Peppers says he wants to explore free agency

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by sandtrapjack

According to the press release on Fox Sports, Peppers specifically mentioned wanting to cross over from the 4-3 to the 3-4 defense.

FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - Peppers won't sign long-term deal with Panthers

Which a lot of people think will be a mistake

[TheSmurfs22]

Haynesworth is a good player no doubt but his character and the way he conducts himself is a big turnoff for me.
Stick to the draft and build that way. Enough of this paying for overpriced players who end up doing little to nothing.

[53Fan]

Maybe the Cowgirls will sign Haynesworth. You know.....team chemistry and stuff.

[KingOFCali]

Here we go again as redskins thinking about the fools gold. Peppers was a beast about a few years ago. But after injuries he isn't worth more then the pen the check is writen with. Haven't we learned anything from Jason Taylor?

[GusFrerotte]

No high priced FAs please!!!!!! Unless you guys want to root for a crappy team for the better part of this decade we need to really get smart with the draft scouting and try ti get more picks if necessary via trading someone of value.

[Dirtbag59]

Before I forget. If what Smootsmack said has the merrit that I think it has then that's seems like a direct contradiction against Vinny's front for "oh we take the best player available because when you draft for need you get in trouble." What Smoot described sounded more like a "thats our guy" mentality (especially with the infatuation as it relates to Cushing) as well as the idea that they can get this particular running back in the third round. To elaborate it sounds like they already know what they want and they're going along the path of do first, answer questions later.

Maybe I'm wrong but from where I'm sitting this is how the front office's possible "plan" looks.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

Before I forget. If what Smootsmack said has the merrit that I think it has then that's seems like a direct contradiction against Vinny's front for "oh we take the best player available because when you draft for need you get in trouble." What Smoot described sounded more like a "thats our guy" mentality (especially with the infatuation as it relates to Cushing) as well as the idea that they can get this particular running back in the third round. To elaborate it sounds like they already know what they want and they're going along the path of do first, answer questions later.

Maybe I'm wrong but from where I'm sitting this is how the front office's possible "plan" looks.

It's not necessarily a contradiction. Yes they really like Cushing (from what I've heard) and they believe they need a linebacker but they won't necessarily take him if he's there if a better player (regardless of position is there) and they feel they can fill their need for a linebacker later on. It just so happens that they apparently think Cushing will be there at 13 (I don't see why he wouldn't be) and that he is not only a need but also the best player available at that point (assuming other players go as planned).

But it's so early in the process. Next week, approximately, the staff will start to really detail their wish list for free agency. Over the next couple of months as free agency shakes out, they'll get a sense of what they want to accomplish in the draft.

[SmootSmack]

The scout thought Thomas and Kelly were each fine choices for where they were selected in the draft, but that the Redskins didn't need to draft both of them. One or the other should have been fine

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

The scout thought Thomas and Kelly were each fine choices for where they were selected in the draft, but that the Redskins didn't need to draft both of them. One or the other should have been fine

Well, I've been consistent on Thomas before the draft, during the draft, and now that he's a Redskin. And I think Kelly should (at least) work out like we expect him to.

I haven't been consistent on whether we needed multiple receivers out of this draft. I thought we could use veterans to fufill the need (which ultimately we didn't do) at WR, and use our picks elsewhere, but after the draft, I did some research and now I respect the strategy they used in the year they did (which is the point the scout made).

But, I will never accept the justification that it was okay to misvalue prospects because a lot of draft analysts made the same mistake. I do think Vinny needs to surround himself with the best possible people. And the people who looked at DT's profile (and, for that matter, Kelly's as well) and gave him a first round grade...I mean that's an elementary mistake in my opinion.

I might still be in the minority that thinks DT's rookie season was a draft mistake, and not a coaching/work ethic mistake, but the concerns that made me think he wasn't a top three round guy were noticed (and largely ignored) by most.

I think at this point I'm getting pretty far off topic (especially when you consider this is a Peppers thread), so I'll just say that I can't agree that we did our homework on all three of our second round picks and didn't rely on outside advice more than we should have.

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I think at this point I'm getting pretty far off topic (especially when you consider this is a Peppers thread), so I'll just say that I can't agree that we did our homework on all three of our second round picks and didn't rely on outside advice more than we should have.

I still say they really wanted receivers so as a result they drafted 3 pass catchers with their second round picks and decided that the best player available approach was an easy way to get off the hook for not looking at players at other positions. Either way it comes down to one of two explanations for me.

1. They outright lied and claimed that Thomas, Davis, and Kelly were the highest rated players on their board to justify their actions.

2. Or as Gtripp alluded to their evaluation process is at the very least, incompetent, and they really did overvalue all three prospects.

What really happened will probably always be a mystery, but at the very least I'm scared that this years draft will have me feeling like all those past clips they show of Jet fans every year during the draft.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

I still say they really wanted receivers so as a result they drafted 3 pass catchers with their second round picks and decided that the best player available approach was an easy way to get off the hook for not looking at players at other positions. Either way it comes down to one of two explanations for me.

1. They outright lied and claimed that Thomas, Davis, and Kelly were the highest rated players on their board to justify their actions.

2. Or as Gtripp alluded to their evaluation process is at the very least, incompetent, and they really did overvalue all three prospects.

What really happened will probably always be a mystery, but at the very least I'm scared that this years draft will have me feeling like all those past clips they show of Jet fans every year during the draft.

I think it's sort of a combination of the two. I think they had each prospect overvalued, and even if each player wasn't their "best available" at the time, Vinny is BS-ing and saying as much.

I love that we traded down and added extra picks, I just don't like what we did with those picks at this point (they could pan out well, who knows).

What pissed me off was how shy we were about cutting draft picks (having all 10 make the 53-man was a bit of a reach). To me, that had Vinny trying to save face for his draft written all over it. Further evidence was cutting Torrence mid-season and keeping Tryon. Dumb, stubborn, and counterproductive.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

I still say they really wanted receivers so as a result they drafted 3 pass catchers with their second round picks and decided that the best player available approach was an easy way to get off the hook for not looking at players at other positions. Either way it comes down to one of two explanations for me.

1. They outright lied and claimed that Thomas, Davis, and Kelly were the highest rated players on their board to justify their actions.

2. Or as Gtripp alluded to their evaluation process is at the very least, incompetent, and they really did overvalue all three prospects.

What really happened will probably always be a mystery, but at the very least I'm scared that this years draft will have me feeling like all those past clips they show of Jet fans every year during the draft.

If you allow me to defend them for a second, I imagine that there's excruciating pressure to take players that the TV draft analysts like more highly than you have them rated. Because that's how most fans value their prospects. And, frankly, they are right more than someone in their position probably should be.

So it is not unforgivable, to me, if Vinny says "we heard DT was a top 20 talent, and we like his physical abilities, and thought we could take a stab on him at No. 35".

That's bad drafting, yes, but I'd be okay with it if he would just come out and say that. I understand the pressure that he's under, and you absolutely need to take some risks in the draft, albeit more calculated ones than this one. I don't expect them to pick 100% by any means.

Now that I've defended them, it is unforgivable if they don't learn from this and make a similar mistake again. I saw what the TV analysts were doing to DT, and I said, "wow, some team is going to get screwed by that pick." I don't feel good about calling that, because I happen to root for that team. But I'm also a realist, and I can't pretend I didn't say any of tha stuff pre-draft once this guy ends up on the Redskins.

I feel like the rest of the draft after Devin Thomas was uninspired, but I know we'll get our fair share of players out of it. But if they don't learn from what they did in the second round last year, history is bound to repeat itself.

[SmootSmack]

I think what's most likely the case is that they didn't contingency plan well enough so that they didn't properly evaluate all alternatives when the board (as it would always do) didn't go exactly as planned.

I think all three 2nd round choices will be just fine in the NFL, but at what cost?

As for Peppers, message boards around the interwebs are suggesting Colt Brennan be offered up in a deal for Peppers

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I think what's most likely the case is that they didn't contingency plan well enough so that they didn't properly evaluate all alternatives when the board (as it would always do) didn't go exactly as planned.

I think all three 2nd round choices will be just fine in the NFL, but at what cost?

As for Peppers, message boards around the interwebs are suggesting Colt Brennan be offered up in a deal for Peppers

I agree. That's the key. And in an effort to sway this thread back to Peppers, we really should draft a D-lineman sometime earlier than the 5th round for once this decade. I think we'd be looking much better if those 3 2nd round picks had been (in no particular order) OL, DL, WR.

[Trample the Elderly]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I think what's most likely the case is that they didn't contingency plan well enough so that they didn't properly evaluate all alternatives when the board (as it would always do) didn't go exactly as planned.

I think all three 2nd round choices will be just fine in the NFL, but at what cost?

As for Peppers, message boards around the interwebs are suggesting Colt Brennan be offered up in a deal for Peppers

That sounds feasible but I'd rather get Haynesworth for Colt. Both teams are in need of a quarterback. Even if they decide to go with their guy for another season. How does that work out? Aren't both Peppers and Haynesworth unrestricted FAs? How could we trade if these guys can just walk anyway?