The Washington Redskins’ embarrasing 52-7 loss at the hands of the New England Patriots on Sunday became even more painful today. Two days after the dust had cleared in the wake of the team’s worst setback in decades, the Redskins learned that they would have to play the rest of the 2007 season without starting-cornerback Carlos Rogers.

Rogers was the ninth overall pick back in 2005, and in this his third season the former Auburn Tiger had been playing his best football. It seemed as though Rogers had turned the corner as a defender, and there was little doubting that his coverage in one-on-one situations this season was better than it had been in each of the past two seasons.

To replace Rogers, who tore some knee-ligaments and strained others against the Patriots this past weekend, Washington will insert free-agent signee Fred Smoot into the starting lineup. Fellow offseason-addition David Macklin, who had been fourth on the team’s cornerback depth chart, will be promoted to the number-three spot on the depth-chart. Leigh Torrance, and Josh Eubanks, who was signed to the active roster from the practice squad on Tuesday, will round out the team’s cornerback rotation.

Even with the impressive depth that Washington has at the position, losing Rogers hurts. He was the team’s most reliable player at his position so far this season. The Redskins will need Smoot, who has missed three of the team’s last six games, to get healthy quickly.