Can The Defense Be Fixed?
Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:19 am
A very interesting read from Jason La Canfora's Blog. I cant argue with anything that he says.
The Defense Rests, Rolls Over and Falls Asleep
In the process of reporting a story I am working on for the weekend, I've talked to a lot of NFL people. Current and former coaches and general managers. Scouts and decision makers. Lots of Redskins coaches and players. Former Redskins coaches and players. Agents for many people associated with the team.
All have essentially said the same thing: Fixing this defense is not going to be easy.
When Grilliams arrived here in 2004 he heard a lot of talk about how weak his talent was, about how they could not make plays on defense, about what a struggle it would be. And somehow they managed to be the third best D in the league. His scheme was rugged, his timing and feel for the blitz impeccable and pretty much everyone on that defense had a career year. Do you remember guys like Ron Warner, Matt Bowen, Jermaine Haley, Andre Lott, Garnell Wilds and Chris Clemons making plays? Know how many of them are still even in the league, or, if they are, actually playing?
Williams's stock was never higher. The next season the D dropped off, but hit stride in the playoff push, getting sacks, turnovers and defensive touchdowns like never before. It was enough to finish in the top 10 for the season, but there were some problems. Lemar Marshall had a strong season, but not an Antonio Pierce season at middle linebacker. The heart of the run defense, tackles Joe Salave'a and Cornelius Griffin, were hurt for large stretches and a team impervious to any runner in 2004 went through a deep rut where it could not stop the ground game (Tiki at the Meadowlands, anyone?)
Shawn Springs, playing like a shutdown corner, became dogged by injury problems again. Safety Ryan Clark, whose worth to the franchise will be explained in some detail in the story I am working on, was allowed to walk away for a pittance in Dan Snyder spending terms. Cornerback Carlos Rogers, the team's top first round pick in 2005, showed flashes of ability, but clearly had a ways to go. Warrick Holdman, the starting weakside linebacker after the LaVargate fiasco, has a brutal season all the way around. Save for a three-game flurry by Phillip Daniels in December 2005, the team had no defense end on its roster who showed an ability to fluster a quarterback regularly.
Which brings us to 2006. The Archuleta for Clark swap has been a abject failure, and the signing of Andre Carter to be that stud, pass-rushing D end has been a flop. No need to belabor those points.
I had two general managers and a high-ranking NFC personnel executive go over the defensive roster in detail with me. Couldn't really argue with what they said.
Essentially, all reached the same conclusions:
On the D line, Griffin is the only top flight talent, and after two straight years or serious injuries and little individual talent around him, expecting a return to 2004-form from a guy who will be 30 next year might be a bit much. Carter appears lost from his switch to LB last year. Salave'a is worried his career is nearing its end due to all of his injuries. Golston looks good, but Daniels is nearing the end. An overhaul could be in order, and we know the kind of success that type of thing generally produces with the Redskins.
At linebacker, Marcus Washington is the only above-average talent, they said. And it's become very clear how easy and fruitful it is to simply run plays to the opposite side. Holdman might be playing his last NFL season, these guys said, and is "just a guy," as one put it. Lemar is not that big to be playing inside, struggles in coverage and may be best suited to weak side. He plays very hard, and, at his size, these guys said it is natural for his body to be so beat up now.
They all like Rocky McIntosh, and, while realizing he has a lot to learn, were shocked the learning curve on the field has not begun, even if just on third down. For what he Redskins gave up - swapping second rounds, giving up this year's second rounder and a sixth rounder, "You've to start to see what the kid can do," as one personnel guy put it.
In the secondary, Rogers, considering how high he was taken, has not proven anything yet. He has the tools to be very good. Does he have all the maturity and intangibles? We'll have to see. Springs had serious injury problems before, and some close to him figure this will be his last year here. One person who had Kenny Wright on his team before called him "barely serviceable." Sean Taylor has taken steps backward this season. One GM thought he was having to think too much with Archuleta back there, and was not as much of a ball hawk in the passing game. Coverage was never his strong suit at Miami, one scout said, and he still takes poor angles to the ball. Losing Clark has had a dramatically detrimental impact on Sean, for reasons I will explain in the paper this weekend.
These guys I spoke to think it will be very hard for Williams for reverse this thing. No amount of scheming can change the attributes that make his system successful, and he may have overestimated the talent level considerably in terms of who can actually pull it off consistently. They wonder after three years of his intense, willful personality, if it's natural for some to start tuning the message out, or not buying in as thoroughly. Besides Golston and McIntosh, these guys said there is no one on the defensive roster not playing regularly you could say would be a potential impact player in the future, and the turns for the worse taken by the two youngest guys, Rogers and Taylor, are of concern.
The constant trading away of draft picks leaves the team without the means to replenish. People around the league are fully expecting the Redskins to get Nate Clements if/when he becomes available. They also expect the Skins to make a huge bid for Dwight Freeney if possible. Problem is three of the people I spoke to all said the same thing: No way Polian lets Freeney leave Indy.
No on with the Redskins would ever say it, but go back to the class of 2004 free agents and it seems like there was a definite three year plan in place when you look at the ages, experience and injury history of many of those guys. Now a lot of them, quarterback included, seem to be at a career crossroads, and this defense might be, too. Those three years are almost up, and with so many problems stopping the run or the pass, it could be a rough second half for the D.