Closing comments on minicamp

Welcome to the board, JoeRedskin!

I actually got goose bumps reading that JoeC. Outstanding job. I am most encouraged by the Taylor Jacobs news. Considering he is doing so well, what do you think his chances of winning the number 3 role are over McCants? Do you think we have enough or even too many WR's, or do you think we should keep them all?

Crisp are you going to cover this event this weekend?

http://www.redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=12622

Because if so, I have a few, um..."questions" you can ask for me

I actually got goose bumps reading that JoeC. Outstanding job. I am most encouraged by the Taylor Jacobs news. Considering he is doing so well, what do you think his chances of winning the number 3 role are over McCants? Do you think we have enough or even too many WR's, or do you think we should keep them all?
I appreciate that, Raleigh.

At this point, I would say Jacobs' chances of winning the #3 job are excellent, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him eventually supplant Gardner as the #2 option by mid-season.

Of course, there are a lot of variables that play into the equation-- not the least of which are Jacobs' health and Gardner's status as a trade option. Also, as others have pointed out, many players sparkle in the preseason, only to be exposed as fool's gold when the true test of the regular season is applied.

However, when you consider the skills and talent that Jacobs brings to the table, he looks considerably more refined than Gardner or McCants, both of whom bring a physical presence, but seem to forget the importance of technical precision from time to time. In addition to his speed, quickness, athleticism and reliable hands, Jacobs runs his routes with the accuracy that coaches and quarterbacks love, avoiding false steps and getting quickly in and out of his breaks.

Another characterisitic that makes Jacobs appealing is the way he goes after the ball-- he doesn't wait for it, he attacks it. That's something that, despite his superior size, Gardner hasn't learned to do on a consistent basis.

It looks like a lot of people around the league think the trade for James Thrash is a sure sign that Gardner is on the way out. I don't think so. Thrash was primarily a special teams acquisition, and he'd be a #4 wideout on this roster. I think the real threat to Gardner is McCants-- his re-signing makes Gardner expendable; they were virtually interchangeable before, now they may be in a literal sense as well. Gardner's base salaries over the next two years are manageable ($1,006,200 in 2004, and $1,446,800 in '05), so he would be a decent trade target for a team looking to obtain a big #2 wideout.

The problem is, there's such a wealth of wide receivers in this year's draft class, that it's hard to imagine anyone giving up more than a low 3rd rounder for an inconsistent receiver like Gardner. At this point, a low 3rd may be all the Skins are looking for.

Right now, the trio of Coles, Jacobs and McCants looks to be the most likely combo to attempt a revival of "The Posse". If Gardner isn't traded by the draft, he'll have a real fight on his hands to keep his job as the #2 wideout. Cloman and Thrash are the kind of #4 and #5 wideouts that Gibbs loves to have around as special teams standouts who can fill in capably for the top 3 wideouts when called upon.

It all depends on how many wideouts Gibbs chooses to keep. Given his reliance upon tight ends and H-backs, and the need for depth at those positions, it's hard to imagine him keeping more than 5 wideouts on the active roster.

Crisp are you going to cover this event this weekend?

http://www.redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=12622

Because if so, I have a few, um..."questions" you can ask for me
:lol: I wish, Smooty, I wish! Naaaw... I married in December, and duty calls on the homefront.

I'm resting up for the Draft Day party and the May minicamp. The First Ladies of Football will have to wait for another day!

Great job JoeC! I really like reading your stuff. The work you did last year during training camp was exceptional.

Also, being new et all (to posting, been lurking for years), I'd like to thank MattyK and the mods for their contributions and work. This is definitely a great board.. good, intelligent information (my own posts excluded, of course) and almost better than anything else, no trolls!

Try finding good information on guitar boards... thousand's of trolls! Sheesh.

Thanks again!

Howdy Warpathers. This is my first post to this board. Initially, let me say: Boy am I glad I found this place!! Although this is my first post, I have been reading the board for awhile and found it to contain intelligent, thoughtful comments. Thanks to Matty, Smoot and the other regulars for providing interesting debate on a variety of subjects.

More relevant to this string: Thanks JoeC for giving some great insight into the practices and the player evaluations. My addiction is temporarily sated.

One question, I was reading that several members of the O-Line were out and that the back-ups seemed to be a bit overwhelmed with no one really stepping up. What was your take on their performance?

Thanks.
Welcome, JoeRedskin, and I'm glad I could help. Look for more from the post-draft minicamp in May.

I'll also be at the Draft Day party at FedEx, hopefully. I hope to see lots of Warpathers there, so be sure to get your invitations here: http://www.redskins.com/tcamp.asp

As far as the O-line goes, it was a really fierce battle out there. There were a number of guys sitting out (Samuels, Moore, Dockery), so the backups were forced to pickup the slack, amid a torrent of blitzes fired upon them by the defense, commanded by Gregg Williams. Those were definitely some adverse conditions for those guys to have to work under, and I think they did okay, considering. Tim Hasselbeck wasn't really helping them-- fumbling the snap on three occasions, and holding the ball way too long on others.

Let's just say the defense looked great, while the offense-- aside from receivers Jacobs, Cloman and Swayne, and H-back Sellers-- looked a little rusty and out-of-sync.

:lol: I wish, Smooty, I wish! Naaaw... I married in December, and duty calls on the homefront.

I'm resting up for the Draft Day party and the May minicamp. The First Ladies of Football will have to wait for another day!

The First Ladies of Football make a trip to a bar in my hometown every summer (the owner runs one of the bars on club level and is tight with the team - I believe Joe Gibbs is his godfather!). I'll be sure and post the date, so any Warpath members looking for a day at the beach will be able to "support the team"! ;)

Great job JoeC! I really like reading your stuff. The work you did last year during training camp was exceptional.

Also, being new et all (to posting, been lurking for years), I'd like to thank MattyK and the mods for their contributions and work. This is definitely a great board.. good, intelligent information (my own posts excluded, of course) and almost better than anything else, no trolls!

Try finding good information on guitar boards... thousand's of trolls! Sheesh.

Thanks again!
Thanks, DBB, for finally chiming in! I appreciate your kind comments. I wish you had started posting sooner-- you've had some hilarious posts the past couple of days. We can always use another Warpather with a good sense of humor on this board. But-- like any good Warpather-- you temper your comical takes with good, solid facts; that's why our motto is "Redskins Discussion for the Knowledgeable Fan". Guys like you keep it real. Thanks for hanging out with us!

JC I think your on the money with the WR situation I never viewed thrash as more than a solid #4 or 5 reciever and a good special's guy, I can't see him supplanting gardner, but he does add depth, which I think is going to allow MCcant's to move into the #3 spot, and jacob's to the #2, gardner is going to be on a real short leash this year, and I don't think he will pass the test, if he remain's with the team.