Call me a genius........

[REALRICK]

or call me an idiot. I don't care, either one but I still think I'm smarter than the Redskins past management, coaching, and front office.

You know, if you look at the winning teams, those would be the ones who have been going to the playoffs over the last decade while we have been floundering, there are certain patterns.

First of all there are teams that have great offenses and simply outscore the competition.....and then there are teams who simply have great defenses and keep the other team from scoring. Really its rather simple.

The defenses, always have a pass rush.....and can stop the run. They always have great linebacking and great defensive lines. If they have great cornerbacks....its usually because the corners can take chances because of the great pass rush on the QB.

We here in Washington have been doing things a little different. We have been enamored with great corners over the last decade while ignoring the pass rush and defensive line. Not surprisingly, we have had a playoff drought while the teams who went in the opposite direction have been IN the playoffs.

Its pretty simple really. The greatest corners in the world from Champ, to Darrell, to Deion.....can cover a guy for 5-6 seconds OR more which our pathetic defensive linemen have allowed. It really smacks of stupidity. Why would any franchise continue along the same path if that path doesn't yield success? Does it make sense to anybody? It doesn't make sense to me, yet I've watched this franchise do the same thing over and over for a decade.


Not only that....but most teams do not place their priority in left tackle before they worry about the position of QB. We were drafting Chris Samuels when we didn't even have a QB. Now we are looking to restructure his deal or trade him off. So now we have 2...thats TWO number 1 draft picks in Champ and Samuels that we are looking to book to other teams. 2 pro bowl players that our front office drafted but now we can't afford them because they are not helping us win. What a surprise!

I mean.....what a shock! A corner with no pass rush can't help you win more than 5 games. A left tackle with no QB to protect can't help you win more than 5 games. So now their pro bowl status is worthless.

Teams like San Fran would win championships with Montana throwing to Rice even though the left tackle was not a pro bowler. San Fransisco use to shut people down on defense even though they had no pro bowl cornerbacks. But they DID have pass rushers. The same goes for Dallas. In fact both of those teams use to have Chalres Haley...one of the best pass rushers of all time.

The great bears defense of 86 didn't have hall of fame corners but they did have hall of fame pass rushers. Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, McMichael, and of course those linebackers that always came on a jailbreak. Hell....corners didn't have to hardly move because the receiver wasn't going to catch anything farther than 5 yards...since the QB was already on the ground.

Meanwhile, despite witnessing all of this, our Redskins F.O. over the last 10 years decided we needed to continue to bolster our cornerback position instead of ever regarding defensive line as anything more than an afterthought. Oh yes, we got hall of famer Bruce Smith....after he turned 36 years old. ASnd we of course let ANOTHER number 1 draft pick go....Kenard Lang....just to get an average but cheap defensive end in Wynn.???what's wrong with that picture.

Why do the Skins even bother drafting number 1. Why not just trade the number 1 pick each year and pick up a number 2 and 3 in return. I mean after all, our number 1's are paid millions of dollars while in the Redskins training program....and then after they get rich making mistakes,.....they are free to sign with other teams in their prime. If this crap doesn't make sense to you don't feel bad because I don't get it either.

I always thought you drafted QB's number 1 and franchise players, and then you made them Redskins for life. I mean, whats the purpose of drafting somebody just to train them in for somebody else. And if you can't afford them, at least for the position they play, then don't draft them. The Skins should have been drafting QB every single year until they got 1 because we have been without a really effective QB for over 10 years. Now that Patrick as been drafted, there is even talk of trading him from some of you.

This franchise, with or without Joe Gibbs, will never be successful until the aforementioned pattern of drafting and purging ceases. Its time to realize that the defensive line and pass rush is more important than the cornerback position. Defensive ends who can get 12 sacks are a necessity. Pro Bowl corners are a luxury. There's the difference between us and Tampa's Superbowl team.

A Pro Bowl QB is a necessity. A pro bowl left tackle...a luxury. Theres the difference between us and Green Bay or us and Philadelphia or us and Indianapolis.

Indianapolis is resigning the guy who took them into the playoffs, Manning....regardless how much it costs. We can't sign Samuels to a new contract because it costs too much....at least for a player who can't take us to the playoffs. SO WHY DRAFT A DAMN LEFT TACKLE NUMBER 1? The position isn't that important unless you have everything else in place.

Am I making sense to anybody but me. We draft stupid. We let our number 1 picks....pro bowlers get away because they didn't take us to the playoffs so they aren't worth the extra money.

NO KIDDING!!! A corner and a left tackle failed to take us to the playoffs. Instead of a QB and a running back...which most normal franchises would be stocking up on FIRST. Or at least pass rushers.

This franchise had better take a hard look at Vinny and his drafting policy before we get to this years draft. Cerrato is an idiot and anybody who would continue to employ an idiot is also an idiot. Thank God for Gibbs because he is ALREADY addressing the QB position which is the most important position on offense.....period. No. $20 million for Brunell is not too much if he can help take us to the playoffs.

Too many of you were happy because Champ was being offered a 55 million dollar deal to stay....but a PROBOWL quarterback who is offered $20 million dollars....you started screaming bloody murder. Go figure. I guess you would do well in the Redskins front office. Maybe you could allocate another 5o million to bring in Bobby Taylor on the other side while our pass rush still consisted of Wynn, 40 year old Bruce Smith and a medley of assorted vagabonds and castoffs.

Coach Gibbs. You are on the right track. Now get pass rushers...and lets dump Champ and never draft another cornerback or left tackle number 1....if we're not prepared to keep them for a lifetime.

[IowaSkinsFan]

The first thing that crossed my mind while reading your article, Rick, is that great defenses are built from the front back, not the back to the front. So yes, I agree with your first point, we need to be able to rush the passer and stop the run. Until we address that, it doesn't matter if God himself is playing CB.

Now, I have to get back to reading the rest of your article.

[truant]

Hey, I want a ride in your time machine to go back to when Brunell was a probowler!!!



Talent hasn't been an issue, PERIOD. So i don't buy your "we draft stupid" claim. Our divsion rival conceded that we have the most talent in the division. If we had Gibbs with the talent that's been here, we'd probably have a few more trophies.

I don't think you should mock people for wanting Champ. He's the best corner in the game, who doesn't want him. I think most people are in the mindset that he's a great player but it seems about time to part ways.

You put the blame on the talent level at different positions (d line, QB). I feel that the coaching has failed to get the most out of our players. That's in part to the players fault, but now we have a coach will the power to shape the team how he wants.

I don't think we need Brunell to win. Which ProBowl QB did Gibbs need? He TURNED people into Probowl players. Having Brunell is a good safety measure, but it's costing a good bit of money and it might cost us more with detrimental effects to Ramsey.

I agree with you that Gibbs is on the right track. While Champ and Samuels haven't been the answer in recent years, they've hardly been the cancer.

[IowaSkinsFan]

Originally posted by truant
Hey, I want a ride in your time machine to go back to when Brunell was a probowler!!!



Talent hasn't been an issue, PERIOD. So i don't buy your "we draft stupid" claim. Our divsion rival conceded that we have the most talent in the division. If we had Gibbs with the talent that's been here, we'd probably have a few more trophies.

I don't think you should mock people for wanting Champ. He's the best corner in the game, who doesn't want him.

Well, I guess we will see how highly teams think of Champ and how much they are willing to pay him and give up for him, and that right soon, since the tag is coming on the 24th.

[truant]

Originally posted by robert
Well, I guess we will see how highly teams think of Champ and how much they are willing to pay him and give up for him, and that right soon, since the tag is coming on the 24th.

Around the league I think Champ's reputation is pretty solid. There are so many players that are pryed away from other teams with picks.

Galloway, Ricky Williams, Big Daddy... I personally think that Champ is extremely valuble and I think we'll be able to quantify that in a couple of weeks.

[REALRICK]

Truant.....I'm sorry but Vince Lombardi couldn't win a championship and neither could Gibbs. with Champ and Samuels in the pro bowl and Tony Banks and Tim Hassleback as the quarterbacks, and with Wynn and Dalton trying to chase down the quarterback.

You offered no solutions....only critisicm because I don't agree that Champ is vital to winning. I will stand on my statements and wait for anyone to PROVE me wrong. Pass rushers get you to the playoffs.....before corners do. Quarterbacks get you to the playoffs before left tackles do. I stand on those statements but you are welcome to prove me wrong. Yes, I put the blame on the talent level at various positions. If we are so laden with talent as you say.....where are all the pro bowlers. Joe Gibbs can't turn people into pro bowlers if they aren't there. Yes he won with different QB's but ....HE HAD DEFENSE. We had Charles Mann, Dave Butz, Dexter Manley, Wilbur Marshall Fred Stokes, etc. We also had a good defensive coach who knew what a blitz was.

You can disagree with me on Brunell, or at least think you are disagreeing with me.....but think about this. You are disagreeing with Coach Gibbs because I am not the one who flew to Florida to meet with him.

[truant]

I think you misunderstood my post.

I don't think talent has been the problem. You can cite the worst players to come through DC since Gibbs left to try to validate your point but we had Brad Johnson (SB winner) at QB here too.

I didn't say that Champ was vital to winning. All i said is that he's the best corner in the game and you seemingly mock people for being attached to him.


My entire post was about how i feel that talent hasn't been the problem. You can take it as unwarranted critisicm if you like, but it's not an attack of any sort.

Winning teams tend to send more players to the probowl. While i disagree with the Brunell move, i've accepted it. I don't care if Gibbs is making the move or not, I don't agree with it. Ultimately I have faith in Gibbs, but i don't have to love his every move because he is Gibbs.

Since you want to pit me against Gibbs on this one why don't you talk to Andy Reid and Parcells and ask them why they said that we have the most talent in the division.

[IowaSkinsFan]

Originally posted by truant
Since you want to pit me against Gibbs on this one why don't you talk to Andy Reid and Parcells and ask them why they said that we have the most talent in the division.

Pure window dressing on their part. Makes them look smarter and better when they beat us!

[REALRICK]

truant...I am sorry but Brad (the answer) Johnson is not the answer anywhere he has been. And neither was Trent Dilfer. Both men were QB's of winning SUPERBOWL teams. The other thing they had in common was..... they were along for the ride with the number 1 defense in the league.

Brad Johnson wasn't good here and he's not good in Tampa either. He's never going to make the Hall of Fame and he could never carry a team. He makes a living dumping off 5 yard passes. His stats look good but his team can't score. As I said....we haven't had a QB here in over a decade. Brad Johnson included. Ask yourself this. If he was so good....why is he gone? I don't see Green Bay letting Brett Favre get away. San Fran didn't let Steve Young get away. Indy is letting Peyton Manning get away. But we let Brad Johnson go? I'll give you one guess why.

[IowaSkinsFan]

Even Norv Turner finally gave up on Brad Johnson and turned to Jeff George! Got to agree with RealRick on this one. When the going got tough and Brad needed to carry the Redskins, he failed miserably.

[truant]

Wow... i must be talking in jibberish.

Parcells made Dallas a playoff team this year (you're thinking "yes!! my point exactly, because of their D."

They had a top rated D before Parcells got there. Parcells took that miserable talent on offense and somehow constructed a playoff team.


I believe that if Gibbs had the roster that Spurrier did last year, he would have done better... probably the playoffs.

So yes, i'm saying that Gibbs could have won last year with Patick Ramsey. I'm not saying that Brad Johnson was a world beater, but he could get the job done.

(Robert, Norv didn't give up on Brad. Snyder was behind the Jeff George fiasco)

Now, to clarify, my opinion is if Gibbs had the roster that Spurrier did last year, he would have done better... probably the playoffs. Therefore, i think that talent hasn't been the biggest problem.

[REALRICK]

You're not talking Jibberish. But Robert and I both read the same post. You said talent hasn't been the problem because we had Superbowl winner Brad Johnson.

We just made the point that Brad Johnson was no more a Superbowl winner than the waterboy who also got a ring just because he belonged to the same team as the number 1 defense.

Brad Johnson couldn't carry my jock strap. But you were the one who brought up his name...in the same sentence as talent.

[truant]

You brought up Tim Hasselbeck and Tony Banks as QB's that have been here. I think that we're better represented by Brad Johnson.

Brad Johnson was quite a bit more talented than Hasselbeck is or Banks was.

Brad Johnson was the last player to take us to the playoffs. We didn't have a #1 defense that year. I'm not saying that he's great, but to mention Hasselbeck and Banks as Qb's since Gibbs left is not indicative of the talent that we had here.

(not saying the QB position has been great, but it surely hasn't been tony banks-Tim Hasselbeck bad)

[REALRICK]

Okay. You win. You're right. I'm going to bed.

[truant]

I'm not right, it's just an opinion. I think i'll follow your lead and get some rest myself.