I'm Back (for those who remember) bringing sanity with me

OK, so here we have it... my first words of the offseason... thank you, thank you, yes it's good to be back on the scene.. :party-smi (for anyone at all who remembers and is wondering, I think I'll start making the "MADDENSKIN" wallpapers again in the next month or so)

OK, so let me first say that everyone starts talking about moves we need to make and start goin absolutely bonkers with these off the wall trade Arrington, and 18 first rounders for Randy "I'm DEFINITELY a Job Gibbs guy" Moss and I feel like I have to gather my ideas and chime in some reason, sanity, and most importantly, REALITY to the subject here on the message board. With that said...

Here's MY (FEASIBLE) OFFSEASON PLAN, PART 1 - FREE AGENCY (this is DEFINITELY subject to change depending on roster moves i.e. Fred Smoot, Rod Gardner):

My list of reasonable (and actually possible) aqcuisitions I'd say YES to (IF they become available)... in no order...

1. WR Plaxico Burress - definitely a playmaker (19.9 ypc this yr, 2nd in league
2. WR Jerry Porter - Only if he comes cheap and we don't snag Plax, if not, no huge loss
3. TE Bubba Franks or Ken Dilger - Again, if cheap (Royal is servicable)
4. OG - Mark Rivera or Joe Andruzzi - Both are class guys with TONS of talent. They may be expensive, but if Bugel feels Dockery just aint cutting it, we could see a move here).
5. DE - Reggie Heyward - up-and-coming star 25 yr old with 10.5 sacks last year, MAY (not sure yet his market) be expensive, but if reasonable, he could be the Marcus Washington pickup of 2005.
6. CB Andre Dyson - 41 tackles, 6 INT this year. I definitely am not comfy with Walt Harris as a full-time starter... maybe I have been spoiled by our talent at corner for the past few years.
7. DE Jason Gildon - He SHOULD be pretty cheap (he's up there in years) but KNOWS how to be used as just a blitz package sack-artist (Greg Williams would love him).

Free Agents I would say NO to (IF they become available)...

1. DE John Abraham - sat out on his team in the playoffs to protect his big payday... which WILL be one big, fat, cap-eating contract.
2. QB Drew Brees - Patrick Ramsey just needs a season where his coach actually proctects him AND believes in him... not to mention the B word (it hurts me to say his name) eating us alive cap wise on our QB depth chart already.
3. ANY RB - Betts is a great backup
4. Hugh Douglas - Trotter was my leasson learned with Eagles... i HATE THE EAGLES!! GO PATS!! (sorry... the pain is still close to my heart)
5. DT Corey Simon - see #4
6. DT - Sean Rogers - ONLY makes this list due to the ENORMUS contract he'll command and the fact that super-sheap (comparitively) Joe S'alavea is also a super-run stuffer.
7. CB - Charles Woodson - see Randy "I'm DEFINTELY a Joe Gibbs guy" Moss

.... PART 2 - TRADES and THE DRAFT coming right up!!

Hey, bare with me... I have bitten my tongue for a WHILE now!!! :silly:

OK, with an idea of decent idea of possible FA pickups, I continue my rant on our offseason with...

TRADES

I only see 2-3 reasonable trades, with one being an otpion the 'Skins aren't considering (so I have heard)

1. Franchise Fred Smoot and trade him for draft pick(s) - this is the move I keep hearing we aren't going to do... but for me... I'd TRY and get something for him... I'd HATE to see him just walk.
2. Trade Rod Gardner to the Bucs for (it sucks to sya this is the absolute best we could get for our former first rounder) .... a 3rd round pick.
3. Trade the 2 3rd round picks for a 2nd rounder.

DRAFT

There are SOOOO many options this early in the game that it'd be way too much to list all the possibilities, so all I can do is tell you what I would do...

1st Round - Trade down, pick up Troy Williamson or Mark Clayton. Yeah, Williamson's senior yr could be a fluke, and Mark Clayton is short, but they both are ELECTRIC playmakers... and taking them helps us with OTHER NEEDS.

2nd Round - C Chris Spencer or C Ben Wilkinson (the pick we have from trading Gardner for a third, then trading both 3rd for a 2nd

2nd or 3rd Round - DE Justin Tuck ..if he's still around at this point... This guy is a BEAST ... 6'5 with blazing speed OR DE Chris Canty - 1st Round talent with a knee injury Sr year dropping his stock, but definitely worth a look (the pick we have from trading down in the 1st)

That's all I have so far... thanks for listening ... I'll knidly step down now from.. :soapbox: and listen to what you guys think about my completely biased "reasonable" offseason ideas....

Canty is an interesting prospect depending on the shape of that knee. I think we'll see his stock rise over next few months based on his consistent performance at UVa. He was durable until the knee injury. Biggest issues with him are that he doesn't exactly do anything great. He is a good run stopper(at least in college terms) and provided above average pass rushing. But he lacks upper end speed to be a premier rushing end and brute force to be a run stuffer. He may get convereted to LB in a 3-4 defense. He'd fit perfectly with a team like the Patriots. I;d take him on the fact that he seems like a good guy and was successful against very good lines in college. He may just have that unidentifiable something that lets him amke plays. Definitly worth a mid round pick if he is available.

2nd or 3rd Round - DE Justin Tuck ..if he's still around at this point... This guy is a BEAST ... 6'5 with blazing speed OR DE Chris Canty - 1st Round talent with a knee injury Sr year dropping his stock, but definitely worth a look (the pick we have from trading down in the 1st)

Interesting picks there. I like them.

Hail to the Redskins:

Thank you for bringing sanity back into the discussions here. It has been missing in action recently.

A couple of comments:

1. DT Sean Rogers has already extended with the Lions so you don't have to worry about him "becoming available".

2. Completely agree with you about Hugh Douglass, but I MIGHT be very tempted by Cory Simon who is only in his mid-20s and can play more than a little bit. I'd say he is as good as Griffen and it would be nice to have two of that kind of player in the middle of the DL next year. But I agree that the Skins must not give him a monster deal...

3. Suppose - just suppose - the best you can get from Tampa or anyone else in the league for Gardner is a late 4th round pick or a 5th round pick. Would you still make the trade? I would but I know that others here feel that he should command a much higher price and they'd probably opt to keep him. I think Gardner is also "A DEFINITELY Joe Gibbs guy" to use your words.

4. I think that Gildon's tank is empty, but that's just me. I'd put Gildon and Hugh Douglass in the same category.

5. Either Rivera or Andruzzi is such a HUGE upgrade over Dockery that I'd sign either one at a reasonable price. And by the way, if they are both reasonable, I'd sign both because each one is better than Randy Thomas too. That is not a knock on Thomas who is a fine player, but Rivera and Andruzzi are really, REALLY good.

6. I can't get myself psyched to look at draft picks yet because priorities change depending on what happens during free agency. But as a general rule, I worry about taking players on the DL or at RB who have leg injuries coming out of college. Yes, I know about Willis McGahee but I also know that lots of other guys with those injuries never amount to much at all. I would not only get second opinions on those kinds of injuries, I'd get fifth opinions before I used a pick in the third round or higher...

andruzzi and rivera are both good, but rivera is 32 and i wouldnt take him over thomas. thomas has been our most consistent lineman over the past 2 years and hes one of the fastest in the league. id take thomas over both.

If we could get them for a decent deal, I would be all for it. If that's not the case, I would say take the younger one and have him replace Dockery.

welcome back

mcgahee is an exeption to the rule.

a person that the skins might pick, hoping hes also an exception, is james, the end out of wisconsin. he played last year but not the year before because of knee surgury. hes definitly good right now, but for how long could be a big questions. might be the type of guy that dominates for his rookie contract, then we let go and he signs a big deal and starts to get hurt a lot.