Paul Domowitch | Something old, nothing new

[1niksder]

Posted on Tue, Sep. 07, 2004

Paul Domowitch | Something old, nothing new

pdomo@phillynews.com


ASHBURN, Va. - Depending on your point of view,

either nothing has changed with the Washington Redskins or

everything has.

Owner Dan Snyder went out and spent a bundle of money in the offseason on free agents. Again.

And he hired a new head coach. Again. Fourth one in the last 5 years, if you're counting.

What has given Redskins fans a glimmer of hope that this isn't yet another false alarm triggered by Snyder's foolish spending is the fact that the new coach is Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, who guided the 'Skins to three Super Bowl titles in a previous coaching life in D.C.

Yes, Gibbs is 63 years old. Yes, he was far, far away from football for the last 11 seasons, running a NASCAR racing team. And yes, a lot of coaching rust has built up in those 11 seasons. Shortly after hiring Gregg Williams as his defensive coordinator earlier this year, he asked Williams to draw up his three favorite blitzes for him. Much to his chagrin, Gibbs never had seen any of them.

While it remains to be seen whether Snyder and his top personnel man, vice president of football operations Vinny

Cerrato, finally have assembled enough talent to challenge the Eagles for the NFC East title, Gibbs' return to Redskins Park at least has restored order and discipline. The team lacked both during Steve "The Ball Coach'' Spurrier's abysmal 2-year NFL hitch, which netted the 'Skins two losing seasons and Spurrier $25 million of Snyder's money.

"Not only has he changed the attitude of the team, he's changed the attitude of the building,'' Cerrato said. "He's totally changed the chemistry of everything.''

After 2 years of enduring Spurrier's loose leadership and his not-suited-for-the-NFL Fun 'N Gun offense, Redskins players have welcomed Gibbs' return, even if he has been away from coaching for more than a decade.

"The best thing Daniel Snyder has done since I've been here is go back and get the man who built the house,'' cornerback Fred Smoot said. "He brought Joe Gibbs back. He's the one guy who's capable of curing the disease we've had.

"We've had tremendous talent since I've been here. We just didn't have a general. Nobody to direct us and show us how to be a team. And that's what we got right now. If you don't have a general, you're never going to win the war. Getting a chance to play for a guy like this, a legend, everybody's really loving it right now.''

Nobody's loving it more than the offensive players, who feel Gibbs' power running attack will give them a much better chance of succeeding than Spurrier's Fun 'N Gun.

"Spurrier was a nice guy and all, but his offense just didn't work in this league,'' right guard Randy Thomas said. "We just felt like we were always back on our heels. People were teeing off on us and making us look bad.

"With this group and the new offense, we're playing up to our abilities. I think we're going to be a force. We're very patient. We try to control it and do it. We're not trying to go long every play.

"When [Gibbs] first met with us, you just knew it was going to be a different ship. Everything is family-oriented now. Guys are liking each other better. We've got a guy who's been there. Everybody talks about him being old school. But he's smart, man.''

Whatever rust Gibbs still has, he's going to have to shed fast, because the clock is ticking. Not only his biological clock, but also the 'Skins' salary-cap clock. While Cerrato disagrees, his team appears to have just a 2-year

window of opportunity to make a Super Bowl run before the roster will have to be dismantled. Again.

After handing out nearly $50 million in signing bonuses this offseason to running back Clinton Portis ($11.5 million),cornerback Shawn Springs ($10.25 million), quarterback Mark Brunell ($8.6 million), defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin ($8.3 million), linebacker Marcus Washington ($7 million) and defensive end Phillip Daniels
($3 million), the 'Skins head into the season with an NFL-record $120 million payroll.

Those six players will take up just $13.17 million of the 'Skins' $80.6 million cap allotment this season and $13.18 million next year. But because of dramatic salary escalations and roster bonuses that are due them in '06, their combined cap cost will jump to $25.9 million that year. Throw in linebacker LaVar Arrington, wide receiver Laveranues Coles and Thomas, and you've got nine guys who will occupy $46.8 million of the team's '06 cap. Given that the cap usually increases about $5 million a year, that will leave only about $43 million for the other 44 players on the club's roster. And that doesn't

include "dead money'' - cap space taken up by leftover signing bonuses to players no longer with the team. Last year, the 'Skins had more than $114 million in "dead-money'' cap costs.

Cerrato, who once was Lou Holtz' recruiting coordinator

at Notre Dame, insists that the Redskins have a larger window of opportunity than 2 years.

"We've got some things that we'll do [in '06],'' he said. "There will be some extensions and stuff on some guys. We've already got this budgeted out. It's not a concern for us. It seems more of a concern for you [media] guys, but not for us.''

NFL people familiar with the 'Skins' cap situation agree with the 2-year window estimate.

"There are two things that could affect their situation,'' one NFC general manager said. "If the league's collective bargaining agreement is extended in '06, how much does the cap jump? If it jumps enough, it could help Washington from

being in a real mess to being in a modest one.

"The other thing that will make a big difference with them is how many of the players

they've signed don't work out, like a [Jeremiah] Trotter. If there are a lot, they'll end up with a big miscellaneous charge, which, in essence, reduces your cap going forward. If Mark Brunell turns out not to be the answer, they could be looking at some huge write-offs. If any of that happens, it'll make their [cap] problem worse.''

Despite Snyder's annual offseason spending sprees, the 'Skins haven't had a winning season since 1999, which also is the last time they made the playoffs. There's a pretty good reason for that. Coaching has had something to do with it, but not nearly as much as poor decision-making by Snyder, Cerrato and the rest of the club's personnel department.

When you look at some of this year's acquisitions, that pattern hasn't seemed to change much.

They passed on free-agent cornerbacks Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent and gave Springs, an oft-injured, inconsistent cover man who has started just 30 games the last 3 years and was suspended for four games in 2001 for

violating the league's policy banning steroid use, a $10.25 million signing bonus.

They gave Griffin, who didn't play well for the Giants last year and had a career-low one sack, an $8.3 million signing bonus. They gave 31-year-old ex-Bear Daniels, who had just 2 ½ sacks last season, a $3 million signing bonus.

"Before we even traded Champ [Bailey], we said we've gotta have some [replacement] options,'' Cerrato said, referring to the trade that sent cornerback Champ Bailey to Denver for Portis. "After evaluating the tape of Shawn, we decided that there was. Shawn was the guy we were targeting.

"Other people were offering him more money. We were comfortable with what we paid him. It doesn't matter if other people think we overspent. It doesn't matter if we raised some eyebrows. I guess we always do. But I'm sure eyebrows got raised when Philly gave [Jevon] Kearse all that money.''

The Bailey-for-Portis trade has given the Redskins a franchise running back who has rushed for more than 1,500 yards in each of his first two NFL seasons. But

it has severely weakened the

defense. Bailey was a shutdown corner. Few teams ever threw at him, which essentially took away half the field. Smoot was a capable No. 2 corner, but now he'll be going up against the other team's best receiver.

"I spent 3 years on the other side from Champ,'' Smoot said. "Nobody threw at Champ. They always went after me. I've already done the hard part.

"It's my time. I've been here with Champ and Darrell Green. Now, I've got a chance to show what I'm worth."

The clock is ticking.

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/9597894.htm

[hailskins666]

"The best thing Daniel Snyder has done since I've been here is go back and get the man who built the house,'' cornerback Fred Smoot said. "He brought Joe Gibbs back. He's the one guy who's capable of curing the disease we've had.

"We've had tremendous talent since I've been here. We just didn't have a general. Nobody to direct us and show us how to be a team. And that's what we got right now. If you don't have a general, you're never going to win the war. Getting a chance to play for a guy like this, a legend, everybody's really loving it right now.''

go smootie.

[SkinsJock]

This is just another negative outlook by someone who is probably getting a little nervous as the season is upon us! These people just do not want to give credit where credit is due and only want to remind everyone of all our past problems.

[Chris Luva Luva]

These people just do not want to give credit where credit is due and only want to remind everyone of all our past problems.

We aren't due any credit yet, we have yet to play a regular season game.

[1niksder]

This is just another negative outlook by someone who is probably getting a little nervous as the season is upon us! These people just do not want to give credit where credit is due and only want to remind everyone of all our past problems.

He writes for a Philly paper

[njskinsfan]

Spurrier gave back most of the $25 million

Gibbs was NOT far away from football (see Falcons)

Dead cap space is NOT $114 million.

The truth is always such an inconvenience to some writers.

I'd have more comments but I'm tired from reading that article. It was like a Clancy novel.

[frankcal20]

We have a lot to prove. Last year we were awsome in preseason. This year we were mediocure. I just want us to prove that we are going to be good. I think that we'll be ok. Yeah i can ramble off all the stats/players all that good stuff but until we're winning and in the playoffs i'll be humble.

[hailskins666]

when we just get to the point of playing disciplined football during the regular season, i'll be humbled. the coaching and talent will take it from there.

[Scottskins]

Don't you just love all the media guys, and fans from other teams that are always trying to tell us what cap hell we are going to be in in a couple years? I've been hearing and reading that since Snyder took over. What happens every year? We go out and sign more FA's. These guys are always taking about the big bonuses we pay out. Most of the bonuses we have paid out over the years have been under 5-6 million. That's nothing when a guy plays 2 years for you. There were a few that were dumb, like Deions, but for the most part, smart cap moves.

I think the redskins actually have a very good cap person(not sure if that's vinny or not), and are one of the best teams in dealing with the cap.

The other thing is that we used to make stupid deals. The reason they were stupid is because of the age of the guys we were signing. The skins are now trending towards guys who are in their mid to late 20's. Guys in the prime of their careers. I love how danny is picking up FA's. I mean, we got R. Thomas, Coles, Portis and Washington thru FA. These guys are all top 5 or top 10 players at their position or will soon be. That doesn't happen thru the draft, no matter how good you are. And if these media guys think it unusual for your top 10 guys to take up half your salary cap, then they need to lay off the pipe.

Look at Peyton Manning. You don't hear the media bitching about his contract. And let's not forget about little rookie Eli lmao. Yeah, I like the moves the skins have been making the last couple years.

2 years? I'd say 10 years. We got a core building here, that can and will stay together for years to come. As long as Gibbs sticks around, the future is very very bright.

[JansenFan]

Don't you just love all the media guys, and fans from other teams that are always trying to tell us what cap hell we are going to be in in a couple years? I've been hearing and reading that since Snyder took over. What happens every year? We go out and sign more FA's. These guys are always taking about the big bonuses we pay out. Most of the bonuses we have paid out over the years have been under 5-6 million. That's nothing when a guy plays 2 years for you. There were a few that were dumb, like Deions, but for the most part, smart cap moves.

I think the redskins actually have a very good cap person(not sure if that's vinny or not), and are one of the best teams in dealing with the cap.

The other thing is that we used to make stupid deals. The reason they were stupid is because of the age of the guys we were signing. The skins are now trending towards guys who are in their mid to late 20's. Guys in the prime of their careers. I love how danny is picking up FA's. I mean, we got R. Thomas, Coles, Portis and Washington thru FA. These guys are all top 5 or top 10 players at their position or will soon be. That doesn't happen thru the draft, no matter how good you are. And if these media guys think it unusual for your top 10 guys to take up half your salary cap, then they need to lay off the pipe.

Look at Peyton Manning. You don't hear the media bitching about his contract. And let's not forget about little rookie Eli lmao. Yeah, I like the moves the skins have been making the last couple years.

2 years? I'd say 10 years. We got a core building here, that can and will stay together for years to come. As long as Gibbs sticks around, the future is very very bright.

Well said. btw our cap specialist is Eric Schaffer (I think that's how you spell it).

[hailskins666]

i heard through the grapevine that espn was trying to work out a new tv deal with the league, that if completed, would raise the cap by 10 mil alone. thats not counting the network tv contracts that are up for renewal. snyder is taking a gamble, and if it works, he'll look like a genius. i wouldn't be suprised if snyder bought out one of the networks, just to raise the negotiation prices, and "cheat" or tweak the cap in that way.

[SkinsJock]

Thank you njskinsfan & Scottskins! This sums it up!

I agree, 1niksder, but so many of these "reporters" are just "repeaters" and bring nothing to the party. I get more info about this team from this site than I do from so called "sources"!

[PAskinsfan]

He's from Philly, what did you expect far and balanced journalism!

[njskinsfan]

All the E-Gals need is for either Westbrook or Don-Mac to get hurt and they are done.....period. They have no depth at either position and then we can all watch these so called journalists turn on their beloved E-gals.

I would love to go to the "Missing Link" to watch us pound them but I'd end up in their new and improved jail.

[General Failure]

Oh God, we have no depth at QB! Geeeeeaaaaaaahhhh!

[hailskins666]

have to agree with GF here. i'm a huge blake fan. one of the only pirates to ever make it in the pro game. i'd feel just as comfortable with blake at 2nd string as i do with ramsey.
but i do think they could have problems if something happens to westbroke.