The Drafting Dozen- and will the sun set in the sunshine state?

Another step from the NFL wilderness was taken by the Burgundy and Gold as the brain trust of Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan not only kept their original allotment of draft picks... but added picks through trades and had a total of 12 selections-- their most since 1985. And that was with a 12-round draft and five picks after the seventh round. This year's crop features 8 of the first 178 players picked. Can Ryan Kerrigan adjust from being a 4-3 defensive end into a 3-4 outside linebacker? Will Jarvis Jenkins solve the nosetackle issues? How quickly will Leonard Hankerson affect the passing game (let's be honest, the Skins haven't had great luck drafting wide receivers recently)? And will the band start to learn the lyics to "Hail to the Huskers"? With twelve picks, you'd think at least four or five will work their way into the two-deep--with most of the rest getting a "redshirt year" on the practice squad. It's a shame the lockout is preventing this year's rookie class from assimilating itself to the Redskin system.

Capsized-- Two games at home against Tampa Bay-- and two tough losses that saw Dwayne Roloson turn into a brick wall (61 saves on 65 shots)... a power play vanish (0 for 11)... and a bad line change turn into a game losing goal in overtime. Down 0-2 with two games on back to back nights in the Tampa Bay the Bruce Boudreau Era is meeting its moment of truth. Another early exit could doom a regime that has revitalized the Red... as well as hockey in the district.