Peppers says he wants to explore free agency

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by The Goat

Also curious as to how Rocky Mac would be effective @ strong side LB when he struggled at weak-side? The official skins site has him listed @ 232 lbs... lighter than Marcus, Fletcher, Blades and even Fincher (who looks the meanest of them all BTW).

I think he played SAM in college, but it's more about just filling him in somewhere until someone else (Cushing?) takes over

[Trample the Elderly]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I think he played SAM in college, but it's more about just filling him in somewhere until someone else (Cushing?) takes over

So what's the down low about how the FO wants to address the needs of the teams with the draft and FA or is that another thread? Can you just start another thread about the rumors that you hear being floated around?

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Trample the Elderly

So what's the down low about how the FO wants to address the needs of the teams with the draft and FA or is that another thread? Can you just start another thread about the rumors that you hear being floated around?

There are so many rumors being floated around, as is customary at this point, that starting a new thread would be all over the place. I hinted at most of what I know a few posts back with my somewhat educated guess.

Happy to answer any questions

[Trample the Elderly]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

There are so many rumors being floated around, as is customary at this point, that starting a new thread would be all over the place. I hinted at most of what I know a few posts back with my somewhat educated guess.

Happy to answer any questions

Alright, who do you think they're going after in the draft? You've been talking to the scouts. Is there anyone that the FO is rumored to be looking at with interest in the draft and FA?

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Trample the Elderly

Alright, who do you think they're going after in the draft? You've been talking to the scouts. Is there anyone that the FO is rumored to be looking at with interest in the draft and FA?

Well to be clear, I haven't been talking with Redskins scouts (not yet at least), but I've talked to some scouts and other execs in the league who have given me their impressions (based on observations and conversations) and everyone pretty much at this point believes the Redskins want to add an OLB and an OT first and that they will probably draft RB before DL, I think the Skins like this guy Jeremiah Johnson in the 3rd round potentially.

This is going to change so many times but if the draft was today, my suspicion is they'd take Cushing at 13.

Interestingly enough, one of the scouts was talking about Vinny and Snyder and he said they have the right idea but he doesn't understand their execution. For example, he thinks it was absolutely the right idea to go after a couple of WRs last year because beyond Crabtree and Maclin he doesn't believe the class is as strong this year. But he thinks they could have done better than Kelly and Thomas. He thinks they could have afforded to wait a round or two and take another receiver deeper in the draft. For what that's worth.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Interestingly enough, one of the scouts was talking about Vinny and Snyder and he said they have the right idea but he doesn't understand their execution. For example, he thinks it was absolutely the right idea to go after a couple of WRs last year because beyond Crabtree and Maclin he doesn't believe the class is as strong this year. But he thinks they could have done better than Kelly and Thomas. He thinks they could have afforded to wait a round or two and take another receiver deeper in the draft. For what that's worth.

I agree with this scout (wow, I just wrote that?). Trading down, drafting for value, grabbing long term positions first, all good things, actual evaluation of said players: awful bordering on irresponsible.

It's clear that Vinny and co. know what they need to do to be successful. It seems like it might be more of a crapshoot for the current unit then the Gibbs-lead front office.

I'm pretty much basing this on 1) the selection of Devin Thomas, and 2) the lack of evidence to disprove this theory.

Small sample, I know, but that's what I'm getting. They do a lot of things better than the Gibbs-led front office, but tell a good prospect from a bad prospect at the same position does not appear to be one of those things.

[Trample the Elderly]

A crap shoot is a lot better than trading all of your picks for FAs. At least they're trying to draft now. If they keep making the right moves I'll find it harder and harder to bad mouth the FO. The final book hasn't been written on last years draft, just the introduction.
From what Smoot Smack has been saying, that crap that Vinny spewed about not drafting for need is hog-wash. When the coaches tell you they need this and that, you have to take that into consideration.
I'm not a DS or VC fan but I think they're starting to learn. Who knows what will happen? The next lesson for them that they should've learned a long time ago is not to go after retirement players. I'd go after some more reliable cheaper FAs then one big name. That's just me. Every time I see some big team winning a big game it's usually a no-name player that makes the difference.
I'd be happy with a 2005 repeat and blow out Dallas and Filthy with a split with Jersey. I was so happy about that.
Good Smack, Smooter. Keep us in the down low.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I agree with this scout (wow, I just wrote that?). Trading down, drafting for value, grabbing long term positions first, all good things, actual evaluation of said players: awful bordering on irresponsible.

It's clear that Vinny and co. know what they need to do to be successful. It seems like it might be more of a crapshoot for the current unit then the Gibbs-lead front office.

I'm pretty much basing this on 1) the selection of Devin Thomas, and 2) the lack of evidence to disprove this theory.

Small sample, I know, but that's what I'm getting. They do a lot of things better than the Gibbs-led front office, but tell a good prospect from a bad prospect at the same position does not appear to be one of those things.

Maybe I'm missing the crux of your argument GT but the selection of Rinehardt in the 3rd round seems better evidence of what you say than DT in the 2nd. I kept hearing a lot of teams had Thomas scouted as 2nd round talent, meanwhile CR was scouted i believe as a 5th or 6th rounder. Danny/Vinny tried to add talent to the o-line but just missed (badly) w/ their selection, as CR has shown nothing and evidently lacks the confidence to compete up to this point.