Analyzing Washington Redskins Best Trade Options with 5th Pick in NFL Draft
When you own a top-five pick, you're likely to field plenty of calls on draft day. New Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan should expect to do the same once the bell sounds for the start of the 2015 NFL draft.
Several enticing options are open to him if he opts to use the fifth overall selection as a makeweight. One involves trading up with a perennially rebuilding team for the right to add a true blue-chipper along the defensive front.
Alternatively, McCloughan could beef up his mid-round picks by trading back. The fifth spot is notably rich in talent at two key positions: pass-rusher and offensive tackle.
Fortunately in today's pass-first league, Washington isn't the only team with a glaring weakness at these key areas.
Here are some of McCloughan's best possible trade options on draft day.
McCloughan's Trade Record
1 of 5
Significantly, McCloughan has a lengthy and active history in the trade market. So it is more than just fanciful to suggest Washington's top pick could be in play.
Overall, McCloughan's track record in trades contains few headline successes, per ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim. The only exception of merit is the 2007 deal with the New England Patriots to select left tackle Joe Staley 28th overall.
Keim also notes that McCloughan dealt his way into the 22nd overall choice in 2006. The pick was used to select outside linebacker Manny Lawson.
While that hardly screams marquee success, it does show McCloughan isn't afraid to move back and forth on the draft board to secure what he sees as maximum value.
Trade Up to No. 3 and Select Leonard Williams, DT, USC
2 of 5
What's a game-changing defensive lineman really worth? Certainly the fifth overall pick for a team that ranked 30th in points allowed and 24th in pass defense in 2014.
Leonard Williams could change all that. The versatile, cat-quick USC trench warrior won't make it past the first five picks in this year's draft.
In fact, it would be a great surprise if he made it past the top three, particularly the Jacksonville Jaguars, owners of the third overall pick. Jags coach Gus Bradley runs a hybrid scheme that is 4-3 in name and base look but is conceptually loaded with 3-4 principles.
It's the scheme Bradley learned from Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. The latter also used it at USC, which has continued to play a multiple-front defense.
Williams is the key to everything the Trojans do up front. His ability to shift from a 3-technique alignment to rush end makes him a constant menace for blocking schemes to track and nullify.
He's a perfect fit for what figures to be a much more versatile and attacking Redskins defense in 2015. Of course, Bradley will likely feel the same way after his 2014 Jacksonville D ranked 26th in both points and yards allowed, as well as 27th against the run.
Many mock drafts, including those by NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein and CBS Sports scribe Rob Rang, have Williams coming off the board second overall to the Tennessee Titans.
But it's difficult to see this happening. For one thing, the Titans already boast Jurrell Casey, one of the most dominant and underappreciated interior D-linemen in the AFC.
Given the traditional style of 3-4 coordinator Ray Horton and new assistant head coach for defense Dick LeBeau run, it's easier to believe the Titans will look for line help later in the draft.
Meanwhile, it's certainly not easy to believe the Titans will trust Zach Mettenberger under center for another season. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt's regime is already under pressure after last season's 2014 disaster.
Selecting a new face of the franchise at quarterback is the quickest way to ease that pressure. With Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota at the top of the board, expect the Music City club to go signal-caller with the second pick.
It's the Jags who are more likely to get Williams. He's the answer to their woes in the trenches, not another pass-rusher.
Jacksonville logged 45 sacks in 2014, with the likes of Chris Clemons, Ryan Davis, Andre Branch and Chris Smith all capable of heating up the passer. Where Bradley's group really needs help is in the middle.
The only way to convince him to go in another direction is via a healthy trade offer. Offering a second-round pick, along with the fifth overall, in exchange for the Jags' third overall and sixth-round selections would be a deal worth making.
It would represent a very slight overpay for Washington going by the numbers of this trade-value chart, per WalterFootball.com writer Walter Cherepinsky. But it would guarantee picking a true difference-maker in the trenches who would immediately become the focal point of a new-look scheme.
The Jags would then have the chance to bolster an O-line that surrendered 71 sacks in 2014, as well as using that extra second-rounder for defensive help.
The Deal: Washington sends the fifth pick plus its second-round selection (37th overall) to Jacksonville, for the third pick and the Jags' sixth-rounder (163rd).
The Pick: Washington selects Leonard Williams, DT, USC.
Trade Down to No. 18, Send Pierre Garcon to Kansas City Chiefs for Dontari Poe
3 of 5
If McCloughan wants to get really, really creative, he could secure a mainstay interior defensive lineman and still keep a top-20 pick to bolster Washington's porous offensive front.
All he has to do is have a long conversation with Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey. McCloughan can take advantage of Kansas City's glaring weaknesses along the offensive line and at wide receiver, as well as the team's complex free-agency situation.
If he played that right, McCloughan could even get dominant nose tackle Dontari Poe into the bargain. Bear with me here.
The Chiefs need help at wide receiver. CBS Sports analyst Rob Rang believes head coach Andy Reid has a "general aversion to selecting rookies at this position."
But nothing can change that habit faster than going through an entire season without a wideout catching a touchdown pass, as the Chiefs did in 2014. That could put this team in the mix for Alabama's dynamic flanker, Amari Cooper.
But the Chiefs will need a top-five pick to even have a chance of snagging the Crimson Tide pass-catching sensation. This is where Poe enters the fray.
If the Chiefs want to move up to fifth, they'd need to put together a package worth 800 points, per WalterFootball.com writer Walter Cherepinsky. Whether it's in this year's draft or the next, that would likely mean giving away a few high-round picks.
The AFC West franchise may be loathe to do that, which is why McCloughan asks for Poe. The man-mountain nose tackle is a free agent in 2016 and already counts for over $3.6 million against this year's cap, according to Spotrac.com.
The problem for the Chiefs is that outside linebacker Tamba Hali, inside 'backer Derrick Johnson and cornerback Sean Smith will also hit the open market in 2016. That means there are tough decisions looming in Kansas City.
But it still won't be easy convincing the Chiefs to move on from Poe. That's why McCloughan can sweeten the pot by offering Pierre Garcon as part of the deal.
The veteran wide receiver saw his catch totals drop from a record-setting 113 in 2013 to just 68 last season. Garcon never looked comfortable playing second-fiddle to DeSean Jackson in a pass attack that was generally more vertical under new head coach Jay Gruden.
But the 28-year-old, who thrives over the middle and after the catch, would be a perfect fit for the slant-heavy version of the West Coast offense Reid calls in Kansas City.
In terms of the numbers, it makes some fiscal sense for Washington to explore a trade this offseason, according to Real Redskins blogger Rich Tandler:
"He has a $9.7 million cap number this year, his age 29 season. If the Redskins trade him, they would save $5.3 million against the cap after a $4.4 million dead cap charge. Should they keep him they would be looking at a 2016 cap charge of $10.2 million in the final year of his deal.
"
The Chiefs would get a quarterback-friendly, go-to receiver for Alex Smith. Meanwhile, the Redskins would finally land the massive anchor over center that their 3-4 scheme has needed since 2010.
Of course, just swapping Poe for Garcon isn't enough to grease the wheels for a jump from 18 to five on draft day. The Redskins could also snag Kansas City's third-round pick worth 180 points.
As he's younger than Garcon, along with his general talent level, Poe is certainly worth the remaining 620 points needed to justify the exchange in draft slots.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Why on Earth offer Garcon in a deal designed to tempt the Chiefs into the Cooper sweepstakes?
That's a fair question, but consider the following. It really is a case of the more the merrier in terms of wide receivers for the Chiefs.
Yet it's not necessarily set in stone that Dorsey and Reid would even use the fifth pick at the position. Handing them Garcon would give the Chiefs the freedom to explore other options.
One smart choice might be tabbing a standout offensive tackle to bolster a front five that allowed 49 sacks last season. But perhaps the more pressing need will be pass-rusher.
After all, Justin Houston is a free agent this offseason, per KCChiefs.com reporter BJ Kissel. Meanwhile, Houston's fellow outside linebacker Hali becomes available in 2016.
Moving up to fifth would put the Chiefs in play for some of this draft's best pressure specialists, including Nebraska's Randy Gregory and Missouri's Shane Ray.
As for McCloughan and the Redskins, sitting at 18 would position them to target some O-line help of their own. It would also mean not overpaying for a potential starting right tackle.
In this scenario, Stanford's Andrus Peat, whom NFL.com draft pundit Lance Zierlein has the Chiefs picking at 18, would make a whole lot of sense.
The Deal: Washington sends the fifth pick plus WR Pierre Garcon to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for NT Dontari Poe, the 18th overall pick and Kansas City's third-rounder (82nd overall).
The Pick: Washington selects Andrus Peat, OT Stanford.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Trade Down to No. 12 with the Cleveland Browns
4 of 5
Few teams in the NFL love a first-round trade more than the Cleveland Browns. Few teams in football need more immediate help at key positions than the AFC North cellar-dwellers.
McCloughan could take full advantage by engineering a deal to let the Browns move up for the price of two additional picks. Cleveland could certainly be tempted given the off-field problems of two of its youngest stars.
Wide receiver Josh Gordon has incurred an indefinite suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, according to Yahoo! Sports writer Eric Edholm. He notes the suspension is set for "at least one year."
That leaves a roster already lacking in talent at wide receiver even shorter. The Browns certainly need a big-play threat to compensate for missing Gordon's ability to stretch the field.
But the struggling franchise also needs help at quarterback. Last year's first-round pick Johnny Manziel has entered rehab, per Cleveland.com reporter Mary Kay Cabot.
The decision came after a dreadful rookie season during which Manziel made just two starts. It doesn't help that Cleveland's veteran signal-caller Brian Hoyer is set to enter free agency, per Spotrac.com. The 29-year-old recently refused to rule out an exit from the Browns, per Cabot.
The problems with Manziel and Gordon, along with Hoyer's status, could put two high-profile draft options at the top of Cleveland's wish list. Namely, wide receiver Amari Cooper and quarterback Marcus Mariota.
But landing either will almost certainly require owning a top-five pick. NFL.com draft pundit Lance Zierlein and CBS Sports analyst Rob Rang both have Mariota going to the New York Jets sixth overall.
Meanwhile, WalterFootball.com writer Walter Cherepinsky has the Jets snatching Cooper at six.
McCloughan could talk the Browns into beating Gang Green to either Cooper or Mariota. But the cost would need to be high.
Specifically, jumping seven places on the board should cost the Browns 500 points, according to Walter Football's trade-value chart. The Browns could offer their second-round pick along with their fifth-rounder to make up that difference.
They'd still be four points short, but that's a sacrifice more than worth making if it nets Washington an extra second-round pick. It would also let the Redskins avoid reaching for a player who could help at the weakest position on the roster.
Alabama strong safety Landon Collins is a smart choice for a team that's been blighted by safety problems for too long. But not many feel comfortable about taking a safety off the board with a top-five pick.
Collins may still seem like a reach at 12. That might be true for any other team, but not Washington. If McCloughan did opt for Collins, he could use that extra second-rounder on a top-rated guard.
Duke's Laken Tomlinson is a natural right guard ticketed for the top 50 by CBS Sports analyst Dane Brugler. Using the 44th pick to snag a potential instant replacement for the aging and ineffective Chris Chester would make a lot of sense.
The Deal: Washington trades the fifth pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the 12th overall pick, plus Cleveland's second-rounder (44th overall) and fifth-round choice (140).
The Pick: Washington selects Landon Collins, SS, Alabama.
Staying Put Is the Smart Play, but Every Rebuild Needs a Few Risks
5 of 5
The safest thing McCloughan can do this draft day is to stay put and select Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff. That's what B/R draft analyst Matt Miller believes Washington's GM should do, and there's a lot to like about the pick.
First and foremost, Scherff is a monster in the running game. Insert him into the front five, and a ground attack that began to look stale in 2014 gets a new lease on life.
Scherff would also give new O-line coach Bill Callahan a young building block to work with. Callahan did wonders for the Dallas Cowboys helping to shape high-round picks into a cohesive group.
As Miller notes, Scherff is flexible to line up on the right side, or as a guard. Those are the positions the Redskins must fix ahead of the new season.
However, as much as there is to recommend playing it safe and taking Scherff, every successful rebuilding job has to involve taking a few risks. That's especially true when adding to a roster that's won just seven games in two seasons.
Opting for a trade scenario like those listed here could give Washington a jump-start as the franchise begins yet another slow march back to relevance.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
