Regardless, this should be a significant boost to the DL.  While Daniels is a very good DE (he’s way underrated), Taylor is still an All-Pro, and is only a few years from his defensive player of the year status.  I don’t think Romo or Manning are going to approve of this move.

Each signing, however, will mean a player released as well.  While unlikely, it is possible the Redskins could sign all players by this time next week; it’s very likely all will be signed prior to the start of training camp, with only the three 2nd rounders receiving significant money (even they will likely sign for low salary contracts and signing bonus of less than $400-$500K.)  Expect a lot of player activity in the next week; it’s probable we’ll see at least 4 players signed (and 4 released) by this time next week.

And of course, other than that, there shouldn’t be any real news for the next three weeks. 

1.  Chris Cooley

Signed Through 2013

2008 Cap Hit: 3.038 million

Cooley has been a model of consistency over the past three years.   He’s averaged about 4-5 catches/game, had over 700 yards and scored between 6-8 touchdowns in each season.  He’s emerged as a very good tight end as evidenced by his Pro Bowl selection in 2007.  Cooley was one of Gibbs 2.0 biggest success stories, as the team traded up to select Cooley in the 3^rd round and he’s produced ever since.

Expectations:  Despite the good years, you get the feeling that Cooley can do even more going forward.  He’s developed solid chemistry with Jason Campbell and we may look back on 2008 as the year Cooley became an elite tight end.

2.  Todd Yoder

Signed Through 2009

2008 Cap Hit: 847k

Yoder is your stereotypical 2^nd tight end.  He doesn’t see the ball often; he just goes on the field and mucks it up for 4 quarters.  Yoder’s 7 catches in 2007 were actually the 2^nd highest total in career and fell only 3 yards short of hitting 100 for the 2^nd time as well.  Yoder’s carved out a nice career for himself as undrafted player, 2008 will be his 8^th season in the NFL.

Expectations:  Yoder will be Yoder.  He’s a not guy you’d pick for your fantasy team, but he does his job and handles the heavy lifting that frees Cooley to be more of a receiving threat.

3.  Tyler Ecker

Signed Through 2010

2008 Cap Hit: 310k

Ecker was the Redskins 7^th round pick in the 2007 draft.  He was injured early in training camp and spent the year on injured reserve.

Expectations: Ecker is a long shot to make the roster.  If he shows potential he could end up on the practice squad, but more likely he’ll be out of a job come September.   

1.  Mike Sellers

Signed Through 2010

2008 Cap Hit: 930k

There are few players on the roster more popular with fans than Mike Sellers.  This is Sellers’ 4^th year back with the Redskins and he had his most productive season in 2007.  Sellers set career highs in rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing TDs and receiving yardage last year. 

Sellers is 32, older than most would expect because of his mid-career jaunt to the CFL.  He’s obviously gotten over his previous demons and established himself as a top-shelf fullback.

Expectations:  Looking at Mack Strong’s numbers with Seattle, Sellers could be looking at a big year.  Strong had his fair share of carries, but was used much more often as a receiver than Sellers ever has been.  If Zorn uses Sellers in a similar fashion we may be seeing more DBs getting run over by Sellers than ever before.

2.  Nemo Broughton

Signed Through 2008

2008 Cap Hit: N/A

Broughton was a 7^th round draft pick back in 2005 and has rarely seen the field since.  In 2005 he had one carry and was used on special teams, 2006 was spent on the practice squad and he was on injured reserve list for all of 2007.  He is the only pure fullback on the roster besides Sellers, so there may be a role for him in 2008.

Expectations: Nemo is going to have to prove he’s healthy in training camp.  He’s still a long shot to make the roster, but there may be a slot for him if he performs well in the pre-season.

3. Pete Schmitt

Signed Through 2009

2008 Cap Hit: 295K

Schmitt is a hybrid tight end/full back.  He was with the Redskins for training camp last year, but was injured and released with an injury settlement.

Expectations:  If Zorn wants more of a pass catcher to use in the backfield, Schmitt may have a shot.  It will be a huge surprise if he makes the team, but his pass catching skills make him more than just training camp fodder.

For other positions including QB and running back, click here: Washington Redskins Depth Chart

Photo by littlerottenrobin

1.  Clinton Portis

Signed through 2013 (although cap hit goes way up in 2010)

2008 Cap Hit: 6.040 million

Portis returns to Washington for his 5^th season as the starting running back for the Redskins.  Portis rebounded from an injury plagued 2006 season to play in all 16 games and set a career high with 47 receptions.   Despite being only 26 years old, questions have begun to arise wondering if Portis on the downside of his career.  His yard per carry average has dropped in each of the past three seasons and he finished last year at a paltry 3.9 yard/carry.  He seemed to lack the burst to break away in the open field and generally looked a step slower than previous seasons.

Despite having a down year, Portis is such a good blocker that even in bad games he still is one of the most important players on the field for the Redskins.  The new offensive system should alleviate some of the wear and tear on Portis.  The slow developing routes where Portis was forced to take on blitzers one on one should be reduced and the jumbo package that Gibbs loved shouldn’t be a staple of the new offense.

Expectations:  New head coach Jim Zorn has already talked about Portis in glowing terms.  They plan to use him more as a pass catcher and have openly mentioned that they look to have Portis finish with 1800 scrimmage yardage in 2008.  Portis has slimmed down to regain speed and reduce the weight his knees have to carry.  Portis should rebound in 2008 and have another big year.

2.  Ladell Betts

Signed through 2012

2008 Cap Hit: 3.405

2007 was a strange year for Betts.  He signed a long contract extension with the Redskins coming off a season where he rushed for 1,154 yards and the expectations were that he would get a fair share of the carries in place of Portis who was coming off an injury marred season.  To say it didn’t work out as planned would be an understatement.  After receiving 17 carries in week one, Betts only had 76 rushes the rest of the way (just over 5 per game).  Although the 93 carries were the 2^nd most in Betts’ career, he was basically used in the same way as he had been used in the 2004 and 2005 seasons (90 and 89 carries respectively).

On a more positive front, he only fumbled once (after 6 in 2006) and had 21 receptions out of the backfield.  Still you have to wonder if Betts would’ve tested the free agent market if he had known how little he’d see the field with the Redskins in 2007.

Expectations:  Barring an injury to Portis, it will be more of the same for Betts.  He’s an excellent back-up and a decent 3^rd down back for the Redskins.  With his cap hits coming down after this year, Betts has a very good chance to being in Washington for the long haul. 

3. Rock Cartwright

Signed through 2010

2008 Cap Hit: 705k

Unlike Betts, Cartwright decided to test the free agent waters in 2008.  Unfortunately for Cartwright, no team was willing to meet his demands and he ended up re-signing with the Redskins to a relatively cheap contract.  With Portis and Betts locked in and established in their positions, Cartwright has become a running back in name only.  He has had only 7 carries combined in the past two seasons.

Cartwright’s main contributions come on special teams where he is among the league’s best.  He’s become a surprisingly good kickoff returner and is great on coverage units.  He has also grown into a leadership role with the team and is one of the most popular plays among Redskins fans.

Expectations:  Cartwright’s chances to touch the ball have been reduced even further with the signing of Jerome Mathis to compete for the kick returner job.  The odds of Mathis surviving a whole year injury free are slim, so Cartwright will get his share of returns and will still be all over the field on special teams.

4. Marcus Mason

Signed through 2010

2008 Cap Hit: 295k

Mason was a training camp sensation in 2007.  He was a local boy who came from nowhere to make the practice squad with a strong pre-season.  The re-signing of Cartwright greatly reduces his chances of making the active roster.

Expectations:  The Redskins will try to stash Mason on the practice squad again in 2008.  If any of the above players suffer an injury, Mason could see time in 2008 but if ever carves out an NFL career it will likely be with another team.

5. Eric Shelton

Signed through 2009

2008 Cap Hit: 370k

Shelton was a 2^nd round bust for the Carolina Panthers and spent last year out of football.  He’s much bigger than another of other running backs on the team at 246lbs so he might be an option at fullback. 

Expectations:  Barring injuries, Shelton is looking more and more like training camp fodder.

For other positions including QB, click here: Washington Redskins Depth Chart

1. Jason Campbell

Signed through 2009
2008 Cap Hit: 2.265 million

For the 2nd straight year, Jason Campbell will enter training camp as the undisputed starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins. Unlike last year, Campbell is dealing with a back-up who’s proven to be able to lead the team, so the leash may be a bit tighter.

Campbell took a step forward last year. His completion percentage saw a nice jump up to 60%, while his yards per attempt also increased to 6.5 yards/attempt. There were growing pains as to be expected, but none more troubling that his propensity to turnover the ball. Campbell fumbled 13 times in 13 games to go along with 11 interceptions.

There are some concerns with how Campbell will adapt to a West Coast offense due mainly to accuracy issues, but there are also reasons for hope. Campbell’s best college season came in a West Coast system and a quicker passing offense should cut down on the fumbles. All in all, Campbell is a solid young QB but this is a pivotal year to see just how good he can be.

Expectations: Campbell must take another leap forward in 2008 to secure his spot at the long-term QB with the Redskins. If he struggles, Collins could take over.

2. Todd Collins

Signed through 2013 (although contract will be voided in 2010)
2008 Cap Hit: 1.5 million

It was like a Disney movie – A long forgotten QB finally gets his chance to play after 10 years on the bench and leads his team to the playoffs. Collins had hoped to parlay his fine play down the stretch into a starting job somewhere in the NFL, but none were to be found, so he’s back in Washington.

There is no way around it, Collins was great last year. According to Football Outsiders, the only QB’s who performed at a higher level (when adjusted for playing time) were Tim Brady and David Garrard. Sadly his story didn’t have the fairy tale ending as he struggled late in the Redskins playoff loss to Seattle.

Collins will always have a place in most Redskins fan’s hearts thanks to his strong play last year, but there are no guarantees he can continue to perform at that high level. Collins spent years learning Al Saunders’ offense, how will he perform in a new system? Even if Collins isn’t quite as proficient in the west coast offense, the Redskins still have to fell comfortable with him toting the clipboard for another year.

Expectations: One of the league’s best back-up quarterbacks for yet another year. His experience in that role should help head off any QB controversies. We all love Todd, but if he doesn’t see the field at all in 2008, it will be a good thing for the Redskins.

3. Sam Hollenbach

Signed through 2009
2008 Salary Cap hit: 370k

The forgotten QB on the roster spent some time over the summer with the Redskins but was released before training camp even started. The Redskins tried out and released various young QBs during camp and the season but when Jason Campbell went down with an injury, Hollenbach was re-signed.

Hollenbach served as the team’s 3rd QB for the Redskins final few games and in the playoffs. He didn’t see any action.

Expectations: Vinny Cerrato has openly talked about picking up a QB late in this year’s draft which doesn’t bode well for Hollenbach’s job security. He’s going to be battling for a spot, but should at least make it to training camp this year.

For other positions including QB and running back, click here: Washington Redskins Depth Chart

Photo from Scott Ableman