing spectacularly. Doughtly played most of the last game. Gomes is an unknown quantity.

Sounds like Landry practiced fully.I realize they haven't been great, but they are better than Doughty and Gomes and have shown in the past to be really good players. I'm not as big of a fan of unknown quantities as other are.

 

[crispus attucks]

buster and I are headin to the M I A to support this of a team

 

[thayman]

buster and I are headin to the M I A to support this of a team

Have fun, well try to.....Honestly I think this game is going to be tough to watch.

 

[Dexter Manley]

So Beck consistently held onto the ball way too long against the Bills and was sacked 10 times.

Last week he checked down way too soon several times against the 49ers, missing open receivers down field.

This is the week he finds a happy medium and puts it all together, right?

 

[thayman]

So Beck consistently held onto the ball way too long against the Bills and was sacked 10 times.Last week he checked down way too soon several times against the 49ers, missing open receivers down field.This is the week he finds a happy medium and puts it all together, right?

 

[Eastwood]

Captain Beckdown, I mean check down, is doing wonders for Helu. Keep it up John!

 

[dgreen]

My link

This week, Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan had Beck split first-team snaps with second-string quarterback Rex Grossman, who opened the season as the starter but was benched four games ago, according to three people with knowledge of the situation

 

[fatness]

If you want to look at the free agent signings this past offseason, I think once again, Shanahan/Allen have done well.Bowen - great signingCofield - great signingRocca - great signingOtagwe - might be ok if he could stay healthWilson - marginal for a starting CBChester - marginal for a starting OG

I'll take issue with the first 2. Good signings perhaps, but those 2 guys have disappeared in recent weeks, and at best are "average" at their positions. I realize what came before them was dreck, but that doesn't make either of them good.Rocca = Redskin MVP this year, with Kerrigan a close secondWilson's a definite downgrade from Rogers. Chester at least isn't flat on his ### in the backfield and is an upgrade from Hicks (who was considered an upgrade when they got him).

 

[fatness]

So Beck consistently held onto the ball way too long against the Bills and was sacked 10 times.Last week he checked down way too soon several times against the 49ers, missing open receivers down field.This is the week he finds a happy medium and puts it all together, right?

You'd think so. But they're starting Grossman.I cannot be the only one who wonders what the hell goes on in Shanahan-Shanahan QB discussions.

 

[fatness]

Stay medium.

 

[Marvelous]

If you want to look at the free agent signings this past offseason, I think once again, Shanahan/Allen have done well.Bowen - great signingCofield - great signingRocca - great signingOtagwe - might be ok if he could stay healthWilson - marginal for a starting CBChester - marginal for a starting OG

I'll take issue with the first 2. Good signings perhaps, but those 2 guys have disappeared in recent weeks, and at best are "average" at their positions. I realize what came before them was dreck, but that doesn't make either of them good.Rocca = Redskin MVP this year, with Kerrigan a close secondWilson's a definite downgrade from Rogers. Chester at least isn't flat on his ### in the backfield and is an upgrade from Hicks (who was considered an upgrade when they got him).

Average is a big step up from where we were. Bowne and Cofield allow the Redskins defense to look like an NFL defense. Kameato (sp?) and Goldsten/Haynesworth did not.As long as they did not break the bank for them, they are good signings.

 

[Marvelous]

From PFT:

Report: Rex Grossman will start Sunday against DolphinsPosted by Gregg Rosenthal on November 13, 2011, 10:21 AM EST ReutersWe passed along a report on Saturday from the Washington Post saying that Rex Grossman split practice reps with John Beck during the week.That led to speculation John Beck will be a short leash Sunday in Miami. It turns out Beck is off the leash.Rex Grossman will start against the Dolphins, according to Jason La Canfora of NFL Network, who says Mike Shanahan informed the team of the decision over the weekend. A league source tells PFT that Grossman was prepared to start, but didn’t officially know if he’d get the call as of last night.This was supposed to be John Beck’s triumphant return to Miami. Instead, he’ll watch the game where he watched most games as a Dolphin: From the sideline.

 

[fatness]

If you want to look at the free agent signings this past offseason, I think once again, Shanahan/Allen have done well.Bowen - great signingCofield - great signingRocca - great signingOtagwe - might be ok if he could stay healthWilson - marginal for a starting CBChester - marginal for a starting OG

I'll take issue with the first 2. Good signings perhaps, but those 2 guys have disappeared in recent weeks, and at best are "average" at their positions. I realize what came before them was dreck, but that doesn't make either of them good.Rocca = Redskin MVP this year, with Kerrigan a close secondWilson's a definite downgrade from Rogers. Chester at least isn't flat on his ### in the backfield and is an upgrade from Hicks (who was considered an upgrade when they got him).

Average is a big step up from where we were. Bowne and Cofield allow the Redskins defense to look like an NFL defense. Kameato (sp?) and Goldsten/Haynesworth did not.As long as they did not break the bank for them, they are good signings.

I took issue with you saying they were great. I already agreed they were good signings.

 

[fatness]

Rex + Beck = Wrecks

Catchy, eh?

 

[valhallan]

A team that has already had problems with consistency now has a coach that can't keep his hands off the depth chart for one week.

 

[Sebowski]

Rex + Beck = WrecksCatchy, eh?

Doesn'r Rex = Wrecks? Thought we were in for a loss today, but I think Grossman gets us a win.

 

[dgreen]

Hankerson breaks out and gets injured. Hopefully it won't be too bad and we get to see him progress the rest of the season.

 

[dgreen]

Along with Hankerson, Riley had a good game. Offseason rumors were that they'd let McIntosh walk and give the job to Riley. But, they re-signed McIntosh and sent Riley to the bench. Now they've inserted Riley and he produced. We'll see if that lasts. If it does, it signals a bright future at LB along with Orakpo and Kerrigan.

This team has young talent at LB, WR, RB, and TE. For the most part, the trenches are void of young talent. Williams will be the LT for years, but Hurt and Cook are really the only other young guys right now and they've been extremely underwhelming in their limited time so far. Jarvis Jenkins should provide some youth to the DL next year.

I don't see how they can do anything other than address QB, OL, and DL next year.

 

[Marvelous]

I actually thought Grossman played pretty well. One interception was from Hankerson slipping. And the other is the head-scratching Rex type of interception.

Hankerson was looking pretty good. Everyone says he has NFL talent, so I hope he develops unlike other WRs we have had before.

Riley had a good game. Apparently McIntosh has not been to good in defending the run.

I really thought the Redskins run blocking would be better than it is. There is just so little room for the RBs to run.

 

[dgreen]

I actually thought Grossman played pretty well. One interception was from Hankerson slipping. And the other is the head-scratching Rex type of interception.

He was ok. While they didn't put up points, the offense at least moves a little with Grossman, as opposed to Beck. That 2nd pick was a weird play. They ended up with three receivers in a tight area. Gaffney started across the field and then tried to slip behind Dansby. I think Gaffney made that move just as Rex was ready to release and it looked like Gaffney may have led Dansby back into that area. Rex definitely shouldn't have thrown it, but Gaffney's route didn't seem to help things.

 

[fatness]

Edited dgreen's post in bold to update where we are now.

Remaining schedule:

Philadelphia Eagles L

@ Carolina Panthers L

@ Buffalo Bills L

San Francisco 49ers L

@ Miami Dolphins L

Dallas Cowboys

@Seattle Seahawks

New York Jets

New England Patriots

@ New York Giants

Minnesota Vikings

@ Philadelphia Eagles

See any wins left?

 

[Sidewinder16]

This team has young talent at LB, WR, RB, and TE. For the most part, the trenches are void of young talent. Williams will be the LT for years, but Hurt and Cook are really the only other young guys right now and they've been extremely underwhelming in their limited time so far. Jarvis Jenkins should provide some youth to the DL next year.I don't see how they can do anything other than address QB, OL, and DL next year.

Personally, I think DL is set for a few years. Carriker, Cofield and Bowen are all only 27. The return of Jenkins would possibly allow Cofield to move to DE where he's probably better suited. Neild should be a serviceable backup for a long time.After QB and OL, I think DBs will need more attention in the off season than the DL will.

 

[dcgangstas]

I don't see the Redskins winning another game this season. The only possible win would be Seattle, and they're not beating the Seahawks at home. They can't stop the run, so Marshawn Lynch should run roughshod on them.

I have always felt that the 3-1 start for the Skins was smoke and mirrors. They beat a depleted Giants team, a lousy Arizona team and just barely beat the Rams.

This team is devoid of talent. Offensively, they have no one that would keep a defensive coordinator awake at night. They also lack speed in the worst way.

Mike Shanahan is an idiot for staking his reputation on Rex Grossman and John Beck. Not only did he give up a 4th round pick to get Beck, he signed him to an extension. Brilliant.

It's the same arrogance that made him use a 3rd round pick to draft Maurice Clarett.

 

[ChrisCooleyFan]

Robert Griffin III

 

[dgreen]

This team has young talent at LB, WR, RB, and TE. For the most part, the trenches are void of young talent. Williams will be the LT for years, but Hurt and Cook are really the only other young guys right now and they've been extremely underwhelming in their limited time so far. Jarvis Jenkins should provide some youth to the DL next year.I don't see how they can do anything other than address QB, OL, and DL next year.

Personally, I think DL is set for a few years. Carriker, Cofield and Bowen are all only 27. The return of Jenkins would possibly allow Cofield to move to DE where he's probably better suited. Neild should be a serviceable backup for a long time.After QB and OL, I think DBs will need more attention in the off season than the DL will.

I don't think the DL needs an overhaul, but another young player would be good. When three key members will all be 28 (in 2012), it's time to start planning. Next thing you know, they'll all be 30+ and there will be nobody to replace them. But, I do agree that DB is probably a bigger short-term (2012-2013) need.