Assistant defensive line coach Arthur Smith left the same day to join the Marines. It's unclear if he will be replaced.

Secondary coach Jerry Gray remains a candidate for coaching vacancies in Detroit and New Orleans.

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Jason Campbell. Backups -- Todd Collins, Colt Brennan.

As was true of the entire offense, Campbell's first full season as Washington's starter was really a tale of two halves. During the Redskins' surprising 6-2 first half, Campbell threw eight touchdown passes without an interception while twice topping 320 yards. During the Redskins' ugly 2-6 second half, Campbell threw five touchdowns with six interceptions and only once topped 220 yards. Coach Jim Zorn said that Campbell will come to camp in 2009 as the unquestioned starter. But if the 2005 first-round draft pick doesn't make big strides in Zorn's West Coast system next year, both coach and quarterback could be in big trouble. Collins, the hero of Washington's December run to the playoffs in 2007, didn't play in 2008 but will return at 36 in 2009. So will sixth-rounder Brennan, who played well in the preseason as he began the adjustment from Hawaii's run-and-shoot scheme.

RUNNING BACKS: Starters -- RB Clinton Portis, FB Mike Sellers. Backups -- RB Ladell Betts, RB Rock Cartwright.

It sounds like a broken record, but what was true of Campbell was also true of Portis. At midseason, he was the NFL's leading rusher (944 yards and seven touchdowns on 187 carries) and an MVP candidate. But during the second half in which he injured a knee, ribs, his neck and back and missed a decent chunk of practice time, Portis produced just 543 yards and two touchdowns on 155 carries. He also verbally sparred with Zorn. Portis has taken plenty of punishment during his seven seasons but is still just 27 and will be the No. 1 back again in 2009. Betts made a mistake by re-signing cheap after running as well as any back in the league when Portis was hurt in 2006. Betts had just 83 touches in 2008 compared to Portis' 370 and was very average. He'll remain No. 2 in 2009. The bruising Sellers didn't have his best year but is joining Portis in the Pro Bowl. Cartwright is a special-teamer.

TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Chris Cooley. Backups -- Todd Yoder, Fred Davis.

It was a weird 2008 season for Cooley, even though he's headed to his second straight Pro Bowl since signing a long-term contract in August 2007. Cooley set career highs with 83 catches and 849 yards, but after finding the end zone 27 times during his first four seasons, he only scored one touchdown. And that came on an option pass from WR Antwaan Randle El, so Washington's No. 1 quarterback and tight end haven't hooked up for a score since Nov. 25, 2007. Although he's not a dominating blocker, Cooley is still at the top of his game at 26. Yoder, 30, is a reliable career backup who could be re-signed depending on how much Zorn trusts Davis, who was a non-factor as a rookie with just three catches after being drafted in the second round following a stellar senior season at USC. Like Cooley, Davis is more of a pass-catcher than a weapon in the run game.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El. Backups -- Devin Thomas, James Thrash, Malcolm Kelly.

After a subpar 2007, Moss started out hot with 27 catches, 421 yards and three touchdowns during the first four games, but he only registered 52 catches, 623 yards and three scores the rest of the way (even including his nine catches, 140 yards and a touchdown at winless Detroit) as defenses realized he was Washington's only downfield threat. Moss started every game for just the second time in his career, but he'll be 30 in June, an unhappy birthday for most speed receivers. Randle El also slowed as the season dragged on, catching a career-high 53 balls but for 135 fewer yards than he produced in 2007. His big salary-cap number puts him in jeopardy, especially since the Redskins want Thomas (ineffective) and Kelly (injured) -- major disappointments as rookies -- to join Moss in three-receiver sets this season. Thrash, 34 in April, might not be back despite solid special teams play.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- LT Chris Samuels, LG Pete Kendall, C Casey Rabach, RG Randy Thomas, RT Jon Jansen. Backups -- T Stephon Heyer, T/G Jason Fabini, C Justin Geisinger, G/T Chad Rinehart, T Devin Clark, OL D'Anthony Batiste, G Will Montgomery.

At midseason, Rabach and Kendall were getting All-Pro mentions, Samuels was headed to the Pro Bowl, as usual, and Thomas and Jansen were receiving praise for their comebacks from devastating injuries in 2007. By the end of the year, the experienced line was seen as over the hill as the offense bogged down and stopped scoring. Samuels played for weeks on a balky knee before a torn triceps ended his year in Week 14. Jansen injured a knee that night and missed two games before returning in the finale for what could've been his final game as a Redskin after a decade in Washington. Thomas, who like Jansen has a high cap cost, and Kendall, who's a free agent at 35, are also not sure to return. Heyer, the only thing close to a proven young lineman, beat out Jansen in August but was benched in October. This group needs an infusion of youth that could include 2008 rookies Rinehart and Clark.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- DLE Demetric Evans, NT Cornelius Griffin, DT Kedric Golston, DRE Andre Carter. Backups -- DE Jason Taylor, DT Anthony Montgomery, DT Lorenzo Alexander, DE Chris Wilson, DE Rob Jackson, DT Ryan Boschetti. Injured reserve -- DE Phillip Daniels, DE Alex Buzbee.

The Redskins ranked eighth against the run thanks in part to this group, which did a nice job of occupying blockers and allowing the linebackers to flow to the ball. However, they teamed for just 19 sacks with Carter leading the way for a third straight year but with just four, the fewest to ever lead the Redskins. Taylor, acquired when Daniels suffered a season-ending knee injury on the first snap of camp, was a huge bust after 11 stellar years in Miami. He shouldn't be back after losing his job to Evans, who's a free agent. Griffin, 31, played through pain as usual but is no longer the force he was in 2004-05 and could be a cap casualty. Golston and Montgomery, both restricted free agents, are solid players but so far no more than that. Daniels will be 36 in March and might not be back. Alexander is a hustler. Wilson is fast. Jackson is a project. The Redskins need playmakers here big-time.

LINEBACKERS: Starters -- SLB Marcus Washington, MLB London Fletcher, WLB Rocky McIntosh. Backups -- H.B. Blades, Alfred Fincher, Khary Campbell. Injured reserve -- Matt Sinclair.

McIntosh was the No. 2 tackler in his second year as a starter after recovering from a major knee surgery suffered in December 2007. Fletcher led his team in tackles for the 10th consecutive year, roaming sideline to sideline to make plays, but he again failed to make the Pro Bowl, which left him angry. The undersized captain will be 34 in May but hasn't really slowed. That's not true of 2004 Pro Bowl pick Washington, who missed six games with injuries, making it 16 absences in 34 games. The Redskins' top playmaker in 2004-05, Washington, 31, is now a prime target for cap savings. Trouble is that the undersized Blades, who has filled in for him, isn't a playmaker. Fincher and Campbell, neither of whom is signed for 2009, are special-teamers. The Redskins should bring those two back, add a veteran backup and try to replace Washington with a dynamic rookie.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Shawn Springs, RCB DeAngelo Hall, SS Chris Horton, FS LaRon Landry. Backups -- CB Carlos Rogers, CB Fred Smoot, S Mike Green, S Kareem Moore, CB Justin Tryon. Injured reserve -- S Reed Doughty.

Cornerback was Washington's most loaded and strangest position in 2008. Rogers returned ahead of schedule after tearing two knee ligaments in October 2007 and had a Pro Bowl first half but finished the year as a backup to November pickup Hall and oft-injured Springs. Smoot, 30, slumped in the second half and needs to bring his salary down to return. Hall, a two-time Pro Bowl pick for Atlanta, was a playmaker for Washington but could prove too expensive to retain if he hits the market. Springs will be 34 in March, has a huge cap number but might return if Hall doesn't. Seventh-rounder Horton was a revelation as a rookie, nudging Doughty, a restricted free agent, into near-oblivion. Landry needs to become much more of a playmaker. Moore flashed potential late. Tryon needs work if he's going to make an impact. Green was a stopgap for new coordinator Greg Blache.

SPECIAL TEAMS: K Shaun Suisham, P Ryan Plackemeier, LS Ethan Albright, KR Rock Cartwright, PR Antwaan Randle El.

Suisham looked as if he had finally ended Washington's revolving door at kicker with a superlative 2007, but he finished at the bottom of the league in field-goal percentage in 2008, giving special teams coach Danny Smith a headache heading into 2009. The Redskins need to find some serious competition for Suisham and fellow third-year man Plackemeier, who also wound up at the bottom of the rankings after replacing sixth-round bust Durant Brooks (two of 26 punts returned for scores after line-drive kicks) in October. Albright, a Pro Bowl pick in 2007, remained stellar at 37 and should return. Cartwright had another good year and is second in Redskins history to Brian Mitchell. Randle El had another awful year, which was emphasized when Santana Moss took his second return of the year 80 yards to the house. Devin Thomas and Justin Tryon, who returned kickoffs in college, should be given shots at returning punts.