Free agency is an emotional time for Redskins fans. Players come and players go. Your heart screams "YES!" to Peyton Manning, while your brain screams "HELL NO!". All this goes on inside while on the outside we all think we're a better GM than the thirty-two guys paid to do the job. I'm here to prepare you for the worst today... I've thought this for awhile, but I'm ready to come out and say it...sigh...London Fletcher is gone. I know, I know its tough to hear, but the earlier you come to grips with, the sooner you can see that this is, possibly, a very good football decision.
As fans we're very emotional, while Bruce Allen is in a situation where he can't be emotional and rather needs to be quite cold blooded. Fletcher can still play at a high level, but for how much longer? This year presents a unique opportunity with young, good free agents, guys like Curtis Lofton, David Hawthorne, Stephen Tulloch, and others. To be honest, I'd even endorse signing one of these guys even if Fletcher does come back. I love Perry Riley, but we need to build depth and adding two inside linebackers would allow us to establish that depth (especially with a guy close to getting his AARP card) and then still have Riley in waiting for when Fletcher would actually retire, lets say in 2014.
I really believe PLAN A for the Skins is to go hard after Peyton Manning, which in that case opens up the opportunity to draft a talented inside linebacker in the first (if trading back) or second round, like Donta Hightower, Demario Davis, Bobby Wagner, and others.
The truth hurts, but we're dangerously close to losing our defensive captain. But I'm here to tell you that we have options and it may not be as bad it sounds. In the long run it may actually be a positive thing. Furthermore, part of me wants to let London go and see him on a team where he can play in a deep, postseason run and then ride off into the sunset.