Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
I’m not going to say it was awful, but it definitely wasn’t good.
Yes, the Washington Redskins secondary was a glaring weakness in 2012. The team finished the year ranked 30th in pass defense, and 31st in touchdowns allowed. They also finished dead last in the NFL in 3rd-down conversion rate, as opponents kept drives alive an alarming 44.2 percent of the time.
Sure, you can’t blame it all on the secondary. The loss of Brian Orakpo in Week 2 clearly hurt the team’s ability to generate a pass rush. Plus, the secondary was plagued by injuries all season long. Further, the secondary suffered from more injuries than usual. Who can forget the bizarre injury to safety Brandon Meriwether, when he ran into wide receiver Aldrick Robinson in warm-ups prior to the Week 4 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
When Meriwether did return in November, he promptly suffered an ACL tear against the Philadelphia Eagles, and was finished for the year.
And the trials and tribulations of Meriwether are but one example. The secondary struggled all year long.
But there could be help on the way.
Now, Bacarri Rambo, the sixth-round draft pick out of Georgia, is something of a wild-card. While the safety was named an All-American in 2011, and All-SEC in 2012, Rambo had two drug-related suspensions at Georgia. And although the talented safety showed incredible play-making ability in college, there were 17 safeties drafted ahead of him this April.
But we do know this: Rambo was projected to go as high as the second round. So, the Redskins got excellent value taking Rambo in the sixth. And considering Rambo plays a position of significant need for the Redskins, this is one sixth-round pick that could pay huge dividends.
Brian Carroccio is a Washington Redskins blogger for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @bricarr2, ”like” him on Facebook and add him to your Google+ network.
