[sportscurmudgeon]

The formula for success in the NFL starts with getting sufficient talent on the squad and then molding that talent into a team.


It is pretty clear that I am not nearly as enamored with the talent level on this roster as of 1/4/09 as many others around here are. Of the 22 starters the Skins put on the field for most of the games this year, I'd be surprised if half of them would be starters on a team with a winning record. The team needs a talent upgrade.


Having said that, the Redskins have not been a real team for years now. Bruce Smith used to whine to Danny Boy when he didn't get enough snaps; this is not something that just happened the day before yesterday. And when there are "back-channel" ways to get around the coach, you don't have a team; you have an assemblage of individuals who are playing for individual agendas as much as for team outcomes.