Putting the D back in Redskins - The Washington Times: Sports - September 14, 2004
The big test for Gregg Williams' blitzing defense is what will happen when the opposing offensive coordinator calls screen after screen? Screens and reverses are designed to make teams second guess an aggressive rush. I have no doubt that would be a huge part of a Bill Parcells gameplan. I sincerely hope that Williams has the right plays called that don't leave them susceptible to big chunks of yardage through those offensive counters. Fake pressure and delay blitzes to see if the play is a screen or swing pass to the flat?
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
For a hard-fought win by the Redskins, how good was this team? On kickoff returns, they were obviously pretty good. On defense, despite the loss of Warren Sapp and Lynch, the Bucs still looked solid. They clamped down on the Redskins pretty well after that opening TD by Portis for less than 300 yards total.
The Bucs offense was the big question mark. It's harder to judge the 169 yards as a factor of more of Gregg Williams' aggressive defense or the Buc O's ineptness. Any proud player always puts more onus on himself or his teammates not executing rather than giving praise to his opponent. However, in this case, it was indeed Williams' defense that outcalled and outplayed the men on the other side of the line. A lack of execution brings to mind overthrown balls, dropped passes, fumbles, penalties, missed blocks, and other mistakes. The Bucs had a TD that slipped through Galloway's fingers. Other than that, though, the sacks were a function of well-planned blitzes. The fumble was forced. The interception was due to great pressure. The Bucs were outplayed.
Then the question is, how will the Bucs play against future opponents? Against the Redskins, Alstott and Garner couldn't get any rushing room. Michael Clayton was making some nice catches against the Redskins zones but Tim Brown and Bill Shroeder were inconsequential. The Bucs offense isn't overly talented compared to the rest of the NFL. Any success on their part would be due entirely to Gruden's playcalling.
Fortunately for the Redskins, they have two of the best playcallers in Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams.
For a hard-fought win by the Redskins, how good was this team? On kickoff returns, they were obviously pretty good. On defense, despite the loss of Warren Sapp and Lynch, the Bucs still looked solid. They clamped down on the Redskins pretty well after that opening TD by Portis for less than 300 yards total.
The Bucs offense was the big question mark. It's harder to judge the 169 yards as a factor of more of Gregg Williams' aggressive defense or the Buc O's ineptness. Any proud player always puts more onus on himself or his teammates not executing rather than giving praise to his opponent. However, in this case, it was indeed Williams' defense that outcalled and outplayed the men on the other side of the line. A lack of execution brings to mind overthrown balls, dropped passes, fumbles, penalties, missed blocks, and other mistakes. The Bucs had a TD that slipped through Galloway's fingers. Other than that, though, the sacks were a function of well-planned blitzes. The fumble was forced. The interception was due to great pressure. The Bucs were outplayed.
Then the question is, how will the Bucs play against future opponents? Against the Redskins, Alstott and Garner couldn't get any rushing room. Michael Clayton was making some nice catches against the Redskins zones but Tim Brown and Bill Shroeder were inconsequential. The Bucs offense isn't overly talented compared to the rest of the NFL. Any success on their part would be due entirely to Gruden's playcalling.
Fortunately for the Redskins, they have two of the best playcallers in Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams.
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Redskins 16, Bucs 10
What an exhilirating win for the Skins. The energy level of the players, especially on defense was incredible. Guys were flying all over the place, getting after the ball.
A quick strike from Portis on his first touch as a Redskin, on the Skins' opening series, and it conjures up the wildest of expectations from any fan. This followed on the heels of a decisive 3-and-out pitched by the defense. However, as many football fans can attest, a dominating quarter can easily fade as the game progresses and momentum shifts. Luckily for the Redskins, the defense played at an outstanding level all game long to keep the Bucs ever from hitting a stride.
Players of the game
Offense: Clinton Portis
Portis is only as successful as the O-line will allow him to be. With Joe Bugel whipping the Dirtbags into shape, Portis was able to run to daylight on his very first play. It's disappointing that the Skins weren't able to continue to pound the rock in good chunks in the 2nd and 3rd quarters but they did drain the clock sufficiently in the fourth quarter.
Defense: Matt Bowen
This is really a reflection of Gregg Williams' ability to put his players in the position to make plays. Bowen's slapping of the ball out of Brad Johnson's hands was a thing of beauty. Fred Smoot deserves honorable mention for his excellent coverage and stout tackles. It's hard to award this to Bowen over Smoot but in the end, Bowen's two sacks and forced fumble were bigger plays.
Special Teams: Tom Tupa
The kickoff coverage was horrendous. Frank Murphy seemingly threatened to take every kickoff back for a touchdown. John Hall would have been the vote had he made the 50-yarder. However, Tupa's fine effort of averaging nearly 50 yard average for 7 punts earns him the nod.
What an exhilirating win for the Skins. The energy level of the players, especially on defense was incredible. Guys were flying all over the place, getting after the ball.
A quick strike from Portis on his first touch as a Redskin, on the Skins' opening series, and it conjures up the wildest of expectations from any fan. This followed on the heels of a decisive 3-and-out pitched by the defense. However, as many football fans can attest, a dominating quarter can easily fade as the game progresses and momentum shifts. Luckily for the Redskins, the defense played at an outstanding level all game long to keep the Bucs ever from hitting a stride.
Players of the game
Offense: Clinton Portis
Portis is only as successful as the O-line will allow him to be. With Joe Bugel whipping the Dirtbags into shape, Portis was able to run to daylight on his very first play. It's disappointing that the Skins weren't able to continue to pound the rock in good chunks in the 2nd and 3rd quarters but they did drain the clock sufficiently in the fourth quarter.
Defense: Matt Bowen
This is really a reflection of Gregg Williams' ability to put his players in the position to make plays. Bowen's slapping of the ball out of Brad Johnson's hands was a thing of beauty. Fred Smoot deserves honorable mention for his excellent coverage and stout tackles. It's hard to award this to Bowen over Smoot but in the end, Bowen's two sacks and forced fumble were bigger plays.
Special Teams: Tom Tupa
The kickoff coverage was horrendous. Frank Murphy seemingly threatened to take every kickoff back for a touchdown. John Hall would have been the vote had he made the 50-yarder. However, Tupa's fine effort of averaging nearly 50 yard average for 7 punts earns him the nod.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Washington Redskins
THE CUTS
It's quite surprising that Bauman and Upshaw were both cut. It would seem that the Skins need more than 4 healthy CBs. Apparently, extra DBs for 5 WR sets will come in the form of safeties.
Upshaw's release is particularly puzzling without any rave reviews about the understudies at the DE position (Demetric Evans and Ron Warner).
On the other hand, while everyone knew that Gibbs would have a plethora of candidates for the H-back position during the preseason, it's a puzzle that he kept five players rather than four. If anything, I would have figured Sellers, Kozlowski, or Rasby to fight for two spots.
I'm extremely glad that Ladell Betts made the cut because in the long run he should help the team immensely, assuming he's stays healthy. It seems that he had the injury bug at an unfortunate time and was starting to get the injury-prone label despite a very healthy college career. Gibbs likely sees Betts in the mold of his typical power back and a more than capable backup to Portis (knock on wood). Betts runs with authority and has shown that he can pound it between the tackles.
The Redskins should make a move to pick up Kato Serwanga, who was released by the Colts today. He was a star special teams player for the Skins a few years ago.
There's hope that Bugel can mold Mark Wilson (5th round pick) and Jim Molinaro (6th round pick) into the Hogs of tomorrow. In the short term, though, we'll have to cross our fingers that one of them can adjust to the speed of the pro game should Kenyatta Jones falter or Chris Samuels get injured. With Joe Bugel captaining the O-line ship, though, the OL should be in the best shape of any group on the team.
The LB corps will be critical in providing the badly needed pass rush. As with the Marvin Lewis scheme, Arrington should replace one of the DTs on the D-line on passing downs, with Wynn moving inside. The Skins can still afford to scan the waiver wire for a DE upgrade.
THE EAGLES
Now for some speculation about the Redskins' main competition in the NFC East. RB is a big weakness for the Eagles. It's a big question mark as to whether Brian Westbrook can hold up as the main tailback for an entire season. If he gets injured, can an unknown like Reno Mahe carry the load?
The losses of Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent were made to be a big deal but the Eagles had to make the move considering two main factors: 1) salary cap, and 2) rule enforcement of the 5-yard illegal contact rule. As physical CBs, Taylor and Vincent would have been far less effective with the officials throwing more flags for illegal contact.
With Koy Detmer and Jeff Blake behind McNabb, the Eagles are set at QB. At WR, there doesn't ever to be any risk of losing TO to injury but if he does goes down, then there is the dramatic dropoff to last year's talent level of Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell.
Philly's biggest asset is the consistency of the coaching regime with Andy Reid's staff in place for as long as it's been. The players don't have to learn new schemes every year, which the Redskins have had to do.
THE CUTS
It's quite surprising that Bauman and Upshaw were both cut. It would seem that the Skins need more than 4 healthy CBs. Apparently, extra DBs for 5 WR sets will come in the form of safeties.
Upshaw's release is particularly puzzling without any rave reviews about the understudies at the DE position (Demetric Evans and Ron Warner).
On the other hand, while everyone knew that Gibbs would have a plethora of candidates for the H-back position during the preseason, it's a puzzle that he kept five players rather than four. If anything, I would have figured Sellers, Kozlowski, or Rasby to fight for two spots.
I'm extremely glad that Ladell Betts made the cut because in the long run he should help the team immensely, assuming he's stays healthy. It seems that he had the injury bug at an unfortunate time and was starting to get the injury-prone label despite a very healthy college career. Gibbs likely sees Betts in the mold of his typical power back and a more than capable backup to Portis (knock on wood). Betts runs with authority and has shown that he can pound it between the tackles.
The Redskins should make a move to pick up Kato Serwanga, who was released by the Colts today. He was a star special teams player for the Skins a few years ago.
There's hope that Bugel can mold Mark Wilson (5th round pick) and Jim Molinaro (6th round pick) into the Hogs of tomorrow. In the short term, though, we'll have to cross our fingers that one of them can adjust to the speed of the pro game should Kenyatta Jones falter or Chris Samuels get injured. With Joe Bugel captaining the O-line ship, though, the OL should be in the best shape of any group on the team.
The LB corps will be critical in providing the badly needed pass rush. As with the Marvin Lewis scheme, Arrington should replace one of the DTs on the D-line on passing downs, with Wynn moving inside. The Skins can still afford to scan the waiver wire for a DE upgrade.
THE EAGLES
Now for some speculation about the Redskins' main competition in the NFC East. RB is a big weakness for the Eagles. It's a big question mark as to whether Brian Westbrook can hold up as the main tailback for an entire season. If he gets injured, can an unknown like Reno Mahe carry the load?
The losses of Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent were made to be a big deal but the Eagles had to make the move considering two main factors: 1) salary cap, and 2) rule enforcement of the 5-yard illegal contact rule. As physical CBs, Taylor and Vincent would have been far less effective with the officials throwing more flags for illegal contact.
With Koy Detmer and Jeff Blake behind McNabb, the Eagles are set at QB. At WR, there doesn't ever to be any risk of losing TO to injury but if he does goes down, then there is the dramatic dropoff to last year's talent level of Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell.
Philly's biggest asset is the consistency of the coaching regime with Andy Reid's staff in place for as long as it's been. The players don't have to learn new schemes every year, which the Redskins have had to do.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Washington Redskins
I was skeptical of this signing when Joe Gibbs first came back. I was a fan of Patrick Ramsey's and thought that signing Brunell was completely unnecessary. However, everyone knows that Brunell as the Redskins starter is the right decision. Ramsey has not looked comfortable in Gibbs' offense and anyone watching could clearly see his missed throws against the Rams. About the only good pass he had was the rollout to Rod Gardner, which I believe was his first throw of the night. By the way, that rollout looked fantastic. I really missed rollouts during the Steve Spurrier era.
Ramsey has a cannon of an arm, is tough and smart. If Brunell lasts the whole year healthy and the Redskins are successful, it begs the question, "What should they do next season?" That's when Ramsey will be entering his fourth year, usually a player's contract year, after which they become eligible to exercise options for UFA. Playing that dilemma out assumes many things - 1) Brunell will play well, 2) the Redskins will succeed, and most importantly, 3) Brunell will stay healthy the entire season.
For the time being, it would be nice to see those assumptions play out one game at a time. Let's settle for Brunell playing well for his first regular season game, the Redskins succeeding for one game (the season opener against the Tampa Bay Bucs), and Brunell remaining unscathed throughout that game.
I was skeptical of this signing when Joe Gibbs first came back. I was a fan of Patrick Ramsey's and thought that signing Brunell was completely unnecessary. However, everyone knows that Brunell as the Redskins starter is the right decision. Ramsey has not looked comfortable in Gibbs' offense and anyone watching could clearly see his missed throws against the Rams. About the only good pass he had was the rollout to Rod Gardner, which I believe was his first throw of the night. By the way, that rollout looked fantastic. I really missed rollouts during the Steve Spurrier era.
Ramsey has a cannon of an arm, is tough and smart. If Brunell lasts the whole year healthy and the Redskins are successful, it begs the question, "What should they do next season?" That's when Ramsey will be entering his fourth year, usually a player's contract year, after which they become eligible to exercise options for UFA. Playing that dilemma out assumes many things - 1) Brunell will play well, 2) the Redskins will succeed, and most importantly, 3) Brunell will stay healthy the entire season.
For the time being, it would be nice to see those assumptions play out one game at a time. Let's settle for Brunell playing well for his first regular season game, the Redskins succeeding for one game (the season opener against the Tampa Bay Bucs), and Brunell remaining unscathed throughout that game.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
More on Sean Taylor
Sean Taylor is the man the Skins desperately needed on defense. His preseason actions have been just the beginning. There is no denying that he is a playmaker. He has made big plays in all three games. If he can continue that momentum into the regular season, then he more than makes up for the loss of Champ. Although Champ was a shutdown corner, he didn't generate game-changing plays. We all have the feeling that Taylor is that kind of guy, like his predecessor at UM Ed Reed, but hopefully better. Even Arrington, the heart of the Redskins D, doesn't make game-changing plays consistently. One or two per game throughout the entire season and the Skins could win twice as many games as last year.
The biggest risk to Taylor taking full advantage of his skills and having a HOF career is off-the-field issues and the ever-unknown injury bug. He's had a rough offseason so far that's been a little reminiscent of Michael Westbrook.
Sean Taylor is the man the Skins desperately needed on defense. His preseason actions have been just the beginning. There is no denying that he is a playmaker. He has made big plays in all three games. If he can continue that momentum into the regular season, then he more than makes up for the loss of Champ. Although Champ was a shutdown corner, he didn't generate game-changing plays. We all have the feeling that Taylor is that kind of guy, like his predecessor at UM Ed Reed, but hopefully better. Even Arrington, the heart of the Redskins D, doesn't make game-changing plays consistently. One or two per game throughout the entire season and the Skins could win twice as many games as last year.
The biggest risk to Taylor taking full advantage of his skills and having a HOF career is off-the-field issues and the ever-unknown injury bug. He's had a rough offseason so far that's been a little reminiscent of Michael Westbrook.
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Fantasy Football Approaches
The fantasy football magazines should be hitting the stands in full force this month. Who are the best fantasy prospects for the Redskins? Let me run through the offensive starters and key players.
Laveranues Coles - est. 1400 yds, 9-10 TDs; he'll have a bigger year in Gibbs' offense (3rd round)
Rod Gardner - est. 900 yds, 6 TDs; Gardner will also have a bigger year but not huge (a late round pick)
James Thrash - est. 400 yds, 1-2 TDs (do not draft)
Darnerian McCants - est. 200 yds, 3 TDs; McCants' red zone TDs will likely give way to Portis rushing them in (do not draft)
Clinton Portis - est. 1700 yds rushing/receiving, 15 TDs (a mid-1st rd pick)
Mark Brunell - est. 2400 yds passing, 16 TDs/7 INTs; I see Brunell missing about 1/3 of the games due to injury (draft as 3rd QB)
Patrick Ramsey - est. 1100 yds passing, 6 TDs, 4 INTs subbing for Brunell
Chris Cooley - est 200 yds, 2 TDs; not worth drafting
John Hall - impossible to gauge
My guess is that the new look Redskins will probably get off to a fast start to the season. They can catch teams by surprise with Gibbs' new wrinkles. As more game footage on the Skins collects over time, teams will be able to adjust and game-plan better. If Brunell is especially hot, evaluate the option to trade him mid-season when he has peak value.
What about the Redskins defense? As a scoring defense, I don't see anything out of the ordinary, especially lacking an intimidating line up front. A strong line causing mayhem forces more turnovers and scoring opportunities.
The fantasy football magazines should be hitting the stands in full force this month. Who are the best fantasy prospects for the Redskins? Let me run through the offensive starters and key players.
Laveranues Coles - est. 1400 yds, 9-10 TDs; he'll have a bigger year in Gibbs' offense (3rd round)
Rod Gardner - est. 900 yds, 6 TDs; Gardner will also have a bigger year but not huge (a late round pick)
James Thrash - est. 400 yds, 1-2 TDs (do not draft)
Darnerian McCants - est. 200 yds, 3 TDs; McCants' red zone TDs will likely give way to Portis rushing them in (do not draft)
Clinton Portis - est. 1700 yds rushing/receiving, 15 TDs (a mid-1st rd pick)
Mark Brunell - est. 2400 yds passing, 16 TDs/7 INTs; I see Brunell missing about 1/3 of the games due to injury (draft as 3rd QB)
Patrick Ramsey - est. 1100 yds passing, 6 TDs, 4 INTs subbing for Brunell
Chris Cooley - est 200 yds, 2 TDs; not worth drafting
John Hall - impossible to gauge
My guess is that the new look Redskins will probably get off to a fast start to the season. They can catch teams by surprise with Gibbs' new wrinkles. As more game footage on the Skins collects over time, teams will be able to adjust and game-plan better. If Brunell is especially hot, evaluate the option to trade him mid-season when he has peak value.
What about the Redskins defense? As a scoring defense, I don't see anything out of the ordinary, especially lacking an intimidating line up front. A strong line causing mayhem forces more turnovers and scoring opportunities.
Monday, May 10, 2004
Sean Taylor was absolutely the right choice for the Redskins. Kellen Winslow II was the only other possibly candidate but the fact that the Redskins drafted Chris Cooley (who had an outstanding college career) as their H-back of the future should be more than adequate. If Taylor can have the same impact that Cowboys safety Roy Williams has had in his first two years, or that Ed Reed (Taylor's predecessor at Miami) is having, then the Redskins are in phenomenal shape.
The decision on Taylor over Winslow was summarized eloquently by Joe Gibbs. Taylor will be able to help to the team in more ways. I am not only glad because of Taylor's better fit but also because of Winslow's immaturity. If Taylor lives up to his potential, he can affect every defensive snap.
1. Taylor is that defensive stopper that should nullify the Shockeys and Chad Lewises of the world.
2. Taylor allows SS Matt Bowens to play closer to the line to often put 8 men in the box to stop the run.
3. He's also that presence that should provide the coverage support over the top for Smoot and Springs, making up for the loss of Champ Bailey. From what I've read, he's more of a ballhawk than the rest of the secondary so having Taylor available to run the ball back the other way is exactly what the defense (and the offense) needs.
Now the Redskins biggest need is a pass-rushing threat at DE. If the DE's don't provide enough pressure, it will be up to Arrington and/or Washington to do so.
The decision on Taylor over Winslow was summarized eloquently by Joe Gibbs. Taylor will be able to help to the team in more ways. I am not only glad because of Taylor's better fit but also because of Winslow's immaturity. If Taylor lives up to his potential, he can affect every defensive snap.
1. Taylor is that defensive stopper that should nullify the Shockeys and Chad Lewises of the world.
2. Taylor allows SS Matt Bowens to play closer to the line to often put 8 men in the box to stop the run.
3. He's also that presence that should provide the coverage support over the top for Smoot and Springs, making up for the loss of Champ Bailey. From what I've read, he's more of a ballhawk than the rest of the secondary so having Taylor available to run the ball back the other way is exactly what the defense (and the offense) needs.
Now the Redskins biggest need is a pass-rushing threat at DE. If the DE's don't provide enough pressure, it will be up to Arrington and/or Washington to do so.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
ESPN.com - NFL - Sources: Settlement reached, Owens to Eagles
Dang. This makes it infinitely tougher on the Redskins. Now the Eagles' biggest deficiency has been upgraded with a major plus.
The Redskins have to hope that Springs' size and physicality lets him match up well with TO. If so, he would fare much better than Champ Bailey, the finesse CB. Bailey had major problems with David Boston, a big, muscular, and fast receiver in the same mold.
The New Look Redskins
WR: Coles
LT: Samuels
LG: Fiore/Dockery
C: Friedman/Raymer
RG: Thomas
RT: Jansen
QB: Brunell
FB: Johnson/Cartwright
RB: Portis
TE: Rasby
WR: Gardner
DE: Wynn
DT: Griffin
DT: Haley/Noble
DE: Daniels
LB: Washington
LB: Short (Trotter likely to be released)
LB: Arrington
CB: Springs
CB: Smoot
SS: Taylor (Sean, from the draft)
FS: Bowen
For the most part, the re-tooled offense is the same with Brunell and Portis as the new faces in the key positions. Although it's a new offensive scheme, Rasby and Raymer bring familiarity back into the fold.
With the star power of Coles, Rod Gardner saw his production drop off significantly. The Redskins could certainly stand to upgrade the position. Gardner is not as strong or fast enough to scare anyone. This will be a critical year for Gardner (and possibly his contract year) to show that he belongs. If he has another 600-800 yard season, he'll be considered a 3rd-tier receiver. With all the star receivers in the draft, the Skins should give serious consideration to plucking Larry Fitzgerald if he inexplicably falls that far.
The defense, on the other hand, is significantly revamped. Griffin and Noble hopefully provide the force in the middle that disappeared when Daryl Gardener left town. The highly touted LB corps never lived up to its billing, mostly due to revolving coaching staffs. Nevertheless, Trotter has been a disappointment and with all the LBs visiting Redskins Park, is sure to be released in coming weeks.
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Champ Bailey is gone.
Clinton Portis is here.
Mark Brunell is here.
Bruce Smith is gone.
Jessie Armstead is gone.
As Len Pasquarelli of ESPN notes, Snyder is at it again during the offseason. He calls it the Summer Bowl. Every offseason it sounds exciting and all Skins fans have much reason for optimism.
Brunell vs. Ramsey
The irony of Brunell is that the Redskins had an opportunity to pursue him two years ago instead of going with Shane Matthews, Wuerffel, and drafting Ramsey.
The benching of Ramsey isn't official but Brunell's money is too high for a backup. That said, I strongly disagree with Gibb's decision to not go with Ramsey as his undisputed starter. It is clear that Ramsey has the smarts, arm strength, and toughness to succeed. Playing in a run-first offense, Ramsey would grow and lead the team to victory. Playing behind Brunell, Ramsey's growth will be severely stunted.
Bailey vs. Portis
I also disagree with the decision to not try to keep Bailey. As has been discussed in several articles regarding the trade, shutdown cornerbacks are much harder to come by than premiere running backs. Assuming he stays healthy, Ladell Betts could potentially flourish in Gibbs' offense.
The Broncos came out of the trade exceedingly well. Olandis Gary had a 1000 yard year but hasn't done anything since leaving Denver. Quentin Griffin is waiting in the wings to run for 1200 yards behind the Broncos O-line. The Broncos also have Mike Anderson. Now they also have Bailey, one of the top 3 CBs in the league, and an additional 2nd round draft pick.
My Skins GM Moves
Rather than spend big dollars for Brunell and Portis, I would have stayed the course with Ramsey and Betts, keeping Bailey, and spending free agency money to lure Jevon Kearse and Ted Washington.
Clinton Portis is here.
Mark Brunell is here.
Bruce Smith is gone.
Jessie Armstead is gone.
As Len Pasquarelli of ESPN notes, Snyder is at it again during the offseason. He calls it the Summer Bowl. Every offseason it sounds exciting and all Skins fans have much reason for optimism.
Brunell vs. Ramsey
The irony of Brunell is that the Redskins had an opportunity to pursue him two years ago instead of going with Shane Matthews, Wuerffel, and drafting Ramsey.
The benching of Ramsey isn't official but Brunell's money is too high for a backup. That said, I strongly disagree with Gibb's decision to not go with Ramsey as his undisputed starter. It is clear that Ramsey has the smarts, arm strength, and toughness to succeed. Playing in a run-first offense, Ramsey would grow and lead the team to victory. Playing behind Brunell, Ramsey's growth will be severely stunted.
Bailey vs. Portis
I also disagree with the decision to not try to keep Bailey. As has been discussed in several articles regarding the trade, shutdown cornerbacks are much harder to come by than premiere running backs. Assuming he stays healthy, Ladell Betts could potentially flourish in Gibbs' offense.
The Broncos came out of the trade exceedingly well. Olandis Gary had a 1000 yard year but hasn't done anything since leaving Denver. Quentin Griffin is waiting in the wings to run for 1200 yards behind the Broncos O-line. The Broncos also have Mike Anderson. Now they also have Bailey, one of the top 3 CBs in the league, and an additional 2nd round draft pick.
My Skins GM Moves
Rather than spend big dollars for Brunell and Portis, I would have stayed the course with Ramsey and Betts, keeping Bailey, and spending free agency money to lure Jevon Kearse and Ted Washington.
Monday, January 19, 2004
The Offseason
Philadelphia Eagles
I'll take this time to speculate about non-Redskins for a moment.
The Eagles lost the NFC Championship for the third year in a row. Where the Eagles failed has long been their weakness, namely, that their receivers can be blanketed with single coverage, allowing for free blitzers to pressure McNabb.
The Eagles other weakness was their propensity to allow huge running lanes for opposing running backs.
When it comes to the offseason, the obvious fit is a big name receiver like Terrell Owens. Keyshawn Johnson is also available but TO is a much better fit because he shifts coverages. Keyshawn is a possession receiver. At his age, Keyshawn is a complementary second receiver but not the breakout wideout the Birds need.
The Eagles also need to deal with Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent departing. The Skins will put the franchise tag on Champ Bailey and the Ravens will do the same with Chris McAlister. From what I've seen, the Eagles don't have a bad one in third CB Lito Sheppard and if they can keep either Taylor or Vincent, they'd be in decent shape for their secondary since they still have Brian Dawkins. It will definitely be an interesting offseason to see how the Eagles team takes form next year.
Running Backs
Stephen Davis and Deshaun Foster pose an interesting scenario. Likely, the situation will continue for one more year while Davis' cap number is manageable and Foster is content to play his role. However, Foster will get even more carries next year and his apprenticeship will be over. Even if Davis doesn't get injured next year, he'll be giving up playing time to Foster and by the season after that, they'll be cutting him. It's too bad because these next two seasons would be prime playing time for Davis to come back to the Redskins if he saw the writing on the wall. Perhaps a trade would be do-able but at the same time, Davis will be 30 this year.
Corey Dillon will demand big bucks and attract a lot of attention. He will also be 30 this year and both the Cowboys and the Skins will be suitors for his services. However, he is not a free agent either and would also need to be acquired via a trade.
Impending RB free agents are Duce Staley, Correll Buckhalter (restricted), Stacey Mack, Dominic Rhodes (restricted), Rudi Johnson (restricted and sure to be retained over Dillon), Troy Hambrick, Doug Chapman, Thomas Jones, and Kevan Barlow (restricted). Of those on this list, none of them are elite backs. Rudi Johnson and Barlow are the best of the bunch but both will likely be made restrictive qualifying offers from their respective teams.
The wild card for the Redskins is Ladell Betts. The fact that he didn't stay healthy this year does not bode well for him but he has shown glimpses of speed and power. If he could stay healthy, he would fit Gibbs' prototypical back profile.
Philadelphia Eagles
I'll take this time to speculate about non-Redskins for a moment.
The Eagles lost the NFC Championship for the third year in a row. Where the Eagles failed has long been their weakness, namely, that their receivers can be blanketed with single coverage, allowing for free blitzers to pressure McNabb.
The Eagles other weakness was their propensity to allow huge running lanes for opposing running backs.
When it comes to the offseason, the obvious fit is a big name receiver like Terrell Owens. Keyshawn Johnson is also available but TO is a much better fit because he shifts coverages. Keyshawn is a possession receiver. At his age, Keyshawn is a complementary second receiver but not the breakout wideout the Birds need.
The Eagles also need to deal with Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent departing. The Skins will put the franchise tag on Champ Bailey and the Ravens will do the same with Chris McAlister. From what I've seen, the Eagles don't have a bad one in third CB Lito Sheppard and if they can keep either Taylor or Vincent, they'd be in decent shape for their secondary since they still have Brian Dawkins. It will definitely be an interesting offseason to see how the Eagles team takes form next year.
Running Backs
Stephen Davis and Deshaun Foster pose an interesting scenario. Likely, the situation will continue for one more year while Davis' cap number is manageable and Foster is content to play his role. However, Foster will get even more carries next year and his apprenticeship will be over. Even if Davis doesn't get injured next year, he'll be giving up playing time to Foster and by the season after that, they'll be cutting him. It's too bad because these next two seasons would be prime playing time for Davis to come back to the Redskins if he saw the writing on the wall. Perhaps a trade would be do-able but at the same time, Davis will be 30 this year.
Corey Dillon will demand big bucks and attract a lot of attention. He will also be 30 this year and both the Cowboys and the Skins will be suitors for his services. However, he is not a free agent either and would also need to be acquired via a trade.
Impending RB free agents are Duce Staley, Correll Buckhalter (restricted), Stacey Mack, Dominic Rhodes (restricted), Rudi Johnson (restricted and sure to be retained over Dillon), Troy Hambrick, Doug Chapman, Thomas Jones, and Kevan Barlow (restricted). Of those on this list, none of them are elite backs. Rudi Johnson and Barlow are the best of the bunch but both will likely be made restrictive qualifying offers from their respective teams.
The wild card for the Redskins is Ladell Betts. The fact that he didn't stay healthy this year does not bode well for him but he has shown glimpses of speed and power. If he could stay healthy, he would fit Gibbs' prototypical back profile.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Now that there's been more time for the Gibbs (re)hiring to sink in, some of the negative scenarios I'd posed won't likely play out. Since Gibbs has the title of team President, he clearly outranks Cerrato and has the highest respect from Snyder. Snyder will do everything that Gibbs deems necessary.
It's been quite an interesting mystery uncovering what went down to make all this happen. My initial inkling was that Snyder had been continuously making overtures to Gibbs, even while Spurrier was still under contract. According to the Washington Post, that's incorrect, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were the truth.
The best part is that Gibbs will continue to play a role in the organization after he finishes coaching. In that way, he can be Snyder's best advisor about how to be a good owner, putting good people in charge and letting them run the team.
It's been quite an interesting mystery uncovering what went down to make all this happen. My initial inkling was that Snyder had been continuously making overtures to Gibbs, even while Spurrier was still under contract. According to the Washington Post, that's incorrect, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were the truth.
The best part is that Gibbs will continue to play a role in the organization after he finishes coaching. In that way, he can be Snyder's best advisor about how to be a good owner, putting good people in charge and letting them run the team.
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Gibbs Returning to Coach Redskins (washingtonpost.com): "
The prodigal son returns. Absolutely unbelievable. I was stunned when I first saw the ticker on ESPN this morning.
I still find it difficult to comprehend. Then I don't know whether to be upset or overjoyed. On one hand, I feel like it's a desperate shot to try to re-capture old magic and has somewhat of a circus feel to it. On the other hand, Gibbs can help the team in many ways. Overall, it will benefit the team but for starters, here are negative scenarios that could play out:
1) Gibbs isn't ready for today's NFL with more blitzing schemes, free agency and ridiculous antics. He doesn't match his former glory and tarnishes his god-like legacy.
2) Gibbs burns out after a year or two and remembers why he left in the first place, leaving the Skins in worse shape than it is now.
3) He succeeds but when he steps down, the Skins find it even tougher to find a worthy successor. They haven't been able to find anyone close since Gibbs left in '93. Schottenheimer was the only one that gave the Skins some promise and was canned by Danny Boy.
4) Gibbs wants more player input and GM duties (which was the case at the end of his first tour of duty) and eventually comes to a clash with Snyder over it (who doesn't want to be relegated to the back seat). It leads to an acrimonious parting and a grief-stricken fan base of the bitter loss of their "golden son".
On the plus side:
1) Gibbs brings back immediate credibility to the organization. He will command the respect of players and restore needed discipline.
2) He will maximize talent and hide weaknesses. He will bring back rollouts to buy more time for Ramsey to throw.
3) Rather than his on-field contributions, Gibbs' most important role should be to teach Snyder how to be a good owner. Gibbs not only worked with a cantankerous owner in Cooke but was a supremely successful owner himself with Joe Gibbs racing.
4) Gibbs could set up the right succession if all plays out correctly. He hires Bugel and Russ Grimm as assistants and grooms the two of them to take over. That could get messy, as it did with Richie Petitbone.
I find it hard to see how Snyder can maintain the proper front office balance. He wants to replicate the coach/GM/owner structure that Gibbs/Beatherd/Cooke shared. However, that's not possible. Gibbs is far superior in footbally knowledge to Snyder and Cerrato. What happens when Cerrato butts heads with Gibbs about player movement? It's hard to see Snyder ever deciding against Joe Gibbs, out of respect and fear of alienation.
Snyder definitely keeps things interesting, that's for sure.
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