Wednesday, July 31, 2002

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

Redskins sign big DT Gardener

Washington signed free-agent DT Daryl Gardener on Tuesday to a one-year contract with a base salary of $525,000. The contract for the 29-year-old ex-Dolphin could grow to nearly $2 million if he cashes in on all the bonuses included in the deal. The six-year veteran was cut by Miami on July 19. He has a history of back trouble and some off-field issues.

Buchsbaum: In Gardener, the Redskins may have gotten the last link to having the best defense in the NFL and one of the best defenses ever — if Gardener’s back is reasonably OK and he gets into decent shape. Last year, the Redskins had one of the top five or six defenses in the league and had an outstanding young nucleus, led by the league’s best young CB tandem in Champ Bailey and Fred Smoot, a potentially great, great impact outside linebacker with as much ability as any outside ‘backer in the game in LaVar Arrington, a defensive lineman who can dominate inside in Dan Wilkinson, and a veteran in Bruce Smith who still can rush the passer.

Now, during the offseason, they made their new defensive coordinator, Marvin Lewis, a very, very smart man by adding to that defense. Jeremiah Trotter may very well be one of the top three middle linebackers in the game and a true impact player. PFW voted him as the best free-agent pickup this past offseason. Jessie Armstead went to the Pro Bowl last year, and while he didn’t play quite up to Pro Bowl standards, he was hurt and should bounce back to some degree, plus he’s considered a great leader.

For the defensive line, the Redskins got a King Kong type of tackle in Gardener to team with Wilkinson and Renaldo Wynn, one of the good, underrated defensive ends in the game. Granted, they don’t have the greatest set of safeties in the world, but they have four or five legitimate, really good corners, which is something no other team has. Even at age 40, Darrell Green is still a good player. CB Rashad Bauman, a rookie from Oregon, was considered the best cover guy in the Pac-10 and is a true ballhawk. He has outstanding speed and man-on-man coverage skills and should be a very pleasant surprise. Thus, the Redskins will not have to rely very heavily on their safeties in coverage. While Sam Shade is limited in coverage, he is a good run-support player.

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2001 - 2002 Season