Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star columnist Grant Paulson's coined a phrase about the Redskins last March -- "Washington efense, because the 'D' was missing." That was increasingly obvious as the defense bumbled through the season. The question was why? With no answers coming from the team, Tom Friend's big revelation in his ESPN article pointed fingers at coaching egos. Friend did not reveal the name of the mysterious Redskin player dishing the dirt (we think that player is no longer with the team), but whoever it was did the team a huge favor. The great collapse of 2006 was due entirely to the defense. Even with Clinton Portis hurt, the Redskins offense was good enough to make the playoffs, if the defense performed at their 2004-05 level. The root cause of the defense's problem was being covered up. Sure, the team preferred to deal with the issues privately, but the team was also in denial. At these prices, the Redskins' faithful were owed better explanations than Joe Gibbs' "it all falls on me." Fixing the defense is more important than Jason Campbell's development, and arguably more important than Clinton Portis' health. The offense will improve, but if the defense is no better, we will have the Skins of Sonny Jurgensen -- an exciting, pass-oriented team with no defense that loses a lot of games 42-36. So, on the eve of the first preseason game, here are five questions about the Washington Redskins defense: 1. Can the secondary give you a pass rush? Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams stood conventional thinking on its head by arguing that better coverage would lead to a better pass rush by forcing the opposing quarterback to hold the ball longer. Since it's Joe Gibbs talking, and because Williams defenses before last year were real fire eaters, I want to give this thought the benefit of the doubt. What about that whole "make quarterback hold the ball longer thing?" NFL offenses depend on timing. Could it be that making the QB hold the ball too long will prove just as disruptive and making him throw too soon? Williams acknowledged that because 2006 coverage was so poor, thanks to injuries to Shawn Springs and Pierson Prioleau, he called plays differently, dropping the linebackers into more coverage and playing more cover-2 zones. Poor coverage is what you get when you replace Springs and Prioleau with Mike Rumph and Kenny Wright. That forced Carlos Rogers to be your cover corner before he was ready and forced you to play your linebacker-lite (Adam Archuleta) in deep coverage, when you brought him here to blitz and stop runs. Putting Archuleta in deep coverage maximized his weaknesses and minimized his strengths. On the other hand, he was a convenient scapegoat. So, the Redskins attacked the problem by boosting the secondary, starting with drafting safety LaRon Landry, replacing disgraced safety Adam Archuleta. (If Archuleta worked out, the Skins might have taken D-linemen Jamaal Anderson or Amobe Okoye, but I digress.) The team brought back former Redskins Fred Smoot and Omar Stoutmire. If they were so good, why did the front office let them leave? Arizona free agent David Macklin signed on, as did rookie free agent Byron Westbrook (you already know who is brother is, so I don't have to tell you right?). Well, I'm glad to have Fred Smoot back, but why did he regress in Minnesota? Lets see him play before rejoicing. Stoutmire might contribute, but Prioleau's return will do more for the team. Macklin and Westbrook might not make the final roster. If the whole defensive philosophy is to get coverage sacks, can these guys do it? Any roster that does not include Mike Rumph is improved. It's more likely that a healthy Shawn Springs will allow Williams to go back to man coverage by the corners. That allows for the disruptive, blitz-from-anywhere approach Williams favored in 2004. Springs' good health is both opportunity and concern. Opportunity because he is still one of the league's best cornerbacks. Concern because he is an aging cornerback, and more and more brittle. If he's healthy all season, the Skins could get those coverage sacks and INTs and a playoff berth. If Springs goes down, it could be 2006 all over again. 2. Is the coaching problem fixed? The mystery mouth in Tom Friend's article exposed the dysfunctional working relationship between secondary coaches Jerry Gray and Steve Jackson.

"Jackson came with Williams from Buffalo, where he was a lower-level defensive coach, and Jackson supposedly was hurt when Williams chose DeWayne Walker as his main secondary coach in 2003 and 2004. He wanted the job himself, and when Walker left after the 2005 season, he assumed he'd get it. But Williams' old defensive coordinator in Buffalo, Jerry Gray, had just become available, and Williams hired him. Jackson was ticked. "So Williams threw him a bone, a bone which has literally torn up the secondary. He made Jackson safeties coach and Gray cornerbacks coach and allowed Jackson to run his own meetings. That means that the Redskins' safeties and corners do not meet together, which is practically unheard of."

The effect was a double whammy for the secondary: the cornerbacks and safeties were not coordinated, and Sean Taylor regressed. The team went back to unified meetings for the last three games of 2006, but Jackson, who coached Taylor to his decline, is the guy coaching the Skins #1 draft choice, LaRon Landry. Allowing messy coaching issues to fester was poor management on Williams (and Gibbs) part. That's the situation LaRon Landry is walking into. So, did Williams fix the problem? Is either Stephens or Gray (preferably Gray) established as the secondary coach. Is the secondary practicing and meeting as a unit? Does LaRon Landry have the best chance to succeed if Steve Jackson is his position coach? NOT fixing this problem will show up on the field. Like last year. 3. Will Golston and Montgomery step up? The Redskins spent no money on the defensive line, reasoning that better coverage would lead to more sacks (see #1 above). They say all the ingredients for fixing the defensive line are already here. Gregg Williams is scheming for a fix. He has DE Phillip Daniels practicing as a defensive guard in some sets. LB Marcus Washington may rush from the defensive end position on occasion. All well and good, but the ultimate fix is that the young bloods step up. Gibbs spoke highly of Kedric Golston (6-4, 320 lbs.) and Anthony Montgomery (6-6, 315) off-season work. So I expect to see them in rotation to jam runs and provide some kind of pass pressure. Presumed starters Cornelius Griffin, Joe Salave'a, Andre Carter and Daniels were all born in the '70's. Carter might have upside. There is no upside for the others, including stalwart DT Griffin. This is the year for a changing of the guard, so to speak. The beauty of the Redskins' approach to player personnel is that, in just five years, we can overpay for free agent DT Amobe Okoye; and he'll only be 24 years old. 4. Is London Fletcher-Baker the man? Buffalo free-agent London Fletcher-Baker is a tackling machine -- 146 total tackles in 2006. He is also the first true middle linebacker on the Redskins roster since Mike Barrow. You remember Mike Barrow? He was the Giant free agent tackling machine (150 total tackles in 2003), who in two seasons never played a down as a Redskin. Losing Barrow to tendinitis triggered a cascade of stop gap moves that led to Warrick Holdman at outside linebacker. Holdman (69 tackles) was targeted --successfully -- by opposing runners. He is remembered here as "Highway 57" (his jersey number). Fletcher-Backer supposedly is the fix for that. High tackles, durability, and coverage ability make him the every down MLB the Redskins craved. He's 32 years old. I think free agents need a transition period with their new team (see Carter, Andre). Discount Fletcher-Bakers' performance by 25 percent and you get a still respectable 109 tackles. If he can do that while leading Gregg Williams' defense for two seasons, this could be the best defensive free agent move in the Gibbs II era. With a name like London, you grow up tough. 5. Can Rocky McIntosh replace Derrick Holdman? OK, that's my last shot at now departed Holdman. The fact that McIntosh, who has two college degrees, couldn't understand Williams' system as much an indictment of the coaches as a statement about McIntosh. If your top draft pick can't start by his second season, either you picked the wrong player, or you are coaching him poorly. The Redskins' release of linebacker coach Dale Lindsey may be all you need to know about that. When the Skins selected McIntosh, they described him as an every-down linebacker who could drop in coverage as well as play run defense. They said that would give them the flexibility to blitz a safety on occasion -- a classic Williams trademark. McIntosh matched Jason Campbell's off-season work ethic. He was a daily visitor to Redskins Park. He studied the playbook. He watched film. He's ready. Linebacker is one of those positions where youth and vigor will trump old age and cunning every time. BONUS: Will Gregg Williams let players play? Williams is famous for favoring the scheme over players. His mantra is "everyone is a starter. There are no stars (but the coaches)" Last year, we found out what happens when the true stars get hurt. After an introspective off-season, Williams said he would loosen his approach somewhat to take advantage of athleticism and youth for depth. So, perhaps free agent Sean Taylor won't be so restricted, Anthony Montgomery and Kedric Golston will see more rotation on the D-line, LaRon Landry will be the starter by the fourth week bye, and contributors like Fred Smoot, Omar Stoutmire, Antonio Pierce, Walt Harris and Ryan Clark won't be discounted for the system and lost to free agency, to be missed later. That's the value I see in player athleticism. What does Williams see?