Whomever wrote that post yesterday about not rooting for losses is a total jerk!
Anyway...as long as EVERYONE is entertaining thoughts of the offseason, I thought I would see what people thought in terms of our ever-present potential to dive into the deep end of the free agent pool.
On one hand, Bruce Allen has made some very shrewd moves bringing in affordable, hard-working players through free agency. We stood aside and let Philadelphia do to themselves what we made a living doing to ourselves. Further, they imploded in a way that absolutely reminds us of the ways we blew up when we employed that strategy. So there are all kinds of reasons and evidence to stay away from that method in future years.
BUT...Shanahan is not getting any younger. Our teamhas gotten younger, but without a few key playmakers, we simply have no way of knowing how close we really are to challenging for anything yet. We think we are getting there, but there are some rather large holes on our roster.
In Year 3 of the Shanahan and Allen Era, we could stay the course, bring in another large haul of young players through the draft and take another step (in some direction) towards stabilizing this ship for the long term. This would likely include a third year of growing pains--especially if we are developing a young quarterback next season. But this would also likely set the firmest foundation for long-term success we could ask for...I think the majority of us would opt for this route. I think we would all accept a third rough year if, for example, we brought in that young quarterback, a 2nd round offensive lineman and a couple starters on defense (corner and linebacker?)...right?
BUT...can't you see Snyder, Allen and Shanahan convincing themselves that they can complement their young roster with some keyfree agent acquisitions that could result in playoff contention sooner? Ahhh yes, you saw that I inserted Snyder into this scenario. I can just see Snyder thinking, "I've got to get back into the game!"
The list of 2012 free agents looks to be pretty stocked. We will profile them in the coming weeks, but suffice to say there are names that could be available that could shore up positions on our roster immediately. At the bare minimum, the Redskins could maybe justify signing a big name, big money contract to help narrow down the most dire of needs come draft day.
I have stated repeatedly that Mike Shanahan's job is not on the line at this point. The first chance we will have to see just how hot and bothered Dan Snyder is these days will come when free agency opens. If you see Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan targeting big names and big deals, you can assume that they are feeling some heat.
And if Snyder is bearing down on these guys on or before March 1st...watch out. There could be a few names that could bring out the old Dan Snyder.
(For the record, count me among those who would settle for a few Stephen Bowen-type players this offseason. You know...hard-working, capable players that don't break the bank and shore up the locker room. And for the love of God...resign Fred Davis!)