Redskins sign Ryan Clark

[ICantGoAnother20yrsOfCrap]

I was wondering what happened to him. Like the signing, I think our secondary will be less of a "honey hole" for opposing teams now. Also, his leadership skills are apparently great. Hopefully he coaches Thomas and Rambo up to their potential.

[ethat001]

Can't argue with this, and glad to bring more leadership onto the team.

BUT it's hard as a free safety once you lose a step. Free safeties are spread all over the field and the last line of defense.. Even future HOFer Ed Reed last year (at age 34) was burned routinely. Ryan Clark will be 35 by October, and there's little doubt if we had any other good options they'd be starting instead by then.

This is not the solution, but a bandaid. Really hope we can address in draft or develop P.Thomas through Clark. Manning would've been a more viable short-term solution (31yo), but Clark is fine for now..

[skinsfan69]

Not a fan of this move at all. Have some confidence in the guys you drafted, instead of a washed up old player past his prime.

[RFKRat]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

Not a fan of this move at all. Have some confidence in the guys you drafted, instead of a washed up old player past his prime.

Agreed. I don't get how people get excited about a guy whos best days are behind him. Leadership presence, etc only does so much.

Dumpster diving.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by RFKRat

Agreed. I don't get how people get excited about a guy whos best days are behind him. Leadership presence, etc only does so much.

Dumpster diving.

The young guys will still have the chance to compete and beat him out. Leadership matters, especially with Fletcher leaving Clark will be a good veteran presence.

[REDSKINS4ever]

Welcome back Ryan Clark......let's see if he can play the way for us like he did before....

[redskin37]

This will just push back the young guy's development. Not a fan of this move at all.Need to get younger and faster at ss and fs . Not older and slower.

[Defensewins]

Originally Posted by redskin37

This will just push back the young guy's development. Not a fan of this move at all.Need to get younger and faster at ss and fs . Not older and slower.

Incorrect. Yes, the major issue with Redskins over the years since Snyder has owned the team has been developing our own young talent on a consistent basis. One third of the responsibility is on FO drafting quality talent, 1/3 the coaching staff coaching them up and the other 1/3 is the veterans players on our roster helping the young players learn how to play and develop. That is what this move is partly about. Ryan Clark will be a veteran that will lead by example and teach the young safety's.
What good is a roster full of young guys that get beat like a drum every Sunday?

[HailGreen28]

LOL. So we finally had a case where we signed a high-profile player for vet min?

[punch it in]

I cant help thinking that this is going to turn into one of those...let a good player go - thrives for another team and when he is finished we get him back.

[Skins4L]

Hell play a nice role this year behind Hall, Porter, & Amerson.

[skinsfan69]

We should just bring Champ back too.

[artmonkforhallofamein07]

I don't see Clark as setting Rambo and Thomas back, but possibly accelerating their learning curve. Clark's number one asset at this point is his leadership and mentoring ability.

[over the mountain]

Originally Posted by artmonkforhallofamein07

I don't see Clark as setting Rambo and Thomas back, but possibly accelerating their learning curve. Clark's number one asset at this point is his leadership and mentoring ability.

i also dont see this signing as slowing rambo or phillips development.

quite frankly, the overwhelming chance of either becoming a starter for the next 5 plus years is very small. at best, maybe next year they can compete for a starting spot but what we saw from rambo last year, he is just to raw and needs at least another year at best to learn and adapt.

thomas is harder to gauge since he seemed to be the more nfl ready player of the 2 but that injury is going to make him unreliable as being a healthy body and unproven in that he hasnt played 1 regular season snap.

no way you could go into training camp thinking either one would be your starter. since we didnt add a premier player at a premiere talent level position (FS), i think adding a ryan clark type to plug the hole for 1 year and allow rambo and phillips time to get ready was the next best alternative.

still would have liked to sign a byrd or mitchell though. FS seems to be a very important position nowadays.

[That Guy]

again, champ's never coming back here.

and i don't think rambo has a learning curve to accelerate. it's hard to put into words just how mind-numbingly bad he was last year. I was happy when we picked him, but man.