Brunell, Portis won't guarantee playoffs

With all of the attention focused on the offense, it's easy to forget that the defense was just as big a problem in 2003.

Updated: March 2, 2004, 1:43 PM ET
By By Darrell Trimble | NFL Insider
Daniel Snyder took over the Washington Redskins in 1999, and immediately became a D.C. hero after his first year as owner produced the team's first playoff appearance in seven years. But the new millennium has been far less kind to Snyder.

Since that first season the Redskins have spent excessively, gone through four different coaches and compiled a record of 28-36. That is expected to change this year. The Redskins lured Joe Gibbs out of retirement to patrol the sidelines and once again have made a dramatic offseason change to their roster.

First the team traded for QB Mark Brunell, inking him to a seven-year, $43 million deal that included a signing bonus of $8.6 million. Then they dealt CB Champ Bailey and a second-round pick to Denver to pick up tailback Clinton Portis.


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