July 26, 2012; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo (98) signs autographs while walking off the field after the first day of Redskins 2012 training camp at Redskins Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

For once, Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo is feeling pressure instead of causing it. A year ago, the former Texas standout seemed guaranteed to receive a long-term mega contract from the team that drafted him in 2009. Now, entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Redskins front office is reluctant to sign such a deal due to injury concerns. Orakpo originally injured his shoulder and pectoral muscle in the final game of the 2011 season. After off-season surgery, he suffered a setback during the 2012 preseason and tore a different muscle in the same pectoral during the second game of the year. After recording 28.5 sacks in his first three seasons, Orakpo was limited to one in 2012.

Orakpo claims he is back to “100-percent” and will participate in the team’s OTAs later this month, though it is not known to what extent. In an interview with CSN Washington in April, Orakpo spoke confidently about his return: “I’m not really an injury type of guy. Sitting out was very uncommon for myself. But I have some huge goals for myself this year, some huge goals for this team.  I’m ready to wreak havoc.” More recently, Orakpo told The Washington Times‘ Rich Campbell that he would like to remain “a Redskin for life.”

However, the Redskins front office would like to see him prove his worth on the field before issuing another contract. The team has not officially discussed a contract extension with the linebacker, and there is no time table to do so. The Redskins have no incentive to sign him at the moment; Orakpo’s asking price is likely to be high and the team has the ability to use the franchise tag if a deal cannot be reached. Still, the team also has to consider the price tag the linebacker would receive on the open market if he is able to return to form this season.

With the “wait-and-see” policy in place, the pressure is firmly on Orakpo to produce. His 2013 season is worth millions of dollars. The injury that ended his 2012 season may have been a “freak accident,” but these are commonplace in the NFL and have ruined many aspiring careers. Orakpo’s health will continue to be one of the most compelling story lines of the off-season in Washington.

No player in recent memory has contributed as much heart and as much earnest devotion to this team, down after down, quite like London Fletcher.  Fletch has anchored this defense for the past few seasons and has done so without fail.

He’s a ball-hawking, field general of a middle linebacker that does on sheer strength of will what younger, bigger and faster players at his position struggle to accomplish.

He’s simply one of the greatest Redskins of the past decade and then some.

The clock, however, always wins.  Despite a much deserved appearance in the Pro Bowl this year, there is no ignoring the fact that London Fletcher is 36 years old and for all the checks Dan Snyder can cash, no dollar amount is large enough to coax the clock into slowing down.

That said, the Redskins should start looking to the future and who they can add to the middle of their defensive unit to solidify what is already a young, explosive group featuring Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan.

If we’re talking about the draft – and I am – here are a few names that stand out:

Najee Goode, 6’0″ 245, West Virginia: I’m sort of a homer. Actually, I’m a huge homer; I love my Mountaineers. Still, there’s no denying Goode’s productivity in Morgantown over the past few years. Goode played at every linebacker spot in West Virginia’s 3-3-5 stack and proved he’s as versatile as he is ferocious at the point of attack.

He’s not towering at 6’0″ but he has great strength and better-than-expected speed. His grasp of the game and his ability to move around at the linebacker position would make him ideal to come in and get groomed to take over once Fletcher takes his final bow. Even better, he’s not projected until the late rounds, so he could be a steal just like current Redskin and former Mountaineer star Chris Neild.

Vontaze Burfict, 6’3″ 250, Arizona State: Burfict is a big time name that we would go after only if we were willing to give up any hope of making a play for Robert Griffin III.

…(crickets)….

Not that it’s likely we would do that, but Vontaze Burfict is a dominant athlete who owns the middle of the field and was widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the Pac 12. While his 2011 season was a bit quiet in comparison to his performance in 2010, Burfict has the skill set that, under the correct tutelage, would allow him to excel tremendously in Jim Haslett’s scheme.

Tank Carder, 6’3″ 237, TCU: Most people remember Carder from the Horned Frog’s rose bowl win two years ago. The same player showed up in the second half of 2011 but was a little quiet for the first stretch of the season.

Still, Carder is a tough kid who loves contact and can play with range. He’s somewhat slight right now to be coming into the league as an inside linebacker but therein lies the beauty of NFL weight training programs.

If Carder can stack on some weight, he could potentially excel in a 3-4 scheme where his size and athleticism would make him a run stop machine. He would be a great addition to plug into the Kerrigan/Orakpo dynamic and a terrific understudy to one of the best veteran defensive players in the business.

I’m not Walter football so I won’t give an in depth draft analysis for each linebacker in the 2012 draft class. I’ll let you fine people comb through the draft boards at your leisure. These three stand out to me, though, as potential heirs to the Fletcher mantle.

London Fletcher hasn’t said he’s done yet and the Redskins’ ownership has stated its interest in bringing him back. But you can’t put a price on being proactive and it’s hard to expect Fletcher doing this for more than another year or two.

That said, whoever the Redskins choose to pick up London Fletcher’s mantle should be forewarned. It’s a role that Fletcher redefined in DC and it’s measured not by sheer athleticism or premature hype but heart. Light years of heart.

New Teammates Ryan Kerrigan and Chris Cooley (courtesy of @nflprguy)

Let’s take a look at some of the many benefits of this pick…

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