The Washington Redskins are in need of a big wide receiver.
The West Coast offense, the scheme that Jim Zorn will be introducing to the team this year, works better when a big WR can go to the middle of the field, turn, and shield off a cornerback with his sheer physical size.
Their starters are listed at 5" 10". I'm not sure about Antwaan Randle El, but I know for a fact that Santana Moss is not 5-10. I'm 5-10 and I've talked to him standing in front of him on many occasions and I'm always looking down. He's at least an inch, maybe two, shorter than his listed height.
The other top returning receiver, James Thrash, appears to be every bit of the height next to his name on the roster but that's only six feet even.
There are a couple of wideouts on the roster who are relative skyscrapers—Anthony Mix, 6' 5" and Billy McMullen, 6' 4". If either of those two contributes much of anything in 2008, the productivity would be considered a bonus.
They threw out a hook with an old worm on it to try to reel in D. J. Hackett, but the 6' 2" receiver from Seattle didn't bite on the Skins' minimum-salary offer.
That leaves the draft and it would surprise nobody if the Skins tabbed a large pass catcher early in the proceedings.
There are two receivers who should be available around selection #21 who may be worthy of the pick. One is Limas Sweed, 6' 5" out of Texas; the other is Malcolm Kelly, 6' 4" out of Oklahoma. Neither is a burner, but they're both fast enough (around 4.5 in the 40 at the combine) to get deep.
Not only are their measurables good, both Sweed and Kelly pass the eyeball test. You look at video of each of them on the field and you think, "there's a future NFL receiver". These guys are not combine superstars.
(By the way, you'll be able to give Kelly and Sweed the eyeball test yourself as I'll be rolling out RRTV with video draft features of the two of them later this week when I put them under the microscope here.)
More coming on Sweed, Kelly, and the wisdom of expending the first selection on a WR coming in the next few days.
Comments