Three Possible Adam Carriker Replacements

The news on Adam Carriker has gotten worse and worse, and now there seems to be a legitimate chance that he’s not ready for the start of the season (if at all). The Redskins first back-up option to replace him on the roster, Doug Worthington, is now on injured reserve. The Redskins may need to start looking for replacements for Carriker’s roster spot, as they don’t want to go into the year short-handed and unprepared. Now the best option to replace Adam Carriker would be Richard Seymour, but he sounds like he is going to hold out for as much money as possible, so he probably won’t fit into the Redskins budget. Here are three options that might fit for the Redskins.    

1. Israel Idonije-

-Idonije isn’t really a great fit for the 3-4, but he should be passable enough that it works for the Redskins. With the Bears he’d play outside on early downs and kick inside in passing situations. Idonije has 20 sacks and 120 pressures over the last three years, which averages out to almost 7 sacks a year and 40 pressures. Now those numbers might take a hit in the 3-4, but he should still be a far better pass rusher than anyone the Redskins currently have along their line. Though not his strong suit his run defense has been pretty solid as well. Concerns about him being too small for this system would be overblown as they ideally would only use him situationally, and for depth. He would be a big boost to a weakness of the Redskins, and would offer a skill set that Carriker couldn’t come close to offering (pass rush). As a nickel rusher from the interior and splitting time (with Jenkins) on the outside, Idonije should find a way to get a number of quality snaps for the Redskins.  He may be a bit more expensive, but he’d be well worth the cost.

2. Justin Bannan-

-Bannan is essentially an older version of Adam Carriker, as he is a good run defender who can occupy blockers, but won’t offer much as a pass rusher. Bannan though will come for a cheap rate, and he’d be a valuable back-up to have around. He’s been in the 3-4 with both the Ravens and the Broncos, and can also play inside in 4 man looks (though again not really as a pass rusher). Bannan is a veteran and has played for some successful teams in the past giving him some nice experience to bring to the table as well. He would definitely be an upgrade as a run defender for the Redskins, but he wouldn’t help out in the pass rush department at all. For a cheap signing though that should be around league minimum, you could do a lot worse. He’s a nice a insurance policy, but doesn’t really have a chance to make the Redskins better (though he’s coming off one of his better seasons).

3. Vonnie Holliday-

-The expectation is that Holliday will retire, but he may welcome one more shot, especially with a chance to play for a contender. Holliday has been an okay back-up for the Cardinals the last two years and could come back to the Redskins without being expected to handle a big role. His familiarity with the coaches and scheme will help him get up to speed, despite missing OTA’s and mini-camp. The biggest concern though is how much does he have left in the tank? Unlike Idonije or  Bannan, he’s probably getting beat out by Kedric Golston as the first back-up DE in the game. He also may not even make the roster over guys like Phillip Merling, if he’s not fully in shape. He does offer good veteran leadership and cheap depth. But there is a significant drop-off between the top two guys on this list and Holliday.

What do you think? Who should the Redskins pursue to fill the void if Carriker can’t go?