Interesting blog interview on how we build a team

Lots of us on this site have gone off on Snyder and company for trading away picks. Ive been a big supporter of bringing in a GM (as have many others) with autonomy. Here is an interesting interview supporting saving those draft picks:

Redskins Insider (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/)

Good interview. It's no secret that the skins FO has not done a good job over the last 10 yrs+. I think most of us can agree that throwing around draft picks...wasting draft picks is common for our FO and doesn't work. I hope the FO has finally realized this.

Not to be a jerk but it's pretty much common knowledge, nothing really groundbreaking in that article.

Well since Gibbs' return we have drafted Montgomery, Golston, Taylor, Cooley, Landry, MacIntosh, Campbell, Rogers, and I'm sure other key contributors that I'm forgetting right now. Plus moving forward we have (I believe) picks in the 13 out of the next 14 rounds in the NFL draft, having traded away a pick for Pete Kendall.

So I'd say we draft smart and we're starting to draft more. Overall we're heading in the right direction.

Yes the Skins have focused too much on free agency and I really hope they've learned their lesson.

Especially with recent free agent blunders like Archuletta and Lloyd, compared with the recent draft success stories of McIntosh, Golston, Montgomery, Campbell, Taylor, Cooley, Landry, etc.

Very very good point Smoot, I was thinking the same thing the other day. As much criticism and scrutiny that Joe Gibbs has to endure people don't give him (and his coaching staff) the credit they deserve for turning the franchise back in the right direction. We have also re-signed some of our own home grown players over the past year or so, which sends a very good message to the players that if they play, the management will do the best to keep them happy.

Its not all about W's and L's sometimes. I am also glad that we have had limited player behavioral issues and sanctions from the league compared to other teams in the NFL. To me, thats is b/c of the type of person Gibbs is and I think that we are on our way back to the promised land.

I agree w/Matty & SS.
We've talked about it before, it seems there is a wide gap between our college & pro scouting. We've done a good job w/the draft picks we've had, but have done a terrible job w/a few free agents (not to discount the success of ARE, Washington, etc.). How could you not know about Loyd's issues w/his teamates in San Fran?

On a side note, people here pick on Rogers a lot, but lets look at the 2 other top corners in that draft that went before him: Pacman Jones - suspended, Antrell Rolle - 2nd string for the Cards. Not to mention, the front office passed on the temptation of wr Mike Williams that year & got JC in the 1st round.

2005 is looking more & more like a coup as time goes on!

But i think the rationale for the criticism on that pick is that we could have also gone for a D-linemen (Shawne Merriman or Demarcus Ware or Erasmus James) and considering we had already invested a pick on the secondary in the previous year (Sean Taylor), there were more pressing needs. Then again, hindsight is 20-20 and at least we got JC in that draft

Yes the Skins have focused too much on free agency and I really hope they've learned their lesson.

Especially with recent free agent blunders like Archuletta and Lloyd, compared with the recent draft success stories of McIntosh, Golston, Montgomery, Campbell, Taylor, Cooley, Landry, etc.

Agreed. Rocky is awesome this year. That guy has a nose for the ball and his motor just goes and goes......

But i think the rationale for the criticism on that pick is that we could have also gone for a D-linemen (Shawne Merriman or Demarcus Ware or Erasmus James) and considering we had already invested a pick on the secondary in the previous year (Sean Taylor), there were more pressing needs. Then again, hindsight is 20-20 and at least we got JC in that draft

Merriman & Ware are not really good fits in GW's D. Not that he couldn't find a way to use those guys, but both are not ideal down linemen.

We'd lost Smoot that offseason so I agreed totally w/the rationale for picking a cb. Plus, all 3 of those guys - Rogers, Jones & Rolle - were rated as future #1 corners.

You can look back & say w/the Rogers pick that we didn't get the best player, but we surely dodged a few picks that are now looking close to bust status. Remember how many people here kept crying to pick Williams?