RG3 is coming to Washington! The franchise is saved! Super Bowl here we come! What did it cost the Redskins? Not too much, I mean we won't have a first round pick till Griffin is 37...but who needs draft picks??
So it is official, Redskins get the Rams second overall pick for three first round picks and a second round pick. A steep price to pay if you want a long term answer at quarterback I guess. Who cares about the chance that he could pull a Jamarcus Russell? Plan B, Rex Grossman. Plan C, still working on that...
It is not realistic to expect Griffin to come in to Washington and immediately take this team to the playoffs. Some building is going to be required. Problem is, with all of the first round picks that the Skins gave up to get Griffin, they are limited to free agency. Another problem, the Redskins were penalized $36 million in cap space for last year.
Despite this, I really like what the Redskins have been able to do this free agency. The penalty on the cap space meant that Vincent Jackson was no longer going to be an option. However, adding young and talented receivers Pierre Garcon (25 years old) and Josh Morgan (26), along with the emergence of Jabar Gaffney and running Backs Roy Helu and Evan Royster, will definitely help out Griffin in his first few years in DC.
The secondary will have a new look as well. With the release of oft-injured Oshiomogho Atogwe and the rumors swirling tat the Redskins will not pursue Laron Landry this free agency, some openings were left to be filled. Dejon Gomes did a good job filling on for Atogwe when he was injured, and was even given the starting job later in the season. To replace Landry, the Redskins signed Brandon Meriweather, the former Bears' safety.
It is a little early to start getting optimistic about the Redskins, but they are definitely headed in the right direction. There is still a lot of work to be done and I do not believe the Redskins will be in the playoffs this season, but I do believe that Griffin will be a good fit and eventually make the Redskins a playoff team, as soon as they get their first round picks back.
One of the biggest issues of concern is the offensive line. Griffin needs to be protected or he is destined to fail. The good news is that Griffin is a mobile quarterback and will likely be able to escape trouble. Offensive line consistency has been a large problem in the past. The line got off to a great start along with the Redskins in 2011, but injuries sent the season in a downward spiral as Shanahan was forced to use a million different offensive line combinations.
In addition to preventing sacks, the Redskins need help getting them as well. Help on the defensive line either through free agency or the draft would go a long way to bolster the Washington defense. Some good options the Redskins can pick up in the third round or later is Billy Winn, defensive end out of Boise State or Mike Martin, defensive tackle out of Michigan.
We got an interesting off season ahead of us and I am excited to see how the rest of it plays out. This draft will mark a new beginning for football in Washington. The Griffin era is set to start and DC could not be more excited about it. Again, there is still work to be done in free agency, and the Redskins are off to a good start. Hopefully, that momentum carries on over through the rest of free agency and into the season.
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