2022 Commanders off season thread part 1 [Archive] - Page 2

skinsfaninok

01-10-2022, 12:47 PM

For those that do not have The Athletic

from David Aldridge

Get a quarterback. The rest is window dressing.

Ron Rivera’s not going to last as head coach here otherwise.

He’s a good man, and a good leader. But he needs help. Positional flex isn’t enough. Getting Curtis Samuel and/or Logan Thomas back on the field next season won’t be enough. This organization needs an impact upgrade at the most important position in sports. A new name or a new stadium deal, or whatever other shiny toy the Washington Football Team is ready to shake at you in the next couple of months, isn’t going to cover that up.

Washington can convince itself it has a top-10 defense in the building, and maybe a rebound from a big step backwards this season is possible in 2022. (No, I don’t think you replace Jack Del Rio. He’s not the problem.) At any rate, there are too many picks and dollars invested in the core group for a radical reset on D. Hope that Chase Young recovers, and Jamin Davis improves exponentially, and that a veteran middle linebacker is out there in free agency.

But even if the WFT’s defense bounces back, it won’t matter if Washington doesn’t solve its decades-long dilemma at quarterback.

You know what will go a long way toward convincing Terry McLaurin to stick around and sign a long-term extension, rather than playing his rookie deal out next season and becoming a free agent in 2023? A real quarterback to get him the rock, after three years of open mic night.

It’s been almost 21 years since Brad Johnson, the last great quarterback who played here, left town. Twenty-one years! (Yes, Robert Griffin III was beyond dynamic in his rookie season and was named to the 2013 Pro Bowl, but the fact his right ACL and LCL were shredded soon after, along with his career, kind of made the honor moot. I will agree to disagree with those who think Kirk Cousins was, or is, “great.”)

It will, assuredly, not be easy, or cheap. But: Enough with reclamation projects. No more once-weres (Jeff George, Mark Brunell, Donovan McNabb). No more mid- to late-first maybes (Jason Campbell, Patrick Ramsey, Dwayne Haskins).

If Mitch Trubisky was someone to build around, Chicago would still be building around him, instead of Justin Fields.

If Jimmy Garoppolo, who was the starting quarterback when the 49ers were in the Super Bowl two years ago, was that guy, why did the Niners trade four picks to Miami last year to move up in the draft and take Trey Lance?

If Rivera and the front office come to believe that one of Kenny Pickett or Matt Corral or Malik Willis or Carson Strong or Desmond Ridder has superstardom in his immediate future, then by all means, take him with Washington’s No. 11 pick. Or, trade the pick and move back a few spots in the first round, grabbing another pick in the process, and hopefully get one of them later in the draft.

But if not — what is Rivera ready to do to upgrade? The WFT will have more than $60 million in cap room this offseason. If it isn’t willing to pay to keep an All-Pro guard in Brandon Scherff from leaving via free agency, OK. I don’t get the logic of letting your best offensive lineman, and one of your top four or five players on the roster, skip town for nothing in return, but, fine.

Then let it all ride for a legit franchise quarterback.

OK, Aaron Rodgers isn’t coming here, and even if he wanted to, the price for him would be prohibitively expensive.

But, if Washington needed to, say, trade multiple firsts, including this year’s, and one of its defensive linemen for Russell Wilson? Do it.

If Washington could trade a little less for someone like Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa — who will, presumably, be available if the Dolphins go for Houston’s Deshaun Watson via trade — take the chance.

I advocated that Washington get Watson last offseason, before the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him came to light. We know this organization never misses an opportunity to step on its own … message. But even it can’t seriously consider bringing in someone like Watson now, with the organization still under congressional inquiry for its own abhorrent behavior toward so many of its female now-former employees.

What am I saying: Of course it can. But, it shouldn’t.

Seattle’s saying it won’t trade Wilson. But that’s today. If the 33-year-0ld Wilson makes it clear he wants out, Washington should be ready to pounce. A “coach-centric” organization needs its coach to lead the way, to convince both Wilson and his superstar wife, the entertainer and Grammy winner Ciara Wilson, why coming here would work for both of them.

There has to be a real plan, with real data: We will do this at wide receiver and on the interior offensive line. But, also: We will do this to help you grow Why Not You Productions, which she and her husband own.

Does that sound like recruiting? Damn right it is. If Rivera wants all the juice, that’s what is now on his plate: fix the problem the previous six coaches here weren’t able to solve.

Wilson has been injured this season and less effective the last couple of years, but I’d bet on a rebound in ’22 every day and twice on Sundays, Mondays and the occasional Thursday night.

The Giants and Eagles, reportedly, both have considerable interest in Wilson. Which means: You can either bring Wilson here and give him the keys to your franchise for the next few years, or you can potentially play against him in your division, twice a year, for the next few years. Given Washington’s division record this season, playing against a real quarterback like Dallas’ Dak Prescott, I know which curtain I’d pick. (And, yes: If Philly were to get Wilson, Washington should definitely try to get Jalen Hurts.)

A word, now on Taylor Heinicke. Saying Heinicke has proven he’s a really good backup quarterback is not an insult. It’s a huge, positive data point.

A year ago, he was on his sister’s couch and taking classes at Old Dominion. Since then, he’s proved he’s durable enough to get through an NFL season — which we didn’t know a year ago. He’s proved he can make enough plays with his arm and legs to win real games — which we didn’t know a year ago. He’s given Washington clarity at a very important position. That’s not nothing; it’s a lot.

But he also showed his ceiling is limited. Which limits Scott Turner’s play calling. Which limits McLaurin’s targets and completions. Which makes the WFT’s margin for error, week in and week out, very small. A game manager may feel more comfortable and less risky to Rivera, but it’s not the best way to consistently win in a pass-mad league.

You can’t keep counting on 10-plus play drives, converting multiple third downs and being able to run the ball down opponents’ throats. Nor can you hope to always win 21-17 or 24-20. So much can go wrong in close games: penalties, injuries, blown assignments. This team isn’t talented enough to play that way yet. You know what helps a defense most? Being up 28-7 in the fourth quarter, after its quarterback has thrown for three bills and four TDs.

Rivera didn’t want to mortgage the future last offseason for a quarterback. Another guy who coached around here once said, famously, “The future is now,” traded every pick he could possibly think of trading, and made a Super Bowl, and the playoffs four other times, in seven years. And so, the future is now, again.


	Commanders Post at The Warpath > Commanders Football > Locker Room Main Forum > 2022 Commanders off season thread part 1 PDA 2022 Commanders off season thread part 1 Pages : 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 skinsfaninok 01-10-2022, 12:46 PM Also we officially have the 11th pick skinsfaninok 01-10-2022, 12:47 PM For those that do not have The Athletic from David Aldridge Get a quarterback. The rest is window dressing. Ron Rivera’s not going to last as head coach here otherwise. He’s a good man, and a good leader. But he needs help. Positional flex isn’t enough. Getting Curtis Samuel and/or Logan Thomas back on the field next season won’t be enough. This organization needs an impact upgrade at the most important position in sports. A new name or a new stadium deal, or whatever other shiny toy the Washington Football Team is ready to shake at you in the next couple of months, isn’t going to cover that up. Washington can convince itself it has a top-10 defense in the building, and maybe a rebound from a big step backwards this season is possible in 2022. (No, I don’t think you replace Jack Del Rio. He’s not the problem.) At any rate, there are too many picks and dollars invested in the core group for a radical reset on D. Hope that Chase Young recovers, and Jamin Davis improves exponentially, and that a veteran middle linebacker is out there in free agency. But even if the WFT’s defense bounces back, it won’t matter if Washington doesn’t solve its decades-long dilemma at quarterback. You know what will go a long way toward convincing Terry McLaurin to stick around and sign a long-term extension, rather than playing his rookie deal out next season and becoming a free agent in 2023? A real quarterback to get him the rock, after three years of open mic night. It’s been almost 21 years since Brad Johnson, the last great quarterback who played here, left town. Twenty-one years! (Yes, Robert Griffin III was beyond dynamic in his rookie season and was named to the 2013 Pro Bowl, but the fact his right ACL and LCL were shredded soon after, along with his career, kind of made the honor moot. I will agree to disagree with those who think Kirk Cousins was, or is, “great.”) It will, assuredly, not be easy, or cheap. But: Enough with reclamation projects. No more once-weres (Jeff George, Mark Brunell, Donovan McNabb). No more mid- to late-first maybes (Jason Campbell, Patrick Ramsey, Dwayne Haskins). If Mitch Trubisky was someone to build around, Chicago would still be building around him, instead of Justin Fields. If Jimmy Garoppolo, who was the starting quarterback when the 49ers were in the Super Bowl two years ago, was that guy, why did the Niners trade four picks to Miami last year to move up in the draft and take Trey Lance? If Rivera and the front office come to believe that one of Kenny Pickett or Matt Corral or Malik Willis or Carson Strong or Desmond Ridder has superstardom in his immediate future, then by all means, take him with Washington’s No. 11 pick. Or, trade the pick and move back a few spots in the first round, grabbing another pick in the process, and hopefully get one of them later in the draft. But if not — what is Rivera ready to do to upgrade? The WFT will have more than $60 million in cap room this offseason. If it isn’t willing to pay to keep an All-Pro guard in Brandon Scherff from leaving via free agency, OK. I don’t get the logic of letting your best offensive lineman, and one of your top four or five players on the roster, skip town for nothing in return, but, fine. Then let it all ride for a legit franchise quarterback. OK, Aaron Rodgers isn’t coming here, and even if he wanted to, the price for him would be prohibitively expensive. But, if Washington needed to, say, trade multiple firsts, including this year’s, and one of its defensive linemen for Russell Wilson? Do it. If Washington could trade a little less for someone like Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa — who will, presumably, be available if the Dolphins go for Houston’s Deshaun Watson via trade — take the chance. I advocated that Washington get Watson last offseason, before the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him came to light. We know this organization never misses an opportunity to step on its own … message. But even it can’t seriously consider bringing in someone like Watson now, with the organization still under congressional inquiry for its own abhorrent behavior toward so many of its female now-former employees. What am I saying: Of course it can. But, it shouldn’t. Seattle’s saying it won’t trade Wilson. But that’s today. If the 33-year-0ld Wilson makes it clear he wants out, Washington should be ready to pounce. A “coach-centric” organization needs its coach to lead the way, to convince both Wilson and his superstar wife, the entertainer and Grammy winner Ciara Wilson, why coming here would work for both of them. There has to be a real plan, with real data: We will do this at wide receiver and on the interior offensive line. But, also: We will do this to help you grow Why Not You Productions, which she and her husband own. Does that sound like recruiting? Damn right it is. If Rivera wants all the juice, that’s what is now on his plate: fix the problem the previous six coaches here weren’t able to solve. Wilson has been injured this season and less effective the last couple of years, but I’d bet on a rebound in ’22 every day and twice on Sundays, Mondays and the occasional Thursday night. The Giants and Eagles, reportedly, both have considerable interest in Wilson. Which means: You can either bring Wilson here and give him the keys to your franchise for the next few years, or you can potentially play against him in your division, twice a year, for the next few years. Given Washington’s division record this season, playing against a real quarterback like Dallas’ Dak Prescott, I know which curtain I’d pick. (And, yes: If Philly were to get Wilson, Washington should definitely try to get Jalen Hurts.) A word, now on Taylor Heinicke. Saying Heinicke has proven he’s a really good backup quarterback is not an insult. It’s a huge, positive data point. A year ago, he was on his sister’s couch and taking classes at Old Dominion. Since then, he’s proved he’s durable enough to get through an NFL season — which we didn’t know a year ago. He’s proved he can make enough plays with his arm and legs to win real games — which we didn’t know a year ago. He’s given Washington clarity at a very important position. That’s not nothing; it’s a lot. But he also showed his ceiling is limited. Which limits Scott Turner’s play calling. Which limits McLaurin’s targets and completions. Which makes the WFT’s margin for error, week in and week out, very small. A game manager may feel more comfortable and less risky to Rivera, but it’s not the best way to consistently win in a pass-mad league. You can’t keep counting on 10-plus play drives, converting multiple third downs and being able to run the ball down opponents’ throats. Nor can you hope to always win 21-17 or 24-20. So much can go wrong in close games: penalties, injuries, blown assignments. This team isn’t talented enough to play that way yet. You know what helps a defense most? Being up 28-7 in the fourth quarter, after its quarterback has thrown for three bills and four TDs. Rivera didn’t want to mortgage the future last offseason for a quarterback. Another guy who coached around here once said, famously, “The future is now,” traded every pick he could possibly think of trading, and made a Super Bowl, and the playoffs four other times, in seven years. And so, the future is now, again. JackLord 01-10-2022, 12:48 PM The complete lack of any consistency at QB has been truly amazing. I don't get those that rag on Scott Turner. 14 wins the last 2 years with very average/mediocre QB play. I'd love to see this offense with a legit QB. Colt McCoy is available. :D SunnySide 01-10-2022, 12:50 PM Lots of work to do, big spots and depth. 36 players under contract for next year. Notable pending FAs: Scherff McKissic Lucas Humphries Carter Sims Larsen Ricky Seals Jones Settle McCain jamf 01-10-2022, 01:08 PM I don't have high praise for anyone except McLaurin. Every WR not named Terry is trash. All the other WRs average 1 reception a game. You can get JR college guys to do that. This is a passing/QB league, we need another WR. If the curse of fragile #10 is over (RG,Richardson,Samuels) then we have 3 competent WRs. Turner is trash for running short yardage plays out of shotgun. AnonEmouse 01-10-2022, 01:09 PM For those that do not have The Athletic from David Aldridge 99% agree; I'd pause before going after Tua (especially if Wilson will talk to us) because of his injury history. I can see Watson going to Miami, and Tua happy to be seen as the answer here if it comes to it. But I still think he's a poorer version of Murray and I think it would be hard to consider him as franchise material. But if he could come in and make us competitive again for 2-3 years, while we groom a long term guy (2023 drat?)... Chief X_Phackter 01-10-2022, 01:14 PM You saying replace Roullier, or draft for better depth? If depth, I'd put G higher than C. I may be mistaken, but I think the only Center under contract for 2022 is Roullier, and he's coming off a fractured leg. I would say this position is a higher priority than guard. Obviously there needs to be depth, but Flowers and Schweitzer are under contract for 2022. Chief X_Phackter 01-10-2022, 01:17 PM I don't have high praise for anyone except McLaurin. Every WR not named Terry is trash. All the other WRs average 1 reception a game. You can get JR college guys to do that. This is a passing/QB league, we need another WR. If the curse of fragile #10 is over (RG,Richardson,Samuels) then we have 3 competent WRs. Turner is trash for running short yardage plays out of shotgun. Zero chance you can effectively evaluate the WRs on this roster, when you have noodle arm Heinicke "trying" to get them the ball. I think we have pretty good receivers, and I wouldn't go out of my way to upgrade that position group until after taking care of more pressing needs. EdmundDorf 01-10-2022, 01:22 PM I may be mistaken, but I think the only Center under contract for 2022 is Roullier, and he's coming off a fractured leg. I would say this position is a higher priority than guard. Obviously there needs to be depth, but Flowers and Schweitzer are under contract for 2022. Technically Schwietzer is the 3rd string C , and I dont think it will cost much to bring Larsen back. Ishmael doesn't look like a NFL centre judging by the last few weeks, so seeing him leave in FA is no big deal. Still a good backup C who can also be a swing G would be nice but far from the top of the list Chico23231 01-10-2022, 01:25 PM Positions where we have some talent: DLine Pass rushers Strong Safety Benches Tackle Center Tight End