Colin Cowherd Takes Another Swipe

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

If it was up to me, I would stop the buck right here and right now (coming off a 5-11 season), but we can keep these guys together for next year (restructuring), make one more run, and bite the bullet in 2008. If this organization chooses this path, and continues to try to restructure their way out of these problems in 2008 like idiots, there will be no talent on this team come 2009.

I have to believe these conceptsare not on them. This is what they do.........like professionally. I find it impossible to imagine that any of this is a surprise to Joe2 and Co., and not accounted for in some manner.

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by Hog1

G, I don't know if your right or Schneed. I do know that every year about this time does the entire media world proclaim the "sky is falling" for the Skins. Salary cap HELL, etc. To date, Dan Snyder has proved them................well, you get it.

With a 21-27 record over the last 3 years, and virtually no draft picks this year to help us along, I guess it all depends on how you describe the "sky falling." If it's not falling, it's pretty close, and the sky isn't necessarily the limit for this club.

What I do know is that this structure has built a team that completely collapses when just one player -- last season it was Shawn Springs -- goes down for not even half the year. When your house of cards is that shaky, and when you've compiled the win-loss record that we have, I don't how you can't say the sky isn't falling.

[724Skinsfan]

Going back to the Business of Football and how successful Snyder has been, here's a good website (Forbes) that shows all of the teams and breaks down their value. Pretty interesting. The Raiders by the way rank somewhere like 28.

The Business Of Football - Forbes.com

[sportscurmudgeon]

A couple of comments if I may:

1. Too bad they don't have playoffs and give out championship trophies on the basis of which team makes the most money or has the highest total revenue. The reason they don't is that it wouldn't keep fan interest all that long. The "F" in "NFL" stands for "Football" not "Finances". I don't care even a little bit how much revenue the Colts or the Bears took in during the last year or what their profitability was or was not. I care that they played in the Super Bowl in February and the Redskins' coaches and players (all more well paid than those on the notoriously miserly Bears) have been sitting on their thumbs since December 31.


2. It's not even remotely important that the Redskins CAN create cap room. The only important thing is for them to do something smart with the cap room they do create.


3. In the NBA, people make fun of the Knicks because they have the highest payroll and they stink. In the NFL, the Redskins paid out more money last year than any other team (counting signing bonuses and coaching salaries and scouting resources and facilities costs); in case anyone has forgotten, the Skins were 5-11; they stunk. So, like the Knicks, they are made fun of. The way to avoid that is to win on the field. No one makes fun of the NY Yankees and their high payroll. People don't like their payroll, but no one makes fun of the franchise because the Yankees win. If anyone wants the Colin Cowherd's of the world to shut up, all they have to do is find a way to put a winner on the field a few years in a row.


4. Before I agree that Gregg (the second "g" is supposed to stand for "genius") Williams will be the next coach here in DC, I'll have to see the Skins' defense improve DRASTICALLY in each of the next two seasons and be a top five or six defense in the league. If not, he'll lose his cachet and Danny Boy will move on to some other "boutique" coach.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

Like I've said in a couple of threads, we did finish the season 12 starters that were drafted as Redskins. How many teams can lay hold to that claim?

Not many.

The problem is we have no draft picks in the pipeline.

[70Chip]

I've listened to that radio show a time or two and his knowledge of football is virtually nill. He spent the entire fall ripping the SEC and then came Florida...whoops.

Memo to Cameron Gray: Remember who you work for. Get rid of this guy and replace him with something else. Anything else. Personally, I'd rather listen to Polka Music.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Hog1

I have to believe these conceptsare not on them. This is what they do.........like professionally. I find it impossible to imagine that any of this is a surprise to Joe2 and Co., and not accounted for in some manner.

I agree with this assessment. I think someone (probably a lot of people) in the Skins organization likely opposes the restructuring of so many veteran deals each year.

Anyway, the new CBA contract was a blessing in that it bought us about two more years then we would have had under the old CBA. We went out and quickly squandered the first year.

I think Joe Gibbs believe this team is capable of winning now. I think his faith is justified...to an extent. Although Gibbs would never make a move that he believes will harm the future of the franchise, at his age even the most noble men in the world surely would be considering all possible ways to win now.

I know I, as a fan, would gladly trade three years of cap purging and mediocrity for one world championship. But I'm not fickle enough to think that even if we have the best offseason of any team and put togehter the toughest roster in the league, that our chances of going all the way in any given year is better than 5-1. Gibbs has one year to get it done with this roster, and I'm sure he knows this. In fact, I bet most of this year's free agent moves were done under the assumption that Gibbs had two years to make it happen, so might as well compromise the future for the best possible chance to win within the next two years.

Well, the first year of that 2 year window produced a 5-11 result. So either the plan has to be aborted, the buck stopped here (as I previously suggested), and the future saved, or we stay the course, pour all of our remaining resources into 2007, and the legacy of Gibbs2 is defined by one season--2007.

I think Gibbs and company have already made up their minds. If they don't get at least a deep playoff push this next season, then this franchise is in dire straights.

Back to the main point, I'm sure there is significant conflicting views within the organization. I'm sure that the impeding doom is common knowledge, but some people surely think that one more go with this core group is the best chance that this franchise will have to win it all for a long time.

And as much as I hate to say it, this organization may knowledgebly be sacrificing its future...for a good yet potentially futile cause.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

The problem is we have no draft picks in the pipeline.

Don't we have all our picks for 2008 and 2009?

[GTripp0012]

One good thing for us--this Colts team that won the Super Bowl this past weekend was, in essence, a flawed roster. The run defense wasn't as much fixed for the playoffs as much as it was patched up by a scheme change. The 2007 Colts should still have a run defense problem.

But what this team did demonstrate is that--with a little luck--a flawed roster can win 4 straight playoff games and be crowned champions. It gives hope to our 2007 team.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by TAFKAS

Don't we have all our picks for 2008 and 2009?

Yes, which is why I'm thinking there will be a purge of over-the-hill veterans over those two seasons, replaced by draft picks.

Just a prediction.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Don't get me wrong I'm not backing the current front office philosophy, but it is what it is.

I can probably tell you what Gibbs and co. are thinking.

They're thinking look what happened in 2005... they've shown they can win and get to the playoffs with this current setup and personnel strategy. I'm sure they will look at last year and learn some valuable lessons, and they will look to replicate the same success they had from bringing in guys like Moss, Springs, Griffin, Washington, etc., rather than bombs like Arch and Lloyd.

Well if that's what they are doing then may God help us.

Can someone tell me what was so impressive about 05? Let's face it. Some of those 10 wins were not very impressive. I know some of you are going to rip me but I don't care. Beating Ariz does not impress me. Beating a bunch of bad teams without their starting qb's down the stretch is not impressive to me. Losing to Norv Turner at home is ridicules. Beating Kyle Orton does not impress me. You saw the difference when Marc Bulger started this past year vs. 05 when STL had some 3rd stringer named Fitzpatirck starting. Bulger killed our defense. Simply put we all saw the difference when we played tougher teams. I'm glad we made the playoffs and I was cheering my ass off but let's keep it real.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

Well if that's what they are doing then may God help us.

Can someone tell me what was so impressive about 05? Let's face it. Some of those 10 wins were not very impressive. I know some of you are going to rip me but I don't care. Beating Ariz does not impress me. Beating a bunch of bad teams without their starting qb's down the stretch is not impressive to me. Losing to Norv Turner at home is ridicules. Beating Kyle Orton does not impress me. You saw the difference when Marc Bulger started vs. 05 when STL had some 3rd stringer named Fitzpatirck starting. You also saw the difference when we played tougher teams. I'm glad we made the playoffs and I was cheering my ass off but let's keep it real.

End result was the playoffs and a playoff win to boot.

Pick it apart any way you want, but it was a playoff season. That's the reality of it.

[budw38]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

I'll answer my own question. And tell me honestly if you're not astounded by this...

The last time the Redskins drafted a defensive lineman that turned out to be a starter was Rich Owens in the 5th round of 1995.

Not in 11 years until Golston and Montegomery did we draft another D-lineman that played with any consistency.

Am I missing something here? Is anyone here not stunned by this fact?

Not suprised , I was thinking C. Mann < drafted 83 > . I am suprised that the team rarely uses a high draft pick on the D Line . Maybe Im wrong , but I believe B Wilson is the only D Lineman drafted in rd # 1 by the Skins since Gibbs was hired in '81 .

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

Well if that's what they are doing then may God help us.

Can someone tell me what was so impressive about 05? Let's face it. Some of those 10 wins were not very impressive. I know some of you are going to rip me but I don't care. Beating Ariz does not impress me. Beating a bunch of bad teams without their starting qb's down the stretch is not impressive to me. Losing to Norv Turner at home is ridicules. Beating Kyle Orton does not impress me. You saw the difference when Marc Bulger started this past year vs. 05 when STL had some 3rd stringer named Fitzpatirck starting. Bulger killed our defense. Simply put we all saw the difference when we played tougher teams. I'm glad we made the playoffs and I was cheering my ass off but let's keep it real.

How many impressive victories do you think the average playoff team has? In 2005, we had the 2nd toughest schedule of any team in the NFL (SD was No. 1). In 2005, we blew out a few teams, some crappy, some good. Blowout victories are usually very indicitive of team dominance. This year, we blew nobody out, and got boned in some close games that we should have won, and ended up losing. We were much better than 5-11, I think, but we left crappy teams in the game--something that the 05 team never did (outside of the Oakland game last season--very telling of things to come). This allowed inferior rosters like Tennessee and Minnesota to win close games against us.

Bottom line: if we want to get back to winning, this team will have to show that it can dominate some games in 2007.

[skinsguy]

After seeing the crap that we have drafted (excluding Campbell so far,) the high draft picks such as Desmond Howard, Michael Westbrook, Heath Shuler...just to name a few...why should there be such an emphasis on draft picks? We did advance in the playoffs with a free agency team in '05, there isn't a reason why it couldn't happen again. The biggest thing is to use free agency wisely and sign the guys who have been in the league a few seasons but are still young (like Moss and Portis) and stay away from the aging guys. Either way, some guys are going to make the point of the sky falling no matter what, even if we win the Super Bowl next season.