The top half of the 2012 NFL Draft is now starting to look a bit more clear after the Washington Redskins and St. Louis Rams made a deal allowing the Redskins to jump from the No. 6 overall spot to the No. 2 spot behind the Indianapolis Colts. Vincent Frank broke the Jay Glazer news on our site last night, but lets take another look at the details behind the first big move of 2012.
St. Louis gives up the 1.2 spot in the 2012 Draft
Washington gives up the 1.6 and 2.7 picks in the 2012 Draft, a first-round pick in 2013 and a first-round pick in 2014.
The deal has yet to be official until the new league year starts this Tuesday (March 13), but it can't be rescinded either. The Redskins also have yet to say which player they will take with the 1.2 pick, but all signs are pointing to Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. In fact, it would be a complete shock if the Redskins traded up to get someone else they had on their list.
So how do both teams fare in the trade?
With the rumors that their chances of signing Peyton Manning were fading by the day, the Redskins did the next best thing in drafting their future star in Griffin. While they could have taken a chance on someone like free agent Matt Flynn, Mike Shanahan now has the chance to mold a young rookie who some consider better than Stanford QB Andrew Luck, who is expected to go to the Colts with the first-overall pick. Did the Redskins overpay? That remains to be seen. It's hard to say which team got the better of the deal, but it will certainly fall in the Rams favor for now. As for the Redskins' offense: Their next priority should be giving Griffin some weapons to make his transition to the Pros an easier one. Some believe Vincent Jackson will be the guy, but I strongly believe that the Bears will be the big winner in that lotto. The Redskins could have their sites on Marques Colston, who would definitely be a nice consolation prize. Add Colston in with Santa Moss, Fred Davis and an emerging Leonard Hankerson and Griffin could make a name for himself early in his career.
As for the Rams: Wide receiver is a need. This trade will allow them to possibly draft Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon and make him the cornerstone of the offense along with Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson. And with the extra picks this year and the next two years, newly-hired head coach Jeff Fisher will have plenty of ammo to move around in this year's draft and for the next several years.
This trade will be the talk of the media for the next several weeks, but it's too early to say which team got the better of it. If Griffin turns out to be a star, which many predict, the Redskins could be sitting pretty for the next decade. And who knows how the Rams will look once all those picks are made. Most of them could be great, or they could be busts.
Either way, this is an exciting way to usher in the new season. GET YO POPCORN READY!!!!!!!!!!
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