Bruce Allen sounds like a gambler trying to turn one ace into a full house.
The Washington Redskins general manager is picks poor entering the three-day NFL draft beginning Thursday. Indeed, he doesn’t even have a second-day selection.
Washington has four choices — the fourth overall pick as well as fourth, fifth and seventh rounders. For a 4-12 team, the draft can’t be a savior. At best, it might generate two productive players. A real score would be engineering trades to bring in three contributors.
Allen sounded wistful on Monday. While dismissing trade rumors that might bring a second rounder for disgruntled Albert Haynesworth or a third-day selection for quarterback Jason Campbell, Allen is looking for a little more skin in the game.
For now, he’s hoping to find a longshot amid the ruins of the remaining Redskins picks.
“There’s going to be opportunities,” Allen said. “You’ve seen it over the years, the famous Tom Brady going in the sixth round.
“There’s going to be a fifth-round tight end that’s going to make the Pro Bowl. There’s going to be a sixth-round guard that’s going to make the Pro Bowl.”
But the first rounder is the real focus. The common theory among the multitude of mock drafts is Washington taking offensive tackle Russell Okung. Certainly it’s a logical choice, replacing 2000 third overall selection Chris Samuels, who retired last month after six Pro Bowls.
But draft week is liar’s poker time around the NFL. There have been whispers of Washington taking a quarterback, which Allen wouldn’t dismiss. There’s talk of moving down in the draft, something Allen thought unlikely given historically few trades among the top four picks.
“This time of year, it’s like a bunch of fishermen getting together saying, ‘I was going to draft him in the next round,'” Allen said.
Allen certainly seems up for chicanery, even teasing reporters on Monday about attempting not to lie in response to draft questions. He then clarified reports over possible trades involving Haynesworth, saying other teams merely called offering players for Redskins picks and not the opposite.
Let’s just say Allen sported a good poker face on that one.
But Allen conceded the Redskins are open to anything, down to peddling future draft picks for 2010 selections. Forget the potential 2011 lockout’s impact on this draft, Allen is only worried about this week, this season.
“I’m not worried about 2011 right now,” he said. “We’re open to hearing trading involving picks in 2017.”
Who does that sound like? Maybe the creator of “The future is now” who traded favors like desperate lawmakers. Someone who shares the same bloodline as the GM. Then again, George Allen reached the playoffs in five of seven seasons in Washington.
“We’ll be listening,” Bruce Allen promised.
And everyone will be watching to see if he’s truly his father’s son.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
