By Douglas Holtz-Eakin
The young drop coverage to avoid higher premiums
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
Winning has a way of proliferating good vibes. The Redskins finally are realizing that. This is what owner Daniel Snyder had in mind when he hired general manager Bruce Allen and coach Mike Shanahan little more than three years ago.
No NFL mock draft mentioned the outgoing, mop-haired offensive lineman from Central Michigan. No trip to the pre-draft combine or big-name agent or endorsement deal. A YouTube video of one of his workouts garnered 373 hits. So, Repovz watched the draft's final day at Buffalo Wild Wings and hoped, but didn't expect, to hear his name mentioned.
Bacarri Rambo celebrated his interception during rookie camp Sunday morning by running to Phillip Thomas on the sideline, jumping and bumping shoulders with him. The sequence previewed a best-case scenario for the Washington Redskins. The two rookie safeties could eventually help a secondary that provided more questions than answers last season.
Mike Shanahan didn't need to play it safe. He could swing for the fence, and he did. That freedom comes with returning 21 of 22 starters from last season's 10-win division champion.
The Redskins drafted NC State cornerback David Amerson in the second round of the draft Friday night, 51st overall, and Florida pass-catching tight end Jordan Reed in the third, 85th overall. The selections demonstrated coach Mike Shanahan’s affinity for athletes with exceptional physical measureables.
Washington tried twice in free agency to sign a top cornerback but could not complete a deal with Aqib Talib, who re-signed with New England, or Antoine Winfield, who chose Seattle after visiting Redskins Park. On Friday, though, the Redskins can handpick their man.
"One thing I don't want to do is I don't want to see anything too quick," Shanahan said. "We're dealing with an ACL. That takes time. Mother Nature will take its course."
They'll also savor the reason they don't have a selection Thursday. Last year's trade of three first-round picks, including those in 2013 and 2014, to position the franchise to draft quarterback Robert Griffin III filled a need to which everything else seems secondary.
With the No. 2 overall pick, you expect an immediate impact player. With No. 51? Who knows what you'll get? That's kind of what makes the draft fun.
The Redskins' guiding philosophy during this salary cap crisis is clear little more than a month after free agency began. They believe continuity and familiarity can help offset whatever gains in talent the club could not achieve because it lacked necessary cap space.
Sure, Robert Griffin III wears Superman socks and stocks his locker with action figures from the Incredible Hulk to Captain America. But he's human, one whose right anterior cruciate ligament has been repaired twice since 2009.
Shanahan believes there is a misconception about how read-option running plays affect Robert Griffin III's health. He also expects Griffin's year of experience to provide the quarterback a better feel for what he can accomplish as a runner.
Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan says Robert Griffin III is "ahead of schedule" in his return from knee surgery.
Coach Mike Shanahan is hoping for improvement despite the club's inability to sign an elite free agent cornerback or draft a safety in the first round. That requires an improved pass rush and some young players to raise their level of play.
Kyle joined Kubiak's staff in Houston as a wide receivers coach in 2006 and rose to offensive coordinator before leaving to join the Redskins in January 2010. Kubiak has enjoyed watching Kyle's evolution from afar the last three seasons.
"We'll make some decisions here shortly," Shanahan said, without being specific.
"Obviously, he took the check," Shanahan said, "so I was surprised he wasn't here today.
