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  4. title => "The Redskins are going to draft the best available player, unless they aren't"
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  6. article_body => "<p>When their turn comes up in this draft, the Redskins are going to pick the best available player on the board. Unless they\u2019re not.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That is the mixed message delivered on Tuesday by Doug Williams, the team\u2019s senior vice president for player personnel during his pre-draft press conference on Tuesday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Williams was asked what nearly every NFL personnel executive has been asked during this round of draft press conferences: Will the Redskins take the best player on the board or would they draft for need?<\/p>\n<p>And Williams gave an answer similar to the ones that all of the other personnel guys gave.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou hear this clich\u00e9 all the time, it\u2019s always going to be the best player available, because at the same time if you\u2019re looking for a need, the player you\u2019re looking for a need might not be graded as high as the guy that\u2019s on that board,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That makes some fans crazy as they believe that you must fill needs in the draft. But reaching to fill needs is a good way to have a mediocre, disjointed draft.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But there are times when the best available player is not the player the Redskins will pick. The topic of injuries came up and Williams talked about the situation at offensive tackle. Morgan Moses and Trent Williams currently are rehabbing from injuries and they won\u2019t take the field during OTAs and minicamp.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Doug Williams said that both players should be ready for training camp. He didn\u2019t mention it but Trent Williams and Moses are signed for the next three and five years, respectively. That means that there is no need for a tackle in at least the first two rounds, and Williams agrees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can\u2019t go into the draft drafting tackles, you know,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So if, say, offensive tackle&nbsp;Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame has the highest grade on the Redskins\u2019 board when pick 13 comes up, they will not be taking the player with the best grade. They will \u201creach\u201d, perhaps only slightly, to take a player at another position.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Redskins have a similar situation at quarterback. They are committed to Alex Smith for at least three seasons and it would be foolish to spend a high pick on a quarterback. Williams said that the Redskins are not in the quarterback business this year. If there is a top QB still on the board at pick 13, it\u2019s likely that Williams and Bruce Allen would be looking for phone calls from teams that want to trade up and get their signal caller.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The true test of how the team chooses needs vs. best available could well come this year. Let\u2019s say that Da\u2019Ron Payne, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Tremaine Edmunds are all on the board when the Redskins\u2019 pick comes up. While each team has its own grades, you probably won\u2019t find many that don\u2019t have Fitzpatrick and Edmunds a clear cut above Payne. The Redskins have needs on the defensive line, not so much at inside linebacker or in the secondary. Picking Payne at that point could be interpreted as reaching to fill a need while leaving more talented and more versatile players on the board. Going best available would almost surely mean choosing between Fitzpatrick and Edmunds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>More Redskins<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/redskins-arent-big-analytics-numbers-are-likely-influence-their-top-draft-pick\">The Redskins aren't big on analytics, but numbers will still influence their top pick&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/need-know-alex-smith-will-need-be-fast-learner-redskins-be-successful\">Alex Smith will need to be a fast learner for the Redskins to be successful<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/makeup-draft-pool-will-shape-redskins-first-round-strategy\">The Redskins' draft strategy is shifting<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/doug-williams-says-redskins-will-listen-draft-trade-offers-trade-unlikely\">Redskins will listen to draft trade offers but a trade up is unlikely<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Stay up to date on the Redskins. Rich Tandler covers the team 365 days a year. Like his Facebook page,&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TandlerNBCS\"><strong><em>Facebook.com\/TandlerNBCS<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>and follow him on Twitter&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TandlerNBCS\"><strong><em>@TandlerNBCS<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/redskin-talk\/episodes\/3a55b1d4-a616-4163-a87b-574ce3ace9c0\/embed?theme=light-custom\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n"
  7. author => "Rich Tandler"
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  9. published => "1524663000"
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Redskins

Redskins

When their turn comes up in this draft, the Redskins are going to pick the best available player on the board. Unless they’re not. 

That is the mixed message delivered on Tuesday by Doug Williams, the team’s senior vice president for player personnel during his pre-draft press conference on Tuesday. 

Williams was asked what nearly every NFL personnel executive has been asked during this round of draft press conferences: Will the Redskins take the best player on the board or would they draft for need?

And Williams gave an answer similar to the ones that all of the other personnel guys gave. 

“You hear this cliché all the time, it’s always going to be the best player available, because at the same time if you’re looking for a need, the player you’re looking for a need might not be graded as high as the guy that’s on that board,” he said. 

That makes some fans crazy as they believe that you must fill needs in the draft. But reaching to fill needs is a good way to have a mediocre, disjointed draft. 

But there are times when the best available player is not the player the Redskins will pick. The topic of injuries came up and Williams talked about the situation at offensive tackle. Morgan Moses and Trent Williams currently are rehabbing from injuries and they won’t take the field during OTAs and minicamp. 

Doug Williams said that both players should be ready for training camp. He didn’t mention it but Trent Williams and Moses are signed for the next three and five years, respectively. That means that there is no need for a tackle in at least the first two rounds, and Williams agrees. 

 

“We can’t go into the draft drafting tackles, you know,” he said. 

So if, say, offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame has the highest grade on the Redskins’ board when pick 13 comes up, they will not be taking the player with the best grade. They will “reach”, perhaps only slightly, to take a player at another position. 

The Redskins have a similar situation at quarterback. They are committed to Alex Smith for at least three seasons and it would be foolish to spend a high pick on a quarterback. Williams said that the Redskins are not in the quarterback business this year. If there is a top QB still on the board at pick 13, it’s likely that Williams and Bruce Allen would be looking for phone calls from teams that want to trade up and get their signal caller. 

The true test of how the team chooses needs vs. best available could well come this year. Let’s say that Da’Ron Payne, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Tremaine Edmunds are all on the board when the Redskins’ pick comes up. While each team has its own grades, you probably won’t find many that don’t have Fitzpatrick and Edmunds a clear cut above Payne. The Redskins have needs on the defensive line, not so much at inside linebacker or in the secondary. Picking Payne at that point could be interpreted as reaching to fill a need while leaving more talented and more versatile players on the board. Going best available would almost surely mean choosing between Fitzpatrick and Edmunds. 

More Redskins

Stay up to date on the Redskins. Rich Tandler covers the team 365 days a year. Like his Facebook page, Facebook.com/TandlerNBCSand follow him on Twitter @TandlerNBCS.