Running backs by committee.

[markrc99]

cal_junior wrote:

"You don't think the Senior Bowl is why his stock shot up? The staff was with him for an entire week of drills."

Yeah, that's right. Based a on single game, that isn't even a real game. Although, I was unaware that the entire Redskins coaching staff was there. Look, I don't care that they drafted him, but I do question that he was this hot commodity that they HAD to take when they did. My only point is that they could've addressed other needs and gotten him later. I could be wrong, but to this point I see little evidence to the contrary.

[cal_junior]

Originally Posted by markrc99

Yeah, that's right. Based a on single game, that isn't even a real game. Although, I was unaware that the entire Redskins coaching staff was there. Look, I don't care that they drafted him, but I do question that he was this hot commodity that they HAD to take when they did. My only point is that they could've addressed other needs and gotten him later. I could be wrong, but to this point I see little evidence to the contrary.

I doubt the game had much to do with it. But I can't think of a better way to gauge a player than to spend a week watching him in drills and talking to him one-on-one. Mike, Kyle and Chris Foerster had tons of access to those players that week.

My opinion is that if you think a player is as good as the Skins clearly thought LeRibeus was, there is no reason to wait. If you believe you can get huge value with a pick, make it. Why take the chance another scout saw the same thing you saw?

[Moe]

Originally Posted by GloryHog

I think I feel similar to you on this topic. Among the names you mentioned (and taking into account who acquired them - these weren't Snyderato picks), I expect this group will yield one or two pretty solid starters and a couple of decent backups. Had it not been for the salary cap ambush that happened right before the start of free agency, I'm pretty sure they would have acquired another solid starter this year. When Lichtenstieger and Chester return (assuming they are able to stay healthy), I think the line will be at least average - good enough to win some games assuming the rest of the team is by and large doing their job.

Between a bunch of new faces learning the system and I (believe) the desire to give Grifffin a lot of reps learning how to be a drop back passer, I don't believe we've seen much in the way of the moving and stretch plays we will when the regular season starts.

Is the O-line where we want it to be? Absolutely not. Are there currently injury issues? For sure. It is a work in progress, but I don't agree at all that it hasn't been addressed.

I expect to see more pieces added and continued improvement for another year or two before it reaches the stage of actually being a strength. By that time Griffin should be really hitting his stride.

In the mean time, I still think this team is going to be a lot more fun to watch than anything we've seen for many years.

Summarizes my feelings pretty well. I think they have an issue at RT and have given Brown more leeway than necessary, but at the same time you can't cover every base every year and while Polumbus isn't all pro by any stretch he mans that spot to a workable degree. Every team has weaknesses that need to be minimized and that's why coaches get paid.

I think in contrast to the last decade, this o-line at least has options and they aren't entering the year totally threadbare. The offense as a whole has more talent and depth than in recent years and ideally next off-season more focus can be put on the o-line.

[Moe]

Originally Posted by markrc99

I absolutely agree that these young players need time, playing time. That said, my understanding is that Josh LeRibeus isn't a player the staff researched at all. His stock shot up, but I never did quite get why that was. His work ethic & resume didn't appear to stand up to that of Tony Bergstrom, Senio Kelemete, Joe Looney & a number of OTs, all still on the board when he was selected. He is a wide body with a low base & a quick punch. An SMU product where he was rarely, perhaps never in a 3pt stance. With exception of the Senior Bowl, he has no experience in a ZBS. But I do hope your right about him as I'm someone who believed everything Jamaal Brown & Mike Shanahan said about his rehab & reports of Willie Smith's potential. That all appears to be little more than a mirage now. I can only assume there were members here who were adamant about drafting an OT.

As Cal pointed out, they worked with him through the Senior Bowl and Shanny was quoted as talking to his coaches at SMU so I think the concept of them not researching him is incorrect.

Here's a few quotes-
“He picked it up in one day like he’s been doing it his whole career. But he worked on it during the season,” Shanahan said. “I talked to [SMU coach] June Jones, and he said, ‘Mike, if our center goes down, he’s the first guy to go in.’ So, when you practice it throughout your career, usually it’s pretty easy.”

Lichtensteiger is expected to be back on the field by the start of training camp, but Shanahan believes that LeRibeus can bring depth and stability to the Redskins’ line if injuries strike again.

“It’s hard to find a guy who can do both,” Shanahan said. “What I mean by that, some times you find a guy that’s a Pro Bowl center, and you move him to guard, and he can’t play. And a lot of guards, they can’t play center. They don’t have the quickness. He’s got both and that’s one of the reasons why we had him targeted early.”

[culpeper]

Originally Posted by akhhorus

I would expect Royster and Hightower to not be around next season either. Shanny likes flushing his Rbs all together.

Bringing this back to the RBs as the thread suggests: Outside of making an offer for MJD (which isnt Shanny's MO) I doubt this happens NEXT season. This is assuming health and the $18M cap hit is still in effect (which it will be).

I think Helu and Royster are a solid 1/2 no matter the order. Both are effective with their styles. There are more talented RBs out there, but Id take these two over all of Shanny's "Rbs by committee" in Denver (this obviously excludes Davis and CP).

EDIT: I do not speak for Hightower. I think these other two are better period. TH missed EVERY hole/cutback from week 1 on last year

[BIGREDSKINSFAN1963]

no way he trades for MJD.if he does trade for him,i think hightower is gone asap.i will say this about MJD,he catches the blitz almost as good as CP Did.

[akhhorus]

Originally Posted by culpeper

Bringing this back to the RBs as the thread suggests: Outside of making an offer for MJD (which isnt Shanny's MO) I doubt this happens NEXT season. This is assuming health and the $18M cap hit is still in effect (which it will be).

I think Helu and Royster are a solid 1/2 no matter the order. Both are effective with their styles. There are more talented RBs out there, but Id take these two over all of Shanny's "Rbs by committee" in Denver (this obviously excludes Davis and CP).

EDIT: I do not speak for Hightower. I think these other two are better period. TH missed EVERY hole/cutback from week 1 on last year

We'll see. Helu just can't stay healthy, so I would bet that Shanny dumps him. I don't think he's married to either Royster or Hightower either. If Morris emerges at all, I think he'll be the only one who survives to next year.

[markrc99]

Moe wrote:

"As Cal pointed out, they worked with him through the Senior Bowl and Shanny was quoted as talking to his coaches at SMU so I think the concept of them not researching him is incorrect."

I was confused & maybe I still am. Your quotes don't really go to the point as to why LeRibeus was drafted where he was. Finally, I found the information that I had read back then:

"LeRibeus said he hadn’t talked to the Redskins since the Combine and was told by his agent to “watch out for Kansas City.” But even though LeRibeus didn’t know how interested Washington had been, June Jones did. “I talked to Shanahan,” Jones said. “He called specifically about Josh the day before the draft and we talked in great length about it.”
http://smu.scout.com/2/1181778.html

So, not a lot of contact there. I tried to establish that LeRibeus had played in the Senior Bowl and couldn't find it. He did play in the East-West Shrine game. Below is the roster for the Senior Bowl. Note that the Redskins staff coached the south team and he's not on it.
http://www.seniorbowl.com/southroster.asp

There's other angles, but I'll concede the point if you can actually connect the two. Because it is convincing. My understanding is that there are three days of intense practice & the game. That's a good look at a player. Just tie the two and you've refuted my contention.

[cal_junior]

Originally Posted by markrc99

So, not a lot of contact there. I tried to establish that LeRibeus had played in the Senior Bowl and couldn't find it.

As I look back I realize that I confused LeRiebus with Keenan Robinson. I recall draft day discussion of a strange pick that probably happened because the staff got to watch the player during that week (i.e. Robinson not being a natural for the 3-4). I haven't gone back and looked at these guys in awhile and for some reason switched that piece of bio in my memory. My apologies.

You are correct that the discussion of LeRiebus at the time was whether or not the Skins reached given that most draft experts had him going no earlier than the 5th round. Obviously it remains to be seen whether the Skins made a mistake in that regard.

[BIGREDSKINSFAN1963]

During the senior bowl week,i read all over that if given the chance shanny was gonna take the center from georgia in the 2012 draft,but that proved to be just smoke from a dead fire.i got to agree that when you coach a kid during the super bowl you get a personell advantage that 30 other teams do not.

[Moe]

Originally Posted by markrc99

Moe wrote:


I was confused & maybe I still am. Your quotes don't really go to the point as to why LeRibeus was drafted where he was. Finally, I found the information that I had read back then:



So, not a lot of contact there. I tried to establish that LeRibeus had played in the Senior Bowl and couldn't find it. He did play in the East-West Shrine game. Below is the roster for the Senior Bowl. Note that the Redskins staff coached the south team and he's not on it.
http://www.seniorbowl.com/southroster.asp

There's other angles, but I'll concede the point if you can actually connect the two. Because it is convincing. My understanding is that there are three days of intense practice & the game. That's a good look at a player. Just tie the two and you've refuted my contention.

I blame Cal (I keed). I would've sworn he was in the Senior Bowl but was obviously mistaking that for the East-West game. As is the case in far too many instances with each passing year, I am an idiot.

I would ask in the future that you stop paying such close attention so I can more regularly feel good about the points I make

[VegasSkinsFan]

I might be wrong, but i kind of remember that another team was getting ready to draft Lerib? I might have that confused with another player though.

[markrc99]

cal_junior wrote:

"Obviously it remains to be seen whether the Skins made a mistake in that regard. ... I recall a draft day discussion of a strange pick that probably happened because the staff got to watch the player during that week (i.e. Robinson not being a natural for the 3-4)."

Agreed, we'll have to see if LeRibeus proves worthy of the 71st selection. I thought everything else they did was really super. Robinson doesn't have Kerrigan or Orakpo's length & mass, but he's close and he's got very good speed. He wasn't utilized in the same way they are & it appears they're starting him out on the inside; although he does possess the skill set. I don't know that they're satisfied with Jackson & White can't stay active.

With respect to RB, the young prospect in camp I like is Antwon Bailey, particularly as their change-of-pace guy. But on his 3rd carry, all on his own, he put the ball on the ground. In front of him is Roy Helu Jr. & Tristan Davis, but I think he's more durable than both those players. Helu is a fine all-around back & this team doesn't have someone who can replace him. The Bears network announcers depicted Davis as a first yr player, but the guy is 26. The Redskins are the fifth team he's been with.

He's brittle and the best display of his speed that I saw was when the Bears kick returner broke from the scrum and tried to get wide but Davis immediately ran him down. I was impressed there but I think he runs tentatively and his vision isn't what it could be. On one play Compton had the DE sealed and FB Boyce completely pancaked #97 and was on top of him. Between those two blocks was a homerun but Davis turned it inside for maybe a yard. The crease may have been tight, he may have had to jump over Boyce but the lane behind that was wide open!

Just like Aldrick Robinson at WR, Bailey can give them that out of the backfield. He Lacks Robinson's speed but possesses that same big play ability. I like Brandon Banks, but not nearly as much as Robinson. That said, he did seem a bit full of himself. That one over the middle where he adjusted to a wide ball & after catching it turned it back against grain and outran the secondary to the corner was awesome!

Kirk Cousins has aspirations to start in the NFL, it's just not going to happen in Washington. I think Allen & Shanahan knew Cousins was smart and would make quick work of it. I think just as they said, he was the best available player and they intend to develop him and trade him at a considerable markup.

[markrc99]

Moe wrote:

"I blame Cal (I keed). ... I would ask in the future that you stop paying such close attention so I can more regularly feel good about the points I make "

lol...good one! Happens to me all the time! My correct forecast rate is about 4 or 5% & I shouldn't pay such close attention to you? Truly, you've got a ways to go to catch me! lol

[silverspring]

Originally Posted by markrc99

Kirk Cousins has aspirations to start in the NFL, it's just not going to happen in Washington. I think Allen & Shanahan knew Cousins was smart and would make quick work of it. I think just as they said, he was the best available player and they intend to develop him and trade him at a considerable markup.

I wouldn't be so sure. I still don't see how this makes sense. Why would shanahan draft a guy in year 3 when he desperately needs to win now only to trade him a couple years from now when what we really need is a player right now.

I think shanahan picked cousins because simply because he likes him and I would bet he will start a game this season. The chances that our oline gets RG3 hurt are high and I am pretty sure Rex will be 3rd string at least by the buy week.