Redskins Tidbits from Michael Wilbon's Q-and-A Session

[stwasm]

Quite a few spot-on comments from Wilbon and some of the posters.  You can read the full Chat House at the link below:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/11/26/DI2008112603313.html?hpid=topnews

Please, stop with the benching the QB nonsense. The Redskins aren't good enough on either line to play power football, which is what the Giants do best, what Dallas and the Steelers do very well...Stop. Line play. If the Redskins stop drafting WRs and trading good draft picks for WRs, then maybe their line play would allow them to be better. Clinton Portis PLAYS HIS HEART OUT every single down. The guy is amazing. his line isn't good enough. They try hard. They're smart. They want to do it...They give it everything they've got. And they're not good enough. Did you watch the Giants? Did you watch the Vikings last night manhandle the Bears in quite a few situations? That's line play, boys and girls. The Redskins can't pound the QB, even though their guys get after it pretty good. The Redskins are 7-5 good...not 10-2 good. They're okay, pretty good, might-make-the-playoffs-but-probably-not good...but they're not great and the QB ain't the problem. Neither is the RB. Neither is the coach. The WRs could be better...but are Tennessee's WRs any better? No. Their lines are better. Both of them. A lot better.


How ironic and sad that as Sean Taylor is being remembered another football player is recovering from a gunshot wound that could have produced similar results. Fortunately Burress did not lose his life but may have lost his career. 
Equally sad is the selection by Taylor's family of music for his tribute at FedEx Field including lyrics glorifying gunplay. The cult of violence in pro sports is alive and well.


Campbell is a work in progress. Who doesn't know that? We all know that. The point is, the Redskins can't dominate the line on either side, at a time when the best teams in the league (Giants, Titans, Steelers, Ravens) can. This isn't debatable. Watch the games, not just the QBs.


The Redskins are paying today for the past eight years of squandering draft picks. That second-round pick that they gave up with Champ Bailey to get Clinton Portis could have been a solid, starting defensive tackle. They gave up several picks to sign restricted free agents. They could have been decent back up linebackers to replace Marcus Washington. They gave up a second-rounder (I think) to get the useless Jason Taylor. They need to stop squandering picks, but we can expect a couple more lean years before they transition to sound team-building practices.

[Yellow31]

More about the Portis/Bailey trade!!  We made out on this, Clinton is breaking records and Baily is out.  Saying that trading a second round draft pick away is the down fall of the franchise makes no sense at all.  Drafted players are unproven and you are taking a risk no matter what round. Another point is that the best lineman almost always come out of the later rounds or are RFA. Wilbon really toasts my biscuits at times.

[Skins12th]

While I agree with a good bit of what Wilbon says Y41 is absolutely on point about the draft situation. ANYONE that thinks that the trade for Portis wasn't in the best interest of the Redskins needs to step away from the crack pipe! We were the ones late in the draft that decided to take a chance on Horton---now everybody wishes they had him instead. And our other picks?? Thomas, Kelly, Brooks---at this point have been a bust. Yes, I know you can't foresee injuries. But for that matter you can't foresee anything, it's all a gamble--from player selection to coaches to schemes. Hindsight is always 20/20. Those that look back to lay blame spend a lot of time viewing the world from their you know what! Take what you've got, play your best, and take what comes with grace and class. Look ahead and make a commitment to strengthen your weaknesses. I believe that is the recipe for success. That's what I want from my team!