Redskins grasping at straws with Vincent signing

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, October 16, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

Washington Redskins
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The Washington Redskins made headlines Monday by signing veteran defensive back Troy Vincent to an undisclosed contract. In his illustrious 14-plus-year career, Vincent has trekked to five Pro Bowls and intercepted 47 passes, good for second-most among active players.

However, there's a big misconception going around Washington that regards Vincent. Unfortunately, frustrated Redskins fans and administration seem to believe he still has something left in the tank, which he doesn't.

If the 35-year-old could get the job done on the field, he wouldn't have been released by the hapless Buffalo Bills last week. After tweaking his hamstring in Week 1, the Bills placed Vincent on the "minor" injured reserve list, meaning he could sign elsewhere after six weeks. During the time he spent not playing for Buffalo, Vincent graciously helped the coaching staff and tutored rookie free safety Ko Simpson, his replacement.

Vincent's a class individual, outstanding leader and great teammate, but when you're incapable of performing on Sundays, those intangibles matter less. The frustrated Redskins, who threw plenty of offseason eggs into Adam Archuleta's basket, have watched the most expensive safety in the league perform terribly. The ex-Ram has been an awful complement to free safety Sean Taylor. Archuleta can neither cover nor tackle. Frankly, he's a disaster.

But, really, as bad as Archuleta has been, is Vincent better? Granted, the latter plays a different position than the former, but the answer to that question is likely a definitive "no." Why, you ask? Well, Vincent's recent statistics may look good on paper, but those must be thrown out in this situation. For, much like Archuleta, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Vincent can neither cover nor tackle at this stage in his career.

Currently sitting a lowly 2-4 in the standings, the Redskins are simply looking for some sort of spark. A defensive secondary that was supposed to be one of the NFL's best this year has totally flopped. Everyone is accountable. Defensive chief Gregg Williams, who could do no wrong last season, has watched his schemes and players fail miserably in 2006. Williams is obviously hoping Vincent, who starred years ago with the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, proves to be another weapon in his arsenal.

Too bad the proverbial gun Williams is holding has fired blanks all year. Vincent, who picked off four passes last year but made far too many mistakes, is just another paper lion on a badly overrated defense in D.C.

--If you'd like to get in Thursday's article, send e-mails titled "Mailbag" to Connor J. Byrne's address: cbyrne@realfootball365.com. Please include your name and location.

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CommentsComments: 3  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Rob		06:44 AM
10/17/2006
Did Buffalo have an option to hold on to Vincent as implied in "If the 35-year-old could get the job done on the field, he ...
No.2
Carl		08:35 PM
10/17/2006
This has nothing to do witht the article but what do you guys think about J. Campbell? After an Indy loss would that make him the ...
No.3
tele1		12:33 PM
10/18/2006
"Defensive chief Gregg Williams, who could do no wrong last season" I disagree - Williams defense started to "leak" last year. ...
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