Redskins trade for Free Safety Dashon Goldson

[Defensewins]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Yeah, I am okay with D.Hall being the deep cover on occasion (though even then I am not confident in his ability to take the right angles or recognize where he needs to provide help; essentially, he would just be an extra CB handling the deep zone). Just don't think he is a real "solution" to the safety issue.

D. Hall is a pretty smart and experienced veteran DB. There ain't much he has not seen or cannot handle scheme wise, other then having to be extremely physical.
In terms of a solution, I meant it just for next season until we draft/develop a young FS center fielder. Depending on what Goldson can do in our scheme, we may not have a legit ball hawk FS at this time. I have a feeling our new GM will address this need of a young FS somewhere. We just need a quick, cheap, temporary plug at FS at this season, even if it is two or three guys (Goldson & D. Hall) for the short term.
We are miles ahead talent wise to where we have been the last few years, where we were devoid of talent.

[KI Skins Fan]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

I really hope someone out of this group of safeties that we have (or someone we draft) comes out to be a solid pure free safety. It seems that we have a lot of guys that are good at tackling and help against the run game. But we need a pure free safety that can cover the top of the field and provide help to the CBs.

I don't like this attitude that our team has about having guys that can play either position. It seems that every year we cannot get a safety, I hear this line from the coaches. I know it is good to have versatile players that can play either position, but this whole approach of having safeties that can play either position continues to not work.

Maybe an improved pass rush can help the secondary, but I hope McC can find longtime FS in the draft.

If we had true center fielder then I don't think we'd hear much of this "he can play either position" talk from the coaches. It's as if they really mean to say "Well, if he doesn't work out at FS then we can try him at SS".

The most welcome scenario is that we'll find out that we have some guys who will do a pretty good job at the safety positions. That is a real possibility that I think some of us are already discounting.

Like you, I'd be very pleased to see us land a promising FS in the draft.

[FRPLG]

IF we can get just adequate play from a S it is an improvement.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

IF we can get just adequate play from a S it is an improvement.

Right. As long as they don't ask Goldson to man up on Graham or any of his ilk, he sounds like he should be adequate. Again, they need to make sure they use him in a way that suits his abilities, and, if they do, I think he has to be an upgrade over Clark. [As I recall, PFF had Clark as the worst starting safety this year. In fairness, Goldson was not much better].

I am not holding my breath on a safety out of this draft that will be ready to play anytime soon (I mean, maybe, two years down the road, but not a guy who's going to be getting significant time this year or next).

Still think Johnson is going to be a real steal and, if Goldson can just (for now) be an upgrade over Clark, I will be happy.

As a side note, it is interesting to me to see the real dearth of talent at the S position. Outside of Chancellor and Thomas, really very few names jump to mind. It's like the position - league wide - is filled with "Just-a-Guy's".

[SirLK26]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Right. As long as they don't ask Goldson to man up on Graham or any of his ilk, he sounds like he should be adequate. Again, they need to make sure they use him in a way that suits his abilities, and, if they do, I think he has to be an upgrade over Clark. [As I recall, PFF had Clark as the worst starting safety this year. In fairness, Goldson was not much better].

I am not holding my breath on a safety out of this draft that will be ready to play anytime soon (I mean, maybe, two years down the road, but not a guy who's going to be getting significant time this year or next).

Still think Johnson is going to be a real steal and, if Goldson can just (for now) be an upgrade over Clark, I will be happy.

As a side note, it is interesting to me to see the real dearth of talent at the S position. Outside of Chancellor and Thomas, really very few names jump to mind. It's like the position - league wide - is filled with "Just-a-Guy's".

Second worst, to be precise. And they had him as worse in coverage than Clark.

I didn't vote on this poll because while I don't think Goldson will be any good here, kicking his tires is costing us next to nothing. "Meh" move.

[FRPLG]

Safety in the NFL is a a position that can have vastly different roles depending on scheme. Even subtle changes in scheme and approach can increase/decrease the effectiveness of skill-utilization at the Safety position. That's probably true of almost every position but at the Safety position when you're not getting production it means TDs. When a LB get schemed out of being effective the immediate results aren't as obvious. I am pretty sure you could take Chancellor or Thomas, put him in a different scheme with different responsibilities and make them look ordinary. All-world Safeties like Taylor and Reed who can do everything are rare.

[JoeRedskin]

I am hoping that, in a couple years, we look back on the safety position with the same "WTF, how could we play those guys?" we now look at the 2011 WR corp (FYI - J.Gaffney was our leading receiver w/ D. Stallworth and Anthony Armstrong in the mix).

[Irrefutable]

Need to Know: What is the Redskins biggest need after free agency? | Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

[Alvin Walton]

Originally Posted by Irrefutable

Need to Know: What is the Redskins biggest need after free agency? | Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Draft a corner and convert him to safety?
Hmmmmm.....

[HailGreen28]

It's a meaningless pickup. A 30 year old safety. We aren't good enough to seriously contend in the next couple years, and Goldson will be gone in a couple years tops. So I vote thumbs down. Just wasting a roster spot that we could develop a young guy in.

[spAtt]

Originally Posted by HailGreen28

It's a meaningless pickup. A 30 year old safety. We aren't good enough to seriously contend in the next couple years, and Goldson will be gone in a couple years tops. So I vote thumbs down. Just wasting a roster spot that we could develop a young guy in.

So where does this "young guy" come from? If you are talking about drafting ok, but it may not benefit him anymore from watching to being burnt on the field.

[HailGreen28]

Originally Posted by spAtt

So where does this "young guy" come from? If you are talking about drafting ok, but it may not benefit him anymore from watching to being burnt on the field.

Oh, I am totally unqualified to point and say "this guy" in FA or the draft. But McCloughan is supposed to be good at this. Which begs the question, why did we fill a roster spot with a 30 year old safety? I get it's a likely stop gap, which does nothing to advance this team to the Superbowl, imo.

[Skinzman]

Originally Posted by HailGreen28

Oh, I am totally unqualified to point and say "this guy" in FA or the draft. But McCloughan is supposed to be good at this. Which begs the question, why did we fill a roster spot with a 30 year old safety? I get it's a likely stop gap, which does nothing to advance this team to the Superbowl, imo.

There is something to be said for experience. A lot of times, its the older players helping the younger ones to develop. Its not like you can cut the whole team, sign 53 rookies, and then claim that you are on the verge of a SB victory since the team is full of youth.

If the only thing standing in our way of a SB is a 30 year old safety, then we are much farther along in this rebuild than I could have ever imagined.

No one has said that McC can fill every position with quality youth in 1 year. He may be good at the draft, but we dont have 50 picks in this draft, we have 7. Getting some older players is going to happen.

[HailGreen28]

Originally Posted by Skinzman

There is something to be said for experience. A lot of times, its the older players helping the younger ones to develop. Its not like you can cut the whole team, sign 53 rookies, and then claim that you are on the verge of a SB victory since the team is full of youth.

If the only thing standing in our way of a SB is a 30 year old safety, then we are much farther along in this rebuild than I could have ever imagined.

No one has said that McC can fill every position with quality youth in 1 year. He may be good at the draft, but we dont have 50 picks in this draft, we have 7. Getting some older players is going to happen.

Good point about experience, I think. Though I would put more onus on the coaching staff. I guess decent examples of vet play to go with coaching is good.

The "if the only thing" is kind of nonsensical to me. We could apply that to anything. "If the only thing standing in our way of a SB is a poor right tackle". "If the only thing standing in our way of a SB is a corner that bites on first moves" "If the only thing standing in our way of a SB is a lack of another safety".... whelp I guess we don't need to worry about those things either, right?

Well, a 30 year old safety isn't our only issue. And it is an issue if what we got was another old Ryan Clark or Tracy Porter. Did those vets experience help our team's development last season? I think you still have a point about experience, just saying it's not a guarantee I guess.

[ethat001]

I wouldn't say meaningless because he's better than last years' old Ryan Clark, and better than having pretty much nothing (which is what we had before we got him).

Clearly age matters at safety and we can't expect too much.. Ryan Clark retired at 35, Polamalu at age 33, Reed at 35 (obviously the last two were among the best all time and that helps longevitiy). Seems to be the proverbial "wall" happens for safeties around 30-32, so the very best we could hope is Goldson would be good for 1 or maybe two years. Not expecting much but hoping for developing a young replacement.