emister1 Posted September 4, 2001 Share Posted September 4, 2001 Look at it this way. Darrell stated before his anouncement he hopes to play maybe another year or 2. So why is he all of a sudden deciding to retire before he wanted to. I think Marty had something to do with it. Then if not, I think Darrell is not willing to stick around with the way Marty is running. It could be my stinking thinking, but I have this gut feeling about this. Also, look for Bruce Smith to retire next year as well. Now, if smoot starts on opening day, that will give you some indication that Marty had something to do with darrells retirement before he wanted to. Darrell is probably fed up because he feels he was the better man during pre-season as well as training camp, and for Marty to start Smoot would be a smack in the face. I think Darrell said enough is enough. Especially after (Deion) was just given the starting nod last year and not have to compete with Darrell. Just my thoughts though.. Also, look at the Greer vs. Harrison situation. We all agree somewhat that during pre-season that harrison was the better man. What about Mason, he was just a casualty of Marty continuously putting his stamp on the team IMO. Look for more unraveling cuts to be announced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted September 4, 2001 Share Posted September 4, 2001 I think Darrell may well have felt he was the better player this preseason and during training camp. I think on the field during the preseason, Smoot has clearly been the better player. Better than Bailey too, not that it is a significant indication of how the two actually compare. Darrell got tired of all the questions about his status and told the media to knock it off. I also think he doesn't necessarily like the way Marty drives the team so hard as that's not something he's been through the last seven or eight years. Same thing with Bruce. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see these older vets look for an out after the season. I also wouldn't be surprised to hear rumors of a quiet meeting between Marty and some of these guys in which Marty says before camp, "Hey, I think it's a shame you all have pulled hamstrings that will limit you in two-a-days for the next month." Marty HAD to set the tone this offseason. I don't know that he can show favorites openly. I'll be interested to see how these vets are managed over the season and into next year. ------------------ Doom is in the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldog Posted September 4, 2001 Share Posted September 4, 2001 With players like Cal Ripken, Darrell Green and Troy Aikman who take on the appearance of the franchise, there are always problems with transitioning them at the end of their careers. When teams are on top that is not as much of a problem. But when teams are in need of rebuilding and a new coach has to have the freedom to make his mark then the fact you have untouchable "institutions" on your team becomes a definite problem. In the case of the Orioles, they wanted Cal to retire last year. Now, Cal's situation is somewhat different than Darrell's because Angelos had not treated Cal well over the previous 2 seasons. In addition, the Orioles until Tony Batista was picked up this year didn't have a definite replacement for Cal in the organization. So his continued presence in the starting lineup while batting .245 or .250 wasn't as much of an issue. Here with the Redskins the dynamics are different. Darrell can still play, I have no doubt of that. The problem is that the team DOES however have a highly regarded corner in Smoot waiting in the wings. He is the future of the franchise at that position. It would be foolish if he were ready to play to keep him on the bench to assuage Green's feelings. You can add to that the fact the Redskins have been good to Green in return for his services. Snyder reworked his deal last year even as Darrell was going to the nickel role in the backfield. But once again the organization is in the spot of being viewed as being "mean" to the player. The same thing happened with Art Monk. Despite Casserly's interest in drafting a wide receiver in 1993, Jack Kent Cooke decided to bring Monk back for a final year and pay him what was then a good amount of change $1.1M for a 34 soon to be 35 year old player. The team had lost Joe Gibbs and was aging rapidly. A rebuilding process was on the near horizon if in fact not already there with all the injuries after 1992. Instead of that gesture being understood by the fans, Cooke was criticized the following spring when Monk surprisingly decided he didn't want to retire despite declining numbers and a loss of speed. He went on the offensive saying the team had betrayed him by not offering him an extension and he went off for a forgettable year as the #3 receiver on the Jets who were an awful team that year. What did all that prove? That Monk was no longer an elite receiver and the Redskins needed to move on. That decision would have been the same in 1993 whether the Redskins were coached by Bill Parcells or Vince Lombardi. Yet, it stung just the same. Green's departure via a pre-retirement news conference takes the drama out of what his fate will be. We don't have to go on with conjectures about what actions he or Marty might take if they disagree over his role and where he is in his career. Green has done a lot here and deserves respect. He has gotten that from the fans since Day 1 and has had a very good contract with the team for 2000 and 2001 based on his projected role both years as a part-time player in transition. He knows he is not the same player he was in 1991. So does the team. Can he still start here? Certainly. In fact I anticipate he will start games in 2001 due to injury or teams coming out in 3 wide packages even if he is not the opening day starter. Does that change the need for the team to think long-term in the secondary and give Smoot every chance to get on the field and take that #2 corner spot? Not at all. Now that we have removed the fiction of Donovan Greer being the heir apparent to Darrell Green (which would have been a crime indeed) we can all sit back and watch him play his 19th and final year with the team, knowing he will retire a Redskin and he will be able to use 2001 as an opportunity to raise money for his foundation in preparation for his post-football avocation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redman Posted September 4, 2001 Share Posted September 4, 2001 As wonderful of a man that Darrell is, don't ever forget that he's a professional athlete with a professional ego to match. He's got a competitive fire that still burns brightly, and he detests the idea that he's second best. It's what has made him great, and what has made him last for 19 years in an extremely demanding position in the NFL. In my view, Marty is merely the messenger delivering bad news, news that says for the first time in Darrell's career, he's not good enough any more to beat out the younger CB talent on his team. (True, Norv delivered similar news last year with Deion, but IMHO that had more to do with dollars than talent.) Darrell is used to being the starter, and doesn't want to hang around the NFL just to be a backup. Who blames him? Marty's not conspiring to eject veterans from this team. Without veterans like Smith, Coleman and Green, we'd have severe problems this year on defense. Green represents our credible depth at CB, and Smith and Coleman ARE our pass rush and a great deal of our run defense. But Marty's trying to build something greater than this year (thank God!) and he knows that he needs young talent to develop in order to do that. This season ain't no victory lap for the older guys. But it's not their execution either. ------------------ "Loosen up, Sandy baby. You're just too damn tight!" - John Riggins to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hailredskinscom Posted September 4, 2001 Share Posted September 4, 2001 I don't understand all the talk about retooling and rebuilding. Team retool every year with the draft, free agency, and undrafted signings. It is part of the evolution of a franchise. As far as rebuilding, the Skins have too many young, nucleaus player to do an overall rebuidl. Regardless, Green's announcement was nothing to do with the signs of a rebuild on the way. Green's announcement is due to his age of 42, and looking over his shoulder he sees the future in Fred Smoot and Champ Bailey. Recognizing how well Smoot has done and as impressive as he was in camp, Green realizes that the future is now. Look at it for what it is. Every players know when it is time to go, especially teh greats like Ripken, Jordon, Green, etc... ------------------ Please visit my new Skins site, Mark's Redskins Net. Vote in my latest Skins poll. www.geocities.com/mbuterba/redskins.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted September 4, 2001 Share Posted September 4, 2001 I believe it is great that he is retiring while on top. The last thing I want to see is him looking bad against less than stellar receivers, which would happen to Greer if he was the starter or 3rd CB. ------------------ Take a sip of the Marty Kool Aid and Believe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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