Latest Trade Statement About What 2006 Season Means to Gibbs

[bulldog]

Joe Gibbs intends to win in 2006. And he is willing to give up a bit of the future to do so. The Duckett trade confirms what I have long thought, namely that Gibbs is intent on building on the 10-6 record from last season and establishing a new run akin to the one in the mid 1980's. While Jason Campbell looms over the skyline of the future at Redskins Park, that future is not in 2006 barring injury. Quarterbacks who have never taken a snap in the NFL don't bring home the Lombardi Trophy their first year out of the gate and only a few have come close or done so as sophomores. And make no mistake that is what 2006 is about here.

Duckett is a risk for the Redskins. He may not live up to expectations here. He didn't get the carries in Atlanta and one has to wonder whether that is due to the scheme or to the player. And we gave up a #3 pick for a player that may not be here longer than one year, although if he performs well I don't see Snyder and the Redskins letting him go if the issue is strictly dollars.

The 'collateral damage' of this trade seems to be the career prospects in Washington of one Ladell Betts. The Redskins evidently were trying to get Betts signed to a contract extension, but it appears he wanted starters' money to forgo testing free agency. That plus his own history of nagging injury problems I think gave the Redskins enough to think about in regards to depth at the running back spot.

As with Rumph, Duckett was a #1 pick who came into the league with high expectations. As Gregg Williams no doubt believes that the team with proper coaching can resurrect Rumph's career, Al Saunders having had the services of 245 pound Larry Johnson last year in KC no doubt thinks he can scheme to put Duckett in position to be the productive back he was supposed to be coming out of school.

So, while the saga of seeing our offensive players get adjusted to the new offense over the next couple of weeks is going to play itself out on the field, don't for a minute harbor the thought that Jason Campbell is going to be the starting quarterback here unless Mark Brunell is injured.

This trade has told us all we need to know about how important Gibbs feels success on the field in 2006 is to him, the staff and the organization as a whole :)

[The Full Monty]

Good post. And I agree that this is a clear signal that Betts has no room for error from now on.

We saw how Ramsey yielded to the pressure - maybe Betts won't and he'll step up admirably and we'll be talking about "wasting a pick on Duckett because Betts really turned it around."

But probably not. Again, good post.

[Chachie]

I think this trade indicates that Joe Gibbs will retire after this season. All or nothing and now.

[bulldog]

don't you think that the fact Betts' has a lingering hamstring strain for the third year in a row played at least a part in the Redskins' thinking here? :)

[gayformoss]

Good well thought out post
:applause:

I love the Duckett trade I think of Gerald Riggs back in 91

:cheers:

[thelarkascend1ng]

I think this trade indicates that Joe Gibbs will retire after this season. All or nothing and now.


???

everyone says this stuff. i'm pretty sure he's made it quite clear several times that he will serve out his full contract, at least.

[Skinsfan1311]

don't you think that the fact Betts' has a lingering hamstring strain for the third year in a row played at least a part in the Redskins' thinking here? :)

Absolutely.........

[cphil006]

I don't think Gibbs is trying to emulate the running game he had in the 1980s, saying, oh let;s get the same style we had back then. I think he wanted a power back for insurance and if Betts is hurt. This was a great move, but only time will truly tell.

[H-O-G]

Its All or nothing at this point.

[cphil006]

I think giving up a third rounder for a guy that a help us go somewhere is great. This is a legit trade and will help us, but only time will tell for sure.

[fansince62]

look on the bright side - we don't get much out of 3rd and lower round draft picks anyway!

[zoony]

The strategy of getting former 1st round draft picks who did not pan out with their respective teams, but have shown flashes of brilliance, is a good one imho.

Maybe our coaching staff can save these careers, maybe not. But it is reassuring to know that at one time, the talent WAS there. Time for our coaching staff to go back and find it. If any coaching staff can do it, this one can.

...

[[[ghost]]]

really nice read. i love your posts bulldog. i wonder if this means that Gibbs isn't really in it for the entire run.

[blloyd33]

Good points dog.
My trusted sources in Atlanta say Duckett was somewhat misused in Atlanta.
And that we will be happy with him, one concern was him dancing a little but he didn't have many holes to run thru down there. Takes a little while to get rolling but very good speed. Would have been better with more carries and never complained. Solid man.

[skinsfanevan]

Betts is more than just a runningback...hes a KICKRETURNER!

Yeah, Betts will either be traded for a solid T or G and if hes not traded he wont be seeing much time apart from special teams

[bulldog]

CPHIL006,

all due respect, guy, but do you really think the Redskins traded a #3 pick to have Duckett come in and provide insurance in case BETTS is not able to go? :)

Duckett is coming in here to be the #2 back to Portis and most likely will play at least some of the time WITH Portis as part of a two back offense.

[Redskinaholic]

If it's true that Betts wanted starters money, then I say let him go because he will never start for the Redskins and they can not afford to spend that kind of money on him when he hasn't even really proved himself yet. I feel Duckett is a great pick up and will give opposing defenses headaches all year with the Clinton-Duckett 1-2 Punch or even the 1-2-3 Punch of CP, Duck, and Betts. I guess we'll see. I don't think this trade means Gibbs is out of here after this year. He will no doubt coach the whole contract. Then after 5 years he'll step aside let Williams take over and continue to be President of team.

[planter]

Hmmm,

Duckett's a player but does he fill one of the Skins' biggest needs?

Mike Sellers has looked good in the preseason.

Some good linemen, defensive backs, etc. are still available in the 3rd round.

Tough call.

[SkinsGlory]

As Gregg Williams no doubt believes that the team with proper coaching can resurrect Rumph's career, Al Saunders having had the services of 245 pound Larry Johnson last year in KC no doubt thinks he can scheme to put Duckett in position to be the productive back he was supposed to be coming out of school.

I didn't put this together until you mentioned it here. Well said.

[Saqs]

I honestly believe this is JGs last year as head coach and not just because of this move. The hiring of Saunders and a basic overhauling of the offense was more of an eye opener IMO.

[fansince62]

one clear message, putting aside injury issues, the braintrust obviously doen't like what it has seen from the RBs thus far.

bd is right, IMO....duckett ain coming here to be the #3 benchwarmer.

[zoony]

look on the bright side - we don't get much out of 3rd and lower round draft picks anyway!


you're getting crotchety in your old age fs! :laugh:

...

[tr1]

don't you think that the fact Betts' has a lingering hamstring strain for the third year in a row played at least a part in the Redskins' thinking here? :)

Coach Gibbs has never like good players who don't stay healthy. And a contract snag may have precipitated the trade.

[bulldog]

now you can see why the Redskins weren't interested in the 33 year old Davis :)

[KirkNC]

Bulldog nailed this.

Gibbs wanting to win this year means nothing about being(or not being) with the Redskins next year. This team is too close to not try and win it all this year, anything less would be wasted opportunity.

My guess is Betts will be traded either for picks or a player, gone either way.

[Poundcake]

Let me ask this question. And I would like to second the many compliments on the original post - it is very well reasoned. With Betts potentially being available for trade, are there any thoughts on picking up another corner to supplement Wright and Rumph?

Or would we keep Betts and maybe cut Cartwright or Nemo?

[Poundcake]

Another quick thought: with Gibbs having both Saunders and Williams to rely upon, I don't see why he wouldn't stick around for the remainder of his contract. When he was running the offense, I was concerned that the wear and tear of being a head coach would lead him to leave after his third year, but this seems like a way of making it quite managable to stick around all 5 years. Hail!

[MarkPSkins]

Good young player who will contribut now or an undetermined player that maybe, possibly, contribute two, three, four years from now? No brainer in my book.

Screw the draft, anything outside the first 10-15 picks is "we got lucky on that guy" situtation.

[c4man5282]

great post and good logic

[stevenaa]

Joe Gibbs intends to win in 2006. And he is willing to give up a bit of the future to do so. The Duckett trade confirms what I have long thought, namely that Gibbs is intent on building on the 10-6 record from last season and establishing a new run akin to the one in the mid 1980's. While Jason Campbell looms over the skyline of the future at Redskins Park, that future is not in 2006 barring injury. Quarterbacks who have never taken a snap in the NFL don't bring home the Lombardi Trophy their first year out of the gate and only a few have come close or done so as sophomores. And make no mistake that is what 2006 is about here.

Duckett is a risk for the Redskins. He may not live up to expectations here. He didn't get the carries in Atlanta and one has to wonder whether that is due to the scheme or to the player. And we gave up a #3 pick for a player that may not be here longer than one year, although if he performs well I don't see Snyder and the Redskins letting him go if the issue is strictly dollars.

The 'collateral damage' of this trade seems to be the career prospects in Washington of one Ladell Betts. The Redskins evidently were trying to get Betts signed to a contract extension, but it appears he wanted starters' money to forgo testing free agency. That plus his own history of nagging injury problems I think gave the Redskins enough to think about in regards to depth at the running back spot.

As with Rumph, Duckett was a #1 pick who came into the league with high expectations. As Gregg Williams no doubt believes that the team with proper coaching can resurrect Rumph's career, Al Saunders having had the services of 245 pound Larry Johnson last year in KC no doubt thinks he can scheme to put Duckett in position to be the productive back he was supposed to be coming out of school.

So, while the saga of seeing our offensive players get adjusted to the new offense over the next couple of weeks is going to play itself out on the field, don't for a minute harbor the thought that Jason Campbell is going to be the starting quarterback here unless Mark Brunell is injured.

This trade has told us all we need to know about how important Gibbs feels success on the field in 2006 is to him, the staff and the organization as a whole :)


I don't see this as being any different then his first go round. It's how he does it. He has changed the face of the organization and put it in a position to win for years to come. I don't know how far into the future you expect him to prepare for, but if he puts a team together that can make a run for the next 3-4 years, he's done his job. Ultimately, it can continue beyond that depending on how his replacement does.

[Chris Worthy]

Hmmm,

Duckett's a player but does he fill one of the Skins' biggest needs?

Mike Sellers has looked good in the preseason.

Some good linemen, defensive backs, etc. are still available in the 3rd round.

Tough call.


Sellers= FB
Duckett= RB

FB+RB= many goaline options. Pound it in with ethier one or dump off to ethier one. :)
And dont forget Cooley :D

[DrunkenMaster]

Hmmm,

Duckett's a player but does he fill one of the Skins' biggest needs?

Mike Sellers has looked good in the preseason.

Some good linemen, defensive backs, etc. are still available in the 3rd round.

Tough call.

If our DBs can't get it done I'm sure we would of traded our 3rd round pick for one. This trade means either the FO is confident in our other positions or is working a trade for Betts or others to bring in what we need.

[stevenaa]

The strategy of getting former 1st round draft picks who did not pan out with their respective teams, but have shown flashes of brilliance, is a good one imho.

Maybe our coaching staff can save these careers, maybe not. But it is reassuring to know that at one time, the talent WAS there. Time for our coaching staff to go back and find it. If any coaching staff can do it, this one can.

...

Agreed. And at some point you have to look at the success of the coaches talent selection and decide to trust them in these things. How many busts have they brought in? Let's see, risky 3rd round unknown or a young known commodity. Seems like an easy choice to me. Too many times a player underperforms his expectations because of the situation surrounding them. I'm confident our coaching staff can seperate these issues and decide if a guys got skills.

[bulldog]

with two weeks to go until the season starts I would have to think we are about done. it is going to take Rumph and Duckett the remaining time to get ready for the opener and learn their assignments.

the one move I can see is Betts being traded for a backup OL.

the risk is that Betts could remain healthy and give a team a nice 800-1,000 yard season. at the same time when has Betts remained healthy for 16 games?

and since he is a free agent after 2006 the Skins would be better off getting a player or pick for him now rather than losing him in February and getting no compensation.

[Peregrine]

I disagree that Ducket is a risk, and I highly disagree that he didnt get carries in Atlanta because of the scheme OR him as a player.

Atlanta has Warrick, freakin, Dunn. Hes been insanely succesful in Atlanta, why would they give many carries(except goal line, short yardage ones) to anyone else? That would make no sense whatsoever. Its the same reason Betts doesnt get a lot of carries.

[leesburgvaskinsfan]

Nice thread folks!

My two cents: Coach Gibbs see's injury issues in the backfield and wants to shore those up now. He'll be here for the duration of his contract at least. Not only that, he's laying the foundation for his "Legacy Part 2". It's going to be fun to watch things unfold this year. I hate the preseason. I'm ready for Minnesota now!!

[Goaldeje]

I disagree that Ducket is a risk, and I highly disagree that he didnt get carries in Atlanta because of the scheme OR him as a player.

Atlanta has Warrick, freakin, Dunn. Hes been insanely succesful in Atlanta, why would they give many carries(except goal line, short yardage ones) to anyone else? That would make no sense whatsoever. Its the same reason Betts doesnt get a lot of carries.


Bingo. Dunn is one of the most under-rated players out there today. Duckett was simply buried in the depth chart.

I love this trade for the reasons Bulldog mentioned (nice post as always, BD). I will add that I especially like this as Duckett is only 25. He's got several years ahead of him, particularly when you consider he hasn't been a 250-300 carries RB thus far. Good, solid, low-risk trade by the Skins.

[wsniper1]

I think Gibbs does see this as a last hope... for Mark Brunell!
Mark wanted to retire prior to camp, the coaches talked him into coming back for a year. Gibbs has stated he would be here for atleast the entire contract he signed.
This is possibly Mark's last season, and a window that Gibbs sees as our best chance to win in the next two or three years.

[bulldog]

'Mark wanted to retire prior to camp'

Please back that statement up with something tangible or tell us that is merely your opinion.

I never read anything about Brunell not wanting to play in 2006. In fact he mentioned several times how he would like to go out with a ring.

[oraphus]

i like this trade..
i think the guy will be key and will be the back up to portis starting next year at the latest. Plus, Betts was not really a bruser type back. We needed a viable goal line threat.. Ducket is now our Alstot(spell?)
I think Betts will be around this year, but will be gone early next season.

[The Full Monty]

look on the bright side - we don't get much out of 3rd and lower round draft picks anyway!
Well, my good sir, Chris Cooley and Derrick Dockery are both starters and they were both 3rd rounders. ;)