Wednesday, June 5, 2002

ProFootballWeekly.com asks personnel expert Joel Buchsbaum for his thoughts on the hottest topics in football. 

Bears add depth at safety by signing Moore

SS Damon Moore visited with Buffalo and had interest from other teams, including New England, but eventually signed a two-year deal worth as much as $1.8 million with Chicago. Moore tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the NFC championship game in St. Louis in January and was allowed to leave Philadelphia because the Eagles did not believe he would be able to contribute this season. The Bears, who could still start second-year SS Mike Green, are confident they will get something out of Moore this season.

Buchsbaum: If SS Damon Moore is ready to come back by the start of this season he can be a positive addition for the Bears at strong safety, where they lost Tony Parrish. In terms of size, speed and athletic ability, Moore is very similar to Parrish, although he isn’t as intuitive and won’t pick up the system quite as quickly. Parrish and Moore are both known as hard hitters with a knack for occasionally coming up with a big play but not being real ball-hawks. That makes them better fits at strong safety, where Moore is a good fit next to the very intuitive FS Mike Brown. Mike Green was slated to replace Parrish, but is better suited as a free safety at 185 pounds.

’Skins defensive line shaping up

Washington has been busy in the free-agent market in the offseason and continues to dip into the pot. The ’Skins inked DT Santana Dotson, a free agent from Green Bay, to help add depth and experience along the defensive line. Dotson could start, but the Redskins continue to track Ravens free-agent DT Sam Adams, which would give the club a solid three-man rotation with Adams, Dotson and Dan Wilkinson.

Buchsbaum: The Redskins made one of those good minimum-wage pickups when they got Dotson from the Packers. Dotson wasn’t the same player coming off surgery last year, but he was coming off of that surgery. Granted he is 32 years old, Dotson can be a solid No. 2 tackle if he gets back to where he was with Green Bay. If Washington were to sign Adams, Dotson would make an excellent third tackle. Dotson is past his prime; however, he knows how to use his hands, is smart and can be a positive addition for Washington and the underachieving Wilkinson. Dotson was an underachiever at Baylor and fell to the fifth round of the draft, but not based on his ability.

The Redskins also signed OL Kipp Vickers, who is at best a seventh or eighth lineman. His versatility can make him a plus for Washington, but if Vickers has to start at one of the guard spots, the Redskins could be in trouble.

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