Washington Redskins Talk: Debating RG3 and More with CSN's Rich Tandler

Once in a while, the NFC East Blog will tap into the division's blogging and media community inside and outside of Bleacher Report. Our maiden endeavor brings us to Washington, D.C., where we talk to Rich Tandler, who blogs about the Washington Redskins for CSN Washington and Rich Tandler's Real Redskins.

Bleacher Report: It seems as though the general consensus in D.C. is that the team made the right move in mortgaging the future to acquire the second overall pick and draft Robert Griffin III. I might be made to look like a fool here at some point, but I just don't see it that way and feel it was a little too bold. What are your thoughts? Was this the right move to make?

Rich Tandler: Yeah, I think it was. Before it happened I was thinking maybe two firsts and a second was the right way to go—obviously exchanging one to move up and then an additional first and second for that deal would be about right. But they did what they had to do to beat Cleveland's offer and so it was the going price. 

The best way to evaluate a move is to look at the alternatives. Had they stuck with Rex Grossman, it would have been a disaster. Say they'd stuck where they were and taken Ryan Tannehill or Brandon Weeden later, or maybe Kirk Cousins...they still would've had by far the worst quarterback in the NFC East. I think the fact that they play in the NFC East is what really needs to be brought up in terms of why they had to make the deal.

B/R: I see what you're saying, but I just don't think the gap between Robert Griffin III and those other guys is wide enough to rationalize giving up two additional first-round picks and a second rounder.

RT: Right, but Weeden and Tannehill, they're not sure things either, and they're less sure things than Griffin. I don't think Griffin is a sure thing. Just like anybody else, you have to wait and see how it plays out. But yeah, I think it's a legitimate question.

To simplify it: Are they better off with Ryan Tannehill, whoever they could have taken in the second and whoever they could have taken in the first round over the next couple of years? Time will tell. I think Mike Shanahan's very happy with the move, the fans are very happy with the move, but certainly there was an opportunity cost involved.

B/R: I do think Pierre Garcon is a great addition to the offense as far as giving Griffin the necessary support. People might have wondered if his success was tied mainly to Peyton Manning, but he proved last season that wasn't the case. He'll help Griffin a lot during his rookie season.

RT: Yeah, they paid a lot for him. Pretty big contract for a guy who is not a (No. 1 receiver). And this team isn't really gonna have a No. 1 receiver. I don't know if they will for a while. I don't think there are a whole lot of those out there, what I call true No. 1 receivers...so it's gonna be No. 1 by committee I think. But Garcon's gonna be a big part of that.

What they're really looking for is yards after catch, which they've had none of. I mean, it was catch the ball, go to the ground since Santana Moss really kinda slowed down around 2006, 2007. They really haven't had that, and the two elements of that are the quarterback delivering the ball accurately and the receiver with some wheels to get out. And they have not had either element, really. So that's what they're looking for from Garcon and from Josh Morgan.

B/R: I feel quite well about the pass rush. Brian Orakpo is an underrated pass rusher and the sky's still the limit for young Ryan Kerrigan. He has a high ceiling still at this point. Did you think they needed to spruce up the pass rush in free agency or the draft, or are you also happy with that duo going forward?

RT: I think the New York Giants are showing that in that division, you can't have too many pass rushers. I think they could use somebody else, but we'll see. They're getting Jarvis Jenkins back healthy, who should be starting at left defensive end, and I think he will add an element of being able to rush the passer from there. That won't be his thing, he won't be a rush defensive end in a 3-4 obviously, but he can add an element of pass rushing.

I think they could have used one and they probably would have liked to have gotten one. With the secondary, especially safety being a little bit on the shaky side, the pass rush is gonna have to carry the defense this year from a passing perspective. If they don't get a good pass rush, there are gonna be teams putting up 25, 28, 30 points a game on them.

B/R: When was the last time there was this much excitement surrounding the Redskins in D.C.?

RT: Because it's a quarterback, it's different. Legitimate level of excitement, I think if you look at 2004 when Joe Gibbs returned as a legend coming back. He had a decent run—certainly the best run of any coach since himself in the 1980s and early 1990s.

But it hasn't been that high since then, and it certainly hasn't been this high over a quarterback, probably ever. Donovan McNabb I think a lot of people were skeptical of. Regardless of the Redskins' propensity to bring in big names and kind of build some hope around that, I think that RG3 is the guy who has really gotten the interest level up and has fans just foaming at the mouth and ready for Sept. 9.