The Five People You Meet in the Redskins GM Search (Merged)

[IbleedBnG83]

My brothers, you are kidding yourselves. None of us has enough evidence to grade the qualifications of GM candidates.

The person you want is as smart as Belichick and understands the game as well or better. What do we know about Eric De Costa, or any of the other candidates, that would enable us to make those comparisions?

Simple rebuttle, they all come from more successful and well run organizations with reputable credentials. Vinny has lost all of his.

Should the fans be making these decisions? Absolutely not. Would any of these candidates be worth taking over Vinny...ABSO-FREAKING-LUTLEY

[IbleedBnG83]

I can't remember who said this last offseason on NFLN or ESPN, but as far as Eric DeCosta goes, its NOT a matter of IF he will be a GM, ITS a matter of WHEN!!!

[Oldfan]

Simple rebuttle, they all come from more successful and well run organizations with reputable credentials.

Insufficient evidence. We are hiring the man not the organization he leaves.

Vinny has lost all of his (credentials).

I think Vinny has done well in the roster-building phase since Joe left, but his knowledge of the game, and thus his ability to select and manage coaches is highly suspect.

[Dirk Diggler]

When Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels were last fairly healthy, in the first half of 2008, this team was 6-2 even though our QB was in his first year of learning a vanilla WCO.

Thomas played all of 2008 and Samuels was healthy until December so this idea that everything was peaches and cream until our line got hurt doesn't hold water. In the 2nd half of 2008 in 3 of the next 4 games (Pitt, Dall, NYG) good defenses completely took apart our healthy offense.

Yes, the team went 6-2 and barely beat some mediocre teams when EVERYTHING was breaking our way but that should have been a sign that things were about to take a turn for the worse. The team was winning with smoke and mirrors and you simply can't expect to sustain that for an entire season. It can't be your philosophy. We played good defense, ran the ball exceptionally well, hit every trick play, converted every 4th down, and we were historically good at taking care of the football. The 2 or 3 times per game when we went down field we hit it. And we stayed healthy.

Football is a sport where your house eventually starts to crumble. Either you get bad bounces, injuries, screwed by the refs, or your dog dies. And you need a solid, consistent QB and smart coach who can reach/teach players and make em better. We had neither.

Bottom line: the first half of 2008 was a mirage. We were never that good and I was one of a handful of fans left who was not on the bandwagon. The 2nd half of 2008 was far more indicative of the team we are. Unfortunately that first half gave everyone involved with the organization a false sense of hope and set us back another year.

[IbleedBnG83]

Insufficient evidence. We are hiring the man not the organization he leaves.

This is all relative to the incumbent VP. At this point, anyone who has maintained a high level position in a well run organization who has established themselves in ways like DeCosta has in taking credit for well orchestrated drafts and trades, would be better and have done better than Vinny.

I think Vinny has done well in the roster-building phase since Joe left, but his knowledge of the game, and thus his ability to select and manage coaches is highly suspect.

I think Vinny has made SOME good moves, but overall what he has done in building the roster and coaching is what we are seeing on the field.

[illone]

I also stand with Oldfan on this on that Vinny has been working hard since 2007 at bringing in needed depth at various positions and has succeeded to a certain extent.

Is that why he went out and drafted three pass catchers in 2008 when the team had glaring needs on both lines?

Vinny's strategy, or lack there of, is showing on the Redskins current roster.

Do you think any of the guys on this list, Bill Polian and Ozzie Newsome included, would ever make a move like that considering the state of the oline at the time?

Saying Vinny succeeded to a certain extent is like saying winning doesn't matter. If he succeeded to a certain extent the Skins wouldn't be 2-4 with a patchwork offensive line and a overpaid, underachieving defense.

The Skins are in bad shape, man. What will it take, 2-14 to get you people to wake up?

Are you just holding out hope that Vinny will eventually fix the team because so far the team has gotten worse on his watch.

[pjfootballer]

This is an outstanding thread. Thank you for taking the time to put it together.

Thirded.

I like DeCosta. Just look at all the players the Ravens bring in, besides Boller who was more a Billick pick, name a bust they have had? They seem to always bring in rookies and they produce. It just seems like when they lose a veteran, a young guy steps in and doesn't miss a beat. When's the last time that has happened here?

After reading all of that, I'd like DeCosta myself.

[pjfootballer]

I also stand with Oldfan on this on that Vinny has been working hard since 2007 at bringing in needed depth at various positions and has succeeded to a certain extent. The problem is, you can't fix every problem every year and the pickings were thin for OL help for us. Looking back, I didn't see much different that we could have done that would have improved today's situation.

Really? I mean the fans, the media and everyone else around can see the Offensive Line has been an issue with us for about 3 years now. They are aging an injured. Go back through the last 3 drafts and see how many offensive linemen we passed up that other teams have in their starting lineups now. I won't disagree that Vinny isn't working hard. I do see some talent out of his picks. Unfortunately those picks haven't played to their potential. But when Chad Rhinehardt (From Division 1-AA) is your only pick the last 2 years, and you constantly rely on aging vets and UDFA's, something is wrong here. We all know how the Redskins built their 3 SB teams. Grimm, May, Bostic were draft picks and Jacoby was a UDFA. We then added more draft picks over the years to supplement the Hogs like Raleigh McKenzie while adding some vets like Lachey and Theilmann.

[Oldfan]

Thomas played all of 2008 and Samuels was healthy until December so this idea that everything was peaches and cream until our line got hurt doesn't hold water. In the 2nd half of 2008 in 3 of the next 4 games (Pitt, Dall, NYG) good defenses completely took apart our healthy offense.

Thomas and Samuels played with injuries almost the entire year (2008). Thomas's injuries could have left him paralyzed. He took one helluva risk playing as he did. The dropoff of the running game is evidence that their play was deteriorating. Both had offseason surgeries and did not return to the level of play they showed when Portis was averaging five yards a carry in the first half of 2008.

The degrading O line is the major problem -- not the only problem -- but the Achilles Heel which impacts all other aspects of the offense -- the running game, the passing game, and the coaching.

[gbear]

I want to know what the reaction would be to a GM coming in and deciding to stick w Zorn and/or Campbell.

[IbleedBnG83]

I'm glad my viral DeCosta campaigning for the past couple of years is getting peoples attention. Hopefully it will build enough steam for rumors and speculation to start outside the board and Snyder looking into the guy.

[Dirk Diggler]

The degrading O line is the major problem -- not the only problem -- but the Achilles Heel which impacts all other aspects of the offense -- the running game, the passing game, and the coaching.

No doubt Oline injuries suck. And for my money, it's the most important unit on a team. But it shouldn't cause an offense to completely implode as we've done for the past 10 games. If you have a better QB, this doesn't happen. The Saints haven't had their starting LT the entire year and their LG has been banged up bad for the past month. Sound familiar doesn't it? Cept they have a QB with a clue...

[Skin'emAlive]

I'm glad my viral DeCosta campaigning for the past couple of years is getting peoples attention. Hopefully it will build enough steam for rumors and speculation to start outside the board and Snyder looking into the guy.

Gotta hand it to you... I think every post that i have seen from you over the past two years involved DeCosta. Haha. Maybe it will finally come around.

[Muzzah]

DeCosta has a good track record. Boller wasn't a complete failure, he played well but receivers always seemed to drop his passes, he lost his confidence and thus lost his game.

[Mr. Grundle]

I'm on the Decosta bandwagon. Coming up with a team that has proven it knows how to build a football team is huge. It carries over.

See what Tom Dimitroff is doing with Atlanta after learning the Pioli/Belichick way. Decosta could bring the Ozzie Newsome model to Washington.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/8603/dimitroff-building-falcons-with-new-england-model

[Skinsinparadise]

I am mixed on Vinny so by extension I guess that would make me pro-since the anti-Vinny group seems to be intense and strong on the board.

The pro with Vinny IMO:

In just two drafts he's made some nice day 2 picks -- Chris Horton, K Moore, Marko Mitchell, some would say C. Brennan.

He seems serious about hording draft picks (aside from the JT trade) he likes to trade down and add picks. On his radio show he loves talking about college football.

He seems serious about getting younger -- releasing Springs, Marcus, etc.

He has done a good job upgrading the D line, 5 sacks last game, Haynsworth seems to be a difference maker. Orkapo, and Jarmon look like good finds in the draft.

The bad about Vinny IMO:

I question him on the O line. I heard him and Snyder BEFORE the last draft on Doc's radio show say the O line is fine, citing that Samuels is younger than the Cowboys left tackle and pumping up the Mike Williams signing. On draft day from pick 3rd through 5 there were potential good O lineman available according to the draft geeks, will see though if they pan out.

Are he and Snyder too close for him to not fear for his job or for that matter not cater to Snyder's whims. I read they go jogging together, play racket ball, are in business ventures together, etc.

While I tend to believe that Snyder's involvement is overplayed, every now and then something pops up like his pal George Michael saying that Snyder makes the moves with the team and is the defacto GM. If so, and Vinny enables it -- I'd rather have a strong willed personality who is not afraid to give their take as opposed to going with the whims of the owner. Having said that I don't know if this is indeed a problem.

at the moment the top 4 picks the Skins had in the 08 draft look like potential busts.

Edit: great post by the way, should be interesting to see if Snyder does make a move and hires a new GM. Personally, I am very afraid if Shanny is hired that he becomes the GM -- IMO he was bad in that role with Denver.