Some Optimism from a Pessimist - The Skins CAN Reclaim Greatness

I haven't checked it out but I heard someone on WPL say that our 53 man roster at the beginning of the year was the oldest in the league.

I have heard that a number of times as well, but then Theisman goes on the air each week talking about how the Skins are a young team that needs patience. I think they are an old team. Maybe time for a youth movement.

Things are not that bad, we draft and/or or FA sign a few OL, draft a RB and LB and this team is in the thick of things even with Campbell. We are not the Raiders, Rams or Lions.

Exactly my point. Some of the shittiest teams of all time were able to turn things around in a hurry and go onto to do great things. The Rams were one of the teams that made the list. They were eternally crappy until the stars aligned under Vermeil and a grocery clerk named Kurt Warner. They were good for years, but obviously couldn't sustain it, because they're awful again;)

Damnit, my wife hijacked my laptop again. Someone close this thread. The Skins will always suck;)

Being reminded that teams were able to go from 1-15 to 11-5 or even onto win the Super Bowl (the Cowturds) gave me hope. The Saints were terrible FOREVER, and now they're a perennial contender. Maybe we turn things around this year, or maybe we hit rock bottom and only get better next year and beyond. Either way, things will turnaround. They have to!

Not really...if we keep building teams that are so fragile that they can't even get out of Week 5 without having their competition level shattered by one or two injuries then things don't necessarily have to change.

All of the turnaround teams have had good football people in place. I can say that because we wouldn't have heard of them if they didn't have those football people there. This team has no solution to their loss of Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels...


As long as the football people here are building teams with that much fragility then there is no reasonable possibility for things to turn around ever.

Not really...if we keep building teams that are so fragile that they can't even get out of Week 5 without having their competition level shattered by one or two injuries then things don't necessarily have to change.

All of the turnaround teams have had good football people in place. I can say that because we wouldn't have heard of them if they didn't have those football people there. This team has no solution to their loss of Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels...


As long as the football people here are building teams with that much fragility then there is no reasonable possibility for things to turn around ever.

You're probably right, but the teams that made the list didn't make any drastic changes to management and/or ownership (with the exception of the Dolphins with Parcells). They just started doing things differently or, in some cases, just struck lightning. We either have to hope Snyderato has learned from this season OR that Snyder sees the light and fires Cerrato.

Here's the problem with the Redskins. We're always trying to toss a band-aid on our problems rather than really getting dirty and doing a few unpopular things. Every year we sign a new FA or two to bolster a weak area. What this does is keeps us a mediocre team. One thing almost all the above mentioned teams did, was go through a rebuilding process. Get young guys, let them build some chemistry together, and continue on -- the Redskins have yet to ever rebuild, at least in the classical sense of rebuilding.

In my opinion, this group has been given a very fair shot -- it's time to decide who the building blocks of this team are, and start putting young talent around them. The Redskins, up to this point, have had the easiest schedule in the NFL hands down, and we've barely managed two wins. That's pathetic and shows deep deep problems. What on earth makes you think we'll all of a sudden get it against better competition.

Blow it up, rebuild for a few years, and come back stronger than ever.

Exactly. Each year we add a new piece to the puzzle hoping that this is the final combination that will take us to the next level. Instead of building a foundation, we just put on new additions. If it doesn't work, we'll try a new addition. If that doesn't work, just add another. Then another. Then another. On and on it goes.

You're probably right, but the teams that made the list didn't make any drastic changes to management and/or ownership (with the exception of the Dolphins with Parcells). They just started doing things differently or, in some cases, just struck lightning. We either have to hope Snyderato has learned from this season OR that Snyder sees the light and fires Cerrato.

I keep saying this, but our "core Redskins" have given us all they're capable of giving. Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, and Clinton Portis have peaked. From this point on, they will do nothing but go downhill. This is especially true of the O-line. The door has already been slammed shut on Chris Samuels and Randy Thomas. Those were veteran fixtures that had been on the decline for awhile.

These turnaround teams you speak of had promising players that had not yet reached their potential. The pieces were already in place. Our pieces have been in place since 2005, 2006. In some cases further back than that. Now we're seeing them begin to crumble.

If there's a turnaround in store, it won't be with the players we have right now on this roster.

I keep saying this, but our "core Redskins" have given us all they're capable of giving. Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, and Clinton Portis have peaked. From this point on, they will do nothing but go downhill. This is especially true of the O-line. The door has already been slammed shut on Chris Samuels and Randy Thomas. Those were veteran fixtures that had been on the decline for awhile.

These turnaround teams you speak of had promising players that had not yet reached their potential. The pieces were already in place. Our pieces have been in place since 2005, 2006. In some cases further back than that. Now we're seeing them begin to crumble.

If there's a turnaround in store, it won't be with the players we have right now on this roster.

i agree with your final sentence more than any other i've read. the skins are in desperate need of some new people,in management,yes but just as much in players. the roster needs to be drastically different next season.

i agree with your final sentence more than any other i've read. the skins are in desperate need of some new people,in management,yes but just as much in players. the roster needs to be drastically different next season.

It would also be a crime if we have all new players next year and the same front office or coach in place.

The overall idea for this rebuild effort should be fresh change from top to bottom.

The thing is, sometimes rebuilding happens whether management wants it to or not. Problem is -- and this has been said before -- if it's Snyderatto doing the rebuilding, this team is going nowhere.

You just know our first pick next year will be a quarterback...

i think a return to greatness is possible in a short amount of time(2 years?) and just maybe dan can get a new coach and gm and finally sit back and just be a fan and watch football and write checks?