Editors Note: Tomorrow night the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Fed-Ex field to take on the Washington Redskins. In an effort to get to know their palyers and organization a bit better and for the SBNation blog Hog's Haven to get to know our team better we decided to ask each other a couple of questions in preparation of tomorrow nights game. My Q&A with the Hog's Haven can be read here. [Frank aka DYM]
BTSC: Jason Campbell feels like he was treated like a "piece of tissue they are flushing down the toilet" by the Redskins front office after they attempted to trade for Jay Culter and trade up in the draft for Mark Sanchez. What type of year do you see Campbell having and do you ever think he will be a franchise quarterback in the NFL?
I see Jason Campbell having a great year. Last year, Campbell completed 62.3% of his passes, threw for 3,245 yards with 13 touchdowns, six interceptions and had a QB rating of 84.3. What people don't realize is he had VERY little help. The Redskins receivers led the league in dropped balls, Campbell was knocked down 16% of the time he dropped back to pass, yet he still was the 8th most accurate QB in the league. The offensive line was literally laughable in pass defense, which led to the cuts of Jon Jansen and Pete Kendall.
The 3 receivers the Redskins drafted in 2007 (Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, and Fred Davis) have all worked extremely hard this off-season and look very good in camp. Marko Mitchell, who the Redskins drafted with a late round pick this year, is drawing heavy praise from Clinton Portis and has been doing well against the veteran corners in camp. Sure, this all sounds great in practice, so fans are anxious to see how they do this week. The right side of the offensive line is still a major concern. The Redskins added Derrick Dockery to shore up the left side (next to Pro-Bowler Chris Samuels), but I expect all of your defenses to give them fits (as it is still a work in progress). The O-line performed decently against the Ravens last week, so we'll see. This is also the first year in Jason Campbell's career he's run the same offense two years in a row, so with Zorn entering year two in his offense, it's only logical things should run smoother.
BTSC: Recently there was a media storm about Albert Haynesworth and the injections in his knees. How big of a concern is this for the Redskins and do you think he will play a full 16 game season this year, which is something he hasn't been able to do in recent years?
Both Albert and the team have down-played it a lot. Albert said he has been getting these shots for a couple years now, and it is nothing new. He said he'd rather be 100% for 14 games then be cautious for 16 years. I am not concerned about his knee at this point, especially since they're not holding him out the next 3 pre-season games.
BTSC: Last year the Redskins appear to have found a diamond in the rough in rookie Chris Horton, how has he looked in training camp? And is their any buzz around their later round draft picks from this season?
Chris Horton truly is a diamond in the rough. He has been ALL over the field in training camp and in interviews he said the game has slowed down for him coming into this year. The 2nd half of the season LaRon Landry had last year, with Chris Horton coming into his own...the Redskins safeties have everyone in Washington smiling. Kareem Moore, LaRon's backup, has been laying vicious hits at practice and the last pre-season game. Keep an eye out for him on Saturday.
BTSC: Was Antwaan Randle-El worth 31 million dollars over seven years?
I think so. Antwaan is one of those guys that has so many intangibles. He is not the super-star punt returner the Skins need, but he does not turn the ball over. His presence in the locker room cannot be under-estimated. The problem has been the offense has been so inconsistent the last few years that the Redskins haven't been able to take full-advantage. Hopefully, one of the WRs mentioned above can step up and be a solid #2 the Skins so desperately need, and Randle-El can be the slot WR which he is so perfectly fitted for. The Redskins certainly gave him a ton of $$, but that goes for most of our roster.
BTSC: How much does [Offensive Tackle] Mike Williams weigh today?[Reports were he was over 400lbs]
We actually created a weight tracker for Mike to follow his weight. I don't know his exact weight but it is in 335lbs area. He sprained his ankle in practice and is questionable for Saturday. I've spoken with Mike a couple times at camp. A really great guy and someone you really want to cheer for. He's had an up and down camp, which is par for the course when you've been out of the league for 2 years.