Washington Redskins
Now that ill-treated general manager Scot McCloughan has been tossed aside like used tissue paper, it’s Daniel Snyder and Bruce Allen’s show in D.C. once again. That should terrify fans in Washington, who actually had reason to get excited about the moves McCloughan was making before his demise.
“The 2011 and 2012 drafts should be forming the core of the team now,” wrote Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic before last year’s draft. “They should have several starters and a number of key contributors on the team working on their second contracts. But from 2011 they have Ryan Kerrigan and Niles Paul. From 2012 they have Kirk Cousins. That’s it. And they had a total of 21 picks in those two drafts. It’s no wonder that there are holes to fill.”
Of particular concern for Washington entering the draft this year is the inside linebacker spot, the defensive line, free safety, receiver and running back. This team has a terrible time keeping running backs who can contribute long term, and it lost its two top receivers via free agency. Defensively Washington was a sieve last year, even as McCloughan’s plan to build from the inside out was starting to take shape.
Of further concern has to be the quarterback position, because Kirk Cousins — despite being a trooper right now — likely cannot wait to bolt next year in free agency. Dysfunction runs amok. It’s the overriding force guiding this franchise right now. And because of that, we aren’t expecting a particularly sound draft strategy to address this team’s needs in 2017.