Winslow Visit's Skin's

this either means we're drafting Taylor or with the list of the other 10 1st round-quality players coming to visit the team, we could very well be trading down. With it being said that if that comes about, the skins would be looking to draft a d-lineman and linebacker, who r the best available LB's(who can play in the middle)? I've only heard mention of Vilma and boulware. Plus anyone think it somewhat odd and maybe foretelling to the fate of smoot that D'Angelo Hall was invited for a team visit? It's not like cornerback is really a weak spot right now. I really like Smoot, especially the heart he puts into his effort on the field, but do you think there might be trade rumours about smoot popping up again like last year?
Smoot had greater value last year, when it was widely assumed that Champ would get his deal, and he had two years before his contract expired. A contract year trade is difficult to get full value for a player, because there is no guarantee the player will be there next year unless the other team is willing to renegotiate.

that's true BudLee, I just found it somewhat odd that we would have invited a first round prospect at the CB position when we already have plenty of depth at that position. It'd be similar if we invited Roy Williams, Larry Fitzgerald, and/or Mike Williams to visit the team. Why put the time into evaluating a player at a position you know you won't be drafting for? Just doesn't seem very productive unless there's a possibility of drafting said player. I'm not alone in this thinking am I?

Though it's highly unlikely that we'll select any CB at #5, other teams must prepare themselves for that eventuality now. We may also trade down, which means that though Hall isn't an option at #5, he may be an option at #15. Besides, if the FO came out and said "It's going to be Taylor/Winslow/Udezi/Flabeetz", we'd be at the mercy of whoever's picking 1-4, by letting them force us to trade for their pick or lose our choice.

I understand and I agree that it's highly unlikely that Hall would be our choice if we stay at 5 and that's not only for the needs of our team, but because he isn't worth that high of a pick. I do think we will trade down and thus the other prospects being brought in for private scouting sessions speak highly of what we might be looking to draft with our new picks. I also understand that it'd be foolish to come out and announce the players on your draft wishlist (like New England has done), but the thing I was trying to say is that the scouting time should be better spent evaluating players we know we might draft. If Hall is one of those players we r seriously looking at, doesn't that raise questions with anyone other than myself especially with the holes in other parts of the defense? And if Smoot is a player maybe on the block, I'm sure the team that wished to trade for him would have a new deal worked out before hand or in the process of being done kind of like what happened when we got Portis. We didn't have to sign him to a new contract but we did to show we traded for him to be with the team for an extended amount of time. I can't wait for this all to be sorted out on draft day cuz all of this speculating is starting to hurt my head. :frusty:

I can't wait for this all to be sorted out on draft day cuz all of this speculating is starting to hurt my head. :frusty:

Right there with you Skinsfan. Anybody got any aspirin??

Right there with you Skinsfan. Anybody got any aspirin??
AMAN

I don't think we should read a whole lot into the D'Angelo Hall visit. One reason these players are brought in for visits is for pre-draft window dressing to keep other teams guessing which player they're leaning towards picking.

Obviously, if the Skins are seriously considering drafting Hall, it would be as the result of a trade-down to somewhere in the mid- to late first round. Their motives for taking Hall could be anything from a lack of faith in the depth they've acquired at CB this offseason (Smoot, Springs, Harris and Brown have all had injury problems in the past year-- Springs, Harris and Brown are still recovering from injuries), to leverage and insurance on Fred Smoot in his contract year.

I tend to think it's just window dressing, though. If the Skins trade down from #5, it will be to take a defensive lineman, tight end, and/or linebacker.

Wasn't Gallery one of the visitors as well? I think he'll be gone before our pick, but I'd think Samuels would have as much or more to worry about as Smoot.

--Phin

Linebacker? Why would we trade down to get a linebacker, Joe? I thought we were good at that position.

Linebacker? Why would we trade down to get a linebacker, Joe? I thought we were good at that position.
Trotter won't be around when the Skins suit up for training camp in July. They'll need some quality youth ready to step in for the aging Mitchell at MLB. They've got some guys there for depth (Clifton Smith, Chris Clemons, Antonio Pierce, Lemar Marshall) but I don't know if any of those guys are starter-caliber LBs that could be relied upon if Mitchell or one of the other LBs go down. Of that group, only Pierce has shown any real potential-- but he's more of an outside linebacker, and they'll need somebody who can man the middle.