Redskins Grab Goldson

It is often said that good coaches adapt their schemes to fit their personnel. That is why it is not often said that Lovie Smith is a good coach.

The Buccaneers continue to ship out defenders who do not fit Smith’s preferred Cover-2 defensive system, getting only pennies on the dollar in return. The latest occurrence happened on Friday when Tampa Bay sent Dashon Goldson and a 2016 seventh-round pick to Washington in exchange for a 2016 sixth-round selection. The Buccaneers will take on the $4 million in guaranteed salary Goldson is owed this season, but will still save $4 million under the cap.

The exchange is similar to a midseason swap from 2014, when the Buccaneers sent former first-round pick Mark Barron to the Rams for a bag of dill pickle chips and a plastic pirate sword. Now, a secondary that two years ago featured a trio of headliners in Darrelle Revis, Barron and Goldson is suddenly led by Johnthan Banks, Alterraun Verner and Chris Conte. Calling that a downgrade is like calling Aubrey Plaza mildly attractive — it’s underselling at its finest.

While this is a classic example of the Bucs being the Bucs, it makes the opposite case for the Redskins. Washington, which was once known for its wild, irresponsible spending in free agency, has suddenly mastered the art of finding valuable contributors at reasonable prices. In addition to Goldson, the team has bolstered its defense with the additions of CB Chris Culliver (San Francisco), DT Terrance Knighton (Denver) and DT Stephen Paea (Chicago).

Goldson is no longer primed to become the superstar he was on the verge of becoming in San Francisco (where he was drafted by current Redskins GM Scot McCloughan), but he can still be a core player on a Redskins team that is back on the upswing.

“The core of your team is from [your fifth best player] to No. 35,” McCloughan said. “Those are the guys that are passionate, intelligent, consistent and competitive as all get-out. All they want to do is win.”

Goldson has started each of the 89 games he’s played in over the last six seasons. Over the course of his eight-year career he has racked up 499 tackles, 43 pass breakups, 15 interceptions, six forced fumbles and three sacks.

He will get a chance soon enough to show his former employer how much he has left in the tank. The Buccaners will visit FedExField this season with a rookie quarterback under center and a clueless head coach on the sidelines.

Crabtree to Stay in the Bay? 

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And desperate free agents head to Oakland.

Michael Crabtree will visit the Raiders next week, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. He visited the Dolphins earlier this offseason but left Miami without a deal.

Receiver is one of Oakland’s most glaring needs. The Raiders were prepared to dig deep into the coffers for Packers WR Randall Cobb, but he re-signed in Green Bay before Oakland could put in a bid. The team will now look to draft a receiver, regardless of what happens with Crabtree, but a little veteran insurance would be comforting.

Crabtree is a big name and — entering his seventh season — a big question mark. A series of lower-leg injuries have zapped his speed and explosiveness, relegating him to the role of possession receiver. He believes he is capable of more, especially now that he is more than a year removed from surgery on a torn Achilles, but his most recent game film shows a receiver that may struggle to make Oakland’s 53-man roster.

The Raiders already have a couple receivers of a similar ilk — James Jones and Rod Streater — as well as the dynamic (if inconsistent) Andre Holmes. It is possible the Raiders are just doing their due diligence in case injuries strike during the season and the team needs to bring in a street free agent.

Crabtree is willing to wait until he finds the right situation (i.e. contract), a process with no resolution in sight. San Francisco GM Trent Baalke said the door is open for Crabtree to return, but this is the same man who pretended to support Jim Harbaugh the past two seasons.

“As long as Michael’s out there, he’s just like any other (unrestricted free agent),” Baalke said. “You never say never.”

Well, here’s one exception: Crabtree will never get the $9-10 million annual salary he is reportedly seeking. Never.

Freeman the Next Warner? 

Josh Freeman is back in the NFL and setting his goals extremely high. He aims to follow the footsteps of Kurt Warner, who famously went from grocery store bag-boy to Super Bowl hero in St. Louis. Warner rode the roller-coaster one more time before hanging up his cleats, going from being demoted  in New York to leading the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.

“Last week I was out in Arizona working out and I had a chance to spend a little time with Kurt Warner while I was out there,” Freeman said. “He’s a guy, a prime example of a guy who was out of football and got that call and stepped into a situation and ultimately made the most of it. Kurt’s an amazing guy, a competitor, and his approach, going into his time with the Rams, was definitely something I can learn from.”

Freeman is certainly talented enough to author a Warner-like renaissance. He is a former first-round pick who led the Buccaneers to a 10-6 record in 2010 by throwing 25 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He has found plenty of adversity since, including being made a scapegoat by former Bucs coach Greg Schiano (what is it with Tampa Bay and horrible coaches?) and being rushed into the starting lineup in Minnesota (where his audition lasted just one disastrous game).

But here’s the thing to remember of Warner’s journey: it never happens if Rodney Harrison doesn’t tear up Trent Green’s knee during the 1999 preseason. It may take a similar occurrence for Freeman to find his opportunity in Miami, where he is third on the depth chart behind Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore.

If Tannehill were to go down for any length of time, it is possible Freeman could overtake the uninspiring Moore and light things up in South Beach. But the more likely scenario involves Tannehill continuing his ascent into the league’s top-10 QBs while Freeman does nothing but hold a clipboard and bide his time.

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