Commanders Post at The Warpath - View Single Post - Om Field: Breaking Down the Lines (Pt. 1)

bedlamVR · 12-12-2008, 04:13 AM

I think the work in blogs like this are admirable, but OM the thing is you may as well just post a three word post .. our FO sucks ... as from reading your article that looks to be the opinion you start with ...

When you compare our lines with the NFCE be sure to compare how many times their FO have had to change coaches, how many philoposophy changes they have been through and how much disruption this flux causes to player acquisition .

Look at the Skins in 1999-2008

We have had the down field passing requirements of Norv Turner, that team got gutted by the power rushing needs of Marty Shottenhimer ( a Guy who drafted 2 WR's in his only draft (2 of 5 picks) Gardener and McCants) that team was taken appart by the confused Steve Spurrier and then rebuilt by Joe Gibbs who was hampered by the free wheeling and dealing of his previous administrations devaluing draft picks and now that has to be tempered from a power run game to WCO with Jim Zorn ...

Zorn has also been hampered by the fact he inheritied the team that Gibbs built in terms of most of the coaches and 22 of the returning starters from a 9-7 playoff team

it should also be pointed out that only Marty and Norv were fired Spurrier jumped before he was shoved ( The Snyder wanted to give him another year) and Gibbs walked away from his 5 year promise ...

Also remember that Gibbs also tried to engineer his sucession with Williams and Saunders so tools were brought in to appease them .

the only team that comes close to this is the Cowboys and only in the last two years has their line come together .. and they have drafted 2 of their starting linemen Adams and Gourde and only one of those came this century..

Going into 2008 with a new system there were two areas of strength that really needed little imediate help the offensive line and the secondary . The areas that needed the most help was WR, DL (particulary DT) and possibly the LB ...

We managed to address one of those areas in WR and then forgot about the DL and other needs .. but again you can only pick up who is there ....It would have been great to get both the Longs, Branden Albert, Gholsten etc but even with the most blatent cheating and use of multiple teams on Madden that would have been a tall order . I may be alone but I have seen some flashes from the WR's Thomas in particular that get me excited of what can be, although admittedly not enough ...

Our line suddenly became like the Chiefs line did recently, it went from being a good vetran line to an OLD line overnight .. In hindsight yes we should have picked up an offensive line man or two ... though in fairness we did select Chad Rienheart in the 3rd which used to be a day one pick .

Sometimes new HC come in and have amazing drafts early in thier careers that sets up the teams for years Gibbs had a few where we picked up most of the Hogs and other stars of the golden Gibbs 1 eara . Reid had one in 2002, but mostly teams have to build through the years and progressively get better . That has not happened with the Skins for reasons previously mentioned .

It may sound like I am being appolgtic but I am not excusing the FO for ignoring the OL and DL lines but I am aware of the issues around the team and how that had effected the decisions . They didn't have to spend three picks on pass catchers ...they could have spread the wealth but clearly had a philosophy of going off their draft board in terns of value rather than reaching for need alone and from post draft interviews it was also clear that player the FO had targeted had been selected a few picks before .. I am thinking particulary of Philip Merlin and Trevor Laws ( I think) .

I actually think long term this is the philiosophy that wins out and I still applaud the FO for going this route . We didn't sign Thomas, Davis and Kelly for one year they have yet to show these guys are going to be stars but don't judge this draft by this years production alone .I think it is quite interesting when Vinny has a large say in the draft ( which we have only seen twice 2002 and 2008) we see a FO who "Hates draft picks" trade down in the draft to stockpile picks (10 in 2008, 10 in 2002)

The short term thinking that comes with statements like "Well the three pass catchers have contributed zilch this year" I have to wonder how much patience such a person has for OL for example who get beat or DB who give up a touchdown etc ...

The WRs had to be addressed sooner or later and the draft is as good a place as any . You can pick up WR in the FA but top tier WR prospects rarely hit the market most who change teams do so via trades, the Pats for example completely reconstructed their WR corps via trades ..and the odd project like Jabaar Gafney or Dante Stallworth .

As much as people keep talking about the Redskins FO rebuilding the team backwards what they seem to do is focus too much on one area then move on to the next . Like the secondary . We have had a leaky secondary for years even with Champ Bailey and the likes of Deon and Green . Champ leaves So the FO goes out to sure up the secondary, it picks up Shawn Springs, and Wlt Harris Drafts Sean Taylor and then goes on to loose then resgin Fred Smoot drafts Laron Landry and Carlos Rogers and finally brings in Deangelo Hall and uses late picks on Tyron, Horton and Moore . All in the last 4 years .

Before this year we drafted Cliff Russell, Rod Gardner, Taylor Jacobs and Danarian McCants also Tim Alexander and Ethan Howel (both 7th rround choices) ... in the Snyder adminstration, we have taken 1 RB ( not FB) in the last 10 years (Betts) ..so you cannot say not with a straight face that we focus on the skill possitions..we have in some instances devoted half of a draft class to OL and DL, and rightly so as they do make up maybe 20 possitions on the team . We do load up with TE, FB and LBs because that is the core of a special teams unit .. Peirce was a special teams ace before breaking out, so was Marshell.

The pointis you can find an area on the team that is showing a weakness and come up with a reason for it . You can with WR, QB, RB etc . Had we not address WR this year then when ... ? It is easy to anoint blame what is not so easy is sugesting ways out of a problem ... maybe you research could be pointed that way

12-12-2008, 04:13 AM	#19
bedlamVR Special Teams Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 389	Re: Om Field: Breaking Down the Lines (Pt. 1) I think the work in blogs like this are admirable, but OM the thing is you may as well just post a three word post .. our FO sucks ... as from reading your article that looks to be the opinion you start with ... When you compare our lines with the NFCE be sure to compare how many times their FO have had to change coaches, how many philoposophy changes they have been through and how much disruption this flux causes to player acquisition . Look at the Skins in 1999-2008 We have had the down field passing requirements of Norv Turner, that team got gutted by the power rushing needs of Marty Shottenhimer ( a Guy who drafted 2 WR's in his only draft (2 of 5 picks) Gardener and McCants) that team was taken appart by the confused Steve Spurrier and then rebuilt by Joe Gibbs who was hampered by the free wheeling and dealing of his previous administrations devaluing draft picks and now that has to be tempered from a power run game to WCO with Jim Zorn ... Zorn has also been hampered by the fact he inheritied the team that Gibbs built in terms of most of the coaches and 22 of the returning starters from a 9-7 playoff team it should also be pointed out that only Marty and Norv were fired Spurrier jumped before he was shoved ( The Snyder wanted to give him another year) and Gibbs walked away from his 5 year promise ... Also remember that Gibbs also tried to engineer his sucession with Williams and Saunders so tools were brought in to appease them . the only team that comes close to this is the Cowboys and only in the last two years has their line come together .. and they have drafted 2 of their starting linemen Adams and Gourde and only one of those came this century.. Going into 2008 with a new system there were two areas of strength that really needed little imediate help the offensive line and the secondary . The areas that needed the most help was WR, DL (particulary DT) and possibly the LB ... We managed to address one of those areas in WR and then forgot about the DL and other needs .. but again you can only pick up who is there ....It would have been great to get both the Longs, Branden Albert, Gholsten etc but even with the most blatent cheating and use of multiple teams on Madden that would have been a tall order . I may be alone but I have seen some flashes from the WR's Thomas in particular that get me excited of what can be, although admittedly not enough ... Our line suddenly became like the Chiefs line did recently, it went from being a good vetran line to an OLD line overnight .. In hindsight yes we should have picked up an offensive line man or two ... though in fairness we did select Chad Rienheart in the 3rd which used to be a day one pick . Sometimes new HC come in and have amazing drafts early in thier careers that sets up the teams for years Gibbs had a few where we picked up most of the Hogs and other stars of the golden Gibbs 1 eara . Reid had one in 2002, but mostly teams have to build through the years and progressively get better . That has not happened with the Skins for reasons previously mentioned . It may sound like I am being appolgtic but I am not excusing the FO for ignoring the OL and DL lines but I am aware of the issues around the team and how that had effected the decisions . They didn't have to spend three picks on pass catchers ...they could have spread the wealth but clearly had a philosophy of going off their draft board in terns of value rather than reaching for need alone and from post draft interviews it was also clear that player the FO had targeted had been selected a few picks before .. I am thinking particulary of Philip Merlin and Trevor Laws ( I think) . I actually think long term this is the philiosophy that wins out and I still applaud the FO for going this route . We didn't sign Thomas, Davis and Kelly for one year they have yet to show these guys are going to be stars but don't judge this draft by this years production alone .I think it is quite interesting when Vinny has a large say in the draft ( which we have only seen twice 2002 and 2008) we see a FO who "Hates draft picks" trade down in the draft to stockpile picks (10 in 2008, 10 in 2002) The short term thinking that comes with statements like "Well the three pass catchers have contributed zilch this year" I have to wonder how much patience such a person has for OL for example who get beat or DB who give up a touchdown etc ... The WRs had to be addressed sooner or later and the draft is as good a place as any . You can pick up WR in the FA but top tier WR prospects rarely hit the market most who change teams do so via trades, the Pats for example completely reconstructed their WR corps via trades ..and the odd project like Jabaar Gafney or Dante Stallworth . As much as people keep talking about the Redskins FO rebuilding the team backwards what they seem to do is focus too much on one area then move on to the next . Like the secondary . We have had a leaky secondary for years even with Champ Bailey and the likes of Deon and Green . Champ leaves So the FO goes out to sure up the secondary, it picks up Shawn Springs, and Wlt Harris Drafts Sean Taylor and then goes on to loose then resgin Fred Smoot drafts Laron Landry and Carlos Rogers and finally brings in Deangelo Hall and uses late picks on Tyron, Horton and Moore . All in the last 4 years . Before this year we drafted Cliff Russell, Rod Gardner, Taylor Jacobs and Danarian McCants also Tim Alexander and Ethan Howel (both 7th rround choices) ... in the Snyder adminstration, we have taken 1 RB ( not FB) in the last 10 years (Betts) ..so you cannot say not with a straight face that we focus on the skill possitions..we have in some instances devoted half of a draft class to OL and DL, and rightly so as they do make up maybe 20 possitions on the team . We do load up with TE, FB and LBs because that is the core of a special teams unit .. Peirce was a special teams ace before breaking out, so was Marshell. The pointis you can find an area on the team that is showing a weakness and come up with a reason for it . You can with WR, QB, RB etc . Had we not address WR this year then when ... ? It is easy to anoint blame what is not so easy is sugesting ways out of a problem ... maybe you research could be pointed that way Last edited by bedlamVR; 12-12-2008 at 06:39 AM.