During the summer, the storyline seemed plausible: The Redskins had two young safeties who were bonding and would develop into playmakers. LaRon Landry lived up to that billing. Kareem Moore did not.
And that’s why O.J. Atogwe is in Washington today. The Redskins signed Atogwe to a five-year deal worth a reported $26 million. He’s never made a Pro Bowl, and he might not be a top-10 safety. But he is solid.
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“We definitely needed a safety,” Redskins defensive end Vonnie Holliday said. “He works hard and is a smart player.
Perhaps Moore would have developed. But he showed no signs of great improvement in his first season as a starter, slowed by a bad knee that required surgery in August. That didn’t help. But that also wasn’t the reason he took numerous bad angles in run support, nor could it explain all the missed tackles. And durability remains an issue.
Atogwe, an OK tackler, is a ballhawk with 22 career interceptions (though only five in the past two seasons). It stems from his instincts, which, paired with cornerback DeAngelo Hall, give Washington two such players in the secondary. Atogwe’s instincts are excellent.
But how much of an upgrade is this for the defense? It’s an improvement at safety, but until the Redskins find a nose tackle and improve the pass rush at linebacker, it will be a second-tier unit.
However, there could be limited ways to get better this offseason if there’s an extended lockout and free agency is affected. The Redskins jumped when they had their first chance at improvement. Their next opportunity may not come for a while.
