themurf Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 (photo by Brian Murphy) You might remember that not too long ago, the Washington Redskins neglected the offensive and defensive lines so much, that the fans actually rejoiced when the new regime used the fourth pick in the 2010 draft on Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams. At the time, I called the use of the draft pick a groundbreaking moment because it was the first clear-cut sign that the Redskins might finally stop “handing out five-year, $25-million contracts to every free agent with name recognition and stop shooting their wad on draft day on glamor picks instead of positions of need.” The hope was that the selection of Williams might have signaled the end of trying to sell jerseys and the beginning of finally trying to build a solid foundation. Once Pro Bowl tackle Chris Samuels was forced to retire because of a spinal condition, the Redskins offensive line easily became one of the worst the NFL had to offer. Former Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell was sacked so many times in 2009 that he privately told me on more than one occasion that he didn’t feel like he had enough time in the pocket to move on to his second option before pass rushers had already blown through Washington’s substandard offensive line. And while the Redskins offensive line allowed 46 sacks for the second-consecutive season, the line at least seems pointed in the right direction. Williams, at times, looked every bit the part of a dominant left tackle. Of course, there were other times when pass rushers took his lunch money, but that’s the life of a rookie offensive lineman. Samuels once told me everyone gets beat at one time or another in the NFL, it’s how you respond to that adversity that defines what type of player you are. I caught up with Williams after the 2010 season had concluded to get his initial reaction to his inaugural compaign. “I did okay,” Williams said when asked to reflect upon his rookie season. “It’s something to grow from. That’s all I can ask for – something to build off of. Next year I have to be a lot better.” You faced some of the most talented pass rushers the NFL has to offer this season, whether we’re talking about everyone from Mario Williams to Jared Allen to Osi Umenyiora to DeMarcus Ware. There’s no way it was that tough on a week-to-week basis in college, was it? “It definitely makes you grow up fast, man,” he said. “You don’t have time to fool around. You’ve got to go out and be ready to play – especially when they’re depending on you to block on the quarterback’s blind side. It was tough. Nothing was easy.” How long did it take for your head to stop swimming when you’re out there? Click here for the full article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsFTW Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Thanks. Hopefully he can be as great as Samuels was for a decade and we can get him a QB worth protecting. Actually, I'd prefer Grossman to Locker or Newton. Both of those guys look like complete scrubs and if Shanahan drafts one and turns them into a Franchise QB I'd be completely surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
authentic Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 nice article. I honestly think that we need to focus on the interior of the line. Lich. and Monty will provide good depth, but definitely need 3 new starters on the interior. Cut Ezpass (Rabach), Cut Hicks, Cut Dockery and address the line in FA and the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Ezpass..LOL. I think we had a guy, I think it was Eliwonibi whose nickname was turnstyle....not good for O-linemen to have those nicknames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantu Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I haven't seen Locker play and Cam Newton looks nothing like a pro QB to me. Either way, I'd love for us to bolster either side of the line with that #10 pick. TW is a good foundation to build off of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookieskin Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 nice article. I honestly think that we need to focus on the interior of the line. Lich. and Monty will provide good depth, but definitely need 3 new starters on the interior. Cut Ezpass (Rabach), Cut Hicks, Cut Dockery and address the line in FA and the draft. YES! :applause::applause::applause::applause: Imagine a line with 4 more TW's.... It don't matter who is throwing or running back there we're gonna score points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 nice article. I honestly think that we need to focus on the interior of the line. Lich. and Monty will provide good depth, but definitely need 3 new starters on the interior. Cut Ezpass (Rabach), Cut Hicks, Cut Dockery and address the line in FA and the draft. I think the Redskins can build around Trent Williams and Jammal Brown. I also firmly believed that the Redskins needed major upgrade on the three interior offensive line spots, but after talking with some folks, I think they'd be much better by simply upgrading onr or two spots. I think Montgomery and Lichtensteiger both did well enough to stick around as back-ups, and maybe one of them could even be a starter next season if talent around them was upgraded. I think I'd like to see Montgomery be given a shot to be the full-time center and then the team can use a second rounder on a guard. Either way, I think the offensive line can be a strength next season without having to upgrade all three interior slots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
authentic Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 YES!:applause::applause::applause::applause: Imagine a line with 4 more TW's.... It don't matter who is throwing or running back there we're gonna score points. No doubt! But I think my post was more geared towards the interior. I'm confident in TW and J. Brown holding down the bookends. Hopefully we can draft a viable backup @ RT given J. Brown's injury history. This assumes that Heyer is cut as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dockeryfan Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 except this draft is poor for Oline, and I've never been a fan of FA Oline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Nice writeup! I'd be genuinely curious to get Trent's reaction to Shanahan's end of year comments about how TW needs to learn to be a "pro", and take his preparation and film study more seriously. I think overall it was a good rookie season. The most impressive thing to me about TW was his ability to get downfield and pick up linebackers and defensive backs in the open field. That is something only a few olineman in the league have the athleticism to do. (many have the athleticism to get downfield, but few can match moves with a safety in the open field and engage him. usually they just take the running wall approach) The athletic gifts are there, no doubt. His rookie year ends though, much the same way it began.... with scouting reports praising his athleticism and potential while questioning his preparation and commitment to excellence. I think he'll figure it out. I feel much more comfortable with him developing in this organization than I would have had it been Zorn/Vinny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyUtah Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I also really loved how Trent wouldn't lay down and take **** from opposing players. You want your line to have a mean streak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 At the time, I called the use of the draft pick a groundbreaking moment because it was the first clear-cut sign that the Redskins might finally stop “handing out five-year, $25-million contracts to every free agent with name recognition and stop shooting their wad on draft day on glamor picks instead of positions of need.” A funny statement, considering that Snyder started his tenure here by drafting Samuels. Anyways, if I was Williams, I wouldn't be satisfied either. He still has a lot of work ahead of him to be one of the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumplestilskin Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 nice article. I honestly think that we need to focus on the interior of the line. Lich. and Monty will provide good depth, but definitely need 3 new starters on the interior. Cut Ezpass (Rabach), Cut Hicks, Cut Dockery and address the line in FA and the draft. I think we can trad Doc to a offense more suited to him. Cutting him would be a shame and getting nothing in return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 A funny statement, considering that Snyder started his tenure here by drafting Samuels. Chris Samuels was the third pick in the 2000 draft. Remind me again who the the second pick in that same draft was? Oh, that's right. LaVar Arrington -- widely considered the most exciting player in college football heading into that draft. And considering how many Arrington jerseys are still being sported at FedEx Field each Sunday after he's been long gone ... well ... you get the point. If the Redskins only had one pick that year, their first choice was not the offensive or defensive line. One blip on the radar in over a decade doesn't change a thing. If your team only spends a first rounder once every 10 years or so on the offensive and defensive lines, then you're going to suffer the consequences. Don't believe me? Go look at Washington's record since Snyder took over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
authentic Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I think we can trad Doc to a offense more suited to him. Cutting him would be a shame and getting nothing in return. A trade would be ideal, but who would trade for him? Doc is starting to age and decline in the little bit of ability he had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumplestilskin Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 A trade would be ideal, but who would trade for him? Doc is starting to age and decline in the little bit of ability he had. Ya I am not really sure as to who might want him but the knock on him is that he is not great or mobile enough for the ZBS but you would think he still has some value left in the tank. Maybe I am just dreaming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Chris Samuels was the third pick in the 2000 draft. Remind me again who the the second pick in that same draft was? Oh, that's right. LaVar Arrington -- widely considered the most exciting player in college football heading into that draft. And considering how many Arrington jerseys are still being sported at FedEx Field each Sunday after he's been long gone ... well ... you get the point. If the Redskins only had one pick that year, their first choice was not the offensive or defensive line. That's argumentative. You have no proof of that outside of your own assumptions of this FO, one which draft order doesn't really reveal anything. In any case, they either made Samuels their top choice in the draft, or they traded two 1st round picks for the rights to draft him. Either way, it is a big investment. One blip on the radar in over a decade doesn't change a thing. If your team only spends a first rounder once every 10 years or so on the offensive and defensive lines, then you're going to suffer the consequences. Don't believe me? Go look at Washington's record since Snyder took over. I'd actually count Orakpo as a DL pick, since that's really what he his. You can argue about the draft record, but for most of the last decade, OL was considered a strength. When Gibbs got here, it is the position on the team that he felt needed the least fixing. Now, trading away a lot of picks and sticking with veterans way past their due date is the real reason why the line declined in my view. The lack of draft picks was going to show up somewhere and it happened to be in the OL. Had we drafted more OL, the weakness would have shown up elsewhere on the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire71 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 A trade would be ideal, but who would trade for him? Doc is starting to age and decline in the little bit of ability he had. Hazarding a guess here, but perhaps the Jets? I dunno if they're sold on Matt Slauson, and they like their interior linemen big and powerful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 That's argumentative. You have no proof of that outside of your own assumptions of this FO, one which draft order doesn't really reveal anything. In any case, they either made Samuels their top choice in the draft, or they traded two 1st round picks for the rights to draft him. Either way, it is a big investment.I'd actually count Orakpo as a DL pick, since that's really what he his. You can argue about the draft record, but for most of the last decade, OL was considered a strength. When Gibbs got here, it is the position on the team that he felt needed the least fixing. Now, trading away a lot of picks and sticking with veterans way past their due date is the real reason why the line declined in my view. The lack of draft picks was going to show up somewhere and it happened to be in the OL. Had we drafted more OL, the weakness would have shown up elsewhere on the team. Tom Glavine was a hockey player growing up, but the Atlanta Braves paid him to be a pitcher. Regardless of what Brian Orakpo was when he got here, this regime has changed him to a linebacker. So that's what he's listed as. And seriously, can you honestly say with a straight face that one first round pick used on an offensive lineman over the span of a decade is "a big investment?" From 2000-09, the Redskins used first rounders on three defensive backs (Sean Taylor, Carlos Rogers and LaRon Landry), two linebackers (Orakpo and Arrington), two quarterbacks (Jason Campbell and Patrick Ramsey) one receiver (Rod "Stone Hands" Gardner) and Samuels. Add in second-round picks and that's seven more players added to the roster -- none of which played on the offensive or defensive line. In summary, the Redskins used 15 high draft picks over a 10-year period and just one of them was used on a fat boy. No matter how you spin it or try to justify it, that's called neglect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 That's argumentative. This isn't In summary, the Redskins used 15 high draft picks over a 10-year period and just one of them was used on a fat boy. No matter how you spin it or try to justify it, that's called neglect. I've seen some ridiculous crap flung on this board, but Longshot claiming Snyder/Cerrato were not neglectful of the lines because they drafted Chris Samuels in 2000 is epic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 I've seen some ridiculous crap flung on this board, but Longshot claiming Snyder/Cerrato were not neglectful of the lines because they drafted Chris Samuels in 2000 is epic. Hence forth, he shall be known as Longshot Cerrato. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 And seriously, can you honestly say with a straight face that one first round pick used on an offensive lineman over the span of a decade is "a big investment?" It is a big investment in Samuels, which is the only point I was making with that comment, which you belittle the pick by saying "If the Redskins only had one pick that year, their first choice was not the offensive or defensive line." (BTW, what if the Browns went in another direction other than Courtney Brown? I think it would have been likely that he would have been a strong candidate to be drafted by us as well.) I've seen some ridiculous crap flung on this board, but Longshot claiming Snyder/Cerrato were not neglectful of the lines because they drafted Chris Samuels in 2000 is epic. It would be if it was true. Unfortunately for you, I was not claiming that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommDownMan Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Good article and even better pic. Armstrong holding back Trent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyriggins Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 How did they pass up on Russell Okung? I think everybody had Okung rated higher! I think we should have taken the more sure pick. Hopefully Trent will turnout to be just as good, but Okung had the better 1st year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukes and Skins Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 How did they pass up on Russell Okung? I think everybody had Okung rated higher! I think we should have taken the more sure pick. Hopefully Trent will turnout to be just as good, but Okung had the better 1st year. Okung was also injured more and held out in TC longer than Williams. Trent is the better fit for what we do as well as he's good in space and will be a lot better heading into 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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