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The 'Road to Relevance' feels awfully long...

1. Hands up if you thought this was going to be a rebuilding season? ‍♂️

2. Hands up if you thought our ceiling was 6-10, maybe 7-9 at a push, but you'd take 5-11 and being competitive in a number of those losses? ‍♂️

3. Hands up if you thought our Tight End situation was dire? ‍♂️

4. Hands up if you thought our O-line was at best shaky going into the season, more likely not very good? ‍♂️

5. Hands up if you thought our linebackers and secondary were questionable, if not downright below average? ‍♂️

6. Hands up if you thought our D-Line would upgrade our entire defence? ‍♂️

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but you don't need to be a smart arse - and it doesn't make you look especially clever - to say that you put your hands up to all those statements. for those of us that did, it turns out we were right on most of them, with the seeming exception of 2. Some will say 6 hasn't happened, but despite clear issues where most foresaw them it's true - the defense is performing admirably on the whole despite the lack of help on the other side of the ball. Based on what we've seen through five weeks, there's not a cat in hell's chance of going 5-11.

Like many I thought Ron Rivera was the guy to turn this franchise around. For what it's worth, I still think he is. But I can't help but worry I may be wrong, and even if I'm not the rebuild is going to take far longer than I ever thought. Some would say that's my own stupid fault for being both naïve about the current roster and overly optimistic, in that we could be promising this year and then use our cap space and draft capital (for what it is) to enter 2021 with a much stronger roster.

The saddest thing about it? The 'some' would be right.

We have a roster that would maybe generate a maximum of 10 starters on other teams - and by other teams I mean ANY other team. Don't believe me? Then think about who would start elsewhere. Terry? Absolutely, on pretty much every other team. The D-Line? Yep, all of the big six would, except Kerrigan (who's disappeared since Week 1). Tress Way? You betcha. Chase Roullier? Yup, he'd start on a number of teams. Maybe even Morgan Moses would start somewhere, as would Kendall Fuller. But beyond that? Maybe a handful MIGHT start elsewhere, and even then only because there are a small number of teams at least as bad as us.

Whilst I still, just about, retain some optimism for next year I'm becoming increasingly worried about how long the Road to Relevance will be.

Our needs read like a Wikipedia entry of starting positions of an NFL team - QB, WR2, WR3, TE1, TE2, LT, LG, RG (Scherff being a FA next year), RT, OLB x 2, MLB, FS, CB. The list of needs is long and utterly depressing, and some would feel it's even longer than I've written, with some justification.

I'm no expert, having played just 6 games in the UK as an incredibly unathletic, slow cornerback, but I've watched enough football over 30 years to think I'm not a million miles from the mark to see that the offensive play calling, design and game plan leaves a lot to be desired, even with the limited cast of piece.

I'm left wondering whether my belief in Ron is wholly misplaced. Whether his failure to do anything in free agency this year was the long-term plan of someone with total confidence in their vision or completely negligent. Whether this season is so bad that the good players will be so disillusioned that they and their agents will do everything in their power to get out of dodge. Whether getting rid of Kevin O'Connell to bring in Scott Turner was an act of nepotism of the worst kind or part of long-term thinking.

But at the same time, there's a part of me that thinks - or at the very least hopes and believes, however naively - that Ron does have a masterplan. A masterplan that's using this year to sort the wheat from the chaff. A masterplan that will see our players develop resilience. A masterplan that will see leaders come to the fore. A masterplan that will develop Scott Turner into one of the NFL's finest minds by learning on the job. A masterplan that will turn this God-awful franchise around and make supporting the Washington Football Team a pleasure, rather than the loose-tooth wobbling act of masochism it's been for so long.

I don't know what to believe any more, except that this year is - thus far - even worse than last year was. At least we all saw what was coming last year, and I'm kicking my own arse for not seeing it coming this year.

But I still cling to hope. I do believe this year will suck - yet again. I think we'll have a Top 5 pick in the 2021 draft. But I firmly believe the roster will be significantly stronger in 2021 we can be genuinely competitive. After all, what is there left for a WFT fan than hope, however painful that hope is and however stupid one feels for clinging to it.

Do you have hope, or has it abandoned you?