Was Releasing Trotter a Mistake

Before anyone screams "NO," let me preface my comments by saying that Antonio Pierce is a very good MLB (which I didn't see coming whereas other Warpathers did). I'm glad we have Pierce and wouldn't want Trotter starting here.

However, we're going to take a $4 million cap hit next season for releasing him. Moreover, since Trotter started at MLB in Philly, their run defense has flourished. They went from allowing 4.7 ypc to 3.7 ypc.

In tomorrow's Washington Times article about Trotter, it is claimed that Joe Gibbs admitted that releasing Trotter was a mistake.

So, should we have kept Trotter as our #2 MLB; if not to provide our defense with depth, than to see Philly's run defense stink up the Linc?

Its hard to say. I really depends how much releasing him helped us or will help us on the cap. I think Antonio Perice has done more than what was asked of him, so I defintley dont think its a mistake on those grounds. The whole reason Trotter sucked here was because he wasent used the way he should have been. He has defintley done a better job in Philedalphia than I thought he would have when they brought him in to "stop the running attack". I defintley think that the fact that Barrow hasent played at all is a big difference. Was releasing him and singing Barrow a mistake, probably. But its all hignsight 20/20 now, no one would have know that was going to happen. I think Perice has been more than adequate there right now.

he has never lived up to the contract we gave him. its like he never wanted to be here.

trotter need's to be used like a fifth linemen, that's his strong suit, he's not going to be that effective if you ask him to start reading and reacting or covering, being able to cover as a LB is essential in William's scheme keeping Trotter would have limited William's option's when Trotter was in there.

As far as Gibb's saying we made a mistake? William's I believe had as much to do with that move as anyone, I believe Gibb's is trying to lighten up Jeramiah's mood a bit so he's not that bent on proving we made a mistake basically throwing a pacifier to Trotter.

The problem with the Redskins and Trotter is that he plays a very limited defense. The Eagles use him to stop the run almost exclusively. Each coordinator we had tried to make him an all-purpose MLB something that does not suit him. Offiss is right (how often do you hear that?) in that Williams's schemes require versatility out of all of his players - and certainly his LB's. Hate the cap hit, but it had to happen.

Offiss is definitely right, and the reason the Redskins felt Trotter was a poor fit for Williams' defense is exactly what offiss stated. Trotter is a "downhill" linebacker, meaning he is used to attack a gap as a run-stuffer. He is not the kind of guy you want dropping into coverage-- as we witnessed on several occasions during his stint in Washington-- or playing within a highly disciplined scheme that relies on the middle linebacker to put everyone else in position to make the play. He's most effective when the defensive playcall assigns him to attack the line of scrimmage, and he tends to falter when he is asked to read-and-react, much less read-and-direct.

The reason Pierce is so effective in this scheme is that he is probably the best student on that defense. He studies film constantly, and probably knows the defensive playbook as well as Gregg Williams does. Williams has stated on many occasions that Pierce often knows what call is coming before Williams has a chance to get it out of his mouth. An intelligent, disciplined, and versatile middle linebacker who can move all over the field is far more valuable in this scheme than a one-dimensional run-stopper. Put Pierce at any linebacker spot and he'll excel in this scheme. Put Trotter in any position other than run-stopping middle linebacker, and you'll see the scheme start to crumble. That's why Trotter isn't here, regardless of the cap situation.

I am not sure if anyone already mentioned this but....with Trotter it is not IF but WHEN he tears up his knee again. He has had something like 2-3 ACL injuries. I hope Snyder has learned a big his lesson (since he is our GM), PLEASE do not sign a free agent to a big contract that has had proir knee problems....examples OG Dave Fiore, MLB Mike Barrow and MLB Trotter. Two of these guys (Fiore and Barrow) never played a regular season down and collected signing bonuses and one full season salary.

He wasn't a good fit in this defense, so no, releasing him definitely was not a mistake.

Williams knows the kind of MLB he wants to have running his D, and Trotter didn't fit the bill. The fact that they let him go so early on is telling, Williams knew he wasn't the guy he wanted without even seeing him in person on the field.

Does anyone really regret letting him go??

Our defense has done pretty well without him.

When the Redskins' season ended last year, Trotter offered a stinging indictment of the coaching staff's failure to provide discipline, especially in meetings when players would play games on their cell phones.

"You know who did that as often as anybody?" one angry former coach complained after the stories appeared. "Jeremiah Trotter."

- from Paul Woody's article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch


Would keeping Trotter be better than spending money on Mike Barrow and having him sit on injured reserve all year? Yes, it would have been better. I suppose that it isn't necessary that the middle linebacker be the one hitting the books the most and making the calls - someone else conceivably could have filled that role. So maybe keeping Trotter and avoiding the cap hit would have saved us money to sign other players as well. As long as Antonio Pierce would have still emerged as the starter, it might have been better to keep Trotter. But no one is losing sleep over this.