Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 21, 1993 TAG: 9304210024
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
How different Washington's future might be could surface Sunday in the NFL draft, where the Redskins' selections - depending on personnel available - will fit the wants and needs of Richie Petitbon, Gibbs' longtime defensive boss who was long overdue to be a head coach.
It isn't the 'Skins' defense that will change, however. Rod Dowhower has been the club's offensive coordinator - without that title - but Gibbs always called his own game. Now, Dowhower, whom the Redskins wouldn't allow to leave for a Minnesota coordinator's job a year ago, will be Petitbon's offensive voice.
Gibbs loved the one-back attack, the bigger the back, the better. He ran multiple tight end schemes, to the extent he repositioned some as H-backs. In a dozen years, Gibbs' offensive plan was summed up in three words - bludgeon and bomb.
When the Redskins have the ball this season, they'll often line up with two running backs. The passing game - taking some of the dependence of downfield deliverance from quarterback Mark Rypien - may more often than not resemble the attack used by San Francisco.
There will be more ball control, more short passing, and - so long, Don Warren - the Redskins will even use the tight end as something more than a strong-side tackle. Yes, the Redskins are looking for a tight end who can catch the ball, and the draft has an obvious choice.
Washington will pick 17th in the first round, sliding down one spot from the end of the season because Philadelphia receives a compensation pick at No. 13 for losing free-agent shopper Reggie White. If Notre Dame tight end Irv Smith is available - a distinct possibility the draftniks say - then he may be general manager Charlie Casserly's first pick.
While Washington wants a tight end with hands, inside Redskin Park the thought is that a running back or cornerback may be a greater need. The club is fortunate that all three of those positions are strong in this draft.
Smith is one of six Fighting Irish who may be first-rounders. Another, fullback Jerome Bettis, also intrigues Washington. The Redskins need a fullback, but so do more than a few NFL clubs, as the trend moves from the one-back or four-wideout sets to more traditional passing and pass-protection games.
The 248-pound Bettis is likely to be gone long before the Redskins make the first of their nine picks over eight rounds. With or without Bettis, look for Brian Mitchell, primarily a kick returner until now, to see more work at running back next season. Starter Earnest Byner is aging, and the 'Skins want to know if backup Ricky Ervins is the player who promised as a rookie or disappointed last season.
The Redskins also are looking for help at cornerback, with free agent Martin Mayhew having moved to Tampa Bay. That leaves Darrell Green and A.J. Johnson as solid starters, and Alvoid Mays and Sidney Johnson - a rookie could step in here - as backups.
Petitbon's gambling style means the Redskins need corners who can be tough in man coverage. Washington likes Colorado's Deon Figures, who also could return punts with Mitchell and wideout Desmond Howard becoming offensive regulars.
Figures may not be available, but the Redskins also are intrigued by Carlton Gray of UCLA, a prospect who isn't graded as a first-rounder by some experts. Gray, however, fits Washington's history of picking players who play as smart as they do tough. Another corner, junior Tom Carter of Notre Dame, is likely to go in the top 15 picks after superb workouts at the scouting combines.
The Redskins need to build depth in the offensive line, where Joe Jacoby and Jeff Bostic are Hogs headed to pasture. Washington, from the Stan Humphries trade with San Diego, has an extra third-round selection. With the free agency movement creating unforeseen holes, the potential for draft-day trades is enhanced.
Washington has the most sophisticated scouting staff in the NFL. The Redskins also are getting old. Those factors, plus a new head coach's input, could make this the most interesting draft for the club since the late George Allen began dealing for his "Over the Hill Gang" two decades ago.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB