7 Months and Counting: Next Steps in the Meanwhile…

[skinsfannyc76]

So this is the part of the year where admittedly, I’m spared from the weekly assault on my blood pressure that takes place on any given Sunday as a life-long, die-hard Skins fan. On the other hand, there’s naturally that sadistic side to my nature where if I’m not under the duress of the season whereby I’m subjected to a constant roller-coaster of emotions, then I’m instead, completely bored and antsy with anticipation until the season starts back up again. Am I the only one that feels like this?

Now that the Iggles and Ravens have been eliminated (which for the record, brought me a brief glimmer of happiness), I could frankly care less who wins the Superbowl. Rather, I’m just waiting until free agency begins and we get to the draft. I apologize to the Mods and all you out there if this is repetitive, but I just wanted to hash/re-hash a discussion to hear how you guys think the team should proceed from a strategic personnel perspective. I don’t particularly care how you think the team WILL proceed, especially considering that we all know that nobody really knows how Vinny C. goes about determining personnel moves (it’s a bit of a mystery to say the least, see last year’s draft).

Rather, I’m curious about how you think the team should proceed if you were in Vinny’s shoes and please, let’s keep the responses within the reasonable realm of reality, that is, without wild responses suggesting we fire Vinny (though I know many of us would like that). Vague responses are fine, but the more specific, the more interesting for the rest of us…

Just a few of my thoughts in no particular order of importance:

Free Agency

• Sign DeAngelo Hall to a decent contract (but don’t overpay, if that’s possible Danny). I think the guy showed he could play…
  
• Sign a more reliable linebacker (sorry Marcus Washington) who isn’t top tier, but can make an impact and be considered an upgrade, maybe like Karlos Dansby from the Cardinals or maybe Bart Scott from the Ravens (although I prefer Dansby)
  
• A lot of ES member have been calling for Terrell Suggs and/or Julius Peppers, but at this point, I’m wary of going down this road (it seems all too painfully familiar). That said, I suspect both would want astronomical deals and I’m not sure if the Skins should reward either of them with a deal…again, just my lowly opinion.
  

The Draft

• So what’s it gonna be with the #13 pick? I’d be happy with a stud DT like BJ Raji, but my gut says we must address the offensive line. Too true, we had very little pass rush to speak of and it put too much pressure on our corners who did get burned on more than one occasion (see Carlos Rogers). But we still managed to have a very successful bend but don’t break defense that ended up 4th best in the league.
  
• Instead, I think we’ve got to pick up an offensive lineman (assuming one of the top 4 are still available)—if we can at least shore up the right tackle position, I think we’ll be seeing Jason Campbell making some more throws instead of cringing as he gets leveled on the field behind Heyer or Jansen. Our running game could potentially suffer, however, I’d like to actually see a West Coast Offense develop with enough time for Jason to get the ball out (although I recognize that Jason must still get the ball out faster than he does, by getting a better read on defenses and anticipating better where the receivers are going to be).
  

Ok, that was long-winded enough…your turn…what should the Skins do?

[SkinsAllDay34]

My plan is similar to yours:

To make room for my FA plan, Springs, Washington, Griffin, Taylor (or severe pay cut), daniels need to be cut. It saves 25+ million which gives us good cap room.

1. Sign D. Hall (reasonable contract - long term) - starting cap of around 4.5 mil that increases every year.

2. Sign Albert Haynesworth (double team eating, pocket collapsing DT we need) - starting around 7.5 mil

3. Sign Dansby - starting at 4.5 or 5 mil

4. Sign Suggs or Peppers as DE - starting around 8.0 mil

If its peppers, i would only give him like a 3 year deal.

I know what you are thinking, but Hayesworth will just turn 28, Peppers is 29 (thats why i say 3 year deal) or Suggs who is 26.

That would DRAMATICALLY improve our pass rush. Haynesworth is the real deal IMO. He is in the middle of his prime and so is Suggs/Peppers. Dansby is a fast LB that can pass rush as well.

-I know Peppers said he wants to go to a 3-4 team, but i think he will end up on a 4-3 team, and if he sees we added AH, he might see an opportunity to get to the passer.

I really dont mind if we got Peppers. He had 14.5 sacks and the year before he was on one leg, the reason for his abysmal season.

Its apparent that in my plan, in FA we take care of the Defensive issues.

In the Draft:

Trade 13 to Miami for 25 and 44. We might have to add a later pick (our 5th or 6th or 2010 late pick)

25. Duke Robinson

44. Phil Loadholt

77. Herman Johnson or Levitre (both Guards)

Rest - BPA

Our line would be massive and our running game would flourish behind it, along with allowing Campbell actual time to throw.

Samuels/Robinson/Rabach/Johnson/Loadholt

Thats my crazy dream plan, which on paper looks good...thats how the redskins role

[Siven]

My plan is similar to yours:

To make room for my FA plan, Springs, Washington, Griffin, Taylor (or severe pay cut), daniels need to be cut. It saves 25+ million which gives us good cap room.

1. Sign D. Hall (reasonable contract - long term) - starting cap of around 4.5 mil that increases every year.

2. Sign Albert Haynesworth (double team eating, pocket collapsing DT we need) - starting around 7.5 mil

3. Sign Dansby - starting at 4.5 or 5 mil

4. Sign Suggs or Peppers as DE - starting around 8.0 mil

If its peppers, i would only give him like a 3 year deal.

In the Draft:

Trade 13 to Miami for 25 and 44. We might have to add a later pick (our 5th or 6th or 2010 late pick)

25. Duke Robinson

44. Phil Loadholt

77. Herman Johnson or Levitre (both Guards)

Rest - BPA

Our line would be massive and our running game would flourish behind it, along with allowing Campbell actual time to throw.

Samuels/Robinson/Rabach/Johnson/Loadholt

Thats my crazy dream plan, which on paper looks good...thats how the redskins role

signing Suggs/Peppers, Haynesworth, Dansby, and resigning Hall would **** us over completely.

Resign Hall, sign haynesworth, or sign Dansby. We should get to the point where we have a solid amount of cap space as we begin to cut overpaid veterans.

I like your plans for the draft, I would love to have loadholdt, robinson, and herman johnson would give us a dominant interior. We could even use rinehardt at center potentially.

[JohnnyK]

Re: Suggs. Won't the Ravens franchise him again?

I'm also praying we don't trade Carlos Rogers in the offseason. Rogers played great this season, despite any dropped interceptions. Our secondary, in my opinion, was the only thing worth writing home about this year. Without Rogers, and assuming we resign Hall, that would leave us with one good CB. Springs plays well, but is constantly hurt, and I am not happy with Fred Smoot at all.

Lose Springs, who doesn't play if he has a skinned knee, take the $6 mil you get from releasing him and sign Hall and extend Carlos Rogers' contract. Please.

[LaRonDontLikeUgly]

I'm usually pretty wary about signing free agents in the off season. Especially when Danny and Vinny are picking them... but this will most likely be the last "capped season" until 2011.

What does an "uncapped season" in 2010 mean for owners like Snyder and Jones? (See: Yankees)

Stockpiling our roster with young FA talent over the next two seasons might give us serious trade leverage for future draft picks. No cap in 2010 means no cap-penalties in 2010.

I would like to see the situation with Marcus Washington get fixed immediately. Great guy, but not a starter anymore. If Aaron Curry (Wake, OLB) is still available at #13, I would love to pull the trigger on him. Our defense is obviously lacking a push up-the-middle, but if Daniels returns healthy for one more season and we scoop a large DT in the 3rd or 4th.... taking a freakishly athletic OLB like Aaron Curry at #13 might give us that Merriman-type-threat that our defense is lacking.

I have no interest in keeping Jason Taylor. Even if he decides to restructure, it just doesn't seem to make sense. One of my buddies plays for the Dolphins and tells me from a first-hand experience what we all already know: Parcells is an absolute football genius. He didn't want this Hollywood ballet dancer on his team, and neither do I.

Sign D. Angelo to a 3-year incentives-laced contract. We will have to fork up some cash, but at this point he is well worth the risk. Keep Rogers if you can. See how he is acting during the off-season, and make sure he doesn't become a locker room distraction. If he does, trade him for a 2nd rounder. Cut Tryon!

Shawn Springs- gotta go! Wayyy to much money for guy who barely plays. Trade or release. At times here in Washington, he has been the only bright spot in secondary- and I will always love him for that- but we can't pay him the 8 or so Million dollars he is owed this season.

Peppers won't be back in Carolina. But he wants to play in 3-4.... so he won't be in DC, either. Jordan Gross (RT) will most likely be tagged, but if he hits the market, Snyder needs to throw the bank at him.

The only other big name free agents I am interested in are Sproles, TJ Hoosh, Dansby, Dunta Robinson, Jovan Haye, Jahari Evans. Grabbing any two of these guys would be awesome.

This season will be especially important for 3 people: Zorn, JC and Portis. If Zorn struggles early and finishes poorly, he will get canned. If Campbell struggles through the first 6 games, he should be benched/released/traded. If Zorn goes deep into the playoffs and can show us that Portis is replaceable... I think Portis will ask to get out of town. (Zorn still loves Seattle, so look for FA RB Maurice Morris to get a look from the Skins this off-season.)

[Sec325]

Just Draft, No FA's this year!! and no more trading any draft picks (unless it's a 1st for a 1st and 2nd in next years draft) Build threw the draft, Free Agency does not work! The Skins are proof of that. Who do the Colts ever sign in Free Agency?? I honestly can't think of anyone.

[pjfootballer]

Sec325. how would you build the team with only 4 picks? There has to be a healthy balance with the draft and FA. If the draft was always a sure thing, no one would ever sign free agents. We sign good free agents, we just overpay for them.

[FrFan]

We've got a lot to do on Offense and defense

[DirtyDevinThomas]

Re: Suggs. Won't the Ravens franchise him again?

I'm also praying we don't trade Carlos Rogers in the offseason. Rogers played great this season, despite any dropped interceptions. Our secondary, in my opinion, was the only thing worth writing home about this year. Without Rogers, and assuming we resign Hall, that would leave us with one good CB. Springs plays well, but is constantly hurt, and I am not happy with Fred Smoot at all.

Lose Springs, who doesn't play if he has a skinned knee, take the $6 mil you get from releasing him and sign Hall and extend Carlos Rogers' contract. Please.

Completly prefer to have Shawn Springs than Carlos Rogers in the second half of the season, Carlos yes, did play fantastic in the first half, but I don't want his swagger to get a hold of him.

We need to trade away our old and deceased offensive line and Left Linebacking core. (yes, that means you Jon Jansen.) and Marcus Washington, once probowler gone bad. H.B Blades was a good replacement while he was hurt, but I see him playing more behind the liking of London Fletcher. We need higher/more draft picks, we got rid of a second and seventh for the way overrated Jason Taylor.

Re-signing Deangleo Hall, first priority, should have already been done. Picking up DE Julius Peppers would be good, he is big bodied and even if he didn't do great he is a better pick than Jason Taylor

The Ravens are only looking to sign one or two of the their free agent Linebackers back. Ray Lewis may be moving to Jets with Rex Ryan, maybe? But that leaves Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott, I prefer the younger Terell Suggs who is a one-two combo at the DE postion as well.

The worst part of our team is our aging offensive line, fantastic first half of season, terrible second.

We need more first and second round picks to do away with our worries on the line and let the free agency decide the fate of other postions.

[FrFan]

I would suggest signing Hall, Jordan Gross, T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Trading down to get a couple of second rounds draft choices (DT, DE).

I would also like to see Rinehart on the field and Colt taking a few snaps during preseason to see if we can build a real contender with them.

[skinsfannyc76]

Re: Suggs. Won't the Ravens franchise him again?

I'm also praying we don't trade Carlos Rogers in the offseason. Rogers played great this season, despite any dropped interceptions. Our secondary, in my opinion, was the only thing worth writing home about this year. Without Rogers, and assuming we resign Hall, that would leave us with one good CB. Springs plays well, but is constantly hurt, and I am not happy with Fred Smoot at all.

Lose Springs, who doesn't play if he has a skinned knee, take the $6 mil you get from releasing him and sign Hall and extend Carlos Rogers' contract. Please.

I generally agree that we should cut Springs loose at this point (he's just not worth the money being so injury-prone). That said, I think we have to keep Carlos Rogers. Smoot is a serviceable nickel back, but I wouldn't want him to start opposite Hall and Tryon unfortunately, could have been just a waste of a draft pick. Unless you can somehow get something more than just a 2nd round pick for Carlos, I wouldn't even consider it.

What we gave up for Jason Taylor makes me cringe and die a little bit inside. Yes, he was less than useless in there for us this year (Demetric was more productive clearly), but I just have to sit there and wonder if maybe he can turn it back on this year by being fully healthy and getting acclimated to our defense. I don't know, but that would be painful to let him go after just one year.

[maskedsuperstar]

My plan is similar to yours:

To make room for my FA plan, Springs, Washington, Griffin, Taylor (or severe pay cut), daniels need to be cut. It saves 25+ million which gives us good cap room.

1. Sign D. Hall (reasonable contract - long term) - starting cap of around 4.5 mil that increases every year.

2. Sign Albert Haynesworth (double team eating, pocket collapsing DT we need) - starting around 7.5 mil

3. Sign Dansby - starting at 4.5 or 5 mil

4. Sign Suggs or Peppers as DE - starting around 8.0 mil

If its peppers, i would only give him like a 3 year deal.

I know what you are thinking, but Hayesworth will just turn 28, Peppers is 29 (thats why i say 3 year deal) or Suggs who is 26.

That would DRAMATICALLY improve our pass rush. Haynesworth is the real deal IMO. He is in the middle of his prime and so is Suggs/Peppers. Dansby is a fast LB that can pass rush as well.

-I know Peppers said he wants to go to a 3-4 team, but i think he will end up on a 4-3 team, and if he sees we added AH, he might see an opportunity to get to the passer.

I really dont mind if we got Peppers. He had 14.5 sacks and the year before he was on one leg, the reason for his abysmal season.

Its apparent that in my plan, in FA we take care of the Defensive issues.

In the Draft:

Trade 13 to Miami for 25 and 44. We might have to add a later pick (our 5th or 6th or 2010 late pick)

25. Duke Robinson

44. Phil Loadholt

77. Herman Johnson or Levitre (both Guards)

Rest - BPA

Our line would be massive and our running game would flourish behind it, along with allowing Campbell actual time to throw.

Samuels/Robinson/Rabach/Johnson/Loadholt

Thats my crazy dream plan, which on paper looks good...thats how the redskins role

Don't sign Haynesworth. He is not hungry. This what gets the Skins in trouble. Now, if the Skins sign him, don't cry when he is not productive. Don't point your fingers at Vinny. I say no. Draft. You named some good college players.

Washington, Griffin, Taylor, Thrash, ARE, Kendall, Evans all need to be cut. The Skins need new blood.

[maskedsuperstar]

I would suggest signing Hall, Jordan Gross, T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Trading down to get a couple of second rounds draft choices (DT, DE).

I would also like to see Rinehart on the field and Colt taking a few snaps during preseason to see if we can build a real contender with them.

T.J. is close to 33. No! Jordan Gross is almost 30. No! Sound familiar.

The younger players need to play.

[Gregpeck99]

Blow up the team ... its sucks. Look at all these overstuffed under-achieving turkeys: Campbell, Portis, Moss, Springs, Grifin, Jansen, Washington ...

I'm sick ... I wanna retch!

[TheSkins2006]

On my take of what we should consider

Defense

Build the D-Line, and LBs through Free Agency. My reason for this is simple. Defenses win championships. We had a pretty decent defense this year (finishing 4th in the league) and we can only get better. Now I don't mean lets go pick up over the hill veterans, we need some in there prime or ALMOST in there prime class of guys. First off we definitely have to re-sign hall...above all else! I also believe we have to give a contract extension to Clos...he may not have the best hands but he is a pretty solid corner..on top of that he's YOUNG. Just think, our secondary would have an average age of 26 (Clos, Dlo, Chris Horton, and LL...with packages for springs to get in there on triple safety sets). D-line is the next addition...we need a collasping dl that can actually put some pressure on the opposing QB. For LB suggs would be a nice addition, however he might be alittle pricey. I think i'd be happy to shell out for him however.

Offense

Theres only a few words I can use to describe what we should do for the offense. DRAFT OLINEMAN! We have holes in the offense line...we could easily plug up those holes with a few solid picks from the draft and maybe a grab off of FA. Portis is still in his prime, and ladell is a decent back-up. If Sproles doesn't come with a huge price tag I would consider taking him. WRs have a HUGE depth to them, and same goes for TEs. The way I see it, we plug up the holes on the offensive line we can finally see if campbell is our guy or not. Its his second year in an offense, and he should feel comfortable. Not only that but now he has a decently solid line. If he can't get it done we should IMO start working out Colt. We drafted him for a reason, what the reason is I still don't know. From what he's shown though (in college, and pre-season) he looks to be a solid choice if campbell can't get it done.

Special Teams

Open Ker competition. Also with that I say keep plackyemier (or however you spell his name). He showed that he can approve at the end of the season, so I say give the kid another chance.

I would include who we should cut, but I don't know how cap implication work so I'm not going to even attempt it.

Thoughts?

[Sec325]

Sec325. how would you build the team with only 4 picks? There has to be a healthy balance with the draft and FA. If the draft was always a sure thing, no one would ever sign free agents. We sign good free agents, we just overpay for them.

Yes, we have 4 picks this year, and 7 next year (well right now vinny is our gm) a good team is not built in 1 year and one can not be assembled threw free agency. We haven't been great in a LONG time what is a couple more years of drafting young players we need instead of trying to go after everyones high priced free agents? Why are those teams letting them go? They know they drafted them and they will find someone else to replace them threw the draft.

I am not saying not to sign any FA, it's just all this, sign Hayensworth, Peppers, Suggs, and Gross talk go on I just can't stand it. No FA over the age of 26, then they are 31-33 when there contract runs out. Someone like Channing Crowder, not suggs. Chris Canty not Peppers.

[pjfootballer]

Yes, we have 4 picks this year, and 7 next year (well right now vinny is our gm) a good team is not built in 1 year and one can not be assembled threw free agency. We haven't been great in a LONG time what is a couple more years of drafting young players we need instead of trying to go after everyones high priced free agents? Why are those teams letting them go? They know they drafted them and they will find someone else to replace them threw the draft.

I am not saying not to sign any FA, it's just all this, sign Hayensworth, Peppers, Suggs, and Gross talk go on I just can't stand it. No FA over the age of 26, then they are 31-33 when there contract runs out. Someone like Channing Crowder, not suggs. Chris Canty not Peppers.

Actually we have 6 in 2010 (Taylor 6th rd). I can dig what you're saying and as long as we don't go hog wild I'm OK with it. I don't want Peppers, we have enough DE's. We need DT's. I'd be OK with Haynesworth as long as we dumped salary (Griffin, Springs, etc) and it doesn't hurt us too bad. If he wants too much, don't sign him. I don't want Suggs (plays OLB in 3-4 and is a good because of Lewis) and I don't want Gross because he'll 29 when the season starts. So anyway, with only 4 picks, we HAVE to sign players and I do agree with you that we don't have to throw a brinks truck at them. By the way, all this sign whoever is maddening to me also- welcome to ES offseason.

[mcarey032]

But what if someone comes up with a thread that was 6 months and counting? Then you would really be out of posting opportunities.