Random Commanders Thoughts

First of all - welcome to the site

I have never believed that Kaepernick lacked talent. I know the NFL party line is that if he were a starting-caliber QB, he'd be on an NFL team right now. But I think the truth is that teams just don't want the distraction and neverending drama signing him would bring. To a certain extent, that's perfectly fair. I don't get to spout off and demonstrate my political beliefs at work without ramifications, and neither do you or others. Kaepernick made his bed and now has to lie in it. I know some see him as a victim of racism or other bias. I think it's a lot simpler than that - potential employers don't see his talent worth the headache signing him would invariably bring.

I do think that a number of QBs from his era (RG3, Kaep, Russell Wilson) benefitted greatly early on by the NFL's inability to quickly adapt to option dual threat QBs. Perhaps less so with Wilson, but all 3 of those guys saw their effectiveness wane considerably after their first several seasons. That's not to say that Kaepernick could never again be an effective NFL QB. But I think it's fair to say he was never going to be as dangerous a player as he and those other guys were in those first couple of 'revolutionary' seasons.

Interesting numbers in here on turnovers and special teams play

http://www.espn.com/blog/washington...ook-at-the-redskins-path-to-an-nfc-east-title

Boone said:

I have never believed that Kaepernick lacked talent. I know the NFL party line is that if he were a starting-caliber QB, he'd be on an NFL team right now. But I think the truth is that teams just don't want the distraction and neverending drama signing him would bring. To a certain extent, that's perfectly fair.

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If he had consistent NFL-level pocket QB skills, he'd be on a team today. There's an equation that determines whether your pain-in-the-assness is equal-to or greater-than what you bring to the field. Kaepernick falls in the "much greater-than" part of that equation, especially once NFL defenses snuffed out RPO as a full-time offense some time in 2013.

Let's not forget the guy had a game where he was sacked five times and only had 3-4 yards passing in his last year as a starter and voided his own contract, betting on himself and losing big.

The Tomsula era in San Francisco killed pretty much all talent there. I think Smith has made a career out being at the right place at the right time and not making too many mistakes. Makes him valuable. Also makes him damned fortunate and blessed.

Nick

Damn you Alex Smith...you're tearing the family apart!

Forgot to add Kaep also has a higher career passer rating. Smith has never been very good, he's just been on some talented teams that force a crazy amount of turnovers. He's very lucky in that regard.

Henry said:

I don't go to games anymore. Not gonna apologize for it.

Wizards games are an immensely better experience. You want my business, put a better product out there.


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Gotcha, and I can't blame anyone for not going honestly. Playing better would be a helluva start.

For you locals, does the team do many meet new greets in the area to drum up support? Just judging by Norman`s comments they're (team, ownership) not really involving the fans as much as they should, imho.

We butchered the Cousins situation, panicked, and overpaid for Smith. I've pretty much thought that the whole time and the way this season has panned out really hasn't changed that opinion. At this point it is what it is.

I will say this: McCoy isn't going to do any better with this offense. The backup QB is always the most popular guy on a bad football team (or in our case, a bad offense.) That doesn't make him the better player. There's a reason McCoy is a career backup and Smith isn't, and it's not because Smith has a winning personality.

We really need to draft a QB next year. Probably in the first round. That's what happens when you trade young for old.

I really wish we'd stop doing that.

Regarding Kaepernick, Smith, and the Importance of Patriotism ...

Smith is a better QB. He runs an offense as it should be run (for better or for worse.) Kaepernick is a more durable RG3. Once defenses adjusted to his schtick, his numbers fell, and fell, and fell. He didn't lose his starting job to Blaine Gabbert because he was kneeling. He was simply playing badly.

That said, he is, in my opinion, still good enough to be a backup somewhere. I agree with Boone that teams probably figure a backup isn't worth the headache and the drama. Other players kneel and haven't been drummed out of the league, but they aren't QBs. I dunno. As a player he just isn't good enough to talk about all that much.

That's what I think.

Win4us said:

Gotcha, and I can't blame anyone for not going honestly. Playing better would be a helluva start.

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Just to be clear, it's not the team.

It's the entire league. I can't stand the NFL anymore.

Come on folks.

Kaepernick was on some very good 49ers teams too

Harbaugh and the front office had San Francisco in the postseason and a top shelf contender for several years and that crossed over the Smith and Kaepernick tenures with the organization.

My guess is Kaepernick and Smith are not that different in terms of results.

We will never know what Kaepernick could have done with another organization, say the 2018 Redskins

But I would have to think he could play at a level that would have had the Redskins competitive.

Kaepernick's 2011 season in some regards reminds me of Smith's 2017 season.

Both players had one year where just about everything went right for them.

Just not as 'right' as they did for Joe Flacco

New rankings from PFT:

10. Washington (6-3; No. 13): One brother could be the best coach in the league this year, and the other brother could be the exact opposite.

This is news to me:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...ing-at-kickers-with-dustin-hopkins-banged-up/

McD5 said:

This is news to me:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...ing-at-kickers-with-dustin-hopkins-banged-up/
Chandler Catanzaro, who missed two field goals for the Buccaneers last Sunday will be available if he clears waivers after being cut on Monday.

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I have no idea why we would have any interest in the guy who was partially responsible for our opponent losing Sunday.
Signing a kicker who missed two kicks in his very last game ?
There's definitely better options than that.
We're winning close games that highly depend on the kicker, so it's of utmost importance we get a kicker we can depend on.

McD5 said:

This is news to me:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...ing-at-kickers-with-dustin-hopkins-banged-up/

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Yeah - hadn't heard that. You'd think that kickers and punters would learn each other's jobs at the NFL level for just this kind of scenario? If Hopkins can't go - it's a big deal - as we're hardly a team that can afford to miss FGs (in ANY game).

Is Nick Novak available? I'm only partially joking since it seems like he's the guy everyone used to sign when their kicker got hurt or struggled. I think struggled last year which is why he's out of a job this year.


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Bulldog said:

Come on folks.

Kaepernick was on some very good 49ers teams too

Harbaugh and the front office had San Francisco in the postseason and a top shelf contender for several years and that crossed over the Smith and Kaepernick tenures with the organization.

My guess is Kaepernick and Smith are not that different in terms of results.

We will never know what Kaepernick could have done with another organization, say the 2018 Redskins

But I would have to think he could play at a level that would have had the Redskins competitive.

Kaepernick's 2011 season in some regards reminds me of Smith's 2017 season.

Both players had one year where just about everything went right for them.

Just not as 'right' as they did for Joe Flacco

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Good post. What people forget is their defense was terrible through the playoffs. They had lost their pass rush, because both Justin and Aldon Smith were playing with one arm. Without the immediate pressure they usually supplied, their Carlos Rogers led secondary got exposed. It was a playoff run Smith never would've been able to go on with the amount of points they were giving up. Smith would not have gotten by with his checkdown game anymore. They had also lost some players like Manningham that Smith had at his disposal.

The Kaep led offense actually outscored the Flacco offense 29-27, but the kick return won it for them. They went into the next season only returning Vernon Davis (who battled injuries), and starting WRs like Marlon Moore, Jon Baldwin, and Kyle Williams. As expected, Kaep with 10 starts under his belt struggled after the sudden major downgrade to his weapons. He only had Boldin, who was just too old and slow to really be a do it all guy. When Crabtree came back, they went on a tear and damn near pulled it off against the LOB in Seattle. Then their FO started trying to trade Harbaugh that offseason and everything fell apart from there.

Kaep and Mahomes both elevated offenses Smith was just riding. Problem for the 9ers was that the Vernon/Delanie Walker/pre achilles tear Crabtree combo only lasted 10 games, before the huge drop off in talent to WRs that never belonged in this league. I don't see that happening to Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Kel Varnsen said:

Is Nick Novak available? I'm only partially joking since it seems like he's the guy everyone used to sign when their kicker got hurt or struggled. I think struggled last year which is why he's out of a job this year.

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He signed to a team in a new league that starts its first season one week after the Super Bowl.
I wonder if that prevents him from playing in this NFL season.

Five kickers worked out for Washington: Sam Ficken, Kai Forbath, Blair Walsh, Roberto Aguayo and Jon Brown. https://t.co/Sjc621LtRW

Cobra Kai? Or how about if we send Cousins and Zimmer into the offseason with a game-winning kick from Walsh?

SilentThreat said:

We're 6-3 and we have plenty of room for reasonable improvement. Not asking some dramatic and crazy Joe Gibbs 5 in a row or we dont go type scenario.... All we need to do is complete 2 additional passes per game, and we're talking about a completely different offense.

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And that's my rub, with a better QB we destroy them. Those missed throws are a huge difference and I tire of the eternal optimism this team gets, but surely doesn't deserve yet. Nothing this organization has done in the past 20 years suggests we should give them the benefit of the doubt. But when I talk about the SAME mistakes that kill us every...single...year, I get labeled for it.

How are you supposed to respond to someone who talks about context, excusing a QB who has had more than half a season and an entire off-season to learn an offense, but that QB regresses week in and week out? If he were getting better, then sure...we'll cut him some slack. But he's not...we've seen regression in his play, at best stagnation.

Ax said:

Also, I have not had a bill of goods sold on me. I simply choose to allow the possibility of the teams success to occupy my mind, moreso than the possibility of failure. Since, as previously stated, it's all out of my hands anyway. THATS reality. And at the end of the day, I accept whatever transpires, since I had nothing to do with it. And couldn't change things if I wanted. THATS reality.

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Like I said, I come here to dump...the Redskins have far less effect on me as I let on in here.

You call it a schtick/negative, but over the course of the last 10 years on this site, the things I get so frustrated about usually are the reality of the Redskins, RG3, Bruce Allen and Dan Snyder as the main problem, the need to build from the lines out, running the 3/4 without the proper personnel, suggesting our youth at key positions like WR and RB will be enough when it clearly isn't, etc, etc, etc. I cannot tell you how many times I've been told to give the team some slack, things are different...blah, blah, blah! So here we are again. I just watched a poor performance by our team overall, even though we got the win. We let them put up over 500 yards, but were lucky and had some great individual plays to keep them from scoring more than 3 points. Our QB missed critical throws...again! But FG's were enough to win it. Sounds like mediocrity to me, and I won't ever accept mediocrity!

Ax said:

You shouldn't allow it all to get so deep under your skin, my brother.
None of knows for sure what's gonna happen. THATS reality.

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I don't let it get to me as much as you think...this is just the one place I can unload my frustration with the team.

As for not knowing what will happen...well, there is a good sized body of evidence under the current leadership to know enough to be concerned. You can wear your burgundy and gold glasses all you want...I'll stick to defending my frustration with a poor performance. I'm fine with it. And as long as I'm a member on this site, if I see a big pile of steaming shit, I'm going to call it a big pile of steaming shit. Glad you won't let it get to you, because it won't change.

I don't believe Walsh can hit from 50 plus anymore. I'd be hesitant.