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Happy New Year everybody! I am huuuuuung over, but still managed to do a Q & A with my boys over at the great Redskins blog, Hogs Haven. Let's just get right to it.
1) Ignoring last week's loss to the Vikings, I really admired the way the Redskins played the 2 weeks before that in an emphatic beatdown of the Giants and a close loss against the Patriots. How much credit goes to Mike Shanahan for the Redskins' lack of quit?
Put simply, he gets the lion's share of the credit. But what should inspire fear in our divisional rivals is that we have been quietly building a roster full of guys who love the game and love playing for each other. (Insert your own Fred Davis and Trent Williams joke here.) Last year, we drafted guys who were almost all captains on their college teams. If you look at our 12-man draft class this year, 10 of those guys are playing right now. Sure, some of them have been pressed into duty, but they are getting experience that can only help us down the road.
2) If the season ended today, the Redskins would have the 7th overall draft pick. The "Big 3" QBs (Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Matt Barkley) are now the "Big 2" with Barkley announcing that he'll be staying at USC for his senior season. Mike Shanahan will be entering the 3rd year of his 5-year plan. Is the Redskins offseason a complete and total failure if they don't get themselves a QB they can begin to build around? What would you be looking to do to fix that position this offseason if you were running the show?
It is time to bring in the franchise guy as far as Shanahan's plan is concerned. I am not sold that now is the time to overpay for anyone though. We still have plenty of holes and if the best offensive tackle in the draft were to slip to us, I would have no problem taking him. If we are going to land Andrew Luck, it will cost us a fortune. I am just not convinced we are at a place where we can afford to give up what it will take to get him. I would rather do what we did last year another time--trade back, add picks and bring in another group of youngsters. Maybe the way I would attack it would be to focus on bringing in an extra second and third rounder to add a couple guys we could expect to play soon.
3) Other than QB, the Skins' top three areas they need to address this offseason:
Offensive Tackle, Offensive Guard, Center.
4) If you could steal one Eagle on offense and one Eagle on defense, who would you bring to DC?
On defense: Nnamdi; on offense, I'll stick on the line and take Danny Watkins. I know Watkins has struggled for you, but I liked him in the draft last year and I think he has some very good years ahead of him.
5) Ignoring age (as in, I’ll pick Nnamdi because he’ll be 40+ in 10 years), if could you take one Eagle starter on offense and one Eagle starter on defense, and guarantee that they continue to start for the Eagles for the next 10 years (so the Redskins can pick on them), who are you picking to stay right where they are?
On offense, I will take Vick. I know we'll take our fair share of beatings, but we have generally done well getting hits on him. On defense, I will take Asante. I could pick off one of your linebackers but that wouldn't be fair. Asante is a great player, but I would guess you would always have someone better than him on the other side.
6) If the Eagles somehow signed London Fletcher away from the Skins this offseason, what would your rage level be?
London has earned the right to do anything he wants in life. He still has some gas in the tank and you guys have a big need there, but I would be shocked if he moved to Philly.
7) Thank us for Sav Rocca, please.
What the hell were you guys thinking?
8) With a year in the books, your thoughts the Skins' 2011 draft haul