- It took until 4pm today for season ticket holders to get the emails trying to sell them McNabb jerseys. That's where the picture at left comes from. What was the hold up, I wonder?
- I still can't imagine what the Eagles were thinking. They have, of their own volition, significantly improved a bitter rival. Do they have such little respect for the rest of the Redskins roster that they think that even with a major upgrade at quarterback we wouldn't be a threat to them?
- It is certainly true that even McNabb would struggle with the same pass protection afforded to Jason Campbell last year. Sure. But assuming that the remaining offseason activity is going to be focused on upgrading offensive tackle, I would argue that McNabb's presence will make that upgrade much more effective. Campbell, while he would be a very good backup quarterback, probably capped the offense's upside.
- Apparently Albert Haynesworth was offered to the Eagles to kick off these negotiations. If you read this blog regularly at all, you know that makes me livid. The front office was willing to go up against a Haynesworth-Broderick Bunkley team twice a year? If they had done that I wouldn't blame Casey Rabach for just up and quitting.
This would appear to indicate that they can't figure out a way to fit him into the new defensive system. As I have ranted about before, we are very fortunate to have one of the best defensive talents in football, and the system should be fit to Haynesworth rather than the other way around. The storyline being put out there is that the Eagles immediately dismissed this. Any chance that this is at least in part intentional disinformation from the Shanahan/Allen team to either put Haynesworth in his place or send the message to other players (and the media) that Shanahan is in charge and any player is expendable?
- I have at various times said that it was a shame that McNabb played for a team and fanbase that I hate so deeply, because I would otherwise find him pretty easy to root for. So I think it will be fairly easy to fool myself into thinking that he was never "really" an Eagle and that he had always been pining to escape. So basically it only took one night of soul-searching to decide I wouldn't have a problem accepting him as "my quarterback." There, glad that's overwith.
Immediately after the hiring of the Shanahan/Shanahan/Haslett staff, there was considerable media talk about the combination 3-4/4-2 which Haslett will supposedly run. Several players interviewed testified that Blache had run that sort of scheme last year, but with Andre Carter hand-down as a DE rather than rushing upright as an OLB.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds pretty much like the stock variety of 3-4 to me, with blitzes primarily coming from the edges and some 650+ lbs of DT clogging up the middle. Most schemes in the modern NFL are hybrid anyway, with a four-man line in nickel packages and such regardless of 'base' alignment; even Rex Ryan and Dick Lebeau run four-man fronts pretty frequently.
My point is this: the transition to Haslett's defense could be pretty smooth, with the notably massive exception of Maake Kemoeatu at NT bringing us to 700+ lbs at the DT/NT positions alone. That could be really good for the defense and the team, assuming that Haslett won't have our CBs play eight yards off the ball on every single down...thoughts?
Orakpo was basically playing 3-4 last year. As for Carter, however, its not actually clear he would be converted to OLB (given that they have transitioned damn near everyone else, even Lorenzo Alexander, to OLB). So I don't know what Carter's job is.
ReplyDeleteI also have concerns about whether our ILBs can hold up against the run. And Maake is coming off major injury and we don't even know if he'll be effective.
Here's some previous posts in which I worry excessively about the defensive switch:
http://stayingmedium.blogspot.com/2010/02/redskins-and-3-4-defense.html
http://stayingmedium.blogspot.com/2010/02/albert-haynewsorth.html
http://stayingmedium.blogspot.com/2010/03/2009-defensive-line-review.html
http://stayingmedium.blogspot.com/2010/03/2009-linebacker-review.html
You make good points in all of those posts, and I don't see that as 'excessive' worry at all. It would appear that Jim Haslett, much like Dom Capers in Green Bay last year, will have to get very creative with his personnel in the DL/LB front if he's going to make this hodgepodge of pieces fit a 3-4 defense.
ReplyDeleteThe big difference between Green Bay in 2009 and the Redskins roster as it looks for 2010 is that Green Bay has an all-world group of young linebackers. We lack both youth and depth of true LBs at that position, barring a draft-day miracle and productive trades for both Campbell and Carter; I see them as the most likely trade bait, with Campbell a near-certainty now.
I am just glad the a personnel move was made by the Redskins that didn't get leaked to the media by anonymous "employees close to the situation" weeks before it happened. For that reason alone, I am liking the culture change.
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