We're enthralled by Washington's offense, but the Redskins made our list of "Minicamp Losers" because of a defense that just lost Jason Hatcher to arthroscopic surgery.
The team's big-money addition is slated to return by camp, but it's hardly a promising start for coordinator Jim Haslett, whose four seasons in Washington have seen the Redskins lose an average of 10 games per year.
"I like our guys. I really do," Haslett said this week, per The Washington Post. "We've got a good group. We've got some versatility to do different things."
That versatility extends to Haslett, who enjoys more freedom under new coach Jay Gruden than he did under Mike Shanahan. The Post noted that Shanny "made Haslett's job more difficult by tinkering with the defense," according to sources within the team.
The old regime also poured its money into the offense. Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen, though, have thrown nearly $26 million in guarantees to retain pass rusher Brian Orakpo and lineman Chris Baker while adding Hatcher to the mix.
Ryan Kerrigan gives the 'Skins another productive force off the edge. In the secondary, young cornerback David Amerson brings hope to a unit that missed too many tackles while allowing an outrageous 29.9 points per game -- second worst in the NFL.
Washington has the materials on offense to win a division, but if last year's issues persist on defense, we won't be stunned to see the Redskins land in the cellar again. Haslett's under pressure to flip the switch.
In the latest episode of the "Around The League Podcast," the heroes discuss the winners and losers of minicamp season.
