Toughest off-season ?

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

There are definately reasons to be concerned about this offseason. We have SERIOUS question marks at QB, WR, TE, DE and MLB. Moreover, that half of our starting lineup is different than it was last year (Ramsey, Cooley, Royal, Jansen, Rabach, Patten, Moss, Marshall, Harris, Taylor, and Daniels) raises questions about team chemistry. Finally, we lost two great players in Smoot (who was also a team leader) and Pierce.

That said, as we all know by now, major offseason additions don't secure the Lombardi trophy. Additionally, of the new starters mentioned above, only three (Rabach, Moss, and Patten) are new to the team. Third, we shed some of the unhappy players (Coles and Gardner). Fourth, Gibbs has a year of coaching under his belt, so his offensive game planning should be much better. Fifth, Gibbs has a much better understanding of "what he has to work with" and how to maximize the talent on his team. Sixth, the players are no longer new to Gibbs. Seventh, the loss of Smoot should be made up for by the acquisition of Rogers (who, even though raw, is probably more gifted and a better fit for Williams' defense than Smoot). Eighth, the loss of Pierce is made up for by the return of Arrington and the rise of Marshall.

I don't think this was the "toughest offseason." Although we didn't know it at the time, the 2000 offseason was the toughest - it raised our expectations (considering we went to the playoffs the year before), messed with the cap, cost us "development time" of younger players, and hurt the Redskins' good name in the eyes of the football "experts."