2013 FA Thread (Updates on OP) New: Merling, Brace, Pashos, Trueblood, EJBig, Tapp, White, Williams, MATTHEWS; Re-up: Rex, Hall, Davis, Paulsen, DY, RJax, Lich, Sundberg, Baker, Sav, Golston, Kehl, Polumbus; Paycuts: Carriker, Moss, BMeri, J. Wilson

[skinny21]

.

I disagree that Davis doesn't play big -- he's been the only receiver in recent years that has "climbed the ladder" to catch overthrown balls. He's been far and away our most physically imposing receiver, the player we've most frequently gone to to make tough catches over the middle. He's an athletic TE that can get down the field and run the seams, get yards after the catch, can outrun linebackers on play-action crossing routes and can box-out safeties. He's also become a consistently dependable blocker.

There's been a lot of talk about upgrading our receiving corps this offseason, and I don't think it's going to happen. (Probably too few resources, too much committed to the position already, too many needs elsewhere). But Fred Davis is our second best receiver, a true "#2 possession receiver" who simply does most of his work on the inside. He's a known commodity in Washington, one of the better and younger Tier 2 tight ends in the league, and we're fortunate to be able to lock him at a discount rate coming off of an injury. .

All that being said, in each offseason thus far, Shanahan has shocked with unforeseen moves in the draft and free agency. I wouldn't be totally surprised if we made an expensive effort to sign both Fred Davis and Jared Cook, to help adopt/steal from the Belichick-McDaniels 2TE offense. I'm curious to know if anyone else sees this as a feasible possibility.

And regarding Logan Paulsen -- he's a great backup. But he'll never be anything more really than check-down receiver, while Fred Davis creates mismatch problems and is a playmaker in the passing game. We need as many of those players as starters if we're going to beat exceptionally talented defenses like Seattle's and San Francisco's in the playoffs for the foreseeable future.

Very much agree with your assessment. In fact, I had a tough time reducing your quote because you had good points in every paragraph. Anyhow, Davis may not be in the top tier of TEs, but (as you said) he's one of the best of the rest. I don't really see him as a dime-a-dozen kinda guys like some suggest.

Bringing in Cook also is very interesting. I don't know enough about him, but I've been impressed with what I've seen.

You're right that we could use a more dynamic backup TE. I do like Paulsen, but he is a bit limited. I think the coaches wanted Paul to fill that role, but I'm not sold on him yet. His hands (much like Banks) scare me.

[wit33]

Too many are underselling Davis' value to this team and most importantly his skill set. If able to return back to original form he would be huge for this offense moving forward. Paulsen was solid at best, but nowhere near Davis. The SKins need more players that command attention and make others around them better-- Davis is one of those guys. Davis does not need the perfect play call to get him the ball, he is able to dominate other defenders with his physical abilities.

This team still could use some more talent on offense. Getting rid of Davis makes no sense if he proves to be healthy, which the Skins will have an inside track on. Also, for those wanting Griff to stay in the pocket and not run zone read option any longer definitely should be on the side of keeping offensive talent (Davis) and adding some more WR help. Without the zone read this offense would not have come close to the success it experienced this year.

[ConnSKINS26]

I think the point I was making that is being lost about Davis is not that he's untalented--I clearly said he's an above average talent in just about every aspect of the position. But that he seems wasted here. We produced a top-5 offense without him, and he wasn't a huge part of our offense before that this season. And this season is all we have to work off of, because our scheme and personnel was different in many ways pre-RG3.

Davis was targeted much more often last season partly due to scheme, but also partly because Moss and Gaffney were our best receivers. I'm not sure if people are forgetting about that already, but Jabar Gaffney was our leading WR in 2011. Let that sink in. Davis was targeted so often because he was all we really had.

With Garçon, Morgan, and a more experienced Hankerson, we had other, more talented WR's to complement Moss than Jabar Gaffney. That combined with Davis' drop in participation in the offense, either due to scheme or RG3's lack of experience utilizing a TE, meant that he was far less involved in our offense than any TE had been in years here.

So is it worth bringing him back, when his skill-set overlaps with receivers we already have? I don't know, especially with the injury. If he's cheap, of course. He's proven here. But if we could get a guy who is a bigger mis-match, and who, most importantly, can fill a role on this team that currently doesn't exist, I believe that's far more valuable and worth pursuing.

Somebody with a physical advantage over the line backing corps and secondary, more so than Davis, combined with the ability to dominate in the red zone in a way that Davis can't, could be very valuable here. That's why I like Cook. Also because he's exactly the kind of smart FA acquisition we should make--a young guy just entering his prime who fills a role here for a (likely) reasonable price, who is under the radar due to lack of surrounding talent on a pretty bad team.

I have no doubt that if he leaves here and proves to be healthy, Davis will be successful somewhere else that prioritizes the TE in their offense. I just am not sure that that is here, and a more specialized role player may be a better use of his roster spot and the money that would go to him. Someone who can fill an important role here that no one on the roster currently can, including Davis.

It's hard to see for some, but letting Davis go in favor of an option that brings something more important to the table (for our team, at least) might not be a bad thing. We tend to get knee-jerky around here when we let a home-grown player with talent go, when sometimes there actually is a sensible upgrade out there. Letting him go doesn't have to be seen as a bad thing, and it doesn't mean that we think he's a bad player or something. You don't ALWAYS have to be loyal to your draft picks if there is a better option for the role you need filled out there. Letting Davis go when we need to improve the talent around RG3 isn't nonsensical or a waste if we replace him adequately, or even better, more than adequately. And that's what I'm proposing.

It would be like letting Hankerson walk in a year or two for a better option that fits our team better at the time. Yeah, he's "our guy", but if there's a cost-effective replacement out there who fills a role better, you don't get emotional. You make the right move. And that's just what I expect us to do when the time comes with Hankerson if he hasn't emerged as a difference maker by then and is worth more on the open market than he is to this team. Just as an example.

[lifeisgr8]

Go read how the coaches who were fired from the Jets this past week feel about him. And go read how JAX's front office feels about him (mind you, he can put butts in their Stadium's seats, but they don't want him either).

I'll let it end here... the coaches that were fired cant be mad at him. They didnt play him. Maybe if they did they'd still have jobs. And as far as their fans... it's New York. Really?
But don't worry I won't be scared off by conflict. I usually just read because you guys almost always know what's up before anyone else.

---------- Post added January-14th-2013 at 01:39 AM ----------

Too many are underselling Davis' value to this team and most importantly his skill set. If able to return back to original form he would be huge for this offense moving forward. Paulsen was solid at best, but nowhere near Davis. The SKins need more players that command attention and make others around them better-- Davis is one of those guys. Davis does not need the perfect play call to get him the ball, he is able to dominate other defenders with his physical abilities.

This team still could use some more talent on offense. Getting rid of Davis makes no sense if he proves to be healthy, which the Skins will have an inside track on. Also, for those wanting Griff to stay in the pocket and not run zone read option any longer definitely should be on the side of keeping offensive talent (Davis) and adding some more WR help. Without the zone read this offense would not have come close to the success it experienced this year.

Agreed...youthful issues should be gone but the kids definitely got talent.

---------- Post added January-14th-2013 at 01:40 AM ----------

Too many are underselling Davis' value to this team and most importantly his skill set. If able to return back to original form he would be huge for this offense moving forward. Paulsen was solid at best, but nowhere near Davis. The SKins need more players that command attention and make others around them better-- Davis is one of those guys. Davis does not need the perfect play call to get him the ball, he is able to dominate other defenders with his physical abilities.

This team still could use some more talent on offense. Getting rid of Davis makes no sense if he proves to be healthy, which the Skins will have an inside track on. Also, for those wanting Griff to stay in the pocket and not run zone read option any longer definitely should be on the side of keeping offensive talent (Davis) and adding some more WR help. Without the zone read this offense would not have come close to the success it experienced this year.

Agreed...youthful issues should be gone but the kids definitely got talent.

---------- Post added January-14th-2013 at 01:49 AM ----------

I think the point I was making that is being lost about Davis is not that he's untalented--I clearly said he's an above average talent in just about every aspect of the position. But that he seems wasted here. We produced a top-5 offense without him, and he wasn't a huge part of our offense before that this season. And this season is all we have to work off of, because our scheme and personnel was different in many ways pre-RG3.

Davis was targeted much more often last season partly due to scheme, but also partly because Moss and Gaffney were our best receivers. I'm not sure if people are forgetting about that already, but Jabar Gaffney was our leading WR in 2011. Let that sink in. Davis was targeted so often because he was all we really had.

With Garçon, Morgan, and a more experienced Hankerson, we had other, more talented WR's to complement Moss than Jabar Gaffney. That combined with Davis' drop in participation in the offense, either due to scheme or RG3's lack of experience utilizing a TE, meant that he was far less involved in our offense than any TE had been in years here.

So is it worth bringing him back, when his skill-set overlaps with receivers we already have? I don't know, especially with the injury. If he's cheap, of course. He's proven here. But if we could get a guy who is a bigger mis-match, and who, most importantly, can fill a role on this team that currently doesn't exist, I believe that's far more valuable and worth pursuing.

Somebody with a physical advantage over the line backing corps and secondary, more so than Davis, combined with the ability to dominate in the red zone in a way that Davis can't, could be very valuable here.

Maybe I'm lost in all this but didn't our TE's bail RG3 out a few times? And isn't Davis better after the catch and better hands then the two we have? So i'd rather keep what we know we have and see what kind of magic him and RG can create.

[ConnSKINS26]

Of course Davis is better than Paulson and Paul, you're correct there in a big way
My scenario, we only let Davis go if we're bringing in Cook, or someone similar, for all the reasons above. If we have no interest in any other FA TE's, then it makes sense to bring back Davis of course. I thought I was pretty clear in my stance on this, sorry if I wasn't.

[thesubmittedone]

All this Davis talk reminded me about how we've started to go about things now. We do things the smart way now. We offer our guys contracts that make sense to us and won't handcuff the organization in the future. If they think they can get more, we have no problem with them going and finding out what they can get from any other team. We just ask them to allow us first priority to match and, if we do, they'll sign back with us. If not, we part on good terms.

I believe Davis will have that opportunity. I think we'll offer him a very fair contract based on market value for a top 10-15 TE for maybe 2 years. He might be better than that, but the lower ranking is due to his injury and he should know that. 2 years is enough for him to prove himself again and if he ends up being a top 5 TE then he's promised that type of contract from us. He might ask for one, which I think won't bother us either, but 2 would be better. He'll probably test the market and see if anyone offers more. If it's slightly more, we'll match and he'll sign with us. If it's significantly more, we'll wish him the best.

[ConnSKINS26]

Agreed. Our approach to our own FA's has been refreshing honestly. It will be interesting to see what happens with him.

[Rocky52Mc]

Some part of me still hopes Landry signs here due to his contract being up... but that won't happen. Let's hope Jackson is ready to go!

[No_Pressure]

If we added Danny Woodhead at RB (we obviously won't) I think Joe Theismann would literally poop his pants.

[S.T.real,lights,out]

After watching the games this weekend a few things came to mind.

1. I like William Moore a lot. He would cost a lot of money but would make a major impact on this D. Also like the way Golston plays but like Moore more.

2. We dont need another big time WR. Watching Wilson extend plays the way RGIII can, we dont need to add another big time WR. Garcon is obv our #1..i would like to bring another guy in to be our full time slot WR. A small quick guy..or maybe we can get Robinson to fit that role. But Garcon, Morgan and Robinson/Moss/FA, i would think we would be just fine. Atl has some of the best DB's in the league and with Wilson running around a bit his WR's a very tough to cover.

3. We should make RGIII watch tape of Kap. He is a very dynamic but very smart running QB. He knows when to get down and he know when to get OB. He rushed for what 180 yards and he didnt take one solid hit the whole game.

4. I love Fletch but we need to get much much faster at the LB pos. Other that FS/SS i think MLB needs to be a priority to fill this offseason. We need a young, fast and strong guy to start grooming. We need a guy who can keep up with this new style of QB and also cover TE's. So im kind of hoping Fletch gives us 1 more year.

5. Watching Wilfork/Nagata (ravens NT) dominate the line shows what a big, strong NT can do for a D. We can add FS/SS/DB, whatever most want here. But for this D to make the next big step we need a NT that demands 2 blockers on every play. I have been saying this since we swithced to 3-4. He will make us better against the pass and the run. Houston doesnt have that NT but they have Watt who pretty much demands two guys. A NT will make the DE's better and Rak/Kerrigan a lot better and with more pressure getting to the QB it will make our secondary better. We dont have a guy on our line like this. We have a bunch of guys who are good at stopping the run but aren't very good at rushing the passer.

[DC9]

Thought we still owed Rak $2,885,000 for 2013 on contract?

Right, but from what I've heard the idea is to sign him this offseason so that he doesn't get to hit the market.

We also get all of our cap space in 2014... so this year we can start storing that money elsewhere and feel decent about it.

[Bozman777]

Jared Cook is labeled as a receiving only tight end. Dude doesnt like to block. He did run a 4.5 40 at the combine though, 2nd fastest tight end that year. His playing time was limited due to his blocking. He would be a monster if he could/would block.

[SWFLSkins]

Jared Cook is labeled as a receiving only tight end. Dude doesnt like to block. He did run a 4.5 40 at the combine though, 2nd fastest tight end that year. His playing time was limited due to his
blocking problems. Dude would be a monster if he could/would block.

So that nixes that, Shanahan is looking for guys to contribute in the running game by blocking well down the field.

[MLSKINS]

After watching the games this weekend a few things came to mind.
2. We dont need another big time WR.

4. I love Fletch but we need to get much much faster at the LB pos. Other that FS/SS i think MLB needs to be a priority to fill this offseason.

5. Watching Wilfork/Nagata (ravens NT) dominate the line shows what a big, strong NT can do for a D. We can add FS/SS/DB, whatever most want here. But for this D to make the next big step we need a NT that demands 2 blockers on every play. I have been saying this since we swithced to 3-4. He will make us better against the pass and the run.

I agree with all your points, but I really hear you with these three.

With the way our offense was clicking, it's obvious that we really don't need an outside retriever. But it would be nice to have one we can depend on. Hankerson is so inconsistent.

I love Fletcher, but I honsetly don't think he will be able to be effective next year. He played so hard this year, but you can tell that he just can't do it like he wants to.

I love Cofield too. But I think he would be better suited on the end and replacing him with a man eating NT would take us to the next level....

I search the thread and couldn't find nothing but three posts on Ryan Mundy. Did I miss something because I think we should be targeting him.

[Bozman777]

This from TotalTitans. No thanks. Couldnt get link to post. Sorry

Conclusion-Type Thing
With Cook's productivity early in the season, I thought he might be starting to become a consistent week-to-week threat in the passing game and not the same sort of player whose production has fluctuated wildly in the past, going from 8 targets to 1 in any given week. He has been more consistent in a way, with at least 4 targets every week, but I think the Steelers game still shows the level of his production will be dictated in large part by the opposing team's scheme and how they choose to play against the Titans.

The big question with Cook is still whether he has a long-term future with the Titans. I've been leaning toward "no" on that question for a while, but it's a pretty soft lean. He's not grossly incompetent as a run-blocker the way he used to be, but at the same time he's not a great one, nor is he the sort of tight end who I think will regularly make plays in the passing game even against tight coverage. One of the concerns with him has been his adjustment to Chris Palmer's offense; I didn't write in this preview about how many of his curl routes should have been seam routes or vice versa, just because I can't really judge that. Breaking down this game didn't really help me get a more macro-level picture of where Cook stands, so my expectation is to see more of what we've already seen.