"Team is Pretty Much Set"

[GoSkins]

Per redskins.com Joe Gibbs states:

"From here on out, it's going to be very hard for us to add somebody to the football team," Gibbs said. "We maximized free agency and we did as well as we could do in the draft. We did well with the undrafted free agents--a couple of them have really showed up and played well out there.

"But if you can add somebody, it might be just a person here or a person there. Right now, I feel pretty good about our players."

With Arrinton noe playing as a pass rishing defen sive end on passing downs the only are of need is 1-2 defensive tackles. Other than that it looks like we're set. I also will eat crow and agree that Tim Hasselback will be our #3 QB. Unfortunately, that means Rock Cartwright or another RB in additon to Trung will probably be let go. The HBack position will be ey's with Sellers as a posiible backup. Will Gibbs carry 3 Tight Ends in addition to 2 H Backs? Those are the key questions on offense.

[fleetus]

We still need some bulk and/or a solid DE. I expect the skins to be looking for a June 1st cut.

[GoSkins]

Maybe, but Williams has already told Lavar he will be the pash rushing DE on passing downs (like '01 when he lead LBs in sacks). With Daniels, Upshaw and Wynn, I think we're pretty much set at DE. We only have 3 DTs signed...Griffin, Haley and Noble. Noble is still a ? so we're down to 2 DTs who we know can play today. We need 1-2 more proven DTs.

[skinsfaninroanoke]

Daniels and Wynn both have experience moving inside - it is why Daniels sack numbers dropped fairly drastically the last two years - he was inside a lot for the Bears after they let some of their DTs go.

On pass rushing downs you might see the line look like this:

Arrington: LE
Wynn: LT
Daniels: RT
Upshaw: RE

and then you would have maybe Barrow and Washington at LB and then Taylor, Ohalete, Bowen at safety and Springs and Smoot as CB.

Then you might see Washington and Taylor blitz while Barrow and the rest drop into man coverage.

Just a thought to keep an eye peeled for

[CHAZZ777]

Daniels and Wynn both have experience moving inside - it is why Daniels sack numbers dropped fairly drastically the last two years - he was inside a lot for the Bears after they let some of their DTs go.

On pass rushing downs you might see the line look like this:

Arrington: LE
Wynn: LT
Daniels: RT
Upshaw: RE

and then you would have maybe Barrow and Washington at LB and then Taylor, Ohalete, Bowen at safety and Springs and Smoot as CB.

Then you might see Washington and Taylor blitz while Barrow and the rest drop into man coverage.

Just a thought to keep an eye peeled for

Man you really know your football

[Steve Spurrier III]

That's all great, but what about 4th and 1? We still don't have the bulk in the middle. Griffin at DT and Wynn and Daniels at DE should be good run-stoppers, but we are definetly a DT short.

Counting on Noble to be anything more than a role player is a big mistake...

[skinsfaninroanoke]

agreed, as I have been bringing up... I hated to be a doomsayer so to speak, but it is there to be looked at, and I guarantee teams will salivate over a 290 pound DT trying to jam the line on a 3rd or 4th and 1. It ain't agunna happen.

Seriously, I would expect that we will be looking at a beefy guy in the middle - so much the better if Adams gets cut, but I don't know that I would count on much HUGE talent getting cut post June 1st.

Keep one thing in mind about post June 1st cuts - like when we cut Stephen Davis - he would have made 11 mil here but only signed for 1 mil at Carolina - sometimes guys just want to hang on to that fat contract for all their worth, but realize that they won't be able to demand that much when it comes to dealing with a new team. So, people who seem to be expensive now might not be anywhere near as expensive in a new contract when faced with unemployment and NO bucks rather than HUGE bucks.

I appreciate the compliment Chaz - I really do study a lot to try and learn, though I am decades short of ever becoming the expert that some of these guys are - they have lived it, breathed it, played it, practiced it and designed it while I just read books about it. Bill Arnsparger wrote a very technical book on defenses that I have re-read a few times, and he breaks most of them down to the barest essentials - but it is dry unless you LOVE defense - a lot of technical info without much repartee....

I love my Skins, and I love my defenses... its why I love being on here - I get to talk both

[gambit187]

Daniels and Wynn both have experience moving inside - it is why Daniels sack numbers dropped fairly drastically the last two years - he was inside a lot for the Bears after they let some of their DTs go.

On pass rushing downs you might see the line look like this:

Arrington: LE
Wynn: LT
Daniels: RT
Upshaw: RE

and then you would have maybe Barrow and Washington at LB and then Taylor, Ohalete, Bowen at safety and Springs and Smoot as CB.

Then you might see Washington and Taylor blitz while Barrow and the rest drop into man coverage.

Just a thought to keep an eye peeled for

That is actually not a bad idea.........I must try to that on Madden 2004 for my Cowboys

[skinsfaninroanoke]

LOL - you ought to know by now I don't ever keep the same team that I get with the Madden games - I don't have any draft picks left, but I have 20 mil in salary cap and 680 pounds of DT... and a 22 ypg rush defense

Of course, I traded Champ for a second rounder and Shaun Alexander from the Seahawks

I don't have any of the original three starting linebackers and now have Marcus Washington on the LOLB starting spot - he is an anti run destruction machine

I don't have many sacks yet, but I press the pocket damn near every snap...

I just beat the Jets 35-9 after revamping the team...

Oh - and the OL is the same - they do well enough but I think Madden programmers put in their propensity for mistakes and penalities in the update - they got worse with the holds and such since I updated. And usually right after a 40 yard TD run by Alexander

[hkHog]

like when we cut Stephen Davis - he would have made 11 mil here but only signed for 1 mil at Carolina

Agreed, I think we may be able to pick up one or two reasonable DTs cheap. I'm not getting my hopes up for a star but a couple guys who can play. I don't think this will be the case with DEs though as it looks like there may be a lot of interest in these guys from St. Louis, etc... We might add some depth and a little extra pass rush though.

Bill Arnsparger wrote a very technical book on defenses that I have re-read a few times, and he breaks most of them down to the barest essentials - but it is dry unless you LOVE defense - a lot of technical info without much repartee....

Hey bro, thanks for the tip, I'm gonna check this book out

[skinsfaninroanoke]

you want more - I have books about the offense as well if you want names

[JonC56]

we need d-line help desparetly, cmon, arrington was banged up the hole year when they were using him as DE on pass rushing downs, because hes not big enough to go against the good tackles in the NFL consistently. Yes he did have 11 sacks but it seemed like he was used there a little to much because of the many injuries he got playing there. I think they should use him at DE, but selectively. Also we definetly need another DT but our priorty should be a pass rushing specialist. We really dont have anyone who we can count on to give us a consistent pass rush, with the exeption of arrington on 3rd down. We have to be able to pressure the quarterback because if you give a qb all day he will kill you in the NFl. I try to be realistic and I really think that if we dont get a good DE and maybe another Dt we might not be as good as some people think. Look at every super bowl team in just the past 6 years. THey all had amazing D lines and thats were a good defense starts.

[JonC56]

Just look at a few of the recent teams to go to the superbowl:
Panthers- had the best dline in football hands down, but didnt have a good secondary, the constant pressure negated any issues in the secondary

Bucs- They too had an amazing dline, and an ok secondary with the exception of john lynch.

Patriots- They were solid everywhere, and with ted washington eating up so much space and drawing so many doubles.

All im trying to say is that a good dline and constant pressure can always make up for weakness in other places but it usually dosent work the other way when you have a good secondary and a weak dline.

[JonC56]

Just look at a few of the recent teams to go to the superbowl:
Panthers- had the best dline in football hands down, but didnt have a good secondary, the constant pressure negated any issues in the secondary

Bucs- They too had an amazing dline, and an ok secondary with the exception of john lynch.

Patriots- They were solid everywhere, and with ted washington eating up so much space and drawing so many doubles.

All im trying to say is that a good dline and constant pressure can always make up for weakness in other places but it usually dosent work the other way when you have a good secondary and a weak dline.

[JonC56]

Just look at a few of the recent teams to go to the superbowl:
Panthers- had the best dline in football hands down, but didnt have a good secondary, the constant pressure negated any issues in the secondary

Bucs- They too had an amazing dline, and an ok secondary with the exception of john lynch.

Patriots- They were solid everywhere, and with ted washington eating up so much space and drawing so many doubles.

All im trying to say is that a good dline and constant pressure can always make up for weakness in other places but it usually dosent work the other way when you have a good secondary and a weak dline.

[verm04]

I love some madden. But yeah it is wayyyyyyy to hard to get any real sacks in madden. :-/