Daryl Washington
 

The Arizona Cardinals released former Pro Bowl-linebacker, Daryl Washington today. He hasn't played in an NFL game since 2013 after being suspended twice for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Here's a look at his numbers:

2010: 78 tackles 1 sack 1 INT
2011: 107 tackles 5 sacks 2 INT
2012: 134 tackles 9 sacks 1 INT
2013: 75 tackles 3 sacks 2 INT (12 games)

He's 30 years old, but he hasn't had any wear and tear on his body in the last 3 years. The question is...do you kick the tires and give him a 1 year prove it deal? Would I? Yeah.

Thoughts?

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Oh yeah...for sure bring him in for a test run. He has/had the talent, obviously. Could make the LB battle that much better. Vet minimum contract, too.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Nope, I would pass. Not one game in 3 years. Don't bring a dope head in to New Orleans. That's like a rapist at a titty bar.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

What should we test him for?

Re: Daryl Washington
 

And which one of the other 90 players do you jettison? You can only have 90 players on your roster once the activities start.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Forrest Hightower.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Before they've even seen him in a team activity? Washington is a bad test away from a year long suspension. Maybe a look after the first round of OTA's, but before then you don't know what you are tossing.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Exactly. It's just like bringing in a vet CB right now.

We've made the investment in draft picks and now great positional coaches on the defense...

Let those players get the reps they need to be truly evaluated and develop...

Even if we get a rash of injuries and need someone to be available, or we not gonna be consistent in message (i.e. waived Joe Morgan)?

So, then, I think he's not a guy you're looking at; besides, I believe we already have assembled better talent on the roster now.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

If we are desperate in the playoffs yes. I could see him playing lights out for a likely last shot at glory and fly straight. Other than that no. There are consequences to making numerous poor life choices. Eventually your life is poor.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

I'd roll the dice on Washington before an UDFA.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

If he was a DE sure.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

But you are not part of the Saints' front office and inner circle. You have no idea of their degree of tolerance, nor their degree of expectations of their signed players at this point.

Why did Arizona cut him over their 90 players on roster? Think about that? Maybe they saw him as done in the NFL and they know him FAR better than the Saints ... or you.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Over what DE we have on the 90 man roster?

Re: Daryl Washington
 

He will go to the bengals they love NFL rejects.... bet you if Josh Gordon ever gets reinstated bengals got him on a plane to sign....

Re: Daryl Washington
 

We're talking about what we would do and what we think the Saints should do, not what they'll actually do. If I worked for the Saints front office I'd roll the dice on him. Arizona might have cut him because they're comfortable at Linebacker with Buchannon and Reddick. We can't really say the same even with the new additions to the team. I don't proclaim to have any intel or insight on the thoughts of front offices around the league, I'm just not of the mindset of seeing an UDFA having more value than a Pro Bowler with some baggage when it comes to a 90 man roster.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

The roster is at 90 because it's full of place holders to run mindless drills for a few months and get released. There are usually 25 or 30 players of that 90 who really have very little shot at making the roster. With that in mind, I don't see how it would be a problem to bring in a guy with talent (however rusty he might be, at this point) for a look, at the expense of one player who was likely never going to get a serious chance in the first place.

I don't know why it's necessary to make such low risk, tryout-type deals seem like a game of Russian Roulette. We're not talking about drafting a guy, or signing him to a mega deal. I'd kick the tires for the vet minimum.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Dat way.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Daryl has been out of the league how long? 3 years ?? ... 0 wear and tear on his body (can't really say that with some of our linebackers) & he was solid prior to the suspension. I read recently he stated that he is in the best condition of his life.

With the performances from our historically bad defenses over the years, it's hard for me to say no thanks to anyone. Would I "kick the tires"? Yes. You can never have enough ballers on defense. Especially at the linebacker position.

Hell yeah he is worth a look.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

How about brain activity.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

First, why hasn't he been playing in four years? (Hint: It's floating around in his latest pee cup, or you could just ask his ex about how she got those scars...) He seems about as sharp as a marble to me. Another almost Gordon. Good talent eclipsed by an IQ easily equaled by the room temperature. If he's not motivated at all to stay straight, how's he gonna be motivated enough to help us get to where we're going? We have enough problems with holes created by injuries we don't need any more created by stupid.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

We've been over this topic before in this forum. You don't take risks on guys with highly checkered pasts, with big money deals or high draft picks. Taking a flyer on a guy for likely a league minimum deal to see what he can do, isn't a risk. Our future isn't going to be mortgaged if he isn't any good, or fails a drug test.

All of this fear tied to who gets released at the bottom of a 90 man roster is a bit overly dramatic, in my opinion. I doubt the Saints will sign him, but since the question is about what we would do, I would rather give a guy a shot who has a chance to impact my team IF he's gotten himself right, than to save a spot for some guy who MIGHT make my practice squad, and perhaps contribute on special teams if everything goes right.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

We have talent on the roster that needs to be developed. We have coaches who are known for developing talent. We are stacked at LB'er if you ask me. If everyone stays healthy.......eight out of ten making it through the entire season we should be fine. I expect Ellerbe to miss a few games but Anzalone should step in and do a fine job. We have good competition at all three LB'er positions and the Sam is a rotational player at best. So........no thanks to bringing in a troubled player.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

He apparantly doesn't want his tires kicked for vet minimum.

Daryl Washington wouldn't take pay cut to play for Cardinals

https://twitter.com/mikejurecki/stat...r-cardinals%2F

Re: Daryl Washington
 

And you don't suppose that, after he has tested the free agent market, he will figure out that nobody wants to pay above the minimum for a guy that hasn't played in 3 years? Whoever signs him is not going to pay above that, if they have any clue about what they're doing. And if some team is that clueless, so be it. If, in fact, no one IS willing to pay him more than the minimum, then I'm saying why shouldn't the Saints give him a shot?

To me, it's a no brainer for the talent, at that price.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

So, you are saying that if 31 other teams don't want him that the Saints should pick him up? That would make the Saints either smarter, or stupider, than all the other teams. I just don't see a player that is one mistake away from a lifetime ban as being worth even a vet minimum.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Forrest Hightower does NOT approve this message.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

No.

I am saying that it's doubtful any team will pay him more than the minimum, due to his three year absence, and the reasons for that absence. That doesn't mean teams won't want him. But he's going to make his way around the league trying to gauge the interest teams have, and what they are willing to pay, and he will find that teams will be reluctant to take a big financial risk. But at the right price, most teams in need of linebackers will be more than happy to bring him to camp, I am certain.

And, as I eluded to earlier, once Washington comes to the realization that he's not the one with leverage in any negotiation, it becomes a matter of who he wants to play for among the teams that offer him. And why shouldn't the Saints make an offer? So what if he gets banned? I hope for his sake that he has straightened himself out, but as far as our team is concerned it's not a big deal if he doesn't work out. That's toilet paper money in the NFL, and we all know it.

The potential reward is greater than that of paying basically anonymous camp bodies to almost inevitably get cut. You're taking the same financial "risk" with those guys, not because they might get banned, but because they aren't likely to contribute.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

So what if he gets banned? You would have gone through training camp and into the season expecting him to be part of the team. If he gets banned it is just like losing a player to injury. It creates a hole. We saw what effect that had on the Saints last season. It may not be worth the risk to many teams and I would expect the Saints to be one of those not wanting to take the risk.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Just as long as he stays away from Vaccarro he might make it. This isn't what I get Vaccarro gets love on here but any other player gets shut down for the same type of things. Kind of a two sided coin going on in my opionion. Why not kick the tires if Vaccarro got to stay?

Re: Daryl Washington
 

So you just want to look at this in any negative way you possibly can, I guess?

I have already addressed your question before you asked it. There is basically ZERO risk in signing someone to a vet minimum. I don't know for an absolute fact that some team won't offer him more, but if he becomes available for the minimum, I'd make the offer. Why is that not a risk? Because you don't go into camp "expecting" him to make the team, as you put it. You pay high dollar for guys you EXPECT to make it.

If he doesn't make the team, nobody gets hurt but him. If he makes the team, he's not taking a spot away from some pro bowl caliber player. He'd be earning that spot over someone he is better than. If he gets banned during the season, what have you lost? Who did we cut in order for him to make the team that would be so great? Stupar? Mauti? Feeney? Players of that caliber will be floating around all season if anything would happen. And the biggest thing is you wouldn't have lost much money to speak of.

Re: Daryl Washington
 

Why waste any money? He's had more than enough chances to get his **** right and he didn't. He makes the team then gets his ass suspended again? Fifty three minus one equals too many and fifty three equals not very many. We depend on every single one of those guys. Most of them will actually be on the field at some time during the game. So we bring this guy if and find out his tires are up to snuff. In his case, that's starting caliber. He goes into the first string role getting a lot of the practice snaps and here we go with another very good LB. Then he takes his piss test, flunks and is out for the season. We've wasted his signing bonus -whatever $, we've wasted coaching time $, we've cheated another player out of training and coaching time $ ,we've probably cut someone who actually could contribute. All on a leopard who has little chance of changing his spots. This isn't rocket surgery here, it's simple math and economics. What do you have against letting go of an idea and admitting maybe it's not all that great of one?