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CBS:Smarter Skins Finally learn their FA Lesson...

COWBOY-KILLA-

By COWBOY-KILLA-
in The Stadium

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COWBOY-KILLA-

COWBOY-KILLA-

Posted
Posted

Smarter 'Skins finally learn their free-agent lesson

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10689043

8690.jpg March 5, 2008

By Clark Judge

CBSSports.com Senior Writer

Tell Clark your opinion!

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Say what you want about the Washington Redskins, but they got this year's free-agent market right by following a strategy that would have been unimaginable three years ago.

They did nothing.

OK, so they re-signed backup quarterback Todd Collins. That's something. I mean, the guy led them to the playoffs last year and was on the St. Louis Rams' radar.

But outside of that? Nada. Zilch.

The team that shelled out millions for Adam Archuleta two years ago and paid a gazillion bucks to pry Laveranues Coles loose from the New York Jets in 2003 spent the past week minding its own business -- which, considering the market, might've been the smartest thing it has done in years.

Sure, there were big names out there. There were also big paydays. The Jets made Alan Faneca the highest paid offensive lineman in the game. He turns 32 this season. The 49ers paid defensive end Justin Smith $16.75 million in guaranteed money. He had two sacks last year as an end in a 4-3 defense.

The 49ers play a 3-4.

I mention that because the 49ers let Andre Carter walk two years ago when they decided he couldn't play the 3-4. So he went to Washington and produced 10.5 sacks last year in ... yep, you got it ... the 4-3.

Don't get me started.

I'd rather celebrate teams like Washington, San Diego, Indianapolis, New England and Green Bay -- clubs that didn't go knee deep into free agency. Specifically, I'm here to celebrate the Redskins because they resisted the temptation to do what they've done for years, and, yeah, part of it was by necessity. They didn't have a lot of cap room to begin with.

But most of it was by design. They seem to have learned a lesson from past mistakes.

Hallelujah.

But while Washington didn't spend money in all the wrong places, there were others -- lots of others -- who had no trouble emptying their vaults. Take the Jets, for example. They shelled out a whopping $138 million in contracts, including $63 million in guarantees, and you tell me how that plays out with someone like Coles -- who wants a new contract -- or safety Kerry Rhodes, due to make $927,000 in the last year of his contract.

Then there's the Oakland Raiders. They made Tommy Kelly the richest defensive tackle in the league by paying him over $18 million in guarantees. Tommy Kelly, for crying out loud. They also invested $16 million in guaranteed money in safety Gibril Wilson and just paid wide receiver Javon Walker a reported six-year, $55 million contract, including $16 million in guarantees.

I guess it doesn't matter that Denver coach Mike Shanahan thinks Walker needs microfracture surgery.

I don't know, when I looked at what happened to the New York Giants a year ago, I thought someone might have actually paid attention. Essentially, the Giants did nothing in free agency other than sign former Kansas City linebacker Kawika Mitchell to a one-year, $1 million contract ... and then they waited nearly a month to pull the trigger.

So what? So they won the Super Bowl and were the only team to beat New England.

In a league of imitators, you'd think a lesson might've been learned, and maybe one was. I watch what Washington did -- or didn't do -- and appreciate the Redskins for not behaving like, well, the Redskins. Trust me, less can be more, and the Giants are proof.

"What we learned," said Cerrato, "was that the (free agents) we had success with had a history with one of our assistants or played for someone on our staff. A guy like Phillip Daniels, for instance. Or London Fletcher. But where we had mistakes was with people that no one on the staff had worked with. So there was a lesson learned."

Fletcher was a huge addition for Washington a year ago, and the Redskins paid plenty to get him. But Cerrato has a point: Then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams knew Fletcher from coaching Buffalo, and what he knew was that he could solidify a defense that in 2006 ranked last in takeaways and sacks and was 31st in yards allowed.

He was right.

"Without him," Cerrato said of Fletcher, "we couldn't have won nine games and made the playoffs."

Bottom line: It's better to be wise than it is to be wealthy. This time when Washington surveyed the landscape it thought it could do better through its six -- soon to be eight -- draft picks than it could in free agency. So it kicked back and, for a change, let everyone else do the spending.

Hail to the Redskins.

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Califan007 The Constipated

Califan007 The Constipated

Posted
Posted

:applause: :applause: :applause:

Loved the article...REALLY loved this part:

"The 49ers paid defensive end Justin Smith $16.75 million in guaranteed money. He had two sacks last year as an end in a 4-3 defense.

The 49ers play a 3-4.

I mention that because the 49ers let Andre Carter walk two years ago when they decided he couldn't play the 3-4. So he went to Washington and produced 10.5 sacks last year in ... yep, you got it ... the 4-3. "

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[S.S.F. | Nero]

[S.S.F. | Nero]

Posted
Posted

If.....I'm sorry, I'm sorry.......WHEN the Redskins succeed next season with a sweep of the division, will everyone here be singing Vinny's praises instead of vilifying him??

I for one, will be eating a nice helping of well done crow when the fruits of "getting it right" come through.

If Zorn is able to surround himself with the best types of players, especially ones that are familiar with the type of system he is trying to install (DJ Hackett) then we could be in for a treat.

Eyeing a draft full of picks on the horizon, we can make some subtle moves in FA, and hope to get some young talent in April.

Don't sleep on Mix adding another big target.

That would be:

The following options on offense:

WR - Moss

WR - Hackett

WR - Randle-El

WR - Mix

WR - Caldwell/Thrash/Espy

RB - Portis

RB - Betts (great receiving RB, will excel in Zorn's scheme methinks)

RB - Sellers (a bruiser that can catch passes = outstandingly versatile in scheme)

TE - Cooley

TE - Yoder/Ecker

That's just offense...

Not to mention defense (which is reasonably solid) and the bolstering of the roster through the draft and the remainder of free agency (don't forget June cuts).

I hope we do great things in 2008!

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bbuzz1962

bbuzz1962

Posted
Posted

All I have to say is DITO!!! I was so embarrassed about the free agents we signed over the past few years and I was hoping that they would bet on the draft, not free agency. What these free agents think they are worth, is ridiculous. The teams that fork out the money for these older, more injury prone free agents usually end up regretting it, and licking their wounds on upcoming draft days, and free agency in the future. Skins organization becoming wiser. Great news for a change.

It's time to be smart, look at the draft and combine, and build a team the way it should, before free agency helped ruin the NFL. Yes, I said ruined. Their are so many bad teams now, I don't know what games I want to watch outside the Skins game of course. This parity that was suppose to make the NFL more competitive, has made it an average league that can hardly field two teams that actually put on a good game.

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SkinsHokieFan

SkinsHokieFan

Posted
Posted

It is a very good offseason. The team should also attempt to trade out of that first round pick into a high second and still get a quality player and more picks

What helps is how well the team has been assembled the past few years. Yes a few big contracts have been given out, but there are no glaring holes

We would like to see some o-line depth, d-line depth and another corner. But we still have guys at all those positions who can contribute

In order to continue this, Cerrato, Scott Campbell, Jim Zorn and Dan Snyder must have a good draft. They need to find 2-3 starters, and 2-3 quality reserves in this draft, who fit the mold that Jim Zorn wants

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COWBOY-KILLA-

COWBOY-KILLA-

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Posted

"I'd rather celebrate teams like Washington, San Diego, Indianapolis, New England and Green Bay"

This line is my personal favorite.....Wow are we really in the same sentence with them?lol.

Perception is not always reality. Over the last 4 years we have shown restraint in 2 of them. 07-08 & 04-05.

Those extra picks could be huge.

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