FanPost

Fixing the defense: A matter of personnel or scheme?

We've all seen the mess that is the Washington Redskins defense this season. As poorly as the offense has played at times, if I am being honest with myself, I expected some struggles as RG III returns to his pre-injury form. The defense is a completely different story however, and would be almost comical if it wasn't so disappointing. Now, I don't think this is a unit that will finish bottom five this year, I just think the schedule has been brutal so far. The Eagles offense no one had seen before followed by a motivated Green Bay Packers team at Lambeau is a tough stretch for any defense. Hopefully Shanny and Haslett can figure things out soon, because games against the Broncos, 49ers, and twice against the Cowboys (Dez Bryant) loom, along with a matchup against Adrian Peterson and the Vikings. So I was looking at the roster, and at least on paper I don't see many personnel changes to make this offseason. The four linebackers are solid throughout, though maybe the search for a replacement for London Fletcher should begin soon. The defensive line looks pretty good as well, maybe Jarvis Jenkins will be able to make a little bit of a difference when he returns from his suspension. Barry Cofield is still in his prime and Stephen Bowen is a serviceable (and expensive) vet. The secondary has been bad, but Amerson and Rambo will only get better. Rambo especially looks like a starter once he gets his angles down. I wish we would be able to see a little of what Phillip Thomas can do this season, but hopefully he can be a starter as well, and at worst will be able to make up for some of the lost athleticism of Reed Doughty. Hopefully the front office will go after a starting corner than can effectively press receivers at the line and allow DeAngelo Hall to play nickel next year. My point is basically that the players to turn this thing around are already on the Redskins roster. So would the Skins benefit from a schematic change? Barring a miracle I think there will be a new defensive coordinator in town next year, and personally I hope they stick with the 3-4 look. What do you guys think? What players would you like to see brought in? How do you feel about the rookies in the secondary and their futures in the league? would a radical scheme change help this sieve of a defense? I am against switching to a 4-3 look, but maybe someone out there to convince me? Thanks for the read guys, just want to get a conversation going.