Some things to watch at Redskins' practice today

People would have been screaming to high heaven had we drafted DeSean Jackson what with Moss and Randle El on the team.

We'll be just fine with DT and MK (and Fred Davis). Just wait and see

People would have been screaming to high heaven had we drafted DeSean Jackson what with Moss and Randle El on the team.

We'll be just fine with DT and MK (and Fred Davis). Just wait and see

Hmmmm....there is much of the usual sky in various forms of descension to...SEE the light?

People would have been screaming to high heaven had we drafted DeSean Jackson what with Moss and Randle El on the team.


This is an outstanding point...as you recall some were even going so far as to say height was arguably more important as talent at the time.

People were screaming for big targets, possession type receivers who could run fades in the corner of the endzone as example.
I was one of them.

Didn't we have Moss, Randel El and Thrash at one point?
We had a ton of smurfs that got pushed around at the line....and it seemed the only one that got separation (beyond the line of scrimmage screens) was Moss...but he only got separation 20 yards down the field....which we didn't have time for.

Solution?....get big recievers that can catch in traffic and mow people over.
hindsight is 20/20 on Jackson...but he isn't the possession big body guy we needed to round out our squad...the guy is 5'10" at best. Malcolm Kelly is a half a foot taller and 50 lbs heavier. Thomas is just a tad shorter and lighter....not in the same category of our wannabee smurfs.
We got who we got and they are decent number 2 picks at this point...performing more like 3rd rounders so far...give em a chance.

Remember...the thinking was we signed two with the odds that one would succeed...I believe that will be the case. Kelly disappointed me a bit last year as I thought he would be more successful...he may end up being a #3 possession role receiver, and that is ok. I think the only guy that has a chance to be a #1 is Thomas...but I put that chance at 50/50. I really think we need a legit #1 or #2 vet...I am just worried that we end up with the Curse of Death on our squad...I'd rather underperform for another year and just use a TE as a reciever.

People would have been screaming to high heaven had we drafted DeSean Jackson what with Moss and Randle El on the team.

We'll be just fine with DT and MK (and Fred Davis). Just wait and seeThere are still non-Jackson 2008 draft picks (after pick #49) who have more approximate value through two years (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/2008.htm) than any two of our non-Jackson picks combined (Fred Davis - 7, Devin Thomas - 4, Malcolm Kelly - 3). Most, admittedly, are running backs.


RB Ray Rice
RB Steve Slaton
OL Carl Nicks
RB Tim Hightower
RB Jamaal Charles
RB Kevin Smith
DB Brandon Carr
OL Josh Sitton
DB Charles Godfrey

I'm not saying, "we should have drafted a RB, look at that value!", because pretty much every draft is like that, where the RBs compile their value a lot earlier than other positions. But, there were at least two lineman there we could have taken with those picks who have already become top ten guards in the NFC. To be fair, both were still on the board when we took Rinehart, so this could be a development issue that I'm spinning as a draft issue.

Either way, the point is that, if you are strong enough at a position to limit your draft pool based on size, you don't have a need at the position. A team that is going to try to justify taking three pass catchers in a single draft round cant also be acting like they don't actually have a need for smaller receivers. That thought process is ridiculous.

Having Devin Thomas rated ahead of DeSean Jackson is bad, but, you know, it happens even to professional evaluators. That's just part of the game. Not having DeSean Jackson on our board exclusively because of his size would have been retarded.

One of the two young Wrs will pan out, not sure if both will though. WE have had really crappy luck with drafting WRs since Norv. When the best WR we drafted since 1993 has been Michael Westbrook, you know there is a problem. Rod Gardner would be second best. What is really sad is both of those guys have been our best wideouts outside of Moss since Ellard/Sheppard left.

jackson would be considered a "almost bust" if we would have drafted him. no receiver would of flourished for the skins theses past two seasons. jackson was simply lucky to get drafted by a team that had a well established coaching staff,offensive line and qb.

to say the skins should have drafted jackson over kelly or thomas is just silly.

One of the two young Wrs will pan out, not sure if both will though. WE have had really crappy luck with drafting WRs since Norv. When the best WR we drafted since 1993 has been Michael Westbrook, you know there is a problem. Rod Gardner would be second best. What is really sad is both of those guys have been our best wideuts outside of Moss since Ellard/Sheppard left.

Weather or not a receiver is productive or not is usually highly dependent on the QB. Above all teams are always looking for that 1,000+ yard guy that produces no matter who's under center. Right now those guys are very few and far between and include Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, Brandon Marshall, and Calvin Johnson. Randy Moss used to be in that category but now needs a QB that can feed him the ball.

I think as far as Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly are concerned the best we can hope for is the type of turnaround we saw in the Giants last year as Eli came into his own as a passer. Steve Smith (Giants) got 1,200 yards, Mario Manningham got 822 yards, and Hakeem Nicks got 700+ yards.

I think that now with an elite QB at our disposal, not to mention a coach that will actually play them, that it's not to much to expect one of the two second round picks to hit the 1,000 yard mark. However at the same time we do have two tight ends that are frequently going to be on the field together so our receiving situation is a lot different then the G-men but at the same time the turn around in production is something to keep an eye on.

Personally I would love to have one of those two emerge as a Sydney Rice type where a second round pick just explodes after his team acquires a top tier QB.

Of course in the end all this WR talk is moot. Everyone knows that CB is the most important position in football. Geesh, didn't you guys watch the draft. CB is the new QB.

Weather or not a receiver is productive or not is usually highly dependent on the QB. Above all teams are always looking for that 1,000+ yard guy that produces no matter who's under center. Right now those guys are very few and far between and include Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, Brandon Marshall, and Calvin Johnson. Randy Moss used to be in that category but now needs a QB that can feed him the ball.

I think as far as Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly are concerned the best we can hope for is the type of turnaround we saw in the Giants last year as Eli came into his own as a passer. Steve Smith (Giants) got 1,200 yards, Mario Manningham got 822 yards, and Hakeem Nicks got 700+ yards.

I think that now with an elite QB at our disposal, not to mention a coach that will actually play them, that it's not to much to expect one of the two second round picks to hit the 1,000 yard mark. However at the same time we do have two tight ends that are frequently going to be on the field together so our receiving situation is a lot different then the G-men but at the same time the turn around in production is something to keep an eye on.

Personally I would love to have one of those two emerge as a Sydney Rice type where a second round pick just explodes after his team acquires a top tier QB.

I love this post. If Kelly and Thomas stay healthy this year they have no excuses. I am skeptical of both of them, but an elite QB could make things very interesting.

Top end QB's make most CB's shit themselves. They back off just enough. They have to.

And remember Keenan McCardell worked with those Giants WRs last summer and they all praised him for really helping them make their turnaround last season