2007 Draft

[JPM36]

I think we are looking at approximately the 5th pick in the draft after this loss, whereas it would've been more like 8th had we won.


Let's all just hope that

A) Alan Branch is still there at #5

and

B) The Redskins have the good sense to draft him.



Tonight's game definitely proved that we need a LOT of help stopping the run and a 331 pound nose tackle is a great way to start.

[brad7686]

I would have to agree Branch might be the way to go. I REALLY like Gaines Adams but adding another lineman that can't stop the run might be a bad idea. IF there was an upgrade at MLB i wouldn't mind going with Adams because he will be elite off the edge.

[Gibbs4Life]

Haven't been paying attention to College this year


Who Is Alan Branch?

[Redskins Rule]

I think we are looking at approximately the 5th pick in the draft after this loss, whereas it would've been more like 8th had we won.


Let's all just hope that

A) Alan Branch is still there at #5

and

B) The Redskins have the good sense to draft him.



Tonight's game definitely proved that we need a LOT of help stopping the run and a 331 pound nose tackle is a great way to start.

Just who is Alan Branch? And why should we draft him?

Is he a corner?

Our weakness is at Corner............12 picks all year, 26 or 27 passing touchdowns allowed! So! Who is he?

[SkinzCanes]

Who Is Alan Branch?

Defensive tackle from Michigan. He is a beast. 6'6 330 pounds. Is also really quick for a player of his size. Can stuff the rush and also pressure the qb. He would help the defense tremendously. Would be a huge mistake not to draft him if he is available.

[Redskins Rule]

Who Is Alan Branch?

Defensive tackle from Michigan. He is a beast. 6'6 330 pounds. Is also really quick for a player of his size. Can stuff the rush and also pressure the qb. He would help the defense tremendously. Would be a huge mistake not to draft him if he is available.

I don't know........I want a corner that can cover someone first!!!!

[die cowboys die]

the defense is so historically horrendous, one linemen hardly seems like he could make any difference at all.

we've already wasted all our recent draft picks on defense. sean taylor has flashes of brilliance but overall has actually been pretty much completely terrible this year. rogers is an abomination. all those late round LBs and such, what has that yielded? jacksquat. completely WASTED draft picks. complete morons running the personnel department.

may as well draft calvin johnson (almost certainly the best player in the draft) if he's available, to truly take the heat off moss like lloyd and randle el were supposed to. lloyd seems pretty clearly a bust, so another WR is in fact a need-- especially a big-bodied "posession" WR-- especially when that same guy can get down the field for the big deep play.

get the guy who might be able to make our offense an over-the-top powerhouse, rather than a tiny drop of competence in the vast, arid desert of "patheticness" that is our "defense".

if any of these defensive guys in the draft were clearly much better than any other player in the draft, i wouldn't say this. but i don't get the impression that any of these defenders are really all that great-- just the best ones in this class.

[SkinzCanes]

I don't know........I want a corner that can cover someone first!!!!

Drafting a corner in this year's draft would be a mistake imo. Leon Hall is the best available corner in the draft but I don't think that he's all that good. Like Carlos, he is more of a physical corner and doesn't have the best speed and quickness. When he played against Ohio St.'s athletic receivers this season he had trouble keeping up with them. Also, corner do tend to take a while to develop and I think that we need help at that position immediately so free agency might be the way to go to improve that position. No corner in this draft will come close to having the type of impact that Alan Branch would have.

[brad7686]

I just heard that the redskins could draft as high as 3rd. IF that is the case, they should go Calvin Johnson, I don't care. He is too good to pass up. There are sure to be experienced DT's that can make a difference immediately in the FA market.

[Gibbs4Life]

the defense is so historically horrendous, one linemen hardly seems like he could make any difference at all.

That attitude is how we ended up with 6th and 7th round picks starting at DT for us this year. Look we've got to stop the bleeding TIKI BARBER ran for a franchise record in our house IN OUR HOUSE! And it starts up front. I miss Big Daddy and Stubbs!!! I want someone that is going to bloody some noses arms and legs in those trenches! Alan Branch seems like our guy let's start with the line, and then we have to look DE because Daniels is sounding like a pussycat with that offseason quote that ticks me off. We need...

1 a new DT
2 a new DE
3 2 new CB's
4 2 new LB's especially a Middle LB

[old-timer]

the defense is so historically horrendous, one linemen hardly seems like he could make any difference at all.

we've already wasted all our recent draft picks on defense. sean taylor has flashes of brilliance but overall has actually been pretty much completely terrible this year. rogers is an abomination. all those late round LBs and such, what has that yielded? jacksquat. completely WASTED draft picks. complete morons running the personnel department.

may as well draft calvin johnson (almost certainly the best player in the draft) if he's available, to truly take the heat off moss like lloyd and randle el were supposed to. lloyd seems pretty clearly a bust, so another WR is in fact a need-- especially a big-bodied "posession" WR-- especially when that same guy can get down the field for the big deep play.

get the guy who might be able to make our offense an over-the-top powerhouse, rather than a tiny drop of competence in the vast, arid desert of "patheticness" that is our "defense".

if any of these defensive guys in the draft were clearly much better than any other player in the draft, i wouldn't say this. but i don't get the impression that any of these defenders are really all that great-- just the best ones in this class.

I agree that our defense is so incredibly bad that drafting one guy, no matter how good he is, is a mistake We have huge problems at safety, corner, linebacker, and defensive line. How is one guy, Alan Branch, even if he is the second coming of Charles Haley, going to fix all thet? Even granting that he is not a bust and/or doesn/t get a season-ending injury on the first play of the season? Other tahn to provide another excuse for GW's failure?

What we need is a fundamental change from the philosophy where we trade away all our draft picks for experienced players, chosen by coaches, who may or may not work out. The failed defensive personnel moves made by ou coaches aare too numerous to mention, and devastating. And the big problem is that with our coaches picking players, who has confidence in our neglected scouting department to pick up late round quality talent? I don't.

This would take years, even if we started now, which I don't think Gibbs has the smarts to do. As a coach, he thinks he's best qualified to evaluate players. He's wrong. His strength has always been to find a way to best utilize good talent in his coaching schemes. Now that he and his staff are managing personnel, it's all coming down around his ears.

[redskingush]

I think our needs have expanded, We really could use a CB, obviosly, LB, DT, really anywhere on Defence couldnt hurt.

[SkinsFreak]

the defense is so historically horrendous, one linemen hardly seems like he could make any difference at all.

we've already wasted all our recent draft picks on defense. sean taylor has flashes of brilliance but overall has actually been pretty much completely terrible this year. rogers is an abomination. all those late round LBs and such, what has that yielded? jacksquat. completely WASTED draft picks. complete morons running the personnel department.

may as well draft calvin johnson (almost certainly the best player in the draft) if he's available, to truly take the heat off moss like lloyd and randle el were supposed to. lloyd seems pretty clearly a bust, so another WR is in fact a need-- especially a big-bodied "posession" WR-- especially when that same guy can get down the field for the big deep play.

get the guy who might be able to make our offense an over-the-top powerhouse, rather than a tiny drop of competence in the vast, arid desert of "patheticness" that is our "defense".

if any of these defensive guys in the draft were clearly much better than any other player in the draft, i wouldn't say this. but i don't get the impression that any of these defenders are really all that great-- just the best ones in this class.

I actually agree with you. Johnson is so good, teams would have to game plan for him, and in return, this would free up Santana. They passed on Mike Williams two years ago, which turned out to be a wise move, so this might be the year to get a solid, big posession reciever. Other than that, I'm happy with the rest of the offense.

Johnson is a Gibbs kind of guy, has the skill and character that Gibbs likes. Chan Gailey raves about him all the time; said Johnson was the best player he's ever seen. Here are some pros and cons:

Pros: When I think of this guy I just think WOW. He is 6-5 and 235 pounds. With his size also comes great hands and speed.(4.3-4.4 range) He can easily go the distance every time.
Cons: Cons, I'm thinking. I don't know.
Overall: This player is an amazing athlete with a good head on his shoulders. I look for him to come into the NFL and make an immidiate impact. Look for him to go second overall regardless of the team.

Could be available at the 3rd pick.

Like Golston, we could find some defensive help in the later rounds of the draft. Plug in a few new free agents on defense, linebacker and corner, and there you go. Could have a pretty good team next year.

[JPM36]

I agree with people saying we need a corner or a MLB but those guys are much easier to get than a 331 lb, agile DT.

Branch is 6'6 331, and so agile that he played RB in high school.

Be sure to watch the Rose Bowl on Monday. He is #80 on Michigan.

This is the guy we need and this is the guy we should be targetting.


And let me add that the comments of "one guy won't make any difference no matter how good he is" do not make any sense to me. Of course, I don't think that simply adding Branch will suddenly transform us into a top defense again but we have to start somewhere, right? We may as well start with a potential Pro Bowl DT who would make everyone else's job in the front seven easier.

[UK Skins Fan]

This defence is dead. What it needs is new life, and the best impact player we can find, if such a player exists.

If Branch or Adams are truly great players, then let's get one of them.

On the other hand, if there really isn't a great defensive player available when we pick, I'd try to trade the pick away to pick up another first rounder. I'd rather see two good defensive players arrive, than have the Redskins go all googly-eyed over an offensive prospect.

[John Manfreda]

I am all for drafting the DT from Michigan, knowing the Redskins they will screw it up.

[SkinsJock]

I can see that we are going to have some differences here again - those that want the offense upgraded to be able to score so many points that nobody can stop us and those that would like to see a defense that would mean the offense just needs to score more than the opposing team

I am hoping that Gibbs will try and make sure that the Redskins basically are impossible to run against (or very difficult) and that on offense we establish the run game and then at the end of the game we can finish the game by controlling the clock and not having to throw.

If that philosophy can be achieved by acquiring a fantastic receiver in the draft like Johnson and getting all of our defensive issues (and there are a lot) solved with the rest of the draft and free agency then that is great BUT I think we will see an emphasis on defense with very little added on the offensive side.

Going to be an interesting few months here




BTW - my New Year's wish for our team is that next year I hope we win "1 quarter of football" in each game. The last 5 minutes in the half and the first 5 minutes of the third quarter and the last 5 minutes of the game.

[old-timer]

And let me add that the comments of "one guy won't make any difference no matter how good he is" do not make any sense to me. Of course, I don't think that simply adding Branch will suddenly transform us into a top defense again but we have to start somewhere, right? We may as well start with a potential Pro Bowl DT who would make everyone else's job in the front seven easier.

You're aruging a false dichotomy here. The choice is not between Alan Branch and nothing. The choice is between Alan Branch and two lower first round picks. If all works out well (a dicey situation, I admit, considering Vinny's record in evaluating talent), we will choose two solid if unspectacular starters over one possibly spectacular starter on defense. Since our defense has so many holes and is so thin, we should choose the depth and hole-filling. We can't afford the superstar.

I should add that the league is full of lousy teams with spectacular individuals that were picked up with the early first round picks such lousy teams get. And when something bad happens to that player with a league=average 3.5 years career, you're really bucking the odds. I'd rather not go that route.

[Chris Luva Luva]

What does this matter when this rookie wont get any playing time anyway...

[SkinsFreak]

A good argument can be made for drafting certain players at certain positions, on both offense and defense. That said, here are some concerns I have.

I'll start by saying, with exception to the loss of Clark to FA, and the injuries to our defense this year, this is basically the same unit we had last year. And if memory serves me correctly, they were pretty damn good on defense last year. But some folks still think we should draft a whole bunch of defensive players.

Let's look at the last 3 drafts. We have taken a defensive player with our top pick 3 years in a row; Taylor, Rogers and McIntosh.

Lets add to that:

2006:
DT Golston
DT Montgomery
S Doughty
LB Simon

2005:
LB McCune
LB Jarad Newberry

For those that want to use the top pick on a DT, I would ask; what then happens to Griffin and Salave'a? These two are still pretty good, when healthy. And what happens to Golston and Montgomery? I believe you can't waste these draft picks, rather build them into good players.

It appears that the picks at LB were a waste. All of the aforementioned LB's are gone, except McIntosh.

I think we can add a solid linebacker and a top corner in free agency. This would really help the run defense.

So, in my opinion, if Calvin Johnson is still available when we pick, we should take him. He has the potential to change the outcome of a game. We haven't used a top pick on an impact player on offense for quite some time; Campbell and Ramsey are the only two offensive players selected in the first round since 2001, when we drafted 50/50 (Rod Gardner).

I will, however, be happy with any player selected with our 1st pick.

[Hooligan]

Does the defense have that many holes or is the coaching to blame? If the team trims some fat off the coaching staff, they adjust the scheme like they say they will, and they re-evaluate that ridiculous offseason strength training program, the whole defense should take a big step in the right direction.

As far as holes... shoot for a FA MLB and starting CB. Draft a top-level DT first, then a speedy corner to groom, then try to find some more O-line depth.

Smarter coaching, more efficient offseason workouts, continuity...

D-backs Rogers, Taylor, Springs/Fox, Clements

Linebackers: Rocky, A. Thomas/ L. Fletcher, Washington

D-Line: Carter, Griffin, Monster-Rookie, Daniels

[skinsfan#33]

Who Is Alan Branch?

Defensive tackle from Michigan. He is a beast. 6'6 330 pounds. Is also really quick for a player of his size. Can stuff the rush and also pressure the qb. He would help the defense tremendously. Would be a huge mistake not to draft him if he is available.

I don't know........I want a corner that can cover someone first!!!!

Improve the D-line and you improve the secondary. If we could have held Steven Jackson or Tiki to under 150 yards (or maybe even <200) we would have won both of those games.

Improvement at DT, DE, S, CB, and MLB should be the order the Skins look at fixing the D. And right now the D is far and away the weekness of the team. All of those don't need to be upgraded but one or two great DL are essential and then look for a DB that is a top flight starter (S or CB I don't care).

[JPM36]

Having a young, Pro Bowl DT would make the entire defense better.

Alan Branch will be a Pro Bowl DT IMO.

[ii7-V7]

I'm all for using draft pcks on both lines. Right now a stud DT or DE would be the way to go I think. We have used so many 1st round picks on our secondary in the last six years and where does it leave us now?

The problem with our defensei s age. We are too old. And giving away guys and picks is the blame. With only 4 picks and only 1 above the 150th pick how are we supposed to get a starting MLB, DE, CB, and DT?

The FA class this year will be weak. We aren't going to find guys like Griffin, Carter, etc. in this years FA class.

Chad

[SkinsJock]

The secret to the draft has so far eluded this team for the most part - when we have so few picks it would be nice to come up with a guy like Colston (out of Hofstra ) who was taken (I believe) in the 4th or 5th round by New Orleans - hopefully our scouts will work some magic this time around - these guys need to do a lot better job IMO.