The "I wish we had gotten that guy!" thread - 2014 Recap at end of thread.

[NIKKI8]

I'll tell you who I'd trade for now... Joseph Fauria from Detroit.

Kid is huge, fast and has knack for end zone. Detroit has Pettigrew and Ebron already.

I'm watching him play tonite and he has another speed, HUGE red zone target. I'd offer a fair deal for him.

Thoughts? Could be win-win for both sides

He does look good and I would also love to have him. Would be nice if Detroit would take Aldrick or Hankerson for him.

[Gallen5862]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/transactions

 

 

The Chicago Bears signed S Ahmad Dixon off Minnesota's practice squad. Released CB Demontre Hurst..

[NewCliche21]

"Be patient in free agency," they said.

 

"Not signing a safety = so what?" they said.

 

How's that paying off, fellas?

[NIKKI8]

     Over the years my favorite non Redskins player was WR Steve Smith because of his heart and intensity. I would have liked to have seen the Redskins sign him after Carolina released him but when I brought it up I was quickly shot down because of his age and the fact that Santana Moss was already here and they were basicly the same player.He did seem to be headed to Baltimore as soon as the Panthers let him go though so maybe no other team had a chance with him. 

    

       It's a shame that he couldn't finish his career in Carolina and if I was a Panther fan I would be really upset considering they have nobody besides the rookie at the WR position. I think Wahington could have really used a player like Smith. He is all buisness and I can think of a few Redskins players he could punch in the mouth because they didn't give their all. He is a true football player that gives everything he has on every play and has over 100 yards receiving in 3 out of the 4 Ravens games this year so far.  

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

"Be patient in free agency," they said.

 

"Not signing a safety = so what?" they said.

 

How's that paying off, fellas?

 

Are any of the safeties that switched teams panning out?  Rumors out of Pittsburgh say their 5 year 25 million acquisition might be benched.  I've heard that Malcolm Jenkins in Philly is solid, but probably not quite worth the money.  I don't really know what's going on in NO with Jairus Byrd, but somehow that teams defense has nosedived.  Texans already cut Chris Clemons.

 

I could go on, but I don't think any of the safeties that have changed teams have panned out (so far) like their teams hoped, or like the dollar amount they put forth.

[Paul Cumberland]

SI_DougFarrar ‏@SI_DougFarrar  3m3 minutes ago

One + for the Raiders' nightmare situation: Left side of the OL is strong. LG Gabe Jackson is mobile, quick on pulls and 2nd level, and...

 

SI_DougFarrar ‏@SI_DougFarrar  3m3 minutes ago

Donald Penn looks like a completely different player this year. Using size to advantage. Less logey, more power. Off-season work paid off.

 

Gabe, if you recall, some wanted to draft this year and we brought Penn in for a FA workout... He decided to go to the Raiders probably cause they had the most cap space to pay him the most.  Good to see Penn playing well but he certainly would have been an improvement at RT for us...

[Binton]

     Over the years my favorite non Redskins player was WR Steve Smith because of his heart and intensity. I would have liked to have seen the Redskins sign him after Carolina released him but when I brought it up I was quickly shot down because of his age and the fact that Santana Moss was already here and they were basicly the same player.He did seem to be headed to Baltimore as soon as the Panthers let him go though so maybe no other team had a chance with him. 

    

       It's a shame that he couldn't finish his career in Carolina and if I was a Panther fan I would be really upset considering they have nobody besides the rookie at the WR position. I think Wahington could have really used a player like Smith. He is all buisness and I can think of a few Redskins players he could punch in the mouth because they didn't give their all. He is a true football player that gives everything he has on every play and has over 100 yards receiving in 3 out of the 4 Ravens games this year so far.  

Why would he sign with Washington? He was trying to win a superbowl

[NIKKI8]

Why would he sign with Washington? He was trying to win a superbowl

You're right, very true.

[darrelgreenie]

Terrence Brooks FS for the Ravens (drafted one pick after Long) played 34 snaps at FS with a positive grade.

Finished with 2 tackles and 1 QB hurry.

[Bonez3]

Malcolm Jenkins in Philly playing great for bad defense.

[Voice_of_Reason]

Terrence Brooks FS for the Ravens (drafted one pick after Long) played 34 snaps at FS with a positive grade.

Finished with 2 tackles and 1 QB hurry.

It's tough to compare after 4 games, but Brooks is on the field and Kong can't beat out Ribs, Chester or Lavauo.

= not ideal situation.

Though hopefully he'll step in and solidify that spot for a long time.

[RabidFan]

Long is here to take over at RG or C

 

If Porkchop Leribus can beat out Lavauo and keep the job then so be it.....though I'd keep Lavauo at LG if we get a solid C.....Leribs did play C some in college when needed and his coach said he could do that in the NFL.

[Paul Cumberland]

Dianna Marie Russini ‏@NBCdianna  46s47 seconds ago

Painful. “@Saints: jairus byrd has been placed on season-ending IR, Payton announced #Saints”

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

I know James Hurst started at OT for the Ravens last week due to injury and played well.  Happy for him.  I hoped we would have signed him as a UDFA.

 

Jordan Matthews appears to be contributing as a rookie WR.  Of course, he scorched us.

 

I don't know what's going on with Christian Jones, other than he was on the 53 last time I looked.

[Thinking Skins]

Clemons is available because of a chain reaction.

Texans didn't re-sign Daniel Manning because they didn't want to pay him.

The Texans then sign Chris Clemons.

Manning signs with the Bengals but the Bengals cut him this weekend.

Texans want Manning back because now he's cheaper.

Texans cut Clemons to make room for Manning.

Reports out of training camp is that both S played well.

I wonder if we would have claimed Clemons if he was available before Duke.

I'm just doing some reading while I listen to the Nats game on radio, so I figured I'd read up on Clemons right now.

This one is from 2012: http://phinphanatic.com/2013/01/09/dolphins-2012-player-review-chris-clemons/

Chris Clemons, a 6-1 214 pound strong safety, was drafted during the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft out of the University of Clemson. Clemons was seen as a project, but an eventual starting caliber safety for any team willing to take a chance. The Miami Dolphins saw some potential and pulled the trigger. After contributing little during his rookie campaign, Clemons was handed a starting spot next to former Miami Dolphin – Yeremiah Bell. Clemons had an inconsistent season and seemed unready for his new role – if only Miami’s front office could have seen the future…Clemons was then relegated to a back-up and special teams role for the 2011 season – playing in 14 games and not starting a single one.

With Yeremiah Bell leaving via free agency for the rival New York Jets following the 2011 season, Clemons was looked at as Bell’s replacement – many, including myself, felt very concerned about this move. Clemons had shown some promise in the past, but was always a headache in coverage.

Surprise! Clemons actually had quite a productive season for the Miami Dolphins– something every player needs in a contract year! Clemons started all 16 games for Miami recording 99 total tackles (72 solo – which is quite impressive for a safety), 4 pass deflections and two key interceptions (both coming against the rival New York Jets).

Although Clemons did have quite a productive season for Miami, he justified our concerns to begin the season. Clemons missed numerous key tackles and played at the inconsistent level we all know – it honestly seemed like he was afraid to tackle oncoming ball carriers. He was as about inconsistent as it gets to begin the season. Once again, I thought Miami had made a mistake not replacing him during the offseason.

One play that sticks in my mind…

http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/0ap2000000062502/Mike-Goodson-TD-catch

Clemons took a horrible angle causing a long touchdown by a back-up running back..Hmm, seemed like a theme for Clemons early on. Scared to make a play?

Once November hit, Clemons seemed like a brand new player – posting 58 of his 99 tackles during the months of November and December. Miami’s strong safety was flying around making plays in the run game left and right. He posted two of his best games against Buffalo and Jacksonville – gathering 10 tackles in each game against two “Run Heavy” offenses.

Clemons, now a free agent, is a player Miami must truly evaluate this offseason. Losing him would create another hole for the Miami Dolphins to fill. On the flip side, he may want too much money given his productive season. If the Dolphins can talk Clemons down to the money he deserves, rather than the money he wants, there would be no reason not to bring the former Clemson Tiger back for his 5th season with the squad.

Overall, Clemons gave me some huge headaches to begin the season. Playing at an inconsistent level every week is not a way to become a fan favorite, especially when safety was a huge concern during the offseason. BUT, after he began playing like a safety should, he became quite a pleasant surprise. As of now, there is no reason Chris Clemons should not be in a Miami uniform next season.

Player Grade: First half – D- / Second Half – B+

[RedskinWill]

Now is our chance to get a good FG kicker in Matt Prater. He s available after Denver released him, Bruce make it happen.

[planter]

Should have grabbed Bitonio or traded up for Zack Martin.

[Renegade7]

Are any of the safeties that switched teams panning out?  Rumors out of Pittsburgh say their 5 year 25 million acquisition might be benched.  I've heard that Malcolm Jenkins in Philly is solid, but probably not quite worth the money.  I don't really know what's going on in NO with Jairus Byrd, but somehow that teams defense has nosedived.  Texans already cut Chris Clemons.

 

I could go on, but I don't think any of the safeties that have changed teams have panned out (so far) like their teams hoped, or like the dollar amount they put forth.

 

This post will get missed because of so many people wanting to second guess a losing organization.  There's no way we could've fixed everything wrong with 3-13 team in one offseason, and Byrd going on IR just shows how limited our options at saftey actually were.

[Voice_of_Reason]

I need to update this thread a little bit, now that we're through 1/4 of the season.  I'll see if I have time to do it this week.  Been busy.  

[darrelgreenie]

This post will get missed because of so many people wanting to second guess a losing organization.  There's no way we could've fixed everything wrong with 3-13 team in one offseason, and Byrd going on IR just shows how limited our options at saftey actually were.

The whole point of the thread was say who we liked before hand, thus not second guess.

 

And sure we can point out the failures of other organization FAs but that doesn't mean that this organization got it right.

 

Getting it right means finding a viable solution or addressing the position with a young decent player to develop.

The FO decisions at Safety aren't justified because some SAFs didn't pan out.

[darrelgreenie]

I'm just doing some reading while I listen to the Nats game on radio, so I figured I'd read up on Clemons right now.

This one is from 2012: http://phinphanatic.com/2013/01/09/dolphins-2012-player-review-chris-clemons/

That's a well written fan's perspective no different then yours or mine, plus its from 2 years ago.

Last offseason I posted a compilation of some SAF metrics...(if I can find them i'll repost) but Clemons graded out near the top of available SAFs plus he's one of the faster guys at the position.

[darrelgreenie]

....................

SNB-(snaps in box)-Percentage of snaps played within 8 yards of the line of scrimmage is a good way to determine how a SAF plays i.e Free vs Strong.
TE-tackling efficiency-tackles made vs tackles attempted (measure of missed tackles)
PD-passes defensed
INTs-

SNB TE PD INTs

Charles Woodson..............12.6.....................6.4................3.....................1
Ryan Clark.........................19.4.....................8.6................1.....................2
Meriweather.......................25.5.....................3.8................0.....................2
Chris D. Clemons...............28.1.....................7.9......... ......6.....................1
Steve Gregory....................28.5.....................7.5................2.....................0
Michael Huff(2010).............30.3....................11.3...............4.....................3
Jame Ihedigbo.......................37.6...................11.2.............4.....................3

[Thinking Skins]

....................

SNB-(snaps in box)-Percentage of snaps played within 8 yards of the line of scrimmage is a good way to determine how a SAF plays i.e Free vs Strong.

TE-tackling efficiency-tackles made vs tackles attempted (measure of missed tackles)

PD-passes defensed

INTs-

SNB TE PD INTs

Charles Woodson..............12.6.....................6.4................3.....................1

Ryan Clark.........................19.4.....................8.6................1.....................2

Meriweather.......................25.5.....................3.8................0.....................2

Chris D. Clemons...............28.1.....................7.9......... ......6.....................1

Steve Gregory....................28.5.....................7.5................2.....................0

Michael Huff(2010).............30.3....................11.3...............4.....................3

Jame Ihedigbo.......................37.6...................11.2.............4.....................3

 

So reading this, I can see the argument I had that the FO's may be thinking that Meri and Clemons are similar safeties. Its interesting reading (albeit fans) perspectives on Clemons is that he was originally cited to play SS but has experience at FS as well. Looking at the SNB stat, it seems he played closer to the line than we'd like. I can probably run a search through the FA thread from earlier this year, but I wonder what those numbers are for players like Byrd and Mitchell who were known FSs going into FA, or even Jenkins who I remember doing some of my own statistical analysis for (doing play by play analysis, I can kinda determine who plays FS vs SS by the number of deep balls they either tackle or defend on, but its kinda flawed because QBs may be unlikely to throw it deep, which for a player like Byrd may make it harder to read).

[darrelgreenie]

So reading this, I can see the argument I had that the FO's may be thinking that Meri and Clemons are similar safeties. Its interesting reading (albeit fans) perspectives on Clemons is that he was originally cited to play SS but has experience at FS as well. Looking at the SNB stat, it seems he played closer to the line than we'd like. I can probably run a search through the FA thread from earlier this year, but I wonder what those numbers are for players like Byrd and Mitchell who were known FSs going into FA, or even Jenkins who I remember doing some of my own statistical analysis for (doing play by play analysis, I can kinda determine who plays FS vs SS by the number of deep balls they either tackle or defend on, but its kinda flawed because QBs may be unlikely to throw it deep, which for a player like Byrd may make it harder to read).

I can't see that argument. Clemons is younger, faster, much cleaner injury history AND penalty history, is a better tackler and defended more passes. *shrugs* Don't see that argument at all.

Why do you say Clemons SNB are closer than the "we" (i'm you mean the team?) would like?

For me his snaps in the box indicate that he can play both strong and free, which would be bonus.

[Thinking Skins]

I can't see that argument. Clemons is younger, faster, much cleaner injury history AND penalty history, is a better tackler and defended more passes. *shrugs* Don't see that argument at all.

Why do you say Clemons SNB are closer than the "we" (i'm you mean the team?) would like?

For me his snaps in the box indicate that he can play both strong and free, which would be bonus.

True about Meri and the injury/penalty history, but IMO we went into the offseason looking for a FS, we've had SS options here for a while but could never find a FS after #21. If Clemons is a SS who is waiting to be exposed in space then it doesn't really help the team. He may be able to play both, but I remember thinking we should have targeted Mitchell and Byrd because they were known as young FSs on the market. Lower on my list was Jenkins because he's been more up and down. But there were others where it was harder for me to draw the line between a SS who was spending more time deep and a mediocre to bad FS. I mean some FSs right now (and Jenkins or Even T. Robinson may fall into this category) just get lucky from playing against a bad QB who chugs it deep with no real accuracy or hope for a completion and they're like "thanks", but that doesn't mean they're actually good at covering the deep portion of the field. 

 

What I'd really like to see is what Haslett / Morris really wants in their FS and SS play. For years I've heard there's no difference between the two, but my take on that now is really that we want two FSs to play back there because we've had two SSs back there last year and while Doughty and Meri improved the tackling, they still couldn't cover TEs over either the short or deep middle and couldn't really play in a single high or a cover two setting.