Gibbs Comments on Pierce, et al.

I did think Pierce AND Smoot were very important, but you can't overpay like the Giants have done. We've overpaid way too much in the past and I think at least as a trend, this is promising. Hopefully after this year we'll be a place to come and play for a good team and a good coach instead of to just get your pockets filled by the Danny. I am dissapointed that Pierce is going to be gone but not nearly as much as I will be if Smoot is gone. I'm willing to bet that the Skins have as good of a plan in free agency and the draft as they have ever had. I'm talking about a MULTI-year plan, too. Not this pay a bazillion dollars to win this year stuff like in 2000. A plan for long-term success. Pierce, at the money he's getting from the g-men, would dislodge other imortant pieces in that plan.

Amen, JacobyFan! I completey agree. Look, we've been the ATM of the league, and now we're excercising some control. Sometimes when you do that you lose good players. But the culutre is changing, and that's what matters. Look at the Pats. That's a better model for building a team then opening the checkbook for everyone (we've tried that!), and we're moving in that direction. We're not at the point where it makes sense to break the bank for Pierce, even though we like him.

I did think Pierce AND Smoot were very important, but you can't overpay like the Giants have done. We've overpaid way too much in the past and I think at least as a trend, this is promising. Hopefully after this year we'll be a place to come and play for a good team and a good coach instead of to just get your pockets filled by the Danny. I am dissapointed that Pierce is going to be gone but not nearly as much as I will be if Smoot is gone. I'm willing to bet that the Skins have as good of a plan in free agency and the draft as they have ever had. I'm talking about a MULTI-year plan, too. Not this pay a bazillion dollars to win this year stuff like in 2000. A plan for long-term success. Pierce, at the money he's getting from the g-men, would dislodge other imortant pieces in that plan.

I agree with a lot of what you say about being more responsible money wise. I just thought that given how well Pierce ran the defense that he would be worth a little extra. His contract is an average of 4 mil a year for 6 years, with 6.5 gaurenteed I think. Is 4 mil a year really to much for your starting MLB? I don't really know, and we have never been told what they did offer him. Maybe it was to much, but in the heat of the moment I am ticked off that we couldn't retain him. it just seems like the only time the Redskins practice any fiscal sanity is when it comes to retaining one of their own. As long as we are working on correcting bad habits, that is one bad habit that i would like to see broken...

Celts - it's a change. You can't blame the guys for chasing money, but if we stop overpaying and start winning we'll start getting some free agents looking for more of a winning atmosphere than money (Corey Dillion.)

I hope to see the D actually SCORE more this season. Convert the turnovers, the Offense can't seem to. :mad:

SUNRA? Is that you? ;)

they should have resigned pierce,as for smoot,his bark is a lot worse than his bite.:biggthump

That may be, I certainly didn't ask everyone individually. My point though is that almost everyone yesterday thought that getting Pierce back was very important. And now that we didn't were supposed to jump to the other side and say that it's okay and we didn't need him that bad. Well I don't agree with that, I think he was important and i am more than a little bit pis*ed off that we didn't sign him. Hopefully, someone else can do the job next year. But I am sure not going to sit here while the ink on that Giants contract is not even dry yet and say that every thing is just fine...

dont' worry about the past and things you can't control ;) Its just the realist reaction... he's gone, so what's the plan now?

I think gibbs saw the horror of our 2006 cap and wanted to brace for it now (since he plans to be with us next year and beyond) instead of signing every single core player (like the titans) and being forced to blow up the team in a couple years... parcells is coaching to win now, gibbs is looking at the long term and what kind of precidents to set... It sucks we have to start now on him, but if williamss really wanted him, he'd be back.

Pierce was a valuable part of our defense and it stinks to see him go, but I'm pleased to see the team finally show some financial restraint. The team obviously placed a # on him and the Giants exceeded it. Gotta move on.

I'm glad we aren't overpaying for players as we have done in the past. But what irks me is that this guy is now playing for a team within our Division!!! So much for loyalty Pierce. I'm glad the Cowboys jumped the gun so if Smoot isn't re-signed he won't end up in Dallas.....or perhaps even the Cowboys thought Smoot wanted WAY too much perhaps that's a GOOD sign...........maybe Smoot will come down to earth a bit with his $$$$ and can fit into the Redskins plans........

Pierce is showing loyalty...

to the cabbage, the greenbacks, the duckets, etc.

We'd all be doing the same thing.

Hey he did keep his word and give the Skins the chance to match. That's more than you can ask from today's player.