Redskins roll the dice with rookie trio

By Joe Versage  |   Friday, May 02, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

Washington Redskins
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Recently, I wrote a column about the Washington Redskins and the concern the team had for picking correctly in this year’s NFL draft. Of course, every draft is a crapshoot and each organization is left with a feeling of uncertainty, no matter who is chosen and how those selections are graded.

But it appeared as if the Redskins had made up their mind. They would pull out all the stops to trade for a veteran receiver and leave other teams to guess who was best from this year’s cast of rookies.

Unfortunately for Washington, Plan A failed to materialize and the team’s decision makers were forced to regroup. Instead of introducing an All-Pro, Washington’s war room settled for a group of pass catchers who dominated collegiate competition.

So we ask of you, the reader, how do you feel about Washington’s inability to trade for Cincinnati’s Chad Johnson, Arizona’s Anquan Boldin or Detroit’s Roy Williams? And was it wise for the Redskins to select Devin Thomas, Fred Davis and Malcolm Kelly with their first three picks?

Draft experts often say that teams should choose the best player available, because there’s always room to address needs later in a draft. In this writer’s opinion, the Redskins did a little bit of both.

While it seems the Redskins went overboard in drafting two receivers and a tight end, they did fill a desperate need for height in the passing game. It can also be argued that they trusted their instincts and went with the best players they had next on their list.

Thomas and Kelly were ranked among the top five receivers coming out of Division I, with many mock drafts putting Thomas at the head of the class. Prior to the draft, some predicted that he would go as high as the 11th overall choice to Buffalo.

In the meantime, Davis was considered a can’t-miss prospect. At 6-foot-4, 248 pounds, he set single-season and career records at Southern California in both touchdowns and receptions by a tight end.

In Washington, Davis will provide the Redskins with a fine one-two punch when paired with Chris Cooley. In two-tight end sets, his presence will allow Cooley to roam free in new coach Jim Zorn’s offense. Davis can also be an intriguing target, with his long arms and athletic ability.

The selections of Thomas and Kelly were a bit surprising, especially to those who believed the team should have addressed its other needs with one of the two picks. But it's probably fair to give Washington the benefit of the doubt.

In Thomas, the Redskins chose an athlete who should fit in well with the West Coast offense the team plans to employ. Kelly’s selection (with the 51st choice) was just three picks after Davis and appeared to be a “best player available” scenario. But that could prove beneficial for the Redskins in the future. First, it gives young quarterback Jason Campbell another big body to throw to on the outside (Kelly is 6-4, 218 and Thomas 6-2, 215). It also provides the team with insurance, unless one of the two receivers doesn’t work out.

Remember, the Redskins are still kicking themselves for the time and money they wasted on Brandon Lloyd, who was released in February after compiling 25 catches and zero touchdowns in two years with the team. According to the Washington Post, Lloyd was designated as a June 1 cut for salary-cap purposes, which means his cap figure of $4.2 million will drop to $1.8 million on June 1. (Lloyd will count $5.5 million in dead cap space in 2009.)

By trading out of the first round and acquiring Thomas, Davis and Kelly in the second, the Redskins will save cash when they write up each of the players' contracts. But cheaper labor doesn’t always guarantee positive results.

Reasons for the second-round status of the three players ranged from inexperience and injury to the needs of teams at their respective positions. The 2008 draft was also considered a weak one, especially with respect to offensive skill-position players. That became obvious when seven offensive linemen and six defensive backs came off the board in the first round alone.

In fact, there were no receivers selected until the 33rd pick in the draft, when St. Louis grabbed Donnie Avery from the University of Houston. Thomas lasted until the Redskins' No. 34 overall pick.

The ability Thomas has to make tough, in-traffic receptions, coupled with a combine time of 4.40 in the 40-yard dash, allowed him to shoot up the receivers’ list in this year’s draft. But it wasn’t enough to make him a first-round pick. In reality, he was just a "one-year wonder" at Michigan State, with a 79-catch season that was preceded by just six receptions his first year and two years of junior college football before that.

Thomas will be heavily scrutinized from the moment the Redskins begin mini-camp on Friday, and so will Kelly, his rookie receiving mate.

The Oklahoma standout is best known for going in the opposite direction on draft boards. Once considered to be among the top two or three receivers, Kelly’s stock soured when news of knee problems surfaced. He then dropped like a rock after posting pedestrian 40 times during his school’s pro day activities. His maturity was also questioned when he ridiculed Oklahoma’s coaching and medical staffs for his poor performance.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, Washington’s staff formed its own opinion of Kelly and obviously came to a consensus that he was worth the risk. After hosting him on a visit to their headquarters, team officials traveled twice to Oklahoma to attend his workouts. The second time, they brought along Zorn, owner Daniel Snyder and Campbell, who threw passes to the 21-year-old. Now entering his third season, the signal-caller was impressed and reportedly told Kelly that he would be comfortable with the Redskins selecting him. That wish ultimately came true and Kelly was relieved.

Now that each of them has been chosen by Washington, the pressure is on this new big three to produce. While diminutive veterans such as Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El will look up at their rookie teammates, they’ll pass down some valuable advice. And Campbell will have the luxury of throwing the ball high to receivers who are capable of catching it. The Redskins can only hope the influx of youth and size will clear their collective minds of any doubt.

Redskins notes:

Washington used its third-round compensatory pick on offensive tackle Chad Rinehart of Northern Iowa. The 6-5, 320-pound Rinehart was impressive at the Senior Bowl, but is considered a project because he did not play against strong competition .... At 5-9, 190, Arizona State cornerback Justin Tryon may have been a reach in the fourth round, but he could be a good fit in Washington’s nickel package ... Meanwhile, the Redskins drafted a player they were high on in the sixth round. Kareem Moore was a special teams monster at Nicholls State and at 5-11, 213, he could help fill the void that Washington has at safety ... Finally, the most intriguing selections for the Redskins were two sixth-rounders -- punter Durant Brooks and quarterback Colt Brennan. Brooks was the top-rated punter in the draft and should force incumbent Derrick Frost to look over his shoulder. As for Hawaii’s Brennan, he was one of the NCAA’s most prolific passers with a career completion rate of over 70 percent. But he achieved stardom in coach June Jones’ run-and-shoot offense and needs to prove he is more than just a system quarterback. Brennan has a tough guy’s mentality, but his arm strength has been questioned and he didn’t help himself with poor showings at the Sugar Bowl and Senior Bowl. A recent hip surgery will likely keep him out of Redskins' minicamp.
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About Joe Versage

As a native of upstate New York and a life-long fan of the Buffalo Bills, I have witnessed some of the greatest highs and greatest lows an NFL team can endure. But despite a gut-wrenching 4 consecutive Super Bowl defeats, I never lost faith in the Bills and was fortunate to cover them for 3 years...
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