Thanks to all who submitted questions. And have a Happy New Year.
John: Happy New Year John, you definitely have the best Redskins coverage available. Is it just me or do the Redskins play their best football once they are eliminated from playoff contention??
Jimmie and Wella Crowder
J&W: Thank you. I think there’s a lot of talented people on this beat and that makes us all better. Redskins fans are lucky. Anyway, to your answer … I’m not sure that is the case. The past two years they were a combined 2-8 in December and January and in 2006 under Joe Gibbs they were 1-4 in the final five. The last time they finished strong in a non-playoff season was in 2004 when they were 3-2 in the last five games.
JK
Hi John: Thanks as always for taking our questions. Who gets credit and blame for the Redskins new players this year? Here’s my guesses:
Ryan Torain – credit Mike Shanahan
Anthony Armstrong – credit Morocco Brown
Brandon Banks – credit Scott Campbell
Adam Carriker – credit Jim Haslett
Joey Galloway – blame Mike Shanahan
Rex Grossman – credit Kyle Shanahan (blame?)
Trent Williams – credit Mike Shanahan
Ma’ake Kemoeatu – blame Bruce Allen
Phillip Buchanan – credit Bruce Allen
Donovan McNabb – blame Mike Shanahan
Larry Johnson – blame Mike Shanahan
Willie Parker – blame Mike Shanahan
From the outside perspective, it seems there needs to be more of Morocco Brown and less Mike Shanahan when it comes to signing free agents.
Happy Holidays!
Joe Mcalear
Joe: That’s quite a list (and good educated stabs). Not sure any one guy is responsible, though when there are ties to a player clearly there’s better inside knowledge. I will say, Mike Shanahan’s record in personnel moves is not a strong one and it’s why he ended up stumbling in Denver. That franchise was mostly built by the time he arrived and he spent most of his time just having to patch and not rebuild. Numerous people will have decisions on players here; the ultimate say is up to Shanahan. Trent Williams, for example, was looked at by the scouts, worked out by O-line coach Chris Foerster and Shanahan. But the final call on the pick is Shanahan’s.
JK
Hi John: Depending on the situation in Denver/Houston: Is their serious consideration that Gary Kubiak and Rick Dennison join the coaching staff for next year (pending an offer from Denver)?
Would Coach Shanahan consider hiring one of his own like Rich Smith, current GM of Houston and/or Ted Sundquist (sp) to help him with scouting and bringing in “his type of guys” for next year?
We know Bruce Allen is here for contract administration, alumni activities, etc.
Thanks
Chris Messick
Chris: Looks like Kubiak, amazingly, will survive in Houston so that’s out. Don’t know Smith’s status and I can’t imagine Sundquist working with Shanahan again. Remember, he was fired in Denver when Shanahan was there and from what I hear, he’s not high on working with Shanny. You’re right about Bruce; he’s not out scouting guys or heavily involved in personnel moves. It’s not his strength and that’s fine, but I do think it would help to have a stronger personnel guy in this role. But I could see some changes in the front office now that Shanahan has had a year to work with them.
JK
John: Granted, it bites the front office in the backside every time but given the state of the defense is there any possibility the Redskins might trade draft picks for a bona fide nose tackle? It’s a very difficult position to draft and Haloti Ngata might be available. Would he or someone similar be worth franchise tag cost to these Washington Redskins? And would this front office make such a trade? Thanks for your time.
Michael
Michael: I can’t imagine Baltimore allowing that to happen. He’s too critical to the Ravens’ defense. But I do think the Redskins will be aggressive in pursuing elite talent; just depends who’s available and I haven’t really studied the free agents too hard yet (I know there are some good outside linebackers). Plus some of them will stick with their teams. I think anything is possible this offseason, but if I’m the Redskins I’d rather sign free agents without surrendering draft picks. Otherwise, they’ll just be doing what they’ve always done.
JK
Hi John: I’m an English Redskins fan – have supported the Skins since 1987. Visited DC for my 4th game in four years this October. I thought Monday Night Football and the visiting Eagles would be the perfect game to come and see – how wrong I was!
Anyway, I have two questions for you. Firstly, during your last question time you were asked about which players you’d keep next season, and I’m pretty sure you left Anthony Armstrong off the list. I’m hoping that was by mistake because I think he’s been fantastic this season. How good can he be? Is he a legit No2 for next season alongside Moss, or will Shanny go and get a big name like Jackson? Or does Malcolm Kelly still have a future in DC?
Secondly, I’ve got draft picks on my mind. How can Shanny and Bruce get some more? Is there any trade value at all in the likes of McNabb and Albert? Will McIntosh be someone the Skins will look to trade for a pick?
Keep up the good work
Andrew Sherwood
Andrew: Bummer about flying over for that game. At least the traffic after the game probably wasn’t too bad, but guessing that didn’t soothe the disappointment. Yes, I would definitely keep Armstrong. He can be a productive receiver in a good offense. For most of the season I thought he was better as a No. 3 in a good offense. I think they’d like to have more size in one of their starting wideouts (which is where Jackson comes in). But I love what Armstrong does: he can run different routes; he’s tough and he blocks pretty well. But I do think they’ll try to upgrade at this spot; they have no choice. I don’t have much faith that Malcolm will ever develop here. As for adding picks, I’ve already heard that a couple teams likely would be interested in Albert so you might be able to get a fifth-rounder for him. McNabb? His contract next year makes it tough to trade him, so my guess is he’ll be released. And I can’t imagine Rocky would fetch much. He’s a nice player, but not sure he’s a guy I’d trade for. He’s also a free agent. If a team wants him, they’ll just sign him.
JK
John: I think some people are somewhat harsh on Shanahan for not using the word “rebuilding” and for not saying we are going to lose a lot before we win. I think that’s ludicrous. Rarely do coaches use the word “rebuild” and how can you coach players when you tell them you don’t expect to win.
The team has gotten younger, Shanahan and Allen have said things aren’t going to happen overnight. There was so much they could do last off season, Vinny already traded 2 of their draft picks, the free agency crop stunk. I understand the McNabb trade gives a different vibe but should they be painted completely by that brush? And at worst, isn’t it clear that they realize they overestimated the talent here and now realize they need an overhaul?
Mike Kaplan
Mike: I agree with you on the rebuild part. No coach of Shanahan’s magnitude would think he’d be sitting at 6-9, so why would he tell everyone that this could happen? And, in fairness, Shanahan did say it would not happen overnight. But I think some of the moves they made – McNabb for starters – sold people on perhaps a quick fix. Considering most of the media picked them under .500, I don’t think any of us believed they were contenders. The McNabb trade was a biggie because of the position he plays; they still haven’t solved the most important spot. I don’t know if they overestimated their talent or their coaching ability. But I’d have to say it’s clear to them what they now need. It’s almost like this was a 16-game exhibition season designed to “evaluate” and was just “part of the process.” For obvious reasons, I can’t say more.
JK
John: Happy almost new year to you! My question is have you heard anything about the new CBA. I saw a report where the commissioner said he expected a new deal by the super bowl. If that’s true, how active do you expect the Skins to be in the offseason? With so many holes and so few picks I think we’ll be aggressive, but as opposed to a few years ago instead of signing the premier name (AH) to a record deal I’m hoping they sign a bunch of second level younger guys to provide some depth and stability to several spots.
Thanks,
Jack Rash
Jack: In talking to Redskins union rep Vonnie Holliday, he does not share the commissioner’s optimism. But at some point the lockout will be over. The question is: what becomes of free agency? If the lockout ends in, say, June, there’s always the chance they could say they’ll use the same system in place last year. But my guess is they will be aggressive. They managed their cap well, so I think they’ll go after some A-listers. Depth is a necessity, but they need starting talent. I’m guessing they can’t wait to get started.
JK
John: Thanks for the opportunity to ask a question, i’ve followed your columns all season but never felt as if i should ask anything myself. Here goes.
Orakpo has been one of the shining stars of the past two years and it’s certainly backed up by his first pro bowl as well as his relatively consistent play on the field. He was dominant his first year as a rookie, but things have cooled down this year as teams are learning how to control him. He still seems a bit out of place as a stand-up linebacker in a 3-4 defense, particularly against the run, or dropping back in coverage. Haslett said before the season started this year that Orakpo would be rushing the passer at least 3x more than he did last year, but he just doesn’t seem to be dominating the backfield like I know so many of us had hoped for this season.
When I’m back home in DC, and honestly a lot of the local beat media are quite sold on it too, everyone is quick to point out that Rak gets held on every play. And while this may be true, you could also make a VERY good argument that there is holding on every play in the NFL that doesn’t get called and that the elite pass rushers in the league are “un-holdable”. Does Orakpo simply need more experience? Does he need to be rushing from a 3 point stance all the time? I feel like we may be trying to change what Orakpo is good at and its not suiting his raw talent as a pass rusher.
What is your take?
Thanks again John –
Nolan Camp
Nolan: My pleasure… One reason I liked Orakpo in this defense is that he’s closer to the line of scrimmage, which enables him to be more explosive going into linemen. He was not moved around as much in the second half of the season and I think that might have hurt him a little bit. But losing Albert Haynesworth didn’t help, either. Orakpo’s stunts were much more effective with Haynesworth. Another factor: Orakpo needs another move; right now he’s either speed or bull rush. He needs a changeup to complete the package. He does get held an awful lot, many of which were called (but not all). When he came out, there was debate about which defense he’d be best in; there was concern about his ability to cover in a 3-4.
JK
John: Do you think Can Newton could be successful in Kyle Shanahan’s system?
Dan Schafer
Dan: Not immediately. But he has a good arm and a lot of athleticism. That’s a start. In all honesty, I have not watched him that intently to know enough as to how he would fit. But, in listening to the experts, it sounds like Newton could take a while and that his mechanics need some work. Also, my concern is that he would only have started for one year in college. Granted, he did well, but the QBs who typically succeed in the NFL have started for a longer time in college. And if this offense is difficult for veterans to learn, I’d have a hard time believing a rookie could grasp it quickly. Having said all that, they need to find a young QB and any of them will take a little time. I’d want one who doesn’t need a lot of work on mechanics.
JK
John: Thanks for your ongoing insight into the team as it develops. I have a few questions related to building the roster for the next season. 1) Scouting must be part of the Redskins past problems—was there turnover in the scouting department associated with the coaching changes last year that would cause one to be more hopeful? 2) Can you shed light on what we get for Campbell since I expect there was some “conditional” part of the trade based on his performance or number of starts/plays/etc?
Sean Cook
Sean: There wasn’t much turnover in the front office last offseason, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a little bit more this offseason. The Redskins received a fourth-round pick in 2012 for Campbell.
JK
