[MTK]

What happened last year is simple. Gibbs returned to the game after over a decade away from the game. Plenty of things changed and he wasn't ready for all those changes, and there just wasn't enough time for him to properly adjust. It's nearly impossible to make wholesale changes in the middle of a season, so the changes he did make were small and not very noticeable.

Also, because of his resume, people's expectation levels were through the roof. It was unfair to think he could walk in after 12 years away and just pick right up where he left off. We all got swept up by the hype, and who can blame us?

It's funny because last night in my leadership class we were discussing organizational change, and I couldn't help but relate it to the Redskins in my mind.

We talked about how difficult it is to make major changes in companies, and how hard it is to change culture and attitudes. These kind of things take time, and often things need to get worse before they can get better. Trust is built when times are tough and you see how your leaders react and guide you out of those tough times.

Last year we definitely had our share of tough times. But what was telling was how the team kept fighting right to the very end. That's a direct reflection of Gibbs and his staff in my opinion. In past years we saw the team pack it in when the season was lost, not last year though.

I think we're already seeing the benefits. The team atmosphere was definitely on display during minicamp. The coaches and players seem more relaxed and more confident. The players are buying into what the coaches are selling them.

Despite the negatives of this offseason, I think the team circles the wagons everytime there's a negative headline and they have that 'us against the world' mentality. The players saw loud and clear last year that when times get tough the coaches just keep plugging away and they aren't giving up.

Personally I can't wait for this year, this is when the next Gibbs era truely begins.