ESPN: Former NFL Exec Down On Defensive Rookies--John Keim Article

Warning: This is not a feel good piece.



By John Keim | September 20, 2013 6:45:40 PM PDT
Former NFL safety Louis Riddick spent seven years in the Washington Redskins’ organization, first as a scout and then as director of pro personnel. Then, from 2008-2013, he worked as a scout and eventually served as director of pro personnel for Philadelphia. So he knows the game from two perspectives: player and front office man. Earlier he provided insight into quarterback Robert Griffin III. Here's what Riddick, now an ESPN NFL Insider, had to say about the Redskins' defense. Warning: He didn't hold back.

Here you go:


NFL Former exec down on defensive rookies - ESPN

Yikes...calling out guys for not competing is about as harsh as it gets. And when a QB throws for 480 yards w/ 283 after the catch, I think all of those criticisms are pretty valid. Hopefully those kids read something like this and take it as a challenge to get better. If not...its going to be a loooooooong season.

Seriously, I hope Shanny just didn't whiff. This resembles what ended him in Denver much too closely.

These guys need to step up.

Let's not cite exceptions here.

Just how many stone cold rookies step right on the field and play like 10 year vets?

Not many.

Curious what his thoughts were on Philip Thomas before he got hurt

DieselPwr44 said:

Let's not cite exceptions here.

Just how many stone cold rookies step right on the field and play like 10 year vets?

Not many.

Click to expand...

Very few. Maybe honey badger this season.

Here is the upsetting part, at least for me. The scout talks about how he saw the same from them in college, against collegiate competition.

Keim really respects this guy. He's basically saying that we may have drafted two busts, without coming out and saying we may have drafted two busts.

We can't win if guys are showing the same type of fire that Fred Davis has this season.

They simply need to learn from this, and they need to get mean.

This is the most troubling thing I've seen about this team in a long time. If I had to rank it, it's up at number 3.

The worst thing I've seen was RG3 still in the game against Seattle. Words cannot possibly describe that collective mistake in judgement.

The second worst was the Comb, D Thomas draft. Five seconds after, I was sure that was the worst draft in modern day team history. The most pathetic draft I had ever seen.

This is third. Comments like those in this story are usually associated with the hate for guys like Tim Tebow, or Jamarcus.

Two games into a brand new season and we're now at the point of labeling two rookies....ROOKIES...as busts??

Is this what the fanbase is reduced to?

Lol Diesel. It's just one former Skin's opinion. And let's hope he's wrong.

Maybe he's a disgruntled former employee. That's possible. John Keim being a huge fan makes me doubt that.

But it doesn't get much harsher than this:

On the safety position: “At safety, I haven’t seen Bacarri Rambo hit anybody yet. Coming out of Georgia there were those questions. Will this guy show up in crunch time? My take was no he won’t.

When you’re being cracked, you can turn and look at that receiver and try to light him up to know don’t crack on me again. I saw Bacarri cringe and I saw him do it in college. When you see those kinds of things that’s what makes you go, 'Hmm.

This isn’t a problem you can fix. You can’t go on the street and fix it.

On Rambo and Amerson: “I couldn’t care less if a guy gets beat. But they don’t compete. That’s what was troubling to me. They’ve got a big hole to dig out of. We’re not talking about fundamental issues. Now we’re talking about, 'Do we have the right makeup of players that can get it corrected.’ That’s just the truth. This isn’t me trying to rip on their guys. This is what you see. I went down to Georgia and spent two days there. I know all about Rambo. I’m telling you, he’s showing exactly what I had concerns about coming out of college.


Now these guys have their entire careers in front of them. This is hopefully just the beginning. Personally, I'd put their lockers right in between Fletcher and Kerrigan tomorrow morning.

I'm still out on Amerson. I can't call him a bust yet. (And wouldn't relish the opportunity, by any means, if I could.)

But I will say this. To this point, Rambo has shown me nothing...save for the inability to take a good angle, or tackle ANYONE.

DieselPwr44 said:

Let's not cite exceptions here.

Just how many stone cold rookies step right on the field and play like 10 year vets?

Not many.

Click to expand...

No-one is saying we should cut our losses and cut them now.
If they're playing that horrible they should not be starting or seeing significant playing time.
Wait until, and if, they are ready.
This is not a re-building team. This is a playoff-calibre team, and we are severely hurting our chances
by sticking them out there. A re-building team can afford to take chances like that. We can't.
Would we really be worse off, by putting Pugh, Gumbs, Hall, or Biggers out there at safety ?
Or Minnifleld or Biggers at nickel ?

DieselPwr44 said:

Is this what the fanbase is reduced to?

Click to expand...

Kind of hypocritical for the Godfather to yell out "act like a man" when he himself is sucking on kid's gum-balls in his cheeks

The Redskins went down the path of drafting guys that did great things as sophomores or juniors but didn't continue to improve as upperclassmen or seniors. That is always a great risk/reward strategy.

Beathard used to do this all the time. He would look for guys who were injured as seniors or had poor seasons but were good athletes and would roll the dice on them. Quite a few obviously made it big in Washington, while there were some major busts as well. But those are forgotten when you win.