Portis, Champ, and Smoot

Gibbs said Smoot was one of the core guys. I read nothing about him not liking Smoot. What about a guy like Brady? He could have milked the Patriots for more $$$ but he did the right thing for the team. Smoot sould have done the same. The money wasn't all that different.

As for Champ, I kind of understand why he left... The team was in Turmoil every year and the turnover was ridiculous, but Smoot saw what the team could do under Gibbs and Williams...

As for the Vikes, yes they have major issues all of the time....
A. Ownership, who is it going to be?
B. Scalping any Superbowl tix anyone???
C. The original Whizzinator gaffe?
D. Losing Moss might help the locker room but he is a major player.
E. Current ownership saying that Tice was about to get fired

And it probably goes on from there...

The total number wasn't much different on Smoot's contract, but the amount of cash he was going to actually see was a totally different story.

Gibbs said he was a core guy, yet said that since he didn't play as well as Springs, he didn't deserve more money than him. Sorry, but that doesn't work in today's NFL. Should we go out and give Marcus Washington a payraise because he outperformed Arrington? Was Samuels the best lineman last year, no. However we had no gripe giving him one of the most massive contracts in Redskins history. He said that, but didn't walk the walk with other guys. Also, Smoot doesn't have any questions about his durability, and has been here thick and thin through this team. In my opinion, that makes him worth more than Springs.

You also forgot F, Redskins. Consistant Contender for a playoff bid.

In my opinion, Smoot is overrated. Althoug he may have been a decent cover corner for the Redskins, he was too frail to be a force in the run defense. To me it seemed that everytime he threw himself at a running back, he got injured. Smoot is 5'11'' 174; Carlos Rogers is 6'0'' 198. Both seem to have the same speed, yet Rogers is a much more physical athlete. I think the front office did the right thing in letting Smoot walk rather than paying him something he was not worth. The Front Office disappointed me in not matching Antonio Pierce's offer from the Giants. He seemed to understand Greg Williams' defense and had everyone playing and reacting to the right spots. Athletically, Pierce was not that gifted (UFA); mentally he was brilliant this let both him and his team overcome any lack of athletcism. We have a potential to fill his void with someone on the roster who is more gifted than Pierce athletically, but the question remains whether or not we will be able to replace his mental skills. I guess the front office felt they could get somebody to replace Pierce' abilities at a much more bargain value and not have to give him a contract that was worth more than Marcus Washington's. Being skins fans, we hope it plays out well for the defense and the team.

Time will tell if letting Smoot and Pierce walk was the right move. Financially, it would have made things really tight down the road if we brought both of them back. Rogers could prove to be a better fit in this D with his physical style, and we seem to have good depth at LB.

if you guys remember alot of teams passed on smoot during his draft , the skins finally took him in the 2nd round (i think) smoot came in with a chip on his shoulder and said how happy he was that the skins took a chance on him. he talked and talked about how much he loved the skins and the fans then when his contract expires he bolts to the vikes for a LITTLE extra money. too me, that shows very little class on the part of smoot. he was the # 2 cb behind champ and then was the # 2 cb behind springs. he should not have been paid a penny more than springs but all is well, the skins now have a better cb in carlos rogers.

In my opinion, Smoot is overrated. Althoug he may have been a decent cover corner for the Redskins, he was too frail to be a force in the run defense. To me it seemed that everytime he threw himself at a running back, he got injured. Smoot is 5'11'' 174; Carlos Rogers is 6'0'' 198. Both seem to have the same speed, yet Rogers is a much more physical athlete. I think the front office did the right thing in letting Smoot walk rather than paying him something he was not worth. The Front Office disappointed me in not matching Antonio Pierce's offer from the Giants. He seemed to understand Greg Williams' defense and had everyone playing and reacting to the right spots. Athletically, Pierce was not that gifted (UFA); mentally he was brilliant this let both him and his team overcome any lack of athletcism. We have a potential to fill his void with someone on the roster who is more gifted than Pierce athletically, but the question remains whether or not we will be able to replace his mental skills. I guess the front office felt they could get somebody to replace Pierce' abilities at a much more bargain value and not have to give him a contract that was worth more than Marcus Washington's. Being skins fans, we hope it plays out well for the defense and the team.


nice post. welcome to the board !

smoot left for more money plain and simple, i can't defend someone that does that, do i hate him? no i just don't like what he did, do i hate champ? yes. Smoot was a real d bag for leaving really a d bag. I don't care that the contract was front loaded or what ever if he really cared for the fans he would stick w/ the team. I don't wan't to hear what we would do in his situation, none of us were ever were in that situation so none of us knows what we would do. but i can look at examples, Tom brady as was said took less money, actually less money to stay with his team, yes they were a super bowl team but still, Randy Moss, yes thee randy moss pushed back the amount of money he was getting in the beginning(front loaded) of his contract to the later years(end loaded) so his NEW! team could get more players. Clearly in my eyes smoot is faulty here, in no way can we take shots at gibbs.

In my opinion, Smoot is overrated. Althoug he may have been a decent cover corner for the Redskins, he was too frail to be a force in the run defense. To me it seemed that everytime he threw himself at a running back, he got injured. Smoot is 5'11'' 174; Carlos Rogers is 6'0'' 198. Both seem to have the same speed, yet Rogers is a much more physical athlete. I think the front office did the right thing in letting Smoot walk rather than paying him something he was not worth. The Front Office disappointed me in not matching Antonio Pierce's offer from the Giants. He seemed to understand Greg Williams' defense and had everyone playing and reacting to the right spots. Athletically, Pierce was not that gifted (UFA); mentally he was brilliant this let both him and his team overcome any lack of athletcism. We have a potential to fill his void with someone on the roster who is more gifted than Pierce athletically, but the question remains whether or not we will be able to replace his mental skills. I guess the front office felt they could get somebody to replace Pierce' abilities at a much more bargain value and not have to give him a contract that was worth more than Marcus Washington's. Being skins fans, we hope it plays out well for the defense and the team.
welcome, HTTR

I think we're going to end up paying Rodgers a lot more than we'd owe Smoot in the near future.

And it wasn't "a little more cash" that sent Smoot walking. The contracts were near the same, but from the rumored structures Smoot gets a lot more from MN.

Yes, he left for more money. Welcome to the NFL. These guys aren't Redskins fans, very few of them are. They are mercenaries and that goes for nearly everyone. I love how everyone touted Coles as a "Gibbs guy" and the perfect Redskin, now everyone hates him because he didn't like where the organization was headed.

The problem is this: we can't keep giving up our home grown players to spend 1st round choices to get (although more physically talented) unproven players at positions of need. Think of the options we would of had at the #9 pick with BMW available and no need for CB. We could have probably made a killing in a trade, or gotten a good WR.