Boone, I loved that article but I would have changed one word ,it wasnt overestimating the talent, it was misjudging it that was Shannahans downfall. This season. it doesnt seem like a big difference but that one word in my mind is what almost every one of shannys mistakes boils down to. If as most teams do, we improved running a 3-4 and if Mcnabb had been the Redskins version of Elway as Shanny had assumed, we would have easily been playoff bound, and on the surface those things looked possible. after all Mcnabb is a big strong armed QB with some mobility and on the surface looked like a possible elway type. most teams do improve when they move to a 3-4 and on the surface we looked like a team that had potential to do that when you just look at our physical stats.
as weve seen, Mcnabb simply isnt on Elways level mentally or physically and isnt even remotely the same kind of QB, aside from his arm strength, comparisons to elway are laughable. Where Elway compensated for his loss of mobility with knowledge and savvy, Mcnabb hasnt shown that at all. In a big play oriented system he could still be decent if given some really good receivers but in a ball control offence he simply is a terrible fit.
On the defence, we learned that despite being prototype size/speed for 3-4 olbs, Carter simply cant play it and Rak is still more suited to playing DE, despite having off the charts measurables for a 3-4 nose tackle Haynesworth simply isnt suited for the position either mentally or durability wise. none of our Linebackers were really suited skillsetwise to a 3-4 BUT all of them are still pretty good and would still be good in a different scheme, to me thats not overestimating the players thats underestimating the value of tailoring your scheme to the talent you have available and perhaps overestimating his own coaching ability.
Im worried about Shannahan as a player evaluator and personnel man, he has proven himself a very good offencive Coordinator but the rest of its been lacking.