During this dismal period known as the NFL off-season, many sports fans relish anything that resembles exciting sports news. Any semblance of controversy between February and September seems to serve as a precursor to an electrifying season. For example; try to imagine an owner giving up two first round picks (2008 and 2009) for a wide-receiver that’s thirty years of age. I know, it sounds so ridiculous and unrealistic doesn’t it?
Well guys this nonsensical and obviously absurd proposal actual took place on yesterday. The cast list in this low budget melodrama includes, Redskins Owner Dan Snyder (and trusty sidekick Vinny Cerrato), the Cincinnati Bengals and disgruntled Bengals wide out Chad Johnson.
But wait, wouldn’t everyone like to have Chad Johnson on their team? I couldn’t think of a reason why they wouldn’t, however the primary factor that could create an impasse would be the cost. Chad is one of the top receivers in the league and justifiably demands a hefty contract. The monetary cost for Chad could pose a problem but the long-term ramifications for the Skins could loom even larger. Honestly, how many years can Chad play at a high level? Even if he played for the next four or five years at an All-Pro level for the Skins, would it be worth it? Though many sports pundits claim drafting in the first round can be hit or miss, so can going after an aging free agent. The Redskins need a big, talented wide receiver to complement mighty mites, Randel El and Santana Moss. This receiver could come in the form of James Hardy, Malcolm Kelly, or Limas Sweed. None of these receivers will require as much money as Chad and get this; they’re all in their early twenties. The Redskin’s may decide to wait and draft a receiver in the later rounds but if they trade away their picks, they would forfeit many of their options.
After a quiet offseason, Skins owner Dan Snyder has finally resurfaced. For the first time during his tenure with the Redskins, “Danny” has remained disciplined or at least made an effort to suppress his penchant for overspending and giving away draft picks. After a few months of this uncharacteristic change, Snyder finally appears to have returned to his old form. Of course Vinny Cerrato has a major role in this but Snyder is the CEO of the club and therefore should bear the brunt of the responsibility. If anyone was concerned that the Snyder we knew was no more, they can now be assured he’s back and here to stay. It’s almost as though, he took a sabbatical to brainstorm about what he could do to execute the ultimate “bonehead” move. This time, the Bengals management declined Snyder’s offer, thereby temporarily supplanting Snyder as the worst decision maker in football history. But never fret, Snyder supporters and Redskin’s enemies alike can find solace in the fact that he’s back. It’s highly unlikely the Redskins will make it past Draft Day without executing a trade that most teams would vehemently refuse. It’s like Snyder and Cerrato saw the Redskin’s had nine Draft picks this year (the most since 2002) and decided this is an opportunity to trade for more free-agents.
The names of wide receivers, Anquan Boldin (Arizona) and Roy Williams (Detroit) have been floating around through NFL rumor mills regarding interest from the Redskins. These two receivers are younger than Johnson but might require comparable compensation. So we can expect to hear soon that more teams will toy with Snyder and Cerrato until they receive the deal of their dreams. As a Redskin fan I would love to find out that I’m wrong. But as a Redskin fan (repeated intentionally) I seriously doubt that I will be. None of the aforementioned Wide Receiver’s talents are in question, only the will to give other teams more than they’re likely to receive in return for them. This is one thing that Snyder will continue to do and that’s a testament that he’s here to stay.
Hail To The Redskins!
http://www.hail2skins.com/
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5 months ago
The Deadskins (Ravens fan here) need to stop trading away their picks before they'll be an elite team. Period. The reason the Ravens won the 2000 Super Bowl and have remained at least a decent team for the last decade is because of their 1996 draft, where they got Jonathan Ogden at #4 overall and Ray Lewis at #25.
Can you think of two players on the Ravens squad with that kind of ability? Ed Reed, maybe. Chris McAlister, maybe a year or two ago. But guess what- we drafted those guys, too.
Personally I rejoice to see the 'skins shooting themselves in the foot once again... free agent acquisitions and players acquired through trades are short-term answers. If they're made to put you over the top and get a championship, fine. But the 'skins need to build from the ground up.
5 months ago
Sorry, but I have to disagree with your article. Getting an All Pro player in any draft is a crap-shoot at best. It's rare to be so lucky as to draft a player that eventually becomes All-Pro at their position during their career, let alone see an immediate pay-off as the Skins would have in this case. The deal made sense to me, and as a Skins fan, I was hopeful that they would come to terms and make it happen. Arguably, the Bengals see Johnson as being worth more than what Washington offered, which is presumably why they refused. If I were the Bengals management, I would also be holding out for a better offer; but in my opinion, the Skins were wise to attempt to get Johnson at below market value since he doesn't want to be in Cincy any longer. If Washington or some other team ups the ante, Cincy would almost certainly accept. There's no sense in them keeping Johnson if he's going to be a distraction, or worse, potentially not playing for them this upcoming season.
5 months ago
No need to apologize. However, Snyder's propensity to overspend and not get a return on investment for players has hurt the team tremendously (i.e. Bruce Smith, Mark Carrier, T.J. Duckett (for a third rounder and left the next season), Brandon Lloyd, Champ Bailey (best cover corner in the league for Clinton Portis AND a second round pick).....etc etc etc. Is the Draft a sure fix? Of course not. However, there's no guarantee that a 30 + year old veteran is going to perform at the same level throughout the remainder of their career. Using nine draft picks at various positions certainly increases the probability that you'll have an immediate payoff vs. acquiring an aging Vet for multiple draft picks. If the Bengals traded away the pick that brought them Chad Johnson, they would've never had him. And the veteran they traded the picks for likely would have retired or left the team. I guess we'll see how it pans out. Hopefully as Skins fans, we won't be disspointed in the outcome.
5 months ago
GREAT ARTICLE absolutely agree with you, Ocho Cinco could be 27 and still be a risk just because of his distractions on a team that doesn't need them right now. Honestly, the Redskins should try drafting and developing players and moving their franchise forward rather than just going after the disgruntled big names on the market. I wouldn't give up one third round pick for Chad Johnson.
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