RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote]
In case there was any doubt, Redskins fans can expect to see a very different product on the field next season.

"We are going to have a new style of defense, we are going to have a new style of offense," general manager Bruce Allen said today on ESPN 980.

"It's going to be Redskins football, and the pieces we can acquire this year will be the first steps to building that philosophy."

Allen made his comments during an in-person appearance on "The John Thompson Show," this afternoon in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Allen made a quick visit to radio row at the Super Bowl media center, making stops by the ESPN 980 table and the Sirius booth.

He offered few specifics but when he was asked about Clinton Portis' status with the team, Allen noted that the running back has met with Coach Mike Shanahan, and "we're looking forward to seeing Clinton help us win," Allen said.

Allen said he's meeting with officials from other teams in south Florida, formulating early trade ideas and plans for this fall's roster. "We're going 100 miles an hour getting ready for free agency," Allen said.

What the team hasn't figured out -- or at least isn't ready to disclose -- is what it plans to do with that No. 4 draft pick.

"We have a little time on that," Allen said. "We really have enjoyed the process so far of lining up our draft board. Our college scouts are in Washington right now, meeting. We've got our full coaching staff together, so it's an exciting time for us."

By Rick Maese | February 4, 2010; 3:14 PM ET
Categories: Bruce Allen , Mike Shanahan[/quote]

Looks like we're diving in head first:
[url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/bruce-allen/allen-were-going-100-mph-getti.html#comments]Redskins Insider - Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'[/url]

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

Sounds like they're rockin' and rolling in Washington. GOOD!!! Hope it shows up well on the field. :headbange

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

Sounds like he counting on Portis as well.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

"Formulating early trades ideas"....? verrrrrrrry interesting...I wonder which player's name(s) are popping up with us...

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=Chico23231;660471]"Formulating early trades ideas"....? verrrrrrrry interesting...I wonder which player's name(s) are popping up with us...[/quote]

Chris Kuper, the current RG for Denver. Would save us the risk of having to spend a draft pick on a young Guard and ironically paired with Ben Hamilton would at least get us set up on the interior of the O-Line with Dockery, Rabach, Edwin Williams, Kory L, Kuper, and Hamilton. One of those guys will likely need to be cut. Though if we go into the year with 10 O-Lineman again it wouldn't be much of a stretch to see them all make the team.

The thing we would need to find draft wise is tackles. Both Right and Left. Personally I'd like to see Daryn Colledge get a shot at RT if he's released by Green Bay. However we should expect to draft about two tackles during this draft. Maybe another interior lineman for good measure though it might be overkill given that the interior of the line will quickly turn into a strength.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=Chico23231;660471]"Formulating early trades ideas"....? verrrrrrrry interesting...I wonder which player's name(s) are popping up with us...[/quote]

Cooley is one, JC possilbe, don't be suprised that we ship off in a package deal, Portis and ARE, high 3rd, just to free up money, my long shot would be both of S.F.1st round picks for Haynesworth and JC and our 5th

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=Nomad;660473]Cooley is one, JC possilbe, don't be suprised that we ship off in a package deal, Portis and ARE, high 3rd, just to free up money, my long shot would be both of S.F.1st round picks for Haynesworth and JC and our 5th[/quote]

I doubt ARE is a realistic trade possibility. No one wants to give up a draft pick for an overpaid east-west punt returner. They might sign him to a one or two million dollar deal if he's an UFA but trade bait....na.

JC seems possible but they seem intent on giving him a shot.

Cooley would be safe if Vinny was still here but this is a new regime. Still the word around Redskin park is that Shanahan is looking forward to incorparting two tight end sets.

Personally I can't believe they're giving Portis another shot. I'd rather try and find the next great nobody in Shanahan's offense then give a bunch of carries to Portis.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=Longtimefan;660469]Sounds like he counting on Portis as well.[/quote]

Bruce Allen-"We're going to be a disciplined team." BA on Shannahan-"He wants us to be in top shape physically and he wants players who want to get better mentally. [B]So much of this game is preparing during the week[/B]."

As Matty has mentioned before, if Portis is here, it will be under Shanny's terms.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

IMO names from us popping up for trades are: Cooley, Rogers, JC, and the guy I feel most likely to go-Laron. I personally would like to keep the Rogers, JC and Cooley...but Cooley probably has the most trade value and probably the most interest. Nomad, I dont know anyone who would take ARE or CP at this point..it would be a gift from above if anybody did. Haynesworth isnt going anywhere.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

Like to know there hard at work, I just want them to trade back to pick up more picks if possible then go OL, OL, OL & then LB or RB.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

I've been saying all along that Cooley will be shopped around.. If someone offers us a 2nd round pick for him, he is gone.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

gotta love the offseason as a skins fan, i think they are talking up portis to see if anyone shows any intrest which i doubt will happen, it's gonna be real interesting come april

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

sounds like haslett is going run a 3-4.

I'm sure BA will be very creative and management will have Danny Boy's full support to turn this thing around for the better.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=skinsfaninok;660478]I've been saying all along that Cooley will be shopped around.. If someone offers us a 2nd round pick for him, he is gone.[/quote]

No way we trade him for just a second.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=mlmpetert;660485]No way we trade him for just a second.[/quote]

Agree worth more, maybe a 2nd & a 3rd next year. I don't want to see him go thou, but it is a business.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=NYCskinfan82;660493]Agree worth more, maybe a 2nd & a 3rd next year. I don't want to see him go thou, but it is a business.[/quote]

A couple of good games from Fred Davis and suddenly the best player on our team becomes expendable. It annoys me. We'd have to get a REALLY sweet offer to part with Cooley. I like Fred Davis a lot, but I'd also love to see some two TE sets with both of them on the field together. Hell, they may be our two best pass catchers right now.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

Cooley is a gamer and has been a great Skin. Wish we could keep guys around for awhile like the pre cap days, but if there is a trade to be made, he is the only guy that will garner the most bang. Portis' time for being traded was after '07 or '08. Rogers might not be the best trade bait. ARE might be worth a low round pick, but that is it.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

Bruce Allen is a good interview.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

I am such a sucker when it comes to the Skins. A simple comment like these and I get amp'ed. I want to get past this snow, this month and get to free agency. The discussion on Cooley is old, but I will say again the Skins would be FOOLISH to trade away a content top 5 TE in the PRIME of his career for any amount short of ft knox type picks. We need to keep our core hard nosed talent(what little we have) and let others make the stupid trades and deals. The thing Allen said that I liked:
The pieces we pick up will be the beginning. not one player away mentality but building a long term championship team

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=Dirtbag359;660474]Personally I can't believe they're giving Portis another shot. I'd rather try and find the next great nobody in Shanahan's offense then give a bunch of carries to Portis.[/quote]

I think they realize they can't automatically plug in any RB into the Shanny offense to succeed before they have the line to accomplish that.
Having Portis buys them time until the new line can develop

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

this is depressing..."changing offense, changing defense", can someone say rebuilding. Hopefully its not a 4-12 season

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

couldn't agree with gm and c anymore, every word out of allens mouth is more and more appealing

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=rbanerjee23;660506]this is depressing..."changing offense, changing defense", can someone say rebuilding. Hopefully its not a 4-12 season[/quote]

PA-LEEZE...this team was essentially the same team that Gibbs took to the playoffs....PLAYOFFS?...PLAYOFFS?

ok...except the line got injured a bit....anyways, it is my personal belief that a monkey could have gotten the Skins to win 1 more game this year. There is NO WAY shanahan goes 4-12, even with backups.

6-10 at worst...maybe....that is what I predicted for last year with Zorn at the helm who at the time I though was average.
A great coach can win a couple more games.
A HOF coach can maybe get one more out of the same rock.

It turns out Zorn kinda sucked...Shanny is in a totally different class

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=rbanerjee23;660506]this is depressing..."changing offense, changing defense", can someone say rebuilding. Hopefully its not a 4-12 season[/quote]

Depressing? So it would be less depressing if we kept the same vanilla defense that can't create turnovers and the same crap offense that can't score? I would call the upcoming moves exciting, not depressing.

Also, I don't really think it's going to be a total rebuild. Offensive line is probably the only position that is going to get a total overhaul.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=rbanerjee23;660506]this is depressing..."changing offense, changing defense", can someone say rebuilding. Hopefully its not a 4-12 season[/quote]


Wouldn't say rebuilding, more of a retooling. The only thing being rebuilt is the offensive line and that might not be that big of a job if we draft right and use FA to the max.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[QUOTE]this is depressing..."changing offense, changing defense", can someone say rebuilding. Hopefully its not a 4-12 season[/QUOTE]

dallas went 1-15 but built a 3 superbowl winner, manning went 3-13 or something like that and has had one bad year since. if we go 4-12 but build a solid foundation, i will live. i want to see a commitment to building and sustaining greatness, if there are bumps along the way, so be it. another thing that Allen said, Shanahan has a plan and is installing it and discipline. after the way our O and D played they should be re-visiting both.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=skinsnut;660510]PA-LEEZE...this team was essentially the same team that Gibbs took to the playoffs....PLAYOFFS?...PLAYOFFS?

ok...except the line got injured a bit....anyways, it is my personal belief that a monkey could have gotten the Skins to win 1 more game this year. There is NO WAY shanahan goes 4-12, even with backups.

[B]6-10 at worst[/B]...maybe....that is what I predicted for last year with Zorn at the helm who at the time I though was average.
A great coach can win a couple more games.
A HOF coach can maybe get one more out of the same rock.

It turns out Zorn kinda sucked...Shanny is in a totally different class[/quote]

don't get your hopes up, have yhou seen our schedule next year [url=http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Future_Opponents_608.jsp]Future Opponents[/url] i'm ready for a few years of rebuilding while we look towards the future and eventually have a sick team of studs like the caps who are killing it tonight

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;660517]dallas went 1-15 but built a 3 superbowl winner, manning went 3-13 or something like that and has had one bad year since. if we go 4-12 but build a solid foundation, i will live. [B]i want to see a commitment to building and sustaining greatness, if there are bumps along the way, so be it.[/B] another thing that Allen said, Shanahan has a plan and is installing it and discipline. after the way our O and D played they should be re-visiting both.[/quote]

Brilliantly put.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=GMScud;660497]A couple of good games from Fred Davis and suddenly the best player on our team becomes expendable. It annoys me. [B]We'd have to get a REALLY sweet offer to part with Cooley.[/B] I like Fred Davis a lot, but I'd also love to see some two TE sets with both of them on the field together. Hell, they may be our two best pass catchers right now.[/quote]

I have argued that trading Cooley might not be a bad idea (which is different than saying we "should" trade), but only on the principle you adduced. Only trade Cooley if we can make it our own little Herschel Walker trade. Otherwise we hang on to our accomplished player who has future upside and a good attitude.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

ARE has no trade value unless we are throwing him in as a consolation prize.

Portis, LOL, has he even been cleared by the doctor yet? It's all good the team wants to bring him back, but if he's not cleared then basically it's all lip service from both sides and a moot point.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

Bruce Allen repeatedly have described our aim as "playing Redskins football." Does anyone know exactly what Allen means by that phrase?

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

what he also said was that he was counting on a lot of the current guys playing better.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

As I understand it, the Redskins have no plans to even entertain trade offers for Cooley. That could change of course. They do want to add some picks though.

That said, "formulating early trade ideas" is a bit misleading. He said it was standard practice for NFL execs attending Super Bowl week to interact with each other, discuss possible trades, do some "scouting/recruiting" discuss league issues (i.e. labor agreement). They're formulating trade ideas just like every other team not named the Saints or Colts is doing this week

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

Even though BA said he's looking forward to having portis or what ever he said, it still doesn't mean we're keeping him, I mean what else would he say? "No clinton's in the past we're trading him"? I see this year in and year out in the NFL.

Also I do look forward into going deep into FA and getting a bunch of players because this team needs an offseason rebuilding like the dolphins had two years ago and the saints had the year they signed brees. (miami 1-15 to 10-6 playoffs; New orleans 3-13 to 10-6 playoffs) they brought in a load of players and replaced them with a load of players.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=SmootSmack;660530][B]As I understand it, the Redskins have no plans to even entertain trade offers for Cooley.[/B] That could change of course. They do want to add some picks though.

That said, "formulating early trade ideas" is a bit misleading.[B] He said it was standard practice for NFL execs attending Super Bowl week to interact with each other, discuss possible trades, do some "scouting/recruiting" discuss league issues (i.e. labor agreement). They're formulating trade ideas just like every other team not named the Saints or Colts is doing this week[/B][/quote]

As to your first point- good to hear.

As to your second point- Exactly. Really everything right now from any head coach or GM is lip service. "We're exploring all avenues to improve the team, we look forward to this player and that player contributing, blah blah blah."

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=Lotus;660527]Bruce Allen repeatedly have described our aim as "playing Redskins football." Does anyone know exactly what Allen means by that phrase?[/quote]It's pretty much just Buc Ball without the cannons and pirate references.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=Lotus;660527]Bruce Allen repeatedly have described our aim as "[B]playing Redskins football." [/B]Does anyone know exactly what Allen means by that phrase?[/quote]

Winning football! :thumb:

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=skinsnut;660505]I think they realize they can't automatically plug in any RB into the Shanny offense to succeed before they have the line to accomplish that.
Having Portis buys them time until the new line can develop[/quote]

I'd say thats more of an argument for keeping JC around in the event that we draft a rookie QB in one of the first two rounds. Rookie RB's develop virutally overnight. You basically know what you have pretty quickly. I don't really see much upside to keeping Portis.

If we do end up keeping Portis then it should be in a similar capacity to Willis McGahee over the course of the last few years.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

[quote=Lotus;660527]Bruce Allen repeatedly have described our aim as "playing Redskins football." Does anyone know exactly what Allen means by that phrase?[/quote]

I hope a suffocating defense is a part of that. I've had enough of Blache's pseudo-prevent defense.

Re: RI: Allen: 'We're going 100 mph getting ready for free agency'
 

I'm glad we're rebuilding. A flaw of this team, I believe, was that attitude that we were one player or one component away from being a playoff/winning team. I want to see a good combination of draft selections and smart free agent acquisitions to rebuild this team.

If anything is going to be traded, I think it is going to be that #4 pick. If Bradford is available then, I'm sure there are going to be teams that would be interested in that #4 pick from us, and would give us a number of picks.

I'm sick of hearing of the Cooley trade talks, you don't build a team by trading away one of your best offensive players. Smart teams trade away players that no longer want to be part of the team, players that cause problems for the team, or players past their primes that other teams may see some value. I don't think Cooley fits into any of those categories.