Free safety was quite clearly a position-of-need for the Washington Redskins heading into this offseason. Its a critical position in every 3-4 defensive scheme, and Kareem Moore had failed to justify his inclusion in the starting lineup last season at that position.
↵This problem may have been solved if the Redskins had had the opportunity to draft a free safety in the second round of the NFL Draft in 2010. But they didn't. Because they didn't have a second round draft choice. Because they'd traded it to the Philadelphia Eagles for Donovan McNabb.
↵The Eagles used that 37th overall draft choice on Nate Allen, a free safety from the University of South Florida. Allen started 12 games for the Eagles last year before suffering a season-ending injury. He had three interceptions in 2010, including one that was thrown by McNabb, and the most by any Eagles rookie since Brian Dawkins.
↵Well the Redskins appear to have solved their weakness at the free safety position this week by signing OJ. Atogwe, but they could have had Allen instead one year sooner. I don't point this out to criticize the Mike Shanahan regime for trading away a draft pick for McNabb. That's already been done often enough. I point it out just to raise the suggestion that the Redskins seem to be starting their rebuilding effort one year too late.