Goodbye to Westbrook. Why do people care?

[kleese]

For the life of me, I can't figure out why some people would like to see Westy come back to the skins.

First, I'll grant you a few things:

1. Injuries seriously hampered his years here.

2. He is talented.

3. He seems to have matured somewhat over the years.

4. He pretty much kept his mouth shut and played hard this year.

5. In the right situation he could be a very good #2 WR and probably put up some decent numbers.

HOWEVER..........

Michael Westbrook is a symbol of all that has gone wrong in the past 9 years in Washington. Bottom line, the guy played 7 seasons for this team after being the #4 overall pick, and only one year did he even come close to fulfilling his promise. I don't care why-- injuries, attitude, poor play calling, bad offense, etc..... bottom line is that good players find ways to get the job done-- Westbrook never has.

He isn't a great route runner and he doesn't have exceptional speed. He is very big and he uses his body well, but he is also quite fragile. He is of value in certain situations, but I don't think he instills fear in CB's hearts.

And don't forget...

He gets MAJOR cases of the "dropsies" at times. My fuse finally burned out with him this year in the Eagles game in DC. Down 10-6 in the third quarter, we're putting together a very nice drive. Banks makes a really good throw on a deep out and puts it right in Westbrook's hands at about the Eagles' 19 yard line for a first down. Westy flat-out drops it. What would have been a sure field goal and possibly a TD turns in to 0 points because we can't make a play when it's right in our hands.

Folks, I hate to sound so harsh, but Westy is a loser-- plain and simple. Now, he may be able to catch on somewhere and be productive in the right role and with a change of scenery, but that place ain't here.

I am not totally sold on Marty and crew anymore, but they sdo deserve at least one more year. In that year, I would like for as many of the "Norv era" guys to be jettisoned. We cleaned house last year, but there are still a few lingering. The sooner we get rid of those guys, the sooner we'll be able to tell how much of the problem is with Marty, and how much of the problem lies in the past.

I've said it before, I'm not even opposed to getting rid of Davis under the right circumstances.

But I KNOW I want Westy outta here. If you have a good O line (which we do-- with possibly just a little OG tinkering) and you have a good QB (which will be the off-season focus I assume) then, you're WR's aren't THAT important. We could find some mid-level free agent of a thrid round pick to replace Westy no problem.

It will be good riddance. I wish he could take a few others with him.

[@DCGoldPants]

and replace him with whom?

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[Art]

Kleese, understand that I realize we can get equivilant production to what Westbrook brought this year by signing a ham sandwich and actually throwing it the ball. Losing Westbrook is not a blow to this team any more than losing Kalu was a year ago. It doesn't matter what the player does in the future. The fact is, the performance brought to this team is not so high that the loss can't be mitigated pretty easily.

But, Westbrook is not a symbol of what has gone awry in Washington. He's a symptom. We've had coaching staffs over the last nine years that believe in what they do. From Norv's "What we do works,", to Marty's, "Keep it close, see where you are late, and have a chance."

And what they do isn't necessarily what the team can do or what is best for the players. Westbrook has never been utilized. Norv's offense was ALWAYS designed to go hot to the side away from coverage. It didn't matter if Westbrook was open or not. If coverage was rolled that way, the play went hot elsewhere. Marty's offense doesn't have such a sophisticated belief. It is simply predicated on establishing Gardner .

Westbrook is NOT a symbol for what has gone wrong. He is a talented player who has not lived up to his potential which any host of talented players who've come here have failed to do. It's the symptom of being cast in a team structure that for nine years has simply refused to accentuate the players on the field and instead stays slavish to the system.

Arrington was a HUGE disappointment last year. And he was because he was cast in Rhodes structured system with little ability to show what he could do. Shade struggled for years, because we kept allowing him to get caught in coverage. This year, especially after the early portion, he's lost a ton of coverage responsibility. That has gone to Terrell and Shade has been left lurking frequently as the extra man both in run and pass coverage.

Wilkinson was either taken out on pass rush situations, or never properly utilized as an upfield, explosive penetrating tackle until now. What we've seen from Marty is, on defense, the symptoms of misused players being repaired. But, even that isn't where you'd want it. Marty tried miscasting these players early with no pressure and little man coverage. Even so, he still relies too much on a defensive line to create pressure that has not proven it can without help from blitz packages we don't use enough of, leaving our strengths, the corners, in coverage far too long.

But, that's a nit. Marty has adapted his defense as the season as gone on. He's changed things up there. He hasn't on offense, so, lingering signs of what we have been remain. We've always been a team that fails to use the talent we have in ways that the talent appears any good. Westbrook may be the last symptom to be removed.

But, in the mean time, here he is, hardly used, ignored in the offense and rarely relied upon, and he's the team's top receiver in terms of receptions. It's got to make you wonder, at least a wee bit, what might be the case if the ball went his way in situations other than an afterthought, or, on four-yard curls or crosses. Doesn't it at all?

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Doom is in the box.

[RF4L]

Absolutely right, Ed. That drop in the Philly game was the last straw for me, too.

He has been a major, major bust for the Redskins, considering his draft position.

Good riddance to Michael Westbrook, I say, and I sure wish people would stop calling him "Westy", as if he's somehow endeared himself to Redskins fans. This man will not even be an erasure on the list of all-time great Redskin wideouts.

"Heartbreak Mike" is a more appropriate moniker.

[Brave]

Kleese - I have a lot of the same feelings toward Westbrook as you do. I was frustrated during his "immature" years, frustrated with all the injuries and then somewhat ambivalent towards him when he didn't fit in the scheme this year. Even his best year wasn't outstanding for a #1 guy ... merely good.

Despite all of this it wouldn't bother me to keep the guy if he would stay on at a cost reflective of his worth. The team needs to get rid of players based on making the team better, not based on who drafted him. If we can replace him with a comparable WR for the same or less money I'd say do it. If we can't we should at least entertain the thought of bringing him back.

[shamaran]

Right on, Kleese!

Mike needs to go. His attitude has always seemed to indicate he is the blameless, poor little step-child of someone. First, he blammed Norv, then Robiskie, then Marty. This year he said that he'll just keep his mouth shut and do what he's told. Yeah, right.

If he leaves, it will be a breath of fresh air IMO -- "Poor little picked on Mike."

[Redskinstailgate]

I have been shipping him out of here his whole career, now I feel like I want him back. I guess I am a glutton for punishment.

P.S. Where ever he ends up I promise you he will be everything we expected and more. Just hope he is in the AFC.

[GURU]

My opinion is that we already know pretty much what we'll get with Michael Westbrook: A few big plays and a couple of big games a season. 65 catches in his best season? After 7 years, does anybody honestly think he's going to become a star now?

He's a talented athlete who just doesn't seem to love the game of football enough to max out his talent. Has he matured? Yes, somewhat. He is simply more clever with his sleights against coaching staffs by barely veiling them with "I'm just doing what they tell me" comments. Westbrook has never been a team player.

Since we know what we're going to get with Westbrook, I think it's time to explore other possibilities. I'm not sure sinking money into free agency at that position is wise, just yet. We have more pressing needs and the salary cap doesn't give us unlimited spending. I don't think a high draft pick on a receiver is ideal, either. Not this year, anyway. I think we can work with what we have and still get at least the same production as Westbrook. Maybe better.

I actually like Kevin Lockett. I think he's been underutilized. He runs great routes and catches everthing. He's not going to stretch the field much, but has the ability to be a Keenan McCardell-type starter. I know some of you would like someone with more blazing long speed to pair with Gardner, but that's not the only formula to success. Gardner still has the ability to be a big play receiver, and he is already commanding double teams when they send him downfield.

And I really want to see what some of the youngsters can do after a year of digesting the offense. There's a very intreaguing blend of size and speed in guys like Thompson, McCants, and Skaggs.

Frankly, I'm about as ambivalent about Michael Westbrook as he's been about the game of football and the Washington fans.