The coaching staff is confident the offensive line's play will improve through reps. The unit has enough talent to improve on its shaky performance in pass protection last season, coaches and players say, it just needs time to come together.

After watching the unit in camp to this point, I definitely agree more time is needed to evaluate the situation. It would be silly to reach any conclusions about the line's potential after what we've seen so far.

And it's important to remember that the defensive front has been significantly upgraded with the arrival of all-pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth - widely considered the league's top defensive player last season - and impressive rookie end/linebacker Brian Orakpo. But what if the coaching staff is wrong?

The reality is an overhaul of the line should have occurred long ago. I teamed with my guy, Jason La Canfora, on an offseason story that focused on the age and injury concerns along the offensive line, and many league sources told us the Skins have addressed the situation poorly for too long.

Washington gave up 38 sacks last season - the league's fourth-highest total - and Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels and guard Randy Thomas are coming off surgery again. The Skins finally released longtime right tackle Jon Jansen and let guard Pete Kendall leave in free agency.

Third-year tackle Stephon Heyer was elevated to the top of the depth chart at right tackle and guard Derrick Dockery, a former Skins draft pick who spent the last two seasons with the Bills, was brought back to replace Kendall. Were those moves enough to improve a line whose performance was considered the biggest problem in an offense ranked 28th out of 32 teams?

We'll find out soon, but the early returns are not strong. The Skins averaged only 16.6 points last season, in large part, because the passing game wasn't productive enough to help the league's No. 4 overall offense.

Yeah, I know the defense made too few big plays. There were not enough sacks and turnovers, and the Greg Blache-led group often failed to get off the field late in games down the stretch. The Skins, however, missed the playoffs again last season because the offense did not carry its share of the load.

When it became clear owner Daniel Snyder would pay out big bonuses again in free agency, I figured the Skins would move to sign a proven guard and tackle to play alongside Samuels, Thomas and center Casey Rabach and add quality depth. They did act quickly to get Dockery, whom the Bills released in a cost-cutting move. Washington also attempted to acquire tackle/guard Ray Willis, who re-signed with the Seahawks.
Samuels, Thomas and Rabach are consummate professionals. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, especially at the outset of camp with Samuels and Thomas having worked hard in the offseason after their procedures. Dockery might not be the greatest guard in the game, but he's a proven NFL lineman and the Skins could have done worse.

As for Heyer, I've had coaches tell me they expect him to seize this opportunity. He had mixed results in his first two seasons in the league, but he's clearly the Skins' best option at right tackle. That does concern me.

The Skins are considering tackle/guard Jeremy Bridges for a reserve swing role. He has been used more at guard than tackle throughout his career, and he seems better suited to play inside.

For a writer, shrinking tackle Mike Williams is a great story. You have to root for a guy who is working so hard to overcome his weight problem and get his life back on track. From a football standpoint, however, I just wonder how much help he could provide this season while trying to regain his strength after losing close to 100 pounds (and counting) and having been out of the game so long. Judging from his performance in practice, Williams will not challenge Heyer anytime soon.

"He's got a good attitude," Coach Jim Zorn. "What I like about Mike is he hasn't let down. He's been dehydrated because of all the weight he's lost. We're getting fluids in him. We're getting his diet corrected so that he can get out here and perform and have a lot of energy. I think he's loving it."

Good for Williams. I'm just not sure the Skins have the depth they're probably going to need to have the type of season it could take for Zorn to return in 2010. Perhaps I'm wrong. Maybe the Skins have the right guys in camp and the line will be much better. A lot could be riding on it for Zorn.