2012 NFL Draft: Washington Redskins Should Trade Up with the Cleveland Browns

For the past few weeks, a lot of mock drafts have appeared suggesting that the Washington Redskins will trade up to the No. 2 spot to draft Robert Griffin III.  While that seems to be the consensus, I see it from a different view, and I’ll tell you why.

The teams that would be most interested in trading up to get RG3 are the Cleveland Browns (No. 4), Washington Redskins (No. 6), Miami Dolphins (No. 8 or No. 9) and Seattle Seahawks (No. 11 or No. 12).  The Dolphins and Seahawks would have the most to give up in order to move up to the No. 2 slot.

A scenario I see everyone overlooking is the Redskins moving up just two spots to snag RG3 with the fourth overall selection.  I do not disregard the other teams who may try to trade up, but the later the pick is, the more they will have to give up.  So for arguments sake, I will focus solely on how this trade could affect both the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins.

Technically, this deal could get done with the Browns and Redskins swapping first-round picks and the Redskins throwing in their third-round pick this year (pick No. 70), according to the NFL draft value chart.

However, if I were the Washington Redskins, here is the deal I would propose: Trade spots with the Cleveland Browns in the first round and give up the Redskins' No. 38 pick this year in the second round and a third-round pick in 2013.

Here is why the deal works well for the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns own two first-round picks this year: No. 4 and No. 22.  If they were to go for RG3 at the No. 2 pick, they would have to give up those two picks and their fourth-round pick this year.  They also have the option to substitute a third- or fourth-round pick in 2013 to try to keep as many picks as they can this year.

By making this trade with the Redskins, the Browns would have four selections in the first 40 picks of the draft.  That’s equivalent to making a selection every 10^th pick out of 40.  Not bad, right?

Some will argue that quarterback is the most important position on the field; while that arguably is true, in the words of Gisele Bundchen (Tom Brady’s wife), the quarterback can’t throw the ball and catch it too.

If Cleveland uses three of those four picks on the offensive side of the ball, you never know what the outcome could be.  They could get Trent Richardson (RB), Kendall Wright (WR), Mike Adams (OT) and use the fourth pick on a defensive player.

Colt McCoy didn’t turn heads last season, but he didn’t play as badly as Rex Grossman.  Adding offensive weapons may be all that McCoy needs to take some of the pressure off of him this season, and three first-round talents are a good way to start.

Here is why the deal will work in Washington’s favor.

For starters, you may ask why the Redskins would give up their second-round pick this year if all they had to do to move up two spots is swap first-round picks and their third round pick this year.  Well, that’s quite simple.  They will need to offer Cleveland something that will be hard to refuse and be willing to essentially let the idea of drafting RG3 fade into the background.

By the Redskins making this trade, they save their third-round pick this year, their first- and second-round picks next year and possibly another pick next year.  This is huge considering that they are in a rebuilding stage and will need a strong free agency and draft class to make an impact any time soon.

This trade is also beneficial for the Redskins because they finally get the quarterback they have been lacking for years while not giving away all of their picks in the process.

Free agency will play a major role for both teams in how they will select in the draft come April.  I believe the Washington Redskins can fill some holes with free agency and still get Robert Griffin III in the NFL draft.

The most important thing they will need to do, no matter where they go for RG3, is protect the face of your franchise.  If they know that they are willing to give up whatever it takes to get him, then they must spend wisely on quality offensive linemen during free agency and bring in young talent during and after the draft.  Getting a productive WR in free agency or the draft wouldn’t hurt either.

The best part about all of this speculation is that nobody knows what will happen until draft day.  That’s when the real excitement begins. The countdown is on!