Dan Pompei

The Redskins looked like a team that was on the verge of breaking through to the elite level last season. They won their last four regular season games to make the playoffs, but lost their first postseason game.

That loss didn't set them back as the loss of Joe Gibbs might. Their hall of fame coach decided to retire after the season, which means the Redskins have to start all over in 2008.

To their credit, they did not make spectacles of themselves in free agency as they have in the past. The Redskins operated with restraint and showed more interest in improving through the draft.

The team obviously needs to retool a bit to fit the style of new head coach Jim Zorn. Toward that end, the Skins added the two wide receivers who were rated by many as the No. 1 and No. 2 receivers in the draft — Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly. They also drafted sleepy Fred Davis, who was the top ranked tight end on many boards.

But if the Redskins are to improve this season, it probably will be because the new coaching staff energizes or connects with this team better than the old one did.

Almost all of the starters from last year figure to be starters again this year. The team didn't lose a single starter. But a few Redskins — most notably quarterback Jason Campbell, wide receiver Santana Moss and safety LaRon Landry — have the capacity to play better than they did a year ago.

With a new coaching staff, the Redskins seem to be taking a more patient approach. Part of that approach might include allowing young players to learn on the job.

Hot seat
While the Redskins want to give Campbell time to learn Zorn's new offense, they also want to see results. Campbell has 20 starts in his past, and it is time for the former first round pick to begin justifying the team's investment in him.

His performance last season was somewhat uneven before a knee injury forced him to miss the last four games of the year. If Campbell bombs out this year, the Redskins almost certainly will start looking for someone else who can do the job in the offseason.

Overheard at camp
The Redskins are expecting big things from Landry in his second season. Part of the reason is he is being moved to free safety from strong.

Landry probably is a more natural free safety. He played the position at Louisiana State and showed excellent centerfielder skills with 12 college interceptions. Only the presence of Sean Taylor had prevented Landry from playing free safety as a rookie with the Redskins.

Landry is as talented as any safety in football and is capable of providing big plays and takeaways from his new position.

Coming and going
How did the Redskins wind up with the two players many teams ranked as 1-2 at the wide receiver position without taking a player in the first round?

Well, they got a little lucky. No wide receiver was chosen in the first round. The Rams went against the consensus by making Donnie Avery the top receiver taken. And that left Thomas for the Redskins at pick No. 34.

Thomas had the ability to justify taking him in the first round. His workouts were outstanding. The only reason he may have slipped a bit is team question how NFL-ready the junior will be.

Kelly, meanwhile, had a chance of being chosen in the mid teens. But a terrible workout (4.68 40 yard dash), durability concerns and some ill advised comments saw him drop to the 51st pick in the draft.

For the Redskins offense to hit on all cylinders, Thomas and/or Kelly will have to make significant contributions.

The Redskins bolstered the defense after losing defensive end Phillip Daniels to a knee injury, trading for the Dolphins' Jason Taylor.

Prediction
The surprise hiring of Zorn has given the Redskins some buzz, but Zorn is an unproven commodity. A career quarterbacks coach, he never has been a head coach, ran an offense or even called plays.

Of course, none of that means he will fail as a head coach. It just means he will have a steep learning curve, and that could cost the Redskins a game or two this year.

Don't be surprised to see the Redskins take a step backwards before they take a step forwards. A 7-9 record seems to be a reasonable expectation in Zorn's first year.

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