NFL Network: Bears' Briggs, 31st Pick for Skins' 6th Pick?

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Maybe someone like Longtimefan can speak to this point, but I don't understand this notion that we've recently "de-emphasized the draft" Don't we have a history dating back to the days of George Allen of employing this "picks for vets" philosophy? That's nearly 40 years. I suppose that's recent, maybe.

And is the problem, if you choose to call it that, then that Snyder is trying to relive the glory years of back when he was a fan by employing the same strategy?

I heard Kiper make the same point on Colin Cowherd's show about a month ago. I think he was speaking in terms of the last few years -- giving away the 3rd and 4th for Lloyd, a 3rd for Duckett, this year's 2nd for Rocky ...

If you look at the past 4-5 years compared to the mid-to-late 90's when Casserly was here, we had a full compliment of draft picks just about every season. So it's a big departure from that time frame.

Essentially though, you're right -- Allen traded away picks for veterans; and after Darrell Green was drafted in '83 through Bobby Wilson in 1991, the Redskins didn't have one single 1st round draft pick. So yes, it has been a staple of this franchise to favor free agent veterans over unproven draft picks. The problem is, in this era of free agency and the salary cap, the smart, successful teams have figured out that this isn't the way to go.