No Such Thing as a Quick Fix

PainTrain,

I think you hit the nail right on the head! The first thing we do need is stablity and I think changing coaches and QBs like we change our socks isn't displaying any sense of stablity. I think in a sense, it was good that Gibbs stuck with MB as long as he did, because at least we feel he will stick it out with PR long enough to see if he is going to be the leader of our offense. I also think you hit the nail on the head when talking about the coaches around the league who have winning records and who would be in the playoffs if the season where to end today. It is going to take longer than a year for this team to get on track and it appears to see any signs of improvement, it might also take longer than a season. Everybody and their brother that are not Redskins fans all echo what the media is saying about Joe Gibbs and needing to step down and retire. I cannot wait until we all can laugh in their face and say I told you so to all the doubters!!

Stability, the anti-Snyder. The sad truth that we have to face is that we just are not that good of a football team right now. That does not mean that we can't win in the future, and but we do have to look at how we've done things the past few years to see what needs to be corrected.

First and foremost we need to accept that we're not "a player away" from competing. Is it the wideouts, the quarterback, the line, the h-backs, what? We've got to stop changing the roster so dramatically year after year. Every year we go out aggressively in the offseason, we've won the past four Summer Super Bowls, and every year we find new ways to lose games. How do you lose when you have the #1 defense in the league?

Every year under Snyder we've changed our approach, and it doesn't look like this offseason will be any different as I'm sure Snyder is waiting with his checkbook in hand. I think that is a mistake, for four years running we've let Snyder's checkbook do the talking and our team just continues to decline.

I'm a little confused about Paintrain's saying we need a defensive playmaker. I thought we traded Champ Bailey because we decided that we'd build around LaVar, so he's our playmaker. He's the best player we have on defense, and I do agree that Sean Taylor will share that role with him, hopefully like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed in Baltimore. But I think once we get LaVar back we'll see a domino effect on defense, Washington, Smoot, Springs, and especially Taylor will begin to make more plays. We don't lack playmakers on defense, unless Paintrain is saying that Snyder gives out those $10 mil signing bonuses to just anybody.

Stability, the anti-Snyder. The sad truth that we have to face is that we just are not that good of a football team right now. That does not mean that we can't win in the future, and but we do have to look at how we've done things the past few years to see what needs to be corrected.

First and foremost we need to accept that we're not "a player away" from competing. Is it the wideouts, the quarterback, the line, the h-backs, what? We've got to stop changing the roster so dramatically year after year. Every year we go out aggressively in the offseason, we've won the past four Summer Super Bowls, and every year we find new ways to lose games. How do you lose when you have the #1 defense in the league?

Every year under Snyder we've changed our approach, and it doesn't look like this offseason will be any different as I'm sure Snyder is waiting with his checkbook in hand. I think that is a mistake, for four years running we've let Snyder's checkbook do the talking and our team just continues to decline.

I'm a little confused about Paintrain's saying we need a defensive playmaker. I thought we traded Champ Bailey because we decided that we'd build around LaVar, so he's our playmaker. He's the best player we have on defense, and I do agree that Sean Taylor will share that role with him, hopefully like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed in Baltimore. But I think once we get LaVar back we'll see a domino effect on defense, Washington, Smoot, Springs, and especially Taylor will begin to make more plays. We don't lack playmakers on defense, unless Paintrain is saying that Snyder gives out those $10 mil signing bonuses to just anybody.

I don't think we need to go out and get someone, I think someone needs to step up. Arrington has shown flashes, but he hasn't been dominant for an entire season. Same thing with Taylor, he's shown flashes, we need him to get to the point of where he's Ed Reed-like. Great analogy of Lewis and Reed, those are defensive playmakers. That's why I didn't cry when Champ left, he wasn't a playmaker. He was solid but he didn't make game changing plays.

I think the defence has all it needs, it just needs to be more healthy... even D line help isn't such a high priority but could be an area adressed.

Offensivly however where DO you start. Ramsey may be the answear at QB so i would leave that thing alone this year, but OL Dockerty, Thomas, Jansen I would keep but if there is any value in trading Samuels I would seriously look at a trade. It is a killer to have to replace LT but is too inconsistant. He has all the tools but none of the focus then wonders why he is not getting to the pro bowl every year. Since Samuels has arrived it is normally been the right side of the line as the stength of the unit and that was but down to whoever was at LG but maybe Samuels isn't the guy....

I don't think we need to go out and get someone, I think someone needs to step up. Arrington has shown flashes, but he hasn't been dominant for an entire season. Same thing with Taylor, he's shown flashes, we need him to get to the point of where he's Ed Reed-like. Great analogy of Lewis and Reed, those are defensive playmakers. That's why I didn't cry when Champ left, he wasn't a playmaker. He was solid but he didn't make game changing plays.

I disagree about Champ, he was a much bigger playmaker than we allowed him to be. I always thought he should be allowed to do more because he's such a playmaker, at least he was for me in Madden.

And I think it's tough for any of our guys to really be playmakers because they are constantly learning new defenses. I think that's a primary reason why our defense tends to play better later in the season, this year being the obvious exception. LaVar has been used in just about every way imaginable, and we've built our defense to be solid without him and spectacular with him. He's made some pretty big plays in his career, remember he saved the 2001 season with the pick against Carolina. I think Lavar Arrington is a playmaker, he just hasn't had the luxury to get comfortable in one system. Our Arrington-Taylor combo is going to be pretty good for a while.

Does anyone really believe that we need any help on defense? I think that we are doing very well there especislly considering all of the injuys. Next year I think we could easily be 1st in the league.

If I had to guess, I bet we draft an o-lineman with our first pick. If Samuals resturctures, he will be around next year and the line should be getting in sink. They are starting to already when it comes to the running game.

I bet the next player we go after will be a big, solid, running back. The one thing Portis does not bring is the power to push forward the pile on a fourth and 1.

If we go out to steal a really good player in the off season, I think it will be an up and coming receiver (like Coles was). If that happens, say bye-bye to Gardner. I really want him to play good, but he drops the ball to often.

i think there are four places for possible improvement (well, five)...


Oline - at least one maybe two (jansen and thomas are the best we have and the only ones that shouldn't be questioned right now)... you can get good olinemen outside the top 5, so if there's a real playmaker and its our pick, either get the playmaker or trade down if Oline is where you really want to make the move... (rookie olinemen generally take some time to get up to speed though)
DE - 1 or 2, our line hasn't been horrible, but it'd be nice if they generated more pressure... DEs are safer to get as FAs; lower rounders can also be gambled on... sure shots at DE can emerge in the draft though (but still generally take a couple seasons to mature)
WR - yeah, we're deep... but if there's a top WR at our pick, it might be worth the plunge if he could take the #1 or #2 WR spot (WR is also a position that can mature during the first season)... a signing like coles could happen too... a playmaker WR would be taken with a high round pick... if Oline or DE are more important, then a new WR would either have to come from FA or step up from the current roster...
TE - cooley isn't bad, but still could improve blocking... no one else on the roster is much more than solid, so there's a high potential improvement here for both blocking and pass catching TEs... not our biggest problem, but one of the easier ways to provide at least minor improvements.
SS - If bowen wasn't so worthless in coverage he'd be a perfect fit for williams... this isn't a high priority, doubt our #1 is going to go for a SS, and we have plenty of decent (but not great) ones on the roster (none of which are hard hitters outside bowen), so barring a FA signing, i think this position goes unchanged this year...

We don't lack playmakers on defense, unless Paintrain is saying that Snyder gives out those $10 mil signing bonuses to just anybody.
If he IS giving out $10M signing bonuses to anybody, I would like a contract please! Show me the way to the gravy train, baby!