(the parened comments are mine)
After 10 years as editor of Warpath, Rick Snider has retired from covering the team.
He took a few shots in his final column:
"The memories could fill this edition. I grew up in Washington. The Redskins were my team. I tried to be impartial and professional but 43 percent winners, during my tenure made it easy to be critical. Still, there was nothing sweeter than beating Dallas. Oh, I really loved those wins and hated that nine-game losing streak. Cowboy fans are so insufferable. (how true)
"As for coaches, I became very good friends with Norv Turner, given we spent seven years together. Norv is a good person. Not a great coach, but a good person that I respected."
"I disliked Marty Schottenheimer greatly. He was a control freak and disingenuous. That said, he was a very good coach who didn't deserve to be fired. I like Steve Spurrier personally, though I don't know whether he'll be successful."
"The current owner? I don't think Dan Snyder will ever be successful because he's too impatient. He's getting better. This offseason showed some maturity, but the bottom line is he wants to be the boss like Jerry Jones without the qualifications other than buying the team. Sorry, it won't work." (whatever!?! - what qualifications?)
The Redskins have been consistently mediocre since Snyder put his mark on the team, going from 10-6 to 8-8 and 7-9.
In four seasons he has tried four coaches - Turner, Terry Robiskie, Schottenheimer and Spurrier. Turner won the NFC East for him in '99, but didn't go far in the playoffs and was fired in 2000.
Snyder tried "buying" an instant Super Bowl team by hiring extremely high-priced has-beens such as Deion Sanders. (ouch that hurt!) Nothing worked.
This year the Redskins adopted a unique philosophy. They went out and bought up a supply of restricted free agents that cost them four draft picks, including their first-round selection which was surrendered in favor of wide receiver Laveranues Coles.
In all, the Redskins acquired 13 new players through free agency even before the draft was conducted. In the draft, they had a record low three-man class of 2003.
Those 13 free agent contracts total more than $112 million, topped by Coles' seven-year deal for $35 million. Guard Randy Thomas signed a seven-year deal for $28 million. Former Cowboy defensive tackle Brandon Noble hit the jackpot for $7 million over four years. The 'Skins are paying a punter $7.13 million (is this true?) for five years and a kick returner $8 million for five years.
Will this scheme work? We'll have to wait and see. (Please God make it work!)
Meanwhile, the conference champ Philadelhia Eagles continue to sit on the money they have under the salary cap.
Coach Andy Reid is not convinced that crazy spending on free agents in the way to go.
"I'm not sure that's how you win," says Reid. "I think you fill in holes with free agents, and we've done that. I think you have to be very selective of who you take."
"I think you had better put more of your energy into maintaining your team and then working the draft. The way the salary cap is today, if you can discipline yourself to do that, you can maintain your team for "X" number of years. We've done that better than anybody in the league."
(yea, whatever - Andy has signed plenty of 'Skin's castoffs)
