We all knew we would end up here eventually--the infamous 2008 NFL Draft where Vinny Cerrato made a HUGE move to get 3 second round picks. In the 2nd round, NFL teams expect to get starters. I will once again remind us all that draft picks are not guarantees and that plenty of men smarter than Vinny have drafted players who looked to be solid NFL prospects only to watch them fizzle out.
Back to what could have been Vinny's finest hour...
With three 2nd round picks, the Redskins were poised to address three holes in the lineup. We potentially could have raked in three starters. Worst case...two guys pan out as reliable starters and the third becomes an adequate backup. But no way we whiff on all three, right?
At this point, let me just say that Fred Davis was not a whiff. The dude is a stud. The problem is that we already had a stud at his position. If the intention was to use two tight ends more frequently, then great. But our offense has not materialized as the Double TE threat that many of us have been screaming to see. So while Fred Davis is by no means a bust, one could argue that his selection did not have the impact on our roster that we could have had if Vinny had taken a player that would have filled a dire need.
That said, we whiffed hard on Devin and Malcolm. In the title, I allow for the possibility that Malcolm Kelly could turn into a productive player in 2011. But when you talk about draft busts and you mention Devin Thomas, it is hard to not throw in Malcolm Kelly. After all, drafting two wide receivers who have done nothing for us and then throwing a superfluous tight end into the equation kind of completes the perfect shitstorm that was the 2nd round in the 2008 draft, doesn't it?
Devin Thomas started 11 games in just over two seasons for the Redskins. He had 40 catches and 3 touchdowns. Although he has since suited up for two other teams, he has not recorded a catch since he last donned the burgundy and gold (according to Pro Football-reference.com).
This guy was drafted 34th overall...ahead of DeSean Jackson, Jordy Nelson, Eddie Royal and a couple of standout running backs (hey, as long as we were drafting wide receivers and tight ends we didn't need, we could have considered Ray Rice and Matt Forte, right?) But playing the "who could we have drafted game" is no fun, and allows for hindsight that was unavailable at the time. (Still...do you need the benefit of hindsight to know that with a wide receiver and tight end in tow, maybe you could address another part of the roster instead of taking another wide receiver that is ALREADY injured?)
This was an all-in move by Vinny and if it would have paid off, he would still be here today. Alas...Devin Thomas could do as many shirtless magazine covers as it took to cover Kevin's bedroom walls but it wouldn't change the fact that he couldn't get it done on Sundays.
Are You Smarter Than The Experts?
Correctly predict the first 32 picks of the 2011 NFL Draft and you’ll win $10,000,000!
BEST ROUND EVER IN PRIMETIME
Enter at facebook.com/BudLight
Here We Go
Enjoy Responsibly ©2011 Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Bud Light® Beer, St. Louis, MO. ©2011 NFL Properties LLC. All NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. No Purchase Necessary. Contest open to U.S. residents (except CA) 21+. Contest begins 12AM CDT on 4/1 and ends 5:59:59PM CDT on 4/28. See Official Rules for complete details. Void where prohibited.