How will our defense hold up next year?

[skinster]

It seems to me like we lost ALOT of our defense. Being 21st in pts and 24th in turnovers last year, its not like its a solid rock for us to fall back on before we started losing guys.

Landry, Atogwe, and (looks like) Fletcher/Rocky are gone. I'd say Deangelo will be cut as well if we manage to sign another Free Agent...which it seems we are looking to do. But not just any free agents, it seems like we're looking more for offensive players as we are targeting eddie royal, pushing hard for Grubbs, and looking at Winston/others.

I hope we somehow find the cap space to fix this without pushing too much money into the future, but it's not looking likely (especially if we get another offensive FA). I think that its even worse that every position we have of need is a pass coverage position. We are in need of 2 starting safeties, a coverage LB, and IMO at least one corner.

Any thoughts/solutions on this matter? If you offer a solution via free agents, please try to look at our cap situation first while taking into account we also have to give RGIII a few million.

[mooby]

I honestly don't see any suitable free agents out there to replace D.Hall. We might have to ride with him another season. Fletch may or may not be back, but isn't Tulloch still on the market? If Fletch leaves I'd try and get Tulloch. TBH, I don't give a shit about Rocky, because I'm sure he doesn't give a shit about us.

We're supposedly trying hard to get Merriweather to play for us, so he'd fill the FS spot, and if there's one position I'd rather have Doughty playing it'd be SS, which is what he was drafted and originally intended for. I still think he's a backup but if he is going to play I'd rather have him at strong than free. Landry looks like he's out the door so w/e. I wouldn't mind bringing him back on a one year deal but if they don't I'm not gonna be upset about it.

[CRedskinsRule]

Might as well go on a mini rant in this thread:


Over and over and over, fans have said, DON"T BE OFFSEASON CHAMPS, Skins need to do it the right way. Build through the draft. Don't overpay.

Well, guess what, if you build through the draft, develop your young guys, and don't grab every stinking name (regardless of level of proficiency) that appears on the UFA lists, then you may in fact need to see the play on the field to determine how well your grooming and development system works. We have invested time and effort in players like Barnes, Riley, Westbrook (if he's still on the team). Maybe they aren't elite, and you certainly need to weed out the outright liabilities. But every pickup in FA is one less player that went through our development system and one more that will later be reflected back as a sign of the same old same old. In fact even the receiver's we brought in to some degree will fight for time with our players we have invested in. Hopefully competition brings the best out, and we see progress from Hankerson, Paul, Austin etc, but on Defense, the group has been together for going on three years, rather than fretting about decline, let's hope that the development system is in place to make our players improve and see an overall improvement in defense. (Fletch is a separate topic, and I hope we get him signed back)

[REDSKINS4ever]

With Jarvis Jenkins coming back, the defensive line which is already solidified will be even better. Add to the notion of Orakpo and Kerrigan getting after the QB and Perry Riley making some sort of impact. Fletcher, if he's a Redskin will be even more of tackling machine. The secondary was the weakness of the defense last year. With Atgowe and Landry often injured, that left reserves Gomes and Doughty to take their place. And it didn't help matters that DeAngelo Hall from my estimation played below average in coverage last season. Josh Wilson was a bright spot down the stretch.

[BigHairedAristocrat]

Landry and atogwe were useless last year. That point aside, none of Landry, atogwe, fletcher, or Mcintosh have signed with other teams yet. Some or all of them could still resign here. We're less that three days into Free agency. The draft is over a month a way. June 1 cuts are even further. Right now, we have no idea what our defense will look like when the season starts in 6 months.

Chill out people. You're overreacting to things that haven't happened yet and may not happen.

[Ruhskins]

With the dwindling DB FA pool I doubt anyone gets cut.

[EARTHQUAKE2689]

Why would we want McIntosh back anyways?

[RGIII]

Originally Posted by EARTHQUAKE2689

Why would we want McIntosh back anyways?

What's the knock on McIntosh anyway? Of course he's not Ray Lewis but, he's not overpaid nor one random drug test away from being suspension. Help me understand why he's not liked much.

[mooby]

June 1st cuts can happen any day now, all the team has to do is designate the player as a June 1st cut.

As far as Rocky goes, he's pretty bad in coverage, not much of a run stopper, and generally not a good fit in a 3-4 as an inside linebacker. Plus there's the whole thing about him breaking team rules because he doesn't believe he will be back next year. I can't confirm that as I am at work, but I do remember hearing about the way he acted as if he's headed out the door.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by BigHairedAristocrat

Landry and atogwe were useless last year. That point aside, none of Landry, atogwe, fletcher, or Mcintosh have signed with other teams yet. Some or all of them could still resign here. We're less that three days into Free agency. The draft is over a month a way. June 1 cuts are even further. Right now, we have no idea what our defense will look like when the season starts in 6 months.

Chill out people. You're overreacting to things that haven't happened yet and may not happen.

There's a reason those guys are still unsigned. I'd like to see LF return but the other I really don't care. I think LF is lokking for a big 3 yr deal and teams don't want to pay big money to players that age.

[EARTHQUAKE2689]

Originally Posted by RGIII

What's the knock on McIntosh anyway? Of course he's not Ray Lewis but, he's not overpaid nor one random drug test away from being suspension. Help me understand why he's not liked much.

Looks lost in a 3-4, lost his job to Perry Riley, and is pretty average.

[724Skinsfan]

I'm sure hiring Raheem Morris was not a move designed to improve our defense.

[Lotus]

Fletch likely returns.

If this happens, we have basically the same defense as last year + Jarvis Jenkins, with the exception of our two opening day safeties. But as others have indicated, Landry and Atogwe did not see the field all that much last year. We've already made do without them although our safety play was problematic.

Although Gomes struggled in his rookie season, many good players do. Maybe he will raise his game.

So, in sum, there are concerns at safety but no reason to freak out yet.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

Might as well go on a mini rant in this thread:


Over and over and over, fans have said, DON"T BE OFFSEASON CHAMPS, Skins need to do it the right way. Build through the draft. Don't overpay.

Well, guess what, if you build through the draft, develop your young guys, and don't grab every stinking name (regardless of level of proficiency) that appears on the UFA lists, then you may in fact need to see the play on the field to determine how well your grooming and development system works. We have invested time and effort in players like Barnes, Riley, Westbrook (if he's still on the team). Maybe they aren't elite, and you certainly need to weed out the outright liabilities. But every pickup in FA is one less player that went through our development system and one more that will later be reflected back as a sign of the same old same old. In fact even the receiver's we brought in to some degree will fight for time with our players we have invested in. Hopefully competition brings the best out, and we see progress from Hankerson, Paul, Austin etc, but on Defense, the group has been together for going on three years, rather than fretting about decline, let's hope that the development system is in place to make our players improve and see an overall improvement in defense. (Fletch is a separate topic, and I hope we get him signed back)

I don't see much on the pipeline on defense. Jenkins and Riely and that's about it. Barnes and Westbrook aren't any good at covering. I may get flamed for this but I'd try and trade Orakpo. He's simply not an elite player. I'd put Rob Jackson in there cause he seems to be every bit as effective coming off the edge as Orakpo. See what you can get for Rak to maybe get back some draft picks and draft Fletcher's replacement....or perhaps get a corner.

[MTK]

We're doomed.