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The NFL season is far from over, but for Redskins fans the remainder of the season is futile.
Maybe the Skins will win another game or two, but they wont do any better than that. The playoffs are out of reach, and the 3-1 start makes the season all the more disappointing.
It is time for Redskins fans to start looking to next season, something we have become quite skilled at over the past decade.
Step one is the draft in which there are two routes the Redskins could conceivably take: address the overwhelming need at quarterback or draft the dominant receiver the Redskins have coveted for so long but never acquired.
The latter is certainly available. Justin Blackmon and Alshon Jeffery are both highly skilled prospects who could have an immediate AJ Green-esque impact. However, it is almost unimaginable that the Redskins won't draft a quarterback; John Beck and Rex Grossman are truly that bad.
So, under the assumption that the Redskins will draft a quarterback, there is good and bad news.
The Good News: There will be plenty of good quarterbacks available when the Redskins pick.
The Bad News: Andrew Luck will not be available.
Andrew Luck would be the perfect pick for the Redskins, and while his future is still uncertain, it is very unlikely that he will end up in Washington.
But the Redskins should have a Top 10 pick, which means prospects like Matt Barkley and Robert Griffin III should be available. Although Griffin III has some undeniable upside, he also has some question marks and I have to believe that the Redskins will lean towards Barkley.
Although Barkley has not declared for the draft yet, and there is lots of speculation that he will not declare this season, let's assume that he does. If Matt Barkley is on the board when the Redskins pick, I cannot imagine that they will pass on him—he fits their need too much.
If Matt Barkley were added to the Redskins, what would the offense look like? Hopefully, they would have something that resembled a passing game. The offensive line is still a player or two away from being good, but that should be easy to address, especially for Shanahan.
The Redskins receivers aren't dominant, but they are certainly adequate. Fred Davis is emerging as a great target, even for Beck and Grossman. The running game has been good and only needs a passing game to continue to progress.
The defense has been inconsistent this year, but at times has looked excellent. Giving young studs like Kerrigan and Orakpo another season should only make the defense better. And while the defense certainly has room for improvement, there is also no glaring weakness that needs to be addressed. A player here or there through free agency or the draft could only help the defense.
One thing Redskins fans are always worried about is a free-agent spending spree, which involves a lot of money and a handful of players who are past their prime. This pattern appears to be gone thanks to GM Bruce Allen and coach Shanahan, but the the possibility is always there.
So what if the best case scenario pans out? What if the Redskins draft Barkley, some linemen, maybe a receiver and some defenders who can all contribute, and we don't overspend on former superstars in free agency?
If that happens, we should be significantly better. But what should we expect? Being competitive in our division would be a nice start. Although the Redskins usually find a way to play their division rivals close, they are certainly not competitive in the division. (They have one division win to date this season.)
I think .500 would be a good start. .500 in the division and .500 overall. .500 would certainly be a step in the right direction, and that would be a sight for sore eyes for Redskins fans.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/960594-2013-nfl-season-expectations-from-a-redskins-fan
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