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Washington Redskins: The moral hazard in retaining Su’a Cravens

By Desmond Lee

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 2: Running back George Atkinson #25 of the Cleveland Browns is tackled by defensive back Su'a Cravens #36 of the Washington Redskins in the second quarter at FedExField on October 2, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 2: Running back George Atkinson #25 of the Cleveland Browns is tackled by defensive back Su'a Cravens #36 of the Washington Redskins in the second quarter at FedExField on October 2, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 21: Su’a Cravens #21 of the USC Trojans waits to play during the game against the Utah State Aggies at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 21, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 21: Su’a Cravens #21 of the USC Trojans waits to play during the game against the Utah State Aggies at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 21, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

As much as Cravens’ rocky two years with the Washington Redskins may have bewildered fans of the team, it came as no surprise to those who knew him.

When coming into the League, sources described Cravens as “big time,” a term they used to describe the ego-without-borders the former Trojan had when evaluating his significance to prospective suitors. (I live 30 minutes from Craven’s hometown and spoke with two individuals from there that associate with persons close to Cravens.)

For instance, Cravens, according to them, refused to work out for teams he had little, if any, interest in playing for. In a yearly draft class where even the most elite draft prospects are thankful for the opportunity to ply their craft to any club that drafts them, Cravens self-aggrandizement would’ve been enough to knock him off most team’s draft boards.

Another set of Cravens’ “big time” episodes were self-imposed absences during his college career at USC. According to the sources, in one such instance, Cravens simply took off from the team to attend his high school’s homecoming.

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Cravens apparently faced no consequences for this or any of his other short “sabbaticals” and was allowed to finish his career at USC as one of its standout linebackers.

This troubling lack of accountability Cravens brought with him from USC is equally as puzzling as the failure of Washington Redskins corporate intelligence, headed by then general manager Scot McCloughan, to spot it. If indeed this was accounted for, it then raises the baffling issue of why the team spent a second-round pick on Cravens in spite of it.

More significant is the looming concern of the moral hazard the team would create by allowing Cravens to return. Per Scott Allen of the Washington Post, Mason Foster recently remarked that he would welcome back Cravens to the team. But Foster was quick to note that the linebacker’s opinion was his alone. While empathy is in order for the travails that Cravens faced the past two years, lenity shouldn’t be extended for Cravens’ implementation of self-centered solutions, nor the complete exclusion of his team.

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