Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Marvin Lewis Confirms Redskins' Trade Offer


So the Redskins offered their first round draft pick in this round and a conditional 3rd that could escalate to a first in the next draft if the Redskins and Bengals WR Chad Johnson (the object of their trade) reach certain performance levels. The Bengals have refused the offer.
Marvin Lewis got a lot of respect from me when he originally stood up to Johnson's trade demands by saying that if he wants to win playoff games he has to do it in Cincinnati. The guy signed a contract with the team and it is my opinion that he should have to play it out. It's tough to put a finger on the Redskins' trade though. Two first round draft picks would be nice, and would go a long way to helping the franchise if used right, but they should really only be accepted if the Bengals decide they are rebuilding, which is something they aren't prepared to do. If with Chad, they have a very capable passing attack. If Rudi Johnson bounces back, or they find a new starter at RB, their offense gets even better. Defensively, however, they need lots of help. Geathers is a good starter at DE, but they need some help at DT. If Odell is productive, and if Dhani Jones stays healthy, thats LB mostly taken care of. Dexter Jackson is a starter at S, but they need someone to play with him. CB is hopefully set with Deltha O'Neal, Leon Hall, and Jonathan Joseph. This team has potential, it just needs excellent coaching to get the most out of these players. 
The bottom line is this: letting Johnson leave town establishes this team as a loser. It is not good for the locker room and not good for the image of the team. Winning teams don't give in to player demands, they just don't resign them. If a losing team wants to be a winning team, it can't do that either.  

No comments: