Jansen Bumped To Second String

Heyer still has much to prove in terms of consistency, and the age and health of the offensive line continue to be issues for the Redskins as well. Jansen is a powerful run blocker but yielded sacks with regularity in the preseason. He and right guard Randy Thomas are both coming off major season-ending surgery and teams seemed to be targeting that side of the line with blitzes.

"When I watch that offensive line, it looks like a last-ditch effort to keep that group together," one NFL personnel executive said. "Guys like Jansen and Thomas, to me it looks like their play is slipping and they're coming in for a landing."

Jansen believed he was improving throughout the preseason and was particularly encouraged by his ability to withstand all of the two-a-days, absorbing the grueling first few weeks of practice with no setbacks. He thought that the move to the West Coast offense, featuring quick drops by the quarterbacks and more pass blocking techniques that allow for aggressive pass protection (and not the usual backpeddling), would play to his strengths.

Working against perennial Pro Bowl pass rusher Jason Taylor every day at practice was pushing him to raise his production, and Jansen said repeatedly through the preseason that he was pleased with his play.

"It really doesn't matter how I grade myself," Jansen said yesterday. "They graded me not the starting right tackle, so that's how it is."

Jansen began to worry about his status a bit Friday, when Zorn spoke at his news conference about Heyer possibly overtaking Jansen at right tackle. At that time Jansen was publicly stoic about losing his starting spot, but he takes pride in his job and approaches it very seriously. Coaches and teammates knew it must have been difficult for Jansen to work with the backups for the first time, especially at a new position.

"I'm going to go out there every day and work as hard as I can, like I've done every day since I've been here," Jansen said. "The decision is the coach's, not mine."

Zorn said he empathized with Jansen, having gone from being the star quarterback and face of the Seattle franchise to the backup behind Dave Krieg after injuries slowed him late in his career.

"For me personally, when I got demoted from a starter position to a backup, it's harder" than being cut, Zorn said, "because you have to come in and face your teammates. I think it's very difficult and I thought Jon did an excellent job today working through those issues, because it is very emotional. It's trying.

"Things changed and he has to be able to live up to that and keep working hard. It's not over for him. He still has to work hard and be ready."

Jansen, entering his 10th season, started the first 80 games of his career after being taken from Michigan with the 37th overall pick in 1999. He ruptured his Achilles' tendon during the preseason opener in 2004 and missed all of that season, then battled through various injuries, including two broken thumbs, in 2005.

Former offensive coordinator Al Saunders had to begin utilizing more pass-protection help from backs and tight ends on the right side than he had imagined in 2006, when the team went 5-11, and Jansen's 2007 season was reduced to just a few snaps of the ball when he broke his leg.

"I hate what he's going through, but this is the way the game is, and I have a lot more things to worry about than somebody else's job," said Thomas, 32, entering his 10th year. "When you get caught up in that, you lose focus on what you've go to do. We all have to go out there and do what's expected of us. That's just the way it is.

"What I want to do is continue to do my job," Thomas added. "Hopefully, Stephon will do his, and I've got confidence in him. He knows we're counting on him and he knows that he has to go out there and get it done."

Staff writer Jason Reid contributed to this report.