Are the Redskins Better Off Than We Give Them Credit For?

I was listening to 106.7 THE FAN today, and there was a lot of positive (yes, POSITIVE) discussion of what Bruce Allen has done in regards to the salary cap positioning the Redskins for the future. In effect, he front-loaded a lot of the Redskins contracts, which means we're in really good shape when free agency returns. In years past, Snyderatto would restructure players contracts pushing more money out in the future (allowing him to sign MORE free agents now) making cap hits BRUTAL if we cut a player (all the $ gets accelerated to the current year). The result? You're stuck starting players like Randle El, Portis, Randy Thomas, Andre Carter. All that has changed and you can expect a lot of these current guys to fall, which could save ~$33 million more in cap space. As a lot of Redskins fans have mentioned in the Fan Posts, the bitching needs to stop.

From the coaching and personnel standpoint, let's play some hypotheticals going back to April, 2010:

1.) Redskins keep Jason Campbell as their QB. He continues to hold the ball too long and the Redskins are a 4 win team at best. The result: Redskins fans all complain Shanahan sucks for thinking we could win with Campbell.

2.) Rex Grossman is our starting QB. He has horrible games, fumbles away losses, and we're all calling for Shanahan's firing thinking he could win with the former Gator and Chicago outcast.

I know the first response here. "Well, at least with those two options we would have kept our two high draft picks." Looking back at that 2010 draft, starting with our 37th pick, 11 of the next 13 players selected are starters. A Tackle on either side of the line I firmly believe would have been the difference in at least 1-2 wins this year. There's no defense for that Philthy trade and it for sure has set the Redskins back, but are the Redskins still screwed?  I don't think so. As I've always said, I'm going to give Shanahan another off-season to right this ship. Jesus Christ couldn't fix this mess in a year, so let's stay patient.

The 2011 Redskins will be rid of McNabb, Haynesworth, and a lot of high-priced players. Add to that two high draft pick prospects, a free agent or two (WR), and some more young talent and the Redskins could be on to something.

If you want to talk about killing your team's future look up north at Minnesota. There is a 100% chance Brett Favre is retiring this year, yet the team continues to start him. Why? Because the owner already dropped $20 million on him? Because he is Brett Favre? Because he wears Wrangler jeans? The Vikings will be going into 2011 having no idea if Joe Webb is a guy they can rely on going further. Same for Tavaris Jackson. As much as McNabb is getting disrespected and as much as it hurts Redskins fans to see our "future is now" QB get benched, it's the right thing to do. 

It won't be easy to watch Grossman get killed in Jacksonville and at Fedex vs the Giants, but at least we'll know for sure his flaws and can build a good game plan for the QB position in the winter months.