With the unfortunate and untimely death of team leader and defensive play-maker Sean Taylor, the Redskins are now looking at not only a hole in their depth chart, but also in their locker room.

The loss of Taylor is as heart-breaking as can be, and our thoughts are with his family and the organization. His death brings up an interesting question that is not asked much during the NFL season; how do you replace a fallen teammate?

Prior to this incident, the Redskins had identifiable needs along the defensive line, primarily at defensive tackle and defensive end. Defensive end Andre Carter has performed well, but he is alone on the defensive line in terms of quality play. Fellow end Philip Daniels is past his prime and defensive tackles Cornelius Griffin and Anthony Montgomery are best served in a rotation at the position. When looking at potential needs for this team one week ago, defensive end and tackle would have been the top two openings.

The offensive line in D.C. also needs an infusion of youth. At offensive guard the team is surviving with aging veterans in Randy Thomas and Pete Kendall. While both are serviceable this year, it will not be long before they are breaking down and need to be replaced. Adding a guard through the draft looked to be a sure thing for Day One of the 2008 lottery. There is also a great need for depth at the tackle position, with right tackle Todd Wade being only a stop-gap player and not a long term solution. This is a clear day two need.

The Redskins also need to add depth at inside linebacker and cornerback. Both positions have played well this year, but age and free agency are a concern.

The new opening at free safety will be an interest to fans, scouts and coaches throughout the season. The logical choice would be to move either starting strong safety and 2007 first-round pick LaRon Landry into the position, or to move back-up Pierson Prioleau over from strong safety. Either would be a fine replacement for the remainder of the season. The most likely scenario will be the move of Prioleau. With eight years experience in the NFL, Prioleau is more likely to adapt well to a position change three-quarters of the way through the season. Landry is a proven talent at the strong safety position, but he has excelled more in run support thus far, where Taylor was best as a zone defender in the deep middle of the field.

Replacing a leader like Taylor will not be easy on the field or off of it. The Redskins unfortunately must focus on their remaining schedule and then look to address their respective needs via the draft and free agency this off-season.