The Sun: Redskins letting the kids go out and play

[Saint Joe]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-sp.redskins26aug26,1,6045742.story?coll=bal-sports-football

Redskins letting the kids go out and play

Team manages salary cap with younger players such as Portis and Coles

By Jeff Barker

Sun Staff

Originally published August 26, 2004

ASHBURN, Va. - After acquiring the Washington Redskins in 1999, Daniel Snyder developed a reputation as a fan with a bankroll - an owner with a fantasy footballer's infatuation with big names and big numbers. Jessie Armstead. Mark Carrier. Jeff George. Deion Sanders. Bruce Smith. All had seen better days before arriving in Washington.

According to the front office staff, it's no accident that the team's highest-profile acquisitions have gotten younger in the past few years. Better, too.

"We learned because of the [salary] cap to put big money into young guys who can play out their contracts," said Vinny Cerrato, vice president of football operations. "You don't want dead money."

This year's big-name acquisition, running back Clinton Portis, will turn 23 next week. Last year's top signee, wide receiver Laveranues Coles, is 26.

Both are keys to this year's offense under returning coach Joe Gibbs and, if things go well, are young and talented enough to provide a foundation to build around.

Portis carried the ball seven straight times (for 37 yards) on Washington's first possession in last week's 17-0 preseason victory over the Miami Dolphins.

A harbinger of things to come?

"I'd say his tongue is going to be hanging out [in the regular season], let's put it that way," Gibbs said.

Portis may be flashier than the players Gibbs is accustomed to - he speaks his mind and possesses a flotilla of expensive automobiles - but Gibbs said he admires the running back's work ethic and durability.

Center Cory Raymer, who is back with the Redskins after two seasons with the San Diego Chargers, said there is a marked difference in the team's offseason pickups this time around.

"The guys we brought in the last handful of years, even when I was here the first time, they were more 'I, I, I' guys," Raymer said. "There were some hell of a football players for their positions, but as far as the team feeling, the team atmosphere, the team first - that they weren't," Raymer said.

"But this year, Coach Gibbs said it right off the bat - he wants to bring in nothing but Redskins-type players. You'd take 53 no-names over two or three All-Pro guys who have been around for 10 years or so," Raymer said.

With Gibbs back after an 11-year hiatus, it is once again in vogue at the training facility here for players and staff to talk about attracting players of "Redskins" character, meaning they are diligent workers.

"We did a good job identifying the kind of Redskin people we wanted," said Gregg Williams, the assistant head coach for the defense.

Among those is Mark Brunell, 33, who is vying for the starting quarterback spot. Topping the list of defensive pickups are safety Sean Taylor, 21, the first-round draft choice from Miami, and linebacker Marcus Washington, 26, a fifth-year player acquired from the Indianapolis Colts.

Cerrato said he knew Washington was good - he had six sacks last year - but that the linebacker has gotten higher marks than expected, making him one of the surprises of training camp.

"Marcus has been a joy to coach," Williams said. "I missed on him coming out of college, and I'm very glad that I get a chance to make up for that mistake." Williams was defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans when Washington came out of Auburn in 2000.

While all clubs aspire to obtain well-rounded players, Redskins coaches insist that Gibbs makes it a priority to attract players who can meld with a team and aren't irresponsible in their personal lives.

They said it is no accident that this year's pickups include wide receiver James Thrash, acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles, who took online courses so he could graduate from Missouri Southern in 2001 - four years after joining the NFL. Or cornerback Shawn Springs, who similarly returned to get his Ohio State degree six years after being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks.

Gibbs "wants a guy that loves the game, who likes the work and who is a good person on and off the field," Cerrato said.

Springs, who is from Silver Spring, said Gibbs' presence helped sell him on coming to Washington.

"Everybody said, 'You'll love him,' " said Springs, whose father, Ron, was a Dallas Cowboys running back.

NOTES: Linebacker LaVar Arrington is expected to miss his second straight preseason game on Friday night when the Redskins play the St. Louis Rams. He has a sprained left knee. ... Since his arrival, Gibbs has surrendered his reserved parking spot at Redskins Park and given it instead to the team's "Player of the Week."

[Art]

Interesting article.

More than the movement toward youth in free agency which has really been going on for three years now you can see a difference in the TYPE of guys we're getting. As Raymer mentioned, the difference between guys who are more closely identified with the team than they are with their own success.

I think Bruce Smith was a pretty good player for us for a couple of years. But, he was far too selfish for what we needed. Same with Deion. Adding guys who are good people but who are also team oriented will help bring a team cohesiveness we haven't had in years.

It's one thing I wonder about Philly this year.

Years of letting their top players go instead of paying them, the consistent aspect of things was they generally built from within, using guys who'd been in the system to replace guys who weren't there. Now, they continue letting top players go this offseason, but, they add the feature of getting big-money free agents from the outside.

One, Owens, is an "I, I, I" guy like Raymer mentioned. Kearse, I think, is more a team guy. But, how this sits with that team after watching so many guys they've fought wars with NOT get paid only to see guys they haven't fought wars with GET paid might be a pressing issue for Philly if they struggle some this year early on.

[thito_da_skins_fan]

Originally posted by Art

It's one thing I wonder about Philly this year.

Years of letting their top players go instead of paying them, the consistent aspect of things was they generally built from within, using guys who'd been in the system to replace guys who weren't there. Now, they continue letting top players go this offseason, but, they add the feature of getting big-money free agents from the outside.

One, Owens, is an "I, I, I" guy like Raymer mentioned. Kearse, I think, is more a team guy. But, how this sits with that team after watching so many guys they've fought wars with NOT get paid only to see guys they haven't fought wars with GET paid might be a pressing issue for Philly if they struggle some this year early on.

I agree, Art, but I think winning cures everything.

Once you start winning, everything else is forgotten.

[AzSkinsFan63]

If you want Dan's money you got to be legit....

works for me!

[ZkinsFan]

deon was/is an idiot overrated non tackling player.

[Jimbo]

All of these Gibbs articles are giving me the warm, fuzzy feeling I always had when Gibbs was here before. With this coaching staff and philosophy, I just don't see how we could field a bad team. The fact that this team will feel like it's capable of winning every game will be a huge improvement over what Spurrier was able to instill in his players.

Right now, I'm ready for the season to start but I'm not overly psyched or worried, just comfortable in the fact that Gibbs is in charge.

[Pocono]

Kids?

Brunell- 34- 8.4M SB

Springs-29- 10M SB

Barrow-34- 2.5M SB

Daniels-31- 3M SB

If you don't want dead player charges like Vinnie said in the article giving these guys long term contracts is a funny way to go about it IMO.

[SNEET]

This goes back to what I had been saying long before this year's draft.

That we should not, COULD NOT, draft Kellen Winslow Jr. He is not of Redskin character.

We should, and DID, draft Sean Taylor. He IS a Redskin. (and the better football player)

[thito_da_skins_fan]

Originally posted by Pocono

Kids?

Brunell- 34- 8.4M SB

Springs-29- 10M SB

Barrow-34- 2.5M SB

Daniels-31- 3M SB

If you don't want dead player charges like Vinnie said in the article giving these guys long term contracts is a funny way to go about it IMO.

Do you know anything about contracts?

Look at the base salaries in the first few years for those players mentioned.

All the contracts are backloaded, they won't see half of that money.

The signing bonuses are prorated.

I'm sure you know all of this, but it's easier to be a dick.

[Wicked99]

gotta love you pocono. you can't just keep to yourself and refrain from posting some negative s**t in every topic can you? by the way in your post you mention 4 players. that would be 4 out of a 53 man roster correct? only 2 of them will possibly retire in the next couple of years anyways so i don't think that dead money will hurt that bad. i'd be much more concerned about giving up a crazy amount of money to a defensive end who loves getting hurt. how is kearse doing by the way?

[barefoot]

Originally posted by Pocono

Kids?

Brunell- 34- 8.4M SB

Springs-29- 10M SB

Barrow-34- 2.5M SB

Daniels-31- 3M SB

If you don't want dead player charges like Vinnie said in the article giving these guys long term contracts is a funny way to go about it IMO.

BACKLOADED. Get 3-4 years and the signing bonuses will be absorbed. If then cut, cap impact very minimal.

[pga]

Wow, this in the Baltimore Sun?

Amazing....this must be a new guy cuz you rarely see anything written with a good tone about the Skins in that paper. You see more things about B-More hating Skins fans than anything.

[Pocono]

Originally posted by thito_da_skins_fan

Do you know anything about contracts?

Look at the base salaries in the first few years for those players mentioned.

All the contracts are backloaded, they won't see half of that money.

The signing bonuses are prorated.

I'm sure you know all of this, but it's easier to be a dick.

Actually you're agreeing with me. The signing bonuses are prorated over the life of the contract for these players. All of these contracts were designed to be terminated well before the salaries get large as you mention. When they are terminated the future SB proration will be accelerated into the current cap year or the following cap year if done after 6/1. When this is done it results in DEAD MONEY. Whether you think this is a good system or a bad system it's still going to result in DEAD MONEY. I think signing a player like Brunell as a starting QB for 2 years and spreading the cap hit over 4 years by cutting him after 6/1/06 is very good cap management if he starts. I'd like to see the Eagles do more deals like this.

It's just seems to me that Cerrato saying "you don't want dead money" is kind of an idiotic statement when Snyder's system of cap management revolves around spreading the cap hit out into future years thus incurring DEAD MONEY.

[thito_da_skins_fan]

Originally posted by Pocono

Actually you're agreeing with me. The signing bonuses are prorated over the life of the contract for these players. All of these contracts were designed to be terminated well before the salaries get large as you mention. When they are terminated the future SB proration will be accelerated into the current cap year or the following cap year if done after 6/1. When this is done it results in DEAD MONEY. Whether you think this is a good system or a bad system it's still going to result in DEAD MONEY. I think signing a player like Brunell as a starting QB for 2 years and spreading the cap hit over 4 years by cutting him after 6/1/06 is very good cap management if he starts. I'd like to see the Eagles do more deals like this.

It's just seems to me that Cerrato saying "you don't want dead money" is kind of an idiotic statement when Snyder's system of cap management revolves around spreading the cap hit out into future years thus incurring DEAD MONEY.

The fact is the bulk of the signing bonus will have already been paid once the player gets released. It shouldn't take more than 2-4 years to pay off the majority of the bonus. Therefore, when a player is cut, the cap hit is very minimal, as is the DEAD MONEY.

And Brunell WILL start for 2 years. Maybe 3. So in your opinion, it's good cap management. Which contradicts your earlier statements.