Random Commanders Thoughts

[Neophyte]

One quibble (not against you, but NFL stats). One of Howell's sacks was a scramble where he basically decided to slide after losing six inches. That shouldn't be considered a sack.

Yeah, it has always bugged me that any tackle of a QB behind the LOS is counted as a Sack. Yo, sometimes that guy is just running the ball, ya know?

 

[burgold]

Other than Jamison Crowder I don't see any bright spots in the free agent pickups.

Maybe Fuller?

I've been trying to come up with one, but it's harder than it should be. There has got to be one, right?

 

[Neophyte]

Other than Jamison Crowder I don't see any bright spots in the free agent pickups.

Pringle had a good game yesterday too. He is been fairly dependable all season when called upon. His number just doesn't get called often.

But yeah...you certainly have a point with Barton out injured and Gates benched. Wylie is the only one getting regular game time and he has been less than impressive.

 

[Boone]

Curtis Samuel is the best free agent signing of the Rivera era.

 

[Neophyte]

Ah...ok.

I thought Bulldog meant this season but not sure how I thought that as he clearly doesn't call out a time frame.

I'd probably say Leno is the best of Rivera's tenure here simply because he has played nearly every game since he got here and been one of the consistent linemen.

 

[burgold]

Curtis Samuel is the best free agent signing of the Rivera era.

Funny. I think of Samuel as such a disappointment. He should have been great, but if feels like he has contributed less than Randle El.

 

[Boone]

He isn't a #1 WR, but he is definitely one of our best FA acquisitions imho. If anything, he is underutilized in this offense. Randel El is probably a good comparison, who was also a solid #2.

In 2022 (his first full season in DC:
64 receptions for 656 yds 4 TDs (70% reception rate)
187 yds rushing 1 TD

2023 so far
35 receptions for 332 yds 2 TDs (81.4% reception rate)
20 yds rushing 1 TD

 

[Boone]

I think what we all agree on is that our FA acquisitions have mostly sucked. Best ones? It's a pretty low bar

 

[Chris]

AG had a very solid day yesterday. I’d like to see more of that.

 

[Boone]

We need to see better WR play down the stretch. Way too many catchable passes not being made - and that includes Terry. Not sure what is going on there but those guys need to help out the youngster a little more than they have been.

 

[DieselPwr44]

Finally get a QB that is accurate and can make any throw and then Terry’s hands turn into Rod Gardner’s

Oh the irony…..

 

[Boone]

One thing we found out yesterday. I don’t think the coaches have ‘lost the locker room’ by any stretch. Our guys played hard. Good to see.

 

[DieselPwr44]

And Ron didn't get lost on his way to the locker room, so there's that.......

Just wish the defense could play better. The lack of quality linebackers on this defense stands out like a sore thumb.

 

[Bulldog]

I think with a new GM and coach the linebackers group gets a complete makeover. You can count in the secondary as well. The corners here were way overrated by Ron and Co.

 

[burgold]

Kiem published an article in this morning's Washington Post where he railed against the idea of victory Monday. He had some okay points. Mainly that a winning streak and a playoff berth might keep the front office and coaching staff intact. But I did take umbrage in him bringing up Joe Gibbs. He brought Joe up twice. The first was fine. He talked about how long it had been since we were a contender. The second was dumb. In the second, he mentioned the Gibbs glory years and how you can't win without great players and then said the Commanders have to lose for better draft picks.

Joe Gibbs did not build great teams by getting high draft picks. Bobby Beathard never met a first rounder he didn't want to trade away. Charlie Casserly's first rounders were so so. Gibbs teams were great because Gibbs figured out what his players could do well and then designed a scheme around that and maximized each players potential. In fact, I remember Matt Millen coming to the '91 team and proclaiming that he'd never seen a team so full of B's (meaning there weren't a lot of great players, but everyone was good.)

So sure, we all want regime change. We all think we are never getting to the mountaintop with the team as Snyder built it, but losing for draft picks while a fashionable strategy was never remotely a legacy or even a thought during the Gibbs glory years.

 

[Neophyte]

I think another, perhaps unappreciated thing about GIbbs, was that he had excellent position coaches. There wasn't a single average position coach on his staff and they all clearly understood how their position group fit into the scheme that was being run. They could take a C player and coach them into a B. Or a B and coach them into an A.

 

[Bulldog]

Beathard’s #1 picks:

1980 - Art Monk - Hall of Fame

1981 - Mark May - 12 year NFL pro and starting OG and OT.

1983 - Darrell Green - Hall of Fame

Beathard traded his 1982 #1 pick for 3 picks in 1981:

#3 - Russ Grimm - Hall of Fame

#5 - Dexter Manley - multiple time pro bowler - led NFL in sacks with 18.5 in 1986.

Yes, Joe Gibbs fit players to roles that would suit their best performances but never doubt his teams were composed of a core of veteran stars that were among the best in the league at their positions.

I hear the same BS about Belichick and Brady.

The Patriots had the #1 defense in two of their first Super Bowl seasons and Ty Law, Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, and a host of others were among the best in the league.

You don’t win without top tier talent.

This team’s shortcomings can be linked directly to the picks since 2020 by Ron.

Chase Young
Jamin Davis
Jahan Dotson
Emmanuel Forbes

Of that group Young is no longer on the team, Davis and Forbes are struggling to prove they are solid NFL starters.

Dotson is the only one in the group that seems to have upside but one can question the position pick given the holes everywhere else on the roster at the time.

Second rounders in Cosmi and Martin et al have not turned out a pro bowler or impact performer either.

 

[@DCGoldPants]

I think with a new GM and coach the linebackers group gets a complete makeover. You can count in the secondary as well. The corners here were way overrated by Ron and Co.

Totally agree.

Whenever the front office is turned over, and they hire their new coaching staff. They'll sit down with all the data Eugene Shen has been putting together about the players here and around the league....and draft.......and come up with a plan for LBs and DBs. I find it amazing that we have a HC and DC who both played LB in the NFL, and they value the position so low.

 

[Chris]

The current regimes most glaring mistake has been it’s continued efforts to put together an offensive line with duct tape and popsicle sticks.

 

[@DCGoldPants]

The current regimes most glaring mistake has been it’s continued efforts to put together an offensive line with duct tape and popsicle sticks.

OL....man. Where do you start? Another thing that never made sense. I'd be taking an OL in the 1st or 2nd day every year. Can never have enough quality guys. They get hurt. Maybe you miss on some. Maybe they want too much money. Keep taking them to have guys ready to replace those.