FOX Sports Says Pierce is Gone

[SmootSmack]

Here's the thing though: let's say that Pierce is a product of this system, which I'm not so sure about because when Kurt Schottenheimer was the DC here he was pretty high on Pierce, but does that really matter? I mean aren't we planning-hoping?-to have the same system in place for several years anyway?

It's not as if we're pondering whether to keep Stephen Davis but we're switching to the Fun 'n Gun

[That Guy]

skin' FO shoulda locked these two up when they saw how awful the maret was going to be... their bad, now they got to either pay up fast or look at their other options.

[That Guy]

I have a feeling the giants severly backloaded the contract and it might be worth picking up for 2-3 years with such a tiny bonus... just a thought.

[Daseal]

Smootsmack - it means he's not worth the money when you can plug someone else into the spot. I like Pierce, I liked him before he was a starter for the team and like how much depth we had at linebacker. He did an amazing job this year and surpassed everyone expectations - but he's simply not worth that type of money. I hate to see a division rival get him, but I can't fathom paying him that.

[Shane]

Pierce was a great player for us and he's got a super career ahead of him. It's tough to lose him, but that is free agency. Last year, we got a player who made a tremendous difference for us from the Giants in Cornelius Griffin. You can't have everything go your way.

The most important thing is to build a team with a winning spirit that isn't based on stars but really creates an atmosphere where everyone is seen as important and everyone has an important role. If a free agent like Mike Barrow goes down, you have an Antonio Pierce ready to fill in the void like this past season. If Arrington goes down, here comes Lemar Marshall. Or if you are the NE Patriots, you have a Troy Brown that can even be willing to play defensive back.

In a star system, the team is just the sum of its parts. You lose a key part, then you have a problem. Players think they are more important than the team generally.

In a team spirit system, if a player goes down or is lost, you have people there who are already there to replace him, who already believe in themselves and their importance, and they have self-confidence and the desire to make the team more important than individual accomplishment. Whoever is playing isn't griping about what sort of plays they are getting called for them - they are willing to sacrifice for the good of the whole.

That is the kind of atmosphere we are building on the Redskins. It was harder to get that going on offense for various reasons last year, but we are building that thanks to Joe Gibbs and the staff.

I'm confident we will have players who will step up and be able to fill in for Pierce in different ways. Barrow is there, and maybe with Pierce gone, another player or two will have a chance to step up and provide the leadership that Pierce did.

[shallyshal]

relax...

pierce played really well, but he was a product of a terrific system that kept the blockers off him. we have barrow. we have clifton smith. we have barnes. all can play inside.

if they are not enough there are a lot of inside backers out there in free agency. guys like fields, hartwell or, especially cowart (who had a buffalo connection with williams)
could come in and not miss a beat. there are others out there.

if need be, they can use a mid round pick on a linebacker. we will be more than okay on defense...

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Daseal

Smootsmack - it means he's not worth the money when you can plug someone else into the spot. I like Pierce, I liked him before he was a starter for the team and like how much depth we had at linebacker. He did an amazing job this year and surpassed everyone expectations - but he's simply not worth that type of money. I hate to see a division rival get him, but I can't fathom paying him that.

What are most MLBs getting paid these days? Honestly, I don't know and I'm just curious because you know how footballl-well sports in general-is, it seems like a lot of money but then you look at it in comparison to other players in the position or the league and what seems like a lot of money suddenly isn't

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Shane

Pierce was a great player for us and he's got a super career ahead of him. It's tough to lose him, but that is free agency. Last year, we got a player who made a tremendous difference for us from the Giants in Cornelius Griffin. You can't have everything go your way.

The most important thing is to build a team with a winning spirit that isn't based on stars but really creates an atmosphere where everyone is seen as important and everyone has an important role. If a free agent like Mike Barrow goes down, you have an Antonio Pierce ready to fill in the void like this past season. If Arrington goes down, here comes Lemar Marshall. Or if you are the NE Patriots, you have a Troy Brown that can even be willing to play defensive back.

In a star system, the team is just the sum of its parts. You lose a key part, then you have a problem. Players think they are more important than the team generally.

In a team spirit system, if a player goes down or is lost, you have people there who are already there to replace him, who already believe in themselves and their importance, and they have self-confidence and the desire to make the team more important than individual accomplishment. Whoever is playing isn't griping about what sort of plays they are getting called for them - they are willing to sacrifice for the good of the whole.

That is the kind of atmosphere we are building on the Redskins. It was harder to get that going on offense for various reasons last year, but we are building that thanks to Joe Gibbs and the staff.

I'm confident we will have players who will step up and be able to fill in for Pierce in different ways. Barrow is there, and maybe with Pierce gone, another player or two will have a chance to step up and provide the leadership that Pierce did.

So true...see, this is what I'm talking about Shane. Excellent post...I'm going "Inside the Beltway" now to find out how Bush made us lose Pierce to the Giants

[jacobyfan]

Didn't Kerry make us lose to the Packers?

[Daseal]

Actually with a loss to the Packers Kerry should have won.

[jacobyfan]

Originally Posted by Daseal

Actually with a loss to the Packers Kerry should have won.

Which proves we actucally won that game and that the illegal motion penalty was a vast left wing conspiracy to steal the election. All in all though, I bet Brunell would've been in for at least a couple more games had we won that one. So it's probably better off. Then again, instead of simply being disgruntled, Coles might have jumped off a bridge.

[offiss]

Fear not skin's fan's, I liked Pierce from the first time he stepped on the field for us, but I wouldn't give him that kind of money no way, William's made him an all pro, and he can do it again with someone with more athletic abilty in which we have in Barnes [who apparently William's likes a lot] Pierce is not a prototypical MLB, we will find someone who will be as good or better than Pierce for a lot less, I like Pierce, LIKE, but let the giant's blow up their cap for him, we just can't continue to pay mega buck's for everyone especially area's that I believe we can develope a player very quickly as William's proved last year. Continuity? William's had a bunch of guy's playing phenomonal from day 1 last year in a new system, I say congradulation's to Pierce and wish him all the best he gave us his best while he was here but obviously it's time for both parties to move on.

[Daseal]

You mean right wing conspiracy?

[jacobyfan]

Originally Posted by Daseal

You mean right wing conspiracy?

No no. I'm part of that, I'd have known if it was us. The refs were laying down for the dems trying to get the pack to win so Kerry would be president. It's all so clear!

[Daseal]

bleh - Im sorry. I'm crazy tonight. It's been a long day...