I watched the Senior Bowl like I'm sure most of you did and I was not impressed with Locker at all. He's definitely not a Top 10 pick. Hell, I don't even think he's a top 50 with the performance he put on at the Senior Bowl. Very inaccurate, poor footwork, leaving WR's hung in the air with high balls that will surely get them killed on the pro level...and to make matters worse, he wasn't even facing a blitz. No, if you think this guy is an improvement to our football team, then you've just been a groupie for some years now, and are salivating at the fact that he would be in arms reach of you like a teenager with good seats at a rock concert.

I WILL give props to Ponder, who is definitely your prototype West Coast Offense QB. He was very efficient in the short game, and looked NFL ready in the pocket with his decisions to scramble, looking off safeties, and his pump fakes. He's not a Top 10 QB either, but he's serviceable ...just not here (he's not durable).

I'd rather take my chances on what we have, then to draft either one of these QB's. They're not ready, and I'm not impressed.

Would you rather have Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb?

Would you rather have Dez Bryant or Anthony Armstrong?

Would you rather have Plaxico Burress or Joey Galloway?

Would you rather have Ray Lewis or London Fletcher?

Would you rather have Ben Roethlisberger or Rex Grossman?

This is a simple game or would you rather with no right or wrong answers. All "opinions" are justified, because they all play the same positions, ultimately. There's just one thing that separates them: Character.

I've seen so many times the issue of character come up when speaking of talent in the NFL. Some of the players that I named have or had character issues, yet are effective in their positions on the field. In the case of a team that lacks so much talent, ask yourself are the "so-called" character issues worth overlooking these players? Every last comparison has a "good character" guy vs. a "questionable character" guy, and this is without naming some of the all-time greats of the game.

Which brings me to the future of the NFL. One that is and will be marred by college students that choose to leave school early, in pursuit of a job with the NFL. Some of these students, however talented and elite they may be, come with so-called "character" issues. Infractions, investigations, allegations seem like a yearly norm with the NCAA, which raises a lot of questions with how these young athletes are recruited in the first place. Who's handling these stars of tomorrow? Who's turning a blind eye to obvious red flags? Why are we still lying to ourselves about a system that claims to promote a "free ride" to athletes, but turns multi-million dollar profits over their talents on the field?

But that's another story. Back to game, and again, no right or wrong answer.

So what say you, Redskin Nation?

With the season being over (well, it was over a long time ago, but why be technical?), I've found something ironic to pride myself on being a Redskin fan. There are two teams in the NFC Championship game that we beat in the regular season. I know that doesn't mean much right now, but if this team shows a little consistency in the regular season, that could be us. Playing in the NFC East is tough in itself. But if we can't be dominant, we need to at least be good enough to just get there and see what happens. Its worked so far for a lot of Wild Card teams. Of course this all starts with beating teams that we're supposed to beat (i.e. St. Louis, Detroit, and Tampa Bay), and continuing the ironic upsets that we've been known to pull out from time to time. This conversation came about while at the barbershop watching the Bears destroy Seattle and the revelation hit me that we beat both of these teams. Ironic, isn't it?

Hail.

Dear Mr. Snyder,

I have been following the Washington Redskins for well over twenty years now. We haven't been the most dominate franchise in the history of the NFL, but we have been competitive. Last night, I witnessed my team get beat badly by a division foe, and I started to think about where we went wrong. I thought about the obvious offensive line problems, the wide receiver issues, the transitioning defense, lack of depth at running back, and while they're all valid issues, I dug even deeper. I started to think about the leadership on the sidelines. The resume of Coach Mike Shanahan is good. The resume of offensive coordinator Kyle, is average at best. The defensive coordinator is proven, but looks very bad here. From all of those, I began to think about Bruce Allen. The not-so-visible Bruce Allen who's philosophy was to build a contender by signing wily veterans. Then I thought about the team that they all inherited, which brings me to you.

You, sir, have been here for 10 years now. You've exhausted our pockets with your above average prices. You insulted us by constantly reminding us that you reference Jerry Jones, a much hated foe in Washington. You've successfully made us the laughing stock of the NFL by:

• Throwing away draft picks
• Subjecting us to your best "yes man" in Vinny Cerrato who knew nothing about building a football team.
• Making Washington the pit stop for getting paid without putting up maximum effort. Anyone who wanted a check, was willing to don the precious burgundy and gold for a season. We were the "vacation resort" for athletes in the NFL.
• Hiring people for positions that NO ONE else would hire them for. Do you realize how embarrasing it was trying to justify Jim Zorn?

With all due respect, most of what we faced last night, was because of your doing. You have single handily managed to turn a once storied franchise, into the laughing stock of the NFL. Maybe it doesn't mean anything to you because your profit margin continues to rise. Maybe it doesn't matter to you, because you continue to prey on the hope of the most loyal fans. Maybe it doesn't matter to you, because once the damage was done, you don't  have to answer the press/media/fans. You just jump in your jet, and fly away.

I have to be honest, Mr. Snyder. I really wish that you would just fly away for good. You've made enough money. You've made your mark. You are notorius around here, and we will never forget you.

We also, will never forgive you either. Thank you for destroying a team through your "expirements". Thank you for making us bottom feeders for majority of your tenure. Thank you for creating a losing atmoshpere and a stench of losing that we've been trying get off since you got on.

Loyal Redskin Fan,

J.Cash 

Ryan Torrain runs hard. Very hard. Yesterday (as well as the previous game) I appreciated his heart to take on defenders. But, I think he needs to scale back the hurt a little bit. Here's why:

• Running Style - His running style, I would compare to Eddie George but not as much speed. He runs upright. And anyone that's watched the sport knows that that subjects you to more fumbles. Now, you can't teach a guy that's been running all his career to "get low" all of a sudden. But you can make sure he wraps up the ball.
• Balance- I know some of you prefer to have him start over Portis. I don't think he should "start", but I DO think he should be part of a RB by committee. I would say that Portis has more field vision. Torrain...just wants to hurt someone.
• RB Depth - Let's face it. The way he runs can't last forever. He's on pace to get hurt when we absolutely need him most. Because we're thin, we can't afford for him to go down right now (At least until Portis returns. Hell, even AFTER Portis returns). It would be nice to see him as an option in late December/January.
• The "Surprise" Factor is gone - Other teams know him by now. They know how violent he runs. Just as in the case of Brandon Jacobs and Marion Barber, they are just dying to get a clean shot on him. Those "kill shots" can be used to his advantage if he focuses on scoring first, contact second.

I have not given up on Portis' return, and I feel confident knowing that Torrain is available. I just hope his availability isn't hindered by injury. (Crossing my fingers/toes/and eyes...*dizzy*)

Some of you know that I've been adamant about our secondary and their level of play. I've been very critical because in order for our defense to work, we have to have a secondary that can create TO's. Tiller and I have gone through recent discussions about who was our best CB. If anyone doubts that that's Dante Hall after yesterday, you're certifiable and St. Elizabeth's will gladly take you. I hear those straight jacket's can be a little uncomfortable though. Let your mind adjust where your body can't.

I heard that...

• "Rogers doesn't get burned" - From what I saw, Earl Bennett had him beat BADLY and almost scored a TD. Let's face it, every CB gets burned from time to time. But when you're "there" to make a play, you MUST. They don't come around every down.
• "Rogers is a better tackler" - I'll give you the benefit and say Rogers can tackle. But the open field tackles that Hall was making on Devin Hester were exceptional.
• "Hall gambles too much" - And when he's right, look what happens. You have to smell the ball, and Hall had BEAR-like senses yesterday.
• "I'd take Rogers over Hall any day" - Wow...Really??? Like I said before, defense is more than just "being there". You've heard the cliche "The best offense, is a good defense", and that's exactly what we need. Our offense looked terrible at times, and average at best. We need play makers on defense that can neutralize that, not just make the tackle. "Making the tackle" usually means you gave up yards. "Making a play" turns the game.

Overall, our defense came together. I'm thankful for Haynesworth's play. Rocky McIntosh made a few big plays. And Fletcher, well...was just being London Fletcher. Props to the rest of the defense that made it possible for Hall to have a record tying day. And props for him making the play(s) when the opportunity arrived.

I'm happy to be gloating, after a win. Damn, it feels good to be right.

First of all, let me say this: I'm a die hard Redskins fan. Through thick and thin, I will always support them. Because I remember the glory days, I EXPECT greater things than mediocrity. Some may say, "but they don't owe you anything". To a certain extent, you're right. All I am is a fan. I recently compared the rooting for the Redskins to being dumped by your first love. No matter how (explicit) up she does it, you still can't help but love her...

Second, I'd like to say that I've seen it all from this organization over the years. What works, what doesn't work. The guys who were "football guys" to the guys who are "businessmen". The players who left it all on the field, to the players who left it when they signed their contract. The heartache and pain is overwhelming the joys of yesterday.

I'm very critical of this team. I view myself as the proverbial father, speaking to his sons about discipliine and other attributes of success. As a fan, you should too. I call a spade a spade, and I'm not afraid to talk about who's not earning a paycheck. Don't get me wrong, sometimes you meet a person who's just better than you at something. But even in those encounters, an opportunity will knock and you have to make the most of it. It's a chess game, and if anyone out there knows, you can appeared to be done, but one mistake and everything changes.

Last night, we had opportunities. Yes, I ride hard on Carlos Rogers. Why not? He was a first round pick. I EXPECT better from him. He had two opportunities to intercept Manning, and he blew it. THOSE types of plays CAN NOT happen. I spoke before on him giving the other team opportunities, and the LAST person you want to keep giving a shot is Peyton Manning. Again, I EXPECT greater. Especially when the Colts secondary can catch one handed, stretched interception, and Rogers are right in his breadbasket and simply dropped... Finally you see that's it's not enough to "be there".

Dante Hall was star struck last night. He was as confused as I've ever seen him. Maybe it's because he was gambling with house money, and faced the league's best chess player. Epic Fail.

Kareem Moore CAN NOT tackle in the open field. Correction, he doesn't want to tackle anyone coming straight at him. It's like watching a matidore and a bull. O lea...

Landry blew a touchdown saving tackle...(Yeah I know, who would have thought that the way he's been playing, that anyone would say that). Joseph Addai broke the second level, and instead of wrapping up, he hits him with his shoulder, expecting him to fall. He didn't. Touchdown Colts.

I have to admit, I circled this game on our schedule as a loss. So I'm not totally surprised. It just upsets me that I was right. And even more so, it's another game we "should've" had, but we didn't leave it all on the field. We couuld have made a statement.

Opportunity knocked, and we didn't answer.

It's a damn shame that I have to post to explain some of the simple things. But I'm compelled to voice myself on some things, and I hope you understand.

1. I AM NOT LJP!- I am a supporter of Jason Campbell. I think he's the most unlucky QB who's constantly thrown in bad situations. Will he ever be as good as Donovan McNabb? I don't think so. Do I think he would have flourished in Shanahan's offense? Yes, I do. Will we ever see it to prove me wrong? No. So I'll let it go. Would I start him over McNabb? No. Do I think he'll excel with the Raiders?...C'mon, it's THE RAIDERS! I wish him luck.
2. Tom Cable and Jim Zorn are no MIKE SHANAHAN - Both Cable and Zorn are, "were" in the case of Zorn, Head Coaching misfits who'll NEVER amount to Hall of Fame calibre. They can't run a team. The players don't respect them (although Cable's coaching staff respects him for fear of getting their teeth knocked out...). No one takes them seriously. Major changes are needed with Oakland's coaching staff (and ownership...) before the glory days of the 80's are restored.
3. Carlos Rogers is STILL an underachiever - I wrote an article a while ago about how the guy can't catch, and I'm SURE you saw him drop that interception in the Dallas game that would have sealed the victory. Dallas continued the drive, and you know the rest of the story... Seriously, he's a liability until he can stop dropping picks. I dare you to argue that FACT. Tackles? Yes. Cover? Somewhat. Playmaker? Not yet.
4. Haynesworth is getting a raw deal..."now". - What he did was callous over the off season. I agree that he needed to be taught a lesson. But geez...can we turn the page on this story already??? It seems like it's moving toward the point of nausea. At least for me it is. Should Haslett and Shanahan move him back into the starting rotation? In my opinion, yes. We sure could have used him against Shaub who had ALL DAY to throw. He's no saint in the matter. But somewhere these two heads need to meet in the middle and be done with it.
5. Devin Thomas should get more offensive snaps - It just makes more sense, to me, to have Armstrong returning kick offs than Thomas. Armstrong is much faster, and is a less costly liability than Thomas. Think about that one from a business standpoint.
6. I'm not too thrilled with Joey Galloway starting - I was hoping that we could have made the trade for Vincent Jackson, but A.J. Smith is an asshole. Galloway just makes me cringe when I think that he's starting opposite Santana Moss, and we expect him to play a full season. Smh...
7. I'm PRAYING that the Cowboys go 4-12 - THAT would just be the icing on the cake...

That's it. That's all for now. Lay off the "LJP" talk and stop jumping on the bully bandwagon. It's old now. I don't agree with everything the guy said. But you're making him famous by bringing up ANYONE that agreed with "any" point he may have had. Most of you thought he was crazy. So ask yourself if you really want to make a "crazy" person notorious on a Redskins website?

I've been reading a few post about our condition in this year's draft. "We only have four picks"...Yadda yadda yadda...The season doesn't start the day after the draft, so I'm not so sure what the panic is all about. True, we have holes to fill. True, we may need up to three lineman, a safety, a linebacker, a corner, and a partridge in a pear tree. But honestly, it's not as bad as some of you make it out to be.

 Ask yourself this: With all of the holes that's a "perceived" need, could we fill them all in the draft? Moreso, why would you want to? THAT should be the real question.

Grant it, getting young is good. Especially at skillset positions such as RB and WR, which is why I shake my head at the Johnson/Parker aquisition. But there's a learning curve that comes along with that youth, and not all of them would or SHOULD start anyway. Suppose we had seven picks and had to start seven rookies. In that scenario alone, we're looking at a losing season because it just doesn't measure in the NFL, the way it would in the NCAA.

Fourth lowest payroll, ladies and gentleman. That is HUGE considering we're talking about the Redskins. We use our 4 picks (so far) to address some needs, and the rest we build in the offseason. As teams open up contract negotiations and lose players for whatever reason, we'll be right there writing the check.

There's plenty of time to address our "needs" instead of dumping a bunch of money on rookies, only to find out that they're not ready to play "right now". At THAT point, we have SERIOUS needs.

So calm down folks. The season doesn't start after the draft, no matter how exciting it is.

Dear Carlos Rogers,

First off, I want to thank you for the four plays that you've made since being a Redskins. Considering you've started about 4 and a half, we'll just say "thanks" for your one a year average. I also want to thank you Carlos for dropping more balls than a one armed juggling clown. But with all fairness to you, most clowns have more experience. Sure, I know that you were part of a system that was more "conservative" than Glenn Beck. I didn't like seeing you lined up 8 yards off the ball on 3rd and 2. And because of that, I'm not totally blaming you. But in your neighborhood Mr. Rogers, Quarterbacks rape and pillage with no fear of you. We tendered you and word got around that you were upset. I really don't understand that Mr. Rogers. Most of the time, you're running beside WR's like you're trying to get their autograph. I'd rather put you in the ring as the next Roberto Duran, Mr. Rogers, because you sir, have "Hands of Stone". No mas...

In case you forgot Mr. Rogers, you play defense. That means when the ball's in the air, you should, A.) knock it down so the other guy can't catch it, B.) CATCH the GODDAMN BALL!!!, *ahem* sorry for yelling, but catching the ball is a good thing, in case no one told you...or C.) smack the guy so hard that he hesitates to catch it the next time. Let's be honest with ourselves Carlito, you didn't do much of any of those options. Please, don't be upset when I tell you this, but I called you "Toast" this season, because you stayed getting burned. Man coverage. Zone coverage. You name it. Now, I understand that that's probably the hardest position to play on the field. To which, I'm not saying that you are the worse in the league. But you're far from the best Mr. Rogers, and for you to get your panties in a bunch over your tender, makes me "Laugh Out Loud" for real.

We've got Phillip Buchanan now, Toast. He's no Bailey or Reeves, but he's played on Special Teams which means his hands are probably better than yours. Sure, if we wanted to have a guy to run with receivers to keep them entertained, we wouldn't have made this move. But you either need, A.) a swift kick in the ass, B.) some competition to push you harder, C.) a swift kick in the ass AND some competition to push you harder, or D.) to put up or shut up. It's one thing to voice yourself when you've shown the improvement and are still open to learn like a Rocky McIntosh. His anger at LB, is understandable. But you, Mr. Rogers, have every QB singing your theme song...

At Corner, you either pick or get picked on. You, Toast, get picked on so much it's unsanitary. So step it up Mr. Rogers, or step out. But please do so quietly. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, ;-).

Sincerely,

J.Cash

Chris Cooley is a baller! He's within the top five TE's in the NFL if you asked me (and since I'm writing this post, let's just pretend that you did, mmkay?). But as much as I love the guy, here are my reasons for trading him now.

1.) Offensively, he has been one of our most consistent play makers, especially when Joe Gibbs was running the show. He had a knack for finding the open field and making big plays out of virtually nothing. But, he's coming off of a major leg injury. We speak a lot about Moss, whom my friend CJHutch feels that he's lost a step due to hampstrings, but we really don't know if Cooley himself will return to his 08 form.

2.) Fred Davis got the opportunity to see the field and he made the most of it. In the Sherm Lewis offense, he played execptionally well and showed inprovements on a weekly basis. There were times I was watching the games and I wanted the ball to go to Davis before going to Thomas. Call me crazy, but his second half of the season knack for finding the endzone should carry over into next season. It's not just enough for him to catch the ball. He's actually developing into a surprise Red Zone target.

3.) Two bulls in the ring. Two talented TE's. One who's proven, yet coming off of a major injury. The other who 's proving himself and shows a lot of potential to "get er done". Davis was drafted in the second round just two short years ago, so the likelyhood of him being traded is slim. I stated before, that this is like having Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on the same team: There's just not enough balls to go around. It would be different if one were a legitimate receiver, and the other was a TE. But they both play the same position, and even if we line them up in 2 TE sets, one of their stats will suffer and I'll refer back to this post. Which brings us to...

4.) Trade Value for Cooley would maximize our opportunity to fill another need with a higher calibre player. If you trade Moss for a potential 3rd rounder, you'll "hypothetically" get a player worth 3rd round skillsets. It may be "depth" at another postition, but you'll be thinning yourself out at reciever. Afterall, the only WR that's seen legitimate playing time on our current roster, would be Devin Thomas, a second year player (technically third, but his rookie season was awful. I stand by 2nd). Malcolm Kelly, Marko Mitchell, haven't played much at all last year, and though I expect a big improvement from Kelly, I'm still crossing my fingers, toes, and eyes hoping that it happens.

Contrarily, if you trade Cooley, you can get an impact player for him and already know what Fred Davis is capable of. We can get a second round calibre player to add more lineman. OR, since we just lost Foote to Pittsburgh, get a LB for the soon-to-come 3-4. You just have more opportunities with a Cooley trade than you do with a Moss.

5.) Keeping Cooley now, means we'll be talking about trading ONE of them by next year sometime. Everyone's been asking the second rounders of 08 to step up, and Davis is showing signs of just that. To inject Cooley to the full time TE position, is a step back for Davis. Something's got to give.

So, what are your thoughts? Shout out to the regulars: CJHutch, Tills, BayArea, CarverM, H Money, Milcmann, Kevin E, Sugar, Rekka  and even the controversial, LJP. (Damn, now I feel like I just shot a rap video...)

I just wanted to thank most of you for joining in on my last post, which was a tough subject to discuss. For the most part, we were all able to speak as adults and voice our opinions. I learned something from a lot of you on the matter, and I honestly didn't expect it to go as well as it did. You really surprised me.

Thanks again. One thing that is prominent, is we all share a love for this team, unconditionally. We may have different opinions on the way things should go or the reasons for why we are they way we are, but at the root of it all, we're true fans.

All Hail.

After reading a post by LJP, I clearly see where he's going with this JC debate. We tip-toe around some odf the obvious things, for fear of ridicule or scared that we may be "missinterpreted" for something else. So I'll write this with the love of all mankind at heart. *Sigh*...The Washington Redskins...

Let me first start by saying that I work in media. I'm fully aware of the pyschological dialog that's spread on a daily basis. The basic assumption in the media, is that people will believe whatever you want them to believe if you say it enough and are stern about it. They will condition their thinking and conform to the message of whosoever is in charge or deemed the "alpha-male". The EASIEST thing, is to create a strong dislike for someone, based on propoganda that's not only unproven, but sometimes nonexistent. A smoke screen...You have a theory or a status quo that you don't want changed, so you come up with a ton of so-called "reasons" for why someone can't or shouldn't do something, ignoring every circumstance around them or pertaining to that situation.

Race. An ugly four letter word when wielded the wrong way. And I know some of you are reading this now and are thinking, "oh no, not the "race card"". How can you, when this organization, OUR organization, is still heavily intwined in it? Red-Skin. A derogatory word in itself. We ignore it though, because it has no effect and doesn't pertain to you. We're told that the name's not a big deal because it's not offending a mass majority. How can it, when Native Americans make up such a small number. I guess a small voice doesn't count as a voice after all...

Boston is where our roots are. A place known for it's "strong" racial stance. A place where no African-Americans would ever play for the then owner George Marshall. Yes, we're a long way from 1962, but how ironic that the team that was last to integrate, was the first to win with a black QB...

Behind a lot of the "Jason Campbell dislike", is the not talked about "theories" of the black QB. EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM, is heavily scrutinized more than any other player or position on the field. This is why I laugh when I hear the commentators discuss Jason Campbell. They're only feeding you the propoganda and a lot of you fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. People have been trying to run Donovan McNabb out of Philly for years. Michael Vick, a QB, was supposed to have lost a step after his short stint in prison (running wise). But he was a cheap commodity who wasn't "ever going to start for another team again", so he was signed (to run). Vince Young could have easily handed the ball off to Chris Johnson like Collins did, but it took an 0-7 start for him even to be CONSIDERED the starter again.

Deep in the hearts of men who love this sport, they're not wanted. Eli Manning and Brett Favre can throw 4 INT's in one game, and won't get benched. Jason Campbell throw one, and it's "start Todd Collins". I've watched this happen for many years. Jason's been set up to fail. Period. Everything that he does well, is discredited. Anything that he does wrong, is blown up like he's the worse QB to ever suit up. And yet, what do we see when we watch the so-called "heroes" of the NFL? What do we say when Aaron Rogers does the same thing as Jason Campbell? What do we say when Brett Favre BLOWS an NFC Championship? What do we say when Peyton "the Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread" Manning FAILS to "come from behind" in the Super Bowl? We say nothing. We let it go because, no matter what, they are who they are. They're "trying to make something happen", right? They are "gun slingers" with a pass, right? Brett Favre, one ring. Peyton Manning, one ring. Doug Williams... 

I know. Some of you won't believe me. Some of you think that "that's all the past". But I challenge you. Watch a few games, and listen to the words really carefully. Then watch another team's QB have some of the same, if not worse plays, and see where the direction of "blame" is thrown. It'll be everything from "a bad play" to the "other teams defense", but not so much the "hero". No. The hero must remain. The leader must remain untarnished. The leader must be given every opportunity to lead. If...he's white. 

Black QB's aren't wanted. And when a team has one, he's gotta be flawless during EVERY GAME, or he'll soon be run outta town. Still don't believe me, ask Warren Moon about the things that he came against. Hell, ask Doug Williams. After he won the Super Bowl, he was a soon forgotten hero. Some say this team is cursed because it's so heavily wrapped in race issues stemming from the owner to the name. I spoke to my father about the team, and before I could mention anything about the QB in Washington, he says to me "this town doesn't want a black quarterback..." 

The fact that we have one, doesn't mean that we've "crossed over". Especially when everything around him was in such disarray to begin with. Again, a setup for failure. Not an "excuse". Not a "card". Just an observation. 

My opinion? If Sam Bradford were black, we'd be more than content to stick with Campbell. But he's not, so therefore he "MUST" be better... or so says the "media".

No matter how much you try to look around it, the elephant is still there.

Let's set the stage:

Scenario 1:

Jason Campbell remains the Redskins QB going into the 2010 season. Shanahan pass on getting Claussen, Bradford, McCoy withthen #4 pick, and elect to go with a QB that's improving every season, despite the circumstances around him.

Results: It wouldn't matter what he did as a QB, he'd still be compared to the rookies that were passed up. Campbell could throw for 4,000 yards, 20+ TD's, and 10 INT's (numbers that are comparable to Jake Plummer when he started for Shanahan), and if this team doesn't win the Super Bowl, you'd hear people calling for his head.

Scenario 2:

The Redskins keep Jason Campbell and bring in a veteran QB to play his backup. Shanahan and Allen use the 4th pick on an offensive lineman and focus on building the core of the team  *side note* If any of you are weight lifters or athletes, you know that your strength comes from your core. The pecks, bi's and tri's look pretty, but your core determines how strong you really are (MESSAGE!)

Results: You'd see the backup have a few good games in Pre-Season, and you'd hear people calling for him to start. If Campbell IS benched and the back-up has a mediocre season, you'd hear every excuse for him and hear people showing confidence no matter how unsuccessful he was in the end (ex. Todd Collins). It's okay. I've been watching this unfold for a while now.

Scenario 3:

The Redskins trade Campbell and draft a Rookie QB at #4.

Results: No matter how bad that QB's play would be, he'd still be a "rookie" and some of you would give him pass, after pass, after pass...If he played behind that offensive line, it would be "it's our line". If he didn't execute, it would be "he has to learn the system". If he missed a WRon a play, it would be "he has to get better with his timing". Even if the Rookie shows a little success, you'd be ready to crown him King of DC....until his sophomore slump. Look at all the QB's that everyone was SOOOO high on last year as a starting rookie, and look at their numbers this year (Go ahead. Let the excuses roll. What I'm saying is FACT.)

Scenario 4:

We keep Campbell and draft a QB at #4 ANYWAY.

Results: See the "Results" for Scenario 2, cut and paste here.

Scenario 5: We build the line through the draft, win more games, but still miss the playoffs.

Results: It would ALL be Jason Campbell's fault then, lol. I probably would go on hiatus from Hogs Haven from all the nay sayers.

Scenario 6:

Jason Campbell is traded to another team, and you sit back and watch him light it up.

Results: You eat crow. I've been watching this team for a long time, and we have a history of letting players go at the wrong time, just to watch them flourish somewhere else. There's a reason that so many teams would be interested in signing him and can see his upswing. ESPECIALLY if he goes to a place like Minnesota where they HAVE a line, "play makers", AND arguably the best RB in the league. If he does go there, I'll be rooting for his success all the way.

The point is, no matter what happens in the draft or in Free Agency, some of you already have your minds made up on the QB situation and have a list of excuses jusssstttt waiting. It's not like this hasn't happened before, but hey, it really doesn't mater to you now, does it?

I've said on a post before that we need to consider the last two years a "wash" in Washington. We were coached by Jim Zorn for crying out loud. Now, I know a lot of you think "Jim Zorn's a nice guy", to which I will agree. But "nice guys" finish last, and surely, that's where we are were. Yes, we can blame Snyder for selecting him as an Offensive Coordinator. We can even stomp the gates of FedEx field for Snyder making Zorn the Head Coach. But Zorn wasn't that nice of a guy to turn down money. No, no, no. Zorn was just like every other Free Agent that came through Washington looking for a paycheck, except he didn't have the "big name" associated with it.

I've read countless blogs comments discussing the disarray of the Redskins, especially offensively, and I don't see much acknowledgement of Zorn's part in all of this. Why isn't he to blame for accepting a job that he KNEW he was well over his head with??? That's like offering me a job as a neurosurgeon, and I've never held a scalpel in my life. But I take the job anyway, because it pays six figures and I get to tell all my friends I'm a doctor. Never mindthe countless jobs I've cost or the lives I've ruined, I'm getting paid.

Yes, Zorn is as much responsible as anyone for this two year embarrassment. The first thing he did, was try to establish "his own version" of the West Coast offense. An offense that has NEVER been seen. NEVER been used. Every play ran through him, with no audible rights given. Sure, it worked in his first eight games, but any real team adjusts. It was only a matter of time, before coaching staffs in the league watched enough game film on "his version" of the West Coast offense, before they shut it down. So what would a REAL coach do when that happens??? Adjust like the rest of them. Problem was, he made no adjustments, made no changes in his schemes, and when the injuries started to pile, he thought he could just plug in another player and walla, problem solved. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting different results (not the actual Webster's definition, but don't be a wise @ss...)

And every week, it was the same speech after another losing effort. "We're going to go back and look at the tape". For what??? I would have had much more respect for him if he got up in front of the media and said, "Guys, I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing". No, Zorn's not scottfree...

Coaches coach to the strength of their players. Players play to the strength of their coach. So for every play you saw Portis take off, a part of that goes on Zorn. Every pass that you thought that Campbell should have made, a part of that goes on Zorn. For every play that was called that made you want to throw something at the screen, a HUGE part of that goes on Zorn. Coaches demand respect and make the team play to their highest potential. And when you're a player that's playing for someone who hadn't called a play in the NFL before, how much respect did you think that locker room had?

And some would say, "Players still have to play". No they don't. Not in Washington. All they had to do was make enough noise to get a paycheck. I've worked for idiots before, and trust me, there's NOTHING that motivates you to come into work when you're working for one. Let's stop pointing blame to a QB, to a RB, to a WR, and recognize that they ALL were an incompetent bunch, because they followed behind an Incompetent Coach.

The blind lead the blind and they both fall into a ditch...

Time to dig ourselves out.

It dawned on me this morning (actually, I thought about this a long time ago, I just never shared. I know...selfish, right?), with all the speculation in Washington about if Shanahan will select a QB with the #4 pick, that most of us have forgotten to examine what he was working with in Denver.

Most people think of one Hall of Fame QB when it comes to Shanahan's tenure, and then the eventual "rookie sensation" that he left the Child Coach to inherit. But how soon we forget about Jake Plummer. Now, that's not a name that jumps out at you. Not even a name that most would want associated with the word "quarterback" (or Core-ta-back, if you're Vince Young). But look at what was accomplished WITH Jake Plummer at the helm:

2003 -  Signed as a Free Agent, replaced Brian Griese. 91.2 QB Rating Lead the team to a Wild Card Berth (blown out by the Colts)

2004 - Broke John Elway's single season record for passing yards and passing touchdowns. Downside, also had 20 INT's. Lead team to second consecutive Wild Card Berth (and again, got it handed to them by the Colts)

 2005 - Recorded 229 passes without an interception. 13-3 record (#2 Seed in the AFC). First team to beat the PATS in past 11 postseasons. Lost the AFC Championship to the eventual champion Steelers.

2006 - Replaced by Jay Cutler as the starter after leading the team to a 7-4 record.

Now, I don't know about you, but I'd much rather Jason Campbell over Jake Plummer ANYDAY. Just goes to show you what can be accomplished with a not so heralded QB under Mike Shanahan's team. Now grant it, he won two Super Bowl's WITH John Elway (more credit should have gone to Davis for that, but hey, I'm just a guy...), but that team was still very much successful with an inconsistent, fly-by-night QB, who was surrounded by an offensive line and a running game.

So when Mike Shanahan says (regarding Campbell) " I like him" and he "thinks he can win with Jason Campbell", I tend to beleive he won't reach for a QB at #4 this year (maybe not even with next year's first round pick), and he'll stick with Campbell.

Hopefully, this is the last time I talk about this, because frankly, I'm getting tired. *Yawn*