THE most important off-season/season?
 

Rod had to go. period. but anyone realize we have zero starting WRs from last year? Its Ramsey's first year starting, and he's throwing to all new guys to boot. there is A LOT of chemistry that has to be made before this regular season cuz the offense is starting from scratch (after last year, we had no choice).

To me this offseason seems the most important off-season in 2 decades (90's and 00's). So much is riding on this year, if this season ends like last year's, it will have a huge impact on the franchise.

The Redskins haven't been truly competitive for a long long time. Already we've had a host of players who jump at the chance to leave, to the point of straight abandoning us. (it's not that we lose, it's that we consistently find the way to lose at the end, after fighting hard 95% of the game).

Everyone knows contracts will get extremely hairy beginning next year. If this season doesn't work out, the skins will have to rebuild entirely, not just the passing corps, but the whole team, and everyone knows that takes YEARS of tough work. Tough years that I just don't see the two biggest assets we have, Gibbs and Williams, stick around for. Gibbs has already earned his retirement, and Williams, his own team.

I feel this year's team is stronger than last years, we finally have our monster Oline (lord, we have a CENTER!), speed on the edges, and a QB that can really chuck it. To me, Williams is an utter miracle worker, a genius who can make any 11 men competitive as a TEAM (attn: Arrington and Taylor). Portis may not be classic Gibbs mold, but his drive and open field talent are undeniable. I think we're more than OK, we're good. The million dollar ? is the all new Gibbs gameplan and QB/WR equation. The [B]billion dollar question[/B] however, is what happens to the Skins after this season.

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

I wouldn't necessarily say he's throwing to all new guys. Jacobs, McCants, Thrash, Cooley. They've all been there before

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

[QUOTE=illdefined]Rod had to go. period. but anyone realize we have zero starting WRs from last year? Its Ramsey's first year starting, and he's throwing to all new guys to boot. there is A LOT of chemistry that has to be made before this regular season cuz the offense is starting from scratch (after last year, we had no choice).
[/QUOTE]

I think we have found our excuse in the *unusual* circumstance that the Redskins underperform again this year. Kudos!

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

Cooley-Ramsey is the most solid link we have, but the others will only be occasional #3s. #1 and #2 will be new.

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

Jacobs could still end up starting, we'll see how the WR battle goes in camp.

When your coach/savior is 64, every year is a big year. Expectations are starting to get blown up again and eveyrone is forgetting that it takes at least two years to turn a team like the skins around - I really don't expect much of a record this year, I will be happy with a competitive 8-8.

BUT - Its way to early to say this year is make or break, because the fact is, two years is not enough time to turn this team around. Now years 3-5 is another story. Last season was a HUGE reality check for me, I was screaming 10-6 and the playoffs! Yet is was so damn obvious that my expectations were way to unrealistic!

As far as rebuilding, I mean, who doesn't do that to some extent every year?

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

I don't know about two years to turn around, there are several new contenders every year that bombed or really underchieved the previous year. If your a fan expectations have got to be high. Year to year it is hard to say how any team will perform the league is so up and down only a few teams are at a high level for long. Blow outs are becoming more and more rare, and teams winning by 3 and even 1 score can go either way a lot of times, just one play. How many one plays would we have like to reset last year cowboys game last possession, ravens sack that led to a score. We are not that bad and definitely made some solid improvements.

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

[QUOTE=gortiz]When your coach/savior is 64, every year is a big year. Expectations are starting to get blown up again and eveyrone is forgetting that it takes at least two years to turn a team like the skins around - I really don't expect much of a record this year, I will be happy with a competitive 8-8.

BUT - Its way to early to say this year is make or break, because the fact is, two years is not enough time to turn this team around. Now years 3-5 is another story. Last season was a HUGE reality check for me, I was screaming 10-6 and the playoffs! Yet is was so damn obvious that my expectations were way to unrealistic!

As far as rebuilding, I mean, who doesn't do that to some extent every year?[/QUOTE]

not only is our coach 64, but all of Snyder's big money contracts are about to self-destruct. they were all backloaded to next season and the season after.

My point was after this season there will be BIG changes in personnel and I can't see Gibbs hanging in there to see a freshly rebuilt team in the championship game when he's 70.

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

[QUOTE=gortiz]...the fact is, two years is not enough time to turn this team around. Now years 3-5 is another story.[/QUOTE]

We've had WAY longer than two years to turn this team around. How many times do we have to say another 3-5 seasons before there's consisently competitive performances or a playoff berth?

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

I believe we're operating under the general consensus that we started over after completely revamping the coaching staff before last season...

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

[QUOTE=canthetuna]I believe we're operating under the general consensus that we started over after completely revamping the coaching staff before last season...[/QUOTE]

we did. and unless this season leaves us with very positive, tangible momentum, we're going to again.

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

I think Gibbs will have a good year. His fear of failuer is to strong for him not to. The guy has been working so hard this off season to fix the offense. :coach: I think we are headed for some fun in 2005.


:httr:

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

I'd put the fact he loves and cares about team over fear of failure...

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

I agree that it feels like IT has to happen THIS season or we will be bad or horrid for years.

My biggest fear / worry - we remained cursed and just cant get out of the fog / injury / unlucky play / bad call soup we have been in since Mr Mediocrity (Norv) instilled an unwavering spirit of bleh over the team.

However, for the fan, hope springs eternal- My biggest Hope / belief is that we will suprise this year - Special teams will be one of the best in the league and the Offense will get better enough to hold us in there till week 8 when we really start to dominate. Heck- if we had just not given up 35 points in returns (punt and int) we would have been 8-8 last year (beating NYG and Balt).

So even if we just get a little bit better I think 10-6 is very reasonable.....god help us if we get worse

Re: THE most important off-season/season?
 

something has to click this season, or we go back to R.F.K.

i blame FedEx.