Redskins agree to trade for No.2 overall pick in 2012 Draft

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by warriorzpath

Let me ask this question - assuming that the redskins really had a slim chance for manning, did Shanahan really have another option this year at qb- without getting fired?

I think he could have tried to poach Alex Smith as a stopgap.

That would have been buying high, sure, and Smith isn't anyone's franchise quarterback, but it would have been a legit acquisition at the QB position that wouldn't have cost draft value and would have swung the leverage back to the Redskins.

[warriorzpath]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I think he could have tried to poach Alex Smith as a stopgap.

That would have been buying high, sure, and Smith isn't anyone's franchise quarterback, but it would have been a legit acquisition at the QB position that wouldn't have cost draft value and would have swung the leverage back to the Redskins.

I still think that relying on any free agent coming in for the redskins would be a big risk regardless. That's assuming that they would be able to even acquire one that was good enough.

With RGIII, we have hope. I'm trying to look at the bright side of giving up so many high picks. That's trading 2 Kerrigans and 1 Jarvis Jenkins. But at least the redskins made what was their biggest weakness into hopefully their biggest strength at the most important position in the nfl.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by warriorzpath

I still think that relying on any free agent coming in for the redskins would be a big risk regardless. That's assuming that they would be able to even acquire one that was good enough.

With RGIII, we have hope. I'm trying to look at the bright side of giving up do many high picks. That's trading 2 Kerrigans and 1 Jarvis Jenkins. But at least the redskins made what was their biggest weakness into hopefully their biggest strength at the most important position in the nfl.

Even a sexy stopgap is still a stopgap, sure. There are no guarantees.

I mean, go to any year during the preseason. Redskins fans were never lacking in hope. Most people picked 8-10 wins last year. Is it more justified this year? Well, you have to feel good about your running game, if Kyle Shanahan can figure out how to work it into the gameplan this year. The passing game is probably going to get a boost too. There is legitimate potential in this offense, which there was not last year.

But the defense is a huge question mark and the special teams have been bad for years.

So I think hope this year is kind of like hope in the other years. The Redskins still project as a pretty weak team. RG3 needs just one good season to change the overall long term prospects of the organization. He has that kind of power. But if he's Blaine Gabbert with a wicked bootleg as a rookie, then the Redskins look like the team they've always looked like.