Why the Skins are Mediocre! It's easy to see.

[JGisLordOfTheRings]

Originally Posted by B.F. SKINner

How do the Redskins not be a mediocre team year in and year out, as we have for the past 15 years? If you want to succeed, find out who has been successful and follow their methods. Let's look at some perennial winners in the NFL. These teams sometimes have off years, but are consistently playoff contenders: Patriots, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Carolina. I'm sure there are others. They do things the right way by making excellent personnel decisions and keeping continuity of front office, coaching staff, and players. They keep their salary structures fair, not signing big name free agents every year at huge bonus amounts, alienating other team members who have been there. They grow their own with good draft picks. They let those go who want too much money and they replace them with good young draft picks. That is why they are good teams year in and year out. Not a lot of high priced free agents. Good drafting. Consistent coaching. A team identity. You know what to expect when you play them. They are not flashy. They don't have alot of superstars. They play physical football and win. That is who we should aspire to be like. I am not satisfied with mediocrity and this team and its fans should not be satisfied with it either. If you want to succeed, try doing it the way that successful teams do it. There is no quick fix, or some special few players that we can bring in to fix everything. What has to change is the way the team operates.

Lots of good points but, look how is on these teams:
Tom Brady (ahem, nuff said)
Peyton Manning (ahem, yeah....) M. Harrison, R. Wayne
Hines Ward Troy Palomalu
Steve Smith
Brain Westbrook McNabb


Now, most of these teams MADE these players superstars in this league which gives credit to a lot of what you said. Winning teams try to CREATE their cohesion, not buy it. They have an identity and use the draft to create depth and a family type atmosphere and it leads to tight, well knit teams that are ready for anything. If we make very few FA moves this year and keep this as close to the way it is in most places, we will be one step closer to finding ourselves walking down that road the teams you mentioned are. The less change, the better.

HTTR!