Washington Redskins Draft - A New GM and Head Coach: 1/5/2009
The 2010 season started early for the Redskins as front office moves paved the way for the arrival of new General
Manager (GM) Bruce Allen. Daniel Snyder (owner) fired formed GM and friend, Vinnie Cerrato after much media and
fan criticism. The arrival of Allen has stimulated some confidence among Washington fans and marked the beginning
of a new era in Washington. Not too long after the hiring of Allen came the much anticipated firing of Head Coach Jim
Zorn. Zorn, who was often criticized publicly for being "in over his head," was let go on 1/4/09 after two seasons and a
12-20 record. Zorn's predecessor has not been hired, but there is a 99% likely-hood that former Broncos Head Coach,
Mike Shanahan will take over. Shanahan boasts a winning record of 138 wins to 86 losses (.616 win %) and two Super
Bowl titles.
Now that we have established the direction owner Daniel Snyder is taking the team, drafthuddle.com looks at how both
new hires will affect the draft. Our analysis to driven purely off of draft trends and team needs. We can not account for
the unexpected or questionable draft choices Snyder/Cerrato have made in the past: i.e. WR, TE, WR with three 2nd
round picks. Below are two charts showing Bruce Allen's draft picks while with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Mike
Shanahan's draft picks while with Denver. Drafthuddle.com isolated only the top three rounds (picks 1-96).
Based on past draft data and players/positions selected, we can decipher what positions were targeted the most. The
chart below breaks down what positions were most frequently drafted by both Shanahan and Allen:
From the information, the most targeted position drafted by both Shanahan and Allen was the offensive line. According
to fans and media outlets everyone, the most glaring position needed in Washington is the offensive line. In 2009, the
Redskins offensive line surrendered 46 total sacks (tied-4th most in NFL), and ranked 27th in rushing yards (1,508
yards total).
Another position Redskins fans would like to see upgraded/drafted for is the quarterback position. Jason Campbell will
be a free agent in 2010 and his return is uncertain. Draft analyst are predicting that Snyder and company will draft one
of the top rated quarterbacks in the draft (Bradford or Clausen) and rebuild around the QB position. However, given
the track record of both Shanahan and Allen, rookie quarterbacks are not their number one priorities. Shanahan had
the luxury of having one of the greatest quarterbacks for four years (95-98) in John Elway. After Elway's departure,
Shanahan relied on Brian Griese (started from 1999-2002) and Jake Plummer (started from 2003-2006). Griese was a
3rd round draft pick and Plummer was a free agent pick-up. In any event, Shanahan did not turn to the draft for a
quarterback for nearly a decade, until he drafted Jay Cutler in 2006. Its important to mention that Cutler did not start
immediately and waited until his second season in the NFL. Allen on the other hand drafted only two quarterbacks in
his tenure: Josh Johnson (5th round pick-2008) and Bruce Gradkowski (6th round pick-2006). Allen and the
Buccaneers relied on "backup worthy" quarterbacks: Brien Griese (04-05), Chris Simms (06), and Jeff Garcia (07-08).
Perhaps this personnel trend means Jason Campbell will return to Washington in 2010?
In an effort to conclude our draft-by-trend analysis, we can look at drafting and free agency trends to determine which
direction the Washington Redskins will go in April. Considering the heavy emphasis on offensive lineman in draft
history and the plug-and-play quarterback method used, we will determine that Washington will take the best available
offensive linemen in the draft. Of the 17 total 1st Round draft picks between Shanahan and Allen, 3 have been
offensive linemen and 1 has been a Quarterback. Seven (7) picks in the top 64 have been linemen, 1 has been a
quarterback. Bruce Allen alone has draft eight (8) total linemen in five drafts; having at least one linemen in all 5
drafts. Shanahan has drafted 14 total offensive lineman since the 96 draft. This speaks volumes in terms of draft
priorities and strategy.
We need to emphasize that our analysis is based purely on trends from both Shanahan and Allen. We can analyze
past trends and personnel moves all we want, but given the personalities involved, we will not be shocked if the
Redskins do indeed draft a quarterback for the future or different position in general.
- Draft Huddle
The 2010 season started early for the Redskins as front office moves paved the way for the arrival of new General
Manager (GM) Bruce Allen. Daniel Snyder (owner) fired formed GM and friend, Vinnie Cerrato after much media and
fan criticism. The arrival of Allen has stimulated some confidence among Washington fans and marked the beginning
of a new era in Washington. Not too long after the hiring of Allen came the much anticipated firing of Head Coach Jim
Zorn. Zorn, who was often criticized publicly for being "in over his head," was let go on 1/4/09 after two seasons and a
12-20 record. Zorn's predecessor has not been hired, but there is a 99% likely-hood that former Broncos Head Coach,
Mike Shanahan will take over. Shanahan boasts a winning record of 138 wins to 86 losses (.616 win %) and two Super
Bowl titles.
Now that we have established the direction owner Daniel Snyder is taking the team, drafthuddle.com looks at how both
new hires will affect the draft. Our analysis to driven purely off of draft trends and team needs. We can not account for
the unexpected or questionable draft choices Snyder/Cerrato have made in the past: i.e. WR, TE, WR with three 2nd
round picks. Below are two charts showing Bruce Allen's draft picks while with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Mike
Shanahan's draft picks while with Denver. Drafthuddle.com isolated only the top three rounds (picks 1-96).
Based on past draft data and players/positions selected, we can decipher what positions were targeted the most. The
chart below breaks down what positions were most frequently drafted by both Shanahan and Allen:
From the information, the most targeted position drafted by both Shanahan and Allen was the offensive line. According
to fans and media outlets everyone, the most glaring position needed in Washington is the offensive line. In 2009, the
Redskins offensive line surrendered 46 total sacks (tied-4th most in NFL), and ranked 27th in rushing yards (1,508
yards total).
Another position Redskins fans would like to see upgraded/drafted for is the quarterback position. Jason Campbell will
be a free agent in 2010 and his return is uncertain. Draft analyst are predicting that Snyder and company will draft one
of the top rated quarterbacks in the draft (Bradford or Clausen) and rebuild around the QB position. However, given
the track record of both Shanahan and Allen, rookie quarterbacks are not their number one priorities. Shanahan had
the luxury of having one of the greatest quarterbacks for four years (95-98) in John Elway. After Elway's departure,
Shanahan relied on Brian Griese (started from 1999-2002) and Jake Plummer (started from 2003-2006). Griese was a
3rd round draft pick and Plummer was a free agent pick-up. In any event, Shanahan did not turn to the draft for a
quarterback for nearly a decade, until he drafted Jay Cutler in 2006. Its important to mention that Cutler did not start
immediately and waited until his second season in the NFL. Allen on the other hand drafted only two quarterbacks in
his tenure: Josh Johnson (5th round pick-2008) and Bruce Gradkowski (6th round pick-2006). Allen and the
Buccaneers relied on "backup worthy" quarterbacks: Brien Griese (04-05), Chris Simms (06), and Jeff Garcia (07-08).
Perhaps this personnel trend means Jason Campbell will return to Washington in 2010?
In an effort to conclude our draft-by-trend analysis, we can look at drafting and free agency trends to determine which
direction the Washington Redskins will go in April. Considering the heavy emphasis on offensive lineman in draft
history and the plug-and-play quarterback method used, we will determine that Washington will take the best available
offensive linemen in the draft. Of the 17 total 1st Round draft picks between Shanahan and Allen, 3 have been
offensive linemen and 1 has been a Quarterback. Seven (7) picks in the top 64 have been linemen, 1 has been a
quarterback. Bruce Allen alone has draft eight (8) total linemen in five drafts; having at least one linemen in all 5
drafts. Shanahan has drafted 14 total offensive lineman since the 96 draft. This speaks volumes in terms of draft
priorities and strategy.
We need to emphasize that our analysis is based purely on trends from both Shanahan and Allen. We can analyze
past trends and personnel moves all we want, but given the personalities involved, we will not be shocked if the
Redskins do indeed draft a quarterback for the future or different position in general.
- Draft Huddle
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