The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

Louis Riddick: ....There’s not a number for how I would value him. It’s going to be tricky. Would I want to keep him? Yes. Would I want to extend above and beyond and get him into the nose-bleed area for guaranteed money in the first three years? No, I would not. ... I’d be very prepared to let him walk. That being said, there aren’t a lot of good pass-rushers available in free agency and there aren’t a lot of guys who will win one-on-ones early in their career in the draft so that will work in his favor.

Matt Williamson: That defense needs everything, it really does. He’s their best player on defense, they have a lot of cap room, they can’t let him go. He’s one of the few free agents that you have to give the big money to. If that means franchising him, I think he’s worth it. He’s an all-around player. He’s their best pass-rusher, probably one of the best 10 pass-rushers in the league in his prime and he recovered from his injury. I thought he had a good year. He was a constant pressure guy. He’s a quick-twitch athlete who can get low and still be powerful. He explodes off the ball and he’s a high-motor guy. I don’t think he’ll be elite. He won’t be Dwight Freeney in his prime, and if you looked at his strengths and weaknesses as a pass-rusher, he’s not extreme in any of them but he’s above average in many. Freeney was so low and explosive off the snap, you always remember those things with him. Orakpo doesn’t have one trait that you say, ‘Wow, I’ve got to stop that.’

Werder reports that the Redskins are prepared to use the tag on Orakpo Monday if they are unable to agree on a long-term contract by the deadline. Doing so would all but ensure Orakpo’s return since other teams would have to fork over two first-round picks to sign him away and would also buy more time to reach agreement on a multi-year deal that would be a better fit in the overall salary structure in Washington.

emoses14 wrote:If they tag him today, are they permitted to work out a long term deal, say prior to or during the free agency period, that replaces the tag designation on the books? In other words, if they reach a long term deal after tagging him, does the long term deal's 2014 cap hit replace the $11.5M cap hit from the tag?

Update 1:31 p.m.: The Washington Redskins announced that they will use the franchise tag on top pass-rusher Brian Orakpo to avoid losing him in free agency.

emoses14 wrote:If they tag him today, are they permitted to work out a long term deal, say prior to or during the free agency period, that replaces the tag designation on the books? In other words, if they reach a long term deal after tagging him, does the long term deal's 2014 cap hit replace the $11.5M cap hit from the tag?

The Redskins will have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal with Orakpo.

DarthMonk wrote:Different players have different levels of commitment to excellence.

If Haynesworth was a zero and Art Monk was a 10, what is Rak?

This money will make him more of whatever he is now.

What is he?

DarthMonk wrote:Different players have different levels of commitment to excellence.

If Haynesworth was a zero and Art Monk was a 10, what is Rak?

This money will make him more of whatever he is now.

What is he?

The Hogster wrote:

DarthMonk wrote:Different players have different levels of commitment to excellence.

If Haynesworth was a zero and Art Monk was a 10, what is Rak?

This money will make him more of whatever he is now.

What is he?

Based on known information about him. The positive is that he's been considered a workout beast at least since his UT days, so I don't think he lacks work ethic or a commitment to the gym. But, I have heard him say in an interview something like "You won't see me doing any spin moves or anything like that. I just do what I do." That raised an eyebrow for me because my personal view of him is that he only has a couple of moves. He bull rushes, dips shoulder to the outside, or winds up stuck on a block. In my opinion, if he were more committed to developing his arsenal of moves/techniques, he'd take the leap to elite. But, if he thinks he can just over power people or run by them, he'll be a 10 sack guy which is good but not near great. The elite guys can beat you with both power and finesse. He hasn't done that.

But, I don't think he's the kind of player that will be changed by the money if that's what you mean. He'll still be a gym rat. I just think he needs to work on his weaknesses or else he's probably at his ceiling. At his age, he's not going to get much stronger or faster...he's got to find other ways to beat people.

Hell, even Michael Jordan developed a fadeaway jumper that was unstoppable later in his career. What makes Rak think he's any different.

The Hogster wrote:Here's a video clip where a guy points out what I said in the previous post. Orakpo is far above average at his two moves. The problem is, he only has two moves that he uses effectively. If he can be a 10 sack guy just using his bull rush and speed rush, he could become elite if he developed a more complete game. He barely ever uses a club move, or an inside or outside spin move.

The Hogster wrote:I give him a pass for not using an outside spin much given the gap discipline that a 3-4 requires.

The Hogster wrote:If he adds a couple more moves to his arsenal, I see no reason why he can't get another 5 or so sacks per year. 15 sacks is in that elite category. 10 is just very good. He's very good right now. But, wants to be paid like he's elite.

riggofan wrote:Here's my question for you guys. What do you need to see from Orakpo this year to make this deal worth the money? (Rak was tied for 6th in the league with 10 sacks last year.) Or is it more about seeing the defense as a whole improve?

The Hogster wrote:

riggofan wrote:Here's my question for you guys. What do you need to see from Orakpo this year to make this deal worth the money? (Rak was tied for 6th in the league with 10 sacks last year.) Or is it more about seeing the defense as a whole improve?

I want to see him become the leader of this defense. When you're the highest paid defensive player, I think leadership must be that attribute that plays into justification for that kind of money--especially since London Fletcher is no longer there. He's now the most senior linebacker, highest paid, and most physically gifted. But, he's got to improve his weaknesses.

Which brings me to the second thing I want to see from him. More versatility. He's somewhat of a one-trick pony. I want to see him add more moves to his arsenal, and improve in coverage. Ryan Kerrigan has a knack for making plays (tipped balls, interceptions, forced fumbles)

I want to see Orakpo become the noticeably best player on our defense and make the team want to sign him to a long-term extension if they don't before this season begins.

Since 1983, only 3 #Redskins first-round picks have signed 2nd contracts w/the team—Arrington, Samuels, and Darrell Green. - via Rich Tandler