:) and :(!?

[EA7649]

Name 1 optimistic thing you like about this years team/future.
Name 1 negative thing you hate about this years team/future.
I'll start:
I think Jordan Reed is going to be a great Tight End
We are not consistent on offense or defense.

[Kilmer72]

+ Running backs

- coaching adjustments

[SkinsJock]

on the plus side we have a QB and a number of good young players to build around

on the negative side we are not seeing the results from good coaching

[Hooligan]

+ Personnel department


- Coaching



I'm starting to believe that when the players perform well on the field, they do so in spite of the coaching staff.

[brad7686]

We have a lot of good, young players on offense.

We are not great in the trenches on either side of the ball

[riggofan]

+ RGIII/Cousins. I think we're set at QB for the foreseeable future.
- I'm worried the defense is too much of a mess to be fixed in the foreseeable future.

[Deadskins]

We have a lot of good, young players on offense.

We are not great in the trenches on either side of the ball

I think we have some good, young players on both sides of the ball.

We are weak along the O-line, and at Safety.

[PAPDOG67]

+ Jordan Reed will be a top 5 TE going forward

- Jim Haslett. The time has come for him to get the ax. This once proud defense is an absolute mess right now. Get him out of here before next year or nothing will change!! and go back to a 4-3. Get Rak and Kerrigan with their hands in the dirt on every snap like they did in college and lets get after the QB. No one bothers to run the rock anymore but us.

[Irn-Bru]

+ RGIII. I still think he's the real deal and will be a point of pride for us for years to come.

- Our secondary. We have some prospects but nothing solid, and the few decent starters we have are aging. (Amerson is the lone exception.)

[StorminMormon86]

+ RGIII/Cousins. I think we're set at QB for the foreseeable future.
- I'm worried the defense is too much of a mess to be fixed in the foreseeable future.

Yeah, this.

[crazyhorse1]

+ RGIII/Cousins. I think we're set at QB for the foreseeable future.
- I'm worried the defense is too much of a mess to be fixed in the foreseeable future.

Yeah, this.

I don't know what's wrong with the defense. It looks OK on paper, but on the field it looks like one uncontested pass after the other is completed and assignment after assignment or tackle is missed against the run. Why? Players much worse than they're supposed to be or absolutely horrible defensive schemes and coaching, or maybe both? If in charge, I would fire the DC, maybe now. Luckily, Phillip Thomas will be back next year and if we shift back to 4-3 we're set at linebacker. It appears that shifting to the 3-4 was a grave mistake. We're getting no pressure from the DL now, nor are we tough against the run. A new DC could shuffle and fix, perhaps, enough to give us an average defense.

Robert, Alfred, Garcon. Reed, Williams are truly formidable. We've really got to work on the OL or Robert will never develop, so that's a top priority. Hankerson might develop. In my opinion, we should draft for offensive linemen and hire a new DC to shift up back to a 4-3. If we can buy or steal on top WR let's do it. Special teams need an overhaul.

[riggofan]

I don't know what's wrong with the defense. It looks OK on paper...

Does it really, though? Serious question. Whatever Haslett's shortcomings are, my impression is that we still have too many "average at best" type players on defense and safety is still a big problem.

Some of you guys seem very knowledgeable about how well individual defensive players have been playing. Any comment?

[skinsfan#33]

We have a lot of good, young players on offense.

We are not great in the trenches on either side of the ball

+ We have enough talent to win

- We have poor enough at the Spaecial teams coach and the Defensive coordinator to keep that talent from winning.

[StorminMormon86]

I don't know what's wrong with the defense. It looks OK on paper...

Does it really, though? Serious question. Whatever Haslett's shortcomings are, my impression is that we still have too many "average at best" type players on defense and safety is still a big problem.

Some of you guys seem very knowledgeable about how well individual defensive players have been playing. Any comment?

Kerrigan, Orakpo, Hall, Bowen, and Cofield are definitely above average players, IMO. You could even make the argument for Riley and Merriweather, too. We all know Fletcher is past his prime, but on paper I agree that we should be much better.

[Deadskins]

Kerrigan, Orakpo, Hall, Bowen, and Cofield are definitely above average players, IMO. You could even make the argument for Riley and Merriweather, too.

You could even add Amerson to that list. He's gonna be a star one day.

[SKINS#1]

Our CB talent should improve with the return of Crawford and I still think Minnifield will be a starter. I don't think Shanny would keep him if he didn't see some talent.

[StorminMormon86]

I think Amerson and even to a lesser degree Rambo have loads of potential. This team is just getting burned out there defensively. Does Haslett even know the definition of the word adjustment?

[SkinsJock]

I'm not a fan of any of the coaches but I do think that all of them are good at what they do …

it's very easy to find fault with the guys 'in charge' - Haslett has done what Mike wanted him to do and I'm sure that Mike would not have kept him on if there were someone else available that could come in & do better

we've come a long way since Dan brought in Bruce and then Mike to run things … everyone makes MISTAKES, the only thing wrong about making mistakes is to not learn from them - like Snyder and Cerrato would not do … Mike & Bruce have made mistakes but they've done a very good job in finding a way out of the incredible mess this franchise was in - we should not have won the NFC East last season and we're getting set up here to have a really good young franchise

I'm hoping that Mike & Bruce get another year - they've earned that

[Deadskins]

Haslett has done what Mike wanted him to do and I'm sure that Mike would not have kept him on if there were someone else available that could come in & do better

Do better at "what Mike wanted him to do?" I agree.
I'm just not sure that there is not someone (Wade Phillips) who could be a better 3-4 DC.

I've read that MS really concers himself more with the defense than he does with the offense, and I think he may be using Haslett as a figurehead. That way he can always use him as a scapegoat if things go wrong. Also, Haslett probably doesn't push back if Shanny wants to micro-manage.

[markshark84]

Name 1 optimistic thing you like about this years team/future.
Name 1 negative thing you hate about this years team/future.
I'll start:
I think Jordan Reed is going to be a great Tight End
We are not consistent on offense or defense.

There is more than 1 thing to be happy about with this team.
There is more than 1 thing to be unhappy about with this team.

If I had to pick:
1. We have a franchise QB (perhaps even 2....)
2. Already having a horrendous D, we'll have to replace Fletcher -- the unquestionable leader and D centerpiece -- within the next year.

[SkinsJock]

Haslett has done what Mike wanted him to do and I'm sure that Mike would not have kept him on if there were someone else available that could come in & do better

Do better at "what Mike wanted him to do?" I agree.
I'm just not sure that there is not someone (Wade Phillips) who could be a better 3-4 DC.

I've read that MS really concerns himself more with the defense than he does with the offense, and I think he may be using Haslett as a figurehead. That way he can always use him as a scapegoat if things go wrong. Also, Haslett probably doesn't push back if Shanny wants to micro-manage.

as you know, I'd like to have a different HC, OC and DC here …

that being said - I think that Mike should get another year based on what he and Bruce have done since they 'took over'

I'd imagine that Mike does like having guys here that do what he wants them to do … because he's a bit of a control freak

[StorminMormon86]

Would anyone actually be upset if Shanny was fired before the 5 years was up?

[SkinsJock]

I would be VERY surprised - Mike is going to be here next season because of all the stuff he's done (with Bruce Allen) in fixing the huge mess that we were in 2009

so if he's fired sometime next season it will be because he's done an incredibly bad job that's just NOT happening