Dashon Goldson was in a bad situation down in Tampa Bay and is looking for a fresh start with the Washington Redskins. After his two-year stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Goldson’s career needed a rebirth, and the nation’s capital might be the perfect place to start.

His tenure with the Buccaneers has decreased his value as a player, even though Goldson is a two-time pro-bowler with a lot of experience underneath his belt. He is an eight-year veteran with 499 tackles, three sacks, 43 passes defended, 15 interceptions, six forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown to his credit. Now, he comes into a similar situation in Washington with a defense that has yet to prove itself, similar to that of Tampa Bay’s last year. Washington hopes that his experience and big play will be the type of leadership that this defense needs.

However, to believe that this is a long-term solution for the Redskins is a mistake. He did play poorly for the Buccaneers, giving up big plays and missing tackles. One of the bigger questions is: How much does he have left in the tank at the age of 30? His time for the San Francisco 49ers seemed to be the peak of his career; and who knows, perhaps Scot McCloughan believes he can perform like he did then? Now, he’s coming to a Redskins defense in dire need of a turnaround. For the past few years,the Redskins’ biggest weakness on the defensive side has been their secondary. Opposing offenses had no problem putting up 25-plus points per game. The trade for Goldson will hopefully start to change this dilemma.

Some might say trading for Goldson was not a smart move, but how much longer could the Redskins go on with the atrocious play at the secondary. If you ask me, any move made should be deemed productive for the Redskins. Yes,it probably was a desperate move, and they are taking on the remaining of his five-year $41.25 million contract from the Bucs, but at least it was a step in the right direction. Ryan Clark was just a big name who produced nothing. The old age showed, and it backfired for the Redskins tremendously. As for Brandon Meriweather, the only thing he was good for was getting suspended for head hunting.

With the firing of Jim Haslett, and Joe Barry being brought aboard, the Redskins hope to form a new identity. It is time to develop control and stability for the safety position. Perhaps Goldson has the veteran experience to help start turning this awful defense around. He has the experience playing for both good and bad teams. He knows what it takes to get to the postseason and lead a young core of guys in the secondary. Hopefully, Goldson can show the city that he still has some great games ahead of him and prove to the Redskins that it was smart to trade for him.