John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[B]Different approach for Redskins' Snyder?[/B] Even though this would be Dan Snyder's type of market, watch for a change in the Redskins' strategy. Snyder and Joe Gibbs are starting to realize the dangers of free agency. Wide receiver [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6460"]Brandon Lloyd[/URL] and safety [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5467"]Adam Archuleta[/URL] didn't work out last year. Plus, it's becoming harder and harder to get players in the restricted free agency market. The Redskins will be shopping their first-round pick at the combine with the idea of moving down and getting more draft picks. They will dabble in free agency but not as aggressively as in the past.

Full article: [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2767986&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines]ESPN.com - NFL - Clayton: Spotting some early trends in free agency[/url]

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

I can deal with that.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

I'll believe it when I see it. Only once under the Snyder regime have the Skins displayed any restraint during the free agent signing period - that was the one season that Schottenheimer called all personnel shots. The Danny hated not having a say, and we all know how he lives to gas up Redskin One every March and "win" the free agent bonanza. I call that "Snyder's Super Bowl".

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

IN 2005 WE BARELY DID ANYTHING EXCEPT ACQUIRE MOSS AND RABACH AND PATTEN this off season i think that we will have at most 3 signings cb nate clements LB london fletcher and maybe a defensive lineman to go into the rotation

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=SouperMeister;278111]I call that "Snyder's Super Bowl".[/quote]At this point, you don't even have to put that in quotes anymore. You are about the tenth member to deem the free agency season the Skins SB and its no longer clever. Frankly, its kinda irritating.

Not trying to be unessecarily harsh here as I realize that many people have every right to be frusterated with the individual moves the franchise has made over the past few years.

I'm not suggesting that the Skins deserve a pass for downright crappy decision-making--but doesn't it make sense that both Snyder and Gibbs, as ORPs (Ordinary reasonable persons) can see that their previous course of action wasn't the best and at least try to fix it.

Any guy can be a good personell guy after years of trial and error--even Matt Millen. It's not an exceptionally difficult job (if it was, then the same personel guys would dominate the league every year), and this Clayton report makes perfect sense. All it's really saying is that Gibbs and Snyder are learning from their mistakes. What a concept!

As far as this offseason goes, their course of action (interest in Fletcher and Clements and be tight pocketed everywhere else) is no different then the plan I've been outlining since November. So either I'm ALSO an idiot, or Gibbs and Snyder are learning from their mistakes.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=EARTHQUAKE2689;278112]IN 2005 WE BARELY DID ANYTHING EXCEPT ACQUIRE MOSS AND RABACH AND PATTEN this off season i think that we will have at most 3 signings cb nate clements LB london fletcher and maybe a defensive lineman to go into the rotation[/quote]I hope we also get a blocking TE and resign some of our guys whos contracts are up, but you have the bare bones of a great plan of action. Give Clements what he deserves to solidify our CB position, and spend carefully everywhere else. The buck stops here.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=GTripp0012;278117]I hope we also get a blocking TE and resign some of our guys whos contracts are up, but you have the bare bones of a great plan of action. Give Clements what he deserves to solidify our CB position, and spend carefully everywhere else. The buck stops here.[/quote]


Christian Fauria when healthy is one of the best blocking te's in the nfl and chris cooley has really shored up his run blocking in the past two seasons the redskins need alot of things but tight end is not one of them

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=GTripp0012;278117]I hope we also get a blocking TE and resign some of our guys whos contracts are up, but you have the bare bones of a great plan of action. Give Clements what he deserves to solidify our CB position, and spend carefully everywhere else. The buck stops here.[/quote]


the only guy left worth re-signing, other than whatever practice squad scrubs are free agents, is Dockery...and we had better re-sign him

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=EARTHQUAKE2689;278137][B]Christian Fauria[/B] when healthy is one of the best blocking te's in the nfl and chris cooley has really shored up his run blocking in the past two seasons the redskins need alot of things but tight end is not one of them[/quote]


He is, but all he did for us was get 2 holding calls in the second Dallas game and thats all I saw of him.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

yeah but we dont need a tight end at all

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

I really dont think a TE is a pressing issue at this point but, say Cooley gets hurt? Who's behind him? Fauria? Good luck getting him to catch a pass and take ANY kind of hit like CC. Todd Yoder? Only time he appeared on radar was TB game. I dont know....CC is awesome. Should have made pro-bowl last 2 years IMO but.....

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=JGisLordOfTheRings;278146]I really dont think a TE is a pressing issue at this point but, say Cooley gets hurt? Who's behind him? Fauria? Good luck getting him to catch a pass and take ANY kind of hit like CC. Todd Yoder? Only time he appeared on radar was TB game. I dont know....CC is awesome. Should have made pro-bowl last 2 years IMO but.....[/quote]Plus in 05, we had Royal blocking on the outside. At the beginning of last year we had no one (because Fauria can't block and never could), and Pucillio did a good job in that role. However, when Pucillio is in, everybody in the stadium knows its a run. It'd be nice to have competant blocking on the outside with at least the threat of a pass.

Theres also no guarentee that Pucillio will be back next year. Theres a chance he could be back as a starter.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=Mattyk72;278100][B]Different approach for Redskins' Snyder?[/B] Even though this would be Dan Snyder's type of market, watch for a change in the Redskins' strategy. Snyder and Joe Gibbs are starting to realize the dangers of free agency. Wide receiver [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6460"]Brandon Lloyd[/URL] and safety [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5467"]Adam Archuleta[/URL] didn't work out last year. Plus, it's becoming harder and harder to get players in the restricted free agency market. The Redskins will be shopping their first-round pick at the combine with the idea of moving down and getting more draft picks. They will dabble in free agency but not as aggressively as in the past.

Full article: [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2767986&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines"]ESPN.com - NFL - Clayton: Spotting some early trends in free agency[/URL][/quote]

This tells me that they realize the past mistakes. I hope we do move down and get some extra picks.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

briggs, justin smith, and samuel have all been tagged so thats 3 less big targets already. i wouldnt be dissapointed if we traded down to around 11 or so and got okoye if available.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=Big C;278182]briggs, justin smith, and samuel have all been tagged so thats 3 less big targets already. i wouldnt be dissapointed if we traded down to around 11 or so and got okoye if available.[/quote]That wouldn't be bad. 11-14 isnt a bad place to be sitting in this draft. However, I think only a 2nd rounder PLUS would be sufficient to drop out of the top 12 or so.

We can't be looking to get rid of our pick. That leads to bad deals. If some team calls on draft day and wants to give us a lucrative deal for our pick, then you pull the trigger.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[QUOTE=GTripp0012;278189]We can't be looking to get rid of our pick. That leads to bad deals. If some team calls on draft day and wants to give us a lucrative deal for our pick, then you pull the trigger.[/QUOTE]

I have been trying to get this point across to people around here. I keep reading "we should trade down" like that should be THE PLAN. You can't plan on it. I think you have to approach Free Agency as a time to prudently fill gaps. That means finding as many players as possible who can play a role for you and do it well while paying them a market value deal. Flecther is a good idea but only if we get a market deal on him. IE: not some crizazy contract that we get stuck under in 3 years. To say he is too old is to say we shouldnt' take him at all when I think what everyone means is that he is too old to give a lot of money too. We fill holes in FA as possible and use the draft to fill other areas of need as long as we are getting solid value out of the pick. If someone comes along with a deal or if we can cook one up then go for it. But those deals don't materialize until well after free agency so considering trading our pick to get more picks to fill holes we don't know if we'll even have is silly.

I totally agree with the 'We can't be looking to get rid of our pick' mode of thinking.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

i said id like to trade down to around 11 because the article posted in the thread specifically said we would shop our pick.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

I'd only shop if Branch is taken

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

If we drop in the first round, should we still try to address the DL? It seems like there's a number of good defensive linemen this year. Or do you think we'll try to build the secondary should we trade down, since there's probably going to be a big DL push towards the beginning of the draft.

I think a guy like Reggie Nelson could be a great compliment to ST. I know Springs is probably going to get shifted to safety, so that still leaves us short a starting CB. Leon Hall could be around later in the 1st round or Darelle Revis. I just wonder what the Skins strategy will be should they slide in the order.

I'd really like to draft a defensive linemen. I know a lot of you feel we should trade down if Alan Branch isn't available at 6, but what if Amobi Okoye is? I mean he's only 19, and he is a hoss. Gaines Adams or Jamal Anderson would most likely drop to the #6 if branch isn't taken. Shouldn't we snag one of those two? I don't think we'll be able to address our DL problems through FA.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[QUOTE=theJBexperience;278243]If we drop in the first round, should we still try to address the DL? It seems like there's a number of good defensive linemen this year. Or do you think we'll try to build the secondary should we trade down, since there's probably going to be a big DL push towards the beginning of the draft.

I think a guy like Reggie Nelson could be a great compliment to ST. I know Springs is probably going to get shifted to safety, so that still leaves us short a starting CB. Leon Hall could be around later in the 1st round or Darelle Revis. I just wonder what the Skins strategy will be should they slide in the order.

I'd really like to draft a defensive linemen. I know a lot of you feel we should trade down if Alan Branch isn't available at 6, but what if Amobi Okoye is? I mean he's only 19, and he is a hoss. Gaines Adams or Jamal Anderson would most likely drop to the #6 if branch isn't taken. Shouldn't we snag one of those two? I don't think we'll be able to address our DL problems through FA.[/QUOTE]

If Branch is gone before #6 (with Tampa Bay picking ahead of us, it's very likely - they love picking defensive linemen) then we should stick with the D-line and take either of the two top defensive ends -- unless there's a blockbuster trade offering.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

we should stock with the defensive line regardless of where we draft from cause there is a plethera of talent in the d line in this years draft

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=Beemnseven;278257]If Branch is gone before #6 (with Tampa Bay picking ahead of us, it's very likely - they love picking defensive linemen) then we should stick with the D-line and take either of the two top defensive ends -- unless there's a blockbuster trade offering.[/quote]Has Tampa even drafted on the DL in the last 3 years at all?

I think they want Calvin Johnson.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

I hope Clayton's right.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=Mattyk72;278100][B]Different approach for Redskins' Snyder?[/B] Even though this would be Dan Snyder's type of market, watch for a change in the Redskins' strategy. [/quote]

With limited cap room, free agent gaffs and few draft picks, what choice do they have?

It's not that the Skins rely on free agents; it's that they rely on it to excess. The team only needed[B] one[/B] wide receiver free agent last year. The did not [B]need[/B] another big hitting safety (and would not have signed Archuleta if they knew in advance that Sean Taylor would get a "get out of jail card"). They did not need a whole new playbook in a "super bowl year." It's excesses that hurt the team.

If any good came out of 2006, it would be that Snyder & company have finally figured out that being smart with the cap is not the same as being smart with the roster.

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[QUOTE=GTripp0012;278313]Has Tampa even drafted on the DL in the last 3 years at all?

I think they want Calvin Johnson.[/QUOTE]

After doing some research, you're right - they haven't used their top pick on a d-lineman since 2003. And yes, Calvin Johnson might be what allows us to get Branch.

As I see it, Oakland and Detroit will take quarterbacks. But Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Arizona could go either way (offense or defense). If Branch is as awesome as people are saying -- a superstar at the defensive line is sometimes as lucrative to teams as franchise quarterbacks. Romeo Crennel is a defensive guy, and the Bucs always seem enamored with collecting players for a swarming defense, making that their primary focus -- they've always been known as a 'defense first' team. But hopefully Calvin Johnson will sway them the other way.

Adrian Peterson is the other offensive gem that the Browns might not want to let get away. They need help everywhere.

Like my sig says, I'm a Branch guy. Let's face it, when was the last time the Redskins had a cornerstone at defensive tackle? Branch could give us that for the first time since ... Dave Butz?

Re: John Clayton: Spotting some early free agency trends
 

[quote=EARTHQUAKE2689;278137][B]Christian Fauria when healthy is one of[/B] [COLOR=black][B]the best blocking te's in the nfl[/B][/COLOR] and chris cooley has really shored up his run blocking in the past two seasons the redskins need alot of things but tight end is not one of them[/quote]
please tell me this is a joke. fauria was down right horrible last season. and i enjoy reading claytons work. usually dead on with no slant to it