Rumors of Moving Up A Blast From The Past

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Rumors of Moving Up A Blast From The Past

By Rich Tandler Site Editor

Date: Apr 21, 2005

Tandler's Redskins Blog 4.21.05.2

It's beyond a buzz, it's starting to become a deafening roar. Voices in the media claiming that the Redskins made the trade to acquire Denver's first-round pick in order to package it with their own pick and #9 and move into the top few selections. Their target there is supposedly Michigan WR Braylon Edwards.

This buzz is not emanating strictly from the rumormongering draft Websites rags (although it's at a fever pitch there), but some of the more mainstream media are jumping on the Edwards to the Skins bandwagon. Jay Glazer at FoxSports.com, who was among the first to have the story of Gibbs' return as coach, wrote the following:

FOXSports.com has learned that the Redskins phoned teams in the top four on Wednesday, including the 49ers , who own the first pick, to inquire about moving up to one of the crown jewel selections of the draft. While the Redskins have not told teams who they covet, front office sources said they are trying to make a move for Michigan WR Braylon Edwards.

The Redskins have long been wheelers and dealers, so attempting to make their second move into the first round this week should come as no surprise.

Wheelers and dealers? In the draft? Well, let's see. They traded down a couple of times in '2002, the year they wound up with Patrick Ramsey with the last pick of the first round. In 2000 they dealt a couple of first rounders to move up to #3 and took Chris Sameuls. They've dealt the pick away for veterans a couple of times, notably for Laveranues Coles in 2003 and for Sean Gilbert in 1996.

But other than '00, the last time they made a major move up in the draft was in 1992, when Gibbs pushed for a deal that spent two first-round picks to ensure that they would get another Michigan receiver, Desmond Howard. Sure, the rational side of you says you should ignore what happened 13 years ago and make decisions based on today. But something tells me that Joe Gibbs (again, he's the one making the decisions here) would have a very, very difficult time pulling the trigger on a move up for another Michigan WR given the bust that Howard turned out to be.

Oh, and where are these "front office sources" that are feeding the information that Edwards is the apple of the Redskins' eye from? On a first, quick reading, you think that he'd talking about Redskins team sources. But he doesn't say that. If they are Redskins team sources, might they not be engaged in the disinformation campaigns we're so accustomed to seeing this time of year. If they're from another team, how in the heck do they know what the Redskins are up to? And if they did, why would they tell Glazer?

Certainly, Glazer isn't alone in thinking that this will happen. From an online chat with the Post's beat reporter:

Washington, D.C.: Will Braylon Edwards be a Washington Redskin on Saturday?

Jason LaCanfora: My gut feeling is yes.

It's important to note that this was a chat and LaCanfora has the freedom to give more opinion and less fact. Still, it was a pretty strong statement. But look at what's being "reported" here; we have gut feelings, inquiries, sources, "no surprise". Not exactly cold, hard facts we're dealing with here.

The last time we heard this much move-up talk was in that '02 draft when the Skins were supposedly trying to move up to take Joey Harrington despite the fact that they lacked the ammunition to do so. Or was it last year when they were going to jump up a couple of spots to take tackle Robert Gallery, despite the presence of two Pro Bowl caliber starters at that position?

And what were these stories based on? You guessed it, gut feelings, inquiries, unnamed sources and an alleged reputation as wheelers and dealers. Some of the actors change, but the stage is the same and the plot line varies only slightly. StatCounter - Free Web Tracker and Counter

[Art]

Remember the guy who spoke about being in the room last year and knowing the Skins were moving up with the Chargers . That was funny .

[TK]

And what were these stories based on? You guessed it, gut feelings, inquiries, unnamed sources and an alleged reputation as wheelers and dealers.

You left out Nunyo's 640 "league sources".