***Official*** Washington Redskins 2014 Offseason Thread (1 Viewer)

[RGIII HTTR]

Yeah that was fun, talk about feeling dirty when a cowboy was drafted...giggle giggle...

 

[fatness]

I remember my team wasn't good but I beat buster so the season was a success for me.

 

[fatness]

Redskins also announced hiring of Wes Phillips as tight ends coach.

As reported here earlier, Jay Gruden said the Redskins will look into extending Jim Haslett's contract.

Gruden also confirmed he's considering Earnest Byner as running backs coach and said he plans to hire Ike Hilliard as wide receivers coach.

Gruden said he won't attend the Senior Bowl practices next week but will stay here and work on the offense with Sean McVay.

Gruden said he hopes to have his coaching staff completed next week.

All from Mark Maske; https://twitter.com/MarkMaske

Someone today, either Maske or Keim I think, said Haslett was allowed to choose his own defensive staff for the first time here.

 

[fatness]

Not much support for Haslett.

With the pressure that comes with succeeding in this league, life's a whole lot easier for a novice head coach when situated around familiar faces.

However, despite the familiarity between the two, the mediocre showings by Haslett's defenses since his arrival in 2010 should have written him a ticket out of town. In the statistical category of yards given up per game, Haslett's units have ranked in the bottom half of the league's defenses in three of his four years as the team's defensive coordinator.

Unfortunately for the Redskins moving forward, Haslett's strong bond with the new head coach overshadowed his terrible track record during his tenure as the team's defensive coordinator. Instead of looking forward to a new coordinator leading the defense, we're forced to come to grips with another agonizing year of Haslett running the show on the defensive side of the football.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/washington-redskins-keeping-jim-haslett-huge-mistake-224000877--nfl.html

 

[Marvelous]

You know what that means. Another year of Haslett, with "his guys" and "no HC interference" so he can finally do things "his way". Which, when it doesn't work out, will be blamed on "barren roster" which "takes a few years to remedy" buying Haslett some more years. Of bad.

Yeah, the excuse that will be used is too many new players playing for the first season together...they need time to gel. SMH

Let's just hope he truly has 1 year to prove that he is a legit DC, if not...change. Another thought I had to Haz and several other coaches staying is the angle if Gruden is a 1st time coach, let's ease the transition by keeping part of the structure in place so he can walk before he's asked to run. Basically, let Gruden get his feet wet and maybe his ideal DC is still under contract elsewhere for the next year. Who knows, but it is a thought.

I think you guys are missing that Haslett hired Jay Gruden previously. A lot of hires are based on who you know. There is a strong connection and it would be very difficult for Gruden to dump Haslett. I think Haslett will be here unless he total flops this coming year.

 

[avoiding injuries]

Keeping Haslett makes me less enthusiastic about Gruden and less excited about the near future of this team.

 

[fatness]

2 other teams wanted to talk to Haslett as defensive coordinator. The Redskins refused to allow them to do so. One was the Jets.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/01/18/report-redskins-blocked-jets-request-to-interview-haslett/

 

[Bob Magaw]

A few causes for optimism for Haslett (or should I say, to not have excessive pessimism)...

1 - Reports upthread that Shanahan was "helping"/interfering on scheme and weekly game plan levels.

2 - Salary cap situation better in 2014?

3 - Kerrigan looked great at the beginning of the season but I think was hurt thereafter, and his play suffered. The safety position was also hard hit by injury.

4 - If RG3 is more fully recovered and elevates the offense, that will keep the defense off the field and generally take pressure off.

 

[Sebowski]

Keeping Haslett makes me less enthusiastic about Gruden and less excited about the near future of this team.

 

[Sebowski]

didn't realize he left extremeskins...though i never go there anymore. it's a different place now

Huh? Who's that? I stopped going there basically after they were bought be the 'Skins.

Mark Stevens. Om. This guy.

That guy always came off as a total ##### to me. Arrogant and wordy for the sake of being wordy. I'm not going to bother with the link. Feel free to let me know if he's actually a decent writer now.

And with with you guys that this thread is all the Skins stuff I need. I'm getting pretty desensitized to Goodell's NFL. Hard to get too passionate about it. But whether I like it or not, I still bleed burgundy and black gold.

Speaking of which, been a couple years. I think I'm shooting for the Cardinals and the 49ers away games if anyone wants to share some beers in a parking lot and/or a bar the night before. Maybe get in on a group buy. May have to check an old ES connection for that…..

 

[fatness]

3 - Kerrigan looked great at the beginning of the season but I think was hurt thereafter, and his play suffered. The safety position was also hard hit by injury.

Kerrigan looks like that each year. He only has one move, the other teams have figured that out, and as each season goes on he becomes less and less effective. He plays very hard and is likeable and coachable but so far has not progressed. Perhaps new LB coaches will change that. If no, he's soon going to be back in the ranks of "average" outside LB's.

I like the guy. I hate seeing him go downhill slowly like this. He disappears for huge chunks of games, especially later in the year. I'm hoping the new coaches make a difference.

 

[fatness]

The Redskins obviously haven’t had enough time to put together their playbook -- they'll start going heavy on it after the coaching staff is finalized (the goal, Gruden said, is to have that happen by early next week). But as they continue to discuss how the scheme will look, and the terminology that will be involved, it won’t just be a duplicate of what Gruden did as the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati.“I don’t think it will change a lot,” new Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay said. “The foundation and base principles will remain the same. Jay does a great job of adjusting to his players. He doesn’t make the player adjust to his scheme.”

That means bootlegs, or keepers, and the outside-zone run game that benefited running back Alfred Morris. He rushed for 2,888 yards in his first two seasons under Shanahan – the Redskins ranked third in yards per carry this season and second in 2012. He’ll continue to be a big part of the offense.

“He’ll be the same guy,” McVay said. “The run game will be very similar.”

There is not yet a detailed plan for Griffin’s offseason work. But, obviously, working on fundamentals will be a big part.“With any player, especially at quarterback, I don’t care if you’re talking Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or Drew Brees,” McVay said, “you want to make sure to continue to hammer down the fundamentals and it all starts with your feet. Everything starts with footwork.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/4951/mcvay-run-game-will-be-similar

 

[TxBuckeye]

A few causes for optimism for Haslett (or should I say, to not have excessive pessimism)...

4 - If RG3 is more fully recovered and elevates the offense, that will keep the defense off the field and generally take pressure off.

So, essentially, Haslett will probably still suck, but maybe the offense can hide his deficiencies better? Awesome reason for optimism.

 

[fatness]

I''ve found nobody who's optimistic about Haslett finally leading a top-flight defense except Chris Russell, who seems to have made the complete transition from beat reporter to Redskin-paid homer. Pretty sure Russell has a Jim Haslett Fathead on his wall which he talks to at night.

 

[RGIII HTTR]

Now being reported that Gruden will not attend the Senior Bowl, but Bruce Allen and Front Office members, scouts, and some coaches will be...

I find it interesting that Gruden will not be there, but other coaches will be. Unless he is busy interviewing others to fill staff than I do not understand this lack of involvement. Of course, he could interview potential coaches at the Senior Bowl location too...hmm, I don't want to be a debbie downer, but I'm find myself questioning the Haslett move and now this...

 

[fatness]

Now being reported that Gruden will not attend the Senior Bowl, but Bruce Allen and Front Office members, scouts, and some coaches will be...

I'm not overly worried about that. Gruden does need to finalize his staff, first and foremost. And the Bengals had a reputation for involving coordinators more in drafting decisions than most teams do. He may just be continuing that practice here. The Bengals do have a pretty sound roster.

 

[fatness]

• The Redskins sent defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, offensive line coach Chris Foerster and defensive line coach Jacob Burney to the Senior Bowl. They will be there through Wednesday. Everyone else will stay behind. Jay Gruden and Sean McVay, once the coaching staff is fully assembled, will start putting together the playbook in full force.

http://espn.go.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/4957/quick-takes-coaching-staff?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

 

[fatness]

Besides being OC, Sean McVay will coach the QB's.

http://espn.go.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/4962/qa-sean-mcvay?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

 

[Marvelous]

I''ve found nobody who's optimistic about Haslett finally leading a top-flight defense except Chris Russell, who seems to have made the complete transition from beat reporter to Redskin-paid homer. Pretty sure Russell has a Jim Haslett Fathead on his wall which he talks to at night.

I am not trying to be a Haslett defender, but I do think people's opinion of him may be unnecessarily negative.

Per nfl.com, the Redskins defense ranked 9th in yards allowed, but 23rd in points allowed. The difference sure makes it look like turnovers and the inept special teams made it a lot harder for the Redskins defense. Of course, maybe you could claim that the defense gave up less yards since the opponents had so many short fields.

The Redskins were also 5th in rushing yards allowed, and 26th in passing yards allowed. The defense really may not be as bad as it seemed. Also, the first 3 games of the season, the defense was horrible (no excuses for that). But afterwards, the stats suggest it was actually a decent defense.

 

[jbz]

They certainly got put in some bad spots by the offense and special teams, but the proof is in the pudding. Haslett's defenses have never been considered top notch and they've never even been mediocre here. I'm all for continuity and all that, but retaining him is one thing. Extending him is another. I can't imagine getting raise from my boss for ranking in the bottom 3rd of my peers at my job. Funny how the NFL works sometimes. I hope they prove us wrong.

 

[avoiding injuries]

They certainly got put in some bad spots by the offense and special teams, but the proof is in the pudding. Haslett's defenses have never been considered top notch and they've never even been mediocre here. I'm all for continuity and all that, but retaining him is one thing. Extending him is another. I can't imagine getting raise from my boss for ranking in the bottom 3rd of my peers at my job. Funny how the NFL works sometimes. I hope they prove us wrong.

That's because you didn't do your boss a solid at a previous employer.

 

[RGIII HTTR]

Now being reported that Gruden will not attend the Senior Bowl, but Bruce Allen and Front Office members, scouts, and some coaches will be...

I'm not overly worried about that. Gruden does need to finalize his staff, first and foremost. And the Bengals had a reputation for involving coordinators more in drafting decisions than most teams do. He may just be continuing that practice here. The Bengals do have a pretty sound roster.

Yeah, it was reported later in the day that it was to finalize staff, but more importantly he staying behind to create the playbook. I'll cut him some slack...this time. Hehehe...

 

[jbz]

They certainly got put in some bad spots by the offense and special teams, but the proof is in the pudding. Haslett's defenses have never been considered top notch and they've never even been mediocre here. I'm all for continuity and all that, but retaining him is one thing. Extending him is another. I can't imagine getting raise from my boss for ranking in the bottom 3rd of my peers at my job. Funny how the NFL works sometimes. I hope they prove us wrong.

That's because you didn't do your boss a solid at a previous employer.

mental note, do more solid stuff for my boss

 

[MattFancy]

• The Redskins sent defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, offensive line coach Chris Foerster and defensive line coach Jacob Burney to the Senior Bowl. They will be there through Wednesday. Everyone else will stay behind. Jay Gruden and Sean McVay, once the coaching staff is fully assembled, will start putting together the playbook in full force.

http://espn.go.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/4957/quick-takes-coaching-staff?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Guess we're looking at drafting defensive players and OL then lol

 

[dgreen]

Yeah, I have no problem with Gruden staying in Ashburn. I think it's probably good that he's not trying to do everything.

 

[(HULK)]

Not sure if it was mentioned already, but they hired Ike as wr coach

 

[RGIII HTTR]

I just told the Browns thread that I have removed myself from consideration for the Browns Head Coaching job...

 

[dgreen]

I just told the Browns thread that I have removed myself from consideration for the Browns Head Coaching job...

I bet Zorn would take it.

 

[fatness]

I just told the Browns thread that I have removed myself from consideration for the Browns Head Coaching job...

Eventually the only person interested in the job will be Mike Shanahan.

Then he'll show us.

 

[hammerva]

Should definitely check out the NFL Football Life story on former Skins Tight End Jerry Smith and he struggles with people an NFL star while trying to hide in the closest as a homosexual. It is great to see that there was so much friendship and love for the guy even when they found out he was gay and had AIDS in the early 80's. Even hard ### Vince Lombardi was extremely tolerant of gays since he had a gay relative. You definitely can't compare being gay in the NFL in the 60's/70's and having AIDS in the early 80's like today it was so tough.

 

[5 Digits]

I''ve found nobody who's optimistic about Haslett finally leading a top-flight defense except Chris Russell, who seems to have made the complete transition from beat reporter to Redskin-paid homer. Pretty sure Russell has a Jim Haslett Fathead on his wall which he talks to at night.

I am not trying to be a Haslett defender, but I do think people's opinion of him may be unnecessarily negative.

Per nfl.com, the Redskins defense ranked 9th in yards allowed, but 23rd in points allowed. The difference sure makes it look like turnovers and the inept special teams made it a lot harder for the Redskins defense. Of course, maybe you could claim that the defense gave up less yards since the opponents had so many short fields.

The Redskins were also 5th in rushing yards allowed, and 26th in passing yards allowed. The defense really may not be as bad as it seemed. Also, the first 3 games of the season, the defense was horrible (no excuses for that). But afterwards, the stats suggest it was actually a decent defense.

I'm not as down on him as most are either. It's hard to judge a coordinator on results. There are just so many people and so many things that influence the success of a defense. The last 4 years in Washington has obviously been a terrible place to be a defensive coordinator if the stories coming out are true (and I don't see anyone refuting them). I don't care who you are, your defense is going to be bad if your HC refuses to draft defensive talent, interferes in your meetings and game plans, and places poor position coaches on your staff. Beyond that you've only got a few years in St Louis, a few years with the Steelers, and one year with the Saints to judge, which really is not a great sample to draw any conclusions from. The players and coaches who work with him every day and understand his philosophy and how he coaches are much better judges of what kind of coach he is. If they respect him and want to work for him I don't care what the fans think.

 

[dgreen]

Should definitely check out the NFL Football Life story on former Skins Tight End Jerry Smith and he struggles with people an NFL star while trying to hide in the closest as a homosexual. It is great to see that there was so much friendship and love for the guy even when they found out he was gay and had AIDS in the early 80's. Even hard ### Vince Lombardi was extremely tolerant of gays since he had a gay relative. You definitely can't compare being gay in the NFL in the 60's/70's and having AIDS in the early 80's like today it was so tough.

Thanks. I'll definitely check it out. I bet a bunch of younger or casual fans were thinking, "Jerry Smith? Why is there an NFL Football Life episode on this guy?"

 

[MattFancy]

Should definitely check out the NFL Football Life story on former Skins Tight End Jerry Smith and he struggles with people an NFL star while trying to hide in the closest as a homosexual. It is great to see that there was so much friendship and love for the guy even when they found out he was gay and had AIDS in the early 80's. Even hard ### Vince Lombardi was extremely tolerant of gays since he had a gay relative. You definitely can't compare being gay in the NFL in the 60's/70's and having AIDS in the early 80's like today it was so tough.

Watched it last night and thought it was great. I'll admit I had no clue about the back story of Jerry Smith. I just thought he was a really good TE for us back in the day. Pretty incredible story. The biggest part of the story is how in the world is he not in the HoF? Better stats than Ditka and some of the other TEs already in there. He had the TD record for TEs for 20-some years. Put that man in the HoF!

 

[fatness]

Beyond that you've only got a few years in St Louis, a few years with the Steelers, and one year with the Saints to judge, which really is not a great sample to draw any conclusions from. The players and coaches who work with him every day and understand his philosophy and how he coaches are much better judges of what kind of coach he is. If they respect him and want to work for him I don't care what the fans think.

I'm going to emphasize the other side of this one. Haslett hasn't shown he's good anywhere he's coached. And I don't think the players who play under him (who aren't going to question him for job security reasons) are the best judges of him. Opposing offensive coordinators are the best judge. And when you hear multiple OC's report that they knew what defense Haslett was going to call you know he's routinely predictable and his defense is beatable as a result.

 

[fatness]

Good article on Griffin and Gruden by John Keim. Too much to quote.

 

[Ted Mullins]

Beyond that you've only got a few years in St Louis, a few years with the Steelers, and one year with the Saints to judge, which really is not a great sample to draw any conclusions from. The players and coaches who work with him every day and understand his philosophy and how he coaches are much better judges of what kind of coach he is. If they respect him and want to work for him I don't care what the fans think.

I'm going to emphasize the other side of this one. Haslett hasn't shown he's good anywhere he's coached. And I don't think the players who play under him (who aren't going to question him for job security reasons) are the best judges of him. Opposing offensive coordinators are the best judge. And when you hear multiple OC's report that they knew what defense Haslett was going to call you know he's routinely predictable and his defense is beatable as a result.

This is pretty spot on for me as well. After reading a little more I realized that the Skins defense wasn't as bad as I had perceived it this past year, but I don't see anything in Haslett's track record that makes me feel good about him being here still either.

 

[MattFancy]

Beyond that you've only got a few years in St Louis, a few years with the Steelers, and one year with the Saints to judge, which really is not a great sample to draw any conclusions from. The players and coaches who work with him every day and understand his philosophy and how he coaches are much better judges of what kind of coach he is. If they respect him and want to work for him I don't care what the fans think.

I'm going to emphasize the other side of this one. Haslett hasn't shown he's good anywhere he's coached. And I don't think the players who play under him (who aren't going to question him for job security reasons) are the best judges of him. Opposing offensive coordinators are the best judge. And when you hear multiple OC's report that they knew what defense Haslett was going to call you know he's routinely predictable and his defense is beatable as a result.

This is pretty spot on for me as well. After reading a little more I realized that the Skins defense wasn't as bad as I had perceived it this past year, but I don't see anything in Haslett's track record that makes me feel good about him being here still either.

I'd agree with this. Our defense wasn't a complete train wreck, but they did have some bright spots. Now is Haslett the right guy to get it turned around? I don't think so, but I'm willing to give him another shot. If we don't get any better after this season, I'm done with him.

 

[dgreen]

I think the best we can predict with Haslett is an average defense. That can be ok for a while if you have a great offense. But, obviously, it would be nice to feel more confident about the defense and have a shot at a great defense.

 

[MattFancy]

I think the best we can predict with Haslett is an average defense. That can be ok for a while if you have a great offense. But, obviously, it would be nice to feel more confident about the defense and have a shot at a great defense.

I think average can work in today's NFL. Outside of Seattle, San Fran and Carolina, are there really any other stellar defenses? I mean New England, Denver, Green Bay, San Diego, Philly and Indy didn't make the playoffs because of their great defense.

 

[dgreen]

I think the best we can predict with Haslett is an average defense. That can be ok for a while if you have a great offense. But, obviously, it would be nice to feel more confident about the defense and have a shot at a great defense.

I think average can work in today's NFL. Outside of Seattle, San Fran and Carolina, are there really any other stellar defenses? I mean New England, Denver, Green Bay, San Diego, Philly and Indy didn't make the playoffs because of their great defense.

Average (with a good offense) is certainly good enough to get the playoffs. I think we saw that here last year.

 

[Marvelous]

I think the best we can predict with Haslett is an average defense. That can be ok for a while if you have a great offense. But, obviously, it would be nice to feel more confident about the defense and have a shot at a great defense.

I think average can work in today's NFL. Outside of Seattle, San Fran and Carolina, are there really any other stellar defenses? I mean New England, Denver, Green Bay, San Diego, Philly and Indy didn't make the playoffs because of their great defense.

I think if we can get an average defense, an average offense, and an average special teams, we should be on our way to an 8-8 record. With a break here or there (especially with injuries), we could be a playoff team.

Average really doesn't sound so bad compared to where the Redskins have been.

 

[MattFancy]

I think the best we can predict with Haslett is an average defense. That can be ok for a while if you have a great offense. But, obviously, it would be nice to feel more confident about the defense and have a shot at a great defense.

I think average can work in today's NFL. Outside of Seattle, San Fran and Carolina, are there really any other stellar defenses? I mean New England, Denver, Green Bay, San Diego, Philly and Indy didn't make the playoffs because of their great defense.

Average (with a good offense) is certainly good enough to get the playoffs. I think we saw that here last year.

Yup. Having a good offense is really all you need now. In terms of scoring (because I hate going by yards) Carolina was the lowest ranked playoff team at #18. The only 2 teams in the top 12 that didn't make the playoffs were Chicago (#2) and Dallas (#5). They were also #30 and #26 respectively in scoring allowed. The teams that allowed the most points in the playoffs? Denver (#22) and Green Bay (#24).

 

[Marvelous]

If you all did not hear Adam Schefter on ESPN980 at lunch today. He said in the 2008 draft, the Redskins front office, including Vinny Cerrato, wanted to draft Jamaal Charles with the last of their 2nd round picks. But they were overruled by Snyder, who wanted Malcolm Kelley.

 

[Swing 51]

If you all did not hear Adam Schefter on ESPN980 at lunch today. He said in the 2008 draft, the Redskins front office, including Vinny Cerrato, wanted to draft Jamaal Charles with the last of their 2nd round picks. But they were overruled by Snyder, who wanted Malcolm Kelley.

Sounds about right.

 

[jbz]

If you all did not hear Adam Schefter on ESPN980 at lunch today. He said in the 2008 draft, the Redskins front office, including Vinny Cerrato, wanted to draft Jamaal Charles with the last of their 2nd round picks. But they were overruled by Snyder, who wanted Malcolm Kelley.

I weep at this thought. I hated the Kelly pick at the time. Was overkill with getting Thomas and the reports of his balky knees. The size/production of Kelly was probably too much for Snyder to resist.

 

[Ted Mullins]

If you all did not hear Adam Schefter on ESPN980 at lunch today. He said in the 2008 draft, the Redskins front office, including Vinny Cerrato, wanted to draft Jamaal Charles with the last of their 2nd round picks. But they were overruled by Snyder, who wanted Malcolm Kelley.

Lol, worst part is we actually missed out on him twice - http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/19/jamaal-charles-was-once-almost-dealt-to-the-redskins/ - looks like we offered a fourth and they countered and asked for a third and we backed off. If you had Charles on your fantasy team around that time then you probably remember that Todd Haley really seemed to dislike him, or at least didn't think he could handle anywhere near a full load.

Really sucks because I personally think that of the guys from the last ~5 years he is second only to AP at his position talent-wise. Unreal burst and vision. 5 YPC or better every year, including a year over 6 YPC on 230 carries

 

[fatness]

Doug Williams might be coming to the Skins front office.

 

[fatness]

If you all did not hear Adam Schefter on ESPN980 at lunch today. He said in the 2008 draft, the Redskins front office, including Vinny Cerrato, wanted to draft Jamaal Charles with the last of their 2nd round picks. But they were overruled by Snyder, who wanted Malcolm Kelley.

In less civilized societies, parts of Dan Snyder would be found in different trees for this.

Here we have message boards. #### you, Dan.

 

[fatness]

Speaking of Haslett (since we're stuck with him for another year at least), Haslett speaks.

Haslett described himself as in the early stages of pre-draft evaluations, but called this year’s class, which features a record 98 underclassmen, deeper than past drafts, and because of that, he believes more impact players will enter the NFL.

The Redskins this spring could look to the draft to fill holes and upgrade depth in their secondary, linebacking corps, and defensive line.

But first comes free agency, and Haslett called the re-signing of top pass rusher Brian Orakpo, inside linebacker Perry Riley Jr., defensive end Chris Baker and cornerback DeAngelo Hall priority moves for the Redskins.

I'll agree with all those re-signings as long as Orakpo doesn't cost too much. He played very well the last half of the season but he has a noticeable injury history and is a risk. Riley, Baker, Hall --- those are 3 good players they need who won't cost nearly what Orakpo will.

By the way I think Carricker is done. He'll be there again next year but I think he'll be hurt and useless again before too long. The Skins hang on too long to repeatedly-injured guys. I'm still waiting on Jamaal Brown and Jon Jansen to rebound. And Malcolm Kelly.

 

[fatness]

What is different on this year's defensive coaching staff is the new LB coaches. The D-line and secondary coaches are the same.