Vision Quest: Coles is a goner. Or not. Or maybe so?

Wow.

I was getting ready to go to bed on Sunday night. I had the day off today and was looking forward to sleeping in on President’s day, but then around 1:00 I checked some email and the Washington Post on the web for any late breaking Redskin news and BAM!! Coles leaving DC? Where did this come from? I was floored,

I was just checking onto the site to see if there was news about resigning Pierce or Samuels. I was getting together a storyline on my article this week about giving up for the team. I was going to title it something snappy like Real Redskins Resign and talk about Ramsey, Wynn, and Jansen and how they gave up for the team in an effort to make us better over the next couple of years. Tuesday was the first day of cuts, and the NFL combine is this week. Lots of changes in the air, but this was not the news I expected.

Laveranues Coles, our leading receiver for the last two years, the person we gave up a number one draft choice and a 14 million dollar signing bonus two years ago for, is now departing the Redskins. Apparently the redskins will release Coles as part of a negotiated settlement in the near future. To lessen the cap hit Coles and the Redskins will probably null and void his contract and Coles will give back a portion of his contract. But it is over, the Coles era in DC has ended only two years after it started.

In hindsight it shouldn’t be all that surprising. Coles was signed as a restricted free agent only two years ago but it was a much different Redskin team then. We were in the second year of the pass happy Spurrier regime and Coles was going to be the wide receiver lead the way. And he did. In his first year here he posted 82 catches for 1,204 yards and 6 touchdowns, all team highs. He was everything that he promised to be and won over many Redskin fans for his grit and determination.

However Spurrier quit the next off-season and as Redskin fans rejoiced at the return of Joe Gibbs and his run first offense Coles quietly stewed. He obviously was not happy with the possibility of learning a third offensive scheme in three years. Couple that with the fact that he closed out the last year in pain and was still in pain from his toe and it is obvious that he must have been depressed at the turn of events.

Then the season started and Coles stopped talking to the media. But so did a few Redskin players like Taylor and others. Some postulated that perhaps Coles was upset over the conservative play calling and the weak armed play of Mark Brunell. However no one knew because Coles did not speak out….not once. You have to admire that. He could of called out his coach, he could have refused to play, he could of demanded to be traded.

But he didn’t do any of that. He simply laced up his shoes and went out there and did what he was asked to do. Run over the middle, catch 2-yard screens, block for the run, he did it. Then after the season he expressed his desire to leave, not publicly but to the coach and administration. He is even willing to return part of his bonus to leave. He wants out bad and in my opinion he is doing it the right way.

However I think he is being rash and undeniably short sighted at the same time. 90 catches, even short routes, are still an indication on how much Gibbs and company ran the offense through him. Gibbs and Bugel both stated after the season they would be opening it up more after the season. Is it worth that much to Coles (possibly 6 million dollars) to not give one more year a chance?

However this may not be a case of offensive philosophy and more a case of rehab on Coles’ toe. After the 2003 season the Redskins wanted him to get surgery on the stress fracture on his big toe. Coles opted out, citing concerns for his career and chose rest. However during the 2004 season the toe turned arthritic as well. Some cortisone shots at the end of the season helped out a little, but Coles was not the same person he was when we signed him.

After the season Coles still refused to explore the surgery option. Joseph White of the AP reported today that even though the Redskins wanted Coles to do the surgery, Coles is still refusing. This could be why the release talks are happening. Why pay Coles the money he is going to make if he refuses to keep himself healthy? Apparently Coles is worried about career implications but the boys in the front office should be worried about that as well.

So the question on every Redskin’s mind is “Can this be repaired?” Well I don’t think it is too far out. Gibbs has said today that the story that the Redskins are going to release him is untrue; he also said that Cole’s future with the team is up in the air. I haven’t seen more indecision over an untimely end since Hamlet.

Coles probably needs to bone up and get this surgery. The Redskins Front Office has just as much riding on Coles career as Coles does right now. If Coles career ended abruptly because of a botched surgery the Redskins would have an immediate 9 million dollar hit. I don’t think the Redskins can trade Coles because of the aforementioned cap hit. And if Coles does not want to do the surgery and does not want to be a Redskin then where does this leave us?

Maybe back where we started. There is one part of the Washington Post story that sounds particularly true to me. Here is the quote:

"Sometimes it seemed like he missed Spurrier," a top Redskins player, who joined the club last season, said yesterday. "I love Laveranues because he's a warrior. No one plays harder. But if he doesn't want to be here, then it's best to find another team."

This sounds like Clinton Portis to me. And if this is indicative of the feeling of other core Redskins than the Redskins should release Coles after negotiating a refund on at least half of his remaining signing bonus. Coles will make it up in free agency and be happier. The skins can then get a free agent WR and perhaps Mike Williams at #9 in the draft and start over. This may be an opportunity for Jacobs, Thrash, and maybe even McCants now have chances to work hard and crack the starting lineup. Or at least some playing time.

We have been spoiled as Redskin fans in the last few off seasons. This one may be the winter of our discontent. We are not making over an entire roster nor are we signing huge contracts with free agents. We may not even draft at #9 but may trade down. Redskin one is not going to be rolling down the tarmac as much. And we face the possibility of losing Fred Smoot, possibly Chris Samuels, and now more likely Laveranues Coles. No one wants to lose these players but it may be necessary to get to the final result, a team willing to play hard for Gibbs fourth Lombardi trophy.

Parting is such sweet sorrow but it may be all we are left with.