Washington Redskins: Drafting Julio Jones Won't Bring D.C. a Championship

If the Redskins want to get out of the basement of the NFC East, then they need to draft a quarterback, not a wide receiver.

In the quarterback-driven league that the NFL is today, it’s the signal caller that’ll win you a ring, not the wide receiver. So why is there so much talk about drafting Julio Jones when the franchise doesn’t have a reliable option at quarterback?

Jones is a good prospect, I understand that. But he’s not going to carry this team to the big game. Nine times out of 10, the reason a team is playing in the Super Bowl is because they have a top-tier player under center.

Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Brad Johnson are the quarterbacks from the last 10 Super Bowl champions.

Obviously Brad Johnson is the exception to the rule that you need top-tier quarterback. You can also smoke cigarettes for 20-plus years without getting lung cancer, but thankfully, we don’t use the exception to the rule to base our opinions on, right?

It’s almost universally known that Donovan McNabb isn’t the right fit into Mike Shanahan’s offense and Rex Grossman isn’t a franchise quarterback unless we’re talking about the UFL.

So why all the rave about bringing Julio Jones to the nation’s capital?

Jones has remarkable measurables that nobody can argue. His broad jump was the best among the receivers at the combine (11 feet, three inches—two inches below the combine’s best since 2000) and ran a blazing 4.39 40-yard dash.

Take the combine for what it’s worth. I know many don’t take it seriously since the game isn’t played in shorts and shirts like the combine displays.

But Julio won’t win any rings for you.

Nor will any single receiver in the draft. The Redskins need a quarterback and need one that’ll be able to start by the 2012 season. With Grossman being your band-aid fix, the Skins need a quarterback and can’t afford to let one slip by them.

The Skins are in a prime position to let a rookie quarterback play behind one (or two) veteran quarterbacks and carry a clipboard until he’s ready to put this franchise on his back.

Whenever free agency starts, the Redskins can fill their void at receiver there. I agree with CSNWashington.com when they state that Sidney Rice would be a good pick. He as well as Jacoby Jones are scheduled to be free agents once (if) the lockout ends. You already know their strengths and weaknesses on a professional field.

Whether we’re talking about Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton or any other top-prospect; you’re better off taking your risk on them. In a best-case scenario, if you hit on a quarterback, then you’re more likely to play in February, more so than if you hit on a wide receiver.