Zorn’s Early Success may lead to Rebuilding Failure

[TheLongshot]

We do have some young guys, but I'm not sold on Heyer as a starter. I deffinately don't want Golston and Monty as 1 and 2, and I'm optimistic at best about Blades.

The thing with young players is that they can improve over time. While Heyer isn't a great run blocker right now, he has the potential to be one. At the very least, we know he can pass block very well.

While Monty and Golston can get better, neither is really a replacement for Griffin. That being said, they can both compliment a stud DT next to them.

As for Blades, all I need to know is Blache has confidence in him at MLB. While that might not be a predictor for the HOF, it does tell me that the coach does think he's ready.

[veteranskinsfan]

Does anyone honestly believe we would be talking about rebuilding if we had traded for Favre in the preseason? I would be booking my flight to Tampa by now.

Yes, it seems hard to believe that while the Skins will bring in other "quick fixes" at other positions, they will not think about the Q-b position. Favre and Drew Brees were available. Next year more veteran Q-backs will be available. Tennessee went with their veteran backup and he has done well for them. In the NFL you can't wait four years for someone to mature into the key position. If you do, then some of your other players get old real fast while they are "waiting" in the meantime.

[DaGhost]

this is zorn's first season as head coach and he has the skins 2 games better than gibbs did at the same point last season... in a tougher nfc, and it's basically the same team... just food for thought

[veteranskinsfan]

Poor Jim Zorn.

Welcome to the NFL 2008. Where a splash of success can lead to calls for your head on a platter. And you have no one but yourself to blame.

Jim was given a rare opportunity in the Snyder era. The chance to fail. And he blew it. He blew it with success that even the most optimistic fan could not have envisioned. He blew it with coin flip wins against New Orleans, Arizona, Philly and Cleveland. And he really blew it by beating Dallas on the road.

Somewhere along the way, those who were buckled up on the rebuilding express, unbuckled and jumped off. Who can blame them. They just followed the first guy to jump off. Jim Zorn.

Then without warning, the same guy with the energy of a 15 year old. The same guy who threw blow up ball at players in practice. Who questioned the conditioning and the ability of rookies and veterans alike. The same guy who went for 4th downs to seal games. The Hip-Hip-Hooray guy. Turned 70 years old. As if the game had past him by in 11 games. He believed the hype.

Rebuilding years are rare things in the NFL. Sure, they happen all the time, but rarely are they declared and understood. A pact between the coaches, players, owners and fans. Beloved veterans may be released, rookies given unearned playing time, mistakes made without criticism. All for the sake of the future.

Rebuilding years are mind sets for an organization. Strategies for free-agents and drafting come into play. In the greatest building/rebuilding efforts of the last 30 years (Redskins, 49ers, Giants, Cowboys) only 3 times did they draft an offensive lineman in the 1st round (Mark May, Bubba Parris, Eric Moore). Those teams rebuilt by drafting skill players, and then throwing them on the field. The Skins of 2008 followed this blueprint. Almost. Zorn was hesitant to expose his rookies to on the job training and chose to play veterans.

One rookie, however, did make the field. Durant Brooks was drafted and like every one else was given a rebuilding year to learn how to punt in the NFL. At least that was the plan. Victories came, and like the other rookies, on the field training was no longer permissible. He was shown the door, and took with him 10 weeks of working with Shaun Suisham as the holder. Suisham was 12-15 with Brooks, 13-18 with new holder Sean Plackemeier. Plackemeier for his part, has a lower net punting average than Brooks.

The bottom line about rebuilding years is simple. Will you be better next year? The future could be brighter. The offensive line is ancient and not playing particularly well. No young blood is mixed with the veterans. It is possible, even likely that there will be 3 or more new starters on the line next year. Zorn appears to be accelerating his frustration with Jason Campbell’s interpretation of the offense. And Campbell is in a contract year. The 3 big draftees have not received enough quality playing time as of yet. There is still time to smother them in the offense or else next year will be barely off of square one. Clinton Portis is suffering another year of pounding, with no real relief on the bench.

A truly rebuilding team might not be pounding on the playoff door, but it might look something like this. Moss, Thomas and Kelly together on the field for every down. Randle El as a 3rd down back and wildcat QB. Fred Davis, occasionally on 4 WR sets. Stephon Heyer and Chad Rinehart getting reps on the line.

I hope Zorn will continue to be a successful head coach. I believe he will despite my feeling that he did not take advantage of this opportunity. Too bad for him that he put the “we can win now” taste in Snyder’s mouth. Never a good thing for Redskin head coaches.

You made some good points that are hard to disagree with at this time. I think Zorn needs help evaluating how much overall talent is on this team. Why not bring in the former Green Bay General Manager who is retired and living in Annapolis, Maryland? Hire Ron Wolfe in the off-season and have him sit down with Vinny and Coach Z . Let him do an unbiased and really hard nosed analysis of how to improve the talent level on this team. At the end of this season, the Skins will be what their record says they are pure and simple. Then let Wolfe help management set some realistic goals for the future. Like a two year or three year plan?

[MONTEY]

That's a very fair point that I hadn't thought about. Portis would do a lot better with a back to spell him. But I've said it before in other threads and I'll say it again now. Portis, for all the yards he is busting his butt to earn, isn't scoring points for us. He has less touchdowns than Campbell has thrown for (a number everyone here seems to be crucifying him for).

You can talk all you want about Portis being the heart and sole of this team and him putting us on his back to carry us. It's all true. But seven touchdowns in the whole season isn't really carrying us. He needs to find ways to score, whether it's from a yard out for making the final juke on his long runs to score from 30. Portis is great, and he's had games where he breaks some great runs. But the team isn't scoring touchdowns, and neither is he. a TRUE great back would put us on his back and run into the endzone, not just for thirty before stepping out of bounds when a corner comes near him. He is a workhorse, no doubt, but if he doesn't score who cares if he leads the league in rushing? He might be second in rushing yards but he's only tied for 12th in touchdowns. Which stat is more important?

ditto that. a bit of just smoke and mirrors. just a bit.

this offense is just so bad it hurts.

[88Comrade2000]

A team coming off of the playoffs in 2 out of the last 3 years. The NFL's top back, a Pro Bowl WR, Pro Bowl TE and top 10 defense is not a rebuild project.

Zorn has to be compared to other first year coaches taking over playoff teams. Typically a new coach is hired after the team wins 1 to 5 games in a year. He was brought in to improve Campbell, then was handed the job when no one else wanted it.

Jim Fassell wanted it. The fans, including myself, didn't want him and scared Snyder away from hiring him.