[MTK]

Let's ask ourselves this very simple question, are the losses of Smoot, Pierce and Coles going to doom our 2005 season?? I'd be willing to bet there is an entire team and coaching staff that would beg to differ.

Pierce wasn't even on our radar before Barrow went down. I loved him last year but let's not forget Marshall filled in and did a very admirable job in Arrington's place, in fact, we had guys filling in left and right on the D and they never missed a beat.

We lost one of the top corners in the league just a year ago in Bailey and the D actually improved after he left. Go figure. Smoot is a nice young corner but he won't be impossible to replace.

As for Coles, he's a better overall WR than Moss, but Moss isn't exactly a piece of crap either. The loss of Coles is a case of addition by subtraction.

The past few offseasons we've been spoiled by all the splashy signings, only to spend all year complaining about how the team throws money around too much and we're doomed to end up in cap hell.

Now the team is showing some financial sensibility and all we hear is how we should have upped the ante on Pierce, we should have upped our offer on Smoot...we can't have it both ways guys.

Much like in Marty's first year here when he cleaned house a bit to get the team back in a solid financial state, Gibbs seems to be taking the same approach. They have a financial plan and they're holding strong and not putting an individual's demands above the needs of the team as a whole.

I know it's been a while since we didn't win an offseason so obviously some people are going to scratch their heads and wonder why we just don't outbid everyone in sight, but hey, welcome to the way the rest of the league operates.

The sky isn't falling guys, everyone around the league is losing valuable members of their teams right now. This isn't a problem exclusive to the Washington Redskins.