Skins expect to see changes

On Monday, quarterback Jason Campbell left Redskins Park for the final time this year, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder while he held on to a poster commemorating his selection as player of the week.

Offensive tackle Jon Jansen had to exercise a little more care in cleaning out his locker. The 32-year-old may have played his final game with the Redskins.

"I've walked out of here a lot not necessarily knowing what my future was going to be, so it's not anything new," he said. "I'm no spring chicken, but I have some good years in me."

Jansen was replaced at the start of the season by Stephon Heyer, who was then injured, allowing Jansen to reclaim his job. In 2009, the change could become permanent, as coach Jim Zorn looks to develop the next generation of players.

The entire offensive line is aging, with younger players waiting for their turn to earn roster spots. Guard Pete Kendall said he would like to return, and since he's an unrestricted free agent, the Redskins likely will give him that opportunity - though other teams can also bid for his services.

"I don't just want to look at the age and say, 'Well, he's thirty-something, so he can't play,'" Zorn said.

Kendall arrived in a trade with the New York Jets, who will get a fourth-round pick from the Redskins in the 2009 draft. The Redskins also are down a second-round pick and a seventh-rounder, which could make it hard to rebuild the line while addressing other concerns.

Campbell will stick around, keeping his job over rookie Colt Brennan, who did not play a snap in the regular season. Brennan will return next year for his second go-round with Zorn.

"He'll make some tremendous leaps as he gets into our program, but I don't see him unseating Jason," the coach said.

Young help also should arrive in the form of the team's first-round draft pick.

The Redskins have the 13th selection in the draft, and the pressure will be on Executive VP Vinny Cerrato to deliver a player who can make an immediate impact. The other option is to trade the pick to try to get multiple later selections, something Zorn didn't see as likely.

"There would have to be special circumstances," he said. "That guy has to come in here and he has to play."

Whoever it is will become a focal point of the youth movement that could begin next summer at Redskins Park.

It was a reality that was beginning to sink in as the players left Monday. Defensive end Jason Taylor, who was a superstar when he joined the team last year, is headed home to Miami with an uncertain future.

"You can sit here and say what could have been, what should have been," he said. "But the fact of the matter is it didn't happen that way, and it's nobody's fault but my own."

Cornerback Shawn Springs didn't spend too long reflecting on his past. The veteran player knows that every offseason, the names on the jerseys are different.

"I don't even worry about stuff like that," he said. "I've been in the league 12 years, and every year there have been changes."
Contact Michael Phillips at (804) 649-6546 or .