Signing older guys to "bridge" to the future is ok....

[@DCGoldPants]

With the news that the Skins are bringing in the OL Sims, and LB Porter this week, I've seen/heard some folks treat this like the Bruce/Deion signings.

So, lets have a quick review...shall we?

• Neither guy is going to get a big deal here.
• Signing either or both doesn't promise them a starting spot.
• When you have strong leadership, you can risk signing a guy like Porter.
• When you have no OL depth, you need to look at all who are out there....regardless of age.

Look at LJ's deal. 3 years at around 3 mil? 12 mil if he hits a bunch of incentives. I think you'll see something like that if the Skins sign either or both of these guys.

While the draft and going after young FA's is important.....that doesn't mean the right guy will be available from those two potential pools. When they aren't.....you need to expand your scope.

Not a Sermon, Just a thought.

 

[Hog Fever]

It’s hard to disagree with this as long as the contract numbers don’t get out of whack. One of the things that have absolutely killed this team in the past 7-8 years is the lack of serviceable depth at almost every position.

Rebuilding the O-line (or this team for that matter) is not a one year thing, and once we get it settled we can’t just sit back and ignore it again for the next 5-6 years. I think it will likely take two years at a minimum to get the right players in place on the O-line and then we’ll need some luck to have the players we acquire turn out to be as good as we hoped.

Still, a 35 year old journeyman LT like Sims is hardly an answer to any of our current questions on the O-line. He might be a stop gap guy if we can sign him for a short term low money deal. Maybe he gives us the ability to not take a LT this year in the draft. That would allow us to take a RT in the 2nd round.

I guess the best position to be in going into a draft is to not “need” anything. We know that’s impossible but I think that’s what they are working towards. It's just a crap year for O-line free agents.

 

[the Omniscient]

I see no problem in bringing in guys that are older as long as they are stop gaps and as long as they are generally healthy. No need to bring in old injury prone guys.

I think both Porter and Sims would be descent additions as long as the contracts were minimal.

 

[Bulldog]

2010 free agency is completely different than 2000.

This year's older class of FA is tailor made for plugging gaps and signing players to shorter-term incentivized deals.

Shanahan realizes that and THAT is why we didn't see a Julius Peppers or Chad Clifton signing here.

These guys wanted a lot of money for players that were more past than future in the NFL.

Sims is 35 but can play 3 positions.

He could slide to RT or OG if the team takes Okung or Bulaga.

And if the team takes Clausen at #4 and an OG at #36, then he could fill in at left tackle.
Posted via BGO Mobile Device

 

[Sarge]

I guess it doesn't hurt that we don't have a lot of draft picks to work with either

 

[Billfishead]

Yeah, I have no problem signing older guys if it's a stop gap measure. I don't want to see older guys signed and no young talent to learn and back them up. Sims is fine, but you need to draft his replacement.

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

Sims should be signed.....as the team's backup, like some of thought should happen with Levi Jones this year.

Look at the depth on this team. The Skins don't have a starting LT right now, but if we did have one and he got hurt, who would replace him? Stephon Heyer? Will Robinson?

That's my point. Bring in Sims, have him play back up or even start the season. Draft a kid (hopefully at #4) who will be starting no later than the end of the season and allow Sims to mentor the kid on being a LT in the NFL.

This isn't a Deion/Smith Dan Snyder move, this is a solid move that takes advantage of FA by bringing in solid players for reasonable salaries.

Joey Porter also makes sense b/c Carter struggled in a 3-4 scheme in SF and behind him you have Chris Wilson, Jeremy Jarmon and Lorenzo Alexander as 3-4 OLBs (all have limited experience in the role). Orakpo would be the other 3-4 starter. By bringing in Porter, you have a guy with 9.5 sacks in 2009 who knows the system and could help other players learn it for a reasonable salary and a 1-2 year deal.

 

[Jimbo]

It’s hard to disagree with this as long as the contract numbers don’t get out of whack. One of the things that have absolutely killed this team in the past 7-8 years is the lack of serviceable depth at almost every position.

Rebuilding the O-line (or this team for that matter) is not a one year thing, and once we get it settled we can’t just sit back and ignore it again for the next 5-6 years. I think it will likely take two years at a minimum to get the right players in place on the O-line and then we’ll need some luck to have the players we acquire turn out to be as good as we hoped.

Still, a 35 year old journeyman LT like Sims is hardly an answer to any of our current questions on the O-line. He might be a stop gap guy if we can sign him for a short term low money deal. Maybe he gives us the ability to not take a LT this year in the draft. That would allow us to take a RT in the 2nd round.

I guess the best position to be in going into a draft is to not “need” anything. We know that’s impossible but I think that’s what they are working towards. It's just a crap year for O-line free agents.

Great points, all. Sims may be a stop gap guy but, being a crap year for O-Line free agents, you pretty much have to pick the ripe ones to get you through the year. Even if he doesn't start, like you said...he's quality depth.

I'm really not worried about any of these signings. They've ALL made sense even though LJ is of questionable character. I AM waiting on the hammer to fall, though. I just have a "gut feeling" we'll do some wheeling and dealing somewhere down the line. Then again, maybe it's just that spicy burrito I ate for dinner last night.

 

[Ut Prosim]

If you're bringing in an old guy because you're developing a young guy, that's acceptable.

If you're bringing in an old guy with the intention of him starting an entire year, that's a crap shoot.

Let's see what the draft holds for us.

Exactly.

We don't have serviceable backups to be tutored by old guys at this point. Seems like Chad Reinhardt is a total bust, Heyer hasn't exactly impressed and he's been given plenty of opportunities.

We cannot do what we did last year and depend on an ancient offensive line to hold up for 'just one more year'. We need to draft OL, and draft in the first two rounds.