1992-2003 The rapid fall of the Redskins and how it went down

[SkinsHokieFan]

Jason plays left tackle. If they had a quality backup at left tackle, they would not have needed to move Samuels from right tackle to left tackle. That messed up the chemistry of the O-Line.

Ok, you are completely clueless

Jansen has always played right tackle, Samuels left tackle. Samuels is still at left tackle and hasn't been moved at all

Wade has always been a RT

How can you not know that?

[RalphZero]

Ok, you are completely clueless

Jansen has always played right tackle, Samuels left tackle. Samuels is still at left tackle and hasn't been moved at all

Wade has always been a RT

How can you not know that?

Are you sure?

[SkinsHokieFan]

Are you sure?

I will never post on ES again and give you 1,000 dollars if I am wrong

[USS Redskins]

I'm not trying to make excuses, as much as I truly believe Gibbs was brought here to BUILD the team. Compared to the team he took over, vast improvement and we have a future after he leaves that looks bright. As opposed to the way Spurrier left us...

Once again, i am not saying that Gibbs is not responsible for the chokes this year. But how many times did Spurrier blow 4th quarter leads; not too much because he didn't have many. We are far closer to winning now than at any point in the last 15 years.

I agree he was brought here to build a team but it is a failure. I had hope things would turn around but his coaching, among other things, is getting in the way.

I actually think the team is as far away from being a contender than when he arrived. And when I say contender, I mean a division winner, an Conference contender, not a wild card, hoping other teams loose to get a spot.

[Redskins Anonymous]

I agree he was brought here to build a team but it is a failure. I had hope things would turn around but his coaching, among other things, is getting in the way.

I actually think the team is as far away from being a contender than when he arrived. And when I say contender, I mean a division winner, an Conference contender, not a wild card, hoping other teams loose to get a spot.

compare the roster under spurrier to now. no way are we not closer to being a contender (sorry for the double negative from hell).

[SkinsHokieFan]

I talked to a guy who went to HS with him. Also, I think I remember some legal problems he had; that and his dad writing him out of his will made me put two and two together.

Well in that case saying "by all accounts" is misleading

From what was observed of the man he seemed quiet, down to earth and about business. He certainly was not the personality JKC was, and at age 54 wasn't going to get that personality

[Redskins Anonymous]

Well in that case saying "by all accounts" is misleading

From what was observed of the man he seemed quiet, down to earth and about business. He certainly was not the personality JKC was, and at age 54 wasn't going to get that personality

true, it is heresay from everybody else's perspective but mine. I know the source is reletively accurate. however, from your perpsective, you have no way of authenticating that. So I apologize; but I do think other than being more knowledgable on how to run a football team, he would not have been any more of a media darling than Snyder. The rift with Washington Post started with JKC, we would still be hated. Now would the NATIONAL media hate us as much? Probably not

[SkinsHokieFan]

true, it is heresay from everybody else's perspective but mine. I know the source is reletively accurate. however, from your perpsective, you have no way of authenticating that. So I apologize; but I do think other than being more knowledgable on how to run a football team, he would not have been any more of a media darling than Snyder. The rift with Washington Post started with JKC, we would still be hated. Now would the NATIONAL media hate us as much? Probably not

That we will never know. I am not even sure how good of an owner John John would have been, he seemed a bit "soft" to me, but of course he was distracted by the sale of the team

I wonder what would have happened had the Lerner family been able to purchase the Redskins back in 1999

[throwback37]

You certainly understand. When Gibbs was hired in 1980. His ONLY job was to coah the offense.

Jack Kent Cooke and Bobby Beathard were building that team for a couple years before they hired Gibbs. Theismann, Riggins, Art Monk, some of the Hoggs, Richie Pettibone and the Defense were already there. Gibbs did not need to rebuild anything. Durring the 70's the Redskins always had one of the best defenses in football thanks to George Allan.

All through the 80's including the 1991 and 1992 season, the team was basically the team that Beahard put together.

Bobby Beathard left the Redskins after the 1987 season. At this point the majority of the power was given Gibbs.

I'm with you on this point. All 3 Redskins Superbowl teams were teams that Bobby Bethard built. Including the 1991/2 team. Some plan B free agents and a few draft picks were sprinkled in here and there, but this was Bobby's team. In my opinion, the downfall of the skinz began when Bethard left... it just took a while to feel the effect, which has been magnified with all the following bad decisions.

The Reason for their downfall was "The Hoggs". The Redskins did not rebuild their Offensive Line when they should have. They did not have good replacements for the Hoggs. They had the 4th overall pick in the draft in 1992 and they picked Desmond Howard. That was a terrible decision. Cooke, Gibbs and Casserly did not under understand salary cap and free agency.

If I could expand on this a little - When Gibbs left, Grimm, Bostic and Jacoby were all either out or on their way out/past their prime, BUT they did have Ed Simmons, Raliegh McKenzie, Ray Brown, Jim Lachey and Mark Schlereth.. a pretty good line. (of couse they didn't last very long with Norv's house cleaning - then again, nobody did)

[nightbird]

If I had to pick one thing, I'd pick something not on your list. In 1992, we traded two first round picks (6 and 28) to move up and get Desmond Howard w/ the #4 pick.

Here our first round picks for a series of years prior to and in the beginning of the down turn:

1984 No draft pick [21]

1985 No draft pick [22]

1986 No draft pick [23]

1987 No draft pick [24]

1988 No draft pick [25]

1989 No draft pick [26]

1990 No draft pick [27]

1991 17 Bobby Wilson DT Michigan State [28]

1992 4 Desmond Howard WR Michigan [29]

1993 19 Tom Carter DB Notre Dame

1994 3 Heath Shuler QB Tennessee

1995 4 Michael Westbrook WR Colorado

1996 30 Andre Johnson T Penn State [30] [31]

1997 17 Kenard Lang DE Miami (FL)

While that looks stunning, you have to remember that Beathard traded those 1st rounders for MORE PICKS, as opposed to our strategy now of trading picks away to move up, or to acquire bums from other teams.

The overall strategy has been a lack of continuity and a lack of depth. Too many people view our franchise as the place you go to get paid.

And each year when we suffer a terrible, key injury (as all teams do), we have to throw in a dinasour to play (Ray Brown, Troy Vincent, Keenan McCardell).

Your backups shouldn't be FORTY!

Your backups should be young guys you drafted who are trying to become starters.

[Mr. S]

Just because we did not have much success in the first round during the 90s does not mean we will always screw up with first round picks. Darrell Green, Art Monk, Mark May, all first rounders drafted by the Redskins.

Sure, Westbrook, Shuler, Andre Johnson ended up being worthless.

Again, it still comes down to our lack of a competent GM. There are tons of cases of a new GM coming in and doing a good job, a YOUNG guy.

Houston. Sure they aren't really notable. but drafting Okoye is looking better and better. Houston is basically a good RB and QB away from being a really good team. They've been hit by injuries (Johnson, Dunta Robinson, Ahman Green sucks), but for the most part, they are on the right path.

The problem with the Redskins is that we want to win now. Houston is willing to be patient, and I think they will become stronger as the years go on with their very young team. For us, we want to win tomorrow. I'm glad we finally had a year where we kept quiet.

[Redskins Anonymous]

Just because we did not have much success in the first round during the 90s does not mean we will always screw up with first round picks. Darrell Green, Art Monk, Mark May, all first rounders drafted by the Redskins.

Sure, Westbrook, Shuler, Andre Johnson ended up being worthless.

Again, it still comes down to our lack of a competent GM. There are tons of cases of a new GM coming in and doing a good job, a YOUNG guy.

Houston. Sure they aren't really notable. but drafting Okoye is looking better and better. Houston is basically a good RB and QB away from being a really good team. They've been hit by injuries (Johnson, Dunta Robinson, Ahman Green sucks), but for the most part, they are on the right path.

The problem with the Redskins is that we want to win now. Houston is willing to be patient, and I think they will become stronger as the years go on with their very young team. For us, we want to win tomorrow. I'm glad we finally had a year where we kept quiet.

DING DING DING - That is the response i've been waiting for - PATIENCE. We must be patient as the win now mentality has, ironically, made us suck longer.

[Riggo-toni]

The key event:

Gibbs insisted on trading a #1 for Gerald Riggs, whom Beathard didn't believe was worth it. Gibbs envisioned Riggs as the new Riggins, with Earnest Byner as the 3rd down back. Beathard refused to pull the trigger, they argued, and JKC came down on the side of Gibbs. With Gibbs being given more and more control over personnel, Beathard quit for San Diego, and Cooke promoted Casserly to GM. THAT was the pivotal event that sent us on decline. Casserly's botching of EVERY first round pick up until Champ Bailey, couple with his terrible free agency evaluations, were what led to our decline.

[Veretax]

hiring norv was the first mistake if you ask me.

[Horatio]

'99, when Danny Boy Snyder bought the team. Sure, the team was bad from 1993-98, but all franchises go through adjustment periods.

I'm sure Gibbs will write a tell-all book someday after he retires again and goes back to NASCAR, giving all the details on how Snyder stymied him and the team.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

And each year when we suffer a terrible, key injury (as all teams do), we have to throw in a dinasour to play (Ray Brown, Troy Vincent, Keenan McCardell).

Your backups shouldn't be FORTY!

Your backups should be young guys you drafted who are trying to become starters.

Very well-said. That's the key element that has been missing from this team for quite some time. I would say it's been missing ever since Casserly left. Imagine that: no GM, no drafted depth!!

[Redskins Anonymous]

ok, so after 83 votes this is how i see the responses.

the period of March 1993 to the drafting of Shuler (including the hiring of Norv) accounts for 27% of our misery.

The death of JKC, the botched will, and the subsequent sale of the team after 2 years of being run by a bank accounts for a whopping 48% of our tears.

The period where we ran Marty off for the ol ball (sucking) coach including Norv's last year where we crippled our cap figure accounts for 16% of Redskins related bar fights.

And 7% actually believe that God has a personal hatred / vendetta against the Redskins.

One thing of note - nobody has said it was a mistake to fire Norv. thank god for that. Also, if had to add an option to the poll, it would be the poor draft picks by Casserly and the firing of Casserly / no more GM.

[SkinsHokieFan]

The key event:

Gibbs insisted on trading a #1 for Gerald Riggs, whom Beathard didn't believe was worth it. Gibbs envisioned Riggs as the new Riggins, with Earnest Byner as the 3rd down back. Beathard refused to pull the trigger, they argued, and JKC came down on the side of Gibbs. With Gibbs being given more and more control over personnel, Beathard quit for San Diego, and Cooke promoted Casserly to GM. THAT was the pivotal event that sent us on decline. Casserly's botching of EVERY first round pick up until Champ Bailey, couple with his terrible free agency evaluations, were what led to our decline.

Looking back, do you think that trade paid off? Riggs was very vital in 1991

[Bacon]

JKC's death was the cause of our future suckitude, IMO. Snyder just happened to be a horrible replacement.

[TheDarb]

JKC is haunting the team from beyond the grave. There is/was no bigger ego in the world than JKC. He is pissed that he never got to see his team play in his monument to himself, and is even more pissed that Snyder sold out his legacy to FedEx for a few million.

[Redskins Anonymous]

JKC is haunting the team from beyond the grave. There is/was no bigger ego in the world than JKC. He is pissed that he never got to see his team play in his monument to himself, and is even more pissed that Snyder sold out his legacy to FedEx for a few million.

we must hold a ceremony to rename the stadium "FedEx Field at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium" to appease the angry soul of Jack Kent Cooke.

[SkinsHokieFan]

JKC is haunting the team from beyond the grave. There is/was no bigger ego in the world than JKC. He is pissed that he never got to see his team play in his monument to himself, and is even more pissed that Snyder sold out his legacy to FedEx for a few million.

JKC was on the verge of cutting a deal with Chrysler for the naming rights to the stadium

If anything, he is pleased how well Snyder has maxmized revenue at FedEx

[TheDarb]

JKC was on the verge of cutting a deal with Chrysler for the naming rights to the stadium

If anything, he is pleased how well Snyder has maxmized revenue at FedEx

Really? Don't recall that. Any links to that info?

[eljeasel]

I didnt vote. I started with the more recent ones and worked back.

Every line I was like thats it. Then Id go up one more line and then Id say NO WAIT! THATS IT!

Looking at how crapy our franchise has been handled, Im shocked Gibbs could even make us competative again...

[SkinsFanAnt]

I went with the crippling cap but that was Snyder's doing so in my opinion, they both go together.