Why the Redskins absolutely should draft Chase Young

How to build the right way

There are precious few teams that can build the right way. Obviously, this has been the hallmark of Patriots for the past two decades. It also characterizes the other teams that have been consistently good over that time – Pittsburgh, Philly, Baltimore, Kansas City. Aside from New England, they have all had their dips, but it is remarkable how quickly they recover and get back into contention.

When Philly flirted with recklessness in the Chip Kelly era, it is a great testament to their leadership how quickly they recognized their mistake and took corrective action. Obviously, you need some luck, especially at QB. But it should be clear that there is a right way (let’s say, just to add a new team to the mix, the Green Bay way) and a wrong way (The Ohio way) to build successful NFL teams.

If you are not willing, or constitutionally capable, of building the right way, the quickest fix for any team is to build one dominant element. If constructing an entire roster is too challenging, build one part. But it has to be an awe-inspiring part. The two most obvious “parts” to build in this era of passing are a quarterback, wide receiver corps, or a pass rush. The first option, which Kansas City rode to a Super Bowl this year, is more difficult because of the above-referenced difficulty in identifying your QB.

But the pass rush? That’s not exactly easy, but it is doable. The Bears in ’85 did it. The 2002 Bucs. The 2012 Ravens. Neither Giants team in 2007 or 2011 had any business beating the Pats, but they did it because of their pass rush.