Man, things are looking bad right now.

[Krills]

The Coles situation, Losing Fred Smoot and Antonio Pierce, Santana Moss and Sean Taylor not working out, and now Lavar has had another setback and is complaining about the coaches. This offseason is giving me little hope. What is the Redskin front office doing so poorly? Why don't people want to be here? I have been really excited up until now, but it seems that maybe we bit off more than we can chew here. Are we really heading in the right direction? I'm really bummed out. Anyone got anything to say to cheer me up?

[Daseal]

Could it be our new team President isn't at all a personel person?

Hope that cheers you up.

Seriously - Schedule comes out tomorrow (I think) and the draft is the 23rd!

[RedskinRat]

We've had some really great offseasons recently. I'll take a crappy one if it means we have a better season I'll put up with the trauma now.

[skin4Life28]

Simply put, We do not win. Thats it hands down. This front office tries to buy a championship every year and it always fails. Lavar doesn't bother me anyway cause he is only going to get hurt again. And just blaim someone else for his injury. Until we start winning is when things will start to change.

[ArringtonRules]

I think we have gotten used to a lot of xcitement in the offseason because of all the new and high profile players we bring in. This is a good thing and we shall be better for it.. I rather get xcited about this team in October November rather than now, when nothing counts.
On LC situation.. I really liked the player and his work ethic, but if a guy does not want to play for u, u have no other choice, but to let him go. The only thing I was never sure about from the begining was about moss. He is usually injured and has a knack of being quite in games. I think we should have tried to pry their 1st round pick instead of SM and drafted a WR instead. But it's a little too late to think about that now.
That's my 2 cents

P.S.: I recently met this couple who were Redskins fan here in Austin TX and it made my day. It was nice talking to some 'skins fan and talking about the team. HTTR!!! Go 'skins!!!

Originally Posted by Krills

The Coles situation, Losing Fred Smoot and Antonio Pierce, Santana Moss and Sean Taylor not working out, and now Lavar has had another setback and is complaining about the coaches. This offseason is giving me little hope. What is the Redskin front office doing so poorly? Why don't people want to be here? I have been really excited up until now, but it seems that maybe we bit off more than we can chew here. Are we really heading in the right direction? I'm really bummed out. Anyone got anything to say to cheer me up?

[MTK]

Don't blow things out of proportion. The LaVar thing is barely a bump in the road. He's frustrated by his injury and he's spouting off.

Losing Smoot and Pierce hurt, but that's the name of the free agency game, and for once we finally came up short.

The sky isn't falling in Redskins land. Every team has their share of offseason headaches, and for once we're seeing the other side of things. We're usually beating our chests this time of year bragging about all our acquisitions, so that's probably why this offseason feels so bad.

[FRPLG]

I think it is a combination of a lot of things. Most of all the media coverage distorts the perceptions of the organization.

- Snyder is a marked man within media organizations. He makes for good discussion and is a guy that the media loves to hype as hated. By extension the Skins are brought into the whole muck.
- Gibbs is back and everyone expected that we as fans expected we would go 16-0 and win the Superbowl 70-0 and we didn't.
- They are the team in Washington DC. The biggest sensationalistic media outlet in the world. The media coverage of EVERYTHING in DC is ridiculous and overblown.

All this combines to give off a really distorted perception of the team. I am not saying there are not issues but I would argue there are issues like this with EVERY team in sports. No one talks about about the issues like this in New England. Who gives much of a crap about the Patriots besides New England? They are a boring team with a boring owner and a more boring coach in a boring environment(compared to DC). It is not much fun to talk about this type of stuff with them. Plus of course the cure for all of this is to start winning.
The Skins are not worse off than most of the teams in football. Things could be better of course but I am not going to start panicing because we have issues like this. It is an organizations of hundreds of human beings. Human beuings are going to argue, bicker, mouth off, be lazy, give a great effort, be suppotive, and anything else that humans do. It is not realistic to expect everyone to act like little automotrons with no thought and emotion. The Skins are fine.

[Skinsfanforlife]

There is no bigger fan of Lavar then me. I love 56, But he needs to shut up and get heath and worrie about winning football games. All these players wanting to work better deals i.e. ( Taylor, Moss, Lavar, and who ever else) needs to win something before you start asking for some more money.

Like Doc Walker says none of these player have won jack sh-it. So all I want to hear is how are we going to win more ball games and I'm sick of losing too Dallas twice a freaking year. I'm sick of players bitching who haven't won jack sh-t.

This team is headed in the right direction. How do I know Joe gibbs. three Super bowls and two Nascar Championships. That's right I said Championships....LAVAR..........I don't need to hear guys bitching about a guy who has won Championships.

[Schneed10]

Easy, easy. I echo Matty. There is nothing here to panic about.

Yes, we lost Fred Smoot. But did you see the job Walt Harris did on Randy Moss in week 17? He's a fine CB.

Yes we lost Antonio Pierce. But Lemar Marshall is good and may be able to fill the role nicely.

Since when does players not participating in voluntary practice mean they won't participate in games? I for one feel this has no impact on anything.

There are positives, we did pick up David Patten and Casey Rabach. Patten will give us speed, whether Moss is hurt or not. We should be able to stretch the field. Rabach can get out on screens and pull a lot better than Raymer, so our run blocking should be upgraded. And, from a personnel standpoint, the biggest reason to feel good is Jansen's return. The line should be much more athletic this year.

#1 overall reason for optimism: Ramsey is the starting QB, not Brunell. The offense under Ramsey during the last 7 games moved the ball effectively, with a 80+ QB rating compared to Brunell's dismal 63. In the last 5 games, the Skins were 3-2, including a very competitive game against the Eagles. Quality teaching and gameplanning are the keys in the NFL, not personnel acquisition. And finally, finally, we have good coaches in place for more than one year at a time, ready to teach and lead the team to success.

Prediction:
15th ranked offense in the league
5th ranked defense in the league including a +10 (or more) turnover ratio
10-6, wildcard playoff berth

[firstdown]

I'm glade we had an slow offseason and the players we have loss o'well. We have had busy offseasons for the past four to five years and what good has come from it, None. Things happen for a reason and what might look bad this offseason may just turn out to be a blessing in disguise. All we can do is wait and see how this season pans out for us and hopefully it will be for the best.

[HermosaBeach Skin Fan]

I feel you SkinsFanForLife. I'm getting a little bit tired of guys bitching about their pay, when really, they haven't proven anything execpt a high Madden rating. I think that playing in the DC area, these guys are forced into having a WAY overinflated ego. Every year, the media and fans hype up the new players and say that they're the key to the superbowl. Look at Sean Taylor. Good player, don't get me wrong, but what has the guy really proven on the field to warrant a new contract? Arrington, shut the F up. You're supposed to be a team leader. All you're doing is bitching about how the coaches caused your injury, and how they stole your extra 6 mil. Last time I looked Tonya Harding wasn't on the coaching staff. Give me a break. I am a skins fan, and I will be forever, but these guys suck. There's a few guys on this team that seem to really care about the Redskins (not that I know personally): Jansen, Samuels, Cooley. If Snyder keeps letting people bitch about their paychecks, we're going to lose a whole lot of good players a la Coles situation. I'm really not opimistic about this coming season, and have a hard time liking this team. I look at the Patriots, I see a football TEAM trying to win, I look at the Redskins and see a bunch of GUYS playing football trying to get the big payday.

[Daseal]

I see a football TEAM trying to win, I look at the Redskins and see a bunch of GUYS playing football trying to get the big payday.

While I agree, I think Gibbs is trying to change this. Unfortunately he had to make his point with two guys I loved seeing in the Redskins uniform!

[HermosaBeach Skin Fan]

Daseal, you're absolutely right. I think Gibbs is trying to change things, and I hope he's able to do it. Although, I do think that he's been a little to arrogant over the past year. Keeping Brunell in was just absolutely his stubborness taking over. The key to this season is going to be if he can adjust and be flexible. I don't think things are going to work the way the did back in the day of Gibbs I. It's a different era.

Isn't it kind of sad to long for the days of Norv Turner? Boy, I think had we kept that team with Brad Johnson and co, we would have been a perrenial playoff team. Jeff George was the worst thing to happen to the skins. Ramsey would have been a great transition from Brad Johnson right about now, geez, it would have been sweet.

[BleedBurgundy]

Arrogance comes that comes from achievement I can deal with. Arrogance that comes from an agent whispering in someone's ear, I cannot.

[Balmerskinsfan]

Really, since when did a good offseason mean anything for the Skins? I'll start pissing and moaning if we suck yet again this season, but till then I'm saving my breath. Besides, look at the positives.
Starting QB= not Fart "Spaghetti Arm" Brunell. That alone gives me hope.