Ugh. As if I needed more reason to despise the power and position Bruce Allen has. If McCloughan was hired because of the success he had in SF and Seattle, then let him do what he knows how to do. If that means direct interaction with the players, so be it.
It's always about Snyder. It's his franchise and ultimately he's responsible for not letting football people do the things they need to do to win football games.This one really never was about Snyder, as far as I can tell. It was about Allen and McCloughan,...
With Poe signed elsewhere, and the info in the tweet below, it looks like we will get neither.fatness said:They could really use Hankins or Poe BTW.
Jordan RaananVerified account@JordanRaanan
Reached out to sources around league and found that DT Johnathan Hankins is asking for A LOT of money. A lot as in more than $10M per year.
Crap.Poe signed with ATL
Thanks for that. It's the most complete picture of the internal fall-apart I've read yet.
Scot McCloughan won one battle in Washington in August 2015. If he’d won two, maybe—maybe—the Redskins wouldn’t be in the mess they’re wading through now.
The then-GM met for five hours one night that summer to try to convince owner Dan Snyder and president Bruce Allen that the time had come, and the team needed to move from Robert Griffin III to Kirk Cousins. Soon thereafter, with Cousins installed as starter, and believing he was in for a big year, McCloughan made a second appeal to the team’s top brass.
Let’s extend Cousins now, he told them, so we’re not stuck holding the bag later.
On one side of this is the idea, floated to the Washington Post by an anonymous team source, that McCloughan’s past demons—he’s publicly talked about his fight with alcoholism—returned to bring him down over the last year. On the other side, there are players and coaches who deny ever having witnessed that, and argue that it is being used as a red herring to take attention off a power struggle between Allen and McCloughan.
Su’a Cravens injury. The rookie safety/linebacker injured his biceps on Dec. 11 against the Eagles. Initially the team believed it was a tear. It wound up being a bruise, the kind players often play through. Cravens missed the following Monday’s game against Carolina, and then the next game in Chicago on Christmas Eve.
By then, teammates, some of whom had seen him playing ping-pong at the facility, were openly wondering why he wasn’t pushing through the injury. After he missed two games, the team wanted him to get the arm drained in an effort to play in Week 17. Cravens responded by not showing up to the facility for treatment that day, at which point McCloughan decided to call Cravens.
That didn’t go over well with Allen.
(Cravens sat out the finale.)
Bashaud Breeland’s outburst. At another point in December, the third-year corner—who’d been seen internally as moody following the Josh Norman signing—blew an assignment, and was called by a coach on it. He argued. The coach argued back. Then Breeland blew another assignment, took his helmet off and sat on a cooler on the sideline. From the perspective of the coaching staff, these sorts of squabbles with players were not uncommon.
But after practice, in the locker room, McCloughan saw Breeland coming out of the shower and bluntly told the third-year corner to come to his office after he was dressed. Word of the confrontation got around, and it led to another squabble in the front office over boundaries.
Nobody will sign him for that. His price will come down in time.Jordan RaananVerified account@JordanRaanan
Reached out to sources around league and found that DT Johnathan Hankins is asking for A LOT of money. A lot as in more than $10M per year.
Good god. We have to nab some defensive linemen in the draft.Crap.
We're going to end up with Golston (he's avaialble, right?) and Hood playing nose tackle. Woo hoo. Maybe they can bring back Dave Butz.
http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0634104725381321401-4The Redskins signed free agent linebacker Chris Carter and are hosting his former Colts teammate, defensive back Darius Butler, a source said. Butler, a former second-round pick by New England, played a variety of roles with Indianapolis last season: corner, nickel corner and safety. He provides depth in the secondary for Washington. Carter will be with his fifth organization since entering the NFL in 2011. He has primarily been a backup.
Most significant signing: Receiver Terrelle Pryor. He was unexpected because the Redskins did not anticipate pursuing him. Yet the market for Pryor did not develop as many thought, so he became a bargain. It’s possible that another signing, such as safety D.J. Swearinger, stays here longer, since he’s on a three-year deal and his game has started to mature. But Pryor surpassed 1,000 yards in his first full season as a receiver and could replace some of the big plays lost when Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson left via free agency, at a fraction of the price, no less (a $6 million cap hit). Pryor is an excellent athlete, but still raw as a receiver. Therefore, his game should continue to improve. He also gives Washington some insurance if Josh Doctson hasn’t fully recovered from his Achilles issues or if he takes time to adapt to the NFL.
Most significant loss: Garcon, with Jackson a stitch behind. Jackson, though a home-run hitter, was not an all-around player; it’s just that what he could do, he still did very well (scare defenses). He was the one the Redskins tried a little harder to keep. But Garcon was the one who offered toughness and consistency, two traits any team desires. At one point, the organization was split on which one they should try to keep (Garcon wasn’t offered a deal to return). But Garcon was an excellent target for quarterback Kirk Cousins; he could trust Garcon's route-running on every play and he ran a greater variety of routes.
Player they should have signed: Defensive lineman Bennie Logan. The problem, though, is that he ultimately received a deal from Kansas City worth nearly $8 million for one season. The Redskins did sign two defensive tackles in Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain to long-term deals, but they could have used what Logan offered: a legitimate run-stuffer. They can still add more line help in the draft, but Logan would have given them a proven player in an area in which they're lacking. That would have taken up half of their salary-cap space.
What’s next: More attempts to find good bargains. It likely was the strategy even before Scot McCloughan was fired as general manager, considering the free-agent board was set a few weeks before his departure. It also was more in line with his philosophy. But the Redskins still want more help along the defensive line and will seek help at linebacker, whether inside or as a pass-rusher. Among the linemen still available: New York Giants tackle Johnathan Hankins. At one point, the Redskins appeared to have interest in him, but have not been connected to him lately. Linebacker Jelani Jenkins could be one to watch later. He can run and could be shifted inside. San Francisco’s Gerald Hodges also remains free.
Overall grade: C. All four players are still in their primes. Pryor turns 28 in June, but is still a developing receiver. McClain turns 29 in June; he’s not an impact player but is coming off a solid season. Swearinger turns 26 in September and McGee turned 27 in January. Only Pryor will count more than $3.7 million against the cap this season (and the Redskins can get out of any of the other three deals with a post-June 1 designation in 2018). It’s hard to say how much the Redskins have improved, however. They lost two productive receivers and signed one. They can still have a productive passing game, but there are questions. Swearinger helps defensively. They signed two defensive linemen and lost one (Chris Baker). They liked Baker only to a point, thanks to what they viewed as inconsistent effort. If the two newcomers are more consistent, that’s a win. Each has improved, but both have something to prove and the low-level line signings haven't worked out the past two years so there's natural wondering. They also re-signed Ziggy Hood and released Ricky Jean Francois. It's possible this class looks real strong in two years; it's possible only one of the four remains. Re-signing Vernon Davis was smart, but being unable to strike a long-term deal, so far, with Cousins, leaves them in a tough place. Trade him if there’s no hope of a deal (they say they don’t want to trade) or have him play another year on the tag and possibly lose him after the season.
Mike JonesVerified account @MikeJonesWaPo 7h7 hours ago
Clemson had their Pro Day today. Skins sent an area scout. Top prospects included QB Watson, CB Tankersley, DT Watkins.
Referring to Breer's article that dgreen posted.Mike JonesVerified account @MikeJonesWaPo
Still think we were making it up?
Albert BreerVerified account @AlbertBreer
My 3.16 GamePlan leads with Scot McCloughan, Bruce Allen, and where a partnership founded on trust fell apart in DC.
According to insiders, the search isn’t expected to conclude before early May, when the front offices of many NFL teams are in flux in the wake of the NFL draft.
Adam SchefterVerified account @AdamSchefter
Falcons gave former Chiefs' DT Dontari Poe a one-year, $8 million deal that could increase to $10M with incentives, per source.
What we’ve learned from the Washington Redskins first week of free agency:
They don’t want to spend big anymore. Unless it’s viewed as being for an impact player, such as corner Josh Norman last season. They need more help along the defensive line, but let Bennie Logan sign elsewhere for $7 million and weren’t in on Dontari Poe, who signed for $8 million. My New York Giants colleague, Jordan Raanan, reported that Johnathan Hankins was looking for at least $10 million a year (if his price tag lowers, the Redskins need to get in on him). Washington would not have pursued receiver Terrelle Pryor had there been a market for him. The Redskins have done a good job of not taking on bad contracts the last several years. Agents who once used the Redskins to drive up prices, now believe the team’s goal is to “win the deal.” They certainly won on Pryor's one-year, $6 million contract. Call it the mental scars of bad contracts from days gone by. It’s allowed them to improve their salary-cap situation. (That said, they are willing to let Kirk Cousins play another year at $24 million vs. the cap). It's also why I can't say players are avoiding the Redskins because of whatever else is going on; they're just not willing to overspend. But the bottom line: They haven’t done a good job building the defense, whether through free agency or the draft.
Butler re-signed with the Colts. Carter will be a special teamer.fatness said:http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0634104725381321401-4The Redskins signed free agent linebacker Chris Carter and are hosting his former Colts teammate, defensive back Darius Butler, a source said. Butler, a former second-round pick by New England, played a variety of roles with Indianapolis last season: corner, nickel corner and safety. He provides depth in the secondary for Washington. Carter will be with his fifth organization since entering the NFL in 2011. He has primarily been a backup.
The Redskins decided against pursuing some of the top defensive line options in free agency because they remain convinced that the draft is the best way to build a roster. And coaches believe that second-year pro Anthony Lanier, and A.J. Francis and Joe Mbu, who both spent last season on the practice squad, will develop into rotational players who can have an impact.
Francis and Mbu could wind up competing for the starting nose tackle position, however. The Redskins plan on using McClain and McGee as ends in their three-man front. Veteran Ziggy Hood, who re-signed this week, also could remain in the mix. Second-year pro Matt Ioannidis could as well.
Mike JonesAnd the Redskins still plan to address the defensive line in the draft, people familiar with their plans say. Those plans, plus the potential coaches see in Francis, Mbu, Lanier and Ioannidis, factored greatly in team officials’ decision to allow Chris Baker to depart in free agency and to release Ricky Jean Francois to save $4 million against the salary cap.
Draft analysts call this one of the deepest draft classes at defensive tackle and end in recent years. So, whether it’s a first- or second-round selection, Washington could potentially find a player capable of pushing for a key role as a rookie.
Rich TandlerFrancis and Mbu both spend most of last year on the practice squad and Taylor has not played in an NFL game since 2014. That is not a group that makes anyone think “problem solved”. Manusky essentially admitted that they need more help here.
“Right now, we might be in a situation where we’re looking for a nose in the draft,” said Manusky.
This sounds familiar. The team has run the 3-4 defense since 2010 and they never have attempted to draft a long-term solution at the nose position. Maybe this will be the year but nobody will be shocked if they emerge from the three-day draft still looking for someone who can handle the middle of the line
Not sure if I agree.Mike Jones
Frankly I wouldn't be unhappy if they used their first 2 draft picks on defensive linemen, especially tackles.
They should go easy in those negotiations. Cravens could completely fall on his face as the full-time SS and in this draft if you want a S you have to invest an early pick to get anyone that is ready to contribute in their first year. Cravens strikes me as a McCloughan-guy and that may not bode well for him. Breeland is a guy you can(and should) draft competition for him in almost any round of this draft but getting S help is much harder to come by.Though I'd imagine they'll ask him to take a pay cut (one that I'd guess he'd take), the Skins do want DeAngelo Hall back. I'd love to see him able to make it through one more entire season. The younger DB's can learn from him.
Guys "fall" (and get "reached" for) every year. These projections and mocks aren't very accurate. Getting this specific seems like a lot of wasted effort, imo. Maybe I'm just cynical about the draft though. I guess we'll see soon enough.Not sure if I agree.
If I were a 'Skins fan the only DT I'd like to see them take in the 1st round would be Allen and they will have to trade up to do that. I guess it depends on how high you are on Taco and whether you think he'll fit your scheme.
There's a chance that Brantley/McDowell fall to them in the 2nd and I would be excited for one of them but I don't see a compelling reason to draft any of the others int he 2nd.
Third round targets include Wormley and Adams and they are very good(may end up being just as good as Brantley/McDowell at a cheaper price).
In the 4th round you have a realistic shot at Jaleel Johnson and Watkins and this 3rd/4th round area looks like the real value on the DL to me. Redskins have two 4th rounders so this would be a great place to take a DT/RB/CB that have no business going this low. Full disclosure though, I almost always like the prospects in the middle of the draft and think trading down in the first to pick up an extra middle pick is usually a good idea.
Sprinkle in a several wild-card DLman that are projected all over the place(Tomlinson, Jarron Jones, Qualls, Smart, Vincent Taylor, Godchau, Glasgow, and Ogunjobi) you have a pretty good chance at least one of those guys slips all the way to the 6th round as a consolation prize. There is some real talent there but sure, some won't adjust to the pro game.
Big mistake to take a DLman in the 1st imo unless Allen drops for some reason we don't know about and NFL teams do. If you were able to get Wormley in the 3rd and Johnson/Watkins with one of the 4th round picks 'Skins fans should be doing cartwheels. Given the glut of talent that just went(and fell) in the last draft at DT I think that's very possible. To me there is a lot of depth at DL and CB, as opposed to LB help.
I still don't get that. They let their best defensive lineman go and sign 2 other d-linemen, each for just a shade less money than Baker. Both of the new guys are expected to be backups; Baker was a starter. This team is just terrible at putting together a defensive line.Chris Baker established himself as a quality defensive tackle in the past five-plus seasons with the Washington Redskins.
He was hoping to stick with them even with his contract ready to expire after the 2016 season. But Baker said no offer was made, allowing him to become a free agent.
‘I really worked my way up from the practice squad to being one of the best linemen’
He’s happy to be with his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the pain from the Redskins’ rejection lingers.
“It was really hurtful learning that the Redskins didn’t really offer me a contract, being that I was one of their best defensive linemen on their team for the last couple of years and really worked my way up from the practice squad to being one of the best linemen,” Baker told Lance Meadow and Phil Savage on Late Hits.
Oh, I'm sure you're right. Not all these guys are going to go where they are expected to go.... they never do. More than anything I'm pointing out the number of DT targets there are in this draft and that there will likely be several quality players to target in the middle to low rounds that have a high probability to have an impact even as a rookie. My point isn't to say that you are 100% a lock to get <player X> at <pick Y> and if it came across that way that certainly wasn't my intent.Guys "fall" (and get "reached" for) every year. These projections and mocks aren't very accurate. Getting this specific seems like a lot of wasted effort, imo. Maybe I'm just cynical about the draft though. I guess we'll see soon enough.
It makes you wonder if all the tumult in the front office contributed toward the poor decision or inaction. Seems baffling to me as well. And due to the reasonable contract signed you likely aren't going to as high a compensatory pick for losing him. Just awful roster management no matter who was in charge.Chris Baker was never offered a contract by the Skins.
I still don't get that. They let their best defensive lineman go and sign 2 other d-linemen, each for just a shade less money than Baker. Both of the new guys are expected to be backups; Baker was a starter. This team is just terrible at putting together a defensive line.
I used to analyze the draft a great deal and now I don't at all. Too many years watching guys I wanted the Skins to target fall rounds after their projections and still not taking them. Calias Campbell the year we just brought on his college coach and Chris Canty (Virginia) are ones I will never forget.BoltBacker said:Oh, I'm sure you're right. Not all these guys are going to go where they are expected to go.... they never do. More than anything I'm pointing out the number of DT targets there are in this draft and that there will likely be several quality players to target in the middle to low rounds that have a high probability to have an impact even as a rookie. My point isn't to say that you are 100% a lock to get <player X> at <pick Y> and if it came across that way that certainly wasn't my intent.
That was the Thomas/Davis/Kelly draft. What a turd of a draft that wasI used to analyze the draft a great deal and now I don't at all. Too many years watching guys I wanted the Skins to target fall rounds after their projections and still not taking them. Calias Campbell the year we just brought on his college coach and Chris Canty (Virginia) are ones I will never forget.
That really hurt the team for years. AWFUL AWFUL draft.That was the Thomas/Davis/Kelly draft. What a turd of a draft that was
About the only good thing that came out of it was a transcript of Fred Davis acting as his own lawyer in some domestic case.That really hurt the team for years. AWFUL AWFUL draft.That was the Thomas/Davis/Kelly draft. What a turd of a draft that was
That's interesting. It goes against what Keim reported.Chris Baker was never offered a contract by the Skins.
I still don't get that. They let their best defensive lineman go and sign 2 other d-linemen, each for just a shade less money than Baker. Both of the new guys are expected to be backups; Baker was a starter. This team is just terrible at putting together a defensive line.
I wonder if the key word in Baker's quote is "really"....they did attempt to re-sign him, albeit at a lower price than he received from Tampa Bay.
As in, the offer was so much lower than what he was going to get elsewhere that it wasn't worth considering. So they didn't really offer him a contract.“It was really hurtful learning that the Redskins didn’t really offer me a contract,...
Whoa dude. Easy. We got Colt Brennan in that draft!That really hurt the team for years. AWFUL AWFUL draft.
My opinion of Baker is based more on what front office people of other teams have said about him, as opposed to what the Redskins have said about him. And that is that he's better than the 2 guys they signed. Like you, I don't really trust our front office's personnel analysis any more.Anyways, some of the things Keim is reporting on Baker sounds like Keim believes he won't be as big a loss as is being made by fans. He's said a couple positive things about him, but he's also said "The Redskins...wanted his effort to match his ability so he’d be more consistent (that’s a sentiment expressed before his departure from players and coaches, not a post-departure justification)" and "The Redskins did not lose someone they considered a leader" and "...they’re also not sweating the loss of two-thirds of their defensive-line starters from last season".
Maybe we're just too used to mediocrity (or worse). Baker being the best lineman on a bad defensive line might not be the glowing resumѐ we think it is. But the slide back into offseason drama certainly has me second-guessing every personnel move they make (again).
I missed this episode of law and order, but it sounds like it was directed by Larry David. "Objection!"About the only good thing that came out of it was a transcript of Fred Davis acting as his own lawyer in some domestic case.
If the team retaliates by cutting Cravens the way they did Ricky Jean, then it will be a devastating blow to our team. I hope Allen can stomach these comments...More evidence of the front office dysfunction.
It just bothers me that we see more and more evidence that the reason for getting rid of one of their most competent personnel was total BS.
No thanks. Just a guy. A guy the whole league knows. I'd rather someone with more upside. Even a 3th or 5th round rookie.Tim Hightower visits Redskins
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/03/22/tim-hightower-visits-washington/
Could be an interesting pickup ... I could see Hightower getting snaps in a timeshare with Kelly and Thompson. Might be death knell for Jones though...
In the shark pool I took Corey Davis for them, but now I'm thinking they can't risk another dinged up 1st round WR after the Doctson-Debacle(c). I don't have as much faith as some seem to have in Doctson(has anyone even had a report of him running at 100% speed yet?). There are some pretty talented guys that may land in the middle rounds(Zay Jones, Dede Westbrook, Carlos Henderson) unless one of the guys projected in the 2nd round falls to you in the 3rd(Samual, Godwin). After the Pryor/Davis signings it seems like a reach to take WR in the 1st now but I'm not sure you can pass on Mike Williams if he's running under a 4.5 in the 40. Interesting guys on the last day of the draft include Kenny Golladay and Robert Davis. Neither would likely contribute right away but with a season to develop while Pryor is under contract... maybe ready for 2018?Sebowski said:I've seen mocks with us taking, Cook, McCaffrey, and Ross. Defense is our biggest need by far, but it's hard to say these guys wouldn't be upgrades too. Ross would probably be my last choice of these three. Pryor, Docston, Crowder is a good enough 3-set. I know that's assuming a lot for Docston, but I'm a gambler.
Completely agree.Sebowski said:No thanks. Just a guy. A guy the whole league knows. I'd rather someone with more upside. Even a 3th or 5th round rookie.
Hankins is a guy a ton of people on Twitter are wanting. Word is he's looking for a big $ long term deal. But, the longer he sits out there unsigned, I assume the more likely you can get him cheaper. So, not sure if Redskins lack of interest has been $ or fit or that they just don't like him.MikeApf said:https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/football-insider/wp/2017/03/23/these-three-lingering-free-agents-could-fill-redskins-lingering-needs/?utm_term=.9b6d25fa9d3e
Post on three FAs who could still help us: DT Hankins (NYG), ILB Zach Brown (Buff), OLB Walden (Colts). Thoughts on these guys?
I think they like him plenty. And it's pretty certain that after awhile his price will come down. The questions are whether it'll come down enough for the Skins, if they'll even know when it comes down, and if someone will sign him before they do.Hankins is a guy a ton of people on Twitter are wanting. Word is he's looking for a big $ long term deal. But, the longer he sits out there unsigned, I assume the more likely you can get him cheaper. So, not sure if Redskins lack of interest has been $ or fit or that they just don't like him.
Agreed. Good to add more bodies. As Fatness aludes too, note that we are adding some tall receivers..believe Quick is 6-3. I do agree they are looking to improve redzone performance. While I also am wary of "Fade Gate" we should also keep in mind that size can help you in the redzone in non-fade patterns as well.Signed Brian Quick today. He could help if he stays healthy.