(Bonus points for whoever knows what pop-culture phenomenon I'm referencing with the choo-choo-choose remark.)

Are you ready, kids?  It's that time again.  It's time for a sing-along with your good pal, Uncle Manrub!

Why is that strong safety in the doghouse? (arf! arf!)

The one banking thirty-five mil

Why is that strong safety in the doghouse? (arf! arf!)

Dan Snyder surely isn't thrilled.

That little ditty sums up Adam Archuleta's current status with the Washington Redskins.  It has been several weeks since Archuleta, a safety known primarily for his hard-hitting style, has played a down on defense.  Joe Gibbs, Dan Snyder and Adam Archuleta were certainly dreaming of a great future when Archuleta inked a 7-year, $35 million contract this past offseason, the richest ever for a safety.  Synder and Gibbs believed that they had a player capable of greatly improving their secondary, and Archuleta believed he was joining a team that could possibly win the Super Bowl.  Rosy dreams quickly deteriorated into terrible nightmares, however, and Archuleta was benched with little or no public explanation.

Adam Archuleta himself hasn't had an explanation as to why he was benched, and he is understandably a little irked about the situation.  Says Archuleta, "Do I deserve an explanation?  I don't know if an explanation matters anymore because what's done is done. I pretty much know what's going on. I pretty much know what it all stems from."  Archuleta declined to elaborate on that specific comment, but it's obvious that, in his opinion, there is a clear-cut reason for his lack of playing time.   

Although nobody from the Redskins has commented regarding Archuleta's benching, it is my belief that there is a reason behind the action.  Adam Archuleta was likely the scapegoat for the defensive struggles of the Redskins this season.  The Redskins rank 30th in the league in total defense this season, 29th against the pass.  The defense is dead last in takeaways, with a measly 12 turnovers forced all season.  To top it off, Washington has allowed more passes of over 20 yards than any other team in the NFL this season.  Compared to last season, when Washington ranked 9th in total defense and forced 28 turnovers, this season has been a colossal failure.  While the blame should be shared among all members of the defense, it's clear that the Redskins coaching staff has placed much of the blame on Archuleta.

Is it really Archuleta's fault that the Redskins are in this mess?

Is it possibly somebody else's fault?

In my humble opinion, Adam Archuleta is not at fault for his benching.  When the Redskins signed him this past offseason, they should have known what they were getting.  Adam Archuleta is a hard-hitting run stopper with serious deficiencies in pass coverage.  In five previous seasons, the man had managed a total of three interceptions, a number that doesn't exactly conjure up thoughts of excellent pass defense.  Archuleta's best chance of stopping a pass play may be on the safety blitz, for he entered the season with 15 career sacks.  It's silly to expect a player to excel in an area in which they had always struggled, especially when you've just given that player $35 million.  It's beyond my comprehension to even begin to understand why the Redskins were disappointed in his cover skills, especially since he hadn't shown alot of cover skills in the past.  Adam Archuleta failed to reach the expectations of the Washington Redskins, but certainly hasn't failed to achieve any expectations dictated by common sense.

Maybe this will be the straw that finally breaks that camel's back that is Dan Snyder's free-spending ways.  In the past, Snyder has wasted wads of money on players such as Deion Sanders, Chad Morton, John Hall, David Patten, and Todd Collins (how he merits anything above the minimum is beyond me).  With Archuleta's certain release and the salary cap hit that comes with it, the Redskins may be forced to use a more conservative approach in the free agent market.  Instead of signing big names, the Redskins should focus on signing talented players that fit their offensive and defensive schemes.  By doing that, they can avoid the embarassing fallout of situations like the Adam Archuleta situation in the future.