Top Corner or Star Back: Bailey Makes It Clear

[joecrisp]

Originally Posted by smootsmack

Wasn't the second round pick necessary to make the salaries work?

That was definitely part of it. Bailey had no contract, and it was going to take beaucoup bucks to sign him. Portis, on the other hand, had a very reasonable contract. Now, of course, Snyder signed Portis to a more lucrative deal after the fact, but that had no bearing on the deal he had to make with Denver to acquire Portis in the first place.

Originally Posted by smootsmack

Don't want to be a conspiracy theorist here, but I might go so far as to say if not for Dan Snyder, people wouldn't be so quick to judge this trade. But it's another way to attack him for being too hasty.

I don't think that's such a far-fetched theory, my friend. The Snyder Haters love to point to this deal as proof positive that Snyder has his head up his ass.

I think Dave Butz Baby made a great point: Snyder didn't throw in a second rounder just to be "splashy" or "stupid"-- he gave up what was necessary to acquire a RB of Portis' caliber. I can't stress this enough-- Bailey was not going to re-sign with Washington or play another down for the Redskins. He was, for all intents and purposes, no longer a Redskin the moment the Skins slapped the franchise tag on him. Nobody was going to surrender two first round picks for him, and the Skins couldn't afford to pay him the franchise tender anyway.

When you combine the money factor with the fact that Bailey would have walked anyway, it's clear the Redskins had to give up something in order to acquire Portis. Considering Portis was originally a second rounder, and has proven himself to be a first-round talent, I don't think giving up a second rounder for him is overpaying.