Shanahan: Fair To Judge 2011 Draft Now

By Brian Tinsman

AP Image

Conventional NFL wisdom will tell you that it’s unfair to judge a draft class after one season on the team.  Sure, the great drafts in Redskins history (see 1981, 1983, 1999) had early indications of greatness, but most players don’t blossom in their freshman year.

The 2011 Redskins draft class has the potential to be a historic draft, simply based on its size.  With a dozen picks, the Redskins were able to address a lack of depth at some positions, and upgrade the talent at others.

Their collective play has caused Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan to abandon the prevailing theory on judging a draft class, as he explained to Redskins Nation’s Larry Michael at the Combine:

“You can always judge a draft after one year. But if you have a lousy draft and nobody’s doing good, then you wait two more years and you say, ‘Well, at least there’s hope.'”

“I feel very good. I feel very good about our draft, and we got a lot of depth on our football team. We need that kind of draft this year. We need a good, solid draft, as well as free agency, like we did on defense last year at a few key positions.”

“Hopefully, we can have that kind of success…It’s exciting, and you gotta have a gameplan.”

Hear more about it, below:

[castfire id=”castFireVideo” guid=”UwIWI” width=”620″ filename=”880447/redskins_2012-02-27-112747.895.m4v”]

0 thoughts on “Shanahan: Fair To Judge 2011 Draft Now”

  1. I raved after last years draft an all threw the season to try an wake people up to Shanahan’s strategy. Look what happened to Ind when Manning left bc the Colts failed miserably with depth. Shanahan knows he has access to millions and will use it when the time comes. If its signing Manning, Wayne, Branch and Wallace or waiting another year while trading down to accrue more of a solid young base of talent, Shanahan will have us in the playoffs for an extended period of time.
    Recognizing his drafting skills, is RGIII really worth all those picks when we know our team as whole will be much better after this draft with Tannehill there for the taking? Coleman looks like a great project for the Shanahan’s and I think his college is really keeping his name under the radar as he was in Tenn.

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  5. I am all for trading up for RG3. I believe that he will add a great demension to our team that has really been lacking. At the same time, it wouldnt hurt my feelings to pass on him and fill more holes and address the QB thru FA or the draft next year.

    However, I am totally against watching the TrainRex this coming season under center for our Skins. Whatever we have to do to keep him away from the feild on gamedays is where I’ll cast my vote!

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  6. RG3…….You guys are drinking the Kool-Aid. SHANAHAN wants to keep his job. He’s already working on the line, a solid fundamental move, and no guaranteed money at this point. Watch what ALLEN does with signing his own FA’s, and the one’s he brings in. That will tell you exactly what he intends to do in the draft. If there’s new guys at LG and/or C, R-OT, WR or RB, NT, CB, SS, K then RG3 just might go down. If only two or maybe three FA’s come in, forget it. Ain’t happenin.’ Too many holes left to fill with the draft to throw picks at St.LOUIS. Besides, why should we inprove our competition AND give up picks in this draft which is much better than last year’s. Get the guys and do that next season for an NFL ready QB MATT BARKLEY.

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  7. No QB is worth what St Louis is asking for RGIII. Not this year. Fill out the rest of the team and just upgrade from Grossman in free agency or a later pick (won’t take much to upgrade)

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  8. Double Oh, the Skins are way under the cap. If they are super aggressive in FA they can fill some holes even if they give up the picks for RG3. This is a QB that can win games just because of his own special play making abilities. When have the Skins ever had that? That being said, I’ll be okay if they don’t take him but only if their main focus is the O-line. I’m talking 1st and 2nd round o-line picks and the best FA o-lineman possible possible. With a great o-line even a mediocre QB can win a Superbowl and not to be associated with mediocre, Payten Manning might be available. O-line, O-line, O-line, O-line. Remember the Hogs! Remember Timmy Smith! Remember Doug Williams! Remember Mark Rypien! O-line, O-line, O-line, O-line!!!!!!!!!!!

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  9. pez d:

    O-line Starters

    TRENT WILLIAMS
    CARL NICKS – FA
    CHRIS MYERS – FA
    CHRIS CHESTER
    JONATHAN MARTIN – second round

    Back-ups

    TYLER POLUMBUS
    BRANDON WASHINGTON – fourth round
    WIL MONTGOMERY
    WILLIE SMITH
    NICK SUNDBURG

    There’s my thoughts on our line in 2012.

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  10. An average QB can win a superbowl maybe in the 90’s, not in this day and age, look at the QB’s winning it, Manning, Rodgers, Brees, roethlisraper. I don’t think ANYONE is worth giving up 2 years first and second round picks right now with the holes we have. Our O-line was middle of the pack last year only due to injury, Montgomery was solid, nothing special, same with Chester, Brown needs to be replaced with someone healthy, Kory L was playing great and same with Williams if they could have stayed on the field. Nicks will be demanding LT money, not wirth it when we don’t have a #1 receiver, maybe it will be Hank and I hope so but not today. My view of our needs:
    QB
    re-sign London
    RT
    WR
    SS (I hope I’m wrong and Landry comes back healthy)
    Nickel CB
    ILB depth
    TE depending on Freddy

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  11. give me k. orton or m. flynn-upgrade the lines and get a cb & ss & wr. last time redskins had to get the “franchise qb” that you just can’t pass on, they got heath shuler, need i say more.

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