Can't see the Forest Through the Trees (People advocating the neglecting of the trenches)

[bird_1972]

My feelings on each of these guys is for a different thread. But I know a lot advocate resigning Landry, which is going to cost a bit. Hightower will be a modest deal, but will cost us, Lichtensteiger's price tag should go down with injury, Monty is going to be a decent contract, but not ground breaking... Fred Davis is going to cost quite a bit. Gano, if we want to keep him, will be a mediocre kicker salary... Carriker will cost some change as well. Plus any FAs we bring in. We don't have infinite cash. We have space now, but there's still a lot to be addressed.

As I said earlier, we should let LaRon walk. I think given the OL struggles, we can't afford to not resign Monty or Lichtensteiger (injury or no injury). F.Davis is obvious, but this isn't a thread about TEs (so I'll leave it at that )

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

Adam Carriker-Hasn't impressed me much.

Tashard Choice-The guy hasn't even taken a snap with us yet.

Fred Davis-A priority

Graham Gano-Still a ? even though I would like to see him stay

Kedric Golston-Depth at most, but easily replaced

Rex Grossman-Plenty of QB's capable of throwing picks and fumbling.

Tim Hightower-Serious injury and will be huge ?.

Laron Landry-Do I really need to go there?

Kory Lichtensteiger-See Hightower.

Rocky McIntosh-He'll be gone IMO.

Will Montgomery-Need him back for depth if not starting.

Byron Westbrook (RFA)-Good ST's player.

Not many must have's on that list Dawg.

Funny because this is exactly how I feel towards each of these players. From the looks of it, every is expendable.

[KingGibbs]

To you, there may not be. The team is an entirely different story. And because you and I don't make the personnel decisions, we really have no idea what the front office and team are going to do.

You're like my little ES brother Dawg, but if there was anytime to use the captain obvious emoticon? This would be it.

[Diesel Hog]

Besides a QB, I really hope there is a focus on OL this coming off-season:

From CBS Sports, here is a good link to see the prospects:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/TSX/2012_OT

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/TSX/2012_C

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/TSX/2012_OG

I kinda like Kevin Zeitler from Wisconsin. He's a huge OG (6-4 / 318), and seems like he'd be able to bulldoze over the opposition. Then again, he may be too big for the ZBS. Ryan Miller from Colorado is smaller, but I'm not sure if he's any more / less agile. Lucas Nix from Pitt (OG), and Riley Reiff (OT) from Iowa could be valuable to our O-Line too.

If possible, having a lockdown CB, better depth at Safety (both FS and SS), and youth at ILB wouldn't hurt either. All in all, it seems this team is still about two off-seasons away from having all the pieces in place.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

QB is #1 priority, thats a given.

after that tho, id like to focus on REAL talent at the skill positions. shanahan has shown he can find guys that work out on the oline at any round. i personally think our oline is a decent sturdy bunch, far from great, but middle of the pack. we have the 4th overall pick at LT and i think hes done a good job and has shown flashes of being very good. i agree that we need an upgrade at oline, but i dont think it should be at the expense of real offensive firepower.

if we had a chance to trade back into round one to nab an explosive WR or RB, id do that before i took a right tackle. this team, while i like some of the youth we have at the skill positions, lacks real speed and firepower. we need to focus on some of that in this draft. i know everyone gets turned off because theyre the "sexy picks", but these are the guys that scare teams on defense, which we dont have. the vikings were said to have one of the worst olines if not the worst oline in the league before the season, yet peterson is still getting it done. we can make do with a middle of the pack oline (and again, thats not to say im content with that unit) but we severely lack in the playmaker department, and if we're drafting a rookie QB, we should get him some help at those spots where hes gonna build confidence.

put it this way, rex's attempted 165 passes, and was sacked 9 times. thats 1 sack per 19 dropbacks, and rex is about as mobile as a dinosaur in a swamp. the oline was protecting pretty well for those first four games, with not a lot of big time guys. beck gets sacked because he blows, but somehow rex was not getting sacked with that oline we had. i think skill positions and QB should be the main focus of this next draft.

[KDawg]

Who's to say we're going to even consider resigning LaRon Landry?

I don't know? Who said that? I didn't

If I am the Redskins, I am considering Gomez for next season if he's ready and listening to trade offers for Landry. If this were Sean Taylor we were talking about here, then you'd have my ears.

I'm not talking about anyone. I posted a list of free agents.

Karriker will be had for chump change as well as Fred Davis... remember that even though Freddy had a decent first two games, his production has gone done due to this QB Carousel.

Davis will not be chump change. He will get offers from other teams if we let him hit FA that will be a considerable chunk of change. He's good. Very good.

You're like my little ES brother Dawg, but if there was anytime to use the captain obvious emoticon? This would be it.

That was the point of my post, though, KG. Not an analysis on the players I listed. Just the list itself. I didn't want to talk about each of them, though I suspect you know my feelings on quite a few of the names on that list as it stands to whether I want them resigned or not.

[brandymac27]

i think skill positions and QB should be the main focus of this next draft.

Totally agree on the QB. But why not address the OL in the draft and snatch someone like Bowe up in FA instead of using picks on a WR that will take a few years to develop (and may or may not even pan out)?

[skinsdude]

Who's to say we're going to even consider resigning LaRon Landry? If I am the Redskins, I am considering Gomez for next season if he's ready and listening to trade offers for Landry. If this were Sean Taylor we were talking about here, then you'd have my ears.

Karriker will be had for chump change as well as Fred Davis... remember that even though Freddy had a decent first two games, his production has gone done due to this QB Carousel.

My wife and I sat next to Gomes's parents during Sundays game. They are quality people.

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

My wife and I sat next to Gomes's parents during Sundays game. They are quality people.

Wow, really?

[GWinSkins83]

Here is my dream draft:

We start at the 5 spot but tradedown to the 11th

Then we trade with NE our 2nd, our 4th, and next year 2nd for one their first this year.

Now lets go

1st- Alshon Jefferey WR

1st-Tannehill QB

2nd-Hightower ILB

3rd-Nate Potter RT

4th- Trumaine Johnson CB

5th- Rainey KR/PR/WR/RB

6th- Washington LG

7th- Janzen Jackson FS

7th- BPA

Now this is after FA where I want them to get Nicks and/or Grubbs, NT Soloai, and Meachem WR.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

Totally agree on the QB. But why not address the OL in the draft and snatch someone like Bowe up in FA instead of using picks on a WR that will take a few years to develop (and may or may not even pan out)?

i think we should get Bowe and a top rookie receiver. our WR depth struggles outside of role players and maybe hankerson. we have to assume moss will be gone at some point, and gafney is a 31 year old mediocre receiver. that leaves Hank, Armstrong (who has flamed out hard), Austin, and Paul. you drop armstrong, sign bowe and get a real playmaker rookie in there like blackmon with a rookie QB, and a few FA oline signings and some late rounders for depth, consider me in.

[skinsdude]

Wow, really?

Yes. We had never met them before. They just happened to have tickets to the seats next to ours. Hopefully they will be there every week. His Dad talked to my wife about DeJon's friendship with Roy Helu. Fun stuff.

[Bobbyst21]

Play makers and game changers are great to have but they wont be either without a line to open up holes and a qb to get the ball down field, on target, and on time. And he cant do that without the Oline blocking for him.

As of right now those two areas are our biggest concern. It would be waste to bring in Richardson, Blackmon, Jeffery, or any other "stud" WR or RB just because they dont come around that often. They would not be playing at full potential simply because we, again, ignored the two most important concerns on our team. I would love to have those guys but it would be a detriment to them and us. As of right now, if we stay with our current line and QB with very little upgrade to the line, we will never know how good Hankerson will be because we dont have a real qb. Helu might be a GEAT rb for us but we cant open up holes for him.

BPA is great when your not rebuilding. What good is the best player if you ignore the area of biggest need. Need and BPA has to go hand and hand. Vinny always seemed to draft the BPA as he stated that "you dont draft for need." and you saw where that got us. He also said, "you dont draft linesmen early as you can always just coach them up." again,where has that got us?

If we dont draft a QB early in the first and then turn our focus on building the best line we can for him, drafting O-line in the 2nd and 3rd, i'm afraid we will be looking at a repeat of this season. With Trent already in place, two draft picks, and a FA added to the line, thats 4 out of 5 spots potentially fixed as well as the QB. I just dont see another way to go.

[Crazy Levi]

I believe the single most important thing for this offense is to rebuild the offensive line. I think it's a shame we did not add another important building block this season...Trent Williams alone is NOT going to get it done. This is a team that hadn't drafted a lineman in the first 2 rounds in a DECADE before bringing Trent in...this is a line that has been the achiles heel of this team for at least five years...old, and lacking in any kind of quality depth.

Yet this year, we go into it with the same ragtag group, plus Trent. Not good enough.

It's the #1 priority...yet...I understand that if that "can't miss" QB...the one that Shanny REALLY wants...is available, we gotta grab him.

Still, if he ain't, don't reach just because we need a "franchise" QB. There are people who wished we would have drafted Clausen last year, JUST because he was QB.

[pjfootballer]

I see your point Kdawg, but I would take Blackmon if we are picking in the top 5 and Luck, Barkley and Jones are gone. You take BPA at that point and maybe try to trade back up in the 1st or take a swing at a QB in the 2nd. I'd love to take a QB with out first and sign Bowe in free agency along with Grubbs and Nicks.

[skinsdude]

I believe the single most important thing for this offense is to rebuild the offensive line. I think it's a shame we did not add another important building block this season...Trent Williams alone is NOT going to get it done. This is a team that hadn't drafted a lineman in the first 2 rounds in a DECADE before bringing Trent in...this is a line that has been the achiles heel of this team for at least five years...old, and lacking in any kind of quality depth.

Yet this year, we go into it with the same ragtag group, plus Trent. Not good enough.

It's the #1 priority...yet...I understand that if that "can't miss" QB...the one that Shanny REALLY wants...is available, we gotta grab him.

Still, if he ain't, don't reach just because we need a "franchise" QB. There are people who wished we would have drafted Clausen last year, JUST because he was QB.

We do need to upgrade the o-line no doubt about it however we will have a new starting quarterback next year. Where he comes from (draft pick or free agency) and what he costs us (draft pick(s) or player(s)), I don't know. QB with our first pick and o-line with our second, is fine with me. Rex can stick around next year as a backup but I would really like to see Beck gone.

[KDawg]

I see your point Kdawg, but I would take Blackmon if we are picking in the top 5 and Luck, Barkley and Jones are gone. You take BPA at that point and maybe try to trade back up in the 1st or take a swing at a QB in the 2nd. I'd love to take a QB with out first and sign Bowe in free agency along with Grubbs and Nicks.

What about Griffin and Tannehill? Are you really high on Jones?

[pjfootballer]

What about Griffin and Tannehill? Are you really high on Jones?

I'm not sure about Griffin. I was looking at all their stats yesterday and while he has gotten better each year, I think he may be Cam Newton light. Tannehill is a big in the pocket passer, but he's only been a QB for a year and a half switching from WR. Jones has the typical size and experience that you want and he comes from a top 5 program, but his negatives are turnovers and happy feet. He doesn't do well under pressure. I like his release and the fact that he's been a starter for 3 years. If Grifffin could emulate what Cam Newton does, that would be a royal steal for us. A consolation prize for us would be Kellen Moore in the mid to later rounds. If Indy and Miami stay at the top of the draft, I think Luck and Barkley go 1-2. Alot of people are turned off by Jones, but I like him. I like what I see on the field and his quick release and quick decision making would fit well in our offense. I think besides Luckm he's the best at reading defenses.

[TerpSkin]

There's a lot of people who naively think that you shouldn't "waste" a lot of early draft picks on OL. In fact, part of the reason we are where we are is that Cerrato didn't believe in drafting linemen (D or O) in the early rounds. Now, this new group did get Williams -- but with Samuels retiring, LT in the 1st was a no-brainer that even Cerrato would have probably followed. Other than that, it has all been 7th rounders, UDFA, and lower tier FA for the OL... fact is, good OL come in the early rounds just as much as any other position. There are exceptions (just like every other position), but it should not be treated differently.

[RyansRangers]

Remember when we had Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen, Derek Dockery all drafted by us where did that get us.. If we Drafted a Top Flight Qb instead of Jason Campbell with that OLINE we would have been a contender.. instead we got a bunch of horrible qb's and had good RB's.. Sure the RB's racked up tons of Yards but we got nowhere.. Stephen Davis and Clinton Portis racked up thousands of yards behind the OLINE but without a top flight QB we got nowhere..

So yes we need OLINE desperately but if they are blocking for a nobody it wont really matter

[Crazy Levi]

Remember when we had Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen, Derek Dockery all drafted by us where did that get us.. If we Drafted a Top Flight Qb instead of Jason Campbell with that OLINE we would have been a contender.. instead we got a bunch of horrible qb's and had good RB's.. Sure the RB's racked up tons of Yards but we got nowhere.. Stephen Davis and Clinton Portis racked up thousands of yards behind the OLINE but without a top flight QB we got nowhere..

So yes we need OLINE desperately but if they are blocking for a nobody it wont really matter

This ridiculously simplifies an entire era of incompetence.

[GWinSkins83]

Remember when we had Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen, Derek Dockery all drafted by us where did that get us.. If we Drafted a Top Flight Qb instead of Jason Campbell with that OLINE we would have been a contender.. instead we got a bunch of horrible qb's and had good RB's.. Sure the RB's racked up tons of Yards but we got nowhere.. Stephen Davis and Clinton Portis racked up thousands of yards behind the OLINE but without a top flight QB we got nowhere..

So yes we need OLINE desperately but if they are blocking for a nobody it wont really matter

Take a bow! Standing Ovation:applause::applause::applause::allhail::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause:

[KDawg]

I'm not sure about Griffin. I was looking at all their stats yesterday and while he has gotten better each year, I think he may be Cam Newton light. Tannehill is a big in the pocket passer, but he's only been a QB for a year and a half switching from WR. Jones has the typical size and experience that you want and he comes from a top 5 program, but his negatives are turnovers and happy feet. He doesn't do well under pressure. I like his release and the fact that he's been a starter for 3 years. If Grifffin could emulate what Cam Newton does, that would be a royal steal for us. A consolation prize for us would be Kellen Moore in the mid to later rounds. If Indy and Miami stay at the top of the draft, I think Luck and Barkley go 1-2. Alot of people are turned off by Jones, but I like him. I like what I see on the field and his quick release and quick decision making would fit well in our offense. I think besides Luckm he's the best at reading defenses.

I don't like Jones as a prospect. OU has traditionally not pumped out great QBs, the exception being Bradford (thus far). He's got way too good of a supporting cast to be having the kinds of struggles he's been having as well. He's got happy feet, for sure, he turns the ball over and he buckles under pressure. All assessments I agree with. I fail to see why anyone has him on our radar.

As for saying RG3 is Cam Newton Lite... Well... Cam Newton Heavy is doing pretty well right now, isn't he? If the worst he turns out to be is Cam Newton Lite, I'd say we're in a good place

So yes we need OLINE desperately but if they are blocking for a nobody it wont really matter

Did you read the OP, sir?

I noted that QB/OL were where we needed the most help

[Rabsuz]

In today's NFL, a game manager doesn't cut it anymore, you need a good or great QB. The Panthers have a great offensive line and look where that took bums like Clausen and Pike, they got all that time in the pocket yet they couldn't make anything happen. The Jets have a top 5 offensive line, elite defense, elite running game, elite WR corp and Mark Sanchez has a career 70 QB rating (much, much worse than Jason Campbell). The QB is everything now, you are worth as much as your QB in today's league. If we had an elite QB then investing in more linemen would be a wise investment, but a line full of hall of famers doesn't mean anything when your QB is passing up open WRs because he's too scared to throw down field. If we want a QB in round 1 and go offensive line in the 2nd round that's fine I'm cool with that. But people go overboard on the whole offensive line thing, overkilling a posistion, and especially drafting all o linemen in a draft will do more damage to this team than good, we need more depth and quality starters but a QB is way more important right now.

[KDawg]

In today's NFL, a game manager doesn't cut it anymore, you need a good or great QB. The Panthers have a great offensive line and look where that took bums like Clausen and Pike, they got all that time in the pocket yet they couldn't make anything happen.

Again, did you read the OP?

The Jets have a top 5 offensive line, elite defense, elite running game, elite WR corp and Mark Sanchez has a career 70 QB rating (much, much worse than Jason Campbell). The QB is everything now, you are worth as much as your QB in today's league. If we had an elite QB then investing in more linemen would be a wise investment, but a line full of hall of famers doesn't mean anything when your QB is passing up open WRs because he's too scared to throw down field. If we want a QB in round 1 and go offensive line in the 2nd round that's fine I'm cool with that. But people go overboard on the whole offensive line thing, overkilling a posistion, and especially drafting all o linemen in a draft will do more damage to this team than good, we need more depth and quality starters but a QB is way more important right now.

I'm convinced you didn't. I never said OL over QB. I said we need both.