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Past Is Prologue

Bulldog

The All-Time Great
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The Redskins are 1-5 and the coaches are under fire. Sounds like a typical Redskins October.

There are injuries, some poor performances by veterans and questionable coaching calls.

But at the heart of it is what has plagued this team for years - poor personnel decisions, especially in the draft.

Here is a team that finished 3-13 in 2013 and yet can't get any of its top 3 draft picks onto the field to make contributions. Murphy plays special teams, great. But you don't look for teamers in the second round. Chris Russell indicated Moses is 'quite a ways' away from starting at right tackle in the NFL and both he and Spencer Long are on the weekly inactive list.

So we are starting a $11M outside linebacker with a half sack in 6 games because our top pick is not ready.

We are starting a subpar right side of the OL because high picks LeRibeus, Moses and Long aren't ready.

If this was SF I may not be worried with the quality of their starting 22. It would take time to unseat a solid to above average starter.

But that's not what we have here.

We have one guard, Chester, who is 31 years old and was let go by Baltimore and Ozzie Newsome ironically enough in favor of younger picks.

We have one tackle, Polumbus, that was acquired on waivers 3 years ago as a stop gap journeyman and who remains as a starter.

It's not limited to the OL or OLB however as we all know.

Jenkins is a serviceable DL but has never lived up to being a high #2.

Hankerson looks like he is on the way out as a former #3.

All around you look and this team is bereft of high picks making contributions.

The ones that do make it here now like Trent Williams are the exception rather than the rule.
 
Yeah. I'm starting to have serious concerns about Allen (kudos to Boone, among others, for pointing that out a while back), particularly as a talent evaluator. To whiff on three picks is particularly egregious; while it's too early to say they are complete whiffs, I think terming them disappointments would be about right.

I'll never understand why we don't have the best and brightest working for us.
 
Think about what BT has said...high draft picks. We used 4 top picks on Robert, another one on McNabb, another one on Jamal Brown and several actual picks who haven't panned out.

Think about that a second. There are 6 first and 2nd round picks in the last 5 years that amount to an oft injured exciting QB with loads of talent, who is on the sidelines. One player who may or may not be something special.

Who is that on? Allen? Shanahan? Gruden? Doesn't matter, it just says we have to be better. Or...we'll be sitting here next October saying the same thing...like we have 5 of the last 6 years.
 
Morris
Robinson
Kerrigan
Reed
Paul
Trent
RG3

the problem, to me, is developing them and making them reach that next plateau. They all look great in college and have a chance to do so in the pros, but only a few make that transition.

There is no doubt that Rak should and will be on his way out at the end of the season. If he doesn't see that he is blind. He is going to find it hard to command that 11 mil he thinks he deserves when they look at his one move and constant blowing of assignments.

I think now that we have a 1st and most likely a high one we will be focused on OL. I cant imagine that TyPo sticks around much after the last game is played. We need to concentrate on the right side, obviously, and get depth as well. I am VERY scared what I saw Moses do in the one play he was in but I am also hoping he was just nervous and didnt hear/see the snap.

I think most of all we need a field leader. RG III has been under the microscope SO much that everything he does is diagnosed and interrogated. It seems like he is afraid to step up and make the same speech like he did week 17 vs Dallass. I dont really blame him, either. Then you have, who, Trent? Trent is a hot head who plays hard but he doesn't know how to motivate a TE or QB! All of our WRs are now the kind of guys who could or should step up and try to be vocal leaders. Morris is too quiet. So, who do we have that can lead this team? The person who grabs the troops and pulls them in and says, "Hey!! Focus up and lets go!!" You see Peyton do it...all the great leaders will get in your face as needed.

welcome back, BT. It's good to see a familiar/friendly face.
 
None of those names mean anything...we are losing.
 
Of course they mean something. It means we have a core of some talent. We're not playing well together and some severe talent deficits in specific areas (OL and secondary) is crushing us. But the players listed and maybe a few others (if have DHall and a few others listed too) represent talent that's starting caliber or better. We just need more pieces and time to learn to win together.
 
In my opinion, Bulldog has hit the nail on the head.

A lack of proper talent evaluation is the same reason why we continuously go through coaching regime after coaching regime with the same mistakes and problems unfolding before our eyes year after year.

We all were loud in voicing displeasure about Cerrato and not having a "true" personnel guy running the show.

In my opinion, Allen has a fancy title and makes many falsely believe that knowledgeable football guys are now in charge.

Before the season, Bruce said that responsibility lies on his shoulders for personnel decisions. If that really is the case, he and the entire scouting department should come under very serious scrutiny this offseason.
 
Of course they mean something. It means we have a core of some talent. We're not playing well together and some severe talent deficits in specific areas (OL and secondary) is crushing us. But the players listed and maybe a few others (if have DHall and a few others listed too) represent talent that's starting caliber or better. We just need more pieces and time to learn to win together.

we need difference makers!! we don't have any. we have some good players who would make some of the better rosters in the league. but not very many.

above all else....we need quality QB play. that's the basic constant for just about all teams in the league.
 
None of those names mean anything...we are losing.

I believe El is saying that whether we have 6 good players or none...it doesn't mean anything in the here and now because the results haven't changed.

addendum: welcome back BT!!!
 
we need difference makers!! we don't have any. we have some good players who would make some of the better rosters in the league. but not very many.

above all else....we need quality QB play. that's the basic constant for just about all teams in the league.

We do have some difference makers. Desean Jackson is a difference maker. Ryan Kerrigan is a difference maker. RG3 (imho) is and will be a difference maker. Alfred Morris is a difference maker. Kai Forbath may even prove to be a difference maker. We DO have significant talent in spots, just not enough, and where we lack talent, we lack it in droves. If we had good talent in those other areas, I think you'd see some of the above players absolutely at the top of the league in production.

I don't disagree about the importance of QB, but I don't think it's close to being our #1 area of need. OL and secondary, in that order are where all of our focus needs to be.
 
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We do have some difference makers. Desean Jackson is a difference maker. Ryan Kerrigan is a difference maker. RG3 (imho) is and will be a difference maker. Alfred Morris is a difference maker. Kai Forbath may even prove to be a difference maker. We DO have significant talent in spots, just not enough, and where we lack talent, we lack it in droves. If we had good talent in those other areas, I think you'd see some of the above players absolutely at the top of the league in production.

I don't disagree about the importance of QB, but I don't think it's close to being our #1 area of need. OL and secondary, in that order are where all of our focus needs to be.
We do have some talent, but we lack any type of depth. Depth is built, in my opinion, from the draft and un-drafted free agents.

We need to not be afraid to let some players leave, and even more so to stop trying to pick up talent in free agency. Free Agency is a sticky trap used for teams that believe they are one or two key pieces away from a superbowl type team. I do not feel like that is us. I see huge holes in our lines and our secondary.

The past few games I have not seen any type of pass rush, and in my opinion Brian Orakpo is more of a 4-3 Defensive End but we keep hoping he will excel as a 3-4 Linebacker. The man has a great attitude, but we need more than an attitude in coverage and in the pass rush. I hope the Front Office let's him walk so he can catch on with a 4-3 team, or if he wants to stay sign him at a good number, and play him in certain situations.

Problem that we have is our leadership in the front office is non-existent, so we do not develop coaches like other organizations do such as the Steelers. It's more of a sink or swim mentality. This has to stop. We need a strong front office with a great scouting department, that empowers coaches rather than letting them be chum for the media sharks. That way the coaches can be free to develop players.
 
Think about what BT has said...high draft picks. We used 4 top picks on Robert, another one on McNabb, another one on Jamal Brown and several actual picks who haven't panned out.

Think about that a second. There are 6 first and 2nd round picks in the last 5 years that amount to an oft injured exciting QB with loads of talent, who is on the sidelines. One player who may or may not be something special.

Who is that on? Allen? Shanahan? Gruden? Doesn't matter, it just says we have to be better. Or...we'll be sitting here next October saying the same thing...like we have 5 of the last 6 years.


Good post. Your biggest point was the "will be sitting here next Oct saying same thing." I learned when I was a young man how to stop moving apartments so much. I finally figured out that I had to think past my next move, otherwise I was guaranteed to force myself to move again. That's where the Redskins are and Gruden, only Gruden doesn't yet know in my estimation. He is still figuring out his team and what he's got. He's seem real late on this. And due to the losing, he will feel pressure to hurry up his long term rebuild plan and muff it. He needs to stay the course, only accelerate all his decision making and roster change. Otherwise he will be doomed, as will the fans, to more of the same ole same ole, put the team rebuilding back another 3 years. Its always going backwards, and no progress as an organization is being made. In the business world, that usually spells a "systemic problem". We've got to stop trying to see the forest but blocked by the trees. Jay is looking for specific solutions, and that won't solve it. Its bigger than that. But at least he does recognize he needs to look at everything.
 
We do have some difference makers. Desean Jackson is a difference maker. Ryan Kerrigan is a difference maker. RG3 (imho) is and will be a difference maker. Alfred Morris is a difference maker. Kai Forbath may even prove to be a difference maker. We DO have significant talent in spots, just not enough, and where we lack talent, we lack it in droves. If we had good talent in those other areas, I think you'd see some of the above players absolutely at the top of the league in production.

I don't disagree about the importance of QB, but I don't think it's close to being our #1 area of need. OL and secondary, in that order are where all of our focus needs to be.

well...I disagree. I see potential. none of those guys has taken over a Redskin game and "willed us" to victory. closest would be RGIII in 2012 (i.e., a while ago) and Kerrigan's motor earns a lot of respect. they have all played roles....and not stood head and tails above. many of them (e.g., ALF) have some weaknesses (fumbling) that have hurt the team. that's just my opinion obviously. not saying anyone of them eats it. just saying that when it comes to the crucial plays, winning drives, etc., none of those names surfaces as a "go to" player with any consistency whatsoever.

maybe a better way of looking at it is that we have some talent but the collective lot cannot play as a team in any of the three phases if their lives depended upon it.
 
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Few teams have individual players capable of taking a game over and altering its outcome on their own back, like a JJ Watt can do. I think where you are off-base is that, surround the really talented guys we do have with above average players and they will be freed up to have a much greater impact.
Cover receivers even a little bit and guys like Kerrigan and Hatcher will eat QBs alive.
 
The situation won't improve until the mindset in the organization that the team is only a few players away from being special is debunked and we admit as Jon Gruden said that his brother has a rebuilding project on his hands.

A team like SF 're-tools' by adding a couple of guys like Stevie Johnson, Lloyd and Antoine
Bethea.

The Redskins need upgrades at 10 or 11 spots.

That's not re-tooling.
 
Few teams have individual players capable of taking a game over and altering its outcome on their own back, like a JJ Watt can do. I think where you are off-base is that, surround the really talented guys we do have with above average players and they will be freed up to have a much greater impact.
Cover receivers even a little bit and guys like Kerrigan and Hatcher will eat QBs alive.

yet another way of looking at it: for a period in 2012 opposing teams had to account for RGIII. they changed their schemes just to account for him. now? I don't think we have a single stand-out player on defense or offense that other coordinators & head coaches lose sleep over.
 
Quality QB Play?

we need difference makers!! we don't have any. we have some good players who would make some of the better rosters in the league. but not very many.

above all else....we need quality QB play. that's the basic constant for just about all teams in the league.

Hard to have quality QB play if you are constantly scrambling for your life because you don't have the support upfront. I don't care if it is Cousins, Griffin, or Brady; you can't provide quality QB play without protection.
 
Nothing sells jerseys better than winning.

For 10 years under Gibbs the most recognized players on the team by fans WERE the offensive linemen :)

I love DeSean Jackson and his playmaking ability.

But as long as this team continues to start Tyler Polumbus at RT and guys like Brandon Meriweather at safety this team is not going to win anything.

These are stop gap players that somehow have become fixtures here and that speaks to the failure of the front office to use a significant amount of cap space in the offseason to find replacements and in the draft.

$11M for Orakpo? $4.5M to keep Stephen Bowen on IR despite micro-fracture surgery?

These were not good decisions and wasted valuable flexibility to bring in talent.
 
I think what we're seeing is that Bruce isn't a great talent evaluator. I know Shanny is hated around here (for good reason), but his drafts were actually, in retrospect, fairly respectable. The one Gruden/Allen draft has been...uh... not great, to put it kindly. I think Bruce is a great PR guy, a nice figurehead if you will, and given the choice of having him or Danny be the face of the organization, please give me Bruce every day of the week and twice on Sundays. But as a talent evaluator? Not feeling it.

Elephant has been clamoring for years for us to raid Baltimore's front office. As much as I hate to stoke his Ratbird's fandom :))), I think he may be on to something there. Let Bruce stay as President, bring an front office type in as talent evaluator/GM and allow that person carte blanche to retool the scouting dept as he sees fit. That should be the next move this off season, imo.
 

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