NFL Trade Rumors: Will the Redskins Trade 10th Overall Pick?

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NFL Trade Rumors Ponder Whether Washington Will Deal 10th Overall Pick

The Washington Redskins enter the 2011 NFL Draft with needs at multiple positions, and with a severe lack of mid-round draft picks. Both their third and fourth round picks were dealt to other squads last season, leaving the team with fewer picks than they'd like.

However, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, head coach Mike Shanahan is more than open to the idea of trading down from the tenth overall pick, if it means helping the team.

Per Jones' article:

If somebody comes up and all of a sudden at that tenth pick [a team has] something they want and we can move back and pick up additional picks, yeah that could be a . . . reality,” Shanahan said. “Especially if we’re able to get real value.

This actually makes a lot of sense for the Redskins, especially if the top quarterbacks and wideouts A.J. Green and Julio Jones are gone. With one of the deepest defensive line classes in recent memory, the Skins can slide down the board and find an excellent value there, while adding more picks later in the draft to stabilize more positions of need.

Must Read: 2011 NFL Mock Draft: Final Predictions for the Top 50 Players on the Big Board.

However, don't think that means the Skins are a lock to trade down from their current position. If Julio Jones, the likeliest candidate to fall to Washington, remains on the board when their pick comes up, Mike Shanahan would be foolish not to take the game-breaking wideout tenth, then work with their picks in the second round and the later rounds to try and fill other needs on this roster.

The fact is, the Redskins have all kinds of options with the 10th pick. They could use a linebacker, or a wideout, or even more help on the defensive line to keep offenses from keying on Brian Orakpo.

But, while those are the big needs for the Redskins, they're not the only ones this team has. Grabbing an offensive lineman, a running back, or even a quarterback could be incredibly useful for this team, and trading down would prove to be a great way to fill some of those holes as well.

It's always tough to project who's going to be wheeling and dealing on Draft Day, but rest assured that if Washington loses out on Julio Jones, they'll be moving down and building through the mid-to-late rounds of this year's draft.

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