Redskins owner Dan Snyder wants Mark Sanchez. He’s probably not going to get the Southern Cal quarterback, though. Plan B is really Plan A.
The Redskins will likely take a lineman with their 13th overall selection. Maybe offensive tackles Michael Oher and Andre Smith, defensive end Brian Orakpo or defensive tackle Aaron Maybin. It all depends on who’s left. Washington could use them all or maybe linebacker Rey Maualuga.
But Snyder will make one last try for another passer. He’s already drafted Patrick Ramsey and Jason Campbell in the first round. Gave up two firsts to get Campbell, who’s entering his final season and obviously is not in the Redskins’ plans for 2010.
Snyder has searched endlessly for a passer since arriving 10 years ago. He jettisoned Brad Johnson, probably the team’s best quarterback over the past 15 years, for Jeff George, a golden-arm malcontent who was fired after two games in 2001 and never played anywhere again. Snyder drafted Ramsey over coach Steve Spurrier’s objection in 2002. Ramsey soon disappeared. Mark Brunell followed for a couple fair seasons before Campbell took over in 2006.
Now Snyder wants Sanchez, who follows fellow USC phenoms Carson Palmer and Matt Leinhart who have yet to bust a grape in the playoffs. Palmer looks solid, but Leinhart seems a bust written in large letters. Sanchez only started one season on the best pro team in college uniforms so it’s hard to truly gauge whether it was him or the offense that was so good.
Washington needs Kansas City’s third overall selection to get Sanchez because Seattle may take him at No. 4. Jacksonville and the New York Jets might be talking with Kansas City, too.
The Redskins may not have enough to offer the Chiefs, though. No more than when falling short in a recent failed trade bid for Denver quarterback Jay Cutler. Washington doesn’t have its second rounder so it offers this and next year’s first-rounders or Kansas City looks elsewhere or takes Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry and lets Seattle draft Sanchez.
Ultimately, Snyder likely falls short. Then, the Redskins have 10 picks to see which lineman they get. Probably Oher and Smith are gone, maybe Orakpo, too. That would leave Maybin or Maualuga.
The Redskins get the leftover, though they’ll certainly plug in a lineman quickly. A need will be filled and that’s not a bad day.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail [email protected].
