Atogwe Move Does Not Threaten Draft or Franchise Future

[Bulldog]

There has been a lot of discussion that adding a 29 year old player in free agency is a move backward for the Redskins into past patterns of doing business.

I am willing to give the front office some lattitude on this move.

The Redskins have been grappling with a free safety position that has been one of the biggest achilles heel over the past 3-4 years, whatever defensive alignment has been played.

With a #1 and #2 pick but no selections in Rounds 3 and 4, there was little chance the Redskins were going to be able to address positions such as free safety.

The state of both the OL and DL show few established starters and only one or two players that right now can be considered building blocks for the future.

There are needs at cornerback, wide receiver and quarterback as well.

If all comes to form in an ideal draft scenario the Redskins are able to deal down and take Taylor at NT in the late teens and pick up an OL, DE or WR in Round 2.

An extra pick in Round 3 from the move down could net a developmental quarterback (if not taken in Round 2) or an OL candidate to play OG or RT.

But in none of the scenarios that I have seen have any draftniks paired up the Redskins with any free safety that is capable of making a big impact. Nor any draft experts that think with the other holes that Washington should necessarily select a free safety with any Day 1 picks.

So, in my mind fans can relax a bit with Atogwe and the signing.

He fills a need and does it at a cost that is bearable when considered against what other established safeties make in the NFL.

And his presence will no doubt have a positive effect on the further development of LaRon Landry upon his return to health at the SS position.

Haslett wants turnovers and Atogwe is a guy that has a nose for the ball.

And having receivers being covered deep down the middle of the field will be a nice change for us to see

 

[Henry]

Bulldog, I love ya, but you could replace the words 'safety' and 'Atogwe' with 'quarterback' and 'McNabb' and this is one of your posts from last offseason.

We're not going to fill all the holes this year. We're just not. We need to accept that. Instead of strategizing how we're going to fill every hole this year, we should be thinking long term.

This team is years away from being competitive. Years away means a guy who's 30 at the start of the season is going to be 32 or 33 before this team is at the start of it's run (if things actually work out) and probably 34 or 35 when the team peaks.

This move is not a killer, but it's not one that makes me smile either. Shanahan has paid a lot of lip service to rebuilding this offseason, so we'll see if he really means it. This move, while fairly minor, does not indicate he does. Right now I call this one a push.

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

Here's some quick pro and cons.

Pros.
Have already addressed the S position. As of now we finally have 2 FS and about 4 SS on the roster. The need to re-sign Reed Doughty has been eased and the need to find a S in the draft or FA can be significantly reduced. The facts are simple: Skins needed an upgrade at FS. Atogwe is one of the better FA FS available.

- price really isn't bad for a valuable FA. Skins didn't pay Antrell Rolle money and got a player in equal or better value IMO.

- Had his best production during Haslett's tenure as DC in Stl.

- Hurt Dallas. They didn't get him and had a similar need at the pos.

- By signing him, don't have to try and draft a FS. THis is a very bad year for the S class.


Cons.

- Will be 34-35 by the end of his contract

- his production in turnovers has declined over the last two years

-groin injury hindered him in a chunk of 2010

- Landry's contract is up after 2011. You'd expect LL will want north of Atogwe's #. Which means can the Skins re-sign him. If they can, do they really want to invest close to 12 mil./ year for the S position.

Overall it's a solid signing that could have some problems in later years of the deal. Not a AA splash signing. The Skins get a very good player at a reasonable price while he would still be considered in the prime of his career. It does go against the "get younger" vibe of the Skins, but the Skins just don't have enough draft picks to find starters for every hole.

 

[the Omniscient]

I have not seen anyone say anything negative about this move or that it conjures up visions of the past. Like previously posted we get a need filled at a fair price. How much you want to bet that the one year wonder that is Michael Huff gets a larger contract than Atogwe? I bet he does and I bet Dallas pays it.

As has been said, we do not have enough draft picks. Even if we did, the FS crop this year is very poor. There is no one in it that could fill in immediately.

I think this was the best move for our team at this time. Hopefully his shoulder, thigh, and hernia hold up.

 

[Ax]

It will be as it always is.

If he turns out to be a "London Fletcher type" at FS, and the team wins, all will hail the move.

If he turns out to be a "Stanley Richards", while the team loses, the move will be categorized as just another FO failure, with Dan Snyder secretly pulling the strings from behind the curtain.

Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of Dimwit Nation.

 

[fansince62]

"If all comes to form in an ideal draft scenario the Redskins are able to deal down and take Taylor at NT in the late teens and pick up an OL, DE or WR in Round 2."

BT...you know...what with CBA and all....I'm willing to bet some teams may anticipate that higher round picks this year will have a lower cost....i.e.,...there may be more incentive to strike a deal (and pick up some extra selections)

 

[Goaldeje]

BT...you know...what with CBA and all....I'm willing to bet some teams may anticipate that higher round picks this year will have a lower cost....i.e.,...there may be more incentive to strike a deal (and pick up some extra selections)

You know, that is an excellent point. I had not thought of that angle before, but you may be right. It may be a lot easier to get some extra picks.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

"If all comes to form in an ideal draft scenario the Redskins are able to deal down and take Taylor at NT in the late teens and pick up an OL, DE or WR in Round 2."

BT...you know...what with CBA and all....I'm willing to bet some teams may anticipate that higher round picks this year will have a lower cost....i.e.,...there may be more incentive to strike a deal (and pick up some extra selections)

You know, that is an excellent point. I had not thought of that angle before, but you may be right. It may be a lot easier to get some extra picks.

Agreed, excellent point - teams shied away before because of the huge price tag associated with higher picks - now with the rookie wage scale, teams won't be quite so scurred to move up. I guess it will depend on what the rookie wage scale ends up being as to how tempted teams are to move up.

 

[Henry]

Wouldn't that be a nice little stroke of luck?

 

[China]

Bulldog, I love ya, but you could replace the words 'safety' and 'Atogwe' with 'quarterback' and 'McNabb' and this is one of your posts from last offseason.

We're not going to fill all the holes this year. We're just not. We need to accept that. Instead of strategizing how we're going to fill every hole this year, we should be thinking long term.

This team is years away from being competitive. Years away means a guy who's 30 at the start of the season is going to be 32 or 33 before this team is at the start of it's run (if things actually work out) and probably 34 or 35 when the team peaks.

This move is not a killer, but it's not one that makes me smile either. Shanahan has paid a lot of lip service to rebuilding this offseason, so we'll see if he really means it. This move, while fairly minor, does not indicate he does. Right now I call this one a push.

The difference being that this signing did not cost us any draft picks which the McNabb trade did.

I do agree that we are still years away, but at least we haven't given away our draft picks and are instead supplementing them.

 

[Yusuf06]

Bulldog, I love ya, but you could replace the words 'safety' and 'Atogwe' with 'quarterback' and 'McNabb' and this is one of your posts from last offseason.

We're not going to fill all the holes this year. We're just not. We need to accept that. Instead of strategizing how we're going to fill every hole this year, we should be thinking long term.

I think this is a long-term move. First as China mentioned, we didn't give up any draft picks. For this team, that's actually a big deal as we're poor in picks, starting talent, and depth on the roster.

In the grand scheme of things safeties aren't that big a deal and linemen are since pass rush pressure usually trumps good coverage. Signing Otogwe means we have one less hole on the roster that won't take up a draft pick which could be used on a DL, i.e. the strength of this draft.

You're correct that we're not going to fill all the holes this year. However, those holes do have to get filled at some point. Signing Otogwe fills a position of significant need for us at moderate cost and it buys us time to put off drafting a safety for a year or two at which point we'll hopefully have more picks to work with.

 

[Henry]

You're correct that we're not going to fill all the holes this year. However, those holes do have to get filled at some point. Signing Otogwe fills a position of significant need for us at moderate cost and it buys us time to put off drafting a safety for a year or two at which point we'll hopefully have more picks to work with.

Like I said, the move is a push. I just don't think we need to paint rainbows on it.

 

[fansince62]

Agreed, excellent point - teams shied away before because of the huge price tag associated with higher picks - now with the rookie wage scale, teams won't be quite so scurred to move up. I guess it will depend on what the rookie wage scale ends up being as to how tempted teams are to move up.

lanky...since we are on the football side and not the political side of BGO (i.e., we share a common set of goals and hopes!)...I'm interested in your take on the Skins and QB. we have argued in the past about where QBs can be taken in a draft and a team still prosper. while we may disagree on probabilities....your point has historical truth to it. Do you think there is a candidate out there who the Skins could draft in the second round and eventually grow into a franchise leader/SB caliber product? You seem to track scouting reports pretty closely...what's your take on this draft in this scenario?

 

[fansince62]

Like I said, the move is a push. I just don't think we need to paint rainbows on it.

I like the move simply because it means one less thing (barring injury, non-performance) to worry about!

 

[Lanky Livingston]

lanky...since we are on the football side and not the political side of BGO (i.e., we share a common set of goals and hopes!)...I'm interested in your take on the Skins and QB. we have argued in the past about where QBs can be taken in a draft and a team still prosper. while we may disagree on probabilities....your point has historical truth to it. Do you think there is a candidate out there who the Skins could draft in the second round and eventually grow into a franchise leader/SB caliber product? You seem to track scouting reports pretty closely...what's your take on this draft in this scenario?

I'm personally intrigued by Ponder...but as they usually do, the intriguing QB guys sneak into the first or early second. The ideal scenario is to trade the 10th overall pick with New England for the 17th overall and 33rd overall, and take Taylor and Ponder. Unfortunately, that will never happen, since New England covets its draft picks. Hopefully they do trade back, take Phil Taylor in the teens or 20s somewhere, and then hopefully Ponder is there at 41.

On the other hand, I've read some promising things about Locker, also. A year ago, I was 100% sold on drafting him; he just had a poor season and I've had second thoughts. He could definitely rebound in the right situation; I just don't know if he's worth the 10th overall pick. But if the Shanahans truly believe in him, there's a lot of Matt Schaub in him.

EDIT: If he ends up pulling a Rodgers and dropping into the mid-20s, I would not be opposed to packaging 41 & next year's first to grab him up. QB is, afterall, one of the most important positions on the field. And hopefully we'd get another 2nd & possibly a 3rd in any trade down scenario...

 

[China]

Like I said, the move is a push. I just don't think we need to paint rainbows on it.

The title of this thread is "Atogwe Move Does Not Threaten Draft or Franchise Future." In other words, the move isn't negative. Since when is stating something isn't bad the same as painting rainbows on it?

Perhaps your view has become so skewed by all the negativity typically surrounding Redskin moves that something that states a move isn't negative is now viewed as being wildly positive.

 

[fansince62]

agree with the logic....with a follow-on question....all I have to work with is NFL Channel....what I have heard about Ponder from those analysts is that he lacks arm strength compared to the other guys. does a team pin its hopes on this? don't know much about Locker but Mayock obviously likes the guy. we know Shanahan was interested last year. like you...I see this as the most likely scenario if the Skins do go QB......I just want to have a warm and fuzzy if they do pull the trigger. I can't take another package of promise who never delivers (e.g., JC) or a retread vet who I know won't deliver (e.g., Sexy Rex).

 

[China]

agree with the logic....with a follow-on question....all I have to work with is NFL Channel....what I have heard about Ponder from those analysts is that he lacks arm strength compared to the other guys. does a team pin its hopes on this? don't know much about Locker but Mayock obviously likes the guy. we know Shanahan was interested last year. like you...I see this as the most likely scenario if the Skins do go QB......I just want to have a warm and fuzzy if they do pull the trigger. I can't take another package of promise who never delivers (e.g., JC) or a retread vet who I know won't deliver (e.g., Sexy Rex).

I don't think there are ever any guarantees when selecting a QB, plenty of highly drafted QBs have failed. That said, however, there are some that seem to clearly stand out above the others. Unfortunately, none of the QBs in this years draft class seem to stand out to me an none inspire me with confidence that they'll be a good franchise QB; I'm not getting a warm and fuzzy from any of them. But what do I know, I didn't get a warm and fuzzy from Sam Bradford last year either, and he seems to be playing well so far.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

Chris Steuber, director of player personnel for the Georgia Force (AFL) says this:

Again, this QB class reminds me of '05 class & the more film I go back & watch of JakeLocker; he will turn out better than Newton & Gabbert.

Blaine Gabbert is Alex Smith & Jake Locker is Aaron Rodgers, if you compare '05 & '11 QB draft classes.

Many analysts are now comparing Cam Newton to Ben Roethlisberger. I made that comparison a month ago.

I do see some Aaron Rodgers in Jake Locker. Remember, when Rodgers entered the #NFL, footwork & accuracy down field were issues like Locker.

If Locker has time to develop, like Rodgers, he has star qualities. Shanny will help.

Link.

Also, Steuber believes we will trade back and take Locker.

 

[Henry]

The title of this thread is "Atogwe Move Does Not Threaten Draft or Franchise Future." In other words, the move isn't negative. Since when is stating something isn't bad the same as painting rainbows on it?

Perhaps your view has become so skewed by all the negativity typically surrounding Redskin moves that something that states a move isn't negative is now viewed as being wildly positive.

That's probably it.