Could the Skins do what the 49ers did in 2019-20?

[KI Skins Fan]

Why has everyone here just gone through a list of player needs? By far, the most significant offseason moves that Dan Snyder could have made to improve this team have already happened. He fired Bruce Allen and other executives and staff who needed to be let go. Before Snyder did that he fired Jay Gruden, a failure as a HC, and hired Ron Rivera, a proven winner and leader of men. Lastly, he ceded overall control of football operations to Rivera.

With just these changes, I believe we could be a significantly better football team even if we were to put all of the same players we had last season on the field. We already have many good players who were horribly coached last season. They will play better together under RR.

Of course, Rivera won't stand pat on the roster so we can't help but be better. We have money for FA acquisitions, we have the #2 draft pick, we can make trades and Rivera might even be able to get Trent to return to the team. I believe in RR. I think we could finish 8-8 in 2020 and take the next big step in 2021.

[Buffalo Bob]

Originally Posted by Redskins247

Yes AP is old, but still much more durable than the other RBs on the roster and still the most talented...plus I think AP's style will work with Turner's offense. I'd keep him this year while Guice can see if he can stay healthy and hopefully Love becomes the next third down back...or maybe more.

That is a strange fact.

[KI Skins Fan]

Originally Posted by Chico23231

It wouldn’t kill me if he stays as a back up to the young guys and a short yardage package type back. I just don’t want him asking/taking away from younger guys who need to play

Maybe the young guys could increase their playing me by being well enough to get on the field and stay there. AP has been available and they haven't. I would look to bring in a true short yardage beast via FA or trade. He doesn't need to be a star. Perhaps we could get someone like Bo Scarbrough from Detroit via trade.

[Schneed10]

Echoing jamf... the similarities are we sucked this year like the 49ers did before, we've been pumping 1st round picks into the defensive line like they have been, and we have the 2nd overall pick like they did that we all expect to be used on a stud pass rusher.

But this is Rivera's first year and it was Shanahan's third.

The question really should be can we follow a 3 year rise like the 49ers did? Certainly possible. But this year? Don't like the chances for a Super Bowl run, lol.

I do like our chances to be competitive and get in the mix for 8-8, thanks to discipline and doing things like adults. Which would be a massive improvement over last year. But it takes time to mature to excellence. It seems like the 49ers did it overnight, but there was groundwork being laid ever since Shanahan and Lynch arrived there.

[Redskins247]

Originally Posted by Chico23231

It wouldn’t kill me if he stays as a back up to the young guys and a short yardage package type back. I just don’t want him asking/taking away from younger guys who need to play

Yeah I'm with you...perfect scenario is Guice/Love/? TAKE the starting position from him and stay healthy. I can't imagine any other team is going to give AP more opportunity than the Skins, and that's if they keep him.

[GridIron26]

Originally Posted by Chico23231

It wouldn’t kill me if he stays as a back up to the young guys and a short yardage package type back. I just don’t want him asking/taking away from younger guys who need to play

I agree with you on this.. Also, AP is good mentor so this is another area where keeping AP would benefit Redskins.

[SunnySide]

Originally Posted by Buffalo Bob

That is a strange fact.

AP is a special specimen imo. I think some players are just born with stronger thicker ligaments. They are just less injury prone and on the flip side, some players are born more predisposed to injuries. Manny Machado was like that, he had "bad genetic knees" and had multiple surgeries including a preventive surgery to an uninjured ligament to just get it over with.

AP also takes stretching and his body health very seriously. He hyper extended his knee 2 years ago on a play and when I saw it, I thought he would be done for the year. It looked bad bad. But he was out a few snaps and back in, albeit hobbling a bit.

"Injury prone" is something I believe in. Teams who can identify it (seems hard to do) are in a better position bc like Czabe says 'availability is the best ability'.

[skinsfaninok]

AD has been a diesel truck since college, he's just a freak athlete that seems to never age

[Warthog]

It take awhile to turn a team around. Sure we got rid of the team cancer and Chief Knucklehead, Bruce Allen, but the MANY mistakes he made will take several years to erase (such as Alex Smith’s contract).

The defense with the addition of Chase Young and maybe signing Kendall Fuller as well as drafting or FA signing of FS and LB will improve the defensive players we have. But the BIGGEST improvement will be the defensive genius and instruction of Del Rio and RR. I expect this defense to be in the top 10 next year.

The offense has further to go. First is the OL: it all depends on the resigning Trent, Scherff and Flowers. Drafting an OT. Filling the TE black hole with Olsen (for one year) and either going for an elite TE or trying to draft a starter with our third rounder. Need a WR #2 FA until we can see if Harmon can fill it for the future. What about RB? Can Guice and Love make it through a whole season? Haskins shone at the end of the season - can he keep improving? How good is Scott Turner? I think he will play to Haskins pluses better than KOC, but he’s still green and will need some time to grow. There are just too many questions on offense to expect them to dominate.

The number of big holes in the Redskins lineup can’t be fixed in one season of FA and draft picks. Kyle Smith had an incredible 2019 draft and UDFA. He has done extremely well over the last 3 years but it is foolish to think he can keep beating the averages every year. That’s like people expecting the stock market to always rise and increase. Some FA will have to be done on the cheap and for one-year contracts of older but still good players. Greg Olsen is one such pickup - probably a one year deal for $4-5 mill. We might take a chance on Kendall Fuller and hope he returns to the form when he was here (before Bruce Allen’s ridiculous trade).

I think it reasonable for the Redskins to win 7-8 games. But we have too many unknowns and holes to think we’re going to go much past that. At least this will be a motivated, disciplined team playing well with what they have. The defense will be exciting and will improve A GREAT DEAL over Greg Manusky’s pitiful coaching. The offense will have bursts of very good play followed by mistakes of a young team.

BL - this team will be fun to watch again although we are probably a season away from playoff level.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jamf]

Originally Posted by SunnySide

"Injury prone" is something I believe in. Teams who can identify it (seems hard to do) are in a better position bc like Czabe says 'availability is the best ability'.

This is true and very unfortunate for Guice.

We've seen it before with Michael Westbrook and even Chris Thompson.

Both can play but are only available for 8 games a season.

If Guice has another knee injury this season, we need to move on.

[Warthog]

Originally Posted by jamf

This is true and very unfortunate for Guice.

We've seen it before with Michael Westbrook and even Chris Thompson.

Both can play but are only available for 8 games a season.

If Guice has another knee injury this season, we need to move on.

Agreed. I think Guice is a RB who will need to be paired with another RB to split the carries. Guice should carry no more than 10-15 carries a game. This next season will be important for both Guice and Love. Can they get through a whole season??

I think the increased discipline and much harder practices and probably a lot more post practice running (like the Patriots do) -
will definitely REDUCE the number of injuries this coming season. I think Gruden’s “Camp Cupcake” practices, along with Bruce Allen’s love of hiring players with a long injury history, correllated with the high number of Redskin’s injuries, year after year. It’s not all luck regarding injuries.

[Meks]

I'll keep this simple, not this year

[Warthog]

Originally Posted by Meks

I'll keep this simple, not this year

Exactly, you can’t go from a terrible
, three-win team who was 32nd in offense and 27th in defense and turn it around because we drafted Chase Young. If we win 8 games I’d consider that a huge success in putting out this dumpster fire of a team.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SFREDSKIN]

Originally Posted by Warthog

Exactly, you can’t go from a terrible
, three-win team who was 32nd in offense and 27th in defense and turn it around because we drafted Chase Young. If we win 8 games I’d consider that a huge success in putting out this dumpster fire of a team.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I bet they make the playoffs and maybe beyond. There is way too much young talent on this team that hasn’t been coached or used properly.

[Warthog]

Originally Posted by SFREDSKIN

I bet they make the playoffs and maybe beyond. There is way too much young talent on this team that hasn’t been coached or used properly.

There is no doubt that the Redskins will surprise many teams used to the undisciplined team that could never get up for the “must win” game. The first surprise will be the defense. This defense has been POORLY coached for over 5 years. Although the ‘skins had 46 sacks last year (10th in the NFL), it really didn’t help their defense - which was near the bottom of the NFL (27th).

I think the defense will turn around VERY QUICKLY. If we draft Chase Young, we will have a fearful rush. This rush will generate lots of turnovers which will make our defense more exciting. You won’t see the confusion of last seasons DB missing assignments because they were unsure of Manusky’s complex schemes. We might get into the top 10 for the defense.

The offense has a lot more questions. I think the team could win 8 games. They might surprise everyone and get to the playoffs in the wildcard but that’s probably next year. But hope you’re right!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk