Burner's Burning Questions: Offseason Edition, Free Agency 2014

McD5 said:
Aside from Vinny Cerrato, and maybe Cleveland, you aren't going to find too many people in the country who would ever spend $10 million on a center. That's insane.

And that's even more insane to believe that a team with so many holes would ever consider it. A top LT? Yes. A center? No way in hell. A center isn't taking us to the SB next year.

An offensive line is only as good as its weakest link. You don't need one great guy, and several holes. Everyone just needs to be decent.

Here's a list of the top paid centers in the league, for reference.

» Over the Cap- Top NFL Contracts: Center

As you can see, the fourth highest paid center in the league is $6.45 million.
Click to expand...

But your point was he'd cost us 2 1st round picks, which is wrong...now it's just an inflated salary for arguably the best center in the league.

So...speaking of weakest link in the OL...which of the current 4 starters along our OL is the weakest link...all of them? You have some good insight at times, but for ****'s sake you can be so over the top with your assertions! We have done nothing to improve our OL significantly and that is exactly what we needed...a significant overhaul! We're not running the ZBS anymore...undersized OL is not gonna cut it in your boy's power scheme!

Keep the OL as it is now, don't address the aging Chris Chester, watch as DE's run straight past Turnstyler Polumbus and watch as 330-350 pound lineman shove Lichtensteiger on his ass! Then tell me if 10 million is too much for a solid center or if we needed to spend a little money on a RT! One or the other! draft ain't gonna fix it and Lavauo isn't the answer!

We have 4 weakest links on the OL!!!

Whatever type of offense or defense is run in this league, without solid, quality players in the trenches nothing else matters! It all starts with the big uglies! As it stands, our OL cannot protect our QB...at all! It was terrible last year and we cut our 2nd best lineman.
 
Elephant said:
But your point was he'd cost us 2 1st round picks, which is wrong...now it's just an inflated salary for arguably the best center in the league.

So...speaking of weakest link in the OL...which of the current 4 starters along our OL is the weakest link...all of them? You have some good insight at times, but for ****'s sake you can be so over the top with your assertions! We have done nothing to improve our OL significantly and that is exactly what we needed...a significant overhaul! We're not running the ZBS anymore...undersized OL is not gonna cut it in your boy's power scheme!

Keep the OL as it is now, don't address the aging Chris Chester, watch as DE's run straight past Turnstyler Polumbus and watch as 330-350 pound lineman shove Lichtensteiger on his ass! Then tell me if 10 million is too much for a solid center or if we needed to spend a little money on a RT! One or the other! draft ain't gonna fix it and Lavauo isn't the answer!

We have 4 weakest links on the OL!!!

Whatever type of offense or defense is run in this league, without solid, quality players in the trenches nothing else matters! It all starts with the big uglies! As it stands, our OL cannot protect our QB...at all! It was terrible last year and we cut our 2nd best lineman.
Click to expand...

You're right. It's total panic time. Especially since our first game is this Sunday. We are so screwed!!! Good God, we're dead meat!!!

Oh wait....it's not. You mean we don't have to have our roster completely set less than a week into FA? Whew.....that's good news. I was getting really worried there.
 
McD5 said:
Aside from Vinny Cerrato, and maybe Cleveland, you aren't going to find too many people in the country who would ever spend $10 million on a center. That's insane.

And that's even more insane to believe that a team with so many holes would ever consider it. A top LT? Yes. A center? No way in hell. A center isn't taking us to the SB next year.

An offensive line is only as good as its weakest link. You don't need one great guy, and several holes. Everyone just needs to be decent.

Here's a list of the top paid centers in the league, for reference.

» Over the Cap- Top NFL Contracts: Center

As you can see, the fourth highest paid center in the league is $6.45 million.
Click to expand...

There's people out there that think we're a solid center away from being a much more potent front 5+QB, that a solid smart center would not only help the line improve dramatically but could be a great asset for Griffin as he grows.

I'm not saying we need to get that one guy, that sort of analysis is way over my head and I'll just look like a fool arguing that stuff with some here (you included.) Just saying... that position is one quit a few people think is significantly more important than this post indicates.
 
McD5 said:
You're right. It's total panic time. Especially since our first game is this Sunday. We are so screwed!!! Good God, we're dead meat!!!

Oh wait....it's not. You mean we don't have to have our roster completely set less than a week into FA? Whew.....that's good news. I was getting really worried there.
Click to expand...

Melodramatic? Your sarcasm just makes you look petty. No one is panicking, we just don't buy the bull **** you're trying to sell.

I am saying there were several possible answers to fill a couple of the most important positions on this team. We all know you love the fancy toys in the garage, but we need an OL more than anything else on this team, especially now that Gruden is coach, a traditional power run scheme. We need to replace the weakest links on our team...RT, RG and now C since our starting center was cut.

You want to play Mr. Sarcastic? Fine, go ahead. But it doesn't change the fact that we have missed opportunities because the front office wants to be "smart" with their spending. Sometimes being smart with your spending means actually taking risks...a high profile signing is OK, as long you are not defined by it!

You were correct 2 years ago when we signed Garcon. Where is a comparable signing this year in our major area of need, now that we actually have some money to spend?

Edit: I am glad we didn't sign a couple of players to the contracts they received, Talib is one player I liked but could not see having spent what Denver did. TJ Ward? That was a price we could have paid for a position of such need.

De La Puente in NO got a much more reasonable contract and he was a coveted center that wouldn't have broken the bank. I know Mack is a pipe dream, but with the increases in salary cap over the next few years, we can afford to over pay for a player of his caliber for a position of such need.

I have heard so many clamor about cap space and costs for players, but if this FA period has shown is that prices for players are on the rise.
 
Last edited:
Looks like the giants gave Walton a two year deal worth $5M, with $2.5M guaranteed. Shocked the Skins didn't match that, if Walton even gave them the option...

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
 
The thought is that Lichtensteiger is a good technician and is strong for his size at 285, so operating in a more limited box at center and working in tandem blocking scheme for pass pro will be more effective than Montgomery was. He is also 3 years younger than Monty.

That will allow the team to fix the RT spot with Penn.

Allen is frugal. As a former agent and cap guy, you aren't going to see the Redskins break the bank for any one player.

Franchising Orakpo or another guy like Trent is likely to be as far as he goes in that regard.

The team has enough room left to have added Anthony Spencer, Ryan Clark or Owen Daniels but they weren't going to overpay to bring in 30 year old players that are coming back from severe injuries or have an injury history.
 
Bulldog's Twin said:
Allen is frugal. As a former agent and cap guy, you aren't going to see the Redskins break the bank for any one player.

Franchising Orakpo or another guy like Trent is likely to be as far as he goes in that regard.
Click to expand...

Which is part of my rub. I am not sayinf we should give anyone Albert Haynesworth money, I was fine watching Aqib Talib go to Denver for the money they spent. But you can pay one of the best at the position, a player that could dramatically change the OL. If not, you could sign one of the other top tier free agents at that position for a better price.

What I cannot accept it having to watch Kory Lichtensteiger get pushed around like he did far too often last year because he is under sized, technic notwithstanding. I have no problem with the Lavauo signing...it seems like a solid acquisition for the right price. Is Penn coming aboard? Zuttah may be a cap casualty, should we seek him?
 
Elephant said:
But you can pay one of the best at the position, a player that could dramatically change the OL.
Click to expand...

I get what you're saying, but that's literally been the justification of big agent signings for years.

Every person was supposed to be a guy that would dramatically change *insert position of weakness* for us.
 
Sorry El....it's obvious that championships are built on a foundation of mid-tier players! get with the gameplan man! we should never risk spending big bucks on even one player...we're going to need those moneys to pick up RGIII's body parts! on the other hand...you know...I'm thinking we should give away whatever cap pluses we have at the end of next season - especially if they're pretty sizable. one...we'll never be tempted to spend on over-priced players. two, we can continue to tell the fans (in case things go South) that we're cash strapped and therefore couldn't do anything anyway! it's the perfect roster storm - Allen is a friggin genius!!!
 
I like both views although they appear to be in conflict. The front office needs to get some protection for Griffin. Priority One, every other issue is insignificant in my eyes. So maybe they plan to address the Oline issue in the draft and settle for available upgrades for needs,depth and bodies through fee agents.
Elephant said:
But your point was he'd cost us 2 1st round picks, which is wrong...now it's just an inflated salary for arguably the best center in the league.

So...speaking of weakest link in the OL...which of the current 4 starters along our OL is the weakest link...all of them? You have some good insight at times, but for ****'s sake you can be so over the top with your assertions! We have done nothing to improve our OL significantly and that is exactly what we needed...a significant overhaul! We're not running the ZBS anymore...undersized OL is not gonna cut it in your boy's power scheme!

Keep the OL as it is now, don't address the aging Chris Chester, watch as DE's run straight past Turnstyler Polumbus and watch as 330-350 pound lineman shove Lichtensteiger on his ass! Then tell me if 10 million is too much for a solid center or if we needed to spend a little money on a RT! One or the other! draft ain't gonna fix it and Lavauo isn't the answer!

We have 4 weakest links on the OL!!!

Whatever type of offense or defense is run in this league, without solid, quality players in the trenches nothing else matters! It all starts with the big uglies! As it stands, our OL cannot protect our QB...at all! It was terrible last year and we cut our 2nd best lineman.
Click to expand...
 
Good lord this thread took off. I'm torn in this situation because I've actually been very impressed with the way the front office has handled itself. I agree that the O-line needs to be addressed, and in my personal opinion, the FO understands that.... but we do need to be careful about who we spend money on. The front office literally pays people to analyze players. We don't honestly know what kind of scheme they are going to run at this point. We have no idea who they are targeting. We don't know if we've made better offers to players and they've elected to go elsewhere for less money. We have to build the team. Key word being BUILD. 2012 looks more like the outlier then it does the standard, and things need to be addressed..

The Hatcher signing was big, and I like it. Could we have spent that type of money on an O-lineman? Sure. But lets be real here, the gap between the 5th best C in the league and the 15th is minimal. You've got your top tier guys, then theres a large group of middle tier linemen. If size is what you're looking for, we can address that in the draft. A raw rookie with size is a lateral move with more to build on then what we have now. I'm ok with it. We're not going to right the ship in one offseason, so if we can invest in the team... I would prefer that. For all we know, Gruden has plan to use these guys effectively. Shanny was able to do that. Morris broke the single season rushing record for the franchise his rookie season, and made it to the probowl in his second. Where we are lacking is pass coverage, I absolutely understand that, but I'm not going to lose faith in this regime before they've even recorded a single game. In all honesty, with Trent, you could sign the 15th best player at each OL position and it would seemingly be an upgrade to last season...

Is this O-line the answer? I'm absolutely not saying that.... what I am saying is I'm not going to pass any judgement yet.... not until the whole picture is visible.
 
Penn is still in DC, they are pushing hard to sign him. Weather has delayed his flight out, so no word if he'd still be here without the storm.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
 
I definitely would not mind the Skins bringing in Kenny Britt on a one-year, incentive laden deal. Dude can flat out ball when healthy; problem is, he's never healthy.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
 
Britt is Randy Moss or Terrell Owens in regards to drama, but alas not in terms of production :(
 
Bulldog's Twin said:
Britt is Randy Moss or Terrell Owens in regards to drama, but alas not in terms of production :(
Click to expand...

When healthy, he's had some ridiculous stat lines. Career numbers are not there because he's never been healthy, but go back and look at some of his huge games. Close to 200 yards and 3TD type games.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
 
Britt reminds me of Michael Westbrook. All potential, often injured, poor work habits and off the field issues.

The Redskins got ONE strong season out of Michael in 1999 who was a top 10 draft pick. He ended up out of football by 2001.

Britt is on the fringes now because no one has that much invested in him and he has never even had that one breakout year.

My guess is some team is going to give him mid-level money, which is overpaying for a guy that could end up a complete zero.

Even the Patriots who like to gamble went with Brandon LaFell to get size at WR.
 
I just saw a report that Penn is finalizing an agreement with the Redskins.
 
Chris said:
I just saw a report that Penn is finalizing an agreement with the Redskins.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen that, but Clark has tweeted that they're still in negotiations with the team.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 1, Members: 0, Guests: 1)

Help Users

You haven't joined any rooms.

    You haven't joined any rooms.
    Top