[Shane]

Trevor Walters is very good and entertaining columnist in my book. Even when I disagree with him, as I do with his concerns about the first round of our draft, I still enjoy reading his views. This is what think about the choice of Carlos Rogers over Mike Williams:

I agree with some of what Boss Hog was saying. First of all, we must expect a very different wide receiving group this year. Coles is gone and that is good in my book (from an attitude perspective and a downfield speed perspective). We have great leadership, speed and enthusiasm in David Patten, and if ever gets his tail to camp, a fast and very capable player in Santana Moss. Furthermore, I for one really like the potential of Taylor Jacobs and finally he is really going to have a good opportunity to show what he can do.

Gardner it looks like may be here too, but no doubt he won't see much playing time unless he is the Dr. Jekyll Gardner and not the Mr. Hyde Gardner. McCants was not around essentially last year but this year he no doubt aims to prove himself, and James Thrash is a super team leader and very fast and its great he's here.

Originally I thought we would take a receiver at #9, but as I think about it it, we actually have enormous change at this position with our excellent offseason moves, etc. Who would have more impact, Mike Williams or a shutdown cornerback in Carlos Rogers?

Rogers is a top notch player at his critical position and Williams is a top notch player at his. We have had change on the defense - and that has been the loss of two key players, including Fred Smoot, at the even more than ever critical position (with the new rules) of cornerback.

If we had overpaid for Fred Smoot, it would have thrown our salary structure out of whack and it would have looked like we were bending out of shape to sign a player for more than he was worth, more than other players at his position on the team, and that would have been a blow against team unity. Plus, Smoot was was almost asking to leave the team by rejecting the Redskins' generous offer.

So we went for team unity, we got a brilliant new player with a great attitude who really wants to be here, and we chose a player at a position we needed help at. Garnell Wilds has great promise and I think he will start someday, and Shawn Springs has played Pro Bowl type ball for us, and Walt Harris is a tough and capable veteran no doubt, but thinking in terms of the future and also the present need for depth at this critical position, it was a clear choice for Carlos Rogers.