Redskins Insider: Make do or makeover

Leave it to the normally quiet Rocky McIntosh to sum up the stakes for many Washington Redskins players and coaches when they report to training camp Wednesday.

Opining on his Twitter account Friday night, McIntosh wrote: “Do or die this year skins fans… I choose Do. And do it BIG.”

Do or depart may be more appropriate.

The odor of a 2-6 second half still lingers, and with quarterback Jason Campbell in the last year of his contract and numerous Super Bowl-winning coaches available, only big seasons will stop ownership from undergoing another massive makeover.

With the first workout coming Thursday, here are 10 players/positions that need to do it big this year.

1. Jason Campbell

Owner Dan Snyder tried to replace Campbell twice this spring, but a lack of draft picks left the Danny out of the Jay Cutler-Mark Sanchez fray. Halfway through last year, when the Redskins were 6-2, he had thrown eight touchdowns and no interceptions. The playoffs seemed like a sure thing, and teammates were wondering why a contract extension wasn’t on the table. But then came the 2-6 collapse and a final ranking of 23rd in passing.

A key for Campbell is his work in the middle of the field. Unofficially, his passer rating was 78.5 between the 30-yard lines with four of his six interceptions, compared to 89.9 (inside the Washington 30-yard line) and 94.8 (inside the opponent’s 30).

2. Clinton Portis

Campbell may be the player who needs to raise his game the most, but Portis is clearly the most valuable on the roster. If he’s healthy for 16 games, he’ll produce and the Redskins have a chance to make the playoffs. If he’s nursing injuries through November and December, the offense will again sputter.

The Redskins went 5-1 when Portis gained 100 yards. Even though his 1,487 yards were fourth in the NFL, he reached 100 yards only once in the season’s second half. Zorn must take steps in the first half to nurse Portis’ workload so attrition won’t set in before Thanksgiving.

3. Whoever plays right tackle

Veteran Jon Jansen is out and, well, who’s in? Stephon Heyer enters training camp as the starter with competition coming from Mike Williams and Jeremy Bridges. It would be stunning if one player starts every game at this spot.

The new starter must replace Jansen’s run blocking ability, so the Redskins aren’t one dimensional and are forced to run left behind Chris Samuels and Derrick Dockery. In pass protection, Heyer-Williams-Bridges must be efficient enough that Zorn doesn’t need to give them double-team help.

4. DeAngelo Hall

Story Continues →