Random Commanders Thoughts

[Chris]

Where are Rivera’s 2 top FA acquisitions from last season (Trai Turner & Andrew Norwell) starting this year?

 

[Bulldog]

Norwell is out of football.

The odd thing to me is that Ron went out and signed TWO veteran guards, obviously believing there was not adequate depth at the position.

However, once Turner and Norwell were given their walking papers at the end of last season Ron decided to sign ZERO players at OG in the offseason and draft ZERO OG in April.

With the likes of Saahdiq Charles, a raw Chris Paul, etc. signed for 2023 one would think Rivera circles this position as an area of need.

Instead we draft corners with the first two picks.

Why not draft the offensive linemen and sign a veteran corner in free agency?

Ron was in his last season as coach unless they made the playoffs, leaning on rookies at cornerback is not necessarily an easy path to success on defense.

It's easier for a guard to come in as a #2 or #3 pick and make an impact on the OL.

 

[Neophyte]

Ron and Co had already been burned by trying to sign a veteran CB in Free Agency. Williams was a complete disaster.

My guess is that was fresh in his mind and he thought it would be easier to draft one.

Why he ignored the G position though...total head-scratcher to me.

 

[MikefromOH]

Montez has 2 sacks so far today.

 

[MikefromOH]

Sorry...just got his third

"He's not only the bears leading sack getter on the season this year, he's leading the Redskins now"

 

[Chris]

With 3 sacks (so far) today, Montez Sweat is the current season sack leader for two different teams.

 

[burgold]

Sweat's success in Chicago is a testament to how we misuse talent.

 

[Solitary Man]

From Ron’s post game presser I would bet money that Cheese has snapped his last football for this team.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Sweat's success in Chicago is a testament to how we misuse talent.

While I agree about him not being used correctly, the value of Sweat and its impact on this team should be judged by how he does after this season. Had he stayed on this team, then a decision has to be made about his contract. I expect he would walk and get paid elsewhere. Then the team is left getting nothing in return, except maybe a comp pick. So whatever he does this year, we can say what it would have been nice. But if he balls out the next few years with that big contract, then we all can be really mad they let traded him for a 2nd rounder.

 

[Primus Porcus]

While I agree about him not being used correctly, the value of Sweat and its impact on this team should be judged by how he does after this season. Had he stayed on this team, then a decision has to be made about his contract. I expect he would walk and get paid elsewhere. Then the team is left getting nothing in return, except maybe a comp pick. So whatever he does this year, we can say what it would have been nice. But if he balls out the next few years with that big contract, then we all can be really mad they let traded him for a 2nd rounder.

but if he's used correctly, does that mean he's worth the $24m / year that we all agree was more than we wanted to spend on him?

 

[Kel Varnsen]

but if he's used correctly, does that mean he's worth the $24m / year that we all agree was more than we wanted to spend on him?

That's the question we will never know the answer to. But if he plays several seasons at the level he has been playing at since he got to Chicago, then probably yes. Of course he could turn into Daron Payne, who to his credit played really well today. But for the most part hasn't looked worth the money since he got paid. So when being used correctly and producing, then he probably is worth that type of money.

 

[MikefromOH]

We've lost a good talent on the DL. Now Payne and Allen get doubled more, we rely on second tier players to fill in, and it shows.

 

[Boone]

To be fair, we didn't lose him, we traded him. I liked Sweat a lot and of the two guys, he was the one I'd have been fine keeping and paying. Whether it was a good decision or a terrible one is going to depend a lot on who we take with that 2nd round pick.

 

[burgold]

I think the mistake was not sticking to the plan. The plan was to re-sign Allen and let Payne go and then keep one of Sweat or Chase. Clearly, they felt blindsided by Payne's contract year performance and didn't want to deal with the black eye of losing another "marquis" player. Sure, losing Payne for a 3rd round comp pick would have stung, but if we did so then we'd have had the opportunity to have a good player at end and a good player at tackle locked up. Having two good tackles locked up at elite money has not made the defense great. It hasn't even prevented teams from running on us.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Was that the plan or was that just what we thought as fans? Did Ron or Martin or Marty say that was the plan? I feel like this was just us as fans talking. That plan makes the most sense to me. But I am curious if anyone from the team made that statement. Either way, Sweat wasn’t playing here like he is in Chicago. Time will tell if this is his honeymoon or if he is now being used in a much better way.

 

[burgold]

Was that the plan or was that just what we thought as fans? Did Ron or Martin or Marty say that was the plan? I feel like this was just us as fans talking. That plan makes the most sense to me. But I am curious if anyone from the team made that statement. Either way, Sweat wasn’t playing here like he is in Chicago. Time will tell if this is his honeymoon or if he is now being used in a much better way.

It's a good question. It sure felt like the plan because we didn't pick up Payne's fifth year.

I think Sweat's elevated play has a lot to do with better coaching and scheme. I have the strongest feeling that JDR/Rivera made all our players a letter grade worse than they actually are. This year, it might have been two letter grades.

 

[MikefromOH]

Sweat and young have both made several comments letting us know the coaching is pitiful on the D at least.

Rivera taking it over has not helped one bit, either.

 

[Chris]

Getting afforded a life boat off of a sinking ship has to provide some semblance of renewal for Montez. Even though Chicago isn’t a team with a great track record and isn’t experiencing a successful season, they at least have a plan put in place by a better brain trust than the soon to be replaced one in Washington.

 

[Chris]

How does Washington fuck up getting the #4 pick in the upcoming draft? Because I‘m quite certain they will. 👺

 

[Boone]

We have to keep in mind, neither Young nor Sweat chose to leave Washington. They were traded. Inherent in a trade is the feeling that your previous team didn't want you, didn't think you were worth the $$, or didn't value your contributions to the degree you expect. When players are traded, they almost always chirp about how glad they are to be in their new location. It's human nature.

I don't think we should forget that this defense was bad with both of those guys on the roster. Is it worse now? Probably, but that may have to do with a lot of things (namely playing in a pointless season for coaches who are dead men walking), not just the absence of those 2 players.

And you cannot judge the decision until we see what is done with those draft picks.

With Young, he clearly was not the right guy to select in that draft. The mistake was in drafting him, not getting rid of him. On Sweat, he's a very good player. But we are getting close to what we spent on him in return after 5 seasons of wear and tear. That's a pretty good return.