Redskins off-field updates from the bye week in Week 11
By Ian Cummings
Redskins pull ahead in the tanking race
The Redskins were never trying to tank, but they suddenly find themselves comfortably in place with the No. 2 overall pick.
The Redskins will enter Week 11 with a record of 1-8. Previously, there were several other teams with one win in the NFL, but Week 10 scrambled the order in a big way. The Dolphins pulled off an upset win against an injury-riddled Colts team, the Jets bested the now 2-6 Giants, and the one-win Falcons doubled their victory total by steamrolling the New Orleans Saints.
Now, with the smoke cleared, the Bengals are still the only winless team in the NFL, and behind them in second place, the Redskins are the only team with just one win. Everyone else has at least two.
With the No. 2 pick, the opportunities are endless for the Redskins; Chase Young is a generational edge rushing talent, and he could easily be the pick. But offensive tackle Andrew Thomas is also a legitimate possibility, and the Redskins could also trade back with a quarterback-needy team and acquire picks. The key takeaway is, however, the most potential energy rests at the top of the draft order, and that’s where the Redskins essentially find themselves after Sunday’s action.
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The Redskins can either help themselves or hurt themselves in this department next week against the New York Jets. If they win, and if all other two-win teams lose, they could move up as far as fifth. But if they lose, they’ll be comfortably in their position at No. 2. It’s refreshing to be compensated for losing with excellent draft positioning, but it’s very concerning that the Redskins front office didn’t see this failure coming, and it speaks to larger issues which might make the draft itself irrelevant.