Taylor and Springs no show Commanders OTA's

[Yakuza Rich]

Taylor missing OTAs should no longer be considered news. Should only be news when he actually shows up for these things...

Probably too busy polishing and reloading his assault rifles.




YAKUZA

 

[ArmyCowboy]

As much as I loathe the 'Skins, I hate to see what's going on with Gibbs.

He's a guy who the game has obviously passed by, and he's doing nothing but tarnishing his image and hurting the team by being there.

He has no idea what works anymore, so he's trying different things every year in a desperate attempt to "get the magic back."

Even if it is the 'Skins, it's still a sad, sad situation.

 

[AmishGangsta]

As much as I loathe the 'Skins, I hate to see what's going on with Gibbs.

He's a guy who the game has obviously passed by, and he's doing nothing but tarnishing his image and hurting the team by being there.

He has no idea what works anymore, so he's trying different things every year in a desperate attempt to "get the magic back."

Even if it is the 'Skins, it's still a sad, sad situation.

The Skins have one player miss OTAs and another that shows 2 days late, and suddenly this means that the game has passed Joe Gibbs by?

I'd say 97-99 percent is pretty good.

I think Gibbs is dead on, when he states that the Commanders have one of the most attended mini- camps in the league - I think they had 100% in attendance last year - I could be wrong, though.

Here's an example of how other teams are doing:

The Ravens: Among the veterans not attending the voluntary practice sessions: linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, center Mike Flynn, safety Ed Reed, cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle, defensive end Trevor Pryce, running back Mike Anderson and nose guard Kelly Gregg.

Has coach Brian Billick lost contact with today's players?

Looks like the Ravens are in a HEAP of trouble.

You'd probably enjoy this article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/11/AR2007051102209.html

 

[silverbear]

The Skins have one player miss OTAs and another that shows 2 days late, and suddenly this means that the game has passed Joe Gibbs by?

I'd say 97-99 percent is pretty good.

For a professed Cowboys fan, you sure are on Gibbs' jock a lot...

The indications that the game has passed Gibbs by lie in:

1) His record as head coach in this second stint with the Skins...

2) His letting his veterans talk him into letting them work out on their own this offseason... this after finishing 5-11 the year before!!! Maybe you cut your veterans some slack after a SUCCESSFUL season, but you don't do it when they played so miserably...

3) The way two of his starters wouldn't even bother to return his phone calls... this is disrespect of the highest order; why should anybody else on the team fear the authority of the head coach, when he lets his players punk him that way??

Yes, to me it's pretty clear that this time around, Saint Joe of Gibbs is in WAY over his head... even with an all-star cast of assistant coaches, he can't seem to turn the Skins into solid contenders, indeed they seem to be regressing...

 

[AmishGangsta]

For a professed Cowboys fan, you sure are on Gibbs' jock a lot...

Since when am I a professed Cowboys fan? I'm a Skins fan, bro.

His letting his veterans talk him into letting them work out on their own this offseason... this after finishing 5-11 the year before!!! Maybe you cut your veterans some slack after a SUCCESSFUL season, but you don't do it when they played so miserably...

I don't know about you, but 5-11 says to me that maybe you might want to think about changing something

There were numerous veterans who asked him if they could report to mini-camps later and work with their own personal trainers, because they felt like they were being run into the ground, so Gibbs takes a look at what everyone else is doing and adjusts his program. Can you imagine the material these Washington reporters would have, had the the veterans had a revolt because Gibbs wouldn't change his program? Refusing to adjust to today's NFL. Then he would really appear to be out of sync with today's players. It would have been a stubborn move.

The way two of his starters wouldn't even bother to return his phone calls... this is disrespect of the highest order; why should anybody else on the team fear the authority of the head coach, when he lets his players punk him that way??

It's up to the player to get in contact with the coach; again, he's obviously going to devote his time to the players who are there. Every team has its malcontents. That's the reality of today's NFL - and don't even tell me that Dallas doesn't have any. Is it the coaches fault? No, there's only so much the coach can control. Hell, even the NFC champion Chicago Bears are having their problems with their malcontent - Lance Briggs. Just look at the whole TO situation, was that Parcells fault? No - I think he handled that situation better than any coach could have, but I could remember numerous times where he stated he wasn't in contact with "the player".

Yes, to me it's pretty clear that this time around, Saint Joe of Gibbs is in WAY over his head... even with an all-star cast of assistant coaches, he can't seem to turn the Skins into solid contenders, indeed they seem to be regressing...

I'd say they were solid contenders two years ago, No? When Gibbs had the team a game away from the NFC championship - something the Commanders haven't done in a decade. Then he brings in Al Saunders because the offense was struggling against top flight defenses in the playoffs. Again, here's another example of Gibbs adjusting to today's NFL. He said to himself "hey, how do we get better" and instead of being stubborn - like some other older coaches in the league, he adjusted his program.

To me, this says to me, that the man is trying everything within his power to adjust and improve the football team.

 

[silverbear]

Since when am I a professed Cowboys fan? I'm a Skins fan, bro.

Oh, my bad... no wonder you're on Gibbs' jock... LOL...

I don't know about you, but 5-11 says to me that maybe you might want to think about changing something

Perhaps, but sending your underachieving players off to do their own thing??

Yeah, that sounds like a formula for a quick turnaround...

There were numerous veterans who asked him if they could report to mini-camps later and work with their own personal trainers, because they felt like they were being run into the ground, so Gibbs takes a look at what everyone else is doing and adjusts his program.

Bud, if they think they were "run into the ground" last year, when the rest of the NFL was laughing at the Club Med training camp that Gibbs ran (it started later than any other team, and had fewer two-a-days than any other team), then you've got a whole bunch of players who are allergic to hard work...

Beyond that, the principle of a coach letting the players tell them how to conduct his offseason program screams that you have a coach who's not in control; he's been coaching teams for decades now, and he's gonna let his players tell him how to do things??

And beyond THAT, Gibbs in his glory days always worked hard to instill a team spirit in his squad, one that led them to believe that they could win even if the other guys might have more talent... it's hard to build that esprit de corps when your players are strung out across the country in the offseason...

Can you imagine the material these Washington reporters would have, had the the veterans had a revolt because Gibbs wouldn't change his program?

Any mediot foolish enough to side with the players over Gibbs on this one deserves to be laughed at, just as we're now laughing at Gibbs for giving the inmates the keys to the asylum (which is precisely what he did when he let them take off and do their own thing)...

I don't know of any other team in the NFL that lets its PLAYERS dictate the offseason regimen... even Dave Freakin' Campo, despised by Cowboys fans everywhere for being easy on the players, didn't do THAT...

Refusing to adjust to today's NFL.

That's not "adusting to today's NFL", because precious few-- if any-- teams in today's NFL let their players dictate the offseason program...

It's up to the player to get in contact with the coach;

At the very least, they have an obligation to return his freakin' calls... that they haven't is disrespectful to Gibbs, and the rest of the team sees that disrespect... bluntly, I don't believe the Skins' players have the FEAR of the coaching staff that they need to be successful... all but a very few players need to be PUSHED to reach their maximum potential, they don't need to be CODDLED...

How can you expect players who are indulged to show the requisite toughness in the 4th quarter of a hard-fought game?? In that situation, I want the ones who have sweated bullets to get there, who have WORKED their butts off to get there...

That's the reality of today's NFL - and don't even tell me that Dallas doesn't have any.

The Cowboys' malcontents are mostly upset about diminishing playing time, or about money (Greg Ellis)... the Skins malcontents are apparently upset about being asked to WORK...

Is it the coaches fault? No, there's only so much the coach can control.

One of those things certainly ought to be how the freakin' offseason program is run... I'm telling you straight up, the Skins are going to suffer for Gibbs' laissez faire approach to this offseason program, you can count on it...

By season's end, Skins fans-- perhaps including you-- are gonna be rippin' Gibbs a new anal orifice for the way he let his players get away with murder this offseason...

I'd say they were solid contenders two years ago, No?

No... they were a playoff team, but hardly a "solid contender"... in point of fact, they were the sixth seed in those playoffs, IOW the last team to get in... they had the great good fortune of facing perhaps the worst playoff team in recent memory in the first round, so bad that even though the Skins stunk their own selves, the won the game... IIRC, they also set a playoff record for fewest yards gained by a winning team... then they got beat rather easily in their second round game (even though Seahawks' star running back Shaun Alexander, who was second in the league in rushing that year, one yard behind the league leader, left the game early with a concussion, taking about half of their offense with him)...

And just like the Cowboys in 2003 were a mirage with their playoff berth and number one ranking on defense, subsequent developments have clearly showed that the Skins were a mirage two seasons ago... all that happened to them that year is they stayed INCREDIBLY healthy, so their ongoing lack of depth didn't have a chance to derail their season...

The Skins are good enough to be a playoff team this year too, IF they can stay that healthy... problem is, a team can't count on that kind of good fortune happening with any regularity...

Then he brings in Al Saunders because the offense was struggling against top flight defenses in the playoffs. Again, here's another example of Gibbs adjusting to today's NFL. He said to himself "hey, how do we get better" and instead of being stubborn - like some other older coaches in the league, he adjusted his program.

Are you saying that ALL adjustments are good ones?? I'll simply point out this his adjustment in bringing in Saunders didn't exactly pay big dividends... this move is nothing less than STUPID, and it's silly for you to try to convince us that it was a wise move by Gibbs...

To me, this says to me, that the man is trying everything within his power to adjust and improve the football team.

To me, this says he's grasping at straws, and getting away from what made him successful the first time around...

Basically, Joe Gibbs relinquished some of his authority as a head coach when he let his players tell him how to conduct his offseason program... in doing so, he lost a bit of the fear/respect that he had, that a head coach NEEDS from his players...

What the players told Gibbs is that he was working them too hard, and that is of course laughable... laughable because employees don't tell the boss that he's working them too hard, and laughable because Gibbs ran a remarkable EASY offseason program last year... what he should be doing this year is getting tough, working those players like a drill sergeant with a hangover, rather than letting them walk all over him...