Random Commanders Thoughts

[Ax]

Well, if we can trade him before the deadline, we should. Even if we have to eat his salary. And for anything 4th round and up. Obviously, the higher the better. Teams will expect him to hit the market after the season. Making possible trade partners few, and far between, IMO.

He's not gonna get what he thinks he's worth. But he will leave here for just about any offer equal to what we offer. I think we'll offer him what we think he's worth. I just doubt he'd take it. Maybe he will surprise.

 

[Primus Porcus]

A dollar over $5 mil is too much... someone is gonna pay him more then that

 

[fansince62]

Where do you see the parallel between Murphy and Rak? I watcha guy like Murphy push his defender and stay at home while I also watch Rak get carried outside (and held, i understand) as well as watching him crash down on Lynch who's wrapped up, while Russell Wilson has the ball 20 yards downfield. IF Murphy is part of the future plans of this team, or they want to at least give him a shot. Do it sooner rather then later. Murphy is making a heck of a lot less then Rak. If we dont bring Rak back, that's $11+ mil more we have next year then we did this year, with essentially a comparable player in the same position. It's not nearly an $11 mil a year dropoff in execution.

well.....putting aside the limited playing time argument to make any assessments...I just haven't seen much from Murphy that impresses me. When I have watched him I have seen him physically controlled. he doesn't have one thing the NFL lives on - speed. his thing, in the end, is smarts. I don't think, at this level, that's enough. I haven't tracked how much he has played. but I do know he really hasn't stood out all that much either. again, I come from a perspective of believing this team needs difference makers. that's what everyone is really saying about Rak - he wants the money but where are the game changing sacks? well, I just don't see that coming from Murphy either. the team was thinking money so the draft pick is understandable in that light - but I think it was not a good pick given other needs. IMO...he won't be any better than Rak in delivering....and in fact may end up hurting Kerrigan.

 

[Factory of Sadness]

I'll be happy to see Rak go. He's had his chance. We aren't getting any production from him at $12 million a year. So I'll be just as happy to get no production out of Murphy at a fraction of the cost.

Dump Rak, spend the money on secondary or O-line if possible.

 

[Primus Porcus]

well.....putting aside the limited playing time argument to make any assessments...I just haven't seen much from Murphy that impresses me. When I have watched him I have seen him physically controlled. he doesn't have one thing the NFL lives on - speed. his thing, in the end, is smarts. I don't think, at this level, that's enough. I haven't tracked how much he has played. but I do know he really hasn't stood out all that much either. again, I come from a perspective of believing this team needs difference makers. that's what everyone is really saying about Rak - he wants the money but where are the game changing sacks? well, I just don't see that coming from Murphy either. the team was thinking money so the draft pick is understandable in that light - but I think it was not a good pick given other needs. IMO...he won't be any better than Rak in delivering....and in fact may end up hurting Kerrigan.

Murphy also isn't looking for top 5 money at his position. He's going to continue to learn, he's played literally 6 professional games. Where I see Murphy is a lot like Reed Doughty. Doughty was never the fastest guy on the field, but looking at Meriweather and the group we've trotted out there at SS, Doughty looks... to me at least, like an upgrade.

I guess I'm not looking for a game changer, not til we have players who have consistency. I want guys who have the ability to execute a gameplan right now. Guys who are going to make the right football decisions, not allow 122 yards rushing to a QB who's running a scheme that we basically introduced to the NFL. Not a guy who's going to grab a hold of Larry Fitzgerald at the 12 yard line, and instead of making the tackle, goes for a forced fumble, only to get carried into the endzone and allow a TD.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I'll be happy to see Rak go. He's had his chance. We aren't getting any production from him at $12 million a year. So I'll be just as happy to get no production out of Murphy at a fraction of the cost.

Dump Rak, spend the money on secondary or O-line if possible.

OR BOTH lol.. Add to that Chester (hopefully) not coming back next season and we've freed up like $15 mil

 

[servumtuum]

The Las Vegas bookies have the Redskins currently as 4 to 4.5 point favorites for the Titans game.

Interesting...

 

[Miles Monroe]

Murphy also isn't looking for top 5 money at his position. He's going to continue to learn, he's played literally 6 professional games. Where I see Murphy is a lot like Reed Doughty. Doughty was never the fastest guy on the field, but looking at Meriweather and the group we've trotted out there at SS, Doughty looks... to me at least, like an upgrade.

Dirty bastage, ya beat me to it... As soon as the smarts thing came up, Reed was my first thought.... and why in hell isn't he back in uniform by now is beyond me. I think Murphy has more then just smarts going for him. Rak came in a very high pick compared to Murphy, and Rak had some time on the field playing 43, and then transitioned to OLB. Murphy has to make the transition, along with just getting his feet under him as a pro player, learning a playbook, and all that goes along with your first NFL season. A year from now, people are gonna have a lot to deal with, with Murphy and Kerrigan commin off the edge, and Hatcher on the inside. I really want to keep Baker at nose, move Cofield over, and we actually have something.

 

[fansince62]

Dirty bastage, ya beat me to it... As soon as the smarts thing came up, Reed was my first thought.... and why in hell isn't he back in uniform by now is beyond me. I think Murphy has more then just smarts going for him. Rak came in a very high pick compared to Murphy, and Rak had some time on the field playing 43, and then transitioned to OLB. Murphy has to make the transition, along with just getting his feet under him as a pro player, learning a playbook, and all that goes along with your first NFL season. A year from now, people are gonna have a lot to deal with, with Murphy and Kerrigan commin off the edge, and Hatcher on the inside. I really want to keep Baker at nose, move Cofield over, and we actually have something.

well...I really don't like being...as one person put it: the realist. but this sounds exactly like what has been posted/said during the Summer...and just about every other year the last 20. the talent just isn't there. Kerrigan is above average. none of the other guys including Murphy are difference makers. we're in trouble if Reed Doughty is "the good ole days". he couldn't cover for you know what.

I'm hanging my hat on two things right now: that RGIII matures into a top tier QB; that Gruden gets tired of all the crap and cleans out the average talent, holds his coaching staff accountable, has some pointed conversations with the scouting/personnel people. pretty long odds on both......but this team, IMO, is cooked (at least for another 3-5 years) if either one of these doesn't happen.

 

[fansince62]

Where do you see the parallel between Murphy and Rak? I watcha guy like Murphy push his defender and stay at home while I also watch Rak get carried outside (and held, i understand) as well as watching him crash down on Lynch who's wrapped up, while Russell Wilson has the ball 20 yards downfield. IF Murphy is part of the future plans of this team, or they want to at least give him a shot. Do it sooner rather then later. Murphy is making a heck of a lot less then Rak. If we dont bring Rak back, that's $11+ mil more we have next year then we did this year, with essentially a comparable player in the same position. It's not nearly an $11 mil a year dropoff in execution.

where? from preseason onward I saw someone who wasn't quick or blessed with outstanding strength. he can play a smart game of positioning....but he's not going to use outstanding physical skills to prevail.....the other guys have equal or better athletic talent. He's no better than Rak at applying consistent pressure. I haven't seem much improvement dropping back into pass protection either. he is what we already have...a decent player who can't change a game....a player the other team doesn't have to gameplan around. yea.....it's early. I haven't seen the athletic skill/quickness that lights my hopes. perhaps you do......hope you are correct in the long run.

 

[Miles Monroe]

well...I really don't like being...as one person put it: the realist. but this sounds exactly like what has been posted/said during the Summer...and just about every other year the last 20. the talent just isn't there. Kerrigan is above average. none of the other guys including Murphy are difference makers. we're in trouble if Reed Doughty is "the good ole days". he couldn't cover for you know what.

I'm hanging my hat on two things right now: that RGIII matures into a top tier QB; that Gruden gets tired of all the crap and cleans out the average talent, holds his coaching staff accountable, has some pointed conversations with the scouting/personnel people. pretty long odds on both......but this team, IMO, is cooked (at least for another 3-5 years) if either one of these doesn't happen.

I don't think I'm being unrealistic. We know what we have in Kerrigan and Hatcher. Murphy in spot duty has looked good... not perfect, but good. He'll be as good, but likely better then Rak with a season under his belt. We know what Cofield was like before we made him into a nose tackle, so moving him back over to where he's played for the majority of his career isn't unrealistic. Baker has gotten better and better over time, and his natural position is nose. He's got a mean streak on the field, and you could have Neild back him up. If we could line up Kerrigan, Cofield, Baker, Hatcher, and Murphy most of the time, that's a solid defensive front. Where we really differ is, my reality has people being moved around to suit their strengths, not making them fit a spot we need to fill.

Are you that impressed with Meriweather ? At least Doughty could tackle.... without drawing a flag or injuring himself

I feel bad for Gruden to some degree. He was fed a line of BS, expecting to be able to lean on his DC to put out a good product with his perverbial hands untied this season. We could have a solid front with the personal we have. It's the coaching on that side of the ball. We really lack the talent in the secondary, and coaching too. Morris sucks...

 

[Primus Porcus]

Are you that impressed with Meriweather ? At least Doughty could tackle.... without drawing a flag or injuring himself

This is where I'm at. We need consistent play by guys who can execute the gameplan. Once we can execute the gameplan, THEN we can start talking about game breakers and difference makers.

 

[fansince62]

Memory is a fleeting resource. I remember plenty times Doughty getting beaten. He came on at the tail end of the 2012 7 game win streak. Glad it happened. Doesn't make for a career. Doesn't change what should be obvious - the Skins have been, and continue, to search for two starting safeties ever since Sean's career prematurely ended. Doughty was always a placeholder. The Skins were looking for a replacement the entire time he played - he was a vulnerability in coverage.

Good guy. But let's not get carried away. He was part of weak secondaries for years.

break break

execute the gameplan. and you see no connection between that outcome and talent/ability? players who are not big enough or strong enough cannot execute the required blocks; players who are not fast enough are not going to execute the fly pattern as drawn on the chalkboard; execution is part concept, part ability, part focus, part routine. All are required.

this team needs difference makers. the won/loss record screams it. the stats scream it in key categories such as take-away ratio and third down conversions. we have plenty ok players and a few outstanding ones. we have NONE, NADA, NO difference makers on defense. we have a critical uncertainty on offense - the QB position - that is constantly exacerbated by an ineffective o-line. people keep getting sucked in to an obvious trap - they look at the talent on hand and think "good players". they usually don't stop to ponder "how do they stack up against the competition (individually and as a team)?" I'm venturing a guess here, but I believe the last 20 plus years and four wins in the last 22 games have settled that matter.

As El and others have pointed out, we are in a deeper rebuild mode than first thought (though it should have been obvious following a 3-13 season). we need some stars who make the other payers better and who win games when the challenge rises - one of whom, hopefully, will be our QB RGIII.

 

[Primus Porcus]

Memory is a fleeting resource. I remember plenty times Doughty getting beaten. He came on at the tail end of the 2012 7 game win streak. Glad it happened. Doesn't make for a career. Doesn't change what should be obvious - the Skins have been, and continue, to search for two starting safeties ever since Sean's career prematurely ended. Doughty was always a placeholder. The Skins were looking for a replacement the entire time he played.

Good guy. But let's not get carried away. He was part of weak secondaries for years.

Yeah but he wasn't a glaring liability either. More often then not, he found himself in position and made the tackle. He also was very efficient at diagnosing the play, which was a big factor as to why he was routinely in position.

 

[fansince62]

Yeah but he wasn't a glaring liability either. More often then not, he found himself in position and made the tackle. He also was very efficient at diagnosing the play, which was a big factor as to why he was routinely in position.

we'll have to disagree here. I recall a guy who couldn't keep up with any of the faster players in the league. he was a liability in pass defense and that is one reason the team was looking for new safeties every year. being capable in one area doesn't cut it. the weakness is found out and exploited. that's the nature of football.

 

[MikeSr619]

He was on the field
He was a great tackler
He was a leader
He was never suspended
He was average at pass coverage

He's better than anyone we have lining up there right now

 

[thesubmittedone]

As much as I'm with everyone on the fact that franchising Rak was a waste, I'm confused about his play this year.

This is the worst he's ever played as a Skin. He's never been this bad, it's weird. What's going on? It's almost like he's regressed under Baker's tutelage while Kerrigan has improved.

My only (probably weak) theory is that Baker demands more moves and to better set up opponents from his pass rushers. Rak has always been a one-dimensional pass rusher, but he's been very good at that one dimension (speed rush with violent turn using his strength). Now that he's being taught to consistently do more, he's unsure and hesitant. It's ruining his game right now, but perhaps it might turn him into a better player in the future.

Or he'll just stay this bad because he can't overcome being a one-dimensional pass rusher.

Interesting, nonetheless.

 

[Dead Money]

A Closer? What game has he ever closed?

He'd be more like that guy that starts and lasts 4 innings or bring him in the 6th or 7th.

He closed the door on our season pretty quick? He closed trade talk and qb controversy pretty quick too! #closer

 

[ntotoro]

I can say one positive thing about Doughty, other than the fact that he's a decent human being: regardless his actual coverage skills, he'd have never let Larry Fitzgerald drag him into the end zone.

Nick

 

[fansince62]

He was on the field
He was a great tackler
He was a leader
He was never suspended
He was average at pass coverage

He's better than anyone we have lining up there right now

per previous posts...we can just disagree!

addition by subtraction isn't a philosophy that wins football games. He IS symptomatic of what has plagued this franchise FOR YEARS: lack of outstanding talent. a Honda Civic is still a Honda Civic - the Corvette is going to kick its arse every time.

I want a team of Corvettes...not Civics that are reliable - i.e., reliably get their arses kicked by better talent.