Randle El - His Perceived Role vs. His Actual Role

[E-Dog Night]

I get the feeling that his role will be nearly identical to what he did in Pittsburgh and he really won't see that much action at wideout - maybe even less then with the Steelers - and this won't sit well with him.

Consider: Joe Gibbs was obviously not happy with Antonio Brown -- his game winning return against the Cardinals notwithstanding. Gibbs knows that a good return can win a game or two in a season, which can be the difference in making the playoffs, winning the division, getting a bye, etc. Brown was never going to be the solution at returner; fumbles and a general lack of reliability doomed him.

So Randle El was clearly signed to be the Redskins' new return man. He'll be returning every single punt. Gibbs seems to like Betts on KO's but I bet Randle El will be handling some if not all of those too.

So as I see it that leaves Lloyd and Patten as #2 and #3.

Questions/concerns (I promise not to suggest that he's overpaid - we've seen that thread):

Will Randle El be upset at being the 4th WR...again? Gibbs will likely be able to smooth any ruffled feathers over during the season, but the leads to the second question, which is, would he later demand a trade ala Ramsey, claiming that he was led to believe his role would be different, again ala Ramsey?

I dunno, I just worry, as is my habit, being a Skins fan. But with 4 WRs who have had success in the NFL, it's hard to believe that chemistry won't be a problem, especially if it doesn't appear that Ant got a fair shot. There aren't enough balls to keep everybody happy, and something's got to give. I think he'll be a 4th WR and he won't be happy.

[truskinsfan18]

No way dude...I dont want to bring up his salary...but the man is being paid like a #1 wr. Sure he's a hell of a special teams guy, but hes competing with Lloyd for that 2nd spot

[chiefhogskin48]

Valid points. I think what you say is certainly conceivable. Purely as a WR, I think Patton is every bit as good as Randle El- maybe even better as a deep threat/TD guy. However, Randle El seems to be a much better choice as a slot receiver on short distance, since his quickness, reliability, and YAC prowess is much better. So while Patten may be more effective in long yardage situations, for situations like 3rd and 5 I'd much rather have Randle El. Also, he adds so many more dimensions to the offense. Screens, end-arounds, direct snaps, WR options, etc. Plus, he seems to be a superior blocker. It's just a matter of our coaching staff taking advantage of each player's strengths.

[rockANDallstar]

yeah uh... he has more talent and ability at WR than Patten, why completely shut him out of the scene? Trust me, we're gonna use him to stretch the feild, on reverses, screens, everything. He's gonna help us dominate through the air and on the ground. Just another peice to the puzzle.

[moondog]

Even at Pittsburgh I thought he was the other starting wideout, the #2 to Ward. Did I miss something, because I thought they used him as WR a lot last year, just that they don't throw the ball a whole lot. When they do it goes to Ward and then mostly split between Miller and Randle el.

[E-Dog Night]

Yeah, his salary is big, but I'm trying to take that into account. Remember, Joe Gibbs once convinced the Squire to spend 1 million a year - back in the 80's - on a backup offensive lineman.

Of course, things are different now with the cap, but I think Gibbs views a player who can swing the pendulum like a good return man can worth the money.

I also think Gibbs looks at the salary cap different than we do. He looks at it like - "we need the players that we need, and we have X amount of money to spend, so lets get those players." As a result, the Redskins will pay a few players more than they are TECHNICALLY worth in order to get the team Gibbs thinks we should have.

And Joe has always placed a huge emphasis on special teams.

[skinsrule88]

i think hell see a little action so that moss wont be swarmed by the defense

[E-Dog Night]

Even at Pittsburgh I thought he was the other starting wideout, the #2 to Ward. Did I miss something, because I thought they used him as WR a lot last year, just that they don't throw the ball a whole lot. When they do it goes to Ward and then mostly split between Miller and Randle el.

I read somewhere recently that, based on the number of times he was thrown to (not catches or yards), he was the 4th WR at Pitt. Not sure exactly where he fell on the depth chart or if that stat includes Heath Miller, a TE.

But regardless, my point remains the same that he'll be #4 here.

[skinsrule88]

between him, lloyd, and moss the redskins receivers will b just about un beatable

[skinsrule88]

its gonna be hard to defend all three of those excellant recievers at the same time at least one of the three will b open all the time

[SaltySpice1028]

He's going to be the third WR. He's better in the slot than Patten and also he gives the offense a lot more options. He can run reverses, throw the football, and is excellent with the ball after the catch.

Patten will be the #4 WR, but I'm sure he'll be on the field more often than when we're in a 4 wideout formation based on what package a given play calls for. However, I think our base set will be Moss & Lloyd out wide with Randle El in the slot.

[Coach Williams]

we never can be too safe....keep in mind Moss was an injury prone guy and he made it through the season even with a tweaked Hammy......for the jets he was out several games because of his hammy.....

this way we are covered......I recall someone saying patten may be traded because he wouldn't be the starter anymore......

[jrockster21]

If you look closely at Saunders' offenses in the past, the one thing that stands out is that there are no stand-out players statistically in the WR position (with the exception being Derrick Alexander). To me, this suggests the ball will be spread around a lot, and all three receivers will receive a comparable amount of touches. If it is shown early that Lloyd does more with his touches, he'll naturally get more and vice versa. However don't think for a minute that the depth chart will have a huge effect on who gets looks. :2cents:

[HoyaSkins28]

NO WAY MAN!!! The Redskins would never have paid that much for him to be a 4th reciever. most teams wouldnt even pay that for a 2 or sometimes 1 receiver.

1. Santana Moss #89

2. Brandon Lloyd #85

3. Antwaan Randle El #11

4. David Patten #80

5. James Thrash #83

[E-Dog Night]

I think our base set will be Moss & Lloyd out wide with Randle El in the slot.

Quite possible. If that's the case, Patten went from a great second option to persona non grata in a hurry. I just have a hard time believing that he'll fall that far that fast. I'm pretty sure that Lloyd will capture the #2 position with ease.

I'm also pretty sure that Gibbs will be hesitant to risk an injury to a top-notch return man by playing him too often.

The again, Taylor plays on KO coverage, so I could be wrong.

[Awesome2]

Call me crazy, but I see Saunders/Gibbs creating some wild schemes to fully utilize him. I wouldn't be surprised if he averaged more than 3 or 4 pass attempts or rush attempts a game.

I really see us using him like they used to use Kordell Stewart, just not to that extent.

[E-Dog Night]

we never can be too safe....keep in mind Moss was an injury prone guy and he made it through the season even with a tweaked Hammy......I recall someone saying patten may be traded because he wouldn't be the starter anymore

Depth is an excellent point. But there was an article that seemed to point that Patten was going to be given a chance to win a sarting role.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/14/AR2006031401546.html

"Patten received a phone call from Coach Joe Gibbs, who told him both signings were not a reflection on him, but merely on the team's underproduction at wide receiver last year. Patten said he listened attentively and asked Gibbs a question, one to which the right answer would provide some gasoline for Patten's tank.

"Coach, will you play the best guy?" he asked.

Gibbs told Patten he would."

[aussieskin]

I have stated before that I do not think that the redskins rank their receivers, I think that the skins will run three reciever sets with Cooley and Portis, on different plays ARE and Patton will interchange, the first reciever to get free will get the ball, so on some plays i would expect to see all five in reciever positions.

Hail all things redskins

[E-Dog Night]

on some plays i would expect to see all five in reciever positions.

Considering Gibbs' penchant for protecting the QB, I would be surprised to see this, even with Saunders calling the plays.

But you make a good point that there may likely be a rotation of some sort. Hopefully it will be sufficient to keep everyone happy.

The thing that worries me is that a QB gets into a comfort zone with a particular receiver, and the others kind of dissappear from the offense. Four wideouts is a lot of players with whom to develop a chemistry.

Many people assume that We'll be unstoppable with all these WRs running around, but between protection and chemistry, I just don't see Brunell throwing to all 4 on any kind of regular basis. It will probably be more like Moss and with whomever Brunell develops trust rather than some kind of fantasy track meet.

[Laxpunk2006]

I think our recievers are going to be used a lot like how New England has used theirs the past few years. They shuffled recievers around to take advantage of match ups regardless of who was #1,2,3.

I really don't think Gibbs would mislead ARE about his role here and I'm sure they've already discussed it. Joe cares about his players which he showed by helping Ramsey land on a new team. He wouldn't lie to ARE and then have to release/trade him later, it's just not worth it in the long run.

[thinker]

If we were just trying to get a good returner we would have offered $30 million to Eddie Drummond or Koren Robinson. NO RETURNER is worth that kind of money. So we didn't sign him to be mostly a returner. He was TOLD he was signed to be the #2 - I doubt we outright lied to him although someone could certainly beat him out of the job. His play on the field and in practice will dictate who plays and how much.

[TheLongshot]

There is one thing I do believe is that everyone is going to be competing for positions at WR. No one, other than Moss, has a great track record to lean on. Gibbs will start whoever he feels are the best options.

What that means in this discussion is that Randle El does not have a lock on a starting position. He still needs to earn his way onto the field. The same is true of Patton and Lloyd.

Jason

[Mister Happy]

Gibbs explained to him what his role would be. He chose the Redskins before his agent worked out his deal. Do you really think he picked us, so he could be a returner and #4 WR?

Was it a problem distributing the ball to The Posse or the 2004 Colts? You can have a team with 3 receivers with 1000+ yards in the same season, and it can work. In fact, it always produces a top passing offense.

[hands11]

yeah uh... he has more talent and ability at WR than Patten, why completely shut him out of the scene? Trust me, we're gonna use him to stretch the field, on reverses, screens, everything. He's gonna help us dominate through the air and on the ground. Just another piece to the puzzle.

I'm sure some where someone has said this but, double reverse with El and Moss. The options are endless. Double reverse flea flickers. 2X runs. 2X passes.

He is worth the money because of what he make the D prepare for. This also gives us protection against injury. Or we can run 4 wides and run Portis.

This could get very insane. I see EL as the new B Mitch. He can do a lot.

[hands11]

Considering Gibbs' penchant for protecting the QB, I would be surprised to see this, even with Saunders calling the plays.

But you make a good point that there may likely be a rotation of some sort. Hopefully it will be sufficient to keep everyone happy.

The thing that worries me is that a QB gets into a comfort zone with a particular receiver, and the others kind of dissappear from the offense. Four wideouts is a lot of players with whom to develop a chemistry.

Many people assume that We'll be unstoppable with all these WRs running around, but between protection and chemistry, I just don't see Brunell throwing to all 4 on any kind of regular basis. It will probably be more like Moss and with whomever Brunell develops trust rather than some kind of fantasy track meet.

I think he will be able to handle it if he has faith in them all.

We did it with the possie. They all did different things and the plays were disigned with primary and secondary routes.