The NFL's dirtiest secret used to be that the salary cap didn't matter.  Back in 2007, 2008, and 2009, the cap would increase so steeply every year, that a perennially cap-tight franchise like the Redskins could give out massive contracts to Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall, and not measurably change their cap situation.  The cap was so obviously a non-factor, that back in 2009, I wrote about how little the cap mattered on the Matt Cassel extension with the Chiefs. That was Scott Pioli's FIRST major move as a NFL general manager.  As we prepare for the 2013 draft, Pioli is now on television.

Replacing Pioli in Kansas City is Andy Reid, disposed this past off-season as head coach of the Eagles for the crime of having a losing season.  The Eagles hired Oregon head coach Chip Kelly to replace Reid.  One of the major differences between the Eagles and the Redskins is that the Eagles have long operated at a higher standard for winning than the Redskins: the struggles this past season that got Reid fired more or less got Shanahan the sense of urgency within the organization to trade three years of draft talent for RG3.

But those standards don't always predict good things for the Eagles.  That sense of urgency by the Redskins resulted in the selection of maybe the premier player in the NFL (and certainly among players 23 and younger -- because that group excludes Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Colin Kaepernick, and Russell Wilson -- although he's second in Approximate Value to CB Patrick Peterson of the Cardinals among 23 year olds), while the Eagles may be in full on rebuilding mode.  

Here's the big question I'm trying to answer today: are the Eagles actually rebuilding?   Because if the dirty secret of the NFL used to be that the salary cap doesn't matter, today the secret the NFL doesn't want you to know is that even the most aggressive rebuilding projects should result in quick turnarounds.  The Raiders completely tore down their team this offseason, but their management will be on the hot seat as quickly as 2014.  Heck, the Redskins managed to improve from a weak team with a rookie quarterback to a playoff contender featuring the rookie of the year to perhaps the premier team in the NFC East in just two months without the benefit of an offseason.  If the Redskins could go from 3-6 to 10-6 with minimal roster adjustment, it would stand to reason that the "rebuilding" Eagles cannot simply be written off in 2013.

Evidence that the Eagles are rebuilding: release/restructuring of the old guard

QB Michael Vick headlined this group when he agreed to cut down his "$100 million" extension to one year at about seven million, the alternative to getting released and heading to a market where he likely wouldn't have found a better fit than he already had in Philadelphia.  But, and starting with the midseason release of DE Jason Babin, the Eagles' salary releases would make you think this team is rebuilding.  They released quality contributors on the wrong side of age 30 such as DTs Mike Patterson and Cullen Jenkins.   They allowed CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to walk in free agency.  And they released their largest contract, CB Nnamdi Asomugha, who will eat a significant part of their 2013 salary cap, which is typically excellent evidence of a rebuild.  The Eagles are going with a 3-4 defense in 2013, and while teams typically see a defensive boost in year one of a scheme change (and the Eagles defense is bound to regress towards the mean anyway), they certainly released players who could have helped in the short term despite being on the wrong side of 30.  The Eagles secondary will move from a talent-loaded disaster in 2012 to talent-lacking disaster in 2013.

Evidence that the Eagles are reloading

Now, here's the tricky part: if we can pencil the Eagles defense as a bit improved in 2013, then the evaluation of their offense gets a bit dicey.  Chip Kelly did not make a ton of personnel changes on offense, which in itself is evidence of a multi-year rebuilding project: taking a year to identify the long term contributors.  But if you're looking at places where the Eagles may improve (as opposed to merely regress) the most, we know that Chip Kelly is going to completely change the offensive philosophy of the Philadelphia Eagles.  NFL offenses have been moving in the direction of up-tempo gameplanning, and Kelly was a master of this at Oregon, and the University of New Hampshire before that.

No one thinks the Eagles were lacking in talent under Reid, even as the numbers said they were lacking in production, and the weakest part of the Eagles last year on offense was their offensive line.  But injuries struck hard on that offensive line, and they'll return a group that already probably understand's Kelly's offensive concepts better than most offenses because a lot of my film study suggests that Reid had been taking college concepts from coaches like Kelly and implementing them since 2010 at least, when the goal was getting productivity from Kevin Kolb.  If you are hoping the Eagles will be down in the short term because of a steep learning curve to Kelly's offense, I think that ignores why Kelly's system was so effective in college: its remarkable simplicity.  Any of Philadelphia's quarterbacks can excute this gameplan on limited practice because its, for lack of a better term, user friendly.

Kelly's offense is spread, sure, but every team in the NFL that's not consistently running two backs still (essentially, this is just the Shanahan tree now) is running the spread offense as it's base set, and college-style coaches like SF OC Greg Roman as well as Kyle Shanahan have taken spread concepts and college coaching techniques, and have worked them into the pro style system.  By my count, the last of the coaches who refused to adapt to the wide open (Pat Shurmur) was fired following the 2012 season (Shurmur is now an assistant on Chip Kelly's staff).  Kelly's system is about getting the best players on the roster in great matchups, if not wide open.  The orthodoxy that the read option (which is a great weapon for doing such, as the Redskins know) is a necessary staple of his offense is a media creation.

The best quarterback on his roster is Nick Foles, who likely will not run the read-option, but will run a highly-uptempo offense that will put up big raw numbers.  The trick for defenses against Kelly is in the efficiency numbers.  The Duck offense always put up big points, but had widely varying offensive efficiency numbers while the Ducks defense was much more consistently top ten.  There's a good bet the Eagles will be top five in points scored, as as long as they can avoid the turnovers that plagued them in past seasons, an offense that is near the top of the NFC in total offense doesn't exactly have the components of a rebuilding project.

The truth is in the roster

The Eagles simply don't have the young talent they have had in past years.  When you look at under 24 year old talent, the Eagles have LB Mychael Kendricks, and DL Fletcher Cox, their top two picks from last year's draft, who will now be major contributors in the new scheme.  Then they have a pair of rotational running backs, Bryce Brown and Dion Lewis, who are just 22 and 23 respectively.  They have Brandon Boykin, the Georgia product who may be the team's slot corner.  But, relatively speaking, that's a good drafts worth of talent, but not an elite core to build around.  Every team with a full slate of picks could go out into the draft this April, and match the draft the Eagles had last year.

If we expand the core by two years, the Eagles have one of the best players in the league in Shady McCoy, which means the team is loaded at the running back position in a way that reminds you of the kind of backfield talent Chip Kelly had at Oregon.  Jeremy Maclin is just 25 as he heads into a contract year.  And Brandon Graham is an excellent foundational defensive player.

But the Eagles roster is not talent-loaded with youth, and if you take the running back position out of it, it's arguably talent void.  That's one of the reasons they offered a massive contract to OLB Connor Barwin, who may not start as a first year player, but means that the Eagles felt they had to go outside the organization to get Trent Cole's eventual replacement.  Barwin may be able compete with Cole now, but he will never be Cole in his prime, one of the truly underrated players of the last five years.

Lacking the pipeline to seamlessly replace the talent that was released by the Eagles this offseason, the number one goal for the upcoming draft is to get foundational talent...which by definition means the Eagles are rebuilding.  There are plenty of bells and whistles here for Kelly to make use of in year one, and no one thinks the Eagles are void of talent.  But a lot of talent is already in prime or perhaps on the backside of prime (talent like Cole and OL Jason Peters, Todd Herremans, and Evan Mathis), and none of those players may have the longevity to be part of the next Super Bowl type Eagles team.  The foundation of that next Eagles team is going to be the current draft.  And when, heading into draft season, the foundation of your next great team isn't yet on your team, that means you're rebuilding.  

In the Eagles case, it's rebuilding with a caveat, but -- significant to Redskins fans -- rebuilding nonetheless.

Brian Tinsman, official team blogger on Redskins.com, has a position-by-position preview of the 2013 roster on the official site. We're showing links to each post because it's the official team blog.

Do you know the difference between bloggers and journalists? Journalists have sources. They originate news. Bloggers assess it. A blogger like Tinsman is a hybrid, a blogger with unparallel access to the team. Hog Heaven is envious, in a good way, of Tinsman and his predecessors Matt Terl and Larry Weisman, for their proximity to the coaches, players and staff. We're no different from Mr. Snyder in that regard. We want to hang out with the fellas.

To Tinsman, this is work, so he has to produce content. Roster previews will be popular with bloggers going into OTAs and offseason workouts. Tinsman's posts deserve a special place just because he's close to the team.

That's wonderful, but be careful, Brian. The Redskins abruptly freed Terl and Weisman to test the market before last season, just as they did with Fred Davis and DeAngelo Hall this year. Mike Shanahan brought Davis and Hall back. Neither Terl nor Weisman got the same treatment from Larry Michael. Just sayin'.  

Links to Redskins.com Roster Review by Position:

Offensive Tackles.

Interior Linemen.

Receivers.

Running Backs.

Quarterbacks.

Hog Heaven will post new links as they are published. Come back often.

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The NFL scheduled a Monday Night Football visit to FedEx Field by one of its premier teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Do the NFL and ESPN know something that we do not yet know? Will Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III be available to take six or eight snaps to open that contest?

While Hog Heaven is skeptical, nothing that RGIII does surprises us anymore. A speedy recovery after surgeries on both knees would just be another remarkable achievement by a remarkable young man.

Head Coach Mike Shanahan says that Kirk Cousins will take all the practice snaps with the first team throughout off-season. Both he and Griffin have said that Griffin would not start until he is 100 percent recovered.

Still, the idea of broadcasting Cousins vs. the Steelers defense would not send ESPN types to celebratory drinks Man Men style. I am a Spartans alum who enjoys watching Cousins in action anytime, but I'm also a Redskins fan. There are two certainties about Redskins fans. We prefer RGIII to Cousins, and we don't want Griffin to rush his recovery.

Griffin represents five to 10 years of enjoyable football after 19 years in the playoff desert. We are not willing to risk that in a preseason game.

Here is the preseason schedule.

The NFL strings out preseason weekends from Thursday evenings to Monday night. Except for Steelers@Redskins, the NFL has not revealed the exact day and time of Redskins preseason games.

Washington last faced Pittsburgh October 29, 2012, at Heinz Field. The Redskins lost 27-12 when the defense could not contain Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers held Alfred Morris to 59 rushing yards.

Watching Redskins game. Have to think the were distracted, all day, thinking, "AHHHHH!!!! BEES!!!!!!! GIANT BEES!!!!"

— Dan Graziano (@espn_nfceast) October 29, 2012

Steelers fans travel well. They've been known to "take over" FedEx with as many as 30,000 fans. Not this time. Redskins fans have a defending division champion to root for.

Tickets became a hot commodity as the 2012 season progressed. The Steelers game will be the fans' first home town look at the 2013 Redskins and it's on Monday Night, too. With or without RGIII, expect a sellout.

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1. DeAngelo Hall makes the team better, unless he makes it worse

Let me be up front about a bias. I don't particularly like D.Hall, the Rex Grossman of the Redskins defense. Like Grossman, Hall is a talented risk taker. Sometimes he will control a game. Sometimes he will cost you two.

We question the wisdom of using Hall in man coverage without safety help.  The still painful memory of the 2011 Dallas game one fuels the fear.

In a climatic fourth-quarter play, Jim Haslett called a jailhouse break from an eight-man front to pressure Tony Romo who never the less beat the rush to find Dez Bryant 30-yards downfield. Hall was in single coverage on Bryant and he played the ball instead of coverage. A facemask grab led to a penalty on Hall and a lot of profanity from him. The gaff put the Cowboys 15 yards closer for the winning field goal.

The Redskins held a slim lead up to that point. The defensive breakdown came on so many levels, starting with the failure of 10 defenders to run down Romo. Hall made that play without situational awareness. It is all too typical of him.

Jim Haslett likes Hall, as did Greg Blache before him. He minimized the risks by playing Hall in the slot. The 2012 Redskins secondary was a liability with Hall, and with injured safeties and journeyman Madieu Williams. His return does not actually improve the team.

There is no middle ground on D.Hall.

2. There were alternatives

Nnamdi Asomugha signed with the 49ers Wednesday. He was an alternative to Hall, if the Redskins wanted to pursue him. Snyderrato would have grabbed him for name recognition alone despite his now tarnished rep. Pundits once spoke of him as a shutdown corner as they do of Derrelle Revis. But, Nnamdi was a bust in Philly.

Quarterbacks avoided Asomugha when he was with the Raiders. He was the league's least targeted DB in 2009-2010, although a comment on Yahoo! Answers suggests there were better corners to pick on in a weak Oakland defense. (In 2008, that included DeAngelo Hall.) Asomugha has the physical moves of a cornerback that are at least equal to Hall's. His contract with San Francisco is a relative bargain at $3 million for 2013.

Hog Heaven is fond of saying that new players are productive the year after they join their team. Asmougha's two bad years in Philadelphia  makes the case for Hall's return to the 'Skins. The two sides know each other. Hall will likely will be more productive for Washington in 2013 than Asomugha would have been. Hall is two years younger. He wants to be here. Hmm, his return is looking better already.       

3. Protect the cap; let the market do the pricing

We watched as London Fletcher and Fred Davis found their value in free agent market and then come home to the Redskins. This third occurrence with Hall proves that a pattern is in play. Hog Heaven loves this, but we understand how it stresses fans.

Too often in the past, allowing an unrestricted free agent to walk meant the Redskins no longer wanted him. Washington wanted these three players, but at the right price and without dead cap risk. Now the Redskins are less like the bad guy heartlessly cutting players of fan's affection. From the outside, it seems the front office is astute both at pegging how other teams value the player and at offers that stand up to comparison shopping by the players agent.

The NFL owners have without a doubt in my mind set a price point for what they think each position "should be worth" & are following it.

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) April 4, 2013

Hall reportedly signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract. He was due to count $8 million against this year's cap. The Redskins need the cap room to sign a well-chosen free agent (cough: Antoine Winfield), but must do it without ruinous contract commitments that live beyond the player's tenure here.

This is a good habit to carry into 2014 and beyond when Washington will have both cap room and an owner willing to spend. One more season in the penalty box and we're golden.

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The Redskins brought back TE Fred Davis on Friday in a move that was largely expected.  The Redskins gave him a nice one year deal given the circumstances.  It's a significant pay cut from his franchise tender of last season, but Davis had the opportunity to lock in long term with the Redskins, and he -- likely with some culpability to agent Drew Rosenhaus -- did not do so.  Davis will be 27 this year, and it's not out of the realm of expectation for a 28 year old tight end to get paid on the free agent market.  It would not be shocking if Davis signed with the Redskins with a clause that forbids the use of the franchise tag for next season.

With Davis coming back, and with the Redskins doing whatever is in their power to get CB Antoine Winfield under the cap (they'll need to create room to pull that off), the focus will shortly shift to the NFL draft with all the major needs on the roster satisfied.

The fact that the Redskins have filled their needs through free agency does not mean the roster isn't obviously weak in some areas.  The secondary is still one of those areas, as is inside linebacker and to some extent, defensive end as well.  The right tackle position has been the same old story since Jon Jansen allowed a few sacks in 2008: it's gotten progressively worse each season.  Many weaknesses are still on the roster.

But you can pretty much see that the advantages of the 2013 Redskins is that it's a team that likely will not be starting any rookies for 16 games.  This means that its more important to get the best player available in the draft than it is to build around the current weaknesses.

There are some exceptions.  Its a safe bet that the Redskins will draft someone in the secondary before the end of the fourth round.  Its a safe bet they will take a running back late or as a priority UDFA to compete with Evan Royster for a roster spot (keep your eye on Jawaan Jamison of Rutgers).  They will probably pick at least one offensive lineman.  They will probably trade back in the second round.  It's the fourth draft that Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan have been here for, and they've created very obvious trends in their years here that we can rely on with some confidence.

But beyond what has occured every draft to date, we can be reasonably confident that they will operate with a general strategy (last year: build depth on the offensive line, year before that: get offensive skill talent early and often), but that they will focus on adding the best player available.

Now, that idea could very easily have a second clause, namely, best player available in the secondary until the need is satisfied.  That could mean two or three picks in the secondary between the second and fifth rounds.  But I think the Redskins should go more global with their strategy and take the best player available at pretty much any position (not quarterback, not running back early, and not interior offensive line early).  I think if the right wide receiver, offensive tackle, or tight end comes available in the second round, that's where you pull the trigger.  The total defense statistic from last year needs to take a back seat to overall value on draft day.  If by chance we get through seven rounds and the Redskins haven't adequately added enough defensive talent, then I would use Undrafted Free Agency to make a targeted attack in the secondary and on the defensive line.  But before then, I'd focus on getting the players who can make the most plays for a playoff team in Burgundy and Gold.

Longtime RHH readers already know my longstanding affinity for Rutgers CB Logan Ryan.  Here are a number of other players I have first round grades on that could be around when the Redskins bring up the card in the second round -- hopefully after a trade down (maybe even into the third round).

DEs Bjorn Werner and Tank Carradine, Florida State It's very possible that two of the top three pass rushers in this draft may have played football at the same school.  They do not have the same skill set.  Werner profiles as a physical force with a first round body who will need strong coaching at the next level to be able to beat the best pass protectors in the league.  Is good against the run, with a lightning quick first step.  Does lack a finishing quality against elite competition.  I don't think this is because of a lack of effort, more because of a lack of technique.  Doesn't lose often, but when he does, he doesn't always get back into the play.  Carradine is a better pure pass rusher, and comes to the NFL relatively healthy after missing most of 2012 with a knee injury.  As a rule of thumb, the players who are hurt the most in college tend to be so in the NFL.  Carradine fits nicely as an OLB on the Redskins.  Werner might play on the defensive line or stand-up, as his position in a 3-4 probably wouldn't be locked in officially until after his rookie year.

WR Stedman Bailey, West Virginia Bailey played as well as any receiver in the country last year, probably winning off the line of scrimmage against a higher percentage of DBs and in total plays as any other reciever in this draft.  Has deceptive deep speed, though he's most comparable to Brian Hartline or Jordy Nelson in that their deep ability is based less on raw speed and more on route running and the inate ability to get defensive backs to underestimate the deep threat he provides.  Is difficult to overthrow, and having played in Dana Holgorsen's offense, runs a variety of routes.

WR Robert Woods, USC I have a top ten grade on Woods (higher than on Keenan Allen), and he may well be the best offensive player in this draft after Tavon Austin.  He's the best pure receiver in this draft from a talent perspective, but as a rookie, his biggest impact will be on punt returns.  Is a supremely talented athlete even by NFL standards, and is a very intelligent football player to boot.  Was the centerpiece of USC's offense since the first snap of the Lane Kiffin era, and the only constant over that timeframe besides Matt Barkley.

DE/OLB Alex Okafor , Texas Going to try to get through this preview without mentioning Brian Orakpo.  Ah hell, he reminds me a lot of Orakpo.  But the comp I put on him in my draft analysis was: Jason Babin.

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson Clemson's top receiver this season simply took over the LSU defense in the fourth quarter of this years Chick-fil-A Bowl. It was very reminiscent of Anquan Boldin's run in the playoffs this year.  He plays fast, although there will always be faster, stronger players at the next level, teams drool about getting a player who can take over games in the 4th quarter. Hopkins could be that guy.

NT Kawaan Short, Purdue A Vince Wilfork clone who spends less time on the ground than some safeties in this class. Has really great feet, but limited in pass rush (he's got quickness on par with Shariff Floyd, but lacks Wilfork's raw strength). Makes up for that with excellent hand work.

DL Jonathan Hankins, Ohio State An interior force, I think Hankins is best suited to play DE in the pros, which is  probably the best situation for him.  Based on film projection only, Hankins has an incredible amount of value in this draft as he might be its best pass rusher at the right end position, regardless of defensive scheme, as a 5, 7, or 9 tech he's the top rated player I have.

LB Alec Ogletree, Georgia Ogletree is the athletic linebacker type from a great defensive team, these players have a spotty history in the NFL.  I want to focus on the fact that the Redskins linebackers must be able to rush the passer regularly, as well as cover tight ends one on one and play the run. That's three checks based on Ogletree's work at Georgia.

CB Jordan Poyer, Oregon State A top tier cover corner who should be available at second tier prices around where the Skins pick in round two.

CB Darius Slay, Mississippi State Benefitted from the luxury of being the no. 2 corner in an SEC program, experienced in both man and zone coverages and during this season was a better player than teammate Jonathan Banks (who nursed an injury all year). I consider him to be the best SEC corner in the draft.

DE/OLB Demontre Moore, Texas A&M The young edge rusher comes with a strong pedigree out of a school with a strong recent track record for developing defensive players. He's not Von Miller. The two do not play similar games.  Moore plays the kind of game that Aldon Smith does with the 49ers. He's not quite that explosive, but he's young with upside.

LB Arthur Brown, Kansas State This guy may be the best defensive athlete in the draft, which seems odd to say about a Kansas State Wildcat. Brother of Bryce Brown. Prefers to play the game down hill, which makes him a questionable asset in the passing game, all factors considered.  Still: he's a much better player than Byron Westbrook was!

1 – Roster built on player value. Sports talk radio troll for callers by asking the audience if they miss the old days when Washington was the highest profile team in the offseason. If you are a long-time Hog Heaven reader, or a Redskins fans since 2000, or even just a smart observer of pro football, you are wary of winning the offseason Snyderrato-style. It never paid-off, not in the 2006 offseason (“It’s our year”), or in 2009 with the Fat Albert contract. We watched the 2011-‘12 Philadelphia Eagles bust with the strategy. The Seahawks may be doing the same to themselves now.

After a flirtation with Snyderism in 2010, Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen committed to rebuilding roster structure with players valued at or beneath their worth. The Redskins won the division with free agent contributors acquired in 2011 and rookies signed in 2012. They rolled the dice on the best quarterback prospect of the millennium, but at the rookie wage scale of the new CBA. They found the best rookie rusher of 2012 at seventh-round money.

For free agents, Shanallenhan a made market-based offer to London Fletcher, then watched as he tested the market before he re-signed with the team. It’s how the Redskins approached Fred Davis who they signed to a one-year deal today. The process disturbs fans, but it really is the way to go.

2 – No one loves Fred Davis like the Redskins do. Like every Redskins fan, Hog Heaven looks forward to the return of a healthy Fred Davis. A lot of ‘Skins fans say Fred Davis is the greatest tight end entering the 2013 season. Um, not fast, cowboy.

Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham and Vernon, not Fred, Davis are the three most dangerous tight ends in the game. Tony Gonzalez’ decision to return for another playoff run knocks F.Davis down a peg behind Jermichael Finley, Aaron Hernandez, Jason Witten, and Logan Paulsen. The Redskins discovered Paulsen as a receiving tight end in Davis’ absence. Paulsen figures to steal receptions from Davis this season.

But Davis would contribute more to the Redskins in the 2013 season than any of those other TEs. All but Paulsen would have to learn the Redskins’ offense. Even for veterans, that takes about a season. Paulsen knows the system, but lacks Davis’ speed and potential for yards after the catch. The Redskins knew that when they made their offer to Davis and then let him comparison shop other teams.

Washington does not want Davis because he’s the best. They want him because he’s the best fit available. At the right price, that’s good enough to win.

3 – The return of the sick and wounded: Fred Davis, Robert Griffin III, Brian Orakpo, Josh Morgan, Brandon Meriwether, Roy Helu, Adam Carriker, Chris Nield, Chase Minnifield. Rob Jackson will return from suspension after four games. Tanard Jackson might return sometime this year, maybe.

Redskins led NFL in 2012 in yards-per-play while Garcon, Morgan, Davis & RG3 either played hurt or missed games. They could be nice in 2013

— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) March 29, 2013

The Redskins need for new talent may not be as great as you think. We just need our guys back.

4 – Still Vinny Cerrato’s team. Like the little girl with the little curl, when Vinny was good he was very good. The Redskins opened free agency by locking up Cerrato legacy free agents Rob Jackson, Darrell Young and now Davis. The Redskins await the healthy return of Brian Orakpo, Cerrato’s best Draft pick, and of London Fletcher, the best free agent signing of the Gibbs-Cerrato era, or any Redskins era. The problem is that, when Cerrato was bad, he was a walking disaster.

We won’t beat the dead horses of Cerrato mistakes, but he did make a few good moves of lasting value that remind us that Cerrato wasn’t completely worthless. It just seems that way.

5 – The Redskins still need legitimate Nos. 1 and 2 wide receivers. Hog Heaven touts the 6-7-8-9-10-11 benchmark for wide receivers. A good number-two receiver should catch 60 passes for seven touchdowns and 800 yards. A good number-one receiver should deliver 90 receptions for 10 TDs and 1,100 yards. That’s on top of what a receiving tight end should do.

Atlanta’s Julio Jones and Roddy White fit that profile, with Tony Gonzo’s performance as icing on the cake. Dez Bryant emerged as a legitimate No. 1 receiver in 2012 with 92 receptions, 12 touchdowns and 1,392 yards. When Miles Austin is healthy, the Cowboys have a potent passing game whenever he surpasses TE Jason Witten's performance. Witten was Dallas’ second-leading receiver. The fact that Austin was a near-miss at the No. 2 benchmark is partly why the Cowboys were a near-miss for the division.

Even with Davis’ potential performance, the Redskins still need receivers who can hit those benchmarks. We think Pierre Garćon can be that guy as a No. 1. Josh Morgan proved to be a tough clutch receiver, but missed the benchmark as a No. 2. Help may be coming in the Draft. It would be better if either Morgan or Leonard Hankerson meet the No. 2 benchmark, or be the equal of Miles Austin in order for the Redskins to succeed.    

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The Washington Redskins face a challenging offseason for reasons well known to Hog Heaven readers – the salary cap anchor and no first round pick after the trade that led to Robert Griffin III.

We look for Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen to duplicate the magic of the past two seasons by building a division winner out of free agents and draftees we barely know. News that controversial LSU DB Tyrann Mathieu could drop the the third or fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft puts the Honey Badger within reach of bargain-hunting  teams. 

If you read Redskins Hog Heaven, you are smart enough not to scout players by name recognition. Does the player fit what we are trying to do here?

Hog Heaven went to some of the bloggosphere's smartest talent evaluators for thoughts about the idea of Mathieu to the Redskins. First to respond is DC Pro Sports Report's Tom Threkeld, the godfather of NFL Mock Drafts. Here's what Tom has to say.

"He's also a big performer in special teams, with real potential at the pro level as a punt returner and on coverage teams. There are very few weaknesses in his game.