All legitimate screw-ups. But you are forgetting one, Stephen Davis. By failing to find a way to keep him, mostly b/c he didn't fit into Spurrier's plans, we ended up trading for Portis. Not that Portis is a bad pick-up or an improvement over SD, it just forced a personnel move that would not have been necessary. Even if we still lost Champ, their were plenty of bidders who would have given as good value in this draft.

Anybody doubt that Davis would have been a beast in Gibbs system?

[QUOTE=JoeRedskin]All legitimate screw-ups. But you are forgetting one, Stephen Davis. By failing to find a way to keep him, mostly b/c he didn't fit into Spurrier's plans, we ended up trading for Portis. Not that Portis is a bad pick-up or an improvement over SD, it just forced a personnel move that would not have been necessary. Even if we still lost Champ, their were plenty of bidders who would have given as good value in this draft.

Anybody doubt that Davis would have been a beast in Gibbs system?[/QUOTE]

for possibly a season or 2, but portis is going to be an even bigger beast and is a heck of a lot younger and cheaper than what we would have been paying davis. plus with the cap room created by releasing davis we were able to get Coles and Thomas.

Ahh, I hadn't considered the Thomas, Coles effect. Point taken. I retract my previous assertion as having been shown to be erroneous and ill-founded.

(Wow. How very civil of you, JoeRedskin.)

Barrows had the best year of the three last year, and he'd be a good fit for us (I think he has the most speed??).

We haven't actaully cut Trotter yet. Any chance AT ALL that we might keep him on if we can't get Barrow? Could he restructure? Is he not a core redskin type?

Of the three choices you've given me, let me start by saying that none of the three are outstanding linebackers.

Barrow is probably the best linebacker in terms of being able to make plays in all aspects of the game. But he does not excel at any of them.

Trotter can't cover a corpse. But he is a solid tackler and a guy who will not give up on a play. He makes too many mental mistakes for a MLB.

Mitchell seemed to have lost a step at the end of last year. He never had great speed to begin with so that makes him the most suspect one on this mediocre list.

Now you have to factor in what they cost you in terms of cap room. On that scale, Trotter is at the bottom and Barrow would probably be in the middle bewcause he'll command a signing bonus and Mitchell would be on top because he does not cost much.

As long as Barrow doesn't cost too much and his retirement in a couple of years doesn't have a significantly adverse effect on the cap, I think it's worth picking him up. Trotter is getting paid way too much for his unspectacular-- if solid-- play, and Mitchell-- as others have said-- is getting a little too immobile to be effective as a starter. Barrow can adequately fill the starting MLB hole until one of the younger guys already on the roster, a future draft pick, or future free agent acquisition can take over.

If Barrow asks for too much (as has been the Redskins' experience with soon-to-retire former stars), then let Mitchell fight it out with Clifton Smith for the MLB spot, and possibly look for a June 1st cap cut.

I wonder what we would have been offered for Bailey if we had Davis still. Im glad the way it worked out, it will be nice having an elite back. Had Detroit given us their first and second it would have been tempting though. THen we could have Taylor and Winslow. I think Portis will be a bigger factor then either one of them though. Had we taken those two then say Ben Watson or Chris Perry with the second round pick it would be a lot to think about.