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Coaching, roster changes have hurt Commanders
By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive
Commanders owner Dan Snyder means well. He really does.
He doesn't blink at putting up a $100 million payroll to win. There isn't a big-name free agent who isn't on his radar screen if his head coach wants him. He'll try the best and the brightest in college -- Steve Spurrier -- or, if that doesn't work, he'll talk Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs out of retirement to coach his Commanders.
With franchise revenues topping the NFL at around $300 million, Snyder just wants to win. But the constant churn of his zeal continues to make the Commanders one of the most unstable franchises. Call it impatience. Call it a home-run mentality. Snyder just wants to win.
The Commanders were 6-10 during Gibbs' first year back with the team last season.
But can they? The Commanders have remodeled the roster so many times during Snyder's seven years, it's hard to know whether his efforts are making any headway. The Commanders aren't taking the time to develop draft choices, the ultimate way of building franchise success and stability. The Commanders have a league-low 18 draft choices on their current roster. Most of the top teams have twice that number.
While free agency has helped the Commanders, it has its limitations. Free-agent signings eat up salary cap room and shorten the window of opportunity for players to gel as a team. For the 2006 season, the Commanders already have $116 million of cap dollars committed, second only to the Broncos. That's a manageable number if the cap goes toward $100 million, but even if it doesn't, the Commanders will have to make tough decisions on which players to keep.
Since making the playoffs in Snyder's first year at 10-6, the Commanders have gone 8-8, 8-8, 7-9, 5-11 and 6-10. They've had four head coaches and numerous changes in coordinators. Even in Gibbs' second season, there is a major change. Gibbs wanted more explosiveness and yards-after-the-catch from his receiving unit. At high cap costs, Gibbs unloaded Laveranues Coles, Rod Gardner and Darnerien McCants, the top three wide receivers before Gibbs' arrival. He brought in smaller, quicker receivers Santana Moss and David Patten.
That strategy might fail if Patrick Ramsey, who has struggled to gain the full support of his coaches, can't get the most out of the offense. Still, Snyder won't give up. He knows the free-agent successes of last season -- Cornelius Griffin, Marcus Washington and Shawn Springs -- have been the cornerstone of a hot, aggressive defense. And that Clinton Portis, acquired in a trade with Denver for the 2004 season, is one of the game's top halfbacks.
In a league that continues to escalate the importance of quarterback play, no team has had more instability than the Chicago Bears. Since 1992, they have had 27 quarterback changes. In six of the past seven years, at least three different quarterbacks started during the season. Playoff teams normally have quarterbacks with 20 touchdown passes. Since 1966, the Bears have had only one such season from a quarterback. Erik Kramer threw 25 touchdown passes in 1995.
During the 1990s, teams could get away with average play at quarterback. That isn't the case in 2005. The NFL continues to evolve into more of an offensive league. In the late 1990s, the quarterback pool was aging, and colleges weren't cranking out NFL-style quarterbacks like they are now.
The Bears tried. They spent a first-round pick on Cade McNown in 1999. Teammates didn't like him and he failed, putting the Bears in the tough position of filling in with seasoned veterans. They went from Shane Matthews to Jim Miller to Chris Chandler to Kordell Stewart. They drafted Rex Grossman two years ago, but injuries have limited him to just six games and he might miss the entire 2005 season. Now, they are rushing fourth-round choice Kyle Orton into the starting job out of desperation.
Orton was supposed to be No. 3 on the depth chart. Now, he's the starter.
It's a shame because the Bears made major strides in establishing a top-10-caliber defense for second-year coach Lovie Smith. The front seven is aggressive. The secondary is solid. The scheme is sound. But until the Bears end their instability at quarterback, the problems will continue.
By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive
Commanders owner Dan Snyder means well. He really does.
He doesn't blink at putting up a $100 million payroll to win. There isn't a big-name free agent who isn't on his radar screen if his head coach wants him. He'll try the best and the brightest in college -- Steve Spurrier -- or, if that doesn't work, he'll talk Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs out of retirement to coach his Commanders.
With franchise revenues topping the NFL at around $300 million, Snyder just wants to win. But the constant churn of his zeal continues to make the Commanders one of the most unstable franchises. Call it impatience. Call it a home-run mentality. Snyder just wants to win.
The Commanders were 6-10 during Gibbs' first year back with the team last season.
But can they? The Commanders have remodeled the roster so many times during Snyder's seven years, it's hard to know whether his efforts are making any headway. The Commanders aren't taking the time to develop draft choices, the ultimate way of building franchise success and stability. The Commanders have a league-low 18 draft choices on their current roster. Most of the top teams have twice that number.
While free agency has helped the Commanders, it has its limitations. Free-agent signings eat up salary cap room and shorten the window of opportunity for players to gel as a team. For the 2006 season, the Commanders already have $116 million of cap dollars committed, second only to the Broncos. That's a manageable number if the cap goes toward $100 million, but even if it doesn't, the Commanders will have to make tough decisions on which players to keep.
Since making the playoffs in Snyder's first year at 10-6, the Commanders have gone 8-8, 8-8, 7-9, 5-11 and 6-10. They've had four head coaches and numerous changes in coordinators. Even in Gibbs' second season, there is a major change. Gibbs wanted more explosiveness and yards-after-the-catch from his receiving unit. At high cap costs, Gibbs unloaded Laveranues Coles, Rod Gardner and Darnerien McCants, the top three wide receivers before Gibbs' arrival. He brought in smaller, quicker receivers Santana Moss and David Patten.
That strategy might fail if Patrick Ramsey, who has struggled to gain the full support of his coaches, can't get the most out of the offense. Still, Snyder won't give up. He knows the free-agent successes of last season -- Cornelius Griffin, Marcus Washington and Shawn Springs -- have been the cornerstone of a hot, aggressive defense. And that Clinton Portis, acquired in a trade with Denver for the 2004 season, is one of the game's top halfbacks.
In a league that continues to escalate the importance of quarterback play, no team has had more instability than the Chicago Bears. Since 1992, they have had 27 quarterback changes. In six of the past seven years, at least three different quarterbacks started during the season. Playoff teams normally have quarterbacks with 20 touchdown passes. Since 1966, the Bears have had only one such season from a quarterback. Erik Kramer threw 25 touchdown passes in 1995.
During the 1990s, teams could get away with average play at quarterback. That isn't the case in 2005. The NFL continues to evolve into more of an offensive league. In the late 1990s, the quarterback pool was aging, and colleges weren't cranking out NFL-style quarterbacks like they are now.
The Bears tried. They spent a first-round pick on Cade McNown in 1999. Teammates didn't like him and he failed, putting the Bears in the tough position of filling in with seasoned veterans. They went from Shane Matthews to Jim Miller to Chris Chandler to Kordell Stewart. They drafted Rex Grossman two years ago, but injuries have limited him to just six games and he might miss the entire 2005 season. Now, they are rushing fourth-round choice Kyle Orton into the starting job out of desperation.
Orton was supposed to be No. 3 on the depth chart. Now, he's the starter.
It's a shame because the Bears made major strides in establishing a top-10-caliber defense for second-year coach Lovie Smith. The front seven is aggressive. The secondary is solid. The scheme is sound. But until the Bears end their instability at quarterback, the problems will continue.