Washington Redskins Trade Up to #2 in the NFL Draft

The two most dynamic players in the NFL Draft this year are commonly considered to be Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. They are both quarterbacks and coveted commodities to have. This comes as know surprise as football has been transformed today into a sport that hinges on the quarterback position. Having a great quarterback puts you at least on the radar for the playoffs. The Indianapolis Colts made a big ripple effect on the draft when they released veteran quarterback Peyton Manning (You can read my take on where Manning should play next year here: http://fireawayblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/where-should-peyton-manning-play-next.html).

This meant that Peyton along with Luck and Griffin are the best available quarterback options. With many teams having a need in that department, phones began to ring quickly. Many of those calls were heading to St. Louis Rams. The Rams were the owners of the #2 overall pick in the draft. Everyone expects the Colts to pick Luck, but Griffin would still be available at this pick. The Rams, however, don't need another quarterback as they are already committed to Sam Bradford. This meant they could afford to trade down, but still ask a high price because so many teams wanted Griffin.

Much of the trade talk hinged on where Manning would decide to play next season. Reports are out that he quickly told the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns that he was not interested (I wasn't surprised at all). This meant they were the teams pushing hardest to get a trade agreed upon with the Rams. The Redskins apparently won the bidding war, but paid the heavy price for the #2 overall pick. In return, the Rams received the #7 overall pick in this year's draft, the Redskins' 2nd round pick in this draft, and the Redskins' 1st round picks for 2013 and 2014. So that is three 1st round picks and a second round pick. That will certainly help the Rams in their rebuilding process. You can read more about that in my blog post I wrote after they hired Jeff Fisher as head coach: http://fireawayblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/st-louis-looks-to-ram-their-way-into.html.

Now, let's consider what this means for the Redskins. They gave up a lot. There is no way around that. But they got a quarterback they believed could be a franchise quarterback in Robert Griffin III. No one can question his athleticism, but how good can he really be? I am not really sure. For that we will just have to see. But what you can expect now is the Redskins to be big players in the upcoming free agent market. They have about $40 million in cap space to use. They should look to bolster their offensive line, bring a running back (possibly resign Tim Hightower if he is healthy), and add a receiver or two for Griffin. They should also be looking to pay linebacker London Fletcher the money he wants to remain the captain of their defense. Washington may have overpaid for Griffin, but what do you expect, after all it is the Redskins. They just better hope he turns out to be the answer at quarterback.