Hat tip: Extreme Skins.
Mike Florio is zee guy who runs Pro Football Talk and thus is largely responsible for spreading rumors that, as often as not, end up being true. I like PFT and Mike Florio for what he contributes to the Football news/rumor community. Others don't. To each his/her own.
Anyways, Mike and Matt Miller threw together some 2007 Draft Needs for each team and saw fit to comment on Your Washington Redskins. And as that's what I do, I'll comment on their comment. Hopefully some of you will comment on my comment of their comment.
With the sixth overall pick in round one, the 'Skins would be wise to add a playmaking defensive end, like Gaines Adams or Jamaal Anderson.
So far so good.
There are rumors of a fixation on receiver Calvin Johnson and/or quarterback JaMarcus Russell, even though the team supposedly has all of the pass-catchers that it needs, along with a pass-thrower of the supposed present and future in Jason Campbell.
When it comes down to it, we simply believe that owner Dan Snyder can't resist the urge to make a big splash.
While Dan Snyder does have a propensity for making big splashes, even I'm not so cynical a fan to assume he does it for the sake of making a big splash. When Dan Snyder signed the tens of millions of contracts in, for example, last year's big FA market, I have to believe he honestly thought it improved the team's chances of winning. It didn't, but moving on.
Unless I morph Dan Snyder into Major League's Rachel Phelps (the owner who purposefully tries to drive the Indians into the ground), then I have to at least presume good faith by Dan. And good faith doesn't make a splash just to make a splash, it makes a splash to increase one's odds of winning. And nothing about the JeMarcus Russell rumors (to name one) indicates a rational attempt to improve the team.
Or if the lack of sense such a move didn't compel me against those rumors, perhaps it was that time Vinny Cerrato explicitly denied it. But it turns out to be an irrelevant point to Mike and Matt:
But our hunch is that the Redskins simply don't have enough to make a deal, and that they'll either use the No. 6 pick or trade down from it. And if the 'Skins use their pick, it will likely be either Adams or Anderson.
I could live with either Adams, or Anderson, or a trade down. A trade up for Calvin Johnson would fluster me.
Another area of need is safety, where Troy Vincent has been released and Adam Archuleta has been traded. The only problem? With no picks in rounds two, three, or four, the chances of finding a much-needed, game-ready free safety on day two of the draft are slim. For now, new arrival Omar Stoutmire will have to be the guy across from Sean Taylor.
I don't fault PFT for not knowing about Pierson Prioleau -- he isn't exactly a household name. Tom Friend
suggested in a LIVE chat that Prioleau would have started the entire season in front of Archuleta, if not for his injury. And since Prioleau is still on the team, I don't have any good reason to think he won't be the starter now. I think we all assumed that Stoutmire was brought in as Prioleau's backup, and I think we're justified in that assumption. Whether Omar "will have to be the guy across from Sean Taylor" has more to do with Prioleau's ACL in his right knee.
With Shawn Springs close to being out the door, the 'Skins also would like another cornerback.
Don't disagree, though that's all contingent on the team parting ways with Springs. If they've already decided to do so, we're only waiting on June 1st to pass so the team can spread the dead hit over two years. My personal opinion? He'll be a Redskin in '07. Finally,
The offensive line generally lacks depth, so look for the 'Skins to try to scalp one or more on day two of the draft.
The Redskins also would be wise to add a developmental quarterback, in the event that they conclude that Jason Campbell isn't the long-term answer at the position. (Our guess is that they already have.)
Both suggestions are fine. I'd rather burn a pick on O-Line depth than a developmental QB, if only because we lack picks and I'm totally confident in Jason Campbell's
mustache bo staff skills ability to be a star QB in the NFL.
All in all a fine assessment by PFT except for their uncharacteristic whiff on Pierson Prioleau. Post your own comments (of my comments on his comments) below.
