Here’s a shocker: the Redskins have money to burn and they’re not afraid to burn it. (What?)
From Mike Jones at the Washington Post:
The NFL Draft took place just more than a week ago, and whenever the lockout is lifted, free agency could begin. The Washington Redskins have money to spend and are champing at the bit, according to people inside the organization.
This comes after Mike Shanahan spent all three days at Radio Music Hall two weeks ago stockpiling picks and making a commitment to rebuilding through the draft. Even though GM Bruce Allen was hired to cut back on owner Dan Snyder’s spending, it looks like the men running things at Allen Park are still committed to winning now.
And that’s fine. It’s fine if a team wants to spend big to bring in talent like cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha or defensive end Corey Williams. But that model has not worked over the years, just as teams like the Packers and Steelers (organizations that build through the draft) have proven.
I’m sure Shanahan and Allen are thinking that if they can bring in the right mix of big money free agents and rookies that they’ll be able to compete next year. And hey, maybe they will. But years of Snyder’s reckless spending is the reason why they ended up in the mess that they were/are in. Signing free agents to big money deals isn’t always an unwise move. But it would be nice to see a team like the Skins follow the Packers and Steelers’ approach for once and just rebuild solely through the draft. There’s reason why those two teams are usually competitive: Their methods work.
We’ll see if this report is accurate and the Skins do spend big once the lockout lifts.
