But the Eagles had a franchise quarterback, a solid OL and on defense a good front line even before they added Long.
Because we whiffed on Cravens as a high draft pick and signed at least one dud in free agency last year in Terrell McClain, we have not gotten the most of the resources we have had at our disposal on defense.
As indicated we haven't seen much out of Ryan Anderson, another high choice, from 2017.
If all three of these players had come in and performed at a high level perhaps this defense would be close to where the Eagles were in 2017 to then go out and make quite a number of moves.
Hopefully, by doing what the Patriots do and signing free agents that were cut by their former clubs like McPhee so they don't count in the comp pick equation, the Redskins are going to start seeing a lot of
#4 ,
#5 and
#6 picks added in the draft in 2019 and 2020.
If you make good selections there you end up with contributors who are making below the veteran minimum.
I agree that Hankins may be a special case. He is only 25, and did have 7 sacks in his final year in New York working at DT.
The fact he was cut means he also wouldn't count in the comp pick formula.
But the Redskins may have decided that rather than giving Hankins $9M a year they are going to take Payne at
#13 and have a player for 5 years at a cheaper price who has more upside.
Given how strong the interest seems to be in the quarterbacks in this draft, it is becoming likely that the players the Redskins have a chance to grab at
#13 may be a choice between the best DT, best safety, best wide receiver, best inside linebacker, etc. overall.
That is a rare opportunity. Usually once you are beyond the #8-10 picks most of the A - top of the class candidates have been taken.
Derwin James is also looking like a player that could dominate at the next level.
I would not be averse to the Redskins taking James at No. 13 and then going DT in Round 2.
We could use the extra picks in Rounds 5 and 6 to perhaps move up from our own
#4 and get a pick in Round 3 back to take a running back.
That way we would come out of the draft with THREE key need areas addressed with players who project to be starters in the NFL.