Since I can’t be there to voice my complete disgust over the Redskins’ performance on the DC Sports Guys tonight, here are my thoughts on what I would like to say during the segment. I’m not sure how this will turn out due to the pure hatred and disgust I am currently feeling over the state of this organization. And I try my best not to speak in hyperbole, especially when it comes to sports, but I can’t hold back anymore, the Lions game was absolutely the worst performance I have ever seen from them. Much worse than the 36-0 Mara tribute at the Meadowlands – the Giants played with sweet emotion, and they were a better team. And much worse than anything from the Shuler / Frerotte / George / Banks / Matthews / Wuerfel era – at least with these guys we didn’t set expectations (seriously, anything positive was gravy). And I’m not even talking about Super Bowl expectations. But we were supposed to be improved and at least able to compete this season. We weren't supposed to lose to the 0-19 Detroit Lions with a Rookie QB and team full of castoffs. Their performance was pathetic and inexcusable, and to make things worse, the Lions were the better team!!
So much has been said about what needs to be done to fix the situation. Knowing they weren’t Super Bowl bound this year, I didn't want to overreact if there were signs of early struggles, especially scoring points (touchdowns). But it’s painfully obvious that this team’s current trajectory has them headed in the wrong direction. So what really needs to be done? Well I think a coaching change is obvious, Zorn couldn’t get it done with this roster which isn’t completely void of talent. But its not on him totally, the entire staff probably needs to be replaced, and he didn’t hire most of them. The prevailing opinion though is that no change will be made during the season because Zorn wears so many hats on the coaching staff, that losing those functions now would make them a lock for the #1 overall draft pick next year. But really is drafting a potential franchise QB such a bad prospect? Unfortunately if Snyder is drafting, the answer is YES.
Which brings us to the real problem with the team, which is way deeper than coaching – this team is poorly built. Once again, we are stuck with lots of pieces that don’t fit together. The offensive and defensive lines are a mess, and most of the skill players are overpaid veterans who are past their primes. I can count on one hand the number of productive veteran players so far this year: (1) London Fletcher and (2) Chris Cooley, with an honorable mention to Santana Moss for the Lions game. I really think this team needs to be built from the ground up (not re-built, because they weren’t built properly to begin with). So for the rest of the year, I would love to see more youth on the field – guys like Mitchell, Mason, Jarmon, Barnes and Tryon getting a chance to play; and for the love of God move Orakpo to his natural position! I would rather watch no sacks Carter play OLB than watch Sackpo’s talents wasted with bad coaching. They need to find out if there is young talent to build around, starting now. The veterans who are entrenched on the roster should be benched for their lack of production, anyway. Unfortunately, this plan would also involve trading some veteran talent for draft picks, and there are precious few veteran players that have any value (and more importantly moveable contracts) which are maybe limited to Cooley, Landry and Betts. Players like Portis, Randle El, Carter, Haynesworth, Hall and Smoot should be cut so they can start over with a "fair" market value contract from a real team, or just go away. And they might as well put new QB on the shopping list. Of course, all of this is only possible if they hire a GM first. Unfortunately though, next year will be business as usual at Redskins Park, they will cut a few more overpaid veterans, restructure other overpaid veterans’ contracts, and sign new overpaid veterans to record contracts. At least they are preserving (a crappy) tradition.
"But we were supposed to be improved and at least able to compete this season."
ReplyDeleteAhh, but isnt that just it? Snyder makes his living selling the idea every year that the guys he just signed are the final pieces. And we all eat it up. And the team blows. And then it continues anew. Every year. Oh but next year we'll have ourselves a shiny new coach. Or more likely a retread. Cuz the fans are restless so a big name is needed. Nevermind that every coach will fail until the deficiencies in the owner's box are corrected.
I would love to see the younger guys get in there. And why did this team seem to think that they are such geniuses they could take a sack machine from college and completely change his position?
Biggest fear: "And with the #1 pick in the 2010 draft, the Washington Redskins select Tim Tebow from the University of Florida."
-Pines
I agree 100% that Snyder is at the heart of the problem with the team, and he's too greedy/narcissitic/stubborn to realize his greatest strength, signing huge checks, has been the team's greatest weakness.
ReplyDeleteBut I also think that Gibbs 2.0 brought some stability to the team, and there was potential (albeit limited) to build around that. His overall record wasnt great, but he made them competitive in every game he coached, and I believe that there were really only 2 games in that span that they didnt have any chance of winning - the Mara tribute game and the 07 Patriots massacre. Which is why they made the playoffs 2x in 4 years.
Obviously Zorn's system is not a good fit for this team, but in addition to just being a bad hire, I think its largely due to the fact that the veteran core has a limited life-cycle and the person(s) responsible for addressing that completely missed the boat. And instead of supplementing the core, they wasted all of their resources on marginal skill players, who were really destined to fail given the circumstances. QED we lose to the Lions. Which might be the tip of the iceberg, nobody knows how bad this can get.
Of course there is talent on the team, and if somehow they all pull together they can salvage some of this season, but nobody can convince me that the long-term forecast for this team is anything but bleak. Thank you, come again.