Discussing the Shanaplan

As all of us anxious football fans wait around to see whether our beloved teams will actually see the field next season the one thing that seems to keep us going is the (enter buzz word here) NFL Draft.  From the day our team’s season is finished, whether it is 6 weeks into the season or the Monday after the Super Bowl, we ponder, predict, and analyze, what our team needs to do in next year’s draft.  Draft “experts” do the same, and with the combine and pro-days galore the NFL draft becomes the NYSE, where some players rise to the top of draft boards from obscurity while others see their stock plummet to disheartening lows.   Every year there are great picks, and there are terrible picks, and Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has made plenty of each in his day.  Currently the Redskins hold the 10^th and 41^st picks, with needs across the board.  Let’s take a look back at the history of Coach Shanahan’s early round selections and figure out which positions and players the Redskins should pick, based on the past.

In 14 drafts, with 12 first round picks and  15 second round picks coach Shanahan has picked 5 LBs, 6 DBs, 2 RBs, 1 QB, 1 TE, 5 DEs, 4WRs, 3 OL.

(more…)

The Redskins defense will be heading into their second season in the 3-4 and need to really firm up the section that anchors that unit.

1. JJ Watt -I actually like him the best because of his ability to play anywhere on the line, he can play both inside and out.  Great explosion, but tends to play up high.  That can be worked on.

(more…)

The Super Bowl is coming up in less than two weeks and there are so many things to be envious of as a Redskins fan.  Ben Roethlisberger looks for a chance to redeem his off field issues and cement himself as one of the top QBs in the NFL with a 3^rd championship ring, while Aaron Rodgers looks to lead the high flying Packers and capture his first, jumpstarting his journey to be the best QB in the league.  On top of that the #2 Steelers defense, led by Troy Polomalu faces off against the #5 packers defense led by Clay Matthews.  These two teams got there the right way, and are set up for more success and title chances for years to come.  As we sit here with the 31^st ranked defense in the league and no idea who will be starting at Quarterback come September, we have to ask, what should we do?

Here are 5 things that we need to learn from the successes of these two teams…

1. NT is the most important position in the 3-4: BJ Raji and Casey Hampton come to work and are studs on the football field (unlike someone lazy bum we know…).  Stick with the 3-4; find the anchor to it.  Can you imagine what Orakpo could do if he had someone like Hampton or Raji anchoring our D-line instead of a washed up Haynesworth or Maake Kemoeatu?   If Marcell Dareus from Alabama is somehow available at 10 (though unlikely) he would be my choice and would make the most immediate positive impact overall on this team.  Green Bay went from allowing 51 points in the playoffs last year in the 3-4 to being a top 5 defense.  Not saying we’ll be there, but we can definitely make strides from last year.  There really is nowhere to go but up. (more…)