CanesSkins26 wrote:
The date is important because you act as if Adams was just their for the taking. He was signed early on in camp when the Steelers needed a starting RT. A guy like Adams isn't going to sign with a team like the Skins, who have starters at both spots, to be a backup when they are coming off of a 4-12 season when he has a chance to start for a team that can compete for a championship.
Well, what I think is relevant and truly important to the context of the discussion is not necessarily the exact date ... but the length of time Adams was on the open market and remained available ... and he was released at the beginning of April, around the same time McNabb was traded to the Redskins .... so if the Steelers didn't sign him until the end of July ... that means he was out there and available for 4 months, and it is NOT as you insinuate that the Steelers swooped in like awaiting vultures to sign him before the Redskins had an opportunity to measure such an acquisition.
So you caught an error in a date ... that CHANGES NOTHING in the context of the point being made that he was floating out there unsigned for an EXTENDED length of time, offering the Redskins and anyone else ample time to secure his services.
CanesSkins26 wrote:Look I agree with you that the oline sucks and that Heyer shouldn't even be on the team, but you've argued for signings like Faneca or Adams that just weren't going to happen at the time. You can only do so much to fix an oline in one offseason and I'm sure that the front office will make oline a priority this offseason.
In an uncapped year ... and with the Redskins fully aware of their greatest deficit being the o-line ... guys like Adams and Faneca certainly should have been on their radar ... and Faneca makes even more sense. Faneca signed a ONE YEAR deal with the Cardinals at the end of April.
And here's why these two made sense ... the Redskins knew that had very few picks in the draft, and their acquisition of Jamal Brown didn't happen until mid-June. With the draft picks available, the Redskins knew they'd only get one o-line player that could be an immediate starter on a line full of holes. Yes, both players are older ... but both could be inserted as starters on a line in desperate need. Given that the trade for McNabb clearly indicated that the Redskins intended to win NOW (you don't trade for a player of his age if you're planning a 2-3 year rebuilding program), YOU KNOW you need a line in front to protect him. The Redskins OBVIOUSLY didn't do enough in the free agent area here, given the play of the line this year, which is even worse than last year's line.
So you tell me ... how do you acquire 4 new players for the o-line, and wind up worse than you started? Either you picked the wrong players, or they are being poorly coached ... either way, that goes back to the Shanahan clan. Two ... Williams and Brown have been upgrades, Hicks and Lictensteiger, not so much .... in those spots I would surely take Faneca and Adams .... and I can't imagine the argument against that. Are you suggesting otherwise? Even from a depth perspective ... having Heyer again make the team tells me that they were not active enough in FA pertaining to the line, when options were absolutely there. Heyer is a liability, and I'd take a one legged Adams on crutches over him.
Of course, this is in hindsight, but true nonetheless. And if you carefully evaluate the player additions from the Shanahan-Allen team, you could make a strong case that the majority of difference makers in this year's team were players ALREADY HERE when they arrived. Orakpo, Landry, Hall, Rogers, Fletcher,
ey, Moss (Haynesworth when he's allowed to play). Notable exceptions could be Banks ... Brown ... Williams . to a degree, Buchanon and Carriker.
Aside from Banks and Williams (and Williams is a no brainer as it doesn't take genius to be successful with a top 5 pick, and Banks was cut, and we were lucky to get him back), I see no real difference makers out of the Shanahan-Allen bunch, or any real genius moves.
What has Kemoeatu done? He's a big disappointment. How about Johnson and Parker? And what is Galloway and Roydel Williams still doing? (Both have 11 catches between them). Holiday ... Hicks ... Lictensteiger?
The biggest and most notable acquisition, McNabb, seems to be the player Shanahan wants to blame and insult for lack of offensive production, while ignoring the dreadful play of the oline in both run and pass blocking. While McNabb hasn't looked great ... he has made plays this year with his ability, in spite of the lack of support from those around him. He's been hammered back there, and the 22 sacks we currently have given up could easily be 35 or more, which wouldn't be that far off last year's TOTAL for the season. I guarantee you McNabb has avoided AT LEAST one sack per game that Campbell would have been crushed back there ... in the Detroit game alone, McNabb avoided 4 or 5 sacks purely with his ability, cardiovascular challenges and all
Look, I'm just doing a mid-season inventory and grade here ... and what I am forced to conclude is that in large measure, aside from McNabb, Williams, Banks, the rest of the players brought in have been relatively inconsequential to the 4-4 start.
Now, this is going to be argued ... but passing on Randy Moss was also a mistake. I really don't care for R. Moss as a person, but as a player, he would be a clear upgrade to Galloway or Williams who are taking up roster spots at WR. Would you suggest otherwise?
With McNabb's ability to throw the deep ball, and R. Moss's deep threat, he'd have added a dynamic that the Redskins lack. AA on one side, R Moss on the other, and S. Moss in the slot would have been a huge task for defenses to defend against ... and that would surely have taken pressure off of the line both in blitzes and run blocking as defenses were forced to keep safeties out of the box, busy with both Moss's.
The Redskins, as poorly as they've done in some games, are still right there in the thick of it ... with two games still to play against the Giants, and one each against the Cowboys and Eagles. With this being a buy week, we could have brought in Moss to upgrade the struggling offense, which makes far more sense than benching McNabb in favor of Rex freaking Grossman. He could have been ready to go for the Eagles game, giving us an additional edge, and another element that our division rivals would have to assign defensive resources to.
Would Moss and Shanahan butt heads? Probably ... but Belichick seemed able to deal with him for 3 years ... they just decided not to go long term on a new contract. And claiming him off waivers would have been just for the remainder of the year, with no commitment other than his prorated salary in an uncapped year. Look at how much we've paid Haynesworth? Would Moss's 3 Million have been too much to spend to get a competitive edge going into the second half of the season? I don't think so.
You're either committed to win now, or you aren't. Recent developments seem to suggest a poor strategy is being employed if winning now is a goal.
This critique is just in player acquisitions ... and really doesn't address the clear mishandling of the Haynesworth issue, nor the bone headed maneuver in pulling McNabb in favor of Grossman, and the excuses made afterward.
That is a very troubling issue ... shows me a staff that really doesn't have a firm handle on the issues plaguing this offense, or how to fix them. Blaming McNabb is a desperate reach, and I think it's squarely centered in Kyle Shanahan's inability to right the ship.
Crazy isn't it? AH would have been there, he was last year even though it didn't work out as far as him being at his best. That is what the real deal is. You hit the nail on the head with that. I am not a JH fan but I have to give him some credit. He is using certain personnel....
We are starting all over again. I actually believe this staff can get it done. I like Kyle Shanahan approach. He might not be able to adapt too well but I see receivers getting open. If he or we had some blocking run blocking Mcnab would look much better than he does.
man am I glad that absolutely 
