Prisco, Judge Rip Redskins re: Randle El's Contract

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Pete Prisco and Clark Judge are ripping the Redskins for giving Randle El a nice big contract. These media folks are going to be hating a lot in the next few days, drawing comparisons between this offseason and 2000.

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9297761

Prisco's Comments
After trading for Brandon Lloyd Saturday, the Redskins spent big to land Randle El on Sunday. That is a major question mark in my mind. Randle El had 35 catches last year as a No. 2 receiver for the Steelers. Does that warrant a seven-year deal with $12 million in guaranteed money? Please. We know the Redskins are desperate for help to go with Santana Moss, but paying that kind of money for a guy who has never been a top receiver on his team is crazy -- Dan Snyder crazy. There are some Steelers coaches who wonder if he's even ready to be a No. 3 receiver. Remember Az-Zahir Hakim when he left the Rams to sign with the Lions. He was never good enough to be a go-to receiver. Neither is Randle El. The Redskins blew this one.

Judge's Comments
The Redskins paid him what? I like this guy, too, but more as a third receiver and a special-teams gamebreaker. So paying him $31 million makes absolutely no sense to me. Of course, I don't understand paying assistant coaches $2 million each, either. But these are the Redskins, and they were determined to beef up their offense now that Al Saunders is in town and after they had time to digest films of the playoffs when the defense carried them. Randle El is versatile. He can return punts. He can make catches. He can throw passes. But he's not a difference maker. If he were Pittsburgh wouldn't have let him walk. Remember, this is the team that three years ago paid Laveranues Coles a $13 million signing bonus -- only to return to sender two years later. He gives Washington depth at the position but little more.