The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

By Gary Fitzgerald

In a draft full of surprises, the biggest surprise of all may be that the Redskins did not draft a quarterback.

After the Redskins picked their last of 12 players -- nose tackle Chris Neild from West Virginia -- in the seventh round, head coach Mike Shanahan said the team has a "game plan" for the quarterback position.

"We have a lot of different directions we could go," he said. "I can't share it with you for obvious reasons. But we do have a plan."

In explaining the team's decisionmaking at quarterback, Shanahan said:

"When you have a board, when you pick at certain times, you have to decide what you’re going to give up, the depth of your football team, how long it will take a guy to play, if he fits in your system.

"If that guy does come in, how long will he be on the bench? Do you want to go out in free agency [and get a quarterback]? Do you have somebody targeted? Do you have somebody targeted at the college level as an undrafted guy?

"Obviously we can’t give our game plan away but those are the things we evaluate as part of the process."

Gald to hear he has a plan. So did US Cavalry General George Custer when he went out to meet the indians at Little Big Horn and Robert E Lee on the third day at Gettysburg.

Everyone has a plan. The question is.... "Will it work?" I hope so, but considering what I've seen in the last 16 months from Shanny, I'm not holding my breath.

I really hope Delaware's Pat Devlin is in their plans! I was hoping he would have been in their plans in the seventh round.
I also wouldn't mind Mark Bulger finding his way down I95.

as much as I hate to say it this team isnt ready to be a contender this year but I liked what we did in the draft with adding depth and youth at some positions..

The direction we go at QB THIS year just is not that important considering.. My guess is we will use Beck or Grossman as a stop gap and really try to acquire our QB for the future the following season .. I just dont see us grabbing our franchise QB this year and Im ok with that because I think all of the QBs that came out this year would of been a reach for us

everydayAskinsday wrote:as much as I hate to say it this team isnt ready to be a contender this year but I liked what we did in the draft with adding depth and youth at some positions..

The direction we go at QB THIS year just is not that important considering.. My guess is we will use Beck or Grossman as a stop gap and really try to acquire our QB for the future the following season .. I just dont see us grabbing our franchise QB this year and Im ok with that because I think all of the QBs that came out this year would of been a reach for us

Superbowl, no. Holes, yes. But we still have a lot of talent, particularly on D and we just added a couple guys. Our problem with going to the 3-4 wasn't all our players, a lot of them are fine in either system. The problem was holes, which we clearly addressed a couple of big ones in the draft with our first two choices. On O we got an anchor for the line and some improvement across. With some FA pickups, we could be borderline wildcard. I'm not arguing we're going a long way this year, but I'm not thinking we're in the Luck Bowl either.

KazooSkinsFan wrote:

everydayAskinsday wrote:as much as I hate to say it this team isnt ready to be a contender this year but I liked what we did in the draft with adding depth and youth at some positions..

The direction we go at QB THIS year just is not that important considering.. My guess is we will use Beck or Grossman as a stop gap and really try to acquire our QB for the future the following season .. I just dont see us grabbing our franchise QB this year and Im ok with that because I think all of the QBs that came out this year would of been a reach for us

Superbowl, no. Holes, yes. But we still have a lot of talent, particularly on D and we just added a couple guys. Our problem with going to the 3-4 wasn't all our players, a lot of them are fine in either system. The problem was holes, which we clearly addressed a couple of big ones in the draft with our first two choices. On O we got an anchor for the line and some improvement across. With some FA pickups, we could be borderline wildcard. I'm not arguing we're going a long way this year, but I'm not thinking we're in the Luck Bowl either.

I definitely agree with you and I dont believe we are going to be in the running for Luck next year.. I just dont see us being able to address our issues along the Oline and QB enough to the extent this year that will have us where we need to be to truly contend...

I am happy with the direction our defense is going though and am really hoping we are able to resign Rogers.. I loved the Kerrigan pick unlike some and I truly think the 3-4 is going to start showing up for us this year.. I knew going into last year that switching from a 4-3 to 3-4 was going to be difficult ..

Im hopeful for this year just like every year but I know we arent going to find our QB this year and im OK with that because Im glad we didnt reach and just try to plug some young kid in because thats what alot of fans where calling for

everydayAskinsday wrote:I am happy with the direction our defense is going though and am really hoping we are able to resign Rogers..

I agree with you on liking where we're heading, but I hope we don't re-sign Rogers. The whole point of a 3-4 is attacking the quarterback and forcing mistakes and what's the point when you get a forced pass into the hands of a guy who couldn't hold onto it if you super glued it to his hands? I'd like to keep him only as a nickle back, and I don't think he's staying for that.

I think it is still too early to bash Shanahan on his work so far. When you inherit a team that has been mis-managed and re-created over and over for the past decade, you're not going to walk in the door and turn it around in one season.

Shanahan took over a veteran team, in fact, the oldest team in the NFL last year. He gambled on McNabb being the the veteran QB needed to turn things around. It didn't work out. It isn't the end of the world. I'm pretty sure if we go back to the posts here on Hog Wash last year, the great majority of us believed McNabb was a great addition also.

A year later, Shanahan knows McNabb isn't the answer. he knows Portis is done. he knows that Kemo wasn't the stop gap NT solution he had hoped. He knows Torain can get the job done, but probably not for a full season. He knows the O-line is getting better. He also may believe Grossman and Beck are better than we thought. Most of all, he knows this team needs youth and depth to create competition for jobs and a healthier ball club.

So, he goes out and trades down several times, adds amazing value by adding 4 additional picks. He bolsters the WR and RB positions. He adds a great OLB to play opposite Orakpo. He adds good depth at D-line.

I say, give the man at least this year to see how the team develops. If we go 8-8 or better with a much younger football team and all of our draft picks available in 2012, I'll call it a major improvement. The infrastructure of this team has improved. The age, the lack of depth, the lack of competition at key spots and the complacency by over-priced veterans has come to an end, IMO.

We need that franchise QB next yr. I dont believe Beck is the long term answer but do believe he will be a solid back up. I have a hunch that shanny loves Luck and will use our draft pics we aquire for McNabb and some other moves to aqcuire that number 1 spot next yr. We are going to get Luck who will set us up for the playoff the next 10 yrs.

skinsfan#33 wrote:I really hope Delaware's Pat Devlin is in their plans! I was hoping he would have been in their plans in the seventh round.
I also wouldn't mind Mark Bulger finding his way down I95.

I can see both of those guys as options here, but I think that we might get out bidded for Bulger.

skinsfan#33 wrote:I really hope Delaware's Pat Devlin is in their plans! I was hoping he would have been in their plans in the seventh round.
I also wouldn't mind Mark Bulger finding his way down I95.

Devlin doesn't have an NFL arm.

elprez19 wrote:We need that franchise QB next yr. I dont believe Beck is the long term answer but do believe he will be a solid back up. I have a hunch that shanny loves Luck and will use our draft pics we aquire for McNabb and some other moves to aqcuire that number 1 spot next yr. We are going to get Luck who will set us up for the playoff the next 10 yrs.

I agree with you that Luck is on Shanahan's mind and that we will see him trying to stockpile draft choices.

CanesSkins26 wrote:

skinsfan#33 wrote:I really hope Delaware's Pat Devlin is in their plans! I was hoping he would have been in their plans in the seventh round.
I also wouldn't mind Mark Bulger finding his way down I95.

Devlin doesn't have an NFL arm.

Did you watch him play our is that opinion based on what you read?

skinsfan#33 wrote:

CanesSkins26 wrote:

skinsfan#33 wrote:I really hope Delaware's Pat Devlin is in their plans! I was hoping he would have been in their plans in the seventh round.
I also wouldn't mind Mark Bulger finding his way down I95.

Devlin doesn't have an NFL arm.

Did you watch him play our is that opinion based on what you read?

Followed him as a recruit out of high school because he was committed to Miami for a while. I saw several of his games at Delaware. His arm is really weak. Watch some of his highlights, it's obvious. There is a reason why he wasn't drafted.

I like that you have adopted that interpretation of "Suck and Luck"...

I'm thinking, though, that we may not suck enough to get Luck straight up... Shanny may stockpile more picks, but it's still going to be very expensive to get this kid... at least half of our '12 draft, and probably part of '13.

Planning our organizational future around a redshirt junior quarterback who's played two years of college ball seems like extremely bad policy.

Look, everyone knows that the Senior year has a way of going in another direction... hence, Jake Locker goes from a sure fire first pick to unready for prime time in one year. On the other hand, Luck may turn out to be, not only "all that and a bag of chips, but all that and the whole snack aisle."


Shanny will do what Shanny will do... no harm in our making projections.

Countertrey wrote:I like that you have adopted that interpretation of "Suck and Luck"...

I'm thinking, though, that we may not suck enough to get Luck straight up... Shanny may stockpile more picks, but it's still going to be very expensive to get this kid... at least half of our '12 draft, and probably part of '13.

Maybe. I really don't see how we win more than 4-5 games though, so I think that we'll be in the running. "Suck and Barkely" instead?

CanesSkins26 wrote:

Countertrey wrote:I like that you have adopted that interpretation of "Suck and Luck"...

I'm thinking, though, that we may not suck enough to get Luck straight up... Shanny may stockpile more picks, but it's still going to be very expensive to get this kid... at least half of our '12 draft, and probably part of '13.

Maybe. I really don't see how we win more than 4-5 games though, so I think that we'll be in the running. "Suck and Barkely" instead?

If we get worse in year two of the Shanny plan against a much easier schedule, then Shanny won't be making our draft choices, because he won't be our hc.

CanesSkins26 wrote:

Countertrey wrote:I like that you have adopted that interpretation of "Suck and Luck"...

I'm thinking, though, that we may not suck enough to get Luck straight up... Shanny may stockpile more picks, but it's still going to be very expensive to get this kid... at least half of our '12 draft, and probably part of '13.

Maybe. I really don't see how we win more than 4-5 games though, so I think that we'll be in the running. "Suck and Barkely" instead?

I wanted a QB too, and I think we could have done more in the draft, but unless you're thinking we're going to have a lockout shortened season we're not going to struggle to win 4-5 games. It's tough to win without a QB, I'll admit it but there's still free agency coming and with all 4 of our top picks in this draft we brought a guy on board who looks better than the guy he's replacing (Kerrigan>Carter, Jenkins>RDE Rotation, Hankerson>Armstrong, Helu>Torain's backups...)

The Redskins made "safe" picks by all accounts. Guys who might not be the flashiest or the most explosive, but guys who look like solid football players with excellent character and who are committed to the team above all else. How better to finally change the culture around Redskins Park?

Skinsfan55 wrote:

CanesSkins26 wrote:

Countertrey wrote:I like that you have adopted that interpretation of "Suck and Luck"...

I'm thinking, though, that we may not suck enough to get Luck straight up... Shanny may stockpile more picks, but it's still going to be very expensive to get this kid... at least half of our '12 draft, and probably part of '13.

Maybe. I really don't see how we win more than 4-5 games though, so I think that we'll be in the running. "Suck and Barkely" instead?

I wanted a QB too, and I think we could have done more in the draft, but unless you're thinking we're going to have a lockout shortened season we're not going to struggle to win 4-5 games. It's tough to win without a QB, I'll admit it but there's still free agency coming and with all 4 of our top picks in this draft we brought a guy on board who looks better than the guy he's replacing (Kerrigan>Carter, Jenkins>RDE Rotation, Hankerson>Armstrong, Helu>Torain's backups...)

The Redskins made "safe" picks by all accounts. Guys who might not be the flashiest or the most explosive, but guys who look like solid football players with excellent character and who are committed to the team above all else. How better to finally change the culture around Redskins Park?

You know, if you load your team with good players, who don't ever quit on a play, then you can expect that someone will make something happen.

I wanted a QB too, and I think we could have done more in the draft, but unless you're thinking we're going to have a lockout shortened season we're not going to struggle to win 4-5 games.

We have no legit option at qb. We are going to be relying on a number of young players to contribute, without a full offseason to prepare. Rocky, Brown, Moss, Rogers, and Buchanan all could be gone in free agency. Our team was already old and will only be a year older at key positions (i.e. Fletcher). We still have no NT. Sure, there is still free agency, but that is not a recipe for winning a lot of games.

sounds like Canes wants to get off the bus before it even gets warmed up

The team didn't feel like there was a QB or NT available in the draft who really fit our needs so we added some other players we thought did.

I can't see where I can see a serious flaw in their thinking. Things didn't shake out in our favor, but I don't see an obvious miss, or a spot where they bungled the pick.

CanesSkins26 wrote:

I wanted a QB too, and I think we could have done more in the draft, but unless you're thinking we're going to have a lockout shortened season we're not going to struggle to win 4-5 games.

We have no legit option at qb. We are going to be relying on a number of young players to contribute, without a full offseason to prepare. Rocky, Brown, Moss, Rogers, and Buchanan all could be gone in free agency.

I don't see how Grossman isn't a legit option at QB. Unless you mean because he's technically a free agent. I'm not saying he's Tom Brady but he did make it to the Super Bowl with the Bears, so he's at least more legit than half the other teams in the league.