Current Redskins Salary Cap Status - 2009

Cornelius Grriffin, Shawn Springs, Santana Moss, Randy Thomas, London Fletcher, Phillip Daniels .... And that's only off the top of my head. Plenty of "core Redskins" on that list. Yes.. there were many misses, but let's give credit where credit is due.

As SS has pointed out in the past, we have had plenty of picks and our draft success (in terms of starters & players still on the team) is on par with that of NE.

Bad cap managment is only an issue if it forces you to forego obtaining talent or to get rid of talent b/c you can't afford it under the cap. We have, and always will (as long as DS is at the helm) managed fine under the cap. This is so because ready cash allows you to manipulate the cap and DS has shown he is willing to provide just that. Is there any player we have not aquired or been forced to cut b/c of bad cap management?

The problem, IMHO, is not bad cap management - it's the scattershot approach taken in team building. A lack of focus fostered by DS's unbridled desire and ability to make constant changes in looking for improvement.


Joe while the players you mentioned did well the problem has been that we managed to get them by overpaying for them and as a result our depth has been depleted severly - so when the eventually injury occurs and lets face it every NFL team has them - the Skins go down as a result because their is no quality backup depth - hence look at our offensive line this year.

Another thing that noone seems to talk about is that the method of going after big time free agents goes against the fact that the average age of NFL service is approximately 3-4 years - due to the violent nature of the game the human body breaks down - yes there are exceptions to the rule but most players simply do not last that long. So by going after the big time free agent you may think you are making a good bet because that player has proven himself in the NFL versus going the draft route, but what one must take into consideration is every year a nfl player takes a pounding and that is sooner or later going to have an effect on performance.

My take is we have tried Synders way for most of his tenure and we have seen the result - why not go after the best GM money can buy and let him build the team with the draft and see where it takes us instead? What do we really have to lose at this point of using the build through the draft method?

I thought this was a good read. I've actually done alot of thinking about this before and agree with him. The only thing I would have to add to this is that the colts pay players that have proven to work in their system. The skins sign players that we don't know will work and don't have a 100% success rate when when sign them to extensions.

As to the dead cap space issue, we will just have to disagree - dead cap only is a problem if you have to let go players or not aquire players b/c you can't fit them under the cap. I don't care if we overpay as long as DS keeps handing out cash. I do care that we have not had a focused theme in our team philosophy other than "do anything, get anyone" in hopes it will improve us. The cap simply has not been an impediment to our aquiring or retaining anyone we wanted to.

As to the depth issue, we have had lots of picks and it was how we used them that got us into trouble. Had we picked OLine instead of Davis and/or Kelly/Thomas would we be in the OLine mess now? maybe - maybe not. Or perhaps instead of Henson and/or Glenn? or D. Brooks?. We have had lots of missed opportunities and several "You picked who???" moments in the draft. Throw in a few dumb trades (Lloyd, Duckett) made b/c no one was there to say "whoa there buddy... we'll manage w/out those guys" and that to me is what has cost us our depth.

The article bashed DS for mishandling the cap. That is an old story that is simply wrong. DS has artfully managed the cap by spending cold hard cash to avoid its negative consequences.

Lack of focus in player aquisition (whether by FA signings, trades, or drafting) and a lack of long term strategy/philosophy is what brought us to this mess not bad cap management.

Joe I see what you are saying and to me your last sentence says it best and at some point Synder needs to spend the money first on the best front office money can buy. Without the savy to draft well and also the savy to not give away the farm in trades just what does the current front office do well in? simply paying more than any other team for top tier free agents means that the need to do this to compnesate for their lack of scouting ability and player personnel moves. Lets say we go to an uncapped sitaution and we really move into becoming the Yankees of the NFL - do you really think that will equate to becoming a dominant team? Without the proper mix of young and old I just don't see us getting to the next level consistently. As everyone here like to say they love Joe Gibbs I would simply answer back we also need to equally praise Bobby Bethard as well.

What does this FO do well? Aquire the players they want. Now, if they just had a solid long term plan to address what players they should want and when they should be getting them (and stuck to it), all would be good.

I absolutely agree that an uncapped year will not mean dominance.

I do take exception to the article on one specific point - he criticizes the Skins for signing AH rather than "looking for the next AH". Well, wait a minute... didn't we draft someone we hope will be the next dominant defensive player? Some guy named Orakpo??

Actually, the AH and Orakpo aquisitions demonstrate both the best and worst of this organization.

AH next to Rak on the Dline would allow the rookie to gain experience at lineplay while benefitting from the double teams AH requires. This would maximize AH's contributions while, hopefully, increasingly exploit Rak's apparent and special physical talents. Truly, a great aquisition of both youth AND experience while increasing depth!

B/c of our scattershot player aquisition, however, we actually have a solid DE in ACarter but no solid SLB. This situation created a huge hole in the defense. So, rather then having the rookie displacing the average-good DE (moving Carter to reserve and providing excellent depth), we have the rookie play out of position so that we can get his skills onto the field and somehow cover for our lack of foresight.

Thus, instead of an average-good SLB and an amazing DL combo, we have an poor SLB (sorry Rak - you're trying but you're not covering) and good DL combo.

More and more, I have come around to understanding and seeing SmootSmack's point that, b/c Danny wants so bad to win, he can't say no when scounts, coaches or personnel people say to him "this player will make a difference". Unfortunately, never saying no means no coherent plan.

The latest sheets are up

http://www.thewarpath.net/WarpathRedskinsCap.htm

Thanks Crazy Canuck

does this all go ca-put, if there isn't a cap? i know a lot of the rules change, but you can basically pay guys what ever you want?

and what a great job with Samuels contract. thanks summo