Advice to Redskins: Sign Ray Brown Now, Let Adams Wait

[bulldog]

in an adjunct to a post on a previous thread, I think the Skins should sign Ray Brown to fill an obvious hole we have at LG and wait to see what shakes out with Adams down the road.

I don't think Adams is going to sign anywhere this week or next, while Brown is going to get interest because at age 39 he can be had for a bargain price vs. if he were 29 and coming off a pro bowl year.

Brown is a smart player and is a good run blocker and pass protector.

Passing on him in the hope of saving money to land Adams could be a huge mistake if the DT signs elsewhere and then Brown is gone as well.

And that is a probabl scenario at this point.

[GrimReaper21]

I agree totally with you. Adams would be a fine addition, but Dotson would do fine there. LG is the only position that we do not have someone capable of starting. Ray Brown is a great leader, and coming off a pro bowl year. I don't care how old he is, just sing him to a one year contract.

[Beaudry]

Ray Brown is on his last legs. He was below average with the niners last season, and he's living off his rep. He's definately not the solution at LG.

[OrangeSkin]

Of course Ray Brown is not the answer. At least we can bring him in at a minimal cap hit, and in the event he gets injured or sucks really bad we can bring in a youngster and see how they fare. We've had numerous missed opportunites to pick up a LG, but it didn't happen. Now the pickins are slim, but signing Ray Brown is a win-win situation.

[Luca Brasi]

Absolutely sign Ray Brown. We have Loverne penciled in as our starter. Ray Brown is a huge upgrade. Anytime you can upgrade a position considerably and at a modest price, you do it, no questions asked. The pickins are indeed slim, now is the time to act on this guy before he's gone.

[Ford]

I'd rather see Ben Coleman than Brown. I don't think Coleman is riskier in terms of injuries, and we've seen how effective he is.

[Art]

At this point I'd take Brown over Coleman, because Brown comes out of a pass oriented offense and Coleman may not be quite as able as a pass blocker due to questionable knees. But, with either guy I'd be thrilled because it would offer a legitimate starting quality player to fall back on if none of the young guys steps up. I agree with Bulldog here that we should get that spot handled before dancing too much with Adams.

[matty dread]

Ray Brown would be a solid pickup, I'm all for it. I think guard is a more pressing need right now than tackle. I'm happy with Dotson, and Cowsette backing him up. Brown was a Pro Bowler last season, he's still got one more good season in him. I still think we should have used our second round pick on a guard though. Betts wasn't going anywhere for a while, we could have easily picked him up later.

Adams is just looking for a payday, he's not worth it at all. If he's so good why is he sitting home right now? Oh thats right, cause he's looking for an outrageous 8 million dollar signing bonus. Let him sit home, and let's move on and spend that money more wisely.

With our current D-line crew, our LB's and with Marvin Lewis leading the troops, I think the D is fine. Don't sign Phat Adams!!

Matt

http://thewarpath.proboards11.com/index.cgi

[bulldog]

if you could discern that Brown was on his 'last' legs last year in San Francisco than evidently you saw something most everyone else didn't.

as far as living off his rep, it was his FIRST trip to the Pro Bowl, so it wasn't as if he had been a shoo-in the previous 7 or 8 years and was voted in strictly on name recognition.

I would submit that Brown is better than any other guard the Redskins have on their roster right now. He can run block and pass protect effectively. As Art mentioned he was in an offense that threw the ball some in 2001 and that will be an advantage coming here where similar things are in store for an attack that at times looked constipated under Marty.

David Loverne and a converted David Brandt are not the answer at LG. And from what we have seen and heard from Kim Helton he isn't looking at Ross Tucker or Melvin Jones being ready to step up in 2002 and do more than continue to develop as backups.

If there is another guard out there with experience that has come out of a winning program and wants to join the Redskins, by all means throw his name out there

But when I see one-legged Glenn Parker and 41 year old tackle Lomas Brown (who really is preserved in formaldehyde) being mentioned as the best other options out there, I go back to Brown in an instant.

You can throw Heath Irwin in the group of unwanteds as well. I don't know, maybe Irwin has signed recently with another team, but this guy was a disappointment in Minnesota and was shipped out of Miami after only one season.

Who wants someone else's failure?

Hey, at least Brown has proven he can play in this league.

[shamaran]

I'd love to have Ray Brown back. I'd love for some other team to sign Adams so he won't be tempting lil' Dano.

I think if Mendes has any authority in this issue, that he's lobbying for that too.

[@DCGoldPants]

I do wonder what we are waiting for now. Unless we're in deep deals with the rookies at this point and they are waiting till they settle that before more FA's.

[Beaudry]

I should have qualified my statements. I have no idea what it will cost to bring in Brown. If it's cheap, then that makes sense. I can agree with what Orange Skins said.

Head my warning! Brown is not the great player that many think. I always liked him, but I didn't see quality play last season. I think that he was jobbed out of Pro Bowls in the past, and last season was "make up" for the others. I personally have more faith in Coleman.

[bulldog]

Coleman presents two problems.

First, he has a chronic knee injury that kept him out of camp and the first 5 games of last season. And he failed to disclose the injury to the Redskins until the first day of camp, which really left the team in a bind at guard.

Second, Coleman is a fine run blocker to set at RT, but in a pass oriented offense I have questions about his ability to set up and protect the qb given his physical limitations.

Let's face it, this year's team is going to be different. Under Marty Coleman could concentrate on blocking for Davis and using his 330 to effect, limping around at times if necessary.

once you isolate a guy with a bad wheel in protection, defenses zero in and put a guy on his nose or blitz left or right to his space to test him.

Another question regarding Coleman is his cost. He said not only was he not interested in signing for the minimum but he also thought he was worth more than the $1 million he earned last year.

I don't know if we can afford to sign a 32 year old player with a chronic kee to a multiyear deal.

I think we can substitute in Brown and then look to the 2003 draft to find a candidate for the future at LG.

Why panic and overpay Coleman?

[NavyDave]

Another year of applying the bandaid at the interior line.

I dont see how drafting a blue chip guard in the second is more expensive than signing the retreads we have been doing the past 4 years annually.

I'm praying that one of our kids will step up during their participation in the S Double open in carlisle