Get off the bandwagon then

[BossHog]

listen... well written article, but i am one of those that isnt lieking this offseason one bit. i can totally deal with losing coles. he was a whiner and wasn't happy over catching 90 balls. what nmakes me upset about that situation is that is seemed to have a domino effect on the signing of pierce and smmot. i get what alot of people say about pierce ok... i mhave moved on... what i cannot and will not get over is smoot. i don't care what anyone says.... if the vikes paid him great corner money or not he was a great corner here. he played his guys out and played well for the skins. he was a valuable player to this team not only in his play but in his attitude. i'll be there opening game in sept. it's not fair for anyone to call me unfaithful just cause i have a difference of opinion. i'll be cheering just as loud as anyone and i hope to god that some of you guys are right and this is all part of some masterplan.

P.S. the masterplan better kick in soon cause in a few years they won't be able to afford much of a plan at all.

a lot of the moves they made this year were to save some cap next year... some of this IS to help fix a problem before it arises. Samuels extension alone creates an extra $5 million next year, obviously there will be nothing for Coles... we paid it all this year... Wynn's restructure apparently also contains future relief.

I think you're perfectly correct in your assessment that the Redskins don't have much to play with right now... this is part of the price you pay for past transgressions, but it's also part of the price you pay to try and fix future problems. Stopping the bleeding now is essential in my opinion. And while we don't have much cap to spend right now, we did still manage to sign most of our own free agents and a couple of free agents that can help us.

The draft usually means pretty cheap labor although our #9 pick will cost us... but it's unlikely our rookie allotment will be set at any more than 4-5 million regardless. That'll be easily managed considering dealing Gardner alone will mean a savings of a couple million. And we should get a player that can help the team immediately.

We may be able to eke out another player before the draft, and we may be able to eke out another one or two after June 1st... but then yeah, we're going to have to pretty much stand pat and see what happens.

You also have to remember that while at this very moment in time, the Redskins don't have more cap to have upped our offer to Smoot... that's not true of this entire offseason... or of last season. The Redskins weren't willing to pay him more than Shawn Springs and their cap situation wasn't what pre-empted them from upping the ante at any point in between.

[wonker]

Two of your key tenets are inherently flawed.

First, you postulate that the Barrow/Marshall combo SHOULD be able to offset the Pierce loss, similarly the Patten/Moss combo to offset the Coles loss.

Well, the problem is that you are now dedicating FOUR roster positions where before you only needed two. That's two spots for young talent who could be developed, for special teamers who can help with field position.

Secondly, of course Moss' Yards per Reception is higher than Coles'! Because our offense last year was so conservative it drove off our best WR. That's nothing to use as a reasoning point.



wonker

[tazlah]

That's a great article BH!

[BossHog]

Two of your key tenets are inherently flawed.

First, you postulate that the Barrow/Marshall combo SHOULD be able to offset the Pierce loss, similarly the Patten/Moss combo to offset the Coles loss.

Well, the problem is that you are now dedicating FOUR roster positions where before you only needed two. That's two spots for young talent who could be developed, for special teamers who can help with field position.

That's not what I said at all. I said barrow/marshall could... I don't know the answer to be honest with you. But if Barrow's healthy enough, he's certainly most capable. I can definitely say that having Marshall to back up Barrow doesn't tie up any more than the roster spot he would have tied up backing up Arrington again. So i don't see how you're 'adding' a roster spot here. I think platooning Marshall for barrow on passing situations is actually making better use of a roster spot than just having a backup on the sidelines.

I never said that Moss and Patten are to replace Coles either. I said that while neither of them are perhaps as good a receiver on the whole, that perhaps what they brought was just as valuable to Joe Gibbs' style of offense - the ability to stretch the field. I think that Patten and Moss will fill Coles' and Gardner's roster spots (though not neccessarily their roles) in the offense if the Skins didn't go WR in the draft (Williams or Edwards would have to be there IMO).

Some might also argue that moss' ability to return punts also saves you a roster spot.

Coles YPC last year was particularly low, but the Sporting News reported in their article today that if you go back 29 games that his average is still only 11.9 yards per catch... even when SOS wanted to go deep all day long. Moss and Patten both averaged over 18 yards... and it certainly isn't because of their yards after the catch like a lot of Coles yards are. They're totally different types of receivers. And the type that Coles is/was obviously (from last year) didn't work all that well anyway.

This article was only to say how it's only March and that maybe you shouldn't judge things before everything shakes out. And it's just one person's...

[Hogfather]

Great stuff BH!

[SkinsJock]

Great stuff BH!

former colonists sticking up for each other! touching!

[Amberion]

I dont believe in bandwagons

A fan is a fan and should remain a fan for better or for worse.

That said I think the skins will have a better year this year than last.

In Australia we dont get the football magazines for a couple of months after they are released in USA and it is so funny reading the preseason predictions when half the season is over. They are invariably right 10% of the time.

So chill out people and wait for the season to start

[gregory smith]

Hey Boss, your football smarts are second to none. I have actually begun to seek out your posts and responses when I find myself stressed over a Redskin transaction or lack of one. Great Work! That Jake kid ain't no slouch either.

[Skins4ever]

Great job Boss. The article was very enlightening and a breathe of fresh air.

[ChiliPalmer]

Boss - I liked the article and found it to be well written. It brings an opinion out in me that may not go hand in hand with your piece, but I'm not disputing it, either.

Just as many pundits and writers will dog the Skins regardless of what kind of offseason they have, reckless or prudent, blindly loyal fans often preach the good news regardless. Now, I'm not going to say that optimism is a bad thing, but if you're a blind optimist, you're going to be disappointed...often. Had the Skins kept Smoot, Coles and Pierce, I'll bet there'd be at least five folks on this board saying they were "perfect" moves. The same five (no one in particular) who call letting them go "perfect". Now I can't prove this, but I recognize it because I'm a recovering optimism-holic. For five years straight, I've said "Yep, these were the right moves, all the pieces are in place...it's gonna be a great year." I could give you compelling reasons why I was right. And I'd sound good doing it. And I SURE wasn't alone in my sentiments. But what have the Skins done in the last five years?

The season is gonna go how it's gonna go. I'm going to be happy when the Skins win, and sad when they lose. But I'll never bet on them. True there will be a lower ceiling on my elation should they ever be a powerhouse again, but at least it's not a bottomless pit of dispair when they end up 5-11 or 6-10. And when one must choose between a low ceiling or having no floor, I'd choose the one that would most come in handy given recent trends. Which one do you suppose that is?

Besides, if I temper my joy until (if) they finally make the playoffs, I'll have plenty of time to ramp up the optimism before the SuperBowl rolls around.

So, I hope this isn't taken as a critisizm of the article. It's not meant to be. I simply feel like I'm looking at the same situation with a little different flashlight.

[Scottskins]

Sick and tired of a lot of the belly-aching, so as promised yesterday, here's my own take on the 'State of the offseason':

http://www.the-hogs.net/content/main.php?id=437

Hopefully some of you will draw some modicum of sensibility after reading it. I don't work for the Post or ESPN, so apparently I'm not really 'qualified' to state my opinion, but I am regardless.

great article BH, I agree 100% It's almost as if you read my mind

[Scottskins]

Boss - I liked the article and found it to be well written. It brings an opinion out in me that may not go hand in hand with your piece, but I'm not disputing it, either.

Just as many pundits and writers will dog the Skins regardless of what kind of offseason they have, reckless or prudent, blindly loyal fans often preach the good news regardless. Now, I'm not going to say that optimism is a bad thing, but if you're a blind optimist, you're going to be disappointed...often. Had the Skins kept Smoot, Coles and Pierce, I'll bet there'd be at least five folks on this board saying they were "perfect" moves. The same five (no one in particular) who call letting them go "perfect". Now I can't prove this, but I recognize it because I'm a recovering optimism-holic. For five years straight, I've said "Yep, these were the right moves, all the pieces are in place...it's gonna be a great year." I could give you compelling reasons why I was right. And I'd sound good doing it. And I SURE wasn't alone in my sentiments. But what have the Skins done in the last five years?

The season is gonna go how it's gonna go. I'm going to be happy when the Skins win, and sad when they lose. But I'll never bet on them. True there will be a lower ceiling on my elation should they ever be a powerhouse again, but at least it's not a bottomless pit of dispair when they end up 5-11 or 6-10. And when one must choose between a low ceiling or having no floor, I'd choose the one that would most come in handy given recent trends. Which one do you suppose that is?

Besides, if I temper my joy until (if) they finally make the playoffs, I'll have plenty of time to ramp up the optimism before the SuperBowl rolls around.

So, I hope this isn't taken as a critisizm of the article. It's not meant to be. I simply feel like I'm looking at the same situation with a little different flashlight.

Nothing wrong with that Chili. I think over the years, we've all learned to temper our excitement quite a bit. Heck, I used to talk lots and lots of smack before the season started, and inevitably the skins would suck, and I never heard the end of it. In fact, even though I no longer make predictions about the team, I STILL hear about past years transgressions.

There is a difference now though. I still won't make predictions, BUT I am highly optimistic about our chances from now on. We made huge huge strides last year. The two things that really stick out to me are the fact that we tackled well and the team never ever gave up. We haven't done either one of those things since Joe left. The only time was when Marty finished 8-8. The thing about that season though was that we had a very easy 2nd half of the schedule, so I sorta discounted that.

Just getting the team, no matter who is on it, to play like a real NFL team is so very huge IMO. It shows that the players actually believe that they can, and dare I say, SHOULD win games. This is just the beginning of what Joe Gibbs brings to the team. He knows how to get the best out of his players, and you started seeing it last season. The offense was bad, but it wasn't as bad as it seemed. We were very close most of the season and got closer and closer as the season progressed. With Ramsey playing and feeling better, a new and improved offense, WRs that can stretch the field, and more time for everyone, I really think our offense is going to go into a different mode.

I'm not predicting anything concrete, but I wouldn't be surprised by anything. Great things are a comin

[fredp45]

Boss...

Super article, I agree with you entirely.

The only move the Skins made this year that I question is - I think I would have cut Coles, saved the $5 mil and signed Burress to a contract that would have been cap friendly in 05 & 06. Moss will help us but having Burress would mean, our WR group would be set. With Moss, I think they may feel the need to get a big WR in the draft. I'm hoping we don't overpay Moss...

[BossHog]

One thing that has not yet been discussed as a 'positive' but might definitely be a bi-product of this 'fiscal responsibility' is the effect it will have on players' and agents' perceptions.

Rumors like Pasquarelli's 'Rolle to Washington for $15M Signing Bonus' are given creedence because of the Redskins cavalier use of bonus and cap money in the past. Players USE the Redskins to establish a better market for themselves... that all HAS TO stop because it's just bad business. NOT throwing money at free agensts for even one offseason will help temper that public opinion. Not entirely... but it will help. And we had to start somewhere.

We have to establish an environment where players want to come and play for the Redskins and Joe Gibbs... not just to get paid a top dollar.

[GoSkins]

Amen!

[welch]

Just read the article (oh, if we didn't have to work for a living!). Great, all the way.