Lavar Arrinton.... Merged

hermitkid · Post by **hermitkid** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:12 pm

I'm with you roybus, I think this whole situation is a farce. By his own account Arrington is 100% percent. It's one thing to sit a player and bring him along slowly but LaVar played only 4 freaking downs.

Other than being sealed of on a key played that gave Alexander 34 yards over the left side, Holdman has done absolutely nothing on the field to distinguis himself.

JPFair · Post by **JPFair** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:16 pm

There's a lot more to this story than meets the eye. There must be some serious stuff going on behind the scenes.

SkinsBigtime · Post by **SkinsBigtime** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:51 pm

ESPECIALLY since we restructured his contract just this past offseason. Wasn't there some financial gain for Lavar if he made it to the pro bowl for 2 out of the next 3 years? Maybe the skins have a slightly different plan. . . :twisted:

SkinsFanInHawai'i · Post by **SkinsFanInHawai'i** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:52 pm

let him go and lets draft Xavier Adibi or somebody I dunno

Isn't he a sophmore?
He is the man though

patjam77 · Post by **patjam77** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:09 pm

the guy needs to play... he is the skins best pass rusher and not having a pass rush very nearly came to bite them in the but yesterday... they need to work him in.

SkinzCanes · Post by **SkinzCanes** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:46 pm

Gibbs was supposed to on at 6 pm....for the people that listened to this, did he make any comments regarding Lavar's status?

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:48 pm

How long before Lavar takes the bulk of snaps

hell freezes over?

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:56 pm

cry lavar. it will do you no good. remember the "coaches rushed me back" and " i got stiffed out of 6.5 million" comments that you so openly whined to the media with? what goes around comes around. thats life deal with it. maybe lavar can become a pro bowl caliber cheerleader. ha ha, the team is bigger than lavar.

screwgun · Post by **screwgun** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:13 pm

It would be nice to see him playing and our money being well spent. As long as his level of play is helping the scheme , that is.

portis26 · Post by **portis26** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:44 pm

Vince Hall is better.

SkinzCanes · Post by **SkinzCanes** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:18 pm

Arrington 'not a starter' in Redskins' great start
By JOSEPH WHITE, AP Sports Writer
October 3, 2005

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the jubilation of three thrilling victories and a surprising first-place perch atop the NFC East, one nagging question persists for the Washington Redskins.

What happened to LaVar Arrington?

Coach Joe Gibbs finally gave the direct answer Monday: ``He's not a starter.''
Yes, Arrington, the fearsome linebacker known to change games with an interception or jarring sack, the Pro Bowl selection each of his last three healthy seasons, the player with the much-disputed $68 million contract, is now one of the most popular and expensive bench-warmers in franchise history.

No one is more flummoxed than Arrington himself, who for the first time is talking openly about the prospects of playing elsewhere.

``I hate not playing, but I don't make those decisions,'' Arrington said. ``It's interesting to me that the finger is pointed at me when I'm not playing like, 'Why aren't you playing LaVar?' or 'What am I doing wrong not to be playing?' I'm here every day. I'm here on time. I don't get in trouble off the field. I don't get in trouble on the field. I do what I'm asked to do. That's how I've always been.''

Arrington was on the field for two plays and didn't do anything to register on the stat sheet in Sunday's 20-17 overtime victory over Seattle. He's been used on a few plays through three games -- including the first play of the Dallas game, which technically gave him credit for one start -- and has just two tackles to show for his efforts.

``If the direction is going away from me and going towards other things then, as a man, I have to accept that,'' Arrington said. ``I have to move on and figure out what's next for me.''

Stars rise and fall with regularity in the NFL, but Arrington's dive has perplexed fans more than usual because he is arguably the most-liked player on the team. His autograph was the one most in demand at training camp, and his No. 56 jersey easily trumps anyone else's at any substantial gathering of Redskins' faithful.

Initially, coaches explained Arrington's lack of playing time by saying they were working him into a few packages to get him back in the flow after knee surgery. That explanation wore out quickly: Arrington said he's ``100 percent healthy'' and he hasn't been listed on the team's official injury report.

``He's not a starter and hasn't started,'' Gibbs said. ``I know he's disappointed in not making more of an impact, not playing more, but I think it's something we have to work our way through. I think it's one of those things scheme-wise for our defense, it's the best way I would answer that. We've got a lot of guys that are talented guys who can do a lot of things for us. ... Health-wise, I think he's back.''

That's a load of coach-speak for ``We think someone else can do the job better.''

Perhaps as surprising as Arrington's benching is how well he's handling it. He's been known to go on a mini-tirade when something doesn't go his way, but he's played the good soldier this time.

``I obviously lost the job. I'm not a starter anymore. If people want to ridicule me and condemn me for losing a job after an injury then so be it, that's what I have to deal with it, but I'm still not going to be part of an ongoing soap opera about why I'm not playing,'' Arrington said. ``I'm going to be supportive of my teammates. I don't need to sit here and throw mud.''

The No. 2 overall pick from Penn State in 2000, Arrington made the Pro Bowl from 2001-03 with play that was reckless but made an impact. He gave a career-ending concussion to Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman and returned from a near-concussion of his own to turn around the 2001 season with an interception and score against Carolina.

A knee injury made Arrington a non-factor last season. He played in four games and was obviously ailing. The defense didn't need him anyway -- they ranked No. 3 in the league using the aggressive mix-and-match packages of new assistant coach Gregg Williams.

Arrington's frustrations boiled over in the spring when he accused the Redskins of mishandling his knee injury and of stalling the outcome of a dispute over a bonus that Arrington contends was left out of his contract. Arrington met with Gibbs to mend their differences, and the contract matter was settled with a compromise in late August.

He missed much of training camp during his final weeks of recovery from knee surgery, but he was back on the field for the third preseason game and looked ready to resume his old place in the lineup.

But it never happened. Free agent signee Warrick Holdman has been starting on the weak side despite a minimal presence in the first three games. When the defense needs an extra linebacker to apply pressure, the team usually calls on Chris Clemons, who played in all of six NFL games before this season.

``I have youth,'' the 27-year-old Arrington said. ``That's a beautiful thing. I'm hungry. I'm by no means a content individual. I'm not content with where I'm at. I don't need to be motivated. I'm motivated. I'm ready to go.''

This really doesn't make any sense.....Arguably the most talented player on our defense is behind Holdman on the depth chart.

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:30 pm

This really doesn't make any sense.....Arguably the most talented player on our defense is behind Holdman on the depth chart.

makes perfect sense. one player is not above the team, even if he has had his way for underachieving the last four years. snyder picked lavar, not gibbs. you have to earn your way onto a gibbs team, not just expect it for mere reason of your draft status.

ps, sean taylor is the most talented defender we have. too bad he can't keep his nose clean.

SkinzCanes · Post by **SkinzCanes** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:15 pm

yea i agree with you about sean taylor being the most talented player on d. hopefully his shoulder is okay. i understand that lavar has to earn his spot on the team, but he clearly is more talented than holdman. holdman has been solid at best this year and he doesn't give us the big play ability that lavar does. if there is one thing that you can criticise the defense for it is a lack of a pass rush and not enough turnovers. lavar excells in both of those areas.....from 2000-2003 lavar played in 62 games and had 21.5 sacks, 3 int's, 10 forced fumbles, and 30 defended passes. that means that he's averaged a sack, int, or ff every 2 games that he's played. nobody else on our defense has those types of numbers. and with taylor banged up we need lavar's big-play ability even more now. it just doesn't make any sense to me to keep a player with that much ability on the bench when he could be out on the field helping the team win.

1fan4ramsey · Post by **1fan4ramsey** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:35 pm

he should be playing, I don't get it, he can do just as good a job as holdman. I wonder what Snyder has to say regarding all of this? :shock:

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:42 pm

This is great news, if it's true!

1niksder · Post by **1niksder** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:59 pm

1fan4ramsey wrote:he should be playing, I don't get it, he can do just as good a job as holdman. I wonder what Snyder has to say regarding all of this?

Lavar said it best: "I lost my spot", that's where we are at. Holdman is the starter and Gregg Williams not only wants LA to earn the starting job, he doesn't want Holdman to lose it (the team benefits either way). If Lavar is as good as everyone thinks he is then he should win his spot back in no time. Is he healthy is the question.

Lavar says he's 100%. Lavar said he was 100% late last year and look what happen. He aggravated the knee and blame the team. Gibbs says they are bringing him along but had a set back a few weeks ago when Lavar needed his knee drained.

Lavar doesn't sound like he's told the coaches that he wouldn't play ST, which is good. I hope he is 100% but I doubt it.

Chris Luva Luva · Post by **Chris Luva Luva** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:10 pm

1niksder wrote:
1fan4ramsey wrote:he should be playing, I don't get it, he can do just as good a job as holdman. I wonder what Snyder has to say regarding all of this?

Lavar said it best: "I lost my spot", that's where we are at. Holdman is the starter and Gregg Williams not only wants LA to earn the starting job, he doesn't want Holdman to lose it (the team benefits either way). If Lavar is as good as everyone thinks he is then he should win his spot back in no time. Is he healthy is the question.

Lavar says he's 100%. Lavar said he was 100% late last year and look what happen. He aggravated the knee and blame the team. Gibbs says they are bringing him along but had a set back a few weeks ago when Lavar needed his knee drained.

Lavar doesn't sound like he's told the coaches that he wouldn't play ST, which is good. I hope he is 100% but I doubt it.

I agree 100% If Lavar is the beast that his cheerleaders make him out to be then he should be killing everyone at camp. He should be doing backflips before catching INT's and speeding away from defenders while cartwheeling into the endzone.

Im for anyone who is going to make this team the best that it possibly can be. If Lavar is on par with Holdman then I agree that Lavar doesn't get the nod. What kind of message would that send to the other players?

Hard work = getting benched?

This is a team now, not a one pony trick show like it used to be. We're 3-0 without the need of anyone player in particular and the ONLY person who is probally needed at this point is Brunell. (man that felt wrong...)

Steve Spurrier III · Post by **Steve Spurrier III** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:22 pm

Chris Luva Luva wrote:We're 3-0 without the need of anyone player in particular and the ONLY person who is probally needed at this point is Brunell. (man that felt wrong...)

Santana Moss? For that matter, we wouldn't be 3-0 without most of the guys that are on this team (look at the difference a relativley healthy Jansen has made). What the Gregg Williams and the Redskins do is fantastic, but to say that no one is "needed" is an exaggeration, at best.

But back to the topic - if Arrington is healthy (which I believe), and if he is cooperating (which I'm not sure about), then the Redskin coaches not using him as a pass-rushing end on third and long is a crime. I don't know if Arrington, the coaches or the front office is to blame, but this needs to get fixed as soon as possible.

Chris Luva Luva · Post by **Chris Luva Luva** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:29 pm

Steve Spurrier III wrote:
Chris Luva Luva wrote:We're 3-0 without the need of anyone player in particular and the ONLY person who is probally needed at this point is Brunell. (man that felt wrong...)

Santana Moss? For that matter, we wouldn't be 3-0 without most of the guys that are on this team (look at the difference a relativley healthy Jansen has made). What the Gregg Williams and the Redskins do is fantastic, but to say that no one is "needed" is an exaggeration, at best.

But back to the topic - if Arrington is healthy (which I believe), and if he is cooperating (which I'm not sure about), then the Redskin coaches not using him as a pass-rushing end on third and long is a crime. I don't know if Arrington, the coaches or the front office is to blame, but this needs to get fixed as soon as possible.

I didn't say not anyone person makes this team. Of course everyone as a collective has made us 3-0 but nobody as an individual is more important than the team as a whole.

The team seems to have a role for Arrington but his play hasn't been called yet. They seem to have placed him in specific packages that will be good for the defense. Why would they just plug him in to any and every play if its not going to help us? If his play hasn't been called then thats just tuff cookies for him.

Steve Spurrier III · Post by **Steve Spurrier III** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:40 pm

Chris Luva Luva wrote:Why would they just plug him in to any and every play if its not going to help us?

But the point is, if LaVar Arrington is 100% healthy, he should be able to help us. Remeber how good this guy was when he was healthy? He was an absolute monster.

If he is going to freelance, then Warrik Holdman should be starting, no question. But don't tell me you can't put him in a three-point stance and have him rush the passer on third and long.

LaVar says he is 100% healthy and being completley cooperative, yet the coaches can't find a way to use him. If that is true (which I personally don't believe), then Gregg Williams isn't the genius we thought he was.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:42 pm

Wouldn't it be nice to have a fired-up, fresh and completely healthy LA in a spot where his particular talents are needed ?
This is a great, great problem to have...not being able to find a spot in your defense for Lavar Arrington.
It speaks volumes.
When he does come back, he'll make every effort to win back his job...which isn't something that he's had to do yet.
Has anybody else noticed that Lavar airs his grievances out in public ?
That could be a sticking point.

Chris Luva Luva · Post by **Chris Luva Luva** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:46 pm

Steve Spurrier III wrote:But the point is, if LaVar Arrington is 100% healthy, he should be able to help us. Remeber how good this guy was when he was healthy? He was an absolute monster.

Maybe he's not doing what needs to be done in practice to beat our Holdman? We're not sure as to how this injury has effected him aside from the mental/emotional issues he's had with the team.

Steve Spurrier III wrote:If he is going to freelance, then Warrik Holdman should be starting, no question. But don't tell me you can't put him in a three-point stance and have him rush the passer on third and long.

I agree but if the coaches don't have him in that package then I dont know what to say. I can only imagine his practice performance hasn't been on par?

Steve Spurrier III wrote:LaVar says he is 100% healthy and being completley cooperative, yet the coaches can't find a way to use him. If that is true (which I personally don't believe), then Gregg Williams isn't the genius we thought he was.

Thats a bit far? Gregg is definately the guy we think he is. They are using Lavar but haven't needed to use him in their opinion. Why? I dont know, Im just going by what they said. Theres more to things then what we see. Look at DMAC for example. Some peeps wondered why we cut him and then went crazy when the Iggles got him. They released him shortly afterward. Theres more than what we see.

If Lavar can be a benefit to us then lets play him, if not then bench him. They think he won't benefit us so who am I to tell these great coaches they're wrong?

SkinzCanes · Post by **SkinzCanes** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:52 pm

I would understand keeping Lavar on the bench if Holdman was having a great season, but he has been average so far this season. Lavar was a pro-bowl caliber stud before he got hurt and there is no reason to think that he wont play like his old self is given the chance. We need sacks and turnover and Lavar gives us the best chance of improving in those areas.

Chris Luva Luva · Post by **Chris Luva Luva** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:57 pm

SkinzCanes wrote:I would understand keeping Lavar on the bench if Holdman was having a great season, but he has been average so far this season. Lavar was a pro-bowl caliber stud before he got hurt and there is no reason to think that he wont play like his old self is given the chance. We need sacks and turnover and Lavar gives us the best chance of improving in those areas.

Like I said in my earlier post. If Lavar isn't providing the coaches with indisputable to start him over Holdman does he still deserve to start? Maybe he's been playing just as
"mediocre" as Holdman in practice. If Lavar is on par with Holdam right now then its no wonder he's not starting.

Lavar is being held to the same rules that got McCants ousted. Im glad that they dont bend the rules for "super stars" it shouldn't be that way. Lavar should have to abide by the same rules as everyone else to earn back his spot.

When he outplays Holdman Ill root just as hard for him as everyone else.

Steve Spurrier III · Post by **Steve Spurrier III** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:59 pm

Chris Luva Luva wrote:If Lavar can be a benefit to us then lets play him, if not then bench him. They think he won't benefit us so who am I to tell these great coaches they're wrong?

Someone correct me if I am wrong on this:

So far, LaVar and the coaches have all said Arrington is healthy and ready to play, but he just hasn't needed.

FOX reports that the Redskins are more or less benching Arrington because he refuses to play special teams.

Scenario 1 - LaVar and coaches telling the truth:

If Arrington is completley healthy and ready to play, then the Redskins coaches are doing a poor job using their available personel. I love our defense as much as anyone, but the one knock on them is that they don't produce enough turnovers or sacks. At the very least, the coaches should be able to use him to improve the pass rush. I don't think there is anything wrong with questioning the way the coaches are handling this theoretical situation.

Scenario 2 - FOX is correct, Arrington is "benched":

Scenario 3 - Arrington is actually still injured:

The problem is, all of these scenarios have something seriously wrong with them. If Arrington is hurt or refusing to play special teams, then he is of no use to us. If he is healthy and not being used, then that is a gigantic waste of talent.