Should the Redskins Pick Up Timmerman for Left Guard?

[Wyvern]

Who should the Redskins try to pick up to fill Dockery's now-vacant left guard spot? A free agent? One of our draft picks? Maybe someone currently on the Redskin roster? How about Adam Timmerman?




I recently read the following in the bottom half of a Jason La Canfora Article (Washington Post--March 07)
<< The Redskins have been in contact with free agent guard Adam Timmerman, his agent said, and although some in the organization believe the 35-year-old may be beyond his productive stage, he remains a possibility to replace departed Derrick Dockery.


"We've had some discussions and we're waiting to hear back from them," said Timmerman's agent, Mark Bartelstein. The Redskins have also had limited discussions with free agent lineman Sean Mahan, his agent said, but no visits were planned and the player is traveling to other clubs. Veterans Ruben Brown and Cosey Coleman are other starting guards on the market. >>


Apparently Timmerman, a long-time Pro-Bowl guard with Super Bowl rings while with St. Louis and Green Bay, was released by the Rams in a salary move. (He had two years left at around 2-2.5 million a year.) He's 35 and was playing injured last year, but many (including I) feel there's still gas in the tank --- and his main driver is that he still wants to be a starter.


Timmerman's a known entity, a quality professional, and a veteran at guard who suits Washington's short term needs. However Timmerman played RG, not LG. Does that matter?

Do you think Timmerman could or should play for Washington? If so, why are we waiting? My sense is that there are other teams that might sign him, if we wait too long. Or do you think we can do better with someone else? :phone: (http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/misc.php?do=getsmilies&wysiwyg=1&forumid=24#)

[terpfan]

Depends on whether the coaching staff thinks he can still play or not. 35 and coming off an injury is a pretty big red flag.

[#21Taylor4Ever]

No more old, washed up players. Come on people, we're trying to build something here.

Between Wade, Pucillo, and Lefotu we will be just fine at LG.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

If you asked me 5 years ago, yes, this guy was the best in the league.

But I don't want to go from a nice young prospect in Dock to a busted up old vet in Timmerman. Our line is up there in age as it is...we should start revamping it with the move we make at LG.

[turtle]

No more old, washed up players. Come on people, we're trying to build something here.

Between Wade, Pucillo, and Lefotu we will be just fine at LG.
have we signed wade???

[Skins4481]

He could be a good one year replacement until next year, when we'll have more draft picks to pick a guard.

That 3rd rounder for Duckett was so ****ing wasted. :doh:

[#21Taylor4Ever]

have we signed wade???

Not yet, but it's bound to happen.

[WorldBFree76]

He wouldn't be a bad stop gap guy.

I don't imagine the guys we have now to be the guards of the future, so they will probably have to draft one next year anyway.

[Wyvern]

That was my sense too. Timmerman, if he's still got enough to start, would be an ideal stop-gap measure. Short-term contract, not too expensive, and he's a proven pro. Maybe Reuben Brown would be a another good alternatve, as the pro-bowl vet short-timer type of contract.

It all comes down to what can we afford to do. With the Redskins offensive schemes, we can't afford to 'experiment' too much with the offensive line, by tossing in some journeyman backup or "Molinaro" type of player. Nor can we afford to buy the best OG out there -- because we need to address urgent problems on both O-line and D-line, with less and less room under the cap. I've noted that the going market-price for decent offensive linemen in their prime is awfully high -- and most of the prime candidates have already been snapped up.

As for using the draft, we currently have a high first rounder followed by a fifth rounder. Maybe we could use the first round pick to select an OG. But we'll have to wait as the player gets used to the demands of the NFL and the more complicated schemes. Remember how long it took Dockery to get up to speed?

Moreoever, if we use the #6 pick on a Guard, that means we have to look somewhere else for olutions to our urgent problems with D-line. Frankly, we'll need that #6 to pick up an elite DT --Branch or Okoye -- in order to solve multiple problems with our low-ranked defence.

So, that leaves the bench, and the bench wannabes. Do you think either Pucillo or Lefotu represents the answer? I recall that Lefotu, a low round pick, had some kind of health problem. Wasn't Pucillo was a Center/Guard kind of backup who has bounced around the league? And Wade, still unsigned, is a Tackle, with a little injury history of his own (Didn't he fail to pass a physical back a year or so?)

I grant that Timmerman isn't the best guard still left out there. Cooper Carlisle (Broncos), Reuben Brown (Bears), and Cosey Coleman (Browns) are other alternatives. However Carlisle is being heavily courted by Seattle, Brown is around Timmerman's age with slight injuries too, and Cosey Coleman was moved to IR in late December. And we'll be having to compete with other teams seeking O-line help.

Maybe a stop-gap is all we need. Next year we have more picks and can draft Timmerman or Brown's OG replacement. For now however, lets get sign someone, with a high quality track-record, to a short contract. That allows us to be competitive in 2007, and to eventually work in the replacement.
:phone: (http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/misc.php?do=getsmilies&wysiwyg=1&forumid=24#)

[DWinzit]

Signing a 35 year old would be a regression. This is the last thing the Skins need.

[Wyvern]

Signing a 35 year old OG would not have been my first option either. But there weren't too many other good options, we can seriously afford.

Since we haven't been able to draft a replacement (Wilson, Molinaro,Lefotu?) and we couldn't hang on to Dockery -- we now have a problem at LG. Thanks to deals like ones for Archuleta and Lloyd we don't have as much wiggle room under the cap to sign a prime free agent LG. Since we've restructured our contracts, back-loading a lot of salary money to just beyond 2008, we can't afford too many more of those $$$ long-term contracts to with primetime free-agents -- or by 2009 the Redskins salary cap will be choked with 'dead money.'

Considering all that, maybe a little "regression" is the only option available for handling this short-term need. The prudent signing of older free-agents--to short term contracts--represents a good budgetary option for short-term solutions to positional vacancies. Then, the Redksins use the breathing space and handle this issue's long-term solution through the 2008 draft.

[ChiefPowhatan17]

We already have the oldest average age of any team in the league. Let's get some youthful guys please. There will be less chance of injuries and more of a chance of lasting a few years.

[36HAMMER]

edwin m from the ravens, and lefotu would be my front runners. zimmerman maybe, but i have a question that maybe someone can answer. and i know the boo birds will come becuase it would require a trade. what about david baas of the 49ers did he start last year ? i don't think he did. he's a good guard and played center at a high level while at michigan. 319 pds, and he's strong and i think it would be worth a look at least. any info on him as to his status, ie starter or back up or not. i think he was starting until they signed larry allen. thanks .

[dbtimsah]

We already have the oldest average age of any team in the league. Let's get some youthful guys please. There will be less chance of injuries and more of a chance of lasting a few years.

Timmerman? Redskins already have the oldest team in the NFL! Why was everyone so shocked we couldn't last 4 quarters last year? Why did our players beg for more personal "spa time" this offseason? Old, Old, Old!
:gaintsuck-Bryan

[WorldBFree76]

All I ask is...where are these "youthful guys" capable of starting going to come from?

[bulldog]

what we are talking about is filling in a position for a year. With that in mind age to me is not really an issue. if we are talking about making a multi-year offer to a player than that changes the equation.

let's face it. we are not in a position with draft picks and cap room to sign all 27-28 year old players who are just coming into their primes.

we ARE going to have to find some bargain guys we bring in who are able to get us over the hump for 2007, much as Keith Sims did at OG for us back in 1999. He was a 32/33 year old former pro bowler that helped Davis to 1,400 yards and the Skins back to the playoffs. but he wasn't the long-term answer at the position.

I agree in trading down we should pick up some additional selections which should be directed to the lines (beyond the top slot) and that OG will be the player for us in 2008 and 2009.

[pjfootballer]

I answered this in another guard thread. I think he's too old for what we need. I say no and move on.

[SprintBomb]

no way. to old. i would rather get a young guy with some sort of upside.

[Wyvern]

Good post Bulldog.

To those pushing the youth movement, etc. ... it would be great if the Skins could go "first class" for all positions, all the time. However, there are times when Washington might be forced to think 'bargains' in order to cobble together a quick, affordable fix. It's beginning to look like one of those times.

Many suggested we pick up good young OG with "upside." Those types of guys (OGs like Steinbach, Dockery, Davis, and Mahan) were expensive signings and are now gone. So what do we do now? Go after any available RFA guards who are decent?

Do we want to sign a young guy (maybe not so talented, but young) to a long term contract? If so, who? Or do we hope the answer is sitting on our bench? If so, who? Or do we draft for that OG-- if so, how deep is the talent pool at OG in this year's draft?

It's okay to say we don't want some old OG to fit our immediate needs-- but then come up with the name of new guy that's better. A new guy, you'd be willing to offer a long-term contract to, because you'll have to in this year's free agent market.

Right now I'm hoping the Skins can swing a one-year contract (so with an extra year option) to one of the older pro-bowl quality guards (Adam Timmerman, Ruben Brown, or Edwin Mulitalo.) who are still want to be starters. Are there any other names out there (besides Fonoti) who someone else wants to suggest?

Hey, :D what's Ray Brown doing these days?

[atloldskin]

Pass. Get a younger guy for the position.

[XtremeRedskins83]

Could be worth a look but I have a feeling we'll fair out just fine with who we got on the roster right now. Losing only 1 lineman isn't the end of the world. We need to worry more about the d-line and improve our pressure against the run and our sack production. Lets address those problem areas first then worry about the o-line.

[PorkSkins]

If he can pass a physical then we should sign him. We need a veteran back-up at LG for at least a year.

[box8276]

Its not so easy to dismiss our oline by saying its just one player we lost. What if another goes down? We do not have enough capable backups to fill the holes. We have a young qb we must protect. I say sign timmerman or brown, after all brown was a starter on a super bowl team.

How easy people forget 40yr old ray brown started for our team, a playoff team!

[bowhunter]

Whats the status of Lefotou (sp?) Does he look to fully recover? What did Buges say about him before he was found unconcious? Was he viewed as a promising prospect?
I'd be inclined to try youth now. Now is the time to bring in some youth while the vets are able to assist and coach, because the youth now will be the one anchoring the line in 4 years as we try to replace the current starters.

[Seabee1973]

IO say Sign Wade and convert him to guard

[No_Pressure]

I would personally rather start a young inexperienced guard who may blossom into a good or at least adequate starter than get an old vet who is a good player but is coming off an injury and learning a new system. Pucillo or someone else might turn out fine guys...

[JC girl]

He's too old...I would want to get someone younger, that can stay here a while...

[Helmet959]

speaking of Ray Brown, how's he feeling these days? we might need him back

just kidding, i'm glad he got to end his career on a playoff team, 40 years old... and fighting in the trenches, man that was something to watch, and something the "younger" guys on the line can hopefully learn from as an example