Heyer ready to protect Campbell

If quarterback Jason Campbell is the key to the season and the offensive line the key to his success, the fate of the Washington Redskins arguably hinges on the performance of the unit’s least-experienced link, Stephon Heyer.

The Redskins know what they have in the line’s other starters.

Left tackle Chris Samuels, left guard Derrick Dockery, center Casey Rabach and right guard Randy Thomas all have started at least four years in Washington. Each player is at least 29 and on the far side of his career.

Heyer, the 25-year-old right tackle, is the unknown quantity. The one-time undrafted rookie from Maryland started 12 games the past two seasons but never more than four in a row. The Redskins went 8-4 in Heyer’s 12 starts, 7-11 otherwise.

“Just because I do well doesn’t mean the whole line or the whole team does well,” Heyer said. “So many factors come into play.”

Coach Jim Zorn benched Jon Jansen, a longtime regular at right tackle, in favor of Heyer at the end of last year’s preseason. Heyer, a 6-foot-6, 330-pound Lawrenceville, Ga., native, injured a shoulder in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals and started only four games the rest of the way, all on the left side in place of the injured Samuels.

But the Redskins liked Heyer enough that they declined to draft a lineman in April and released Jansen in May.

Heyer’s only competitors in camp this summer, Mike Williams - who hasn’t played since 2005 - and journeyman Jeremy Bridges, were hampered by injuries that forced them to miss at least a week apiece.

But Heyer also simply seized the job. Zorn praised him for his improved mobility, saying the Redskins won’t have to tilt toward Samuels’ side of the field as heavily as they did at times the past two seasons.

“Stephon’s a legit tackle,” offensive line coach Joe Bugel said. “He’s improved tremendously. He deserves to be the starter. He deserves this opportunity, and he’s taken advantage of it. He’s a completely different person. It means something to him. He’s very serious.”

Heyer certainly is serious about helping a line that allowed Campbell to be sacked 38 times last season and was a major reason the Redskins scored just 26 offensive touchdowns.

“I’m more confident now that I’ve got a spot,” Heyer said. “[In last year’s opening loss at the defending champion New York Giants] I played a little timid, still unsure about what was going on with the assignments and the fronts. I’m more comfortable now that I know where I’m going to be.”

Heyer and Co. allowed Campbell to remain upright on all 35 of his pass attempts against the formidable defenses of the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots this preseason.

“The unit is doing pretty well,” Heyer said. “We’re moving the ball. We’re giving Jason time. We can be proud about not giving up sacks. That’s something we hang our hat on. We have a lot of pride in this group. We have to know our opponent, know what’s coming, blitzes and stuff, diminish what happened last year.”