The Official ES (or E...C) 2022 Free Agency Thread Signed G Andrew Norwell, Obada, Trai Turner...Goodbye Scherff, Kyle Allen, Tim Settle

[Voice_of_Reason]

5 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Watching Del Rio's recent interview with Julie Donaldson, combined with multiple Rivera's interviews and recalling some of the camp comments from some players -- feels pretty strongly that some defensive players came into last season feeling like their crap doesn't stink and that overconfidence was part of the narrative for the subpar play.

"Yeah, we had it all figured out."  -Jack.  Was the exact, extremely sarcastic, quote, I believe.  

 

5 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

The one thing though that doesn't hurt the Eagles at least in theory the way this team was hurt by was that the Eagles soft schedule is followed by another soft schedule this season at least in theory.  In the Commanders case, their soft schedule was followed by a hard one.

Caveat: I don't believe in playing the schedule game at all, you never know who's going to be good, or who's not going to be good.  As I have pointed out, last year Washington went into the year with a SOS of 15 based on 2021 team winning percentages, and it turned out to be be the hardest schedule in the league at the end of the season, again based on winning percentages.  So, who the hell knows.  

 

Having said that, the entire division plays the NFC North and the AFC South.  At the very least, we can say neither of those divisions are stacked with top-flight QBs.  The NFC North has Rodgers and Kurt, and unless Fields/Goff step up, they're at best second tier.  The AFC South has Tannehill and Ryan, but who knows about the Texans, and we'll see on Lefty down in Jax. 

 

Based on 2021 results, you would expect all of the NFC teams to benefit, from a record perspective, from playing those divisions.  That said, who the hell knows.  

 

The 3 teams the Commanders face based on results are the Browns (AFC North 3rd Place), Falcons (NFC South 3rd Place) and the 49ers (NFC West 3rd place)

The 3 teams the Eagles face based on results are the Steelers (AFC North 2nd place), Saints (NFC South 2nd Place) and Cards (NFC West 2nd place)

 

IF we get the Browns WITHOUT Watson, that's a HUGE benefit to us from a QB standpoint.  We also benefit that the Falcons have really no QB.  

 

I think the 3 "difference" games, the Eagles do have a harder road to hoe.  But again, who the hell knows.

 

FWIW, Dallas has the Bengals (AFC North 1st Place), Bucs (NFC South First Place) and Rams (NFC West First Place.)  So they get Burrow, Brady and Stafford.  Yeah, I could see them struggling with that.  THAT is where I think the opponents come into play.  (And where we got shellacked last year, with having to play (I think) Allen and Rodgers because of SOS.

 

The biggest bad luck though goes to the Giants.  They get the Ravens (AFC North 4th place), Panthers (NFC South 4th place) and Seahawks (NFC West 4th place).  Having to play the Ravens off of a 4th place finish is bad luck.  (Not that I care)  But the Ravens, with Lamar back, could be an AFC Championship Game contender.  The Panthers and the Seahawks are the best draws for them because they drew 2 teams without QBs.  Granted, I think Baker Baker the TD maker will end up in Seattle eventually.  Though the longer it goes, maybe the less likely it is.  

 

[markmills67]

Bradberry released by the Giants according to Rapaport. Do we go after him? 

[Skinsinparadise]

9 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

 

 

Caveat: I don't believe in playing the schedule game at all, you never know who's going to be good, or who's not going to be good.  As I have pointed out, last year Washington went into the year with a SOS of 15 based on 2021 team winning percentages, and it turned out to be be the hardest schedule in the league at the end of the season, again based on winning percentages.  So, who the hell knows.  

 

 

I used to believe the same as you do, now I've done a total 180 on it.  While I agree its difficult to predict one team from another, I do think the league becoming more and more dominated by the QB spot makes the schedule game much easier to play.  Sheehan who used to be a stalwart that the schedule means nothing in advance as a predictor, has backed off of that some.

 

The thing is when you face:  Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Justin Herbert -- and your breather games are Derek Carr, Matt Ryan, Dak Prescott, etc -- I don't think it takes Nostradmas to predict a tough run.  Yeah anything is possible, Aaron Rodgers can get hurt and finally turn into a pumpkin but for all these elite QBs to collapse its not something I would have banked on.

 

This year outside of Watson and Rodgers and Watson is a maybe, they got no elite QBs on their schedule.    Can Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence turn into the next Herbert and Josh Allen and shock the NFL some next season, sure, but i wouldn't put money on it. 

[veteranskinsfan]

10 minutes ago, markmills67 said:

Bradberry released by the Giants according to Rapaport. Do we go after him? 

Good question.  I wonder how much he wants for a salary?  They should call his agent and then they could also ask another player to change their contract to free up more cap space if needed.

[Skinsinparadise]

14 minutes ago, markmills67 said:

Bradberry released by the Giants according to Rapaport. Do we go after him? 

 

I feel mixed on it.  I don't want the Eagles to land him.  I think he's a good corner still but I wouldn't pay a ton for him so it depends on what he wants.  He's 28 so he's not old.

 

This by the way is another example of how its not easy to get draft capital for veterans.  Plenty of good players get released.  And its not because their GM's are dummies.  Joe Schoen has the reputation for being smart.  But this isn't baseball.  Football has a hard salary cap.  Once players are getting paid or are about to get paid, they aren't as easy to move.  Draft capital is precious because that's how you get cheap talent.

 

My favorite example of this is some years ago some thought we could get a first rounder and change for Kerrigan.  I believe it was Keim who asked personnel people around the league and found out that draft capital would be a 4th at best but most likely a 5th rounder.  And yeah its seems crazy in a vaccum.  But the bottom line is teams tend to be stingy about giving up draft capital unless for a Qb or big stars.  And money is the major X factor.  Maybe it feels different as Washington fans because no team arguably has been as generous as us as to giving up draft capital in trades. 

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2022 by Skinsinparadise

[Voice_of_Reason]

1 minute ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

I used to believe the same as you do, now I've done a total 180 on it.  While I agree its difficult to predict one team from another, I do think the league becoming more and more dominated by the QB spot makes the schedule game much easier to play.  Sheehan who used to be a stalwart that the schedule means nothing in advance as a predictor, has backed off of that some.

 

The thing is when you face:  Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Justin Herbert -- and your breather games are Derek Carr, Matt Ryan, Dak Prescott, etc -- I don't think it takes Nostradmas to predict a tough run.  Yeah anything is possible, Aaron Rodgers can get hurt and finally turn into a pumpkin but for all these elite QBs to collapse its not something I would have banked on.

 

This year outside of Watson and Rodgers and Watson is a maybe, they got no elite QBs on their schedule.    Can Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence turn into the next Herbert and Josh Allen and shock the NFL some next season, sure, but i wouldn't put money on it. 

Yeah, it's true, and I mentioned that.  It's the QB's who you face and when you face them. And Dallas picking up Stafford, Brady and Burrow vs. us picking up not those guys is VERY helpful, in theory, if they play.  

 

But even that is a very imprecise science, because of injuries, and there are very few QBs who are consistent enough to be really good week-to-week.  

 

Which is why I still say it is almost impossible to predict.  

 

You want the lesser QBs on your schedule for sure. But, and I haven't looked this up, SO MANY QBs get injured and miss at least a game or two here and there, or play injured, or whatever, statistically, there's no way you're facing the 14 projected starting QBs when your opponents are released. Just off the top of my head, I can think of a bunch of starting QBs who missed time.  Lamar, Winston, Wilson, dude from Arizona, I think Ben might have missed a game or two (I might be making that up, that might be the previous year)...  

 

Now if you do have elite QBs on your schedule, (and we did last year) and you play all of them, and they are mostly healthy, you're kindof screwed.  (Like we were).  But that's also a component of just bad luck.  If we play the Saints 3 weeks later we get Hill or Simean (or however you spell his name.)  Seattle a few weeks earlier, we don't get Wilson (even though we won.)  We could have gotten Rodgers on his COVID week.  I don't remember, there might have been other QBs on our schedule who missed games. 

 

That's why I still regress to "you really have no idea."  

[Redskins 2021]

26 minutes ago, markmills67 said:

Bradberry released by the Giants according to Rapaport. Do we go after him? 

Probably 

[evmiii]

Bradberry at the right price would be great.  He would definitely upgrade our defensive backfield.  We still need to pay at least one LB not currently on the team, sign our rookies and extend Terry.  If we can do all that and still sign Bradberry I say do it.  Note:  I think Bradberry will want more than we are willing to pay and sign elsewhere.

[Warhead36]

Reg. schedules, I think what's more important than who you play is the QB you face, because team success can fluctuate but the best QBs tend to stay at the top for a long time. Look at the QBs we played last year. Just an absolute murderer's row. Name an elite QB and we played them. 

 

This year, not so much. Now who knows, maybe Justin Fields or Davis Mills take that year 2 leap this year.  But its unlikely. 

Edited May 9, 2022 by Warhead36

[Skinsinparadise]

The one thing about it though is Fuller supposedly wasn't that hot in the slot last year so I'd gather they'd have to revisit that if they added Bradberry.  Granted players tend to miss time at corner and depth helps but if Bradberry gets good money, I think i'd pass. 

 

 

 

[MartinC]

24 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

I feel mixed on it.  I don't want the Eagles to land him.  I think he's a good corner still but I wouldn't pay a ton for him so it depends on what he wants.  He's 28 so he's not old.

 

Bradberry is an outside corner and we already have a tom of cap space and cash invested in Jackson and Fuller. Fuller struggled when he was playing inside and was better when he moved outside. We need someone to play the slot not another expensive (I assume!) outside guy.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

29 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

 

 

You want the lesser QBs on your schedule for sure. But, and I haven't looked this up, SO MANY QBs get injured and miss at least a game or two here and there, or play injured,

 

 

True but when you got seemingly every elite QB on the planet on your schedule and an underrated part of what made the schedule tough is we got some of the 2nd tier QBs too, the odds aren't good that multiple variables would kick into play that would favor you.  In the mix of things, we got arguably one lucky break and that was the Seattle game.  We were not so lucky that we got Geno Smith but instead but we got Wilson playing with a bum finger that effected his play.  But there were too many great to good QBs stacked on that schedule back to back to bank on multiple lucky breaks IMO.

3 minutes ago, MartinC said:

 

Bradberry is an outside corner and we already have a tom of cap space and cash invested in Jackson and Fuller. Fuller struggled when he was playing inside and was better when he moved outside. We need someone to play the slot not another expensive (I assume!) outside guy.

 

Agree, I mentioned the Fuller component a post above.  And also mentioned the money being key. 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2022 by Skinsinparadise

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

 

 

[oraphus]

The team overpaid for Fuller originally, but can get out of the contract this year with most of the guarantees paid out and a dead cap of 6mil this year. Bradbery is definitely a better zone corner. 

jackson is signed for 2 more years and we're pretty much stuck with him due to cap hit being too big. 

But in 23 Washington will definitely need to revamp their CBs if none of the young guys step up...  if they could flip Bradberry for Fuller, its a win.

[mhd24]

6 minutes ago, oraphus said:

The team overpaid for Fuller originally, but can get out of the contract this year with most of the guarantees paid out and a dead cap of 6mil this year. Bradbery is definitely a better zone corner. 

jackson is signed for 2 more years and we're pretty much stuck with him due to cap hit being too big. 

But in 23 Washington will definitely need to revamp their CBs if none of the young guys step up...  if they could flip Bradberry for Fuller, its a win.

If Wentz is the real deal, then CB is the obvious choice as the first round target next year.

[SkinsFTW]

3 minutes ago, mhd24 said:

If Wentz is the real deal, then CB is the obvious choice as the first round target next year.

 

They haven't drafted an Alabama DL in the first in a while though...

[MartinC]

Just now, SkinsFTW said:

 

They haven't drafted an Alabama DL in the first in a while though...

 

We waited until the 2nd round this year. Resisted temptation.

[dswerdlw]

In a vacuum, I don't think Bradberry would be a wise use of our assets. I just don't want to see him go to Philly, and they should be interested in him. Dallas might even have some interest, and it would suck if he went there. 

[SkinsFTW]

9 minutes ago, dswerdlw said:

In a vacuum, I don't think Bradberry would be a wise use of our assets. I just don't want to see him go to Philly, and they should be interested in him. Dallas might even have some interest, and it would suck if he went there. 

If that's the case then the thing to do it to drive up the price and still not sign him. 

 

If he's not good enough for that scrub Giants team then he probably isn't worth it. 

[mhd24]

I can see Bradbury going to SF if they can afford him.  CB is a major need for them.

[CommanderCarson]

At the right price or on a one year deal I’m all for it and would be shocked if we weren’t in the mix. All of the good teams these days are 3,4 deep at receiver. I understand the concern of man vs zone and making sure you are spending your money wisely but a good corner is a good corner. St Juste as your 4 and understudy to Jackson/Fuller for a year would be ideal. That’s the type of depth that can make a huge difference in a playoff run vs not. 

[Redskins 2021]

The price has to be right to sign him [Bradbury]. There was a rumored deal at the draft of the Texans trading for him but it did not go through. 

[clskinsfan]

2 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

 

True but when you got seemingly every elite QB on the planet on your schedule and an underrated part of what made the schedule tough is we got some of the 2nd tier QBs too, the odds aren't good that multiple variables would kick into play that would favor you.  In the mix of things, we got arguably one lucky break and that was the Seattle game.  We were not so lucky that we got Geno Smith but instead but we got Wilson playing with a bum finger that effected his play.  But there were too many great to good QBs stacked on that schedule back to back to bank on multiple lucky breaks IMO.

 

Agree, I mentioned the Fuller component a post above.  And also mentioned the money being key. 

 

 

This is what burns me up about the way they used WJ3 early in the year. He is a press corner. He has always been a press corner. So what does our coaching staff do? Sign him and stick him in zone. It made absolutely no sense at all. 

[oraphus]

5 minutes ago, clskinsfan said:

This is what burns me up about the way they used WJ3 early in the year. He is a press corner. He has always been a press corner. So what does our coaching staff do? Sign him and stick him in zone. It made absolutely no sense at all. 

while our coaching staff often shows inaptitude .. in this particular case they planed to play man and thats the reason they got jackson... only to realize that our "vaunted" D line and LBs could get zero pressure and our avg secondary was getting smoked, so they had to switch to zone... and then continued to get smoked 

[Voice_of_Reason]

All the Bradberry talk, the question I have is about Ben. St. Juice.  They were SUPER high on him last year.  He struggled a bit early, but it's unclear how much of that was him, and how much of that was the catastrophe that was the entire secondary, including Collins trying to play safety, and Kurl on the bench.

 

By the time they figured things out, St. Juice was hurt.

 

I haven't heard much about him this off-season.  I'd be very interested to know what their plans are, because at the beginning of last year, their starting 2 were Fuller and WJIII on the outside with McCain and Collins at Safety in base.

 

Then, for nickel, they would bump Fuller inside, and go St. Juice, Fuller, WJIII at CB, and then some combination of Kurl/McCain/Collins at Safety.

 

Then later in the year, they really went to that 3 safety look, when they kept Fuller outside with WJIII, and brought in Collins (Buffalo Nickel), Kurl (SS) and McCain.   This almost became their base, and replaced the 4-3-4 look.  

 

At times they would rotate Danny Johnson in there as well, who played pretty well. I can't recall who they took out when Danny came in. 

 

So, to me, it's a question of how you want to use your existing players?  What is the projection for St. Juice.

 

I'm not saying anything one way or the other.  I'm just curious as to how they want to build the secondary, because I feel like they are a bit in no-mans-land.  And I'm interested to see how it plays out. 

Just now, oraphus said:

while our coaching staff often shows inaptitude .. in this particular case they planed to play man and thats the reason they got jackson... only to realize that our "vaunted" D line and LBs could get zero pressure and our avg secondary was getting smoked, so they had to switch to zone... and then continued to get smoked 

Eh, I'm not sure about that. 

 

I will say, I actually DON'T think the coaching staff is inept, I think the fact they got to 7 wins last year with the defensive struggles and a backup QB playing QB, minus so many players due to injury, shows that they really do a good job in general.

 

That said, I DO think Jack came into the year with a BAD PLAN in the secondary, because they switched up too much of what was working.  They kicked Fuller inside and that screwed with him, they benched Kurl for no particularly good reason, played Collins way more than they should have, and asked WJIII to play differently than he had in the past.  That was from the get-go, not even after they figured out the DL was struggling.

 

I generally support them but my God, I think Jack had a bad start to the year.