Casserly Keeping his options open

Wouldn't building a team with the focus on free agents instead of the draft impede the teams ability to build continuity due to the salary cap when high priced free agents salaries escalate out of control whereas a drated player (outside of high first round picks) come relatively cheap.

Also aren't draft picks taken in the lower rounds more hungry to prove themselves versus someone who gets a $10 millin bonus (AA ring a bell?)

I guess, but I think that generally speaking a FA is a proven player that has shown to be able to play at the NFL level. A draft pick may or may not be able to take it to the next level as we have painfully recognized. I think AA is a rare exception regarding expensive FA busts.

Also, I do agree that you have a better chance of building depth through the draft but that's sort of countered by having a higher quality starting roster, in my opion that was built through FA.

Personally, I like a nice even mix of draft picks and FA. I have a"win now" mindset though which favors getting immediate starters (FA) to fill gaps in the roster.

The 2005 draft is typical. Look at our mid round picks:

4 19 120 Manuel White Jr. FB UCLA
5 18 154 Robert McCune LB Louisville
6 9 183 Jared Newberry LB Stanford
7 8 222 Nehemiah Broughton FB The Citadel

The Scouting Dept. for the Skins SUCKS! Heck, even the "cant miss" picks haven't panned out. Carlos Rogers is not a No. 1 corner in this league, No. 2 corner maybe, but he ain't a legit No. 1. And don't give me the "well, everyone says he was can't miss so you can't blame somebody" If that's the case, then just buy Mel Kiper's list on draft day and take the best player on the board. Scouting depts are supposed to find the good players and shy away from the overrated players.

I guess, but I think that generally speaking a FA is a proven player that has shown to be able to play at the NFL level. A draft pick may or may not be able to take it to the next level as we have painfully recognized. I think AA is a rare exception regarding expensive FA busts.

Also, I do agree that you have a better chance of building depth through the draft but that's sort of countered by having a higher quality starting roster, in my opion that was built through FA.

Personally, I like a nice even mix of draft picks and FA. I have a"win now" mindset though which favors getting immediate starters (FA) to fill gaps in the roster.

Would you consider Lloyd to be one of these players? What about the kick returner we got from the Jets that we paid a draft pick for and gave an above average salary for?

I agree that getting some free agents is a must but to go at it the way the Redskins do with as much disregard for the draft does not make sense to me as far as long range planning goes.

I will say the one area I wished the Redskins would spend above average money on and do it early is a kicker if Suisham does not work out.

I guess, but I think that generally speaking a FA is a proven player that has shown to be able to play at the NFL level. A draft pick may or may not be able to take it to the next level as we have painfully recognized. I think AA is a rare exception regarding expensive FA busts.

Also, I do agree that you have a better chance of building depth through the draft but that's sort of countered by having a higher quality starting roster, in my opion that was built through FA.

Personally, I like a nice even mix of draft picks and FA. I have a"win now" mindset though which favors getting immediate starters (FA) to fill gaps in the roster.


The problem IMO is that draft picks let you get a player locked in for 4-6 years at a relatively cheap price. An overpriced FA hits the cap alot harder with bigger signing bonus and salary. Look at Cooley's contract, he was really cheap the past few years so we could use money to acquire FAs. If you give away picks, or if they don't make the team, then you've missed out on cheap talent.

Didn't Casserly draft Heath Shuler?

He also drafted Champ Bailey.

Quite true. I am a huge SEC fan and I think if you asked anyone who followed the SEC if Heath Shuler was going to be a good pro they would have said yes.

What the current front office does not do is somehing I wish someone at Redskin Park would be able to pull off was the trade Casserly made with Mike Ditka when we got all the draft picks from the Saints - absolute steal.

But I don't see Gibbs working with any GM as he wants to prove to everyone that holding down both the coach and GM positions can work.

I remember watching Shuler back when he was at Tenn. He wore that silly #21 for a QB. I honestly never saw any NFL talent in him. At the time he was more of a running QB and was not playing in a pro style offense. Perhaps you can fill me in on this but I remember him running a lot of option plays. I believe at the time Tenn. was not even running the type of offense they do now. And when he got here you could see that the 7th rounder, Gus F. was much more ready for the NFL game than Shuler was. The pick just made no sense what so ever.

Casserly has screwed up the texans so bad it will take years for them to recover,how he has a job is beyond me,he wouldnt even look at Vince Young because he didnt want to admit he made a mistake with Carr,the dude sucks,I dont want him no way no how

i can't see him ever coing back to the skins,except as am attendee at a game.he left the skins decent before he left though!he really screwed the texans up though!

Casserly has screwed up the texans so bad it will take years for them to recover,how he has a job is beyond me,he wouldnt even look at Vince Young because he didnt want to admit he made a mistake with Carr,the dude sucks,I dont want him no way no how

So you are happy with the moves the front office has made in the past 3 years?
I am not saying get Charley tommorow, but the "collective mindset" at Redskin Park has produced 2 years of misery and if not for a 5 game winning streak another year of missed playoffs.

Here a question I pose - if the current person in charge was not named Joe Gibbs would they still have a job after the season was over or would pretty much everyone in town say the current managment in place needs to go?

Would the person in charge have three Super Bowl Championship rings, and a long proven history of success at the highest levels in the sporting world?