More bad news

by Skin Patrol on Dec 29, 2006 11:34 AM EST in Redskins News

AP Sports Writer Jason White (note: probably not the Heisman winner) needs to be stopped. Yesterday he reported on the Archuleta Speaks issue. And today he's got this: Redskins growing weary of Gibbs' year-round routine. The players are openly questioning Joe Gibbs "voluntary" (strangely 95% of the players volunteer) offseason workouts. And some of that criticism sounds right on, to tell you the truth.

If there's one thing that has made coach Joe Gibbs beam with pride over the last two years, it's been the high attendance record -- above 95 percent -- for the offseason workouts and meetings that usually start in March and run three days per week through mid-June. The sessions are technically voluntary, but the coach made it clear he expected the players to attend in the name of team camaraderie -- not to mention the fact that they allowed the coaches to keep a closer watch over the team's most valuable assets.

This seems reasonable enough. You want the team to mesh with one another, you want to structure their offseason so they aren't off killing people. You want to excercise control over your players even after the season ends.

Players disagree. I kind of sort of side with them. Antwaan Randle-El:

We love this place, we love the staff and all that, but when it's your time, you kind of want to take your time for you... You have to be able to monitor yourself -- because you'll burn yourself out come Week 10 of the following season. And when you really need to turn it on for the next six games and push for that playoff run, you won't have it.

Phillip Daniels:

Here we all do the same program, no matter if you're a receiver or a D-lineman... But what I need ain't what Santana Moss needs. I need burst, quickness, reaction-type stuff. I'll do what coach Gibbs asks me to do, but I would be lying if I said I didn't want to go back and do what I need to do to get ready. I was a better player when I was doing my own thing.

So instead of powerlifting in the offseason as he did prior to 2004, he's running sprints? He also blames his recent nagging injuries on the offseason workout.

Santana Moss:

It seems like the one thing we want to do to make ourselves better is taken away from us... I'm not saying don't be here at all, but just give us that right... I feel like we're professionals... Any guy that wants to make something out of this, they're not going to go throw away their offseason. I'm a guy that's serious about my job, and I know that I've got other people depending on me. If I have a chance to work out myself, I will. But not that peaches and cream. You've got to do what the team allows you to do, and that's what it is.

Also from the article (players emphasized):

Fullback Mike Sellers and kick returner Rock Cartwright said they have to do extra work on the side because they feel the Redskins' program doesn't completely suit their needs.

The only good news is that Joe Gibbs, thankfully, will consider change. At 5-10 clearly something isn't working and, if nothing else, Coach Gibbs is a guy who will do what it takes to win.

"One of the things we've talked about is going through the league, seeing what everybody's doing, see what some of the teams that played real well this year did," Gibbs said. "I think that's part of research. We felt like we had a good little scheme going here, but I'm open to anything right now because of the way we started last year and the way we played this year. Everything's on the table, and that's part of it."

One possibility has Gibbs loosening the requirements for offseason workouts and starting training camp earlier in the summer.

"Obviously you've got to be together for a period of time, but you can adjust that in all sorts of ways," Gibbs said.

Sounds good to me. Just do something to get the players behind the coaches and this football team so we can win in 2007.

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Voluntary workouts

Does anyone remember Joe Gibbs' players the first time around complaining about training camp and voluntary workouts? Because I don't either, and they were consistent winners. Wait, I remember one, Stan Humphries, who was shipped out after the 1991 season because he would not participate in Joe's programs. Guys like Bill Parcells and Jimmy Johnson in the old days would cut guys or trade them for a ham sandwich for being late to meetings. The old days are new again in my opinion.

The union has mandated that the NFL is not a year-round league, but it really is, and as Redskins fans we should be applauding every effort the team makes to stay in touch with, disseminate knowledge to and personally evaluate players. Do you really want an easier training camp? Then know everything you can going into it by attending your own personal film camp at Redskins Park every day. Live here in the offseason, move in with your position coach. Be the teacher's pet and know in March what your positional opponent will be doing in September.

If you are a player and are in the business to get paid, you will bitch and moan about 'voluntary' workouts and tough training camps. End of the season to camp, that's almost seven months to lay around and do whatever it is you do as a rich, or at least solvent young man. Lots of opportunity to get in trouble.

If you are a player and are in the business to get a ring, then you will not only be the first guy in to the voluntary camps, you'll also spend time and money on a personal trainer, regimen or camp (like Donovan McNabb's passing camp -- it sounds weird but pro QBs attend all the time).

When you have earned the respect of the organization, like Brett Favre in Green Bay or Jerry Rice back in San Francisco days, the expectations of you adjust accordingly for these camps.

Think about Sean Taylor. He missed all the voluntary camps before his first season and did not return any of the coaches calls. Where I work, that's grounds for firing.

These guys make millions for playing weekly half the year. Those players that understand the goal of a football team and those fans that want to see the team get there should applaud Joe Gibbs for keeping close tabs on players throughout the offseason and those that do not want this experience (ie Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith in 2001) should be shown the door. Football is hard.

Make them tougher Joe, not lighter. Find out who really is a Redskin and who just wears the shirt.

=====The Curly R: Blogging the Redskins=====

by thatguyben on Dec 29, 2006 2:27 PM EST reply actions

I'm more concerned with Gibbs losing this team

Things aren't looking copasetic with the amount of dissent. I've never questioned Gibbs methods but some of the above (if we take the players' words for it) sounds suspect. Should Phillip Daniels and Santana Moss be doing the same offseason workout? Do they do the same thing in practice?

That's remediable enough, though.

Go Register. Or else.

by Skin Patrol on Dec 29, 2006 3:20 PM EST up reply actions