All things considered, it is better that the Redskins got the deal to move up to the second pick in the draft done last month. They can focus their resources on one player at the top (well, two actually) and then start sifting through the players who might be available from the third round on.
The early trade does, however, take some of the fun out the pre-draft period. It takes Mike Shanahan out of the business of creating smokescreens and he is one of the very best in the business at doing it.
About this time a year ago, a rumor that the Redskins were interested in moving up from their original spot in the first round (No. 10) to draft Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert popped up. The chatter started to spread and it reached the point where national NFL journalists were reporting that Gabbert to the Redskins was very likely to happenl.
We know how things unfolded on the night of the draft. The whole trade-up scenario was 100 percent pure Shanahan-generated smoke. The Redskins did not move up. When their turn came, Gabbert still was on the board. Shanahan pulled the trigger on a deal with the Jaguars and moved back to the 16th pick, leaving Gabbert there for Jacksonville.
There will be no such intrigue this year. That’s a good thing for the Redskins organization but not as much fun for the media and fans.
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