Derrius Thompson

[BogeyMan]

Today's Maske article in the WP mentioned that Thompson has signed a one-year deal for $563K - Spurrier had some very nice things to say about him.

I think that means that there is no way a receiver is drafted in the first round.

[The Mayor of Fed Ex Field]

We always saw somthing in that guy. He has the size and speed and he never was cut. I could see this guy playing a major role . In this new offense three average WR's will do better than one great and two not so great.

[RiggoRanger]

Thompson has looked great at camp the past few years, but for some reason never gets much playing time. I think he could be a solid contributor to the offense. In fact, to me we are set at WR with who we have on the roster now (even more if Westbrook resigns). There is no pressing need to draft a WR. Use the picks on road graders and run stuffers, Vinny!!

[OrangeSkin]

I think Thompson will was signed primarily to be a kick-returner, and he may get some time as a fourth or maybe even third wideout, which means he will get significant minutes.

[The Mayor of Fed Ex Field]

Yo are think about Winston October. Thompson can't return kicks, he is to tall.

[OrangeSkin]

I guess I was thinking of Darnerian McCants. I'm not sure which one I was thinking of. Dammit, I always get those two mixed up.

[The Mayor of Fed Ex Field]

or McCants. I lik McCants alot. I thought he was better than Gardner in camp last year.

[Montilar]

Skaggs was the one who looked interesting returning kicks.

[Mickalino]

The fact that Derrius Thompson has all the NFL receiver measurables is nothing new. What would actually be a shocker however, is if he showed some skills, and did it in a game - something we havnt seen in how many years of him taking up a roster space ? The comments Spurrier made about Thompson, are things all of us already knew. So why are we all of a sudden getting giddy about this guy, when nothing has really changed ? Neither us, nor Spurrier, have yet to see Thompson excel in a game , even a preseason one. I'll believe in this guy, when I see it. Until then, he's just another Nigel Williams.

[inmate running the asylum]

You are very perceptive Mick, and I feel the same way. We have been told now for 4 years how much potential Thompson has; size; 4.55 speed for a guy his size etc.,........ but when is he going to turn this potential into production?

In three previous years the guy has caught 3 passes! Even in three preseasons he has really done nothing, playing against guys who are now pumping gas or bagging groceries at the local markets. The fact that he has made the team the last three years, probably indicates how weak the depth of our WR corps was, more then anything he has shown. He has been taking up a roster spot now for four years and catching balls in practice doesnt impress me.

Until Thompson shows me something -- assuming he makes our roster this year -- im afraid it will indicate again we dont have any depth at WR. He has also done nothing in games to speak of as a kickoff returner.

Hmmm. Its Sunday..... maybe I'll go to church today. Nah....... the church would probably fall in on me. I think I'll stay home and eat last nights leftover enchiladas :mexican: ........ and finish off this swill that Die Hard sent over. :pint:

[fish]

Yep,

Plus, Spurrier's comments were about what you'd expect from the coach after siging a player. You DEF wouldn't expect to have him say that he's a dirtbag after we just inked a deal.

I'm hoping that with the "wide open" offense we are now gonna run, the WRs will get more opportunities and some of these guys get thier chance. Of course, good argument could be made that they've been given thier chance at every training camp.

Another aspect will be thier mental abilities. They're gonna have to be smart enough to grasp yet another offensive "system".

If all the guys we have turn thier "potential" into performance - Sage, the WRs etc. - well then, we could be sitting nice!

[Gamebreaker]

Well, Thompson did get a touchdown last season. Although it was a trick play, and the only successful trick play we had all season.

I've never thought much of Thompson, nor Skaggs and McCants. I care about production in a game, if these didn't end up on the field. Obviously, it's because of something they failed to do in practice. And since we haven't exactly put awesome recievers on the field in the last few years, it just shows how luck these guys are to be here, and not somewhere else.

[NavyDave]

The point is you give these guys a chance t show that they can perform.

We have thee big guys with speed who havealso produce on special teams got raves from Smoot and Champ about their skillz when they went against them on the scout teams.

Yet we are supposed to waste a first rounder on another WR when we may have another MCCardell and Thrash wasting away

because they did go to Big Name University.

[inmate running the asylum]

Come on NavyDave.... you cant go by what fellow players say about each other, especially when they are on the same team. I mean you cant expect Champ or Smoot to say anything derogatory about the WR's..... at least not publicly. They have to live and play with these guys every day.

So mutual praise dont cut it with me. The fact of the matter is that Thompson has caught 3 balls and this is his 4th year, and he has never done anything in the preseason either. If he is so good then he should have pushed Westbrook out of a starting job, which wasnt saying much last year.

[Gamebreaker]

Well look, we'll have our final answer on these guys pretty soon. Because I don't take Spurrier as the kind of coach who will let a roster spot be taken by a player who simply has "potential", and not even have alot of money tied up in him.

I have the feeling that if Thompson, McCants, and Skaggs don't show they can be productive, they'll be out of there faster than Spurrier's visor can hit the ground.

[Montilar]

You can go by what teammates say depending on how it was mentioned. Champ praised Skaggs when he was asked by a reporter about going up against the hardest working reciever in the league (Rod Smith) just before the Denver game. Champ said Skaggs was the hardest working reciever he'd ever seen. He wasn't asked about Skaggs; he was asked about Rod Smith. But his comment was essentially "why should I worry about Rod Smith? Skaggs is the hardest working reciever I've ever gone against."

[inmate running the asylum]

Yeah but you cant believe everything you are told and read. You have to take what teammates say about each other with a grain of salt. If Skaggs was go great, how come he was cut and passed through waivers with 30 teams passing on him, before being resigned to the practice squad.

Personally I think he has a lot of potential. Maybe more than Thompson. Nevertheless he was cut last year and Redskin receivers who played, didnt exactly set the world on fire last season.

Its just that I think that four years of potential for Thompson is enough, and if you arent going to show anything within that time, you probably are never going to realize your potential.

I mean Im a die hard Redskin fan too, but I am not naive enough to believe that all 53 players we have on the roster are great.

[NavyDave]

Inmate so you are saying that when Champ said his solid game aginst Rod Smith of the Bronc due to his practice against Skaggs was BS?

Last year was political and the idea that we would have benched Westy who renegotiated his contract and was purposely igonred until the board members and local media publicly questioned Marty and T Banks is silly.

Even when the season was lost and the media asked Marty if he would give looks to Skaggs and D Mac because Westy will become UFa after the game he said no and he didnt pla on plying Graham until the knee injury took out T Banks.

So due to us having a d!ckhead as a coach lastyear, who didnt take advantage of the game to evaluate those young players we dont really know how their game translates from practice to real game situations.

Remember when we had Thrash and we stuck with the slow and old Irving Fryar until injuries to westy,fryar and Connell left Norval no choice but to play him and when we saw what he could do he took his game to philly.

[indyskinsfan]

Fact Norv Turner and Marty Schottenheimer, both had one thing in common (Marty controlled Jimmy Raye's hand on WHO would be used on game day!). They both leaned on the in-house favorites too heavily. Week in and week out, they're stubborness negated the chances for rookies to see any significant playing time, UNLESS they were coveted in the first round or second. Marty's exception even stung Gardner who was fiesty and willing to burn up the track, but he gave Raye instructions to give that to guess who. Then when the "go-to-guy" couldn't get open or Banks was having tea, Gardner was actually making grabs of screwed up passes or having strange knuckleballs thrown his way or none at all!

How can anyone assess the talent in the game, when they weren't even in it!!!!!! How can anyone diss them or come so close to it , when it's very obvious they would have been gone a lot sooner.

Of the three of those guys, 2 WILL make that roster, not because we were so BAD in depth, but they are that good!

When and if we let anyone of them go, based on the previous coaches in 2000 and 2001's decisions, watch to see how long they are in street clothes.

Man, how I laughed when they said, "I think that's a bad move on Gibbs starting Timmy Smith in a SB game, of all things". "He must know something, we don't". Yes he does, and that's why he's the head coach.

[bulldog]

The Redskins should have been better than .500 under Turner in 2000 and COULD have been better than .500 last season if Marty had left the decisions of who to start at quarterback and wide receiver in the hands of someone with some prior experience as an OC in the NFL.

An argument can be made the Skins were a kicker away from 11-5 in 2000 and a mid-tier qb such as Trent Dilfer away from 10-6 last year.

But for one reason or another Norv and Marty had flaws that prevented them from seeing the big picture.

Norv's teams never played really good defense, actually until 2000. They consistently finished no better than #19 or #20 in the NFL and were worse for much of the 1990's.

Marty's team was second to last in offensive production in 2001, edging out only Cleveland, whose quarterback missed most of the season and a team that didn't have a legitimate NFL running back or upper echelon receiver.

Hopefully, under the new administration equal attention will be paid to BOTH sides of the ball and for once the Redskins will be a team out there on the field, instead of one unit that is dragging its counterpart along for the ride

[inmate running the asylum]

Inmate so you are saying that when Champ said his solid game aginst Rod Smith of the Bronc due to his practice against Skaggs was BS?

No NavyDave Im not necessarily. Im just saying you cant swallow everything whole that everyone says about a fellow teammate. You have to try to look at all the circumstances. Mainly my gripe is not against Skaggs or McCants, but against Thompson. Skaggs and McCants deserve another year or two for development to see what they can do. Personally I think those two do have potential and would not like to see them cut.

But Thompson in my book doesnt have that leeway. This is Thompson's 4th year and he has been unable to break into the starting lineup and has a total of 3 catches! One of which came on a trick play. Now I can even understand that somewhat. But more importantly when he had a chance to shine -- in three preseasons -- Thompson has done didly squat against second rate players who are now bagging groceries. So where is all this potential Ive been reading about for 4 years?

James Thrash did not take 4 years to develop. Even as a rookie he returned two kickoffs back-to-back for touchdowns.

Plus Thompson is not making the $225k rookie minimum. Thompson is making $563k. For that amount of money we could bring in an experienced veteran for the NFL minimum, who could even start at some position.

[NavyDave]

Ok.

Derrius was n my doghouse for that stupid personal foul on a running play that led to a three and out.

And I agree with him being on the ejector seat compared to D Mac and Skaggs.