Burner’s Burning Questions – Week Eleven, Dallas Week, and Final Bye Thoughts

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A win! A blowout by the Redskins! It feels great and now it is quick turnaround to the Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas. After the “time to evaluate” comments from the head coach a couple of weeks ago to possible playoff talk, the Redskins find that the cure for any negativity is an old fashioned blowout. This week, we will ask some old questions that were left over from the bye week and take a look ahead as well. Let’s get right to it.

Q1: Is it time to shut down Pierre Garcon? What do you think?
A: BBQ highly suggests that it is time to shut down Garcon and place him on IR. In the Eagles blowout game, he was non-existent. The roster spot can go to a young receiver, defensive tackle, or safety from another team’s practice squad. BBQ also believes that Alameda Ta'amu, DT on the Steelers practice squad, deserves a look.

Q2: Do the Redskins still have a realistic chance at making the playoffs?
A: If the team can pull off a win on Thanksgiving Day, then it can enter the conversation. If they can get to a winning record, then let the formal talk commence. Do you think the chances are good at this juncture?

Q3: In the previous version of BBQ, I asked for opinions about the upcoming free agency season. Ryan (Ryman) answered the call with a detailed list of his own. We need to keep in mind that the salary cap situation will continue to hamper efforts for one more season. Do you have any other free agents on your radar?
A: Here is a suggested list that Ryan produced along with other members of BGO. BBQ has taken a look at these players from the list (added a few) and any two or three should be signed.
OG - Andy Levitre, Bills
OT – Andre Smith, Bengals
OT - Branden Albert, Chiefs
OG – Chilo Rachal, Bears
S – Jairus Byrd, Bills
DT/DE - Glenn Dorsey, Chiefs
CB – Mike Jenkins, Cowboys

Q4: Once again, it is time to take a look at draft prospects for the Redskins. BBQ continues to believe that the draft should focus on safety, cornerback, right tackle, defensive tackle, and tight end. Who do you like in the draft? Here is a list of players that should be considered.
A: This list is presented in no particular order.
Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
Eric Reid, S, LSU
T.J. McDonald, S, USC
Robert Lester, S, Alabama
Shawn Williams, S, Georgia
Dallas Thomas, OT/G, Tennessee
Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan
Oday Aboushi, OT, Virginia
Travis Howard, CB, Ohio State
Sanders Commings, CB, Georgia
Darius Slay, CB, Mississippi State
Prentiss Waggner, CB/S, Tennessee
Larry Black, DT, Indiana
Kwame Geathers, DT, Georgia
Mister Cobble, DT, Kentucky
Philip Lutzenkirchen, TE, Auburn
Michael Williams, TE, Alabama
Lucas Reed, TE, New Mexico

Q5: As to free agents – who amongst the free agents on the Redskins roster should be retained? Who should go? Too, who should be released after the season is over? Feel free to add your preferences.
A: Here is a list of Redskins FAs that BBQ believes should not be retained:
Rex Grossman, QB
Jordan Black, OL
Kentwan Balmer, DL
Chris Baker, DL
Chris Wilson, LB

Here is a list of players that the Redskins should release:
DeAngelo Hall – Cap savings of $8.3 million – no cap hit to release.
Brandon Meriweather – Cap savings of $1.35 million and $1.65 million against the cap. Should return at much lower price if agreeable.
London Fletcher – Cap savings of $4.0 million and $3.25 million against the cap. Should return at much lower price if agreeable.
Reed Doughty – Cap savings of 1.15 million – no cap hit to release.
Jammal Brown – Cap savings of $1.5 million and $3.3 million against the cap.
Santana Moss – Cap savings of $4.15 million and $2 million against the cap. Should return at much lower price if agreeable.
Evan Royster
Chris Cooley
Niles Paul
Total cap savings would equal $20.45 million. Dead cap money would equal $10.2 million. The Redskins are currently at $3.3 million below the cap and that carries over to 2013. The cap hit from the release of Chris Cooley last summer is $1.8 million, so the Redskins are truly at $1.5 million in cap savings for 2013.

Candidates for restructuring contracts include:
Pierre Garcon
Josh Morgan
Trent Williams
Josh Wilson
Barry Cofield
Chris Chester
Stephen Bowen
Adam Carriker
Brian Orakpo
BBQ firmly believes that these players should be retained and the savings could amount to as much as $15 million with the 2013 cap.

That is all (a lot actually!) for this week. See you again next week and keep the comments coming. There is a lot to talk about this week – feel free to add your ideas and constructive criticism.

Hail To The Redskins!

Nice

As for question2 - re: playoff talk
I agree with you. You asked whether chances are good at this point - well, if chances are good it has much more to do with everyone else in the NFC east sucking than it has to do with the redskins playing well. The blowout was nice, but they certainly didn't look like a dominate team and the eagles are just dreadful this year.

That said... if they go on the road and beat the cowboys, then come home and beat the giants on Monday night, they may wind up generating some momentum.

And in the NFL momentum is a bitch. It can carry a team much further than the team deserves and it can send them much further down a hole than it deserves (see the eagles this year.)

3-0 in back to back to back division games may create that kind of momentum.

They have to get to 2-0 first though...

Q1- No, if we had a good receiver on PS or could have picked one up like Plaxio Burgess then yea. He will have plenty of time to recover in the offseason with or without surgery.

Q2- No, if we would've beat the Giants or Panthers then i would be more optimistic. Even if we have a miracle ending to this season i have a feeling we'll be tied with the Giants and they'll beat us with a better record in the NFC. It's highly unlikely that the NFCE gets a wildcard.

Q3- I don't have anyone on radar, really don't keep up on anyone outside of the Skins. I will say this, we have to take the best RT in FA and RT should be without a doubt our #1 priority in FA.

Q4- I'm almost comfortable with taking the best player avaliable. We could use Ol, TE, WR, Back up DL, LB, CB, S and possibley a kicker too.

Q5- I would keep Chris Baker. He's better then Nield will ever be. I would also release Nield unless we need him for depth.

- I would make D Hall restructure or show him the door. He's worth about half of what he's making, but we need to make every effort to keep him for less money.

- I don't see anything wrong with Meriweather's or Fletcher's contract. We could save maybe a million restructuring Moss's contract. I thought we were in better shape with J Brown(i didn't think we took a cap hit in releasing him). If your numbers are right i say we keep him ONLY if he's able to prove that he can play before this year is done.

- I don't see how we're going to restructure the contracts of Morgan, (Wilson mistake)Garcon and Carriker since their current contract isn't even a year old. I don't see anybody in your final list other than C Chester that we may restructure and we definitely don't want to piss Rak off.

Edit: I meant Garcon instead of Wilson who were in their 1st year of their contract.

Good points! Keep in mind that we are one play from being undefeated in the division and a share of first place. Just one play. But momentum is defintely the key and no margin for errors.

Another "stat" to keep in mind is the unknown - Bruce Allen and how he structures "likely to be earned" contracts. He is a master at it and this is the unknown for 2013. How much extra cap space does this give us for 2013? $5 mil? $10 mil? $20 mil? Given what they know about the cap "penalty", it should come as no surprise if we have an extra ten to twenty mil for 2013.

If the team is to improve folks need to be less sentimental.

A young team hoping to improve can't tie up millions in a 38 year old Fletcher, 33 year old Moss and other players who have been much less effective like Hall and Brown.

One guy I don't like for the money is Morgan. He has been a raving mediocrity since his arrival and actually helped us lose a game through a non-football play.

Didn't Joe Gibbs say jokingly that one of the keys to building a good team is not picing stupid players?
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Burgundy Burner said:

Q4: Once again, it is time to take a look at draft prospects for the Redskins. BBQ continues to believe that the draft should focus on safety, cornerback, right tackle, defensive tackle, and tight end. Who do you like in the draft? Here is a list of players that should be considered.

Click to expand...

What about Honey Badger? Reports this week suggest he will fall to the 4th round. I think you have to take him if he falls that far, I might even go for him in the 3rd. Yes, his size is an issue - but he is a flat-out playmaker, and would be worth the draft-pick as a return specialist alone. I think some team will take Mathieu in the 2nd or early 3rd round, and get one hell of a player.

Thoughts?

It's a risk. Janoris Jenkins was a risk and he has had a few moments this season. The Honey Badger is a special talent, but we have seen head cases before - some can make it and others continue their bad habits.

He could be someone that enters the conversation in the offseason.

One thing is certain. The Redskins can clear $8.3 mil from the books by releasing DeAngelo Hall in the offseason and that is with no other money being in the books - next season or beyond.