Insider info on Smoot from ESPN

holmester

Fred Smoot
When I first heard cornerback Fred Smoot was signing with Washington, I thought this might be another instance of the Redskins' front office overpaying for a player whose performance levels don't match his reputation.

For more see espn.com

RMSkins

Smoot is definitely not a #1 CB, but he is a great #2 or #3, therefore I think Smoot will do fine in his second stint as a Redskin.

firstdown

Dang man from what you said he will be dead in a week or two.

stu_nna

NFL trash?? that's utterly ludicrous, this guy had more INT's for us than any of last years starters. Also, since when does a 27 yr old corner have his best days behind him? Minnesota misused Smoot. How else can u explain the drop off in play from when he was here to when he was a Viking. The man played with heart when he was here. He didn't even cost us a bundle! Are u saying that u would rather have Kenny Wright?? With a 23rd ranked passing defense, we did the right thing. Enough tearing the team down for the smart moves we make. Smoot was the second best corner available.

RobH4413

nice post, welcome to the board.

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Mattyk

I think this offseason so far has shown the front office is learning from past mistakes. It certainly hasn't been a typical Redskins offseason that's for sure.

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SkinEmAll

I agree matty. This year is actually quite refreshing. I like everything we have done so far. I like the approach and effort from the front office to not screw up. I too believe they have learned valueable lessons from past mistakes and are willing to be patient and selective. I have to be honest though, I can see how people outside redskin nation have viewed us in the past, as I sit and watch all these other teams throw BIG money at undeserving players.

70Chip

I don't lose any more sleep over what non-Redskins fans think of the Redskins than I do over what other countries think of the United States. Who cares what ESPN or France think? Certainly not me.

There is only one team that had a successful season last year and that was the Colts. Do you think Chargers fans feel like they accomplished anything? Or Patriots fans? The Philadelphia Eagles, who are treated in the press like the Yankees of the 1950s, have never won a Super Bowl. At the end of the day (and this is just me) the Eagles have been no more successful than the Skins over the last ten years because they haven't won anything.

Also, there are certain things you have to do well to win it all and on some of those things, the Redskins are miles ahead of teams that had better records last year or went to the playoffs. If we keep our heads in the draft and don't have any big injuries, I believe we will be a threat.

All of that to say I agree that we have been smarter this off-season, so far. If Ladell Betts ends up somewhere else, we'll be right back to square one.

This Shanahan fellow worries me. I'm not convinced a blockbuster deal would serve us that well. I think we can pick up draft picks without taking on Bly. I would prefer to pacify Springs and have him instead. If he's healthy, he's a great football player. Denver always seems to bleed that extra concession from us. They always get the extra little perk that swings the deal in their favor.

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Daseal

I find this a difficult stance to defend in the sports arena and most definitely in the political arena. You want to make yourself look like a place people want to go. Not just for the huge amounts of cash but for winning. A lot of that is portraying the image of a stable team with a good coaching staff and a chance to always be competing in the playoffs. Since we don't have any of the above, we substitute loads of money to attract free agents. Oh, and last I checked. France was right.

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70Chip

Yet people flock here and not to France. But politics aside, losing in the playoffs every year is not winning. The Broncos were no more winners last year than we were. The point is we are making a move away from the marketing approach to a more sound football approach, I think. The draft will tell us more. At any rate, no matter what we do ESPN and the fans of other teams will see us how they see us. I don't care. We know from the Art Monk thing that their opinions can be quite absurd. I think the caricature of the Redskins is overdone and it grieves me that some fans have bought into it. It's masochistic self-loathing. But there seems to be a good deal of that abroad in the land.

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12thMan

I think I hear what you're saying 70. I tend to lean toward agreeing with you. But show me a Redskin fan that wouldn't trade a few of those losing seasons for a couple of heart breaking playoff appearances, and I'll show you someone who is being less than honest.

The fact is, getting close 'feels' better than flat out losing year in and year out. No one wants to be associated with being a chronic loser.

irish

If you think Denver and Washington were the same last year you know less about football thank I think you do. Losing in the playoffs is not winning a championship but its not losing and over the past 14 years or so Denver has been winning and the Skins havent.

I see no evidence that this team is doing anything much different. They are just doing less of the usual (well maybe that is something different). When they start winning (or not winning as you say) then I'll believe something has changed.

SmootSmack

What is it going to take for you to be mildly satisfied irish?

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