A Clarification on whether the Redskins are Re-Building

Let's talk about re-building.

I want to know where you view your Washington Redskins in 2012. Whether you believed the Redskins were/were not rebuilding last year isn't relevant. Last year is in the past. What are your expectations for 2012? Through what lens are you trying to view this offseason?

On one hand, the Redskins are planning on rebuilding around young talent like Garcon, Hankerson, and Griffin. Maybe you don't think they have the pieces to compete in 2012 and that's okay: the Redskins aren't giving large contracts to players over the age of 27. They didn't last year, and they haven't this year. A targeted rebuilding project can be completed while core signings like Cofield, Bowen, Wilson, Garcon, and Morgan are under the age of 30. Maybe it doesn't matter that we're letting players walk when their rookie contracts are up: that's what rebuilding teams do.

On the other hand, can a rebuilding team really give up any and all future first rounders it has for the duration of the head coaches' contract? Isn't that the ultimate "cashing in the chips" move? And why use up the entirety of your cap space, whatever the number is, if you're rebuilding? The Redskins cashed in everything to build the best possible passing game they could have going into 2012; that doesn't strike one as patient or building.

But in the context of a multi-year rebuilding project? This might just be the most costly step in the process. No one said buying yourself a passing offense was cheap or easy.

Finally, do you think the Redskins even know if they're rebuilding or not? It seems like they could spin it either way at this point (lose = rebuilding, win = future is now!). I personally am tired of the front office spin though, I'd rather get YOUR perspective. So have at it.

Yeah, we are rebuilding still. Too many holes to fill in terms of starting caliber players, along with depth issues at O line and LB in my opinion. The gamble for RG III probably will pay off, but most likely hold back the team a year or two in finishing the process. We are moving in the right direction, but we could have used those 2 extra first rounders. I understand we desperately need a true starting caliber QB, but we paid a steep price to get him.

I think the Redskins are finally rebuilding on offense (two years too late if you ask me). Last year to me, seemed like a rebuilding year for the defense. We have a lot of young players that hopefully can develop into starters (though some of them got starts last year due to injury), and hopefully we can pick up 6 more rookies (in addition to RG3) that can contribute to the team. I think we have done a good job at bringing in free agents under 30 years old for the most part this offseason and last offseason.

So far, it seems to me that the team has gone away from the win-now attitude. Although who knows what would have happened if we had not had the cap penalty. Still, I think we have a young team who won't be expected to do much this season, but has the potential to overachieve. I get the feeling that Snyder has given Shanahan and Bruce Allen a mulligan for the past two seasons. And that is a good thing, because we will definitely have a lot of growing pains this upcoming season.

Still, what I want to see from Shanahan is leadership. I don't want to see a team that gives up midway through the season. I don't want to see any more drama with players. And I want to see a competitive team on the field, and an improved offense. I think RG3's leadership will help and I think bringing back Fletch will help in the leadership department. This team has some talent, but I think they have been lacking from coaching/locker room leadership in the past two seasons. Hopefully this changes this season.

I'm not really getting caught up in it because their moves don't indicate a clear path in one direction, but I think they decided trading up for the #2 was the best option because they didn't want to go into next season with a combo of 2nd rate talents. I think they briefly flirted with the idea of bringing Manning in, but that was out once Manning decided he didn't want to come here.

So they realized the qb options were drying up quickly, and they also realized if they didn't get an elite prospect in here this season and we had another bad season, patience probably would've ran out and Snyder would've let them go. So they gambled big and now are hedging their bets on whichever rookie qb we pick (prob. Griffin). I think they have an idea of the direction they want to go in, but they aren't strictly abiding by the rules of that plan. It's more just a loose direction they want to go in.

To even think playoffs before 2014 would be iffy to me. Not only did we lose the two first rounders, we lost a second rounder as well, so one of these upcoming drafts we will probably not yield any starting material, unless we get a Cooley type gem in the late rounds.

Yeah, we are rebuilding still. Too many holes to fill in terms of starting caliber players, along with depth issues at O line and LB in my opinion. The gamble for RG III probably will pay off, but most likely hold back the team a year or two in finishing the process. We are moving in the right direction, but we could have used those 2 extra first rounders. I understand we desperately need a true starting caliber QB, but we paid a steep price to get him.Would it be fair to say the cost to get RG3 won't be felt now (RG3 could be a huge upgrade to our offense even as a rookie), but much harder in 2013-2017?

If so, that would mean playoffs now are a lot more viable than playoffs in the near-term future.

I think our chances in 2012 and leaking into 2013 are as good as they are going to get until 2016, when we already have a good concept of what RG3 means to us.

We could be a perennial playoff team and NFC East contender, but that would require Griffin to be a 30 TD guy right from the start.

To even think playoffs before 2014 would be iffy to me. Not only did we lose the two first rounders, we lost a second rounder as well, so one of these upcoming drafts we will probably not yield any starting material, unless we get a Cooley type gem in the late rounds.

Perry Riley, Roy Helu, Leonard Hankerson, Jarvins Jenkins, and Evan Royster are all players acquired after the first round in the past two seasons that have the potential to be starters. While it is terrible that we don't have our first rounders in 2013 and 2014, I don't see why we can't acquire a starter in the mid rounds during those two years.

I don't think teams have time to rebuild in the nfl, 3 years and no playoffs usually means your fired, we will always try I improve the team, but look at last years 49ers, people would say they were rebuilding and they made it to the championship game, it's the nfl anythings possible

I don't think teams have time to rebuild in the nfl, 3 years and no playoffs usually means your fired, we will always try I improve the team, but look at last years 49ers, people would say they were rebuilding and they made it to the championship game, it's the nfl anythings possible

I don't follow the 49ers a lot, but I think roster-wise they really didn't make a ton of changes. I guess you could say they were rebuilding b/c they got a new coach, but it happens that there was talent in that roster, they just needed a coach that can make that talent produce.

I think the Bengals were a better example of your point. I kinda hope we would be on the same situation, but given our crappy secondary I don't think our defense is going to be that good (which was a big part of the Bengals' success if memory serves me right).

Here's some interesting stats for context.

The average age of an NFL player (as of Dec. 31, 2012) is 27.3 years of age, and the median entry draft for a current NFL player is 2009 (which means that half the NFL was drafted during or prior to the 2009 draft, and half during or after it).

For the Washington Redskins, the average player is 26.8 years old (goes to 27.0 if you include Fletcher), and the median draft class is 2009.

All those numbers will drop considerably following the draft for all teams.