I feel like I remember Cerrato being quoted somewhere (about a month ago) saying that resigning Smoot was the number one priority. I was never a huge Smoot fan before (don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike him or anything), but this season is really turning me into one.

Honestly, before Champ left, I thought Champ was the man, and Smoot was just a really good CB. Now that Champ has left, Smoot has really seemed to step up even more. If I could, I'd sign Smoot myself in order to get him here for the rest of his career. Shoot, I'd cut off two arms and a leg to ensure he stays here.

Smoot & Springs!
 

Everyone thought it was Champ! But Smoot & Springs are great! Add ST, and we have a good start in the secondary. We need a couple more warriors though, with Bowen out!

I was not a big backer of Springs, but he also walks the talk! He was on the Monday night post game show, and he's bigger than I thought, and is clear headed and concisive in speaking! Kind of the Anti-Smoot! He levels out our Secondary!

[QUOTE=Redskins_P]Interesting.......I think he was talking about Smoot.

Could this mean that we will re-sign him in the offseason?[/QUOTE]

He was referring to Smoot. Gibb's the President of the team. If he wants Smoot, Smoot is here for the duration that he's here.

[QUOTE=bridaman51]they better have cap room to resign Smoot[/QUOTE]

Smoot will probably be re-signed at the end of this season. Players that are certainly being considered for release are McCants, Noble, Samuels and Gardner. I'm sure at least two out of the bunch will not be here freeing up a considerable amount of cap money.

[QUOTE=backrow]Everyone thought it was Champ! But Smoot & Springs are great! Add ST, and we have a good start in the secondary. We need a couple more warriors though, with Bowen out!

I was not a big backer of Springs, but he also walks the talk! He was on the Monday night post game show, and he's bigger than I thought, and is clear headed and concisive in speaking! Kind of the Anti-Smoot! He levels out our Secondary![/QUOTE]

I wouldn't classify Springs ability to articulate as anti-Smoot. If anything it is complimentary. Springs is from Maryland. Smoot is from Mississippi. As a southerner, I'm proud to see a young man who speaks from his heart and doesn't care about using perfect English grammar.

Smoot is incredibly important to this team. And barring some major interpersonal catastrophe in the locker room, he's got to be one of the guys on Coach Gibbs' "core player list". So, I'll buy that Gibbs will push to sign Smoot as a top priority.

However, I'm not going to sit here and delude myself into believing that Smoot will re-sign here for a significant discount over what he can make elsewhere. The Redskins will have to come up with a package that is as beg as the deal he and his agent get somewhere else.

In the past, Danny Boy has structured deals such that other teams could not quite match them and do whatever else they needed to do - remember the Jetskins? So, what happens if an owner like Robert Johnson of the Jets decides to return the favor and give Smoot such a huge signing bonus that it would strap the Redskins down for any other free agent signings?

I'm not saying this "payback" will happen, but Smoot could draw some really big offers at the end of the year - particularly if he makes the Pro Bowl which his agent will use as a lever to raise the price even higher.

While I understand what Gibbs is trying to do with building for the future the reality of what he has done and how today's nfl work do not match up. The salary cap prohibits teams from really building for the future. In today's nfl the future is next year not 5 years. The only way this "future building" can be done, as New England has done so successfully, is through the draft. However Gibbs gave away draft picks to get a pretty much over the hill Bruenell. I have a bunch of faith in Gibbs but I hope when he's talking future me means next year because in % years the ship will have sailed and the skins will still be standing on the dock waving good-bye.