Cerrato: roster is playoff material

ASHBURN, Va. - Vinny Cerrato believes he gave Jim Zorn a roster that can make the playoffs. He also said the coach's job status was undecided in the days following the play-caller switch to Sherm Lewis.

The Washington Redskins executive vice president of football operations made a rare, albeit short, appearance before reporters yesterday to answer questions about the team's 2-5 start. He was given a space backed up against a wall in a cramped area next to a stairway near the locker room - looking very much like a man who was cornered with no way out.

"Frustrating and disappointing with 2-5," Cerrato said. "It's not where we expected to be."

Cerrato, perhaps even more than owner Dan Snyder or coach Zorn, has received much of the heat for the dismal season. Even players in the locker room Monday were bemoaning the lack of depth along the offensive line, with running back Clinton Portis saying: "We went into the season, and we didn't address that issue, and it came back to haunt us."

The offensive line began the season with no backups who had played a single NFL down last season, even though Chris Samuels and Randy Thomas were coming off multiple surgeries. Samuels and Thomas are now hurt, and the reshuffled line has allowed 14 sacks in the past three games.

Cerrato said he "tried to address the line" in the offseason. He cited left guard Derrick Dockery and tackle Mike Williams as his main additions, even though Williams hadn't played since 2005.

The Redskins haven't selected an offensive lineman in the first two rounds of the draft since 2000, and Cerrato said there's was nobody the team felt was worthy of the No. 13 overall pick this year.

"Are you having the results you wanted? No, you don't want the sacks," Cerrato said. "If it was Chris Samuels and Randy Thomas, would we be better? Absolutely. If you lose a Pro Bowler, it's definitely going to drop off. Where we're standing now, to have more depth, it would be great."

Still, when asked twice if he felt he gave Zorn a roster that could get to the playoffs, Cerrato said "Yes" each time.

Last week, prodded by Snyder to do something about the struggling offense following a loss to Kansas City, Cerrato made the decision to have Zorn removed from play-calling duties. Cerrato then went silent for several days, making Zorn look like a lame duck who could be fired any minute.