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Everyone Knows How to Fix the Skins, Except for the People Who Can
By Chris Mottram | January 21, 2009
The Jasons — La Canfora and Reid — at The Post have put together an exhaustive five-pager about the Redskins’ needs, specifically highlighting how they can learn from other teams that have built winners. I’ll admit to having only skimming it thus far, but the section “Some Unsolicited Advice” on the last page was of particular interest.
Several players and executives, who all remain nameless, are used as sources to explain their view of the Skins, and what the team needs to turn things around. The answer is simple, and one that any fan with half a brain has been preaching for years: Build up both lines via the draft — a concept Vinny Cerrato still somehow doesn’t grasp.
“They always try to patch it together for one more run, but that’s easier than making a real change,” one NFC executive said. “At some point, everyone starts over. But most teams want to go young, go through the draft. They [the Skins] resist that.” [...]
“We have to start getting some young linemen in here,” one coach said. “We have to find them in the draft and let them play.” [...]
“If I was running things, I’d start getting rid of every veteran lineman I could and just draft linemen for a couple of years,” a veteran player said. “Both sides of the ball, almost nothing but linemen. If we can’t rush the passer or protect the passer, then we ain’t going nowhere, and that’s where we’re at. I’d go with what we got at the skill spots, because you can’t really move those guys anyway, and spend the next two years redoing the lines.” [...]
“All I read was how Vinny was going to do the right thing and build through the draft,” an NFC executive said. “How do you build through the draft when you trade half your picks for guys at the end of their career? So what’s the plan there? Is there a plan there? From the outside it’s hard to see one.”
So, yeah, I think you can see the overall theme developing here. The first step to creating a solution is pin-pointing the problem. I think we’ve done that … like two years ago. The only question is whether Cerrato (who, it’s worth noting, continues to defend wasting the team’s first three ‘08 picks on receivers in the article) can remove head-from-ass and make it happen.
I don’t care if Michael Crabtree is somehow still available at 13, if the Skins don’t draft an offensive lineman with their first round pick … well … well, I’m gonna yell loudly while wagging my finger in a disapproving manner at the tele and probably even write an angry blog post about it! That’ll show ‘em.
Topics: Fire Vinny, Redskins | 4 Comments »
January 21st, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Bump the draft, why don’t the Skins go after some of these anonymous sources for a GM committee.
January 21st, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Aint gonna happen. Vinny will be here as long as bagelboy is. Redskins fans need to find a new hobby until vinny and bagelboy are ousted.
January 21st, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Hey, Vinny drafted an O-lineman this year in the third round! Problem is he never saw the field; not even once.
January 21st, 2009 at 11:36 PM
see the field? damn, a 3rd round pick in Washington is just lucky to make the team