Levi Jones
Is Levi Jones the answer for the Washington Redskins troubled left tackle spot?
He certainly wants to be.
“It’s a golden opportunity,” Jones said. “Hopefully, I can be a part of the turnaround and get this thing going.”
It appears certain the Chris Samuels will miss the rest of the season and there are reports that he has told some people that he plans to retire. One would hope that he will do so if there is any risk of any kind of permanent injury. I would hate to go through life with a permanent stinger, especially if I’ve earned enough to be able to retire in comfort.
Apparently, however, the Redskins figured that Samuels, 32, would play forever and that it was not necessary to find and groom a competent replacement. This means that such a short-term replacement has to be found on the fly and long-range plans need to be made for the position.
It’s possible that Jones can help in the short term. When I wrote the other day that the Redskins’ option at LT were “bad and worse“, Jones was not yet on board. Now, it’s not like the situation went from there to good to great but the outlook is a bit sunnier.
Naturally, a player who gets picked up in midseason has some ifs attached. The big one with Jones is “if he can stay healthy.” He was released by the Bengals in May due to a back injury he sustained in 2008, one that cost him six games. He missed 10 games in 2006 due to injuries; other than that, he played in 15 or 16 games every year since coming into the league in 2002.
Jones never has been a threat to make it to the Pro Bowl but he did play well enough for the Bengals to give him a contract extension that contained $16 million in guaranteed money prior to the 2006 season.
It would behoove the Redskins to find out what he can do starting after the bye week. He’ll be 31 next August so he’s not a long-term solution. That will have to come from the draft.
According to one site that rates such things, six of the top 32 seniors are offensive tackles. This does not count any underclassmen who may come out. It’s kind of early to talk about any specific players since they’re only halfway through the season and we are a ways away from the combine, pro days, and the like. But, at this point in time it’s safe to say that there will be some quality tackles available in the 2010 draft.
Free agency is another option and even though next year is likely to be uncapped it’s a tough way to find your left tackle. Teams hold on to the good ones for dear life and the ones that do hit the market are expensive. Certainly, they have to take a good, hard look at this but it may be a better option to resign Jones for a year or two until the permanent solution can be found.
Finding the answer at this critical position will require a strong football mind. Since there are exactly none of those in decision-making positions in Ashburn right now, one can only hope that one will arrive there in January.
Why draft an offensive lineman when you can draft a receiver or a defensive back?! Just pick up some undrafted free agents or dust off an old fat guy. They’re usually just as good.
Instead of trying to run Zorn out of town, Dannie should get rid of Vinnie now. We don’t need him for the rest of the year and might as well start the process of getting in a real GM who can start the process of evaluating player and coaching talent now. The right person may not be available just yet, but at least this will send the message that we are looking.
The more I ponder Levi Jones, the more I think this was a good move for the Skins assuming he isn’t injured. The Skins have at least acknowledged they have line problems. I agree with Rich that Jones should be given a couple of weeks to come up to speed and should not be used until after the bye week. I sure hope he is able to contribute. Plugging leaks in the line will help. Having Jones as a short term solution makes sense. I also think the Skins should seek to build the line through the draft rather than free agency. Free agency hasn’t always been kind to the Skins. Some good, a lot bad. I prefer to see them build through youth rather than perpetuating the expensive/over-the-hill strategy. So, with so much negative chatter about the state of the team right now, I find this a tad encouraging.