Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins

Gruden On Roster: ‘Decisions Have To Be Made’


Recommended Posts

Roughly 121 hours away from the Skins opening kickoff and I'm already jittery with excitement. I can honestly say I believe this is the best team (on paper) that we've fielded in a very long time. We have big playmakers on both sides of the ball and strong starters at just about every position... except o-line- and that's what scares me going into this game against the Texans. Watt and Clowney, eesh, I don't know if we have an answer for them, so I'm expecting Alf to get 25 touches and carry the offense. Defensively, Haslett needs to shut down the Texans run game and force Fitzpatrick to beat us. I like some of the exotic blitz schemes he's come up with on passing plays, but he needs to focus more on building a brick wall to shut down the run. We can't forget, the Texans were just like us- won our respective divisions two years ago then greatly underachieved last year. This game's a coin toss, but with the correct gameplan and decent oline play, we got this. HTTR!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed CT but the football answer to a dominating set of defensive ends is today what it always has been if your team doesn't have the brute strength to manhandle them....GET the BALL out QUICKLY! If RG can go back to playing football instead of thinking football, it will speed up his game dramatically. We've all watched as he seems to go at one speed while the Defense plays a notch faster.....he's thinking instead of playing. If he plays instead of thinks, they'll be good to go!! HTTR!!

Erad

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, just for fun I thought I would look at the "disaster" we have in terms of drafting. Here is a breakdown over the last 5 yrs. It has total number of draft choices and (# still on the team. - I counted those on PS)

 

Rd 1 - 3 (3)

Rd 2 - 3 (3)

Rd 3 - 4 (4)

Rd 4 - 6 (5)

Rd 5 - 6 (3)

Rd 6 - 6 (4)

Rd 7 - 12 (3)

 

So while we do well at the top of the draft we are "horrible" at 7th rounders. Sorry if I don't see that as a problem.

 

Just for comparison, since Bill Belicheat is considered the standard bearer. I thought I would look at NE fared. Here are the results:

 

Rd 1 - 5 (5)

Rd 2 - 9 (6)

Rd 3 - 9 (6)

Rd 4 - 2 (0)

Rd 5 - 3 (1)

Rd 6 - 6 (1)

Rd 7 - 10 (3)

 

Granted the first thing that shows up is the greater number of draft picks. But that is a different conversation.

 

Notice that we have to get to Rd 4 before we don't keep all picks, and then we kept 5 of 6. Belicheat dropped 3 2nds and 3 rds. Can you imagine the uproar here if we released 2nd rd pick?

 

So we have kept 22 of 28 picks through the 6th round or 75%. In comparison NE has kept 19 of 34 or 56%. We both have not kept very many rd 7 picks.

 

Obviously part of that is we were a pretty bad football team 5 yrs ago. Last year we were 3-13 but I think we all agree we had/have more talent than that.

 

Anyway, I have some other conclusions but I am interested in what others think.

 

EDIT: Missed Rd 5. It's been added. Other stats updated also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hail Eradicator- there's nothing I'd like more than to have confidence in RG as a pure passer. It pains me to say it, but as of right now, I have minimal confidence in just about every aspect of his game. He was bad last year (let's be honest and throw away his trash yardage/TDs) and he hasn't really shown any signs of improvement this pre-season. "Getting the ball out quickly" would be nice, but that would involve mastering a 3-step drop, timing passes correctly, reading defenses pre-snap, and trusting his arm... Each one of those aspects is a question mark for Griff right now. I think by the end of the year he will have a better grasp, but I don't believe over the last week and a half he has all of the sudden figured it out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

goskins- good stuff man, interesting that we've kept almost the same amount of picks. I think the big difference is the tale of rounds 1-3, we've kept 10, they've kept 17; obviously, those are the rounds you find your studs/starters. This can mean quite a few things, but I think the most accurate explanation is a simple one- Skins lost three picks in that category in the RG trade, while Belicheck is constantly turning his 1st round pick into a 2nd and 3rd. If you have those stats, feel free to share/correct me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

goskins- good stuff man, interesting that we've kept almost the same amount of picks. I think the big difference is the tale of rounds 1-3, we've kept 10, they've kept 17; obviously, those are the rounds you find your studs/starters. This can mean quite a few things, but I think the most accurate explanation is a simple one- Skins lost three picks in that category in the RG trade, while Belicheck is constantly turning his 1st round pick into a 2nd and 3rd. If you have those stats, feel free to share/correct me.

 

 

I didn't look stuff likely that up. The stats above I did by hand. Couldn't find them the way I wanted. I think what is interesting is that as you said we kept as many players as they did, but with only 60% of the number of draft picks. They are good at stock piling picks. Maybe that's why they are willing to give up on a 2nd or 3rd rounder quickly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hail CT....I sure hope that this preseason has been a big farce and we're going to see a slick, polished RG take the field come Sunday, complete with a 2 step drop firing the ball out to Roberts in the flat behind the DE or to Moss on a quick slant, or, if the protection holds, to DJ or PG screaming 2 yds inside the sidelines, 40 yds from the line of scrimmage......Yes, that's what I hope...but you said exactly what I fear!

All the guess work is really over now....and like every year, I'll be rooting for the team...win or lose...but dang, I'd sure like to see them gel as a team and go on a run......Here's to a good season and another NFC East title!!

Erad

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hail CT....I sure hope that this preseason has been a big farce and we're going to see a slick, polished RG take the field come Sunday, complete with a 2 step drop firing the ball out to Roberts in the flat behind the DE or to Moss on a quick slant, or, if the protection holds, to DJ or PG screaming 2 yds inside the sidelines, 40 yds from the line of scrimmage......Yes, that's what I hope...but you said exactly what I fear! All the guess work is really over now....and like every year, I'll be rooting for the team...win or lose...but dang, I'd sure like to see them gel as a team and go on a run......Here's to a good season and another NFC East title!! Erad

I think we'll see a better qb than the sum of his preseason work. I would be pleased with that nice drive against the Browns where he was completing quick passes in an uptempo way. Yeah, even though we didn't score on that drive rest assured Gruden won't be calling 4 goalline run plays without throwing something unexpected in there. Griffin's a smart kid and I just have to think that his passing will be improved from last year and eventually find that groove. He's got no excuses with the offensive weapons that are available to him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Game 1 all depends on running the ball because Polumbus will have problems with Watt. If we can run we can win! I think we could get more production out of Lache Seastrunk then we ever will with Nick Williams being on the practice squad.

Maybe your right about Seastrunk vs Williams, it's all speculative now. They have projected Williams to fit in the slot, probably hoping for his ruggedness to be in the mold of Wes Welker.

 

The team ran the ball hard to the left side all during preseason but we all know that's not a sign of what is to be. Have a feeling they will run right at the rookie Clowney and I hope our Silverback dominates him.Griffins license to change plays at the los could negate Watts run defense. Watts is a helluva player and is a playmaker.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...