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I've got to hand it to the NFL. They have got this "year-round slate of activities" thing down. The flurry of news and moves over the last few days has been enough to give you the feeling that we are in mid-season mode. There are way more than five questions for us to contemplate, but the comments section should be able to handle this handful of ideas for us all to bat around:
- Would you (as a Redskins fan) be excited about a trade with the Eagles that involves the Redskins getting Sam Bradford and the Eagles getting Marcus Mariota?
- Now that some of the largest dominoes have fallen, how do you think any or all of it impacts the decision that Brian Orakpo and the Redskins will make?
- Has anything happened yet that has changed where your head is at on what you think the Redskins should do in the draft?
- If you had to project a trade made by the Redskins that was not a draft-day deal with the Eagles or involving Mariota, what kind of deal do you think it would look like and which player would most likely be involved?
- Which current Washington free agent are you most hoping will be re-signed by the Redskins?
As many of you know, I have thought adding Sam Bradford--or a quarterback like him (on the outs with his current team, capable of competing for the starting job)--is a good idea. No matter how we feel about Robert Griffin III or Kirk Cousins, the truth is that the Redskins are not currently in a long-term relationship with any quarterbacks. The addition of a player of Sam Bradford's caliber would do exactly what we have been begging for: it would spawn legitimate competition at the most important position on the field. Do I think Bradford would be the savior? No, although you can't deny the possibility of him staying healthy for 16 games and leading a potent offense.
In college, Bradford's offense moved at the high-octane pace that Chip Kelly favors. It isn't hard to imagine that Chip already has the guy he wants at the helm of his offense in Bradford, despite the obvious bromance between Kelly and Mariota. I have to believe that teams, on average, believe in Bradford more than Nick Foles, which would make Sammy a much better trading chip (no pun intended) on draft day. Do I think McLovin' would go and get Bradford before Foles? I do. Bradford's next contract is almost certainly going to contain at least some kind of team-friendly language because of his injury history, not to mention Bradford was among the last players to win the salary lottery prior to the new CBA taking effect ($50 million guaranteed?). In short, I would welcome the addition of Bradford to our quarterback mix, but I am pretty confident I know of two people who would not be so excited: Dan Snyder and Robert Griffin. (Not for nothing, adding Bradford would almost certainly put the name change issue back on the front page for a lot of folks due to Bradford's Native American lineage.)
Come on...whether you like this idea or not, it hits on just about every hot spot we have. On the topic of Orakpo, after conferring with Steve Shoup late last night, I guess I am still not thinking his return is very likely. I think the chances are higher, but only because the Redskins have to spend money. It will be interesting to see the deal #98 gets--my guess is that it very likely will be a deal "we would do." (I put that in quotes because it will be a meaningless argument we make with ourselves after the fact.)
I am certainly not ready to change strategy in the draft yet, though the shifting priorities of teams around us is beginning to create some rather interesting possibilities.
As for a trade scenario that I would project with the Redskins, I think the even money is going to remain on Cousins for the foreseeable future. If teams are competing for the rights to guys like Brian Hoyer and Ryan Fitzpatrick, you know there has to be an exec in the league somewhere giving serious thought to picking up the phone and inquiring about Captain Kirk. I am not saying this is what I want to see happen, but from a gambling perspective, it isn't the worst bet to make.
Finally, the Redskins free agent that I would most like to see return to the team at this point is probably Orakpo, but that is only because a quick look at what is left out there at our greatest areas of need is pretty depressing. Let's assume for a moment that bringing Orakpo back is just the wrong thing to do. In that case, I will go with Leonard Hankerson. SHOCKER!!!
It can't possibly take a costly contract to keep Hank the Tank, and wide receiver depth has been our Achilles Heel over the years (okay...we have had, like, a dozen Achilles Heels over the last decade). Hankerson would provide depth (hopefully not depth on our injured reserve) and still has upside. When I think about this, I can't help but think of Chris Matthews, the unlikely hero for the Seahawks in their Super Bowl loss. He literally came from nowhere to make a huge contribution in a game that mattered. Hankerson could be that guy for us, and would it really cost us all that much?
Think of it this way, I have given all of you another reason to beat me up about Leonard Hankerson! You're welcome.