Is paying Jason Taylor $8.5M the best use of salary cap dollars?

Basically, we're renting JT for one more season at $8.5M. If we don't go deep into the playoffs this season with JT as a key contributor, then that $8.5M will have been wasted.

On the other hand, if that same cap room were to be used on a couple of good young players at positions of need we may still get to the playoffs and we'll be building on our foundation for the future. We may even be able to trade JT for a draft pick. Tampa Bay, with about a zillion dollars in cap room, comes to mind as a possible trading partner.

For one thing, we need a solid RT. I don't know what the plan is to fix that position but if the plan is to hand it to a rookie, then it's a bad one because that's just too risky. Maybe the plan is to rent a Tra Thomas or Marc Colombo for a year. That would probably work. But wouldn't it be a better idea to sign Ray Willis who is an up and coming RT and is only 27 years old?

Also, with the cap room we save we should be able to bring back Demetric Evans, 29, who is a solid player at DE. What's wrong with giving Evans a nice raise and a promise that he will be the starter? He's earned it and he'll do a good job.

We may even be able to pick a FA SLB to help us out.

If we were to do all of these things, then we would have the freedom to draft the best available player, regardless of position, with each and every one of our draft picks. That should strengthen our team even more.

So here are the choices as I see them:

Jason Taylor

or

Ray Willis,
Demetric Evans,
Journeyman LB, and
Draft Pick

What are your thoughts on this topic?

Per Schneed and CC the Skins have enough room to have all the pieces you mention and Jason Taylor at $8.5 for 2009 (and totally cleared off the books in 2010 ... just in case). So you might be setting up a false choice. That is unless Willis gets significantly more money than Dockery and in that case would you really rather have him than a 1st rounder at RT?

Can they convert his salary into a bonus and use that for cap room to sign a RT like Willis?

You don't know what Willis is going to sign for but what is wrong with using a draft pick. Every other (good) team fills positions in the draft.

Personally, I think that the tackles in the draft (especially Oher and Smith) will be better than Willis.

Can we even trust Vinny to draft a starting RT at #13? Who knows what Vinny, with his "Best Available Player" philosophy, might do?

Can we even trust Vinny to draft a starting RT at #13? Who knows what Vinny, with his "Best Available Player" philosophy, might do?

Vinny's first round picks have been pretty good.

Vinny's first round picks have been pretty good.

All of the 1st rounders have been "no-brainers", meaning you can't give him credit for anything. ;)

Can we even trust Vinny to draft a starting RT at #13? Who knows what Vinny, with his "Best Available Player" philosophy, might do?

Unless you just absolutely distrust the FO, which is certainly a lot of people on this board, everything I have heard reported was that the lines were the area that they need to concentrate on. Vinny's comments on 980 Friday were that last years picks need to step up so he's not going with WR/TE. Along with getting a solid DT in Haynesworth, and the DB's are set, why would we not get an OL guy? Not much reason to think we would do otherwise that I can see.

If we can afford it, why not? It's only one year, and the one reason that sticks out to me that makes it more OK (cause I am not 100% onboard with it) is that he already knows the system, and he performed a lot better in the latter part of the season. Of course injuries took their toll on him, and now that he's a year older, that is a serious risk, but he does have a great work ethic. So, again, as long as we can afford it, sure.

All of the 1st rounders have been "no-brainers", meaning you can't give him credit for anything. ;)

I don't think people realize how many teams use the best available player philosophy (Packers, Ravens, Colts, just to name three off the bat)

Anyway, we'll take an OT at #13 I'd imagine, but if the best OTs are gone by 13 we'll go LB. We're not taking William Beatty, for example, at 13

he's definatley not worth 8.5 actually he should owe us 8.5 after last year..They are sayig that we made atwo year commitment , when are we going to ge the 1st year?..

he's definatley not worth 8.5 actually he should owe us 8.5 after last year..They are sayig that we made atwo year commitment , when are we going to ge the 1st year?..

Lol. The man played through a severe knee sprain and came back after a life threatening injury.