The "Great" Offseason Trade

Greensboro, NC -- If the Redskins aren't going to dab their hands into the slim free agent pool this year, they might as well make a splash with a cannonball-sized trade.  This deal isn't necessarily about money, but it's still Snyder politics at its core; bring in the best player available and start selling jerseys.  While I do believe the Redskins offense will be much improved both at the quarterback position and overall coaching, the team is not one player away from a deep run in the postseason.

This trade will forever forbid our eyes from seeing Sam Bradford don the burgundy and gold.  I believe that it would make more sense if the new regime built their team from the ground up, as in drafting a quarterback and rebuilding the offensive line.  These quick fix patches -- like potentially signing Flozell Adams -- provide very little depth and stability at critical positions.  While most sources and fans believe that the trade will work out well for the Redskins, including my trusted source Peter King, I don't believe that it'll bring long term success or improve the team by several wins.  Jason Campbell probably wasn't the solution at quarterback, but most of his dropbacks that resulted in sacks were not his fault. 

Games are won in the trenches with your offensive and defensive lines.  If your offensive line is stable, any capable running back can find the holes, and any professional quarterback that has sufficient time will eventually find the open receiver.  If your defensive line can apply pressure to the quarterback, and force the offensive into doing things that they don't want to do, then the defense will be successful.  Until the Redskins realize that games and championships are not won at the skill positions, it won't matter who is coaching the team or calling the shots from the front office.  Drafting Oklahoma State OT Russell Okung would be the next best step for this franchise.

I believe that we can get a year or two of good quarterbacking from McNabb.  He's mobile, he still has a strong arm, and he's smart.  It's going to be difficult rooting for him at first because I've cheered against him since I was in high school.  These intra-divisional trades are always odd and unusual.  They usually don't occur because one or both teams are fearful of looking foolish, and aiding the opposition, if the trade doesn't pan out in their favor.  It'll be interesting to see what the Eagles do with the 37th pick in this month's deep NFL draft.