What changes would you fellow skin fans like to see next year?

[michael_33]

I'm pretty happy with the recieving core that we have right now.Coles is a complete player...As we sometimes get frustrated with Gardner,He's still a pretty good WR...And Darnarian is the player that just seems to find the endzone....

I would like to see Jacobs somehow more involved into the offense,but I also realize that our depth there kind of restricts his playing time!

I love our QB situation with Ramsey and TH...This also will allow us to further evaluate Ham Sandwich and to see if he fits in our plans here....

I'm not 100% convince about our RB core as of the moment...I realize that trung is starting to come into his own which is great,but the question is can he do it consitantly in a 16 game season?I love the rock and would like to at least hold onto him for a while...Betts is someone we probably should keep...I'm just not sure the FO feels the same way!Chad morton is an obvious must keeper....I realize other than his 1/ 94 yard Kickoff return our special teams hasn't been all special,but he adds a threat that teams must consider plus we may need to evaluate our Special teams Coach or coaches..(mike stock)

Our TE's are just not Top Tier NFL Caliber players...Robert royal is probably the best of the bunch (whole package being included),but it sure is a glaring hole that needs to be addressed somehow...someway...I realize we don't use the TE like our WR's but if this is the case than we need to go out and get BIG HUGE TE's to help block....

I believe our O-line is Fine....I know we have allowed way to many sacks this year,but I think it's a mix between the new additions Fiore/Thomas and so forth and Ramsey holding onto the ball to long trying to make something happen,while learning the offense at the same time....Plus (like in an earlier thread) Who's to say that it's not ramsey's fault for why this offense (OL) has looked bad this year only to see it improve with a more agile QB who gets rid of the ball quickly?It's not like the OL will improve with Rob "please sack me" Johnson in there....Something I think we should all consider very carefully!!Before cutting Jansen,samuels and so forth!!I do think we need to complete our anchor of OL with a good CENTER...MR. Moore (I don't think) is gonna cut it as the main guy...Perhaps draft a center?

1 thing is for sure...Keep Dockery and Brandon winey for depth...

Now D-line....This needs to be shuffled like a deck of cards!When Bruce smith finally retires we can hopefully address that spot with a high draft pick or a very good replacement in FA...I hope we resign Darryl Russell as I havn't really had the chance to evaluate him and neither probably has the front office...just not some big contract or anything(i think we have learned our lesson)!I really like the way lionel Dalton plays and think he is a must keeper,too!

And we don't know what will happen with Noble next year so that remains to be seen...I also think that bernard holsley should be kept at least for depth...My opinion on Wynn,zellner and upshaw is in the air?To be honest...if we lost those three next year,I'm not sure I would even notice....I think Upshaw may be the best of the 3,but his on field tactics (and post reports) really has me questioning him....THE PROBLEM:will Russell want to leave if we let upshaw go, do their close ties with one another?

Some of you may or may not like trotter,but if you go to NFL.com,you'll see that he leads the team in tackles by like 10 or more!Plus he has that 7 yr/million dollar contract that would not benifit us from trading or cutting him,so he is a must keeper...Arrington...well he's just a beast now isn't he?Armstead could be the big question this year?Would I like to keep him?Absolutely!!But will he retire or will we want to replace him seems to be good question...I'll assume for now that he stays....

I think we have decent backups in Pierce,Marshall...Plus Nic Clemon(georgia)on the practice squad and so on....Personally,i like our LB situation for the moment and find it the strength of our team!!But upgrades never hurt I guess....

Some may think our secondary is fine,but I will disagree on this one!We have question all over the place from "is champ gonna be here next year" to "we need to cut david terrell"!!

But I do know 3 things for sure...Ohalete is better than Terrell so he needs to stay...whether he is a starter or career backup,he is a must keeper...Has good size,good height and is a pretty good tackler as well has a nose for the ball...

second...We need to pick up another corner this year that can play!!Whether it is champs replacement or not...!Terrell or Jimoh is not gonna work...Wanna keep terrell cause he is good on special teams?Fine,go ahead and keep him!But as our dime back...I don't wanna seem him on the field unless were in the dollar package!!!!!!!!and even then,i'd much rather put myself in the game........Catch my drift?

I know we can draft a good nickel back or a decent FA pickup of some sort to help solidify our secondary...Our safety's are so-so ,but I've seen worse!!!Remember sam shade?Their not to good and their not to bad!

and third...Barker has to go...period...I used to punt in high school...would this be a good time to try out?It's been a while since i stepped up and kicked 40 consecutive time,so i might shank a few?But if I'm standing next to Barker in a showdown,I can see my Confidence grow by the second!

[@DCGoldPants]

changes?

How about a quiet offseason with little to no news?

Maybe a small upgrade here and there. Spurrier and Snyder totally out of the spotlight until draft day.

All the players who are signed at the park daily working out and watching film. Just an under the rader type offseason.

[NavyDave]

Pat Johnson is an UFA so there is a chance that Jacobs and Russell may get playing time

Draft a center, yeah I still wish we could ve snagged that center from Notre Dame.

We win out and go 8-8 we either will use the 1st pick to target a RFA or look at multiple positions like one of the huge TEs coming out no not winslow

[halter91]

I would like to see a good tight end or a stud D lineman, hell maybe a top notch RB. I just want to win dammit!!:40oz:

[gridironmike]

Wow. Did Barker struggle or what? There was a mild joke (or was it) on here last week about Barker shanking his 1000th punt. I think he was trying to reverse the odometer! D-line has to be a priority. We have to be able to pressure QB's and free up our linebackers. D-line has to be our biggest weakness. Offensively, I think Betts can be a poor-mans Stephen Davis with better ball catching. If our Pro Bowl lineman wake up from their slumber, our line should be stellar. Miraculously, we have found a back-up QB, so we should be set at that position for a few years (I loved the comment that Spurrier told him he pitched it around pretty good in practice). Wide reciever looks pretty deep (where in the world is Cliff Russell?). I happen to think the Patrick Johnson is a better return man than Morton (TD notwithstanding) and NEEDS to be on the field more. He makes plays. Top three priorities, D-line, D- line, D-line!

[bubba9497]

A productive offseason, and a great start to training camps.

[Riggo-toni]

I'd like to re-sign P/ Johnson and extend McCants and Iffy.

Samuels needs to take a heavy paycut or be let loose. If we can reduce his salary to around $3-4m, and hopefully reduce Lavar's a bit as well, we'll have enough cap room to revamp the DL.

I am having serious doubts about any of our RBs being durable enough. Betts looked tough and quick at the beginning of the year, but man, he just can't stay healthy.

Redo the DL (or at least pick up a nasty pass rushing DE), get a better center, and get a tough journeyman BLOCKING TE (like we had in Rasby).

[Guest J Dawg]

Originally posted by Bufford The Sheep

changes?

How about a quiet offseason with little to no news?

Maybe a small upgrade here and there. Spurrier and Snyder totally out of the spotlight until draft day.

All the players who are signed at the park daily working out and watching film. Just an under the rader type offseason.

That would be a nice change

[Art]

I'm with Bufford for the most part.

If we finish 5-11 or if we finish 8-8 or anywhere in between, we need to treat this offseason as if we actually DID have a plan and we're going to stick with it to improve. We do not want a TON of activity. If I'm not mistaken we have 22 of 22 starting players either under contract or that we have rights to (Champ and Ohalete are restricted free agents).

We are OBVIOUSLY going to do something with the defensive line. Smith will have to go. But, from a personnel aspect, I'd like to see us stay relatively stable. Change out no more than five of your starting players -- with three, hopefully, coming up front on the defensive line unless Russell emerges and resigns making it two.

Most importantly, I'd make several schematic changes. I'd see if I couldn't keep Edwards in a lower capacity, replacing him with a more proven mind who has a history of running a more aggressive defense. Like Greg Williams of Buffalo if he's fired. Or, I'd hope Edwards has an ephiphany this offseason and realizes that he has to take MORE chances to be successful. He has to sometimes sell out to stop the run, hoping his corners can hold out. He has to blitz more frequently and from more imaginative angles.

As flawed as Spurrier's system seems to be at times this season and the mistakes that have been common with the guys this season there has been a significant improvement in those areas as the year has worn on. Fewer penalties. Assignments are being picked up better. Guys are OPEN. Again, watching the Dallas game there was a play Ramsey threw to a doubled receiver. ON the other side was a wide open Coles, 8 yards away from Edwards in coverage. We need to just keep educating our QBs to see the field and take the openings. That will right the offense as it does appear Spurrier has improved the sorts of things that have killed us earlier.

Defensively we can't say we're there yet. We are STILL getting outschemed and outsmarted. Worse. We can play coverage defenses and teams are still able to get 40-yard gains on screens against us. On that Barber screen, Edwards only rushed four. We had SEVEN guys in coverage. The kicker was that All of our linebackers were lined up INSIDE the defensive ends.

And none of them made a single move to the outside at the snap. They just stood in place reading. None of them read the running back and it was a big gain as they ended up outnumbering us on the outside. If not for Trotter's hustle, this is a touchdown for them. That can't happen because of poor design and recognition of your players.

You have to recognize your players are not reading the keys right and alter your plan. You have to protect them by easing those back and directing them to attack more. Armstead is a very good player still, but he's a liability in coverage. You may have to replace him and hope you can keep him around in a leadership capacity. Even yesterday on one of his sacks he clearly lost coverage on the running back and took a chance on his own. If Palmer throws that ball it's a huge gain.

Armstead isn't able to cover anymore so he floats and tries to make plays. He does so and that's great. But, that type of play has infected Trotter and Arrington at times and we've been beaten because of their freelancing. We may need a guy who'll listen a bit more and has a bit more speed, though Armstead is still productive.

I really just want to see our coaching staff improve, whether it's from the outside or the inside. I am tired of feeling like the opposition just knows EVERYTHING we're doing. Take that goal line situation against the Giants. They were perfectly positioned on all three plays. That's tendency and scouting and preperation. We've had precious few of those types of plays on our side.

We need to get there. Right now the primary problem on this team is coaching and a lack of design and positioning, especially defensively. Leave the personnel largely alone and improve the coaching somehow, without making a HUGE splash doing so, and we'll be fine.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I'm with most of you that I would like minimal turnover and some foresight (ie. extending some contracts ahead of time). Also, I'd like to hear (or not hear as long as it happens) that the coaches are working this off-season to make some changes kind of like what Art said.

I have no doubt that if they tackle these problems in the off-season by watching some film and planning ahead, we will be alright next year.

[laurent]

The change I want is no change for once Resign Bailey to a 'relatively' modest contract, resign Russel and draft DE, RB and TE in that order.

[jaxskins]

I'm all for no changes this teams needs stability. But we all know that this is impossible. We have an owner that loves the limelight and has to have his name printed out somewhere on the front pages of headlines. He has proven this to us year after year so don't be surprised when the axe starts falling once again.

[Art]

Jax,

The only problem with that is we all know that's not true. Snyder gets his name printed despite not granting interviews for most of the year. He avoids headlines and still gets them, likely because he's not very open with the press. He's not seeking that out. Certainly he could overreact to a poor year if we lose out or go 6-10 and he could make more changes than might be necessary in his unending desire to fix things. We'll see. I suspect if there was a plan in place you'll see that by in large followed this year.

[MAATopDogg]

Well before addressing any FA for the defense, I'd like a few staff changes. Fire Helton, Demote Edwards, Hire a new ST coach. Russ Grimm-OL, Romeo Cremmel-DC(Pats D shoutout Miami yesterday), ST???, WR???. Next I'd resign Champ(Leave decision to the new D-coordinator.

[Art]

MAA,

The thought of Romeo Crennel is intriguing. But, it was as much the weather shutting out Miami as the defense . My worry about such a move is no matter what they say I associate New England's innovation to the head coach and not the defensive coordinator up there.

I think it's much more likely if Williams gets fired in Buffalo that he could end up here and he would actually alter our style a lot with his 46 background. The real balance here is what to do with Edwards. I think if he was retained the players would be ok with a change there. I think if he's fired outright the players may not like it. It will make a difference for Champ and for getting Lavar to do a new deal with us. That said, I think a guy like Williams could win over Champ especially since the transistion would be pretty easy -- at least we'd envision it as pretty easy.

I think the decision on Edwards is based largely on how much real support he has from the players. They are backing him in public, but will they go to bat for him. And more, will that help us if they do? If they do will Edwards feel the need to befriend them and thank them rather than getting on them and getting them do to things better? I have no idea.

The hope we had for Edwards in replacing Lewis has been false hope. The words we heard in the offseason about changes that would help us be more aggressive has proven to be lies at worst and rhetoric at best. But, if Edwards can point to the blown plays and say, "See, the problem here isn't the call. It's that THIS guy didn't do what he was supposed to," then I'll support his return assuming he can GET them to do what they are supposed to.

Stability here includes with the coaching staff. You don't want to make radical changes if you can avoid it. I'm not sure we can. As an example, I wouldn't fire Helton based on the job he's done. Last year's line improved greatly over the course of the season with little to work with. This year's line actually hasn't been NEARLY the problem too many are making it out to be. But, the die has been cast with Helton as he and Spurrier got into it and Spurrier probably WANTS him gone because of it.

I hope Grimm is an appropriate hire despite how miserable he was here for a couple of years. I'd really rather see Shell or Bugel brought back not only to add a quality line coach but also a guy with the type of NFL experience for Spurrier to lean on if he needs to lean. But, I'm a dreamer .