Redskins Insider: Shanahan's Plan Will Become Clearer Over Next Month

[Lanky Livingston]

Ruh-roh, the dubious league source is back, and predicts we will go QB with the #4 pick!

The end of the Super Bowl marks the beginning of the NFL's offseason, which figures to be a busy time for the Redskins' new management team.

Coach Mike Shanahan and General Manager Bruce Allen have revealed little publicly about their plans for a team coming off consecutive last-place finishes in the NFC East. But it seems obvious the roster needs to be improved after last season's 4-12 debacle in which the Redskins had one of the league's least effective offensive lines, no running backs with "home run" potential and gave up too many big passing plays because of breakdowns in the secondary.

The Redskins currently hold the No. 4 overall pick in the three-day draft (April 22-24). In addition to Washington's No. 1 pick, it also has selections in the second, fourth, fifth and seventh rounds. In order to select defensive lineman Jeremy Jarmon in the previous supplemental draft, the Redskins surrendered their third-round pick. Their sixth-round pick went to the Miami Dolphins in the Jason Taylor trade.

The offensive line would seem to be an obvious place to start for Allen and Shanahan, especially with the expected retirement of Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels because of a severe neck injury. But Shanahan is eager to draft and develop a young quarterback, a league source familiar with his thinking said recently, and former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford has been linked with the Redskins in most early mock drafts. Former Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen also often has been listed as a possible top pick of the Redskins.

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[Om]

This is from an earlier thread on The Shanahan QB's ...

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?t=314642

With all the talk about whether or not Jason Campbell will be here next year and whether or not we'll draft a QB with our 1st pick, I decided to take a look at Shanahan's coaching career and the QB's he's had and how the were obtained.

1988 Shanahan is hired to be the Raiders HC. The Raiders trade for Jay Schroeder (3-5) and draft Steve Beuerlin (4-4), 4th round. (A veteran starter and a rookie backup)

1989 Shanahan is fired 5 games into the season. Schroeder (4-5) and Beuerlin (4-3) split the season.

After stints in Denver and San Francisco, Shanahan is hired as HC of the Broncos.

1995 Shanahan inherits John Elway (8-8). He brings Bill Musgrave with him from San Francisco. (veteran starter, young backup)

1996 John Elway (13-2), Bill Musgrave (0-1) and the Broncos draft Jeff Lewis, 4th round out of Northern Arizona. He lasts 2 seasons in Denver. (Denver loses to Jacksonville in playoffs)

1997 John Elway (12-4), FA Bubby Brister, Jeff Lewis (Denver wins Superbowl) (veteran starter, veteran back-up, young back-up)

1998 John Elway (10-2), Bubby Brister (4-0), and the Broncos draft Brian Griese, 3rd round, Michigan. (Denver wins Superbowl) (veteran starter, veteran back-up, rookie)

1999 Brian Griese (4-9), FA Chris Miller (2-1), Bubby Brister

2000 Brian Griese (7-3), FA Gus Frerotte (4-2), and the Broncos draft Jarious Jackson, 7th round out of Notre Dame. He lasts 4 seasons. (Denver loses to Baltimore in wildcard playoff game.)

2001 Brian Griese (8-7), Gus Frerotte (0-1), Jarious Jackson

2002 Brian Griese (8-5), FA Steve Beuerlin (1-2), Jarious Jackson

2003 FA Jake Plummer (9-2), Steve Beuerlin (1-1), FA Danny Kanell (0-2), Jarious Jackson (0-1) (Denver loses to Indianapolis in wildcard playoff game.)

2004 Jake Plummer (10-6), Danny Kanell Denver drafts Matt Mauck, 7th round, LSU and Bradlee Van Pelt, 7th round Colorado State(Denver loses to Indianapolis in wildcard playoff game.)

2005 Jake Plummer (13-3), Bradlee Van Pelt (Denver loses to Pittsburgh in Conference Championship.)

2006 Jake Plummer (7-4), Denver drafts Jay Cutler (2-3), 1st round, Vanderbilt.

2007 Jay Cutler (7-9), FA Patrick Ramsey

2008 Jay Cutler (8-8), Patrick Ramsey

Assuming the research was right ... Shanahan has drafted 7 QB's in 16 drafts.

Steve Beuerlein (4th), Jeff Lewis (4th), Brian Greise (3rd), Jarious Jackson (7th), Matt Mauck (7th), Brad Van Pelt (7th), Jay Cutler (1st)

Until taking Cutler in Round 1 of 2006 he hadn't taken one higher than the 3rd round (Greise). Elway was gone by 1999, so between then and 2006, he chose to go with the likes of Griese and Plummer as incumbent #1's over "drafting a QB high to develop."

Doesn't mean the anonymous source is wrong this time around, just wondering, as I often do, at how easy it is for "sources" to say something that really has little or no basis in history. Must be nice not to be accountable.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

I tend to side with the research, Om. The only reason a "league source" would remain anonymous for a particularly innocuous statement like that one is because he's probably pulling it out of his butt.

I'm betting we take Pike in the 2nd round, or LeFevour in the 4th or 5th. Or maybe, just maybe, Shanahan is happy with Colt Brennan and we don't draft a QB at all.

 

[beamish]

for years, bronco fans complained that shanny had spread himself too thin taking on the gm role. i put the onus is on the scout staff to provide accurate recon so that shanny/ allen/ snyder(?) can make an informed decision.

 

[Riggo-toni]

The reason I'm not buying it -
Coach GMs are too addicted to whatever they once won with. The only guy Shanny blew a 1st round on for QB - Jay Cutler. The first thing you think of about Cutler (besides INTs) - an arm like Elway. Gibbs wasted 3 picks on Campbell even though it was clear he wasn't accurate on midrange throws. Why? He had touch on the long balls that reminded Gibbs of Rypien, who couldn't throw an accurate 15 yard pass either.

Holmgren is the only guy I can think of who picked a 2nd QB (Hasselbeck) who was completely different from his 1st, and that was because he knew him from GB. Bradford is a prototypical WCO passer in the vein of Brad Johnson or Chad Pennington, but my guess is Shanny only craves someone who can throw a perfect spiral 50 yards downfield.