"The Trade!"

[offiss]

Originally Posted by celts32

I like Portis, but I said it then and I still feel that they gave up way to much for him. And that was proven correct this last offseason when Shawn Alexander and Edge who are both better than CP were both available for less than a 1st round pick. I don't love Bailey anymore either...I would have just taken a draft pick for him instead.

The skins jumped to quick to fill the RB slot when Gibbs returned. Even though we all like portis, you have to admit that Alexander or Edge would be a much better fit for the Gibbs running game. They have had to tweak their running plays to suit Portis and he still does better with the outside running plays...whereas Alexander looks to me like he was born to run the counter trey...

Agreed, at the time if we were trading for a back I wanted Alexander as well, he came cheaper than Portis and is a better back, as well as a better fit for Gibbs system.

Although I would have rathered traded off Bailey for picks and taken either S.Jackson, or Jones from Detroit, and still had more picks left over for other needs, as it sits the the trade with Portis and Bailey could go down as the most overated deal in history.

And you are correct on Alexander's running style he is born to run the trey. Nice job Celt's!

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by offiss

Agreed, at the time if we were trading for a back I wanted Alexander as well, he came cheaper than Portis and is a better back, as well as a better fit for Gibbs system.

Although I would have rathered traded off Bailey for picks and taken either S.Jackson, or Jones from Detroit, and still had more picks left over for other needs, as it sits the the trade with Portis and Bailey could go down as the most overated deal in history.

And you are correct on Alexander's running style he is born to run the trey. Nice job Celt's!

Yeah, you didn't think Portis would fit in Gibbs' system? Why's that?

Actually, the guy I kind of like is the one we'll be facing tomorrow-Lamont Jordan. But I'm quite happy with Portis on our team

[Master4Caster]

I like the thread. A couple of points:

1. The Skins were not going to keep Bailey. Both, Bailey's unhappiness with the team environment and the salary cap meant we were going to lose him. The question was do we release him and get nothing, or go for the best available option?
2. I don't buy that Edgerrin James or Shawn Alexander were available. Yes, they were at the end of their contracts, but I do not believe their teams had any intention of losing them. Most of that chatter about them being available "cheap" was posturing.
3. Clinton Portis was not happy in Denver. Match that with Mike Shanahan's view of RBs as interchangeable, along with the Bronco's crying need for a corner who could single-cover and you have the ingredients for a deal. Portis was the best available rusher at the time. This was a good deal for both sides. (actually Denver's draft choice loses value as the Redskins' record improves)
4. Gibbs does not use CP the way Denver did. He uses him like Riggo or Earnest Byner -- power thru the line. Edgerrin James excells at that, but he was not really available.

Portis excells at cut backs and bouncing outside the line. He added weight, worked the offseason, came to camp and blocks effectively - everything the coaches ask of him. The running game issue is not with Portis. I suspect Shaun Alexander would get the same result if used the same way.

And why did we need a back in the first #@^% place? Because a certain "inexpercienced" owner hired a genius college coach who had no skill evaluating NFL talent and whose offensive scheme had no use for a power rusher. How does Portis compare to Trung Canidate? That's the comparison to make.

What could Gibbs have done with Stephen Davis? Even though he's aging, if Davis were on the roster, I think Gibbs uses the Bailey trade to fill another hole.