Redskins' Off Season - more of the same, or ...

[ferryrich]

I don't trust or believe in a single roster decision our FO makes. Even when keeping one of our own FAs seems like a no-brainer, I still question it when the signing comes.

[SkinsJock]

There is a reason that this franchise is held in such low esteem - most everyone attributes that to Dan Snyder

[DEHog]

Grant failed his physical so he is still a ?

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

If he failed wth qould WE sign him??? Save the bromance he has with Gruden

[welch]

Snyder and Allen seem to be in "win now" mode, rather than "rebuild". Even though the Redskins have bumped along at .500 for the last six or ten seasons.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/foo ... 3cccb563d3

New acquisitions tout Redskins ability to win right away. But are they ready?
By Kareem Copeland March 21 at 9:41 AM

The Washington Redskins brought in two new players during this offseason that both immediately touted the opportunity to win as a reason they picked the organization. And these two – quarterback Alex Smith and cornerback Orlando Scandrick – have a combined 22 years of experience in the NFL. They should have the ability to read the league and an organization to tell if the proper things are in place. Smith didn’t hesitate to talk about chasing a championship when he was introduced last week.

So, are the Redskins truly close to competing on a high level, or are these just the things new acquisitions are supposed to say?

The way the organization has approached free agency seems to be a win-now approach. Bringing in a 33-year-old veteran quarterback that has led his team to the playoffs three consecutive seasons points to an immediate timetable for contention. The team could have looked to replace Kirk Cousins with a quarterback in the draft, even trying to move up from the No. 13 slot to land one of the big four of Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield. Former Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson is the wildcard of the quarterback class and could even fall to Washington at 13.

<snip>

The Redskins lost two cornerbacks entering the prime of their career (Kendall Fuller and Bashaud Breeland), but instead of going young, they brought in a 10-year veteran, in Scandrick, 31. A younger player may have indicated a longer view, or it could be the team is placing value on Scandrick’s experience as younger corners Quinton Dunbar, 25, and Fabian Moreau, 23, get more seasoning.

The run game, ranked No. 28 in the league with 90.5 yards per game, is expected to be addressed via a deep draft class at the position.

However, Washington hasn’t yet splurged on a high-priced, peaking defensive linemen that could have helped address the biggest weakness in 2017 – the league’s worst run defense at 134.1 yards per game. Johnathan Hankins visited the Redskins this week, but left without a contract.

{Read the rest in the Post article}

Yes, evidence that Snyder/Allen thinks the Redskins are ready to win now, and just need a couple of patched-in players to go to the Super Bowl. Aside from 20 years experience watching Snyder/Cerrato/Allen puff up the team's chances, why should fans believe them now?

[SkinsJock]

Snyder and Allen seem to be in "win now" mode, rather than "rebuild". Even though the Redskins have bumped along at .500 for the last six or ten seasons. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/foo ... ][b][i]New acquisitions tout Redskins ability to win right away. But are they ready?[/i][/b]
By Kareem Copeland March 21 at 9:41 AM

The Washington Redskins brought in two new players during this offseason that both immediately touted the opportunity to win as a reason they picked the organization. And these two – quarterback Alex Smith and cornerback Orlando Scandrick – have a combined 22 years of experience in the NFL. They should have the ability to read the league and an organization to tell if the proper things are in place. Smith didn’t hesitate to talk about chasing a championship when he was introduced last week.

So, are the Redskins truly close to competing on a high level, or are these just the things new acquisitions are supposed to say?
....

Yes, evidence that Snyder/Allen thinks the Redskins are ready to win now, and just need a couple of patched-in players to go to the Super Bowl. Aside from 20 years experience watching Snyder/Cerrato/Allen puff up the team's chances, why should fans believe them now?[/quote]
thanks for that welch

that's the thing - I want the Redskins to get better - the past 20 years have proven that there's a reason that this franchise is regarded as a joke by most knowledgeable NFL people - more than half of the NFL teams have a good chance to win each and every game - history shows that we need to get lucky to win more than 8 games

after many years of having some high draft picks and having some very good players, we always seem to be in rebuilding mode

Dan Snyder is not selling but surely he can see what we all can see - Bruce Allen has not done much with what he's had

[El Mexican]

Let's face it, this will a another season of rebuilding.

One or two players are not going to turn around the fortunes of this team.

You know the answer already: stack up on both the OL and DL. Get two good RBs.

Best examples are obvious: Jacksonville and Philly, maybe Dallas (hate to say it). Everything else is icing on the cake, including fancy Qb play.

[SkinsJock]

I really hope the Redskins improve the O line & D line to where we have a good running game & a defense that is better at stopping the run

However, history has proven, no matter what we do, as long as the idiots are in charge, this franchise is going to be mediocre at best

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

https://nflmocks.com/2018/03/24/redskin ... contender/

[SkinsJock]

as we all know - there's a lot of talented players in the NFL - since Dan Snyder took over, the results on the field have shown that it does not matter who is coaching or playing here - the Redskins win loss record and performance on the field does not match up with the talent and the coaching staff - a number of times the Redskins have put together a roster with talented players and a good NFL coaching staff - each season under Dan Snyder has been the same - the Redskins do not play up to expectations under this system

I'm all for this franchise becoming a consistent playoff contender again but I find it hard to believe that can happen while this owner continues to manage and put people in the FO and on the staff that support his way of doing things

Until Dan Snyder gets rid Bruce Allen and stops interfering - history has proven it does not matter who is coaching and playing here

I want to be wrong and I'll be hoping things will be better but I just can't believe anything will change

[welch]

Tom Boswell on the Redskin off-season:

Q: Change in wins so far this off-season
Smith + Brown + Scandrick vs. Cousins + Fuller... assumes Washington would not have been able to afford Brown if they paid Cousins. Overall this seems pretty even in terms of wins, next season at least. Maybe a half game worse?

A: Thomas Boswell
You can't count Brown as an addition. He was a Skin in '17. That was a must-have re-sign.

It's Cousins for Smith. Slight negative. Sorry, Cousins is younger and somewhat better. JMHO. But Smith should keep them a presentable team. Will he be as durable behind the Skins O-line -- with fewer threats at the skill positions around him to keep defenses from teeing off -- compared to his excellent durability in KC when he had fine "tools" everywhere? Cousins stayed in one piece. Smith's history says that he can, too. We'll see.

Fuller for nobody.

Breeland for nobody.

Scandrick for safety, if he stays in one piece.

One 700-yard WR (who goes deep) for another 700-yard receiver (who runs routes).

They were a team that needed to do a lot in free agency. They have done almost nothing, or been turned down by many. And there are modestly useful other players, like Trent Murphy, who have left.

They better stay healthy in '18. And they better see lots of development from people they drafted in '15-'16-'17 -- Jonathan Allen, Josh Doctson and even more from Preston Smith. Otherwise, they stay at about 7-9 (due to less injuries) or they go backwards. At least they played themselves into an easier schedule next year. Also, maybe they're not quite finished in the free agent market -- but there's not much left.

— MAR 26, 2018 5:03 PM

From Boswell's weekly Q&A: https://live.washingtonpost.com/ask-bos ... 80326.html

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

What wr for wr is he talking about? Richardson vs Grant?!?Lmmfao Im an upgrade on Grant!

Kirk was trash when it mattered so i call that a equal to or better than... Brah lost 6 of 8 games vs dullass and most every game vs a .500 team and or on prime time. Kirk can suck it at this point, thats an UP.

And Smith IS plus Brown... As we loose Brown if we paid kirk the ransom he wanted. So we get to keep Brown and stay equal to better at qb (less idiot fn choices)

[welch]

What wr for wr is he talking about? Richardson vs Grant?!?Lmmfao Im an upgrade on Grant!

Kirk was trash when it mattered so i call that a equal to or better than... Brah lost 6 of 8 games vs dullass and most every game vs a .500 team and or on prime time. Kirk can suck it at this point, thats an UP.

And Smith IS plus Brown... As we loose Brown if we paid kirk the ransom he wanted. So we get to keep Brown and stay equal to better at qb (less idiot fn choices)

- I think he means Richardson, a speed-ball WR, for Grant, a route-running WR. (Doctson has been described, consistently, as rarely running the intended route.)

- Boswell thinks Cousins is slightly better than Smith. I think Cousins is certainly NOT "trash". Cousins has been the entire Redskin offense: no running game, spotty TE (no, Reed is a non-presence). Sometimes-OK OL. Good WR's for a couple years and nobody last season. Smith is respectable...not a big drop-off from Cousins, but Smith has never carried an offense.

Why do the Redskins need Smith? Is the team competing for the NFC championship in 2018 or 2019?

[SkinsJock]

I don't think there's much between Smith or Cousins - Bruce and Dan were not giving Cousins a long term deal

we're not contending for the playoffs or getting much better with these 2 bozos running things

[welch]

Looks like the Redskins are trying to fill their many holes with medium-priced free-agents. Team says it is being selective...not cheap.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/foo ... af4c866f7f

But while outside perception may be that the organization is being too frugal for its own good, Coach Jay Gruden has another word for Washington’s offseason approach.

“Cheap? How about selective?” he said in an interview Monday at the annual league meeting. “Because we’re not cheap.”

Team President Bruce Allen smiled at the notion of the organization being stingy, saying in a separate interview: “The Redskins will never be known as cheap. We’re one of the reasons there is a salary cap in the NFL. There’s a couple of teams, one being the Redskins, that might have spent more than other teams.”

Monday’s signing of former Chicago Bears outside linebacker Pernell McPhee is one example of the team’s targeted approach: identifying quality commodities while refusing to budge from its budget. The goal is to improve the roster within reason and not overpay for production.

“The personnel department, with the coaching staff, will come to a final grade and then we’ll put a value on the grade,” Allen said. “Because you’re the best player at a particular position in free agency, it doesn’t mean you’re the best payer at that position in the league. So there’s a value put on each one of those players that we feel that fits in our locker room.”

The organization’s free agency focus was simple: Find “the right mix” of players for the 2018 season, Allen said, which includes the assortment of guys returning from injured reserve and the prospects the team will draft next month.

But that perfect blend of talent doesn’t need to break the bank.

Off-hand, I wish they would build through the draft -- does their approach have a future? We'll see. Maybe the future is now?

[SkinsJock]

Looks like the Redskins are trying to fill their many holes with medium-priced free-agents. Team says it is being selective...not cheap.

Off-hand, I wish they would build through the draft -- does their approach have a future? We'll see. Maybe the future is now?

I have no problem or concern about adding free agents AND building through the draft - my only concern is that I cannot see why anyone should have any hope that these 2 bozos can suddenly become effective leaders of this franchise

[langleyparkjoe]

I have no problem or concern about adding free agents AND building through the draft - my only concern is that I cannot see why anyone should have any hope that these 2 bozos can suddenly become effective leaders of this franchise

[welch]

Sometime it is just how it seems.

Redskins are preaching patience, but offseason looks more like stagnation

By Kareem Copeland April 9 at 6:31 PM

The record speaks for itself — the Washington Redskins are 64-95-1 in the last 10 seasons and haven’t won a playoff game since 2005. The organization has finished last in the NFC East six times in the past decade and in third place twice. The win total has dropped each of the last two years.

Coming off a 7-9 record in 2017 and with just one playoff appearance in five seasons, improving the roster would seem to be imperative, particularly for a franchise in which changes to coaching staffs and executives have often followed failure. But as the offseason continues, the Redskins’ approach to retooling the roster cannot be called aggressive, and the limited activity in free agency has some observers concerned the organization isn’t taking steps to address its shortcomings.

While no wins and losses will be registered before the season starts in September, the argument that the team has gained more talent than it has lost is difficult to make. And with the free agent market dwindling, that would seem to put increased emphasis on the upcoming draft and potentially increased reliance on unproven rookies to help demonstrate progress.

Team President Bruce Allen is entering his ninth year at the helm, and the organization has had two head coaches and six starting quarterbacks during that stretch. It also included the addition and termination of Scot McCloughan, fired as the team’s general manager after two seasons.

Allen said at the annual league meeting last month that there’s an urgency every day and said of the internal pressure, “The flame is hot.” That urgency, however, hasn’t manifested into a bevy of free agent additions.

Full story at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/foo ... 9ebfeb118f

[El Mexican]

"Sustained mediocrity", that's what Boswell called it a couple of months ago.

I'll wait till the midpoint of next season to judge whether the approach worked or not.

[fredp45]

MY GOD SKINSJOCK.... give it freaking up, all you do is tell us you don't like Allen and Snyder...we got it!!!! We get tired of reading it over and over, don't you get tired of typing it? *sh$t* sake...

You ain't getting rid of them...Snyder OWNS the team!!

This is suppose to be a positive release for us -- this is NOT a mandatory thing to root for or talk about, let it freaking go!

I would like to know what you would do to make the Skins a year in and year out competitive team? What signings, draft picks, etc...wouldl you make?

And Boswell can just go back to baseball...I've read him for 40 some years and he's a great baseball guy. He, like Skinsjock, wants to take Snyder and Allen out...I ignore anything and everything he writes about the Skins.

[SkinsJock]

We all know that Dan Snyder is not selling so it's useless to speculate about that happening but there's also absolutely no point in speculating that this franchise might be improved if Dan and Bruce keep doing what they've been doing, no matter who is coaching or playing here

[SkinsJock]

I would like to know what you would do to make the Skins a year in and year out competitive team? What signings, draft picks, etc would you make?

This franchise needs to get rid of Bruce Allen and have Dan Snyder bring in a new President, a new GM and then support their decisions on what to do - just like the other successful NFL franchises - it would not take long

until Dan Snyder stops managing and running/ruining this franchise, it does not matter who is coaching or playing here

[DarthMonk]

^^^

[fredp45]

OMG skins jock...there you go again...

What would you do with PLAYER PERSONNEL? What moves would you make if Danny hired you to be his new Bruce Allen...? Besides firing Bruce and Danny.

I believe you've posted near 300 times how much you don't like Danny and Bruce, we got it!!!

What players in Free Agency and draft would you take?

I don't see how Bruce and Danny have done anything that badly for the past few years in free agency and draft. Unless you want to get into the Kirk situation and I'm not sure that ended badly. Time will tell.

I know......it's Allen's fault 2/3 of our starters were on IR last year.

[SkinsJock]

why speculate - look at what has happened under Dan Snyder

what on earth makes you think that this franchise will be better this season?

Dan Snyder is not going anywhere but until he stops interfering, nothing will change here