A look back at the 2008 draft

[GMScud]

I hate looking back at the 2008 draft. Especially every time Desean Jackson catches a 50 yard pass.

[SirClintonPortis]

Originally Posted by freddyg12

So are you callin JC a bust? It didn't work out the way we'd hoped, but for a qb at #25 it wasn't a pick that set the team back w/no return. He started for a few years & was avg. He didn't make a ton of $ & impact the cap like a top 10 pick.

To call him a bust is relative, I don't think he was. In the end, we even got a return on the investment - 4th round pick.

On an objective level, since he's shown he can play at some decent level. But in terms of the investment we put into him, he definitely is a bust. He was kind financially, but in terms of helping us grab quality players, our move to get him hurt us greatly.
We coughed up pretty supply of picks(A third in 2005, a first from 2006, and a 4th from 2006) to move up and use the 25th pick to grab him. The fourth rounder from Oakland just makes up for the 4th rounder coughed up to Denver in 2006.

[DCtoAZ]

ok well .... this is why we hired Bruce Allen .... give him a f*cking 3 year plan ... i'm SICK OF BITCHING ABOUT THE PAST ... BLAH BLAH BLAH ... let's get this regime some time ... they are great in franchise mode on Madden 11 so i'm assuming this will work ? I won 2 Super Bowls w/ Shanny and McNabb ... the game doesn't lie people

[GTripp0012]

Fred Davis should be a really valuable part of our offense. Granted, we have no idea how he can be an every down player for us, but the best offenses (Saints and Patriots) are getting it done with TEs. We have two good ones, and Paulsen is good enough as a rookie to justify using some 3 TE formations. Our plays to get Davis the ball aren't really read based...they're just designed to put the ball in his hands. He's not really part of our offense.

It will be interesting to see if Malcolm Kelly is finally healthy. If he stays healthy ALL offseason, I think he's going to be our leading receiver next season. If he gets hurt in the offseason, I doubt he makes the 53 man roster.

We didn't notice when we took him, but Kelly and Armstrong have excellent complementary skill sets.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Nice, so we'll have some ammo to move back up if we want

To, like, the fourth round.

Which, admittedly, is a vast improvement from the past.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

This should be a reality check for all of the fans who scream about draft picks, draft picks, draft picks. You can have a million picks but if you don't use them wisely they are worthless. The real question now is do we have the right people making the right decisions with the picks that we have.

I'm going on the record that it's going to take at least 2 more FULL (free agency and draft) offseasons before we can legitimately expect to contend with the NFC big boys. Considering we have no more than 5 players (Williams, Rak, Landry, Hall, Banks) that we can consider players to build something around or that we can count on to contribute for the next 3 seasons I don't see us making any rapid improvements.

Well, I think the first step would be to show you can actually keep your draft picks year to year, i.e. not trade up in this draft for the first shiny object (quarterback) we see.

Then, once we've proven we're on the road to rehabilitation, we can worry about making sure we use the best available methodology and scouting to ensure we outdraft other teams. Right now, outdrafting someone else isn't even a question because we've used the draft just like an extension of FA: getting the best players in it for our needs with no eye to depth.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by SirClintonPortis

Vinny sure has a special teamer stud fetish.

Which made it all the more hilarious that our special teams units sucked under Zorn. Vinny put in so much effort to try to get great coverage teams, and had average ones at best.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by SirClintonPortis

Five years, to be exact.

Rocky McIntosh was our last costly bust. Devin Thomas, obviously, the most recent bust of a pick in the top two rounds, but all that cost us was a 2nd rounder (and maybe a playoff spot in 2008, given the fact that we were a win or two away).

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by freddyg12

So are you callin JC a bust? It didn't work out the way we'd hoped, but for a qb at #25 it wasn't a pick that set the team back w/no return. He started for a few years & was avg. He didn't make a ton of $ & impact the cap like a top 10 pick.

To call him a bust is relative, I don't think he was. In the end, we even got a return on the investment - 4th round pick.

I think the fact that we overpaid so very, very much for McNabb's advanced skill set greatly overshadows the fact that a 4th round pick is a pretty good return for Jason Campbell in a buyers market. One of the big problems I had with the trade is that we were keeping the status quo, not changing it. Had we ACTUALLY gone in a different direction (like Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy), that's about as valuable as you can expect a non-elite player off a losing team to go for. So kudos for getting that, front office.

Unfortunately, they then (well, previously) traded a second AND a fourth for an equally non-elite quarterback in the same buyer's market. Way to go.

Sorry for the post-run.

[jamf]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Rocky McIntosh was our last costly bust. Devin Thomas, obviously, the most recent bust of a pick in the top two rounds, but all that cost us was a 2nd rounder (and maybe a playoff spot in 2008, given the fact that we were a win or two away).

What is your definition of a bust?
What level of play do you expect out of a second round linebacker?

I get the impression you want him to be Clay Matthews.

[NYCSkin]

Here are 8 players picked within 10 spots after each of those 2008 Skins picks. They are all starters:

2-Curtis Lofton, LB
2-DeSean Jackson, WR
2-Ray Rice, RB
4-Tyvon Branch, FS
4-Jacob Tamme, TE
6-Geno Hayes, LB
6-Nick Hayden, DT
6-John Sullivan, C

Here's three starters that weren't even drafted: Gary Guyton, BenJarvus Green Ellis, and Danny Woodhead. All play for the Pats...

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I hate looking back at the 2008 draft. Especially every time Desean Jackson catches a 50 yard pass.

Ditto. That we passed on Jackson twice to select Devin Thomas and Fred Davis shows what an idiot Cerrato was. 2008 was our worst draft ever.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

To, like, the fourth round.

Which, admittedly, is a vast improvement from the past.

Well, I could see Cooley gone, for a 3/4th so if we add that with the 5th and 6th we could get a 2nd. Of course if we gave up our 1st we could get 7 7ths, and than we could have wrapped up all the draft picks and still be home for dinner.

:cheeky-sm

[CultBrennan59]

Originally Posted by NYCSkin

Here are 8 players picked within 10 spots after each of those 2008 Skins picks. They are all starters:

2-Curtis Lofton, LB
2-DeSean Jackson, WR
2-Ray Rice, RB
4-Tyvon Branch, FS
4-Jacob Tamme, TE
6-Geno Hayes, LB
6-Nick Hayden, DT
6-John Sullivan, C

Here's three starters that weren't even drafted: Gary Guyton, BenJarvus Green Ellis, and Danny Woodhead. All play for the Pats...

All those guys make me sick to think that we could have had one of them and we got a bunch of average guys that aren't even on the team any more.

I still remember that 2008 draft real well.
I remember hearing from the news, espn, washingtonpost, this website, and other draft places "the redskins need to get that big wide receiver they've been missing" I also remember thinking "we should get calais campbell the freakish DE from Miami, or we should get DeSean Jackson because he sure is fast and explosive...size really doesn't matter" The I saw that we got Devin Thomas, and I was like "Ok nice! we got that big WR, now lets get that good DE or that fast WR to replace moss...but NOOOOO lets get ANOTHER FREAKING TE!!! what is this teams obsession with TE's?!?!

I remember also watching the draft and Chris Berman and them being like "whose going to draft this kid Danny Woodhead?" and when no one got him and they were showing his stats and plays I was like "he sure looks quick and like a guy that will show up and play week in and week out we should sign him to our practice squad."

I also remember this being the draft that we wanted to draft Jerod Mayo, but Belicheat beat us to him.


anyway, heres our draft from this year and who we should have drafted according to SI's don banks. 2010 NFL Draft redux has Dez Bryant to Raiders - Don Banks - SI.com

[Gmanc711]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

No argument that I'd rather have the chances at players with more picks but I didn't trust previous regimes with them anyways.

We hadn't had any 'busts', but only Rak and arguably Landry this year (only) have lived up to their draft slot. Unfortunately of our 1st and 2nd round picks since '02 only Taylor (RIP), Cooley, Landry, Rak and Williams have performed to their draft slot. That's pathetic. Since '00 we haven't drafted a single player who has been an impact player in the 3rd round or beyond. It's no surprise that regime after regime struggles to be successful.

Actually Cooley was a third if I am not mistaken...I do agree with the overall point though