Merry preseason, everyone. It’s been a long offseason, but football is finally gearing up again and to celebrate I’m rolling out a new series on TSR entitled “2010 NFL Question Marks,” where I discuss one or two of the biggest concerns that teams have heading into the new season. Granted, some teams have more issues than others, but I’ll primarily be focusing on the biggest problem areas. Today I’ll be discussing the trio of issues the Redskins could face this season.

I always thought Jason Campbell got kind of a bad rap, although there’s no question that Donovan McNabb has better physical tools – even at this point in his career. Thanks to first round pick Trent Williams and former Saint Jammal Brown, the tackle positions got a much needed makeover in our nation’s capital as well.

So generally speaking, the Washington Redskins are an improved football team.

But it seems as though some pundits are going a tad overboard when predicting this team’s success this year. While they have made several upgrades on that side of the ball, the offense still has plenty of question marks as well.

Let’s start with the offensive line. Williams is a tremendous prospect, but he’s still a rookie and far from a guarantee. He also doesn’t have a ton of experience on the left side, which is where he’s expected to anchor this Washington O-line.

Brown is a massive upgrade over Stephon Heyer, but that’s like saying an authentic slice of New York pizza is an upgrade over Dominos. Heyer was one of the worst offensive linemen in all of football last year, so a broomstick cemented in a bucket would have been an upgrade.

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In a rather unconventional trade, the Saints agreed to send disgruntled offensive tackle Jammal Brown to the Redskins, in exchange for…well, I’ll let ESPN.com break it down for you.

The Saints’ compensation in the deal is tied to the Redskins’ trade with the Eagles for quarterback Donovan McNabb in April.

Washington will now be without its third- and fourth-round draft picks in 2011, but it will also get back a later pick from New Orleans.

Washington owes the Eagles a third- or fourth-round pick in 2011 for McNabb, based on how the quarterback plays or the team performs. If the Redskins win nine games, go to the playoffs or McNabb gets selected to the Pro Bowl, Philadelphia will receive Washington’s third-round pick and New Orleans will get Washington’s fourth. If none of those happen, the Eagles will get the Redskins’ fourth-round pick and the Saints will get the Redskins’ third-round pick.

If New Orleans receives Washington’s third-round pick, then the Redskins will get a 2011 fifth-round pick back from the Saints. However, if Washington’s third-round pick goes to Philadelphia, then the Saints will send a 2011 sixth- or seventh-round pick back to the Redskins.

There is also a conditional 2012 sixth-round pick involved. Should Brown play 90 percent of the plays next season or get voted to the Pro Bowl, Washington will send its 2012 sixth-round pick to New Orleans. After Saturday’s trade, Washington has six picks left in the 2011 draft.

Ooookay.

Brown missed all of last season with hip and sports hernia injuries. He was unhappy with the Saints’ $3.62 million tender offer so he skipped voluntary workouts this offseason. He was also upset with the fact that he might have to compete with Jermon Bushrod to regain his starting job. (The nerve of the Saints to make an injured player have to compete and earn his starting job back.)

Brown was a decent run blocker before his injury, but he struggled with pass protection in 2008. That said, he would upgrade a weak Redskins’ offensive line as long as he rebounds from the injuries. With 2010 first round pick Trent Williams expected to protect McNabb’s blindside, Brown will likely lineup at right tackle.

There’s a secret that most good fantasy football owners don’t want you to know: Knowing how good (or how bad) an offensive line is could be the difference between you making the playoffs in your league, and winning the whole damn thing.

The bottom line is that the offensive line is the key to whether or not an offense is going to be successful in any given season. They’re the reason why guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brews are able to rack up terrific passing yards year in and year out, and why Brandon Jacobs, Michael Turner and Adrian Peterson continue to be solid fantasy backs. So knowing which O-lines are quality and which act like revolving doors to their team’s backfield will give you an edge on draft day.

Below is a ranking of the top five best lines, the top five most improved lines and the top five worst lines in the NFL heading into the ’09 season. Use these rankings as a tool to help you make better decisions on draft day and to also aid you when you’re stuck between a couple of players in later rounds.

Granted, we’re not advocating bumping certain players to the top of your pre-draft rankings just based on these rankings. The Lions offensive line is the worst in football, but if Kevin Smith is there for the taking in the 5th round, by all means jump on him. This article is purely meant to be a helpful aid; obviously you still have to use solid judgment on draft day.

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