Hole in Skins Defensive Line Growing

The much-ballyhooed off-season raid of the New York Jets was designed to vault the Washington Redskins to the status of elite NFL team. Laveranues Coles is supposed to give Patrick Ramsey a legitimate No. 1 receiver. Kicker John Hall and returner Chad Morton are supposed to bring consistency and excitement to the special teams, and guard Randy Thomas is supposed to tighten up an interior line that leaked last season like a paper umbrella in a hurricane.

But, unfortunately for the Redskins, none of the four ex-Jets can play defensive tackle. Ironically, it's the loss of two of their own players, who were basically pushed out the door by management, that may have created a black hole that the Redskins won't be able to crawl out of this season.

Starting defensive tackle Daryl Gardener was allowed to move on to the Denver Broncos without much resistance by the front office. Then, in a cost-cutting move, the Redskins cut their other starting DT "Big Daddy" Dan Wilkinson, leaving themselves dangerously thin on the interior of the defensive line. And now Brandon Noble, who was brought in to take Gardener's starting spot, is out for the season with a major knee injury.

I realize it's still very early to be writing anyone off this season, but I can't help thinking I've seen this act before and I already know how the story unfolds. The Redskins have a habit of making a big splash in the free-agent market that translates into an unrealistic tidal wave of expectations by the fans, yet in the end, the result is the same... an early vacation in January.