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Originally Posted by BleedBurgundy
Well then, Joe, what would you see as a fair value for Ogunleye? Draft picks?
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Value is all in the eye of the beholder-- or in this case, a team like the Redskins who may just be desperate enough for a consistent pass rush that they would be willing to part with a first-round pick, or more, to acquire a guy who led the AFC in sacks. The Skins have shown that they place a higher value on young, proven veterans than young, inexperienced rookies-- and that they favor parting with draft picks to acquire the former over the latter.
As far as what
I would consider a fair value for Ogunleye, I don't think I'd give up more than a 2nd rounder for him-- and since the Skins dealt away next year's 2nd round pick in order to draft Chris Cooley in the 3rd round this year, they would have to sacrifice either a 1st or a 3rd, or both, in order to acquire Ogunleye. It might sound outrageous to some that I don't think Ogunleye is worth a first-round pick-- especially given the Skins' dire need for a pass rusher-- but I truly believe that he has benefitted enormously not only from playing in tandem with Jason Taylor, but just as importantly, from playing alongside a couple of thick-bodied tackles in 325-lb Larry Chester and 320-lb Tim Bowens-- not to mention the rest of the stellar cast in that Dolphins defense.
Take Ogunleye and put him in a lineup with any of the likes of Wynn, Daniels, Griffin, Haley, Noble and Upshaw, and he'll be lucky to be half as productive as he was in Miami. But add a big, run-stopping defensive tackle like one of the guys young 'Wale played with in Miami, and then you might be onto something. As much as the Redskins might need a pass rusher, they need a true monster in the middle even more. As it stands now, the Skins have nobody to clog up the middle, and nobody to rush the passer outside of Arrington and Washington.
Adding Ogunleye alone might gently nudge the pass rush up to the level of mediocrity, but it won't do anything for the lack of beefiness up front that is necessary to stop the run. What's the key to a championship defense? You guessed it-- stopping the run. If you can't do that, then teams won't need to pass the ball, because they'll be too busy boosting Eddie George's career yards per carry average into the realm of respectability. What's the best thing you can say about the Redskins run defense from 2003? Well, they
did finish 21st in yards allowed per rushing attempt, at 4.4 yards per carry. Aside from that awe-inspiring number, they finished tied for 24th in yards per game, allowing 138.6 yards per contest, and 29th in rushing touchdowns allowed, with opposing runners spiking the ball on paydirt a mere 20 times.
Still think the pass rush is the Redskins' most glaring weakness this season? Yeah, I'd give up a second rounder for Ogunleye, but I'd sacrifice the top picks in the next two drafts for a couple of 320-pounders who can eat up blockers and stuff opposing runners as capably as they put $8 dinner buffets out of business.
Sorry if I sound a bit "Curmudgeon"-ly, but Wally Ogunleye isn't the solution to all the Redskins' defensive woes, and he damn sure isn't worth sacrificing a key member of the offensive line to get him. Nor will ridding Samuels' salary number from the books help-- not when the deal necessary to secure Ogunleye's services would likely negate most of the benefit from that maneuver, one way or another.