2012 NFL Draft: Washington Redskins Trade for the No. 2 Pick Gives Up Too Much

The Washington Redskins reportedly have agreed to terms with the St. Louis Rams to acquire their No. 2 pick in the NFL for the Redskins' current first-round pick (No. 6), as well as first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. This is all done for them to be able to draft Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, giving Mike Shanahan the franchise quarterback he has lacked.

This is far too much to give up for an unproven and untested player.

I understand the notion that every successful NFL team is built behind the likes of having a premier player at the game's most important position, but you still need 10 other competent players around him to make it happen.

The Redskins are not exactly in the position where they are in need of one or two players to make that playoff push. They are by far the least talented team in a division that at the very least is stacked in star power.

The Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles all run very deep rosters, and are the ones that you would expect to make a big move to obtain the last part necessary to become a division favorite. But not the 'Skins.

Rex Grossman and John Beck are not franchise quarterbacks by any means, but they are also not the abysmal jokes they looked this past season. The backs averaged 100.9 yards per game and the defense gave up 22.9 points per game.

There are clearly more than one hole that needs to be filled.

Let’s face it, the Redskins are rebuilding. That means they are starting over from scratch, the base level, year zero.  Laying the foundation first is the most important thing, but it is a common misconception that the foundation needs to be a quarterback.

What good is a foundation if immediately after it’s laid it fails?

I am not suggesting that RG3 would not be a perfectly competent player, but even the very best must have the players around them to make the plays. Just look at the Green Bay Packers' playoff game against the Giants this past year.

Arguably the best quarterback in the game, Aaron Rodgers, had one of his worst outings of the year, to no fault of his own as his receivers dropped passes and were unable to get open. And that is arguably the best receiving core in the league!

The real question is when and how will the 'Skins be able to get the necessary pieces to complement RG3. Their ability to make waves in the draft is nullified by this move. It will become about nothing more than luck as they take risks on late-round picks.

The top linemen to protect him will be gone. As well as the best players to throw out to. And even some defensive players to get him the ball back—forget about it.

Let me preface this all by the fact that I am a Chargers fan and know firsthand what can happen when you bet the future all in one entity and the fragility of any top pick (uh hum, Ryan Leaf). I don’t like to gamble or take the risk and history shows that the NFL draft is nothing but that.

There is no way to calculate what a player will do in the pros given the many different variables that come into play in the NFL, everything from personal matters to fitting into the right team.

With all that said, RG3 seems to be the real deal and will in all likelihood become the player he is expected to be. But that player would mean nothing if he does not have adequate support around him.

Giving up as much as the 'Skins did to get him is going to make that very difficult.

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