Here is a "hidden problem" we haven't addressed yet...

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

I don’t want anyone complaining that all I want to do is rain on a parade.

You wouldn't be curmudgeon if you didn't

Look, I think Vinny Cerrato is a football goofball; I shed nary a tear when he left town and I sincerely hope that he will NOT get a “consulting contract” with the Redskins or any kind of “advisory position” with Danny Boy. But don’t rule that out…

He won't be

1. Chad Rinehart could play OG well enough that the Skins should spend a 3rd round pick on him. I’ve seen him play in about 3 games and have seen no sparks of brilliance from him. Which scout saw what games in college that led to Rinehart being on the list as a potential third-rounder?

2. Wil Montgomery was an NFL-caliber offensive lineman. Two words jump to mind here - - can't play.

3. Devin Thomas was a better football player than Desean Jackson. I know there were “character issues” around Jackson on draft day; and if that is why the Skins took Thomas over Jackson, that’s fine with me. But if any of the scouts made notes saying that Jackson was the inferior player, I’d want to consider finding a new scout for that region of the country.

4. D’Anthony Batiste was an NFL-caliber offensive lineman. Have you seen enough of this guy? I have.

5. C.J. Brooks, Paul Fanaika, William Robinson - - you get the picture.

6. DeAngelo Hall was worth $20M+ guaranteed as a cornerback. Remember, he was jettisoned by the Raiders in mid-season because he was too big a pain in the ass there to keep around. How spectacular were the Raiders in 2008 that they could just throw away a stud cornerback? I seem to recall that the Raiders stunk in 2008...

7. Kevin Huntley was going to be a quality DE in the NFL - - it’s been 3 years now…

1. There were a lot of teams that saw Rinehart as a 3rd-4th round pick. Let's not close the book on him

2. Cerrato and the scouts signed Montgomery to a minimum risk contract to come in and compete with the many other linemen they brought in (it's what every single team in the NFL does). It's the coaching staff that decided to keep him on the roster

3. We're still bitching about this?

4. Feels like the 100th time I've told you, he's not on the roster

5. Chris Samuels injured, Randy Thomas injured, Chad Rinehart injured...you get the picture

6. The scouts have nothing to do with the players get paid

7. Kevin Huntley? Holy crap, you're really reaching now. You're blasting the scouting department for bringing in a mini-camp body?

The point is that the new GM or President of Football Operations or Grand Wizard of Football who comes in here has to depend on his scouting staff to a large degree because there are not enough hours in a year for that person to evaluate all of the players that need evaluating. And if the scouting staff is missing good players and identifying stiffs, then maybe part of the housecleaning has to be in that wing of the building.

I promise you will hear nothing from the podium when Danny Boy introduces his next victim - - I mean head coach - - about how the failures of the personnel department in the past led to the situation that the new guy is here to fix. But, that is potentially a HUGE part of the problem and we will have to take it as an article of faith that Danny Boy and the new guy have figured that out. For the record, I don’t think Danny Boy has that figured out at all…

There were changes to the scouting dept. when Vinny took over in 2008 and there certainly will be this off-season as well.

Since Danny Boy bought the team and inherited Norv Truner as his coach, he has had one interim coach and four permanent head coaches since firing Norv. Not a single one of them has ever coached another NFL game once Danny Boy fired them.

Marty Schottenheimer? Even Terry Robiskie did for a couple of games in Cleveland I believe

Mudge, in spite of your perpetual negativity I think you're a smart guy but this was your worst post ever