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Did you really think we were prepared to let this dead horse rest in peace? No way. Not with 13 days and some change left to go until free agency rocks our world.
Evan Silva over at RW grades Orakpo just slightly south of "elite" in the pass rushing category. Still, as the top-rated outside linebacker on his board, it adds even more weight to that nagging thought in the back of my head that #98 is a player we simply must keep.
Having guys that you "must keep" can be very dangerous. On one hand, "untouchability" is the gateway drug that leads to the nasty habit of overpaying players. Worse, we have a family history. To be fair, our history involves overpaying other teams' players and not our own...so this might just work after all.
Instead of beating each other up about what to do with Orakpo, I thought I would narrow the debate here a tiny bit (because we are beating each other up on this everywhere else already). I was surprised that Orakpo is rated so much higher than Alex Mack--a free agent I very much want the Redskins to seriously pursue.
This is not a question of "either/or." There are many scenarios where the Redskins could have both or none of these players. I just feel like Mack has distinguished himself so much more in the league at a very important position. I would have expected to see him higher than #9 on this list--four spots below Orakpo.
Is there anyone out there who agrees with this, or am I just too fixated on the offensive line in general? Don't get me wrong--solid pass rushing outside linebackers are invaluable. I just feel like a top five center in the league gives your offense a huge advantage, and it would seem that Mack is on a lot of people's top five lists.
No poll on this one. We are getting a fill of polls these days. Polls...I said polls.