For
the Caps, this week was do or die. A back-to-back matchup with the
division-leading Jets was the Caps’ last chance to turn things around this
season. Two losses would have all but doomed their chances for a late run to
the postseason.
The
Caps let everyone know that they were not ready to call it quits.
Oates
and crew came out swinging and Troy Brouwer scored 3:06 into the game. Turns
out, that would be all the Caps needed on the night.
They
would tally another three for good measure and Holtby would chip in with a
shutout. It was mission accomplished in game one as the Caps coasted to a 4-0
win.
Game
two on Friday saw the Jets start more aggressively, but the Caps still were
able to exert themselves early on. Brooks Laich got his first of the season at 12:10
into the first and Brouwer added a second four minutes later. The Caps never
looked back going on to win 6-1.
Just
a short week ago it was thought the Caps should be sellers at the approaching
trade deadline. Now, they sit only five points behind Winnipeg for the top of
the division and three points behind Carolina for the eighth and final playoff
spot.
Selling
at the deadline suddenly seems a bit premature.
The
Caps were never going to have a fire sale anyway. The Caps just do not have
enough assets they would be willing to part with. There is speculation
surrounding Mike Ribeiro who is on the last year of his contract. I also think
they could look to move Michal Neuvirth who has seemingly fallen out of favor
with Adam Oates. Other than that, there is very little to sell.
The
schedule itself also makes selling before the deadline premature. Including
tonight’s game against the Rangers, the Caps have five games before the
deadline. Only one of those games is against a team currently in playoff position,
Carolina, who are dealing with injuries and have lost five straight.
The
schedule allows for the Caps to make a strong run leading up to the trade
deadline.
Of
course, the Caps are not likely to be buyers either.
The
inconsistencies they have shown thus far do not justify selling assets and
draft picks for what ultimately remains a long shot postseason run. Should the
Caps fail to make the playoffs, they will likely have a high draft pick. It
makes no sense then to give those up.
Since
it does not make sense to buy or sell then, I expect a quiet deadline for the
Caps. Any possible run they make will depend on the roster they currently have.
It will start tonight against the Rangers.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Is John Wall worth a max deal?
With the successful return of John Wall, rumors have began swirling that the Wizards are preparing to offer their young point guard a max contract.
J. Michael of CSN reported that several persons with knowledge of the situation believe the Wizards are preparing to offer Wall a max deal. In many ways, Wall fits the mold of a max player.
As a point guard, Wall is the most important player on the floor. He is a former number one overall pick and is the best player on the team. He has clearly improved his jump shot and has become a more prolific scorer averaging 15.6 points per game.
More importantly he makes the entire team better when he is in the lineup. The shooting percentage of everyone on the floor shoots up when Wall is playing. The Wizards went 5-28 without him and are 19-15 since his return. That is a dramatic jump.
But does a .559 win percentage really justify a max contract?
Max contracts should go to elite talents only because you are handcuffing your ability to bring in other players to supplement your roster.
Wall may be a great player, but he is not an elite talent. Giving him more money further obstructs the team’s ability to surround him with better players.
The Wizards were historically bad without Wall in the lineup. Compare that to the Bulls who have been without their best player, Derrick Rose, for the entire season. The Bulls are 36-30, good for sixth in the east. They are a playoff team. This shows you just how bad Wall's supporting cast is. They certainly have some good players on the team, such as rookie Bradley Beal, but not enough to be great.
Perhaps the hardest thing for the Wizards and fans to accept is that Wall is not an elite talent. Elite of course is a subjective term, but when I think elite, I think LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, Derrick Rose, etc. Wall is not among those players. True, he is only in his third year and a max contract would be an investment on what the Wizards believe he could be, but I do not see Wall developing into that level of player. Ask yourself this: who has the higher ceiling, Wall or Kyrie Irving?
I have no doubt Wall will continue to get better. He has shown he can do so in the course of this season with his improved jump shot, but his ceiling is much lower than Irving's. The NBA is the most star-driven sport in America. If Wall's ceiling is only so high, that makes the Wizards' ceiling that much lower. Can you really see Wall becoming on the elite players of the sport?
This is not to say the Wizards should not pursue re-signing him, he is a very good player. Paying him as if he is among the league's elite, however, will haunt the Wizards. I fear that the Wizards are setting themselves up to be a middle of the pack playoff team unable to challenge the sports' top teams and without the cap space to bring in the other pieces they need to be a true contender. Then the Wizards will have to blow the team up and start over.
The plan should be to build a contender, not overpay a single player and handcuff the team's future. Pretending you have a superstar will not make him one. Wall may be good, but he is not 'max' good.
For the latest DC sports new, follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy
For the latest DC sports new, follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Redskins stay patient in free agency
Free agency opened Tuesday afternoon
and so far, the Redskins have stayed relatively quiet choosing instead to focus
on re-signing and re-structuring the contracts of players already on the roster
rather than signing big name free agents with high price tags.
While the Redskins have largely been forced to stand pat due to the $18 million cap penalty imposed by the NFL, their patience may be the clearest sign yet that this organization has turned a corner.
The Redskins’ have thus far signed only two free agents: offensive tackles Tony Pashos and Jeremy Trueblood. They have also re-signed Logan Paulsen, Darrel Young, Rob Jackson, Kory Lichtensteiger, Nick Sundberg, Sav Rocca, and Kedric Golston. None of these are real earth-shattering moves, but they are very low-risk and, most importantly, fairly cheap.
The Redskins were forced to restructure several contracts in order to keep many of their key players and still get below the cap. They did not, however, follow the Vinny Cerrato model of restructuring. Previously, the team would push the total amount owed to a player back, meaning the player would still earn the full amount of their contracts but the bulk would be earned in the latter years. Essentially, it was the Redskins way of kicking the can down the road. Since the team could not afford said players, pushing the money back year after year only exacerbated the situation. The Redskins found themselves with a terrible team they could not afford to pay.
This year, the team had a very different philosophy. Instead of pushing the money back, they have instead convinced players to accept pay cuts.
As of now, Adam Carriker, Santana Moss, and Brandon Meriweather have all agreed to restructure their contracts and take pay cuts. It is amazing what players are willing to do to play on a good team. This would have been a much tougher sell had the Redskins gone 6-10 last season.
The Redskins also had to make a very frank assessment of their roster to see who will be part of the team’s future and move on from players who will not. The team will not re-sign Brandon Banks or Jammal Brown whose contracts just expired. They also cut DeAngelo Hall whose contract was set to count $8 million against the cap.
While these moves all appear to be smart and necessary that is not to say the Redskins are not feeling the sting of their suddenly tight purse strings.
Team leader and Pro Bowler Lorenzo Alexander will not be returning next season. The Redskins were forced to low-ball their offer to him and he instead chose to sign in Arizona. The departure of Hall also leaves the team with a single starting cornerback on the roster, Josh Wilson, and no money to sign a replacement. The draft pool for defensive backs appears to be fairly deep, but as the team is equally as thin at safety and without a first round pick, you cannot reasonably believe the Redskins will be able to revamp the backfield through the draft alone.
With several holes left to fill and few draft picks, I believe the Redskins are not done with restructuring contracts. Trent Williams seems the most likely candidate as he has been with the team since 2010 and, according to Fox Sports, is the highest paid player on the team.
There is also the question of Fred Davis. As of today (Thursday), he remains unsigned. That is good for the Redskins because if he had been given a blockbuster deal, he would have taken it. Teams will be spooked by his drug suspension and injury concerns, but he will still seek a large deal and that could put him out of reach. Adam Schefter reported today that Davis was choosing between Washington and Cleveland. If the Redskins get into a bidding war with the Browns, they will lose. Even so, it might not be a bad thing at this point. A starting cornerback may be more important than another starting tight end.
Despite the turmoil and the lack of cap room this season, the Redskins seem to have handled the situation well (now that they have begun dealing with the penalty rather than threatening fruitless appeals). With several holes left to fill and with the draft coming up, the Redskins will still seek whatever cap room they can find to try and patch together their roster for next season.
While I understand and applaud most of the moves the team has made thus far, I do not have high hopes for the 2013 season. As the cap penalty and free agency began to play out, we really began to understand just how deep the penalty cut. The defense had some glaring holes last season and chances are it is probably going to look worse in 2013. I do not see how the secondary can be better with late-round draft picks and bargain-basement players. The return of Meriweather will help, but you cannot rely on him to remain healthy and you still need another starting safety and a cornerback.
The Redskins may again have to rely very heavily on their offense and, with Robert Griffin III still recovering, I am not sure how well the offense will be able to shoulder the load.
Don’t despair though fans, if you take a long-term perspective, things are looking up. The Redskins will have that $18 million back for 2014 and will be able to make a splash then. The core that Mike Shanahan has built through the draft will still be largely intact, there hopefully will be no doubts surrounding Griffin’s health headed into the season, and the Redskins will have approximately $18 million extra in cap space to work with.
I’m not declaring 2013 a throw-away season because it is not; they have potential to compete as they did last year. If you are talking championship though, the Redskins can stay the course and really be in good shape for 2014.
All it will take is a little patience.
For the latest sports new follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy
While the Redskins have largely been forced to stand pat due to the $18 million cap penalty imposed by the NFL, their patience may be the clearest sign yet that this organization has turned a corner.
The Redskins’ have thus far signed only two free agents: offensive tackles Tony Pashos and Jeremy Trueblood. They have also re-signed Logan Paulsen, Darrel Young, Rob Jackson, Kory Lichtensteiger, Nick Sundberg, Sav Rocca, and Kedric Golston. None of these are real earth-shattering moves, but they are very low-risk and, most importantly, fairly cheap.
The Redskins were forced to restructure several contracts in order to keep many of their key players and still get below the cap. They did not, however, follow the Vinny Cerrato model of restructuring. Previously, the team would push the total amount owed to a player back, meaning the player would still earn the full amount of their contracts but the bulk would be earned in the latter years. Essentially, it was the Redskins way of kicking the can down the road. Since the team could not afford said players, pushing the money back year after year only exacerbated the situation. The Redskins found themselves with a terrible team they could not afford to pay.
This year, the team had a very different philosophy. Instead of pushing the money back, they have instead convinced players to accept pay cuts.
As of now, Adam Carriker, Santana Moss, and Brandon Meriweather have all agreed to restructure their contracts and take pay cuts. It is amazing what players are willing to do to play on a good team. This would have been a much tougher sell had the Redskins gone 6-10 last season.
The Redskins also had to make a very frank assessment of their roster to see who will be part of the team’s future and move on from players who will not. The team will not re-sign Brandon Banks or Jammal Brown whose contracts just expired. They also cut DeAngelo Hall whose contract was set to count $8 million against the cap.
While these moves all appear to be smart and necessary that is not to say the Redskins are not feeling the sting of their suddenly tight purse strings.
Team leader and Pro Bowler Lorenzo Alexander will not be returning next season. The Redskins were forced to low-ball their offer to him and he instead chose to sign in Arizona. The departure of Hall also leaves the team with a single starting cornerback on the roster, Josh Wilson, and no money to sign a replacement. The draft pool for defensive backs appears to be fairly deep, but as the team is equally as thin at safety and without a first round pick, you cannot reasonably believe the Redskins will be able to revamp the backfield through the draft alone.
With several holes left to fill and few draft picks, I believe the Redskins are not done with restructuring contracts. Trent Williams seems the most likely candidate as he has been with the team since 2010 and, according to Fox Sports, is the highest paid player on the team.
There is also the question of Fred Davis. As of today (Thursday), he remains unsigned. That is good for the Redskins because if he had been given a blockbuster deal, he would have taken it. Teams will be spooked by his drug suspension and injury concerns, but he will still seek a large deal and that could put him out of reach. Adam Schefter reported today that Davis was choosing between Washington and Cleveland. If the Redskins get into a bidding war with the Browns, they will lose. Even so, it might not be a bad thing at this point. A starting cornerback may be more important than another starting tight end.
Despite the turmoil and the lack of cap room this season, the Redskins seem to have handled the situation well (now that they have begun dealing with the penalty rather than threatening fruitless appeals). With several holes left to fill and with the draft coming up, the Redskins will still seek whatever cap room they can find to try and patch together their roster for next season.
While I understand and applaud most of the moves the team has made thus far, I do not have high hopes for the 2013 season. As the cap penalty and free agency began to play out, we really began to understand just how deep the penalty cut. The defense had some glaring holes last season and chances are it is probably going to look worse in 2013. I do not see how the secondary can be better with late-round draft picks and bargain-basement players. The return of Meriweather will help, but you cannot rely on him to remain healthy and you still need another starting safety and a cornerback.
The Redskins may again have to rely very heavily on their offense and, with Robert Griffin III still recovering, I am not sure how well the offense will be able to shoulder the load.
Don’t despair though fans, if you take a long-term perspective, things are looking up. The Redskins will have that $18 million back for 2014 and will be able to make a splash then. The core that Mike Shanahan has built through the draft will still be largely intact, there hopefully will be no doubts surrounding Griffin’s health headed into the season, and the Redskins will have approximately $18 million extra in cap space to work with.
I’m not declaring 2013 a throw-away season because it is not; they have potential to compete as they did last year. If you are talking championship though, the Redskins can stay the course and really be in good shape for 2014.
All it will take is a little patience.
For the latest sports new follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Time to shop Green
After prolonged time to heal this
offseason thanks to the lockout, it was hoped that Mike Green would enter the
season healthy. So far this season, he
has missed eight games. When he
initially injured his groin, he missed only three games before returning saying
his groin was feeling 100%.
I guess that was wishful thinking.
Injuries are becoming a troubling issue for Green as they have cut his past two seasons short. Green played only 81 games combined in those seasons.
Predictably, his production has declined as well. Green was on pace in both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons for his lowest point totals since 2006-07. Green’s scoring ability was a luxury the team enjoyed, but without it he’s a very average defenseman. He tallied a whopping 76 points in 2009-10, but he was the team’s worst player in the infamous first round defeat at the hands of Montreal.
What makes Green so valuable is his offensive abilities. It would be nice to have Green back in the lineup, but if he is not producing, then he adds just another body to an already crowded blue line. As his production and health continually seem to decline, the Caps need to shop him in the offseason before another lackluster season takes away any trade value he may still have.
Obviously other teams will be aware of Green’s injury concerns, but they will be aware of his upside as well. At 27 years old, there will be numerous teams willing to roll the dice on Green, but the clock is ticking. The more Green struggles this season, the lower his trade value slips.
Still, it is hard to imagine there will be no interest for Green. He’s a great player when he’s healthy, but it just does not seem to be working out in DC anymore. Better to trade him now while he still has some value than hold on to him and risk watching his career disintegrate.
I guess that was wishful thinking.
Injuries are becoming a troubling issue for Green as they have cut his past two seasons short. Green played only 81 games combined in those seasons.
Predictably, his production has declined as well. Green was on pace in both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons for his lowest point totals since 2006-07. Green’s scoring ability was a luxury the team enjoyed, but without it he’s a very average defenseman. He tallied a whopping 76 points in 2009-10, but he was the team’s worst player in the infamous first round defeat at the hands of Montreal.
What makes Green so valuable is his offensive abilities. It would be nice to have Green back in the lineup, but if he is not producing, then he adds just another body to an already crowded blue line. As his production and health continually seem to decline, the Caps need to shop him in the offseason before another lackluster season takes away any trade value he may still have.
Obviously other teams will be aware of Green’s injury concerns, but they will be aware of his upside as well. At 27 years old, there will be numerous teams willing to roll the dice on Green, but the clock is ticking. The more Green struggles this season, the lower his trade value slips.
Still, it is hard to imagine there will be no interest for Green. He’s a great player when he’s healthy, but it just does not seem to be working out in DC anymore. Better to trade him now while he still has some value than hold on to him and risk watching his career disintegrate.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Redskins consider suing NFL
The Washington Post reported last weekend that
the Washington Redskins were considering suing the NFL in an attempt to have
their $18 million cap penalty overturned. As part of the lawsuit, they would
file a motion to block the March 12 start of free agency.
The Redskins hinted that they were not done fighting the cap penalty, but this seems drastic. The cap penalty assessed to the team is a blatant act of collusion and completely unfair, but so far the courts have disagreed. I am not sure the legal arguments of the situation, but I don’t know how 30 organizations can have an “unwritten rule” regarding the types of contracts teams can offer players without it being labeled as collusion. Still, the Redskins have lost every legal challenge to the NFL’s ruling thus far.
It may be unfair, but the Redskins need to swallow their pride and accept it. Suing the NFL and disrupting free agency is just a bad idea.
The Redskins do not operate independent of the NFL and the other teams or in a vacuum. The team should want to have good relations with the league, the owners, the players, and their agents. Basically, if you make life tough for everyone else, they’ll make life tough for you.
Remember the late Al Davis? He wasn’t always considered a pariah. He sued the NFL in 1980 so he could move the Raiders to Los Angeles. The Redskins need to avoid having a similar type of relationship with the rest of the league, especially with the team facing numerous potential problems in the coming years.
The Redskins are under attack over their team name. Thus far, the NFL has not voiced a strong opinion either way, but that could easily change if the Redskins choose to go forward with this lawsuit. They may feel sudden pressure to rebrand themselves despite how committed to the name the organization currently is. The condition of the field at FedEx is a disgrace; do not expect any help from the league in improving those conditions.
Mike Shanahan was able to orchestrate a trade last season with St. Louis in order to draft Robert Griffin III. The Cleveland Browns were reportedly willing to give up just as much, but the Rams instead choose to deal the pick to the Redskins. I do not see the Redskins being able to make these type of deals in the future if they choose to pursue their lawsuit. Teams will be much less inclined to work out trades, agents will try to steer players away from DC, and whatever vain hope Daniel Snyder may have had about bringing the Super Bowl to FedEx would be completely extinguished.
Perhaps more troubling than the logistical nightmare of suing the NFL is the fact that the Redskins have not taken any measures thus far to free up cap space. They remain approximately $3 million over the salary cap with holes on the roster to fill and numerous free agents left to sign including Fred Davis. The Redskins need to prepare for the next season, but they’ve seemingly put everything on hold. The last thing the Redskins should want is for their pending free agents to hit the open market. If the team does not make room for the players they need to sign, then they will simply sign somewhere else. The Redskins risk making things worse for themselves if they are not prepared to absorb the cap penalty.
The first reports of this lawsuit began surfacing about a week ago and since then nothing has happened. It could be that the Redskins are hoping the threat of a lawsuit will be enough to force some kind of settlement from the league and they do not intend to actually go to court. If they do, they should first consider the long-term ramifications of such a move. Saving $18 million now could cost them a lot in the future.
The Redskins hinted that they were not done fighting the cap penalty, but this seems drastic. The cap penalty assessed to the team is a blatant act of collusion and completely unfair, but so far the courts have disagreed. I am not sure the legal arguments of the situation, but I don’t know how 30 organizations can have an “unwritten rule” regarding the types of contracts teams can offer players without it being labeled as collusion. Still, the Redskins have lost every legal challenge to the NFL’s ruling thus far.
It may be unfair, but the Redskins need to swallow their pride and accept it. Suing the NFL and disrupting free agency is just a bad idea.
The Redskins do not operate independent of the NFL and the other teams or in a vacuum. The team should want to have good relations with the league, the owners, the players, and their agents. Basically, if you make life tough for everyone else, they’ll make life tough for you.
Remember the late Al Davis? He wasn’t always considered a pariah. He sued the NFL in 1980 so he could move the Raiders to Los Angeles. The Redskins need to avoid having a similar type of relationship with the rest of the league, especially with the team facing numerous potential problems in the coming years.
The Redskins are under attack over their team name. Thus far, the NFL has not voiced a strong opinion either way, but that could easily change if the Redskins choose to go forward with this lawsuit. They may feel sudden pressure to rebrand themselves despite how committed to the name the organization currently is. The condition of the field at FedEx is a disgrace; do not expect any help from the league in improving those conditions.
Mike Shanahan was able to orchestrate a trade last season with St. Louis in order to draft Robert Griffin III. The Cleveland Browns were reportedly willing to give up just as much, but the Rams instead choose to deal the pick to the Redskins. I do not see the Redskins being able to make these type of deals in the future if they choose to pursue their lawsuit. Teams will be much less inclined to work out trades, agents will try to steer players away from DC, and whatever vain hope Daniel Snyder may have had about bringing the Super Bowl to FedEx would be completely extinguished.
Perhaps more troubling than the logistical nightmare of suing the NFL is the fact that the Redskins have not taken any measures thus far to free up cap space. They remain approximately $3 million over the salary cap with holes on the roster to fill and numerous free agents left to sign including Fred Davis. The Redskins need to prepare for the next season, but they’ve seemingly put everything on hold. The last thing the Redskins should want is for their pending free agents to hit the open market. If the team does not make room for the players they need to sign, then they will simply sign somewhere else. The Redskins risk making things worse for themselves if they are not prepared to absorb the cap penalty.
The first reports of this lawsuit began surfacing about a week ago and since then nothing has happened. It could be that the Redskins are hoping the threat of a lawsuit will be enough to force some kind of settlement from the league and they do not intend to actually go to court. If they do, they should first consider the long-term ramifications of such a move. Saving $18 million now could cost them a lot in the future.
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