Change the Guard?

[Sociofan]

Well, before the thread is closed...consider this:

3 years ago, the Washington Capitals did exactly this. They exchanged a lot of high-priced veterans for draft picks, entered a rebuilding stage and have built a solid "team". There are only two legitimate superstars on the roster and their rosters in the minors are now packed with young stars beginning to bloom. The team is fast, exciting and there is hope for a great future.

Could the Redskins pull off a similar tactic and be contenders in a couple of years?

I think my question above was lost in another thread, so I'll ask it again. Three years ago, the Capitals were built for a championship run with one of the highest payrolls in hockey. But they routinely underperformed. Leonsis decided to rebuild the team through the draft, so he dumped most of the high-priced veterans such as Jagr, Bondra, Gonchar, Nylander and others (who all are STILL playing well in the NHL) and gathered draft picks from other teams for those players. He kept Kolzig and Witt (who has since departed) as cornerstones and drafted some amazing young talent (Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Varlamov). It has been a joy to watch this team grow together and the team is no longer hamstrung by the salary cap, giving them room to add a player or two in the next couple of years to enter what could be a significant number of runs at the Stanley Cup.

This is very similar to the Patriots model. Of the 62 players listed as active on their roster at some point this season (offense and defense only, kickers don't count), only 19 have EVER worn another pro-team's jersey. And Tebucky Jones was drafted by the Pats, left and came back! Most of the starters on the Pats are players they have drafted. And year after year, the Patriots are a team to contend with.

So, the point of my question is that since the "high-priced free-agent" model seems to be failing us as it did the Capitals, what would it take to restructure the Redskins' model? How long? Who would be the "Jagrs and Nylanders and Gonchars" of the Skins? Who would be the GM who could put this together? Does Joe Gibbs have enough energy left to oversee this type of rebuilding?

I'm worried that I've seen the same thing done year after year now since Dan Snyder bought the team and we keep getting the same results while expecting something different to happen every year. Isn't that the definition of insanity? What will it take to re-tool this team?

[skinfan2k]

the idea is also in NE is that they dont worry if youre a 10 yr vet or a rookie.. both of you have a fair chance of getting on the field and everyone has a role on the team.. they also maximize the talent for young guns and dont give them too big of a role that they cant handle.. a few yrs ago, they beat peyton manning with 2 rookie cbs i believe..

[bowhunter]

We're lying in the bed we made. Most of the high priced valuable players are just that. High priced and valuable. We should have our full slew of picks coming up in 2009 and if this organization chooses to follow the path of draft over FA then that would be a good place to start. Until then, I'm not ready to begin from scratch while JG is still at the helm.

[Oldfan]

With the high salaries the Skins are paying, we don't really have much to trade. So, in our situation, rebuilding through the draft would take longer than it will for the Jets who accumulated 12 picks in the 2006 draft.

The Jets aren't a solid team despite their 10-6 record this year. If they draft wisely, my guess would be 2008 before they hit the big-time. So, three years minimum.

They have our #2 this year.

[skinfan2k]

With the high salaries the Skins are paying, we don't really have much to trade. So, in our situation, rebuilding through the draft would take longer than it will for the Jets who accumulated 12 picks in the 2006 draft.

The Jets aren't a solid team despite their 10-6 record this year. If they draft wisely, my guess would be 2008 before they hit the big-time. So, three years minimum.

They have our #2 this year.

these days in the nfl, manigini could have the jets in the superbowl by next year yet remain stable and go to the playoffs year in and year out while we just try to win it big 1 yr and then **** up like always

[DrunkenMaster]

The NFL is not the same as it was. It is rare that a Superbowl team even makes back to playoffs the following year. I will take a single ring and be happy for a while as long as Gibbs gets it.

[ldsdbomber]

Since I apparently don't have the "rights" to start a new thread, I'm sticking in this in here as I don't see it anywhere else

Lost in the shuffle of Jim Mora's firing was this development -- Atlanta also lost coaching consultant Alex Gibbs, one of the top offensive line coaches in NFL history.

In each of Alex Gibbs' three seasons with Atlanta, the Falcons led the NFL in rushing.

Gibbs notified the Falcons in December he would not return, and he now is awaiting his next coaching move from the comforts of his home in Arizona.

Gibbs is regarded as one of the rare coaches who can overhaul a team's running game, have an impact on its passing game and improve an entire offense. He did it with the Raiders, the Chiefs, the Broncos and the Falcons -- and he will do it for whichever team hires him next.

His price tag never is cheap. But the results Gibbs gets are undeniable. Any team that wants one of the league's top rushing offenses can be assured of getting what it wants by hiring Gibbs, one of the highest-profile free agents now available.