Whispers of the Washington Redskins trading down in the NFL draft are a smoke screen.
Unless someone offers another dumb take-all-my-picks deal like Mike Ditka in 1999, the Redskins can choose a franchise quarterback or the next Chris Samuels-like tackle with the fourth overall selection. The extra pick received isn’t worth trading down even a few slots.
We’re not talking 7 to 11 or 10 to 16. A top-five pick is often a foundation player. Great players are sprinkled throughout the draft, but a top-five choice is seldom worth swapping.
Teams often whine over spending big money on high draft choices, and that might change in the next collective bargaining agreement. For now, too bad. Pay the money and move on. Marquee players are worth their contracts in merchandise sales and media attention.
The Redskins are spending the next three days at the NFL combine in Indianapolis meeting prospective picks. They’ll try to get a feel for quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen plus offensive tackles Russell Okung and Anthony Davis.
These speed dating interviews are mostly worthless. How many “character” players have the Redskins drafted that brought more baggage than Paris Hilton? The 40 times are geek stats, too. Find brawlers and playmakers. You’ll see that on game film, not on a track in a dome.
The combine is mostly justification for teams spending millions of dollars annually on scouting for a handful of players that some organizations are just guessing on after the third round. The Redskins took so many second-day flyers over recent years that Redskins One became the official airline of the NFL draft.
Even the past draft regime of Vinny Cerrato-Dan Snyder couldn’t blow top-five selections, though. LaVar Arrington and Samuels were second and third respectively in 2000 and combined for nine Pro Bowls. Sean Taylor was fifth in 2004 and became an All-Pro before he died.
But LaRon Landry was the sixth pick in 2006 and is looking less like it with each season. Carlos Rogers was the ninth in 2005 and never blossomed. It just shows each slot back makes it a bigger gamble.
If Bradford is worth the fourth pick, take him. If not, select the best offensive tackle. Sliding several spots to gain a second-rounder isn’t worthwhile. The second or third best tackle is still worse than the first and the Redskins have a rare chance for the best on the board.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or
e-mail [email protected].
