Past errors, future concerns for Redskins

Year after year, the Washington Redskins’ front office ignored offensive line depth in the draft and free agency with the exceptions of a lower-round pick, career journeymen and young projects.

The cost of that negligence will be determined over the Redskins’ final 11 games.

With right guard Randy Thomas already lost for the season, coach Jim Zorn said Monday left tackle Chris Samuels will miss at least this week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs after sustaining a neck stinger early in Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Arguably the Redskins’ most indispensable offensive player, Samuels played the past several years with a narrowing of the spinal column. He underwent an MRI after the Redskins returned from Charlotte, but Zorn would not speculate how long Samuels will be sidelined.

The Redskins will move right tackle Stephon Heyer to left tackle and Mike Williams from right guard to right tackle. Chad Rinehart or Will Montgomery will start at right guard.

“Not everything is jelling, but that doesn’t mean we can’t overcome these things,” Zorn said at Redskin Park. “That’s what we’re aiming to do.”

During training camp, Zorn and vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato expressed confidence that the starting line would stay healthy (a false hope) and that the reserves would provide solid reinforcement (to be determined).

The Redskins haven’t drafted an offensive lineman in the top two rounds since they chose Derrick Dockery in 2003, and he left after four seasons for the Buffalo Bills before returning to Washington this season.

Zorn defended the Redskins’ lack of aggressiveness in drafting linemen and spending money on free agents.

“I believe this: As we worked through these issues at the critical moments, we made strong efforts to sign a free agent on the O-line and looked at the draft,” he said. “But as those things came up, either those guys re-signed with their own teams or other teams. In the draft, we felt other players were better and higher on the board at that particular time.”

The players are acutely aware of the front office’s record.

Cornerback Carlos Rogers said every level of the organization should be blamed for the 2-3 start that put the Redskins in the NFC East cellar.

“Not only does it start with players and coaches, it starts with ownership,” Rogers said. “They bring everybody in and have the last say-so on everything, so that’s where it starts.

“Things ain’t working, and when things don’t work changes come, whether it’s good or bad. Players panic and coaches panic, too, when [bad] things happen. We have a lot of things to iron out, from personnel to coaches to whatever - there are just a lot of things. Until we address those issues and turn them around, we’re going to be the same, going up and down.”

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