Take the skins quiz on ESPN.com before it disappears

[Dave Butz Baby!]

Originally Posted by Bergman14

of course! I thought that was common knowledge, no way we should have given up a 2cd round draft pick

This is a misconception and far from common knowledge. We essentially traded a second round pick for Portis, and nothing more. Champ Bailey made it perfectly clear that he would NEVER play another down for the Redskins and would have refused to sign the franchise offer sheet and in turn sat out this season. We had nothing to hold or bind him by. Nothing. He was not under contract. Our franchise tag "rights" were essentially worthless as he was never going to sign the tender. He did not have to agree to a sign and trade. No one was going to offer us the draft picks required to trade for a signed franchise player, which we didn't have.

We could have been left holding our c*$ks watching him sit out the season if he had refused to agree to a sign and trade. The fact that we got anything for him is a coup, plain and simple. The Broncos would have never agreed to a straight trade for Bailey as we were not in a position of leverage and had NO contract with Bailey to trade. He had us by the short and curlies, not the other way around.

We're damn lucky Bailey agreed to go to the Broncs and very lucky they only wanted a second rounder for Portis.

We didn't give up Bailey in the trade for Portis, only the second round pick. You can't lose what you don't have.