ESPN Insider- Scouting Inc. : Best & Worse Off Seasons

[bubba9497]

By Todd McShay

Scouts, Inc.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1817795

One reason that June 1 is no longer the dramatic date on the NFL calendar that it once was is because players and agents are smart enough to realize that they don't want to be part of it. Teams have a lot more money to work with on April 1 than they do on June 1, so players tell their agents to get a deal done in April rather than having to scramble in June.

Each year there will be some stubborn players (ie. Eddie George) who will try to hold their respective teams hostage, but there is a growing sentiment among NFL players that they are better off taking a lesser deal in April than rolling the dice as a free agent in June, when few teams have money left under the salary cap.

As a result, few teams will be able to significantly upgrade their roster between now and the beginning of the 2004 season. The Browns can still get a trade done to send Tim Couch to Green Bay as Brett Favre's backup. DT Daryl Gardener should become a Bengal soon. Zack Bronson is still available, DC Tyrone Williams has talent but is aging and inconsistent, C Dave Fiore can probably start for a few teams, and RB Trung Canidate could make a decent third-down back. Two impact linebackers are still available in Jason Gildon and Jeremiah Trotter.

For the most part, however, what you see is what you will get as an NFL fan. With the draft in the books and free agency coming to a painfully slow halt, it seems appropriate to sing the praises of those teams that improved their roster the most, or to point fingers at those teams that failed to make significant upgrades.

The following is a breakdown of the five teams that we feel have improved their respective rosters the most, followed by the five teams that failed to address their necessary needs:

Five most productive offseasons

Detroit Lions

President and CEO Matt Millen has taken a lot of heat for the organization's 10-38 record under his watch, as well as for some of his unusual and immature antics. Granted, the addition of coach Steve Mariucci has made Millen's life easier, but after the 2004 offseason, it is difficult to question the direction of this team.

Brock Marion should improve the Lions' secondary.

The Lions made a big splash in free agency on both sides of the ball. Fernando Bryant is the second solid starting cornerback (Dre Bly, 2002) the team has signed in the last two years. While Brock Marion is aging, he is still one of the better free safeties in the NFL and represents a significant upgrade at the position. The secondary, which was recently the team's biggest weakness, now is a strength with Bly and Bryant at cornerback along with FS Marion and SS Brian Walker.

The Lions also used free agency to upgrade their offensive line with the addition of OG/OC Damien Woody. With Dominic Raiola at center, Woody is likely to start at left guard next to LOT Jeff Backus. The other side of the line was already solid with ROG David Loverne and ROT Stockar McDougle.

With those moves in place, the Lions shifted their focus to the skill positions on offense, as well as linebacker and cornerback depth in the 2004 draft. The Lions only came away with six selections but they made the most of what they had -- practically robbing the Browns by acquiring their second-round pick to move down just one spot from pick No. 6 to No. 7 in the first round. In doing so, they were not only able to get the receiver they wanted in Roy Williams, but they also had enough ammunition to trade back into the first round for RB Kevin Jones at pick No. 30.

Now, after drafting QB Joey Harrington in the first round in 2002, WR Charles Rogers in the first round in '03, and Williams and Jones in the first round in '04, the Lions suddenly have potentially the most explosive group of skill players in the NFL.

After significantly upgrading their offense with their first two picks, the Lions shifted their focus to the defensive side of the ball with their next three selections, OLB Teddy Lehman, DC Keith Smith and OLB Alex Lewis. Lehman will challenge James Davis for the starting WLB position, Smith will provide depth as a nickel or dime cornerback, and Lewis will contribute as a situational pass rusher and on special teams.

Finally, while the recent signing of TE Stephen Alexander shouldn't be considered front page news, Alexander potentially upgrades one of the team's only remaining weaknesses if he is able to stay healthy.

Jacksonville Jaguars

For starters, they put a franchise tag on S Donovin Darius and were able to re-sign DE Tony Brackens and PT Chris Hanson. The Jaguars did lose Fernando Bryant at the cornerback position, but they brought in several adept players to challenge Kiwaukee Thomas for the role of left cornerback in Juran Bolden, Dewayne Washington and Lewis Sanders opposite starting RDC Rashean Mathis. The addition of FS Deon Grant should help solidify the Jags' secondary and should improve the overall playmaking potential of the group.

Brackens and Hugh Douglas are aging players coming off disappointing seasons, but the Jaguars have seemingly lit a fire under Douglas, who has the talent but clearly did not show up in shape or play with great passion in '03. If both Brackens and Douglas play to their potential and stay healthy in '04, the Jaguars will have a terrific front four with DTs John Henderson and Marcus Stroud anchoring the middle.

The Jaguars added Mike Peterson via free agency in '03 but made another potential upgrade at SLB with the second-round pick of Daryl Smith. At the very least, free-agent addition Greg Favors will rotate with the younger and more athletic Smith on passing downs.

The Jaguars also used the draft to upgrade their offense and to give second-year starting QB Byron Leftwich some weapons to grow old with. Drafting Reggie Williams in the first round gives the Jaguars a huge upgrade at a position of need. Williams has the size and speed to open things up underneath for Jimmy Smith to work. The team also has decent depth with Troy Edwards and rookie fifth-round pick Ernest Wilford, who should develop into a solid possession slot receiver in the near future.

Drafting Greg Jones in the second round was not expected, but they got him at a great value and he provides them terrific insurance. Jones can take some of the carries away from the oft-injured Fred Taylor and potentially develop into a quality starter when Taylor's days in Jacksonville are over. By using their top two picks on Williams and Jones, the Jaguars improved their skill positions to ensure that Leftwich will always be surrounded by quality talent.

Finally, while it was not a major move, the addition of Ephraim Salaam gives the Jaguars insurance at the tackle position and should help to motivate LOT Mike Pearson. If Pearson improves on last year's performance, this line has an opportunity to rank among the elite in the NFL in '04.

Washington Redskins

As of June 7, the Redskins had traded for two players -- QB Mark Brunell and RB Clinton Portis -- re-signed eight players from last year's roster, and signed 14 other free agents. New head coach Joe Gibbs wanted to turn over the underachieving roster quickly, and that's exactly what he did. After several years of signing the biggest names with no sense of filling needs and finding good fits, the Redskins finally seem to have a plan. In our opinion, they upgraded eight positions from a year ago, including Brunell at quarterback, Portis at running back, James Thrash at No. 3 wide receiver, Cornelius Griffin at defensive tackle, Phillip Daniels at defensive end, Marcus Washington at "strongside" linebacker, Micheal Barrow at middle linebacker and Sean Taylor at free safety.

They also signed Shawn Springs to fill the void left by Champ Bailey. While Springs is not an upgrade over Bailey, he is an upgrade over what they had at the position at the time. Furthermore, the Redskins brought in Walt Harris as their No. 3 cornerback. Harris is still an adequate starter and becomes a terrific No. 3 subsequently giving the Redskins a terrific No. 4 DC in Rashad Bauman.

After making more waves in free agency than any other team in the NFL, the Redskins also plugged a couple of holes on draft day. The team needed to upgrade its safety and tight end positions, and did just that by drafting Taylor in the first round and Chris Cooley in the third. The team obviously had a tough decision to make between Taylor and TE Kellen Winslow II with the fifth overall pick, but it had concerns about signing Winslow and getting him into camp on time.

Adding a playmaker to the secondary like Taylor will help soften the blow of losing CB Champ Bailey (Broncos), and he could make the biggest impact of any defensive player from this draft. Not only can he line up like an extra linebacker in the box, he is also a terrific playmaker while playing deep and has the cover skills to stay with slot receivers in man coverage. It wouldn't surprise us if Taylor quickly developed into the most versatile safety in the NFL.

After electing to take Taylor instead of Winslow at No. 5, the Redskins quickly made a trade in order to get into position to draft Cooley in the third round. For a team that had few needs left, the move made a lot of sense. Cooley was the fourth-rated tight end behind Winslow, Ben Troupe and Ben Watson on our board. While he lacks the explosiveness of the top three, Cooley is a prototypical Joe Gibbs-type of H-back with the consistency, toughness, intelligence and hands to contribute right away.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings entered the offseason needing to find a No. 2 wide receiver. The teams was also hoping to upgrade at defensive end, outside linebacker, and cornerback. They hit a home run.

The Vikings were able to pry CB Antoine Winfield away from the Jets at the last minute, giving the team the shutdown cornerback it has been missing since the Dennis Green era.

They also were able to coax Marcus Robinson into signing a reasonable deal as the team's No. 2 receiver opposite Randy Moss. The job is only a temporary one, as second-year pro Nate Burleson should emerge as a quality No. 2 shortly, but with Moss, Robinson and Burleson working in the team's three-receiver package with Daunte Culpepper at quarterback, Michael Bennett at running back and Jim Kleinsasser at H-back, the Vikings are as explosive as it gets on offense.

The Vikings are counting on Kenichi Udeze to contribute immediately.

The focus shifted back to the defense on draft day, where the Vikings were able to upgrade their 23rd-ranked unit from a year ago by using five of their top seven picks on that side of the ball. The Vikings got a great value with DE Kenechi Udeze. With last year's top selection, Kevin Williams, moving inside next to DT Chris Hovan, the Vikings have a much improved defensive line from a year ago.

The team also added a versatile defensive lineman in Darrion Scott, who will help provide depth on running downs at the defensive end position and can help rush the passer from the inside on obvious passing situations. His versatility will be a key to the Vikings keeping their active front-four better rested after it clearly wore down a season ago. Kenny Mixon, Nick Rogers, Lance Johnstone and Scott can all play in a rotation at the right end position and Mixon and Chuck Wiley can also help to spell Udeze at left end.

The Vikings were able to potentially draft an upgrade at outside linebacker in the second round with Dontarrious Thomas, who played both inside and outside linebacker while at Auburn. Thomas is certainly an upgrade in terms of speed and athleticism over what the team had in Henri Crockett from a season ago. With the addition of Thomas, the Vikings are likely to move Chris Claiborne to SLB, which would give the Vikings one of the youngest and most athletic linebacker corps in the NFL with WLB Thomas, SLB Claiborne and MLB E.J. Henderson. The unit also has great depth with Raonall Smith, rookie Rod Davis and Mike Nattiel.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles changed their free agency motto from quantity to quality in 2004. After reaching the NFC Championship Game the last three years but failing to take the next step, coach Andy Reid and vice president of player personnel Tom Heckert Jr. decided that it was time to mortgage off a little bit of the future in order to give the '04 team its best chance to win it all.

In doing so, the Eagles addressed their two biggest weaknesses -- wide receiver and defensive end -- with two of the best players at their respective positions, Terrell Owens and DE Jevon Kearse. Owens gives the Eagles' offense a level of speed, toughness and confidence that it has lacked throughout the Reid-era. While some teams were afraid of Owens' antics, the Eagles don't have much concern with the veteran leadership they already have on the team -- not to mention that QB Donovan McNabb and Owens have become close friends in the last year.

While there will always be durability concerns surrounding Kearse, he has the potential to give the Eagles even more pass rushing ability than Hugh Douglas provided prior to his departure via free agency. With Kearse coming off the edge, DT Corey Simon drawing double teams in the middle, and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson maintaining his notoriously aggressive blitzing approach, the Eagles will be scary to block. They better be, because as a result of the money they spent on Owens and Kearse, they were unable to re-sign either of their long-time starting cornerbacks, Troy Vincent (Bills) and Bobby Taylor (Seahawks), which means second year pros Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard must step up in the attacking man-to-man scheme.

The Eagles did lose starting SLB Carlos Emmons in free agency but were able to replace him with Dhani Jones. Emmons is more experienced and tougher versus the run than Jones, but Jones is younger and is a better fit in Johnson's scheme because he's faster and more athletic.

Also, while we didn't love the Eagles draft as a whole, they were able to upgrade their offensive line with the addition of massive OG/OT Shawn Andrews. The team will eventually move Andrews into Jon Runyan's spot at right tackle, but will let him get his feet wet at left guard, where former starter Bobbie Williams was let go due to his lack of toughness.

Five most disappointing offseasons

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers had an excellent draft. By moving down twice in the first round, they were able to acquire several extra picks while still getting a quality first-round receiver in Rashaun Woods. Furthermore, they addressed their needs at guard and nickel cornerback with Justin Smiley and Shawntae Spencer, respectively, and then improved their depth at wide receiver with Derrick Hamilton. While they wait for Hamilton to develop, they elected to take a chance on inconsistent receiver Curtis Conway, who should help to solidify the position.

The 49ers lost more talent than any other team this offseason.

However, that's where the positives end. They lost starting QB Jeff Garcia and WR Terrell Owens via free agency. While the two didn't get along very well, it would have at least been nice to keep one of them -- namely Owens. The 49ers, as mentioned, were at least able to patch up their receiver position via free agency and the draft, but their answer at quarterback is Tim Rattay, who has just three NFL starts under his belt and is currently nursing a groin injury that required surgery. Behind Rattay on the depth chart are Ken Dorsey, Brandon Doman and rookie Cody Pickett, none of whom have taken a snap in a regular season NFL game.

Other key losses in the off-season include RB Garrison Hearst, WR Tai Streets, TE Jed Weaver, OG Ron Stone, DB Zack Bronson, DT Travis Kirschke and DC Jason Webster.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans had their hands cuffed in free agency due to their strenuous salary-cap situation. They did a nice job of addressing their needs along the defensive line by using four of their first six draft picks on linemen. However, the Titans' salary-cap mess resulted in the loss of DE Jevon Kearse and DT Robaire Smith. Also, while we agree that Eddie George no longer deserves the money he is set to earn in '04, they will find themselves in a difficult situation if his deal isn't restructured.

The team was able to keep both of its offensive tackles in place by re-signing Brad Hopkins and Fred Miller. However, the Titans enter the season with a lack of depth along the offensive line, an untested starting running back in Chris Brown, who has had durability problems in the past, a first-year starter at left defensive tackle in Rien Long, and two starters in RDE Carlos Hall and MLB Rocky Calmus who ideally should be sub-package contributors.

The Titans still have one of the league's best signal callers in Steve McNair, one of the most underrated receivers in Derrick Mason, one of the league's best playmaking linebackers in Keith Bulluck and a solid all-around secondary to go along with one of the league's best head coaches in Jeff Fisher, but we just don't see how the Titans avoid a drop-off in '04.

New York Giants

The addition of top pick Eli Manning has overshadowed the fact that the Giants are not a very good football team from top to bottom. The future is obviously bright with the addition of Manning along with several other young players who possess a lot of upside. However, the Giants finished 4-12 a year ago and outside of getting a few players back from injury, this is not much of a better football team than it was a year ago. Furthermore, while their division rivals the Eagles, the Redskins and, to a lesser extent, the Cowboys have improved their rosters during the offseason, the Giants have not.

The Giants brough in a one-year contingency plan at quarterback in Kurt Warner, but who is to say that Warner, who has lost eight-consecutive starts, is going to miraculously rebound with a change of scenery?

The Giants lack depth at receiver behind Amani Toomer and the oft-injured Ike Hilliard. They made some minor improvements with Chris Snee at right guard and the additions of former Browns starter Barry Stokes at left guard and Shaun O'Hara at center, but if Stokes and O'Hara were so good, why did the Browns let them go from a unit that was considered the team's biggest weakness? Granted, the offense should improve with the healthy return of Jeremy Shockey, but RB Tiki Barber is undersized, gets almost no rest, and can't seem to heal his fumbling woes.

The defense has a lot of promise in the future and it also was able to bulk up at the "strongside" linebacker position with the addition of Carlos Emmons, but RDT William Joseph and RDE Osi Umenyiora are still enigmas after miserably disappointing rookie seasons. The team is without a legitimate starting middle linebacker after losing Micheal Barrow via free agency, it downgraded at WLB by signing Barrett Green for the departed Dhani Jones, and Omar Stoutmire is still a matchup liability at free safety.

New York Jets

The Jets missed out on veteran safety John Lynch.

The Jets had a solid draft, which helped to make up for other sins, but they still had a very disappointing offseason. They were spurned by DC Antoine Winfield and/or SS John Lynch. Failing to sign Lynch was not nearly as big as the Winfield situation, as the team was able to rectify the situation with the signing of another solid veteran in Reggie Tongue. However, the Jets missed out on one of the elite cover corners in the NFL in Winfield. The team subsequently signed David Barrett, but with the Jets trying to use more man-to-man coverage schemes in order to blitz up front, it could not afford to lose out on Winfield. As it stands right now, the Jets have two cover-2 cornerbacks in Donnie Abraham and Barrett as their starters in what is supposed to be a man-to-man scheme.

The Jets were able to trade for a decent No. 2 WR in Justin McCareins to start opposite Santana Moss, but there is no guarantee that Wayne Chrebet will hold up as the team's No. 3 receiver and neither Jonathan Carter nor fourth-round pick Jerricho Cotchery can be expected to fill that role.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs were able to keep last year's roster largely intact by re-signing 12 players from the '03 roster. They also added insurance by signing backup QB Damon Huard. The problem, however, is that the team just didn't have the money in the offseason to bring in a premier starter on the defensive side of the ball.

Impact defensive players such as DBs Antoine Winfield, Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor and Shawn Springs and DE Jevon Kearse were being dangled in free agency, but the Chiefs were unable to do anything about it.

The one big move the team made was to sign ROT Chris Bober, but that was only a reaction to losing restricted free agent John Tait to the Bears. Bober should be a solid starter, but the Chiefs got worse as a result of losing Tait.

The Chiefs had a chance upgrade their team through the draft, but surprisingly opted against selecting a defensive tackle and wide receiver with their first two picks. The move to trade out of the first round with the Lions was a wise one on the part of the Chiefs front office because it meant they avoided paying a receiver or defensive tackle first round money, but could still wound up with a quality player in DT Junior Siavii at pick No. 36. What confused us, however, is why they elected to chose TE Kris Wilson over some available receivers such as USC's Keary Colbert, who was selected by the Panthers with the very next pick, or even Fresno State's Bernard Berrian.

The Chiefs did get a solid backup quarterback in case Trent Green goes down, but they did not get the impact receiver they wanted. They got a little bit worse along their offensive line and broke up the continuity of that group. Defensively, where they needed the most help, they added a potential starter in Siavii, but Chiefs might have to wait until '05 to reap their rewards of that pick.

[Om]

Damn. All that good karma, without even mentioning Gibbs, Williams, Bugel, Breax, Blache, Simmons, Byner ... ?

I love the media.

[PCS]

Sigh. Just can't wait to see this all in action come September, (er...knowing the history of the Gibbs preseason and all).

Oh. Over/under on time for some type of " Kings of offseason" or some other silly comment from visitors representing other teams.

[Skyward72]

Can't wait to see if the product is as good as it is on paper.

[akrpsu]

I just can't wait, is it football season yet?

[bubba9497]

Originally posted by Park City Skins

Sigh. Just can't wait to see this all in action come September, (er...knowing the history of the Gibbs preseason and all).

Oh. Over/under on time for some type of " Kings of offseason" or some other silly comment from visitors representing other teams.

you mean the fine feathered fans of the "Princes of Preseason" Eagles

Or the "Premenant Bridemaids" Eagles

or the" team color is Envy Green" Eagles?

[PCS]

Those would be the perennial "This is our year" fans yes.

[MumboSauce]

I just hope finally this is the year/season that all of the off season moves/splashes, and whats on paper actually equals success and improvement...Gibbs is the main factor along with the other coaches, so I know they will be better...just more or less want to shut up the rest of the naysayers, opposing teams and media for once.

I'm beyond tired of hearing , you guys make all of these moves and buy all of these players and you still suck come regular season. This time has to be different...and it will be, for the better.

"New head coach Joe Gibbs wanted to turn over the underachieving roster quickly, and that's exactly what he did. After several years of signing the biggest names with no sense of filling needs and finding good fits, the Redskins finally seem to have a plan."

[Larry]

Originally posted by Park City Skins

Those would be the perennial "This is our year" fans yes.

Yeah, don't you hate those lame homers who always think their team's going to be better, this year?

[PCS]

Sigh. :doh: Try to have a little fun........

[Tom [Giants fan]]

New York Giants

The addition of top pick Eli Manning has overshadowed the fact that the Giants are not a very good football team from top to bottom. The future is obviously bright with the addition of Manning along with several other young players who possess a lot of upside. However, the Giants finished 4-12 a year ago and outside of getting a few players back from injury, this is not much of a better football team than it was a year ago. Furthermore, while their division rivals the Eagles, the Redskins and, to a lesser extent, the Cowboys have improved their rosters during the offseason, the Giants have not.[/Quote]

I would like to know this guys qualifications to make the statement that the Giants have not improved themselves by the 30+ moves they have made this offseason.

The Giants brought in a one-year contingency plan at quarterback in Kurt Warner, but who is to say that Warner, who has lost eight-consecutive starts, is going to miraculously rebound with a change of scenery?[/Quote]

And who is to say he won't?

The Giants lack depth at receiver behind Amani Toomer and the oft-injured Ike Hilliard.[/Quote]

This I will agree with. After Hilliard and Toomer there is young potential but right now, it is only potential.

They made some minor improvements with Chris Snee at right guard and the additions of former Browns starter Barry Stokes at left guard and Shaun O'Hara at center, but if Stokes and O'Hara were so good, why did the Browns let them go from a unit that was considered the team's biggest weakness?[/Quote]

This right here shows this guy doesn't know what he is talking about. The Giants had four rookies who didn't know what they were doing starting the last five games. If the Giants suffer that many injuries again, which is unlikely, they will have veteran depth. Right there is a huge improvement. And there are too many questions right now about health to say the Giants won't improve. Rich Seubert is the big question mark. If he recovers in time for training camp, the Giants OLine is going to be solid.

Granted, the offense should improve with the healthy return of Jeremy Shockey, but RB Tiki Barber is undersized, gets almost no rest, and can't seem to heal his fumbling woes.[/Quote]

His point about Barber is the reason he fumbles. I read where Barber said a lot of his fumbling problems is because of exhaustion. The Giants didn't have a backup they trusted until they tried Dorsey Levens at the end of last season. The year they used Dayne as the Thunder and Lightning combo, Barber received plenty of rest and didn't have the kind of fumbling problems he has had. But Barber has bulked up in his upper body to make himself stronger to help with holding onto the ball.

The defense has a lot of promise in the future and it also was able to bulk up at the "strongside" linebacker position with the addition of Carlos Emmons, but RDT William Joseph and RDE Osi Umenyiora are still enigmas after miserably disappointing rookie seasons.[/Quote]

Joseph defnintely disappointed. I agree with that. But Osi U. was not a disappointment at all. He was a rookie, what was he supposed to do? Get 10 sacks? The Giants were very pleased with his progress. Actually, a big part of the problem the Giants and Chargers had with their trying to trade in the draft was that the Chargers wanted Osi U. The Giants said there is no way he was tradeable. I'll trust the Giants over this jerk.

The team is without a legitimate starting middle linebacker after losing Micheal Barrow via free agency, it downgraded at WLB by signing Barrett Green for the departed Dhani Jones, and Omar Stoutmire is still a matchup liability at free safety.[/Quote]

I'm not going to argue about the MLB. Nick Griesen is unproven and it appears the job is his or Quincy Monk's.

Many of the players on the team were glad when Dhani Jones was let go. Jones had a reputation of doing his own thing on the field which was responsible for some big plays. Jones is a very smart guy but he thinks he knows more than the coaches.

Stoutmuire isn't a great safety which is why Alexander was brought in. Omar S. gets his big hits once in a while but he does have some problems at safety. This one I will agree with too.

Overall, I agreed with three points, well, two and a half. This guy has no clue about the Giants. How he can say the Cowboys improved even slightly and the Giants did not shows he has no sense of evaluating NFL talent.

Good thing he gave the Skins props or you guys would be doing what I just did.

[PCS]

A point by point breakdown tom? Extreme's rubbing off on ya.

[skinsanity56]

Originally posted by Larry

Yeah, don't you hate those lame homers who always think their team's going to be better, this year?

--------------------

LOL..........good one larry..:point2sky

[LadyNRedskinsfan]

why do people still consider david loverne to be solid??

[yank]

After upgrading 8 of 24 positions (I think its 19 of 24 if you add moving Lavar to WLB) the agreements by this board with Parcells statement that we had the best talent in the division seem pretty lame. It was not even close to the best talent - it was below average.

Gibbs and Williams knew that right away and ditched the players that sucked (save Champ of course - that was a whole different

issue).

Said a different way, if we upgraded the talent on the most talented team in the division at 40% of the positions and added a world class coaching staff we must be a shoo in for 2 or 3 SB rings.

Most talented team last year - what a joke ...

[Burgold]

We had talent, but too little discipline and fight.

[Pocono]

I always think reviews such as this should take into account how what a team does in the off season effects their future. In order to do what the Skins did they traded 2 of their 05 draft picks and will eat 5M of dead player money in 05 and will also use 10M of 05 cap space to cover prorations from the big contracts that were signed. The Eagles augmented their 05 draft by picking up a 2nd and a 3rd/4th and a 5th and by limiting their FA activity put them selves in position to gain another 3-4 compensatory picks. They will carry no dead player charge from their 04 activity and will absorb only a 5M hit in 05 for proration from FA contracts written this off season.

Next year the Skin's ability to add FA's will depend on how many players they are willing to cut while the Eagles will enter the 05 cap year between 25-30M under the cap depending on how much of our present 10M of 04 cap space we end up moving to 05. It's clear that while making improvements in 04 the Skin's sacrificed some of their future and that the Eagles sacrificed some of their present to make their future better.

[The Sisko]

The other side of the line was already solid with ROG David Loverne...

This statement about David "Turnstile" Loverne called this guy's credibility into question right away. However, much of the rest of his commentary regarding the teams turned out to be pretty accurate.

Sorry Tom, but I just don't see Warner doing much with a suspect OL. Also, his comments about the Gints picking up Browns throwaways to allegedly upgrade your OL were spot on. It would be like another team picking up guys we cut from our DL to "improve" their DL. The Gints are a couple of drafts away from really contending, but be patient dude, it will happen. Just enjoy it while it lasts, that is until Coughlin wears out his welcome with the players.

As for our talent level, I don't think Parcells was entirely wrong. We did have a very talented team last year. However, many of our guys had injury issues, were very poorly coached and worse were given no discipline and/or direction. This year, things will be different. I promise you.

[f_dallas]

I won't comment on whether I agree with the guy's assesments or not, but the emtire piece is ripe with inaccuracy.

There were several facts on the Eagles were completely wrong.

- The signing of Kearse/Owens didn't prevent them from re-signing Vincent/Taylor- they chose not to re-sign those guys.

- Andrews will be playing RG, not LG.

- Bobbie Williams wasn't a starter- he just started the second half of the season due to the starter, Mayberry, being injured) and he was also at RG

I'm sure there was more, but that's all I could remember.....just seems like the guy doesn't know many of his facts.

[Funkyalligator]

I hope the skins do what they did last year and with whatever extra money they have start converting signing bonus to salary or whatever they did so that they can reduce cap hits and such for next year and the year after...they will probably have some money lying around during the season......

[The Rook]

Originally posted by Pocono

It's clear that while making improvements in 04 the Skin's sacrificed some of their future and that the Eagles sacrificed some of their present to make their future better.

This has ALWAYS been Gibbs method. Get the people you need this year NOW. Trade the future draft pick for a guy or pick this year. Next year, trade one from the following. I think his 3-1 record in the Super Bowl bears him out. Make the future better? The point is to win the Super Bowl each year.

:cheers:

[Art]

Originally posted by Pocono

I always think reviews such as this should take into account how what a team does in the off season effects their future. In order to do what the Skins did they traded 2 of their 05 draft picks and will eat 5M of dead player money in 05 and will also use 10M of 05 cap space to cover prorations from the big contracts that were signed. The Eagles augmented their 05 draft by picking up a 2nd and a 3rd/4th and a 5th and by limiting their FA activity put them selves in position to gain another 3-4 compensatory picks. They will carry no dead player charge from their 04 activity and will absorb only a 5M hit in 05 for proration from FA contracts written this off season.

Next year the Skin's ability to add FA's will depend on how many players they are willing to cut while the Eagles will enter the 05 cap year between 25-30M under the cap depending on how much of our present 10M of 04 cap space we end up moving to 05. It's clear that while making improvements in 04 the Skin's sacrificed some of their future and that the Eagles sacrificed some of their present to make their future better.

Yes, Pocono, it's clear the Redskins sacrificed some of their future when they signed a 21-year-old franchise running back, added a rookie fixture at safety, brought in players with many years left like Griffin and Washington and bolstered an already young team at the core.

Obviously, this is ignorant on your part. An offseason is judged on the offseason. It's not judged on next offseason. Next offseason we might really have a bad one. We might only add one or two free agents and four or five draft picks. But, that isn't what measures this offseason. Especially not when the offseason completes a team that has young players at each level of the defense to build around. Well, except defensive line. But, that's gotta come soon, right .

[H@iL2Gibb$]

The odd?!?! This writer didn't bash the Skins.

:bucsuck: :gaintsuck :dallasuck :brownsuck :ravensuck :bearsuck: :packsuck: :lionsuck: :cincysuck :eaglesuck :steelersu :49ersuck: :vikesuck:

[Pocono]

Originally posted by Art

Yes, Pocono, it's clear the Redskins sacrificed some of their future when they signed a 21-year-old franchise running back, added a rookie fixture at safety, brought in players with many years left like Griffin and Washington and bolstered an already young team at the core.

Obviously, this is ignorant on your part. An offseason is judged on the offseason. It's not judged on next offseason. Next offseason we might really have a bad one. We might only add one or two free agents and four or five draft picks. But, that isn't what measures this offseason. Especially not when the offseason completes a team that has young players at each level of the defense to build around. Well, except defensive line. But, that's gotta come soon, right .

Art you are evidentially a graduate of Bubba's school of ageotology. Portis is 22 and will be 23 on 9/1/04. Remember to get him a card because you don't want anyone to accuse you of being ignorant of the age of your star RB. As for all these players you brought in or re-signed with many years left here are some names you omitted and their age at the start of the season.

Tupa-38

Barrow-34

Brunell-34

Baxter-33

Kozlowski-33

Mitchell-33

Albright-33

Raymer-31

Rasby-31

Daniels-31

Harris-30

Sellers-29

Springs-29

Salave'a-29

Thrash-29

In your defense I know these players would be considered young by your coaching staff but then again everyone who doesn't qualify for the senior discount on the Earlybird Special is considered young by Gibbs and the other geriatric generals. The rest of the football world would consider these players to be a might long in the tooth though.

[ntotoro]

He said core players, Pocono. I don't think any one of those guys is considered a core Redskins or a nucleus around which future teams will be built. The only one over 30/31 I can see staying for some time is Ethan Albright and that's only because long-snappers can play until they're like 70.

I never thought I'd see the day someone my own age was considered old for something...

Nick