For better or for worse

OK. We have been evaluating, second guessing, arm chair quarterbacking every move the Skins have made over the last couple of months. What about this...

How have the other teams in our division done in the offseason compared to us? Are we really in a better position going into next year facing the NFC East or have our loses and thier gains put us in a harder position then last year? Bledsoe at Dallas. Pierce with the Giants. Philly with everyone and thier extra draft picks....

I say we had a bad free agency year, but the coaching, chemistry, and the upgraded o-line will make us tough to beat.

Discuss

See, id be the first person to step up and talk about how much we needed continuity and to bring back the same team for a change. And people are going to make that argument. But we didnt bring back the same team. None of our starting receivers are going to be the same. Half our secondary is going to be different. We will have a different captain on defense calling the plays to go along with the two new linebackers, and our dline will also be different.

Now, some of those differences are becuase we have players returning from injury. So its the same players, but essentially Jansen, Arrington, Bowen, Daniels, and Barrow didnt play last year.

They do however know the system. And thats also a nice change of pace for us. We will have the same system on defense and thats huge!!!! We need to keep Greg Williams around so our players learn his system even better. As far as offense, let us all pray that we will have a new system...

With that said. I think our team will be better. I think our defense overachieved last year, but will have better players next year. I also think our offense will be a lot better because of Jansen alone. Portis will work with Gibbs to adapt to each others styles, and Ramsey better damn well be working with those receivers.

See, id be the first person to step up and talk about how much we needed continuity and to bring back the same team for a change. And people are going to make that argument. But we didnt bring back the same team. None of our starting receivers are going to be the same. Half our secondary is going to be different. We will have a different captain on defense calling the plays to go along with the two new linebackers, and our dline will also be different.

Now, some of those differences are becuase we have players returning from injury. So its the same players, but essentially Jansen, Arrington, Bowen, Daniels, and Barrow didnt play last year.

They do however know the system. And thats also a nice change of pace for us. We will have the same system on defense and thats huge!!!! We need to keep Greg Williams around so our players learn his system even better. As far as offense, let us all pray that we will have a new system...

With that said. I think our team will be better. I think our defense overachieved last year, but will have better players next year. I also think our offense will be a lot better because of Jansen alone. Portis will work with Gibbs to adapt to each others styles, and Ramsey better damn well be working with those receivers.

I agree with your post, I am hoping that our offense isnt nessacarily a different system altogether, but just more opened up. I want Gibbs to have more faith in our players and in our D and take more chances down field. Maybe, and this is no way a shot at Spurrier, but maybe our offense will do the opposite as to what Spurrier's system did and go forward rather than regress.

I think that without Smoot our secondary will be fine, I mean he really is the only one missing from last years D. Yeah we lost Franz but he more a sub, and we do get Bowen back and another safty that played in this system before, so that really cant be all bad.

Again, I am not taking shots at Spurrier, but I thought that Parcells was smarter than what he is showing in Dallas. I mean for the past couple of years all he did was try to get the guys that played for him when he was in New England and on the JETS. I thought that Spurrier proved to people that assembling players that were great for you at one time nessacarily wont be great for you again. Just my thoughts....

I am with Skins'ncanes. I think we will be better this year as a team than we were last year, not a doubt in my mind. I really dont think the Cowboys are that good, weather they beat us or not, I still think we had a better team than them last year, and I still think that we have a better team than them this year. They got scoreboard, so I'll stop there, but I think we are better than them. The Giants; I still think were a better team than them....for one more year. I think they need another year to come together as a team, but in 2006, watch the hell out; because they are stacked. They still need to bolster their offensive line, although it is improved, it could still be better.
The Eagles are still better than us by far; so I wont even bother trying to argue that point.

I think our defense will be fine; maybe not as good, but still dominant to boot. Our offense will be better; its almost impossible that its not. So overall, I think we are going to be a better team. Its kinda weird not having that *superstar* buzz going into next season, but I kinda like it.

This is really hard to see. It depends on how players react.

This year I wanted one thing - continuity. We made a few good pickups (namely Rabach.)

I think our offensive line got stronger. I think our D line got stronger (because of Daniels coming back)
I think our secondary got worse, I think our WRs got worse.
I think LBs = push. Pierce leaving with a ? at MLB. But LeMarr played very well for LaVar.

I really think the telling tale will be how much progress our offensive staff made in the offseason. If they can stop wetting the bed everytime it's a throwing play, I think we'll be okay. I love being a run-oriented team with Portis, despite what people may think. However, I feel spreading the field with 4WR sets and occassionally throwing it in those situations will help us get more yards per run more than anything else. It all comes down to Gibbs and Co with playcalling, in my opinion.

I think continuity is our friend. Was there a single loss from the coaching staff?

The iggles stayed pretty much the same, right? They resigned some people and picked up picks in the draft. They'll be the team to beat again.

The gints got Pierce and Plaxico. I don't know if they lost anyone substantial, and if they didn't, that's pretty good. I guess they let one of their older WRs go. They're going to be better (not so hard to do, but still...)

The roids were active, but I thought their major pickups looked a little desperate--they better win now because they ain't getting any younger. Plus that new lineman hurt his back the day after signing.

Still, we lost Smoot and Pierce, traded coles for moss, but took a big cap hit for it, and we added a good o-lineman. We had the weakest offseason out of the bunch, I'd say.

I think the good that came out of it is that they didn't break the bank, and that we'll help to change the culture, as they say. We did restructure Samuels, which was a pretty big deal. Hey, I'm optimisitc and I think the continuity of coaches, the return of Jansen, Lavar, Bowen, Daniels, Barrow (I hope!!!), etc. will make us better. But we really didn't do that well here. The coles thing was a fiasco, and we didn't keep either of the main guys we wanted to. I'm psyched for next year, but we should admit that so far things haven't gone as we'd hoped.

I think the good that came out of it is that they didn't break the bank, and that we'll help to change the culture, as they say.

Not breaking the bank is a Great thing!

I was once told that a person who looks for counterfiets, completely familiarizes himself with the real thing, so they know a phoney immediately.

I enjoy completely familiarizing myself with Redskins news. I don't care for cowroids, e-girls, and gints. I really don't. I don't care what they do off season, or who they draft. They are what they are. We have to step up and do what is right for us. The Coaching staff and the FO puts in enough hours preparing the team and a game plan. We just nibble at the small stuff and enjoy the results of what the FO does.

I would have to agree that some of the off-season losses to FA are hard to swallow. I reveled in the performance of A. Pierce coming out of "bench stock" to lead the D. Having a cover corner like Fred Smoot is a luxury we all loved. Losing "Redskins" like L.C. chapped my ass! However, Gibb's is a tested, unique, Super Bowl builder, leader, and winner in all he does. Greg Williams is a magician. Danny, for all the things he isn't, is not afraid to spend the cash and find a way to fund WHATEVER is needed to win. Having said all that, in each of our FA losses, we had chances to retain said players. Gibbs and company "chose" NOT to. I believe their are REAL reasons why they coach and own the team, and I do not. They know EXACTLY what they are doing, and know how to build winners as they have experience! I believe!!!! We are in good hands, and it's going to be a great season (if I can survive til' the draft).

Of course we would have loved to bring back the same exact team, that's just not a reality in today's NFL. Everyone has turnover to a degree, this offseason the Skins have kept it minimal compared to past years.

Losing Coles was a surprise, but we figured on losing either Smoot or Pierce. It stinks that we lost them both, but those losses aren't going to be soley responsible for ruining our season.

I don't care about stats, money or anything else on paper. We have an excellent coaching staff and our guys have heart. Thats all that matters...who wants it the most.