The 5 O’Clock Club: It’s 5 o’clock somewhere

The 5 o’clock club aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.

"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"

That sun is hot and that old clock is moving slow

And so am I

The workday passes like molasses in wintertime

But it's July

I'm getting paid by the hour and older by the minute

My boss just pushed me over the limit

I'd love to call him something, but I think I'll just call it a day

Pour me something tall and strong

Make it a hurricane before I go insane

It's only half past twelve but I don't care

It's five o'clock somewhere

Well this lunch break is gonna take all afternoon

And half the night

Tomorrow morning I know there'll be hell to pay

Hey, but that's alright

I ain't had a day off now in over a year

My Jamaican vacation's gonna start right here

If the phone is for me you can tell 'em I just sailed away

Pour me something tall and strong

Make it a hurricane before I go insane

It's only half past twelve but I don't care

It's five o'clock somewhere

Youtube video link

The Defensive Line

John Keim wrote an article that overviews where the Redskins are with improving the defensive line.

Johnathan Hankins:

He visited Washington on March 19, at the same time as McPhee, and the Redskins have remained in contact. But there doesn’t seem to be anything close to happening and the sense is that whatever price Hankins is asking is not in line with his production. He would be viewed as another piece to their defensive puzzle and not a final piece; in other words, their run defense issues wouldn’t be solved with one signing.

If Hankins isn’t viewed as an impact player -- he’s a good player who would help -- he will not be pursued aggressively (and clearly hasn’t been considering he remains unsigned). Nor will he receive a huge contract from Washington.

Personally, I remain fairly confident that Hankins will eventually sign with the Redskins, but for a reason — I don’t think anyone else is gonna pay him any more than the Redskins will, and in the end, the Redskins provide an excellent fit for Hankins. If some GM breaks down and breaks the bank for Hankins between now and training camp, color me surprised, but I am guessing that as March turns into April and the draft draws nearer without another team calling Hankins about a job, he’ll show up at Ashburn ready to sign & play.

Bennie Logan:

His name remains part of their discussions and he’s done a good job in the past of helping against the run. Until there’s a visit, however, it’s not serious.

I think Logan is not the guy, but the team could surprise me by bringing him in. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d completely misread the Redskins front office.

Vita Vea:

He might be gone by the time Washington picks at No. 13 in the first round. But if he is available, Vea has to be under strong consideration. When choosing a draft pick, of course, you’re banking on what you hope he can do compared to a free agent who has proven himself. But the former also is a lot less expensive, at least in terms of who the Redskins are considering.

Four QBs, maybe five. Barkley, Nelson, Chubb. There’s seven or eight players that will definitely go before anyone thinks seriously about Vea. It wouldn’t take much to have this guy on the board at #13, and if he is, I figure the Redskins do a replay of the 2017 Jonathan Allen pick by marrying BPA with need, racing to the podium and selecting the best defensive lineman in the draft. This would go a long way toward creating the defensive legacy that the Redskins need to embrace.

Da’Ron Payne:

The Redskins could pair him next to former college teammate Jonathan Allen. But the pass-rush question about Vea applies to Payne as well. Those who like Payne will say he’s 20 and still developing, so he’s worth the pick. He did show a good first step at times, but would get too upright, hindering his pass-rush ability.

I base my understanding of draft prospects almost entirely on what I read in articles — I don’t watch film in my basement on the weekends. From what I can gather, the only way the Redskins are likely to draft Payne is in a trade-back scenario. I see two issues here. First is the fact that favorable trade backs are hard to orchestrate, as they involve another team who covets a player at your spot in the draft. That is too unpredictable to count on as a draft strategy for a specific player you want to trade down for. Second is that, with the large number of QBs likely to go in the top 10, along with the running back, offensive lineman and edge rusher that will go there as well, there will almost certainly be a too-good-to-pass-up player available at #13, making it hard to trade down more than a spot or two (a la the one-position trade with Houston in 2016). We’re talking about a guy like Derwin James, Roquan Smith, Vita Vea, Derius Guise or Calvin Ridley almost certainly being available when we pick. Absent a perfect set of circumstances, I see the Redskins not trading back, but taking a really good player in a position of need at #13, which means not Da’Ron Payne.

There will be possibilities after the first round -- Virginia Tech’s Tim Settle is coming off a strong year and tested well at the combine. And keep in mind that one of last year’s best linemen, Matt Ioannidis, was a fifth-round pick in 2016. But it’s not as if the Redskins have built a good defensive line in recent years by grooming low-round picks. They have told others in free agency that strengthening the defensive line is a priority, so it would make sense that if they don’t find one in free agency, they’d look hard at this spot in the draft.