Rod Hood: The Cheap Alternative to Clements and Samuel

[method man]

It annoys me how everyone on this message board is so glued to Samuel and Clements saying that we should sign one of them to a big deal. They say that this will be the ONLY big deal FA. My question is: why do we even have to dish out one big deal? Rod Hood is also a free agent this offseason. The Eagles' nickel spot is for corners as the Packers' backup QB spot is to for corners. The guys that are there go on to become good NFL starters. For example, this includes Al Harris and Lito Sheppard. According to what I've seen and read, Hood does not really have many weaknesses. He is good against the run and a good cover guy. Furthermore and the bottom line, he will be a lot cheaper than Samuel and Clements and would allow us to also invest in a half-decent NB like Ricky Manning Jr. He is also a college teammate of Carlos Rogers and Jason Campbell. We would also be stealing an Eagle like the Giants steal Skins.

[method man]

I think we could snag him to a smallish 6-year 24 mil or so deal with a reasonable 8 mil SB, which looks a lot better than the 7 year 50 mil with 15 mil SB contract that Clement is going to get.

[bulldog]

A move for a player of Hood's caliber only makes sense if the team determines that Shawn Springs can and will come back in 2007 and retains the tools to be a top corner.

Otherwise, you put Hood in the position of trying to fill a position he has not proven that he can handle, that of being a featured corner for 16 games.

If Springs is willing to restructure and comes back at 100% this move can make sense.

But right now that is a big IF.

[method man]

A move for a player of Hood's caliber only makes sense if the team determines that Shawn Springs can and will come back in 2007 and retains the tools to be a top corner.

Otherwise, you put Hood in the position of trying to fill a position he has not proven that he can handle, that of being a featured corner for 16 games.

If Springs is willing to restructure and comes back at 100% this move can make sense.

But right now that is a big IF.

you've gotta take intelligent risks like this, though, bulldog. the intelligent money is on hood becoming a pretty decent starting corner. remember that in this system we do not have no. 1 and no. 2 corners. we have guys who cover their portion of the field. We don't need a shutdown guy at corner. We just need a guy who will do a good job if given a pass rush. Singing Hood would also allow us to look at a guy like Justin Smith or Chris Kelsay, a younger DE than Daniels who can also rush the passer better.

[bulldog]

I think that is one of the things that may change in this defense. When the Redskins matched Springs up with Steve Smith against Carolina the backfield had one of its best games. I don't buy into the 'we don't have a #1 corner' philosophy and Williams has indicated he is going to review his entire approach to calling the defense in 2007 given the problems with running the cover-2 and the failure of his blitz schemes to get pressure by hitting the right gaps in the line.

[NoVaSkins21]

I don't think the Skins' fron't office is smart enough to go after a guy like Hood. He doesn't have the star appeal that a Clements or Sameul has. It takes an actual GM to make smart frugal decisions like this.

[method man]

It's not like Hood is some average nickel either. He is considered one of the best NBs in the NFL and has had a lot of starting experience the past two seasons.

[bulldog]

Al Harris is another Eagle that excelled in the nickel role for Jim Johnson but was only average as a starting corner in Green Bay.

Again, you have to be careful in projecting a player to a new spot or an expanded role when signing free agents.

That is what has gotten the Redskins in trouble in the past.

[method man]

I think that is one of the things that may change in this defense. When the Redskins matched Springs up with Steve Smith against Carolina the backfield had one of its best games. I don't buy into the 'we don't have a #1 corner' philosophy and Williams has indicated he is going to review his entire approach to calling the defense in 2007 given the problems with running the cover-2 and the failure of his blitz schemes to get pressure by hitting the right gaps in the line.

Maybe that means that WIlliams is going to get us a consistent pass rush from our front four, meaning everyone will be a pass rushing threat, not just two people. At this point, Hood probably wants to be a starter. He wouldn't sign here to be our NB.

[LoudMouth12thMan]

..... When the Redskins matched Springs up with Steve Smith against Carolina the backfield had one of his best games. I don't buy into the 'we don't have a #1 corner' philosophy

Thank you bulldog. It is essential that we hold on to Springs if at all possible. I wish that people recognized how important/vital he is to our scheme. Case in point: look at all of the games that Springs missed or got injured and notice the decline in our secondary. Whats the common element with the D's collapse? Springs and to some degree (which has gone unnoticed) Prioleau's absence...that's another story...

Nice point bulldog

[method man]

Al Harris is another Eagle that excelled in the nickel role for Jim Johnson but was only average as a starting corner in Green Bay.

Again, you have to be careful in projecting a player to a new spot or an expanded role when signing free agents.

That is what has gotten the Redskins in trouble in the past.

I think I read somewhere that Al Harris was a Pro Bowl snub this year. So he has been better than average. The Packers' porous defense was a result of below-average talent level at the other corner spot with scrubs like Ahmad Carrol.

[method man]

Thank you bulldog. It is essential that we hold on to Springs if at all possible. I wish that people recognized how important/vital he is to our scheme. Case in point: look at all of the games that Springs missed or got injured and notice the decline in our secondary. Whats the common element with the D's collapse? Springs and to some degree (which has gone unnoticed) Prioleau's absence...that's another story...

Nice point bulldog

I like Springs too but the dude is gone. He is even joking with his teammates about leaving.

[bulldog]

I can just imagine it now. Springs goes to the Giants to join Pierce and LaVar and ride the Skins organization :laugh:

Does it ever end? :doh:

[LoudMouth12thMan]

I can just imagine it now. Springs goes to the Giants to join Pierce and LaVar and ride the Skins organization :laugh:

Does it ever end? :doh:

You'd shut your mouth if ya' knew what was good for ya' :laugh:

You're so right bulldog and method man. Lord help us

Seriously though, Springs is pretty fragile, that fact no one can deny. I'm almost to the point where a FA acquisition at DB wouldn't be a horrible idea regardless what Springs does. Wok wok wok wok wok Jones for Portis trade :paranoid: :doh:

HTTR

[Dirk Diggler]

I think I read somewhere that Al Harris was a Pro Bowl snub this year. So he has been better than average. The Packers' porous defense was a result of below-average talent level at the other corner spot with scrubs like Ahmad Carrol.

Yes. Harris has been a Pro Bowl caliber this season. Nice player.

[mcarey032]

We definitely do not want Ricky Manning Jr. He was was arrested the day he signed a deal in Chicago! No chance we get him. I will be that the redskins will land a big name DB or DE in the free agent sweep stakes. Whatever the team decides to do, I hope that we take one of our other needs through the draft.

[SkinsTillIDie]

YES. I have been, and will be for the rest of the offseason, advocating this move to add Roderick Hood. He is young (25) but already a 4 year vet, has no clear weakness, and is a very solid all-around corner that is only getting better and better. Well, I'll just give you ESPN Insider's scouting report on him:

Hood has a good combination of athletic ability and speed. He has good overall cover skills and is very smooth in all his movements. He has good feet, is fluid in his hips and can turn and run with most receivers in the league. He has good change-of-direction skills. He does not have a lot of wasted motion, nor does he lose speed in transition, and he has a good burst to the ball. He has the closing speed to make up for being out of position or making mistakes. He has good man-to-man cover skills, and he does a great job of planting and driving to the ball. He did an excellent job in press coverage. He was in the receiver's hip pocket and did a great job of mirroring his route. He is not a real physical player, but he is very competitive. He will go after the ball and will challenge the receiver. He does a good job in run support, is not afraid to mix it up and is a decent open-field tackler. He will wrap up on contact, but he is not going to punish receivers or running backs. He is an excellent special teams player. He does a super job on cover teams and as a kickoff return specialist. Overall, Hood does not have a lot of weaknesses. He is young and should only get better with more playing time.

This is EXACTLY the type of player we need to add. He is young and has shown a lot of potential, as opposed to the proven star vet that is just looking for a payday. Hood is hungry and wants to start (he has said as much), and he is looking for the opportunity to show his worth - something he won't get in Philly. He will undoubtedly love to stay in the division and play the Eagles twice a year.

We need young, hungry players that are getting better - Andre Carter is one example of this model of success. Hood is a very good corner who is getting better, and is starter-ready now. Can he be a bonafide #1 corner in this league? Who knows, probably not. But you don't need the best corner in the league to succeed, and there really is no such thing as a "shut-down" corner anyway. The ridiculous amount of money spent on Clements would be better spent on Hood and other players of that calibre.

Fans here often complain about the lack of depth on our squad. Well, one way to kill the depth is by overpaying players like Clements and comitting huge dollars to a single player of 53 on the roster.

[RedskinzOwnU]

We need to bring in TWO CB's this offseason to have a decent secondary next year. Now, one of those acquisitions should be Clements or Samuel, but I'd be more than happy if the other one was Hood or Smoot.

[SkinsTillIDie]

We need to bring in TWO CB's this offseason to have a decent secondary next year. Now, one of those acquisitions should be Clements or Samuel, but I'd be more than happy if the other one was Hood or Smoot.

We don't have the cap space to sign two high-priced free agents at corner - that would be FAR too much money at a single position, especially with Springs' unrestructured $7 milion hit.

And Hood certainly wouldn't want to come if he was being primed for the Dime spot, let alone not being given the opportunity to legitmately compete for a starting job.

[method man]

I can just imagine it now. Springs goes to the Giants to join Pierce and LaVar and ride the Skins organization :laugh:

Does it ever end? :doh:

Yes, Springs goes to the Giants to join Lavar on IR

[method man]

We definitely do not want Ricky Manning Jr. He was was arrested the day he signed a deal in Chicago! No chance we get him. I will be that the redskins will land a big name DB or DE in the free agent sweep stakes. Whatever the team decides to do, I hope that we take one of our other needs through the draft.

Hey, I'm not opposed to trading our 2nd next year and our 5th and 6th rounders this year to get a 2nd rounder this year and take Antoine Caseon to be our NB. However, I do not want to lose this many picks and I feel we should get our NB through FA. (We should get a dime guy in the 6th round--some small school guy who has not been looked at). I think Ricky Manning Jr. is one of the best ones out there and could start in a pinch. If Gibbs thinks he has character problems, then he should go after guys like Tory James.

[SkinsTillIDie]

Ricky Manning Jr. - no thank you!

According to [LAPD officers], Manning was in a group that attacked a man in a Denny's restaurant after teasing him for working on a laptop computer.

"The group began by making comments that the victim looked like a geek or a nerd,'' Lewis said.

The victim asked the group to stop and then complained to a Denny's manager before someone in the group punched him in the face. He then was punched and kicked by multiple attackers until losing consciousness, Lewis said.

http://www.deadspin.com/sports/nfl/ricky-manning-jr-will-bludgeon-you-you-freaking-nerd-169113.php

[method man]

How about we take William James off the Eagles' hands too as our NB? Man I'm loving this idea of raiding the Eagles DB corps

[Spartacus87]

This is EXACTLY the type of player we need to add. He is young and has shown a lot of potential, as opposed to the proven star vet that is just looking for a payday. Hood is hungry and wants to start (he has said as much), and he is looking for the opportunity to show his worth - something he won't get in Philly. He will undoubtedly love to stay in the division and play the Eagles twice a year.

We need young, hungry players that are getting better - Andre Carter is one example of this model of success. Hood is a very good corner who is getting better, and is starter-ready now. Can he be a bonafide #1 corner in this league? Who knows, probably not. But you don't need the best corner in the league to succeed, and there really is no such thing as a "shut-down" corner anyway. The ridiculous amount of money spent on Clements would be better spent on Hood and other players of that calibre.

Fans here often complain about the lack of depth on our squad. Well, one way to kill the depth is by overpaying players like Clements and comitting huge dollars to a single player of 53 on the roster.

I completely agree. Signing Clements, to me, will be the final straw of this organization, and prove that the Skins will NEVER be a winning franchise until they just rebuild entirely from the ground up. Signing him would be the same kind of mistake they paid with Archuleta- could've gotten a guy with a little less talent for much, much less (Hood or Samuel), along with using the rest of the money to fill in other needed FA holes like MLB (Adalius Thomas). I really hope they don't get Clements, that'd be such an unnecessary move against our cap.

I'll also admit, I've pretty much forgotten about Hood being a FA this year, but I remember he filled in decently last year during the Eagles' many injury woes on defense. This is a good thread, gives something new to think over :applause:.

[S21Taylor]

Im defintely interested in Hood, he is a yound CB that could develop into something. But I think there is a strong possibility of Springs going elsewhere, so the skins might need a legit #1 corner (Clements). Who is only 27 and might cost less in the immediate future since Dan loves backloading contracts