Updated: Redskins Trade for Vikings DE Erasmus James

[Drift Reality]

There are three reasons this trade will work:

1. Our team culture - Gibbs was a stabilizing influence during his tenure here. He managed to create a veteran-driven culture of accountability on this team and it showed when we brought in a guy like Fred Smoot, who incidentally floundered in Minnesota, and he managed to turn his career around because he was suddenly in a culture that wouldn't tolerate any BS and this allowed him to simply focus on Football.

2. Our coaching staff - Greg Blache has gained a reputation as being a guy who can get the most out of his talent. Look at what he has done in terms of developing younger guys who were really no-names (Wilson, Evans, Montgomery, Golston) and resurrecting a guy like Andre Carter's career. In James, Blache will get a guy who is more physically talented than anyone he currently has (other than Carter).

3. Lack of expectations - Coming into the Redskins James is literally valued at a 7th round pick. He was close to being cut by an NFL team only two years after he was heralded as a future star. The expectations are low and that will take a lot of pressure of James. He is not expected to contribute right-away and that will allow him to learn from Blache and the other veterans on this line and build himself into a contributor.

Ultimately, I think that provided he stays healthy, James can honestly be a solid contributor to this defense.