SportingNews: Watch out for Washington in 2007

[Jimz31]

This is a yearly thing with the Commanders. Every off-season you hear the same thing, but during the season you ALSO see the same thing.

 

[jazzcat22]

I know they're our rivals and as such people like to dismiss them but I think this story is more truth than fiction. They certainly could be a force in 2007. A few ifs need to fall the right way but stranger things have happened.

They've beaten some good teams this year. Namely Dallas and The Saints.

And forget about cap jail. I'm not sure that exists anymore. The cap has been growing so much of late. I suspect the Skins will continue to find ways to add some FA's when they want to. I'll believe they're hands are tied when I see them have a silent FA offseason.

Yes. As the Commanders improve, if they do, so will Dallas.
As for the cap, you are right, they will find a way around it yet. The NFL and bargaining agreement saved their hides this year. It will go up enough to do the the same.

 

[PullMyFinger]

 

[Dangerous Dave]

Watch out for Washington in (insert year)

:zzz:

 

[BlueDemon]

I just told the wife scratch toilet paper from the shoppiing list - I found it....

 

[Haley94]

Jeeez, is Baldinger on Snyders payroll? Why do a fluff piece about next year already?

 

[Jimz31]

Jeeez, is Baldinger on Snyders payroll? Why do a fluff piece about next year already?

No kidding.

It's funny that he does this after they win. If they lose this week will he write an article on how Washington won't be any sort of a threat next year?

 

[jazzcat22]

No kidding.

It's funny that he does this after they win. If they lose this week will he write an article on how Washington won't be any sort of a threat next year?

Is he the same Baldinger that played for Dallas, or was it his brother, can't remember his first name.

 

[Jimz31]

Is he the same Baldinger that played for Dallas, or was it his brother, can't remember his first name.

Yep.

Brian David Baldinger (born January 7, 1960, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a former professional football player and current National Football League television commentator for the Fox Television Network. He also covers Atlanta Falcons preseason games as an analysis on WXIA-TV with Randy Waters.

Baldinger, an offensive lineman, played college football at Nassau Community College and Duke University, and graduated from Duke in 1982. He went undrafted in the 1982 NFL Draft. Baldinger was offered a free agent contract by the Dallas Cowboys to come to training camp. He pleasantly surprised the Cowboys and earned a roster spot. Baldinger later played for the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles.

Baldinger began his broadcasting career at Fox in 1997 providing analysis for NFL Europe games. The network was impressed with his insight and style, and promoted him to a color commentary slot for NFL games. Baldinger has worked alongside play-by-play voices Ray Bentley, Curt Menefee, Joe Buck, and Pat Summerall; he currently teams with Kenny Albert in the broadcast booth.

Always big, strong and athletic for his age, Baldinger spent much of his youth playing a variety of sports in and around Cherry Hill, New Jersey. His family later moved to Massapequa, New York where he and his brothers became well-known locally as they continued to excel in sports.

The New Jersey resident also co-hosts a radio show for One on One Sports and teaches seminars for Nadia Communications. He is the author of The Map to Clear Messages.

Baldinger has a heavily mutilated right pinky finger that was injured when it became entangled in the facemask of an opposing player.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Baldinger"

 

[stag hunter]

I think that's a terrible, uninsightful article, but I do think that they can be a legitimate contender next year. They have the same core of players that took them to within a game of the NFC championship last year, but they just made a couple of minor adjustments that made the scheme fall apart. If they make the right changes in the offseason and learn from their mistakes, I don't see any reason why they can't return to 2005 form. Again, they'd have to stay lucky injury-wise because they lack depth at almost ever position, but in today's NFL anyone has a shot unless you play in Arizona or Detroit. I wouldn't read too much into their cap number: Dallas fans have been saying "next year their salary cap situation will implode" just as long as Skins fans have been saying "next year's the year we make a SB run." Their FA signings are always very questionable but they always seem to find a way to restructure their way into another big offseason

 

[the kid 05]

The Bills will either sign him or will franchise him... he won't be going anywhere in my opinion.

eventually they will have to pay him, i belive the past two years hes been franchised

 

[Mansta54]

Baldinger is a complete idiot and Foreskin homer. To hear him call a Foreskin game, you would think they were on there way to the superbowl but they're DEAD LAST in the East and headed nowhere...

 

[utrunner07]

This just further shows that not all people (cough cough espn writers) should not be taught to read and write

 

[jobberone]

For the Commanders to become legit playoff contenders they need a QB. Campbell has the tools to be a NFL QB. I don't see it happening quickly. They should have a decent defense but still need better DL play. I don't see them being more than dangerous. Their coach and D will give them the opportunity to win some games but they will lose their share and some. I see 6-9 wins next year.

 

[Mr. Grundle]

Jeeez, is Baldinger on Snyders payroll? Why do a fluff piece about next year already?

I guess it's because he has called the last two Skins games, and watched them dominate two of the better teams in the NFC in the Saints and Eagles. Yes even though they lost to Philly they dominated every facet of the game and lost thanks to two Campbell interceptions, one being a tipped pass that went back for a touchdown.

This article is not based on what they can do in the offseason, it's based on how they've been playing the past couple weeks. Don't worry, the Skins will surely bury themselves into a deeper hole this offseason with more poor management.

 

[Hoofbite]

In the newest Sports Illustrated, they pick the skins to win the East next year as well......

 

[silverbear]

The theory here is, that if they keep re-printing the same old story, eventually they HAVE to be right.

Yeah, sounds about right to me... but I certainly never expected such silly propagandizing from an ex-COWBOY...

 

[silverbear]

The Bills will either sign him or will franchise him... he won't be going anywhere in my opinion.

Same with Freeney, same with Steinbach (probably)... about the only "marquee" type free agent who might hit the open market is Adalius Thomas, and that's only because the Ravens have a rather high number of free agents entering the market, they won't be able to keep all of them... then again, Thomas is the best of the bunch, so they might decide to tag him...

 

[silverbear]

Actually SB if you substitute Adams, Bledsoe and Owens for Singleton and Johnson the amount of cap space available for the Cowboys would be above 40 million. Both Singleton and Johnson are FA's after this season so they are already "figured" into the cap space of 20 mil.

OK, that I was not aware of... but much as some might like it, I really don't see the Boys parting company with TO... I just don't think his presence has been the annoyance for Parcells that the media would have us believe... I don't think that because I don't think he's been too "testy" too often this year, in fact I think he's been rather mellow-- for the Tuna...

And with the way Flozell has been playing the last few weeks, he probably saved his job for at least another year, too... but of course Bledsoe is gonzo, and I'm sure there are one or two others who could be jettisoned to create more cap room...

Once again, though, with all this money out there for free agents, I'm predicting you're gonna see some salaries go through the roof this offseason... the Boys won't be able to accomplish quite as much with whatever cap room they might ultimately wind up with as they would have last offseason with the same amount of cash on hand...

 

[silverbear]

This dumb article wasn't worthy of your attention, but great job skewering it!

Sometimes I just can't resist taking the easy shot...