Where is Dan Snyder and what have you done with him?

There's no salary cap. Did someone get the memo to Dan Snyder that he could sign every available free agent for any amount of money and there is nothing crotchety old Ralph Wilson could do about it?
Instead Julius Peppers is in Chicago and we signed Artis Hicks.
Dear Bruce Allen: Where are you hiding Dan Snyder and who is the impostor you have pretending to enjoy being a frugal spender this off-season?

Of all the years for Snyder to finally change his stripes, how ironic is it that it's the year where there are no holds barred? The reason we are at this juncture of football uncertainty is because of owners like Dan who changed how the free agent game was played. For more then a decade, the first phone call any agent for any player should have made was to Washington. Failing to gauge their interest would be a firable offense. No one paid like Dan.. Just ask Deion, or Mark Carrier, or Bruce Smith or Jeff George or Antwaan Randle-El, or Jeremiah Trotter or Albert Haynesworth or, well you get the point.
Now suddenly, in a situation where Dan can tell everyone else to go screw themselves, he's tightening the purse strings?

Hey, anyone who knows anything about how a team is built has been begging for this day to come. First we get an actual professional general manager to start making short and long term personnel decisions. Then we hire a professional coach (by my count Snyder is actually 3-5 on that front). Now these two combine to convince Dan that he need not break the bank in a year where breaking the bank isn't just allowed, it was expected. It seemed to be a huge win.

The headlines 24 hours into free agency wasn't who the team had a midnight snack at Olives with, but who got a coach seat out of town. Randle-El was a classic Redskins pick up, above average but well over payed. I'll blame the team for not utilizing his various talents, i.e.- how could this team never copycat any wildcat formations with this guy on the team, but still he vastly underperformed at the one thing I figured him to be extremely proficient at, punt returns.
Rock Cartwright is a nice guy who'd made a living by caring on a team who's heart was in question on a year to year basis. But this is not about having nice guys on the team, see Larry Johnson.
Randy Thomas is a casualty of the NFL. Too bad, good guy, tremendous player, injured constantly.

Now while I'm ecstatic that the new regime sliced this roster to send a message that 4 and 12 is patently absurd, truth is, the Skins needed to spend in this free agency period, and as of right now, are striking out. If all goes to plan, Larry Johnson is a part time running back. Artis Hicks figures to be a stop gap on their line that as of now has no viable tackle. And the guy who will be a nose tackle who's name I can't pronounce makes me wonder what this team plans to do with Big Albert. Mock Haynesworth to your hearts content, when motivated and healthy (two ifs that can change by the hour), he's the most electric defensive tackle in football. And I might be alone here, but I think his criticisms of the team and his teammates were warranted. Sure it would have made a bigger impact he had not been eating a twinkie at the time when he was doing the interviews, but check the tape of the D Hall sideline issues, there was one Redskin coming to his teammate's defense, Big Albert.

I feel strange right now. I've been waiting for this day to come for more then a decade. Professional men helping our owner spend his money correctly. And yet, I look up and down this roster and wonder, couldn't we have gotten Reggie Brown for a song. We could have done better then 3rd and 4th round picks for Anquan Boldin right? Why aren't the veteran quarterbacks that are out there not taking a visit to DC? Does our most prominent signing of the off-season need to be of the craphead variety (although I guess I have no choice but to take LJ at his word that he's "changed" and is playing for his "dream team.")
Getting used by Chad Clifton to up the Packers price, man that was a new one. It wasn't that long ago that when the Skins got you in the building, you didn't leave without a contract let alone come in with ulterior motives.

See here's the score as I see it right now... Hiring Bruce Allen and Mike Shanihan gives Snyder an early 14-nothing lead. Having the guts to shed some dead weight equals a pick six. 21-nothing Skins. Failing to find a suitable tackle, any tackle equals touchdown everyone else, 21-7. Whiffing on the receivers and more viable-less risky producers at running back is a knock on them too, 21-21.
Not going hog wild in free agency is hopeful. Needing to go a little more hog wild based on roster holes makes me wonder if the plan was to show the fans this organization has a plan, be damned if the plan isn't exactly the route to building a competitive team.
The Skins haven't been suckered into trading for Mike Vick or Brady Quinn yet so that's good. They also haven't committed to taking the best offensive tackle available with pick number 4 in the draft, which to me is a no brainer. Sorry Jimmy Claussen, not interested.

It's a new era with a new regime and a new path in an uncertain NFL. I like it. I don't like it. I'm confused.