Upshaw and Bauman are released

[joecrisp]

Originally Posted by jamf

i dont know what you Mccullough fans see in him.

sultan is a trung canidate clone. they both are looking for a job. they also hesitate in the backfield. i watched everyone of sultans runs this preseason and not once did he just hit a hole, everytime he got the ball, he danced in backfield.

You know, despite being one of "those McCullough fans," I've seen pretty much what you've seen. I've been very frustrated by Sultan's apparent inability to adapt to a more north-south running style, which would actually serve him much better than the sort of "dancing niftiness" he seemingly aspires to. I was hoping that Coach Byner would get a hold of him and teach him to attack the hole more aggressively, but apparently, the staff felt it was time to move on.

Joe Theismann made a great point about McCullough during the last broadcast, though. He said that perhaps McCullough's hesitancy is a result of constantly playing against backups and waiver-fodder; that playing against those lesser defenders has sort of stunted his growth as an NFL runningback, and I would tend to agree with that assessment. He's never been forced to learn the hard way that you simply don't have time to dance around and pick and choose your holes when starter-caliber defenders are on the field. Actually, I guess getting cut would be called learning the hard way, but I think he would have benefitted much more if he had been given more opportunities in preseason games to play against starting defenses.

I still think there's an NFL coach out there that's going to get a hold of this kid and teach him how to run like an NFL back, and when that day comes, McCullough is going to be a very dangerous runner. But it looks to me like he really does need to mature and humble himself a bit. I think right now he's still suffering from the college star syndrome that makes him believe he's too good to change his ways, and makes him feel like he's above committing himself to the fundamental aspects of playing in the NFL-- which includes developing as a special-teamer. Hopefully, getting cut will knock his ego down a couple notches, putting him in a more coachable frame of mind, and the Skins will pick him up on the practice squad. It sounds like he wants to be here, even if it means the practice squad, so maybe that maturing process has begun already.

[offiss]

Originally Posted by jamf

i dont know what you Mccullough fans see in him.

sultan is a trung canidate clone. they both are looking for a job. they also hesitate in the backfield. i watched everyone of sultans runs this preseason and not once did he just hit a hole, everytime he got the ball, he danced in backfield.

i love fast players. but having a trackstar at RB is overrated.
for a running back to be a good player, they have to go throught he gap before it gets filled by a linemen or linbacker. sultan doesnt have the stones to run through the assigned gap and face a linebacker head up. he cant runover a LB or make them miss. he can only run by them.

the only way sultan will be a solid player is if he find a team that only runs sweeps.

I really haven't seen Sultan enough to make that evaluation, but that was my evaluation of Trung the day we traded for him, and it hasen't changed, hesitation in the backfield is unacceptable, I also think attitude had something to do with Sultan's release, although he probably didn't cause any problem's Gibb's and co. may have sniffed out the potential for for it in Sultan, Gibb's was very clear on bringing in Redskin's, not just talent.

[Shane]

Yeah, if the coaches say or do anything, it must be right. After all they won three Super Bowls. So, it's ridiculous to have an opinion that differs. One should have only the opinion that they have about anything related to this subject. It isn't possible that they made a mistake. I mean Sultan wasn't even drafted, either. I find this whole business of having a different opinion just un-thinkable.

[Hogskin]

Originally Posted by Shane

Yeah, if the coaches say or do anything, it must be right. After all they won three Super Bowls. So, it's ridiculous to have an opinion that differs. One should have only the opinion that they have about anything related to this subject. It isn't possible that they made a mistake. I mean Sultan wasn't even drafted, either. I find this whole business of having a different opinion just un-thinkable.

Well, I was staying out of this one, but this cute, misplaced sarcasm drew me in. The point might have been half decent if it wasn't that:

-The differing opinions that it defends are from folks who get little snippets 3rd-hand from reporters who know less than the average fan, and brief pre-season games, where you see what the camera-man decides you should see.

- These same folks are basically "casual observers" supporting the team, who haven't a clue of what happens 99% of the time in practices, meetings, and plays that the camera misses.

- The coaches being criticized are the best in their profession, working 18-20 hours a day for the past several months to be able to make these decisions.

Oh yeah, let's go with these critiques. And on the next space shot, I will head to Houston to advise the scientists. I saw the last few space shots on TV. And I spent the night at the Marriott...

[jbcjr14]

Jimoh made it? You have got to be kidding me! I guess he is a good ST player, cause his coverage skills are just plain ass!

[wolfeskins]

lets not forget,suttan mccullough wasn't even drafted out of college. he's really not that good,dont be fooled by seeing him do well against 4th string talent

[SKINSnCANES]

I really wanted Sultan to do well, and the coaching staff gave him every opportunity to shine, but he did have a poor avg yd per carry against backups. When he started getting teh ball 25 times the last two games I pretty much knew he wasnt on the team and that we were resting our main guys. He would have had to prove himself a lot more to have mad the team.

Im glad rocks on the team, hes got the best name in football and a ton of heart. he really wanted to be a skin and that dedication goes a long way in gibbs mind.

[MTK]

I have no problem with having a different opinion, that's why this board is here.

It just seems a little silly to me to blast a coaching staff with credentials like this one and to so strongly question moves like dropping an undrafted RB to the practice squad. And it's worth noting he did make it to the PS without another team claiming him, so I guess this staff isn't the only one that thinks he's not worthy of a regular season roster spot.

Maybe the whole league is missing the boat on Sultan McCullough, who knows?? Somehow I doubt it though.

[jdlea]

I don't think McCullough belongs on the team and I don't think he should have been put on the practice squad after saying what he said. Ungrateful punk, he's not even a good running back.

[That Guy]

well, what he said was honest in his mind, if not full of tact, but he did say he wanted to be here, and that's good for him, cause no one else offered to pick him up.

[love them hogs]

I can agree with all of those cuts.None of them were impact players and who knows maybe Gibbs is just weeding out none "Redskin" guys.

[monk81]

I was a tad surprised about Upshaw too......

[im4skins]

The sultan of Squat should of never been considered for the team. Averaging 3.4 yards a carry is what Eddie George did and he's being called a has been. I would like to see the redskins get a better back up to portis though. When I see teams with 3-to-4 decent, not great, running backs deep, I would like to see washington get a better insurance runner to back up portis.