One of these three players:
- Jonathan Cyprien - Safety - Florida International
- Darius Slay - Conerback - Mississippi State
- Menelik Watson - Right Tackle - Florida State
The Washington Redskins find themselves in a tight situation with free agency fast approaching - Tueasday, March 12th - and no cap space to work with. It will take some contract manipulating and possibly some unexpected releases to bring the Redskins under the salary cap (they are currently 3 million over cap). On top of that, the Redskins have no 1st Round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Considering these circumstances, it will be tough to address some of the issues on the roster. Many have expressed their concern with the performance of Tyler Polumbus at Right Tackle, Madeiu Williams at Safety, and both Corners in general. I would have to say that the biggest position of concern would have to be safety, as Madeiu Williams got beat often (to put it nicely). However, if any one of the players above is available when the Redskins pick in the 2nd Round, they are absolute must-haves.
Jonathan Cyprien looks like the best Safety in the draft on tape. The Redskins could be in luck since many rank Kenny Vaccaro of Texas and Matt Elam of Florida higher than Cyprien. However, the FIU product has a long build and plays with good speed and range. If asked to do so, he can effectively cover the entire field. He is a fluid athlete with a physical streak that shows up when asked to play in the box. He has the ability to blanket tight ends in man coverage, and is a solid tackler in run support. If he falls to the second round, the Redskins cannot afford to pass on him. The Safety class in this draft is not as deep as I initially thought, and Cyprien could be their best chance at selecting and immediate starter with the ability to make a big impact on defense.
Darius Slay is perhaps the most underrated player in the draft, but could also rise due to a great Combine peformance. Combine numbers aside, Slay is a flat out playmaker. While Jonathan Banks has been the center of attention, Slay has quietly put his talent on display. He is a long-armed corner with blazing speed and great instincts. The best part about him is that he is a complete corner who displayes tenacity in run support and fluidity in coverage. Slay was also a valuable special teamer at Mississippi State, often playing on kickoff coverage and as a gunner on punt coverage. Slay's versatility makes him an attractive talent to any team. This is another player who could make an immediate impact both on defense and special teams, with the ability to develop into a special Corner. If the Redskins are lucky, he may still be available in the 3rd round.
Menelik Watson is an extremely athletic Right Tackle refuses to be beat in pass protection. While he is a raw player, he is extremely physically gifted while tremendous upside. Watson has long arms and a powerful punch, giving him the ability to handle all types of pass rushers. He especially does a great job of using his length to run outside speed rushes off to create a solid pocket. The power he posseses is evident in his run blocking, as he has the ability to dominate. But his athleticism also allows him to pull with ease and scrape to the second level where he eats up linebackers. While he can get beat across his face trying to scoop on zone runs, this can be fixed with technique. Robert Griffin III is the Redskins' biggest investment, so they cannot pass on Menelik Watson if he is available with the 51st pick.
What if...
Jonathan Cyprien and Menelik Watson are both on the board when the Redskins pick at #51? Very slim chances, as Watson and Cyprien both could rise up draft boards. The Redskins will be fortunate to have one of them availble at #51. However, if the scenario were to come about, it would make for and interesting decision for the franchise. If it were me, I would have to go with Cyprien since the secondary was responsible for a few losses (the first loss against the Giants in particular). The arguement could also be made that Robert Griffin III needs to be protected, so it would be more important to pick Watson. Tough call... and I think it depends on what happens in free agency for the Redskins, if they bring can bring in anyone new at all. In the end, the NFL Draft may be the Redskins best bet to address their needs. Who would you go with in this scenario? Safety, Corner, or Right Tackle? Personally, I think Corner is the deepest position in the draft and can be found outside of the 2nd round.
According to draft analysts, this yeas draft class is pretty deep at the corner and safety position. I think they take a cornerback with their first pick if they decide to cut DeAngelo this off-season. Jonathan Banks might actually still be around at this pick. That slow 40 he ran in indy definitely hurt his draft stock. If they go Safety or any other position first, I could see them taking B.W. Webb in the third.
ReplyDeleteI think if they let DeAngelo go, they'll draft a corner in the 2nd round. Hard to tell though. I actually think Wide Receiver is the deepest position in this years draft. Darius Slay was an interesting pick. I think if his teammate Jonathan Banks is there, they take him in the 2nd round. If they elect not to go Corner in the 2nd, I like the selection of Jonathan Cyprien you made, followed with them drafting B.W. Webb in the third or that tackle out of Arkansas State (I believe)... if the Raiders don't get to him first lol
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree, but I don't think we can know until we see who gets released and who gets signed. We should be seeing the releases this weekend since the Free Agency Negotiating period starts tomorrow. However, after watching film, I believe that the corner class is better and deeper than the safety class. Read my evaluations of the Top 5 safeties. I was not very impressed with Vaccaro or Elam. I still need to look at tape of DJ Swearinger, the 2 UGA safeties, Duke Williams, and Ray Ray Armstrong.Based on what I've seen on tape, I think that Slay is much better than Banks. Banks is slow to close on the routes in off coverage. I also saw some stats that showed that Banks had a higher completion percentage against him than Slay did (Banks had over 50% completion percentage against him, whereas Slay had a completion percentage below 50% against him).
ReplyDeleteAt this point, I can see Jonathan Banks falling as far as the 4th round. I would honestly prefer the Skins to take Jordan Poyer over Jonathan Banks and B.W. Webb. In my opinion, Darius Slay is the 4th best corner in the draft. I believe you're talking about Terron Armstead from Arkansas Pine-Bluff (he ran a 4.7 at the combine). His tape wasn't bad, but he can get high sometimes, and he has a tendency to get overpowered. He handles speed rushes well, but gets beat to his inside shoulder. Armstead also wiffs on blocks when scraping to the 2nd level. I can see him being a 3rd-4th round pick.
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