Is it the system?
That is the question that is being asked today by many Redskins fans after starting MLB Antonio Pierce signed a healthy FA contract with the NY Giants.
12 months ago Pierce was a back up OLB that played primarily on special teams. But with a knee injury to FA pick up Mike Barrow and Jeremiah Trotter being cut, Pierce was moved inside where he thrived in new defensive guru Gregg Williams' system.
And after a season where he led the 3rd best defense in the NFL in tackles, plenty of people were saying that Pierce was the heart and soul of the defense and that he was so smart that he was like having a coach on the field.
Well, the coach on the field has moved on to a division rival after the Redskins actually used fiscal responsbility and opted not to match a $26 million offer from the Giants that included a $6.5 million signing bonus.
Personally, I thought that they should have matched it. But, that likely would have ended any hope of trading disgruntled WR Laveranues Coles. It might also have ended any chance of re-signing UFA CB Fred Smoot.
So the Redskins have decided to roll the dice and try a similiar transformation with OLB Lemar Marshall who played well last season as Lavar Arrington's replacement at the Will LB spot. That is if Mike Barrow can't come back or is cut due to his knee injury that kept him off the field all of last season.
Basically, the Redskins seem to be looking at what the New England Patriots have done lately and they are trying to mimic what they've done.
The Redskins upgraded themselves at center by signing ex-Raven Casey Rabach to a deal that only included at $4.5 million in guarantees and averaged under $3 million per season.
The Redskins have also added former Patriots WR David Patten to a similiar sized contract that won't include huge cap numbers in the future.
While neither of these signings are earth shattering, they do show that after years of fans saying that Snyder and company should stop going for the big splash in free agency, that perhaps he's finally gotten the message.
And to me that's a good thing.
The only big money that was thrown around this offseason was to keep franchise LT Chris Samuels. And he was more than happy to shout that he was a "Redskin for life" at his press conference.
I'm just hoping that Snyder and company can figure out a way to be fiscally responsible and to make Fred Smoot a "Redskin for life" as well.
12 months ago Pierce was a back up OLB that played primarily on special teams. But with a knee injury to FA pick up Mike Barrow and Jeremiah Trotter being cut, Pierce was moved inside where he thrived in new defensive guru Gregg Williams' system.
And after a season where he led the 3rd best defense in the NFL in tackles, plenty of people were saying that Pierce was the heart and soul of the defense and that he was so smart that he was like having a coach on the field.
Well, the coach on the field has moved on to a division rival after the Redskins actually used fiscal responsbility and opted not to match a $26 million offer from the Giants that included a $6.5 million signing bonus.
Personally, I thought that they should have matched it. But, that likely would have ended any hope of trading disgruntled WR Laveranues Coles. It might also have ended any chance of re-signing UFA CB Fred Smoot.
So the Redskins have decided to roll the dice and try a similiar transformation with OLB Lemar Marshall who played well last season as Lavar Arrington's replacement at the Will LB spot. That is if Mike Barrow can't come back or is cut due to his knee injury that kept him off the field all of last season.
Basically, the Redskins seem to be looking at what the New England Patriots have done lately and they are trying to mimic what they've done.
The Redskins upgraded themselves at center by signing ex-Raven Casey Rabach to a deal that only included at $4.5 million in guarantees and averaged under $3 million per season.
The Redskins have also added former Patriots WR David Patten to a similiar sized contract that won't include huge cap numbers in the future.
While neither of these signings are earth shattering, they do show that after years of fans saying that Snyder and company should stop going for the big splash in free agency, that perhaps he's finally gotten the message.
And to me that's a good thing.
The only big money that was thrown around this offseason was to keep franchise LT Chris Samuels. And he was more than happy to shout that he was a "Redskin for life" at his press conference.
I'm just hoping that Snyder and company can figure out a way to be fiscally responsible and to make Fred Smoot a "Redskin for life" as well.
posted by James W at 5:38 AM
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