What Has Happened to the Redskins' Fan Base?

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Daseal

With the amount of money first round picks are getting, you're just as good off trading it for a proven commodity rather than someone who could be a terrible bust. For instance, not saying it will happen, but hypothetically -- what if J. Russell flops? The Raiders are completely handcuffed with a contract.

I'm on record saying Russell will bust, but you raise an excellent point here--and that's as GM's around the league have wisened up, no team ever trades around or into the top 5 anymore. That's because the contracts are so great, and there is usually so much talent at the top of the draft, that you can just sit at 11 or 12 and take the player who slips through the cracks.

Having a top 5 pick is not a disadvantage if a team knows what they are doing, but there lies the inherent problem. Barring an extremely unlucky season, a team only gets to pick in the top 5 because they don't know what they are doing. So unless they restructure their management or their current management actually learns their lesson, those franchises at the top are going to continue to erroneously draft poor prospects making the entire draft look like a crapshoot.

The league is synonomous for having parity, but NFL Management is certainly one area where no parity exists. The perenially successful teams have management guys who get it and totally prey on those ones that don't have a clue.

And in that respect, I'm very glad we have Cerrato running things. Vinny may not be one of the former, but he certainly is not one of the latter and that at least gives us a chance at winning the Super Bowl under his direction.