Washington Redskins: 2011 NFL Draft Is Step 1 in a 2-Year Rebuilding Plan

The clock is ticking down and the 2011 NFL draft is only days away. The decision makers at Redskins Park are busily working to make their decision on what to do with the 10th-overall pick in the first round.

The team has many holes to fill, so their options are limitless. Information is hard to come by from the people in the know. Security in Ashburn, Virginia is as high as it is at the White House. The Shanahan regime has not been a group that lets their inner thoughts be leaked to the media, fans or other teams.

With no clear path into the thoughts of the Redskins brain trust, I have decided to try and guess what they are thinking. I feel they are looking at this draft as the first step in the rebuilding of the Washington Redskins.

The team felt they could retool and still compete last season. That is why you trade for Donovan McNabb. Things did not work out the way the organization wanted them to. I feel they decided that now is the time to rebuild this team instead of retool.

They cleared a large amount of salary-cap space for this offseason when they released veterans such as Cornelius Griffin and Ladell Betts last summer. They continued the purging this spring, prior to the lockout, with the release of fan favorite Clinton Portis. They also saved money by releasing Derrick Dockery and Andre Carter.

I think the Redskins were preparing for a major run in the free-agent market this spring. The lockout has prevented that from happening, however, it appears there is some movement late today that may make the league open for business once again. This would be a blessing for the Redskins.

Once free agency opens, the Skins will fill many holes with the salary cap space they have cleared. This will make up for their lack of picks in the 2011 draft.

If signs are pointing towards business as usual returning, the Skins may be tempted to trade up to get quarterback Blaine Gabbert. The Redskins are absolutely going to draft a quarterback in the first or second round this year. The reason they want to do this is so the young signal caller will get Year 1 in the Shanahan offense under his belt in 2011. It is possible that youngster will play behind Rex Grossman or even John Beck. If he impresses the coaching staff enough, he may start from Day 1. Either way, he will have one year of experience on his resume.

I feel the Redskins are looking at this draft as Step 1 in a two-year rebuilding phase. First, draft your franchise quarterback and fill some holes with the limited number of picks you have in the 2011 draft. Then attack free agency when it opens and plug even more holes on the roster. The Skins should be able to gain much-needed depth through free agency this summer.

The final step in the rebuilding phase will be the 2012 NFL draft. Currently, the Skins have their entire allotment of draft picks, as well as an extra fourth-round pick acquired from the Raiders for Jason Campbell. Add in more picks the team could get in return for Donovan McNabb and they could be staring at a draft with double digit picks in 2012.

It is a long shot, but they may even be able to pick up a sixth- or seventh-round pick for Fat Albert Haynesworth from a team desperate for a defensive lineman. They will be able to really attack specific needs with the 2012 draft and the extra picks they will own.

Be patient with the 2011 draft and know that the Redskins have a plan in place that will leave them with a loaded roster following the 2012 draft. The era of Shanahan took baby steps in 2010 with some house cleaning and an increase in wins from four to six. In 2011, the plan is to obtain their franchise quarterback and plug numerous holes through the draft and free agency.

The 2012 draft will be the final piece in rebuilding the entire roster while making the Redskins a winning franchise again. The 2012 season will also be the second season for the franchise quarterback. I think that quarterback will be Jake Locker. He will be looking for his career to take off, and at the same time, the rest of the Redskins roster will be ready to take off towards greatness with him.

The 2011 NFL draft will be the first step of the Redskins two-year rebuilding plan. The 2012 NFL season will be the dawn of a return to the glory days in Washington.