Huge FA Class in 2011 - But will anyone want to come here?

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

I'm by no means advocating a 'gas up Redskins One' spending spree like years past, more focused and aggressive.

For example, this is what I suggested earlier in this thread:
RB-Tim Hightower
WR-Malcolm Floyd or Jacoby Jones
OL-Deuce Luitui, Davin Jospeh or Ryan Khalil
DL-Aubrayo Franklin or Barry Coefeld
LB-David Harris or Manny Lawson

We will be much improved at those positions without breaking the bank OR getting older at any of those positions. That's the way to do FA.

I'd disagree about Rex however. I don't think he's the answer at all for us at QB long term (or even really short term) but he's a placeholder until whichever QB we draft early is ready, be it 8 games, full season or into year 2.

Regarding Rex, a bad placeholder is still a bad placeholder. There is absolutely no reason to play Grossman another game. This is the same thing the Cardinals dealt with in 2010. Just because you don't have a game-ready quarterback on the roster doesn't mean starting Derek Anderson for 10 games is a justifiable decision. Rex is (a bit) better than Anderson, but still. Just throw whatever rookie you drafted into the fire and for god sakes protect him with the gameplan. Don't let him throw 45 times. The Steelers protected Roethlisberger for two years AND won a super bowl doing it.

My problem with the free agent targets you've posted is that it's tough to have that many guys switching systems, and somehow expect all of the signings to work out. Free agency needs to be darn close to 100% hit rate in order to work, and the more aggressive teams are with it, the more likely it is to fail.

Hightower would just block a better player in Williams. Jacoby Jones is maddeningly inconsistent, and more of a frustrating player than someone who is still a prospect. Just to give a couple examples.

I think there is help to be had on the lines on both sides of the ball, but would rather go with what we have as starters on the DL and then bolster our defensive line using our later round draft choices.

The biggest issue is that for every player you sign to a guaranteed contract, that's one less roster spot that's available to win for rookie talent (mostly undrafted) that cost a team nothing and have longterm upside in the system. So while I advocate FA help at positions where the Redskins are very close to fielding strong units (the offensive line, for example, or inside linebacker), it makes far less sense to chase at other positions where there is more young talent to develop.

Quarterback is historically one of the better free agent positions, and I think you should always look for players who are misvalued on the open market. Even though it looks like a weak FA class, there's almost certainly a couple of good players there. More depth at least than in a single draft class, and the benefit of FA quarterbacks is that you don't have to spend time developing him.