What Snyder can do

“On the heels of the Washington Redskins playoff appearances, Owner Daniel Snyder, 41, has positioned the team for a successful 2006 campaign, both on and off the field.”
~~ From GAMEDAY, Redskins Official 2006 Game Program, December 10, 2006, page 10.

When a team loses in one year, it’s the players. When a team loses over three years, it’s the coaches. If a team loses five years or more, it’s the owner.

Here are three suggestions to Daniel Snyder to contribute to the success of your Washington Redskins.

Lose the “win now at all costs” attitude. Noble sentiment. Poor strategy. This approach didn’t work for the Y2K $100 million team and it isn’t working now. Instead, it encourages your management team to take short cuts. They buy other team’s stars, expecting instant results. Stars emerge from systems. By now, everybody knows that another team’s star may not thrive in your system. What you want is to grow your own talent, merge them with your style of play and keep them on your roster. Coaches requisition needs. Scouts find talent. Your task is to hold your people accountable. Demand to know why your homegrown talent (Antonio Pierce) is now the middle linebacker for the Giants. Demand to know why a cornerback on last season’s roster is having a pro-bowl season — for San Francisco. Demand to know if the people who managed your roster last year should have as much influence this year. These things are not as much fun as hobnobbing with famous players and scouting college prospects, but demanding accountability is what good owners do. You are the only one who can do that for the Redskins. Do that, and you are on the first step toward building a winning organization that can sustain success over the long term.

Put your team on a strict financial budget. We fans admire your willingness to open the checkbook to bring in talent, but it’s a double-edged sword. You get a lot smarter spending your money when there are limits. It’s OK if free agents price themselves out of the market. You get smarter about their value to you versus your next alternative; versus talent already on your roster. You and your management are failing to spend your money wisely. Because you have so much to spend, you buy anyone to win now. Not saying you should be cheap, but the sky is not the limit, either. Next year, when they bring you DE Dwight Freeney’s contract, take his 2006 stats and cut it by a third. Cut every free agent’s prior performance by a third. Then, compare that to the performance of the players now on the roster. If the talent you already have is the same or better, then take a pass on that high profiler. At least, modify the offer.

DE Performance 2006 To Date:

Free agents need time to fit in. For a single season, the guy who spent time in your system will give you more than that free agent in his first season here. I assure you, Kenny Wright and Andre Carter will contribute more next year just because they were in your system this year. A lot of those decisions are left to the coaches. Only you can impose financial discipline.

Restore the draft as a source of talent. The Redskins overvalue free agency as a source of talent. Think about this. Stalwarts Jon Jansen, Chris Samuels, Champ Bailey, Fred Smoot, LaVar Arrington, Sean Taylor and Jason Campbell (maybe) came to the Skins by the draft. In your ownership, Santana Moss is the only free agent who’s been better than the man he replaced. Shawn Springs is good, but he’s no Champ Bailey. Don’t be so quick to give up those multiple draft choices for trades. Maybe when you see what Mike Shanahan does with that third round draft he got from you by way of Atlanta, you will start to get it. Do it for the team. Do it for the fans! Photo: Daniel Snyder and Joe Gibbs share a moment at the 2006 Kick-Off Luncheon. Posted on flickr.com by ExecutiveBiz.