Picture Redskins tight end Jordan Reed receiving a direct snap from center while in motion. He sizes up Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware who is relieved that Robert Griffin III did not take the snap from the pistol formation. Ware closes in to stop Reed's rush attempt, but Reed wings the ball to Roy Helu who finds a seam between the linebackers and secondary. First down.

Reed has done this sort of thing before. He was a swing player as a read-option quarterback and tight end during his redshirt freshman year in Urban Meyer's Florida offense. Meyer's departure and the  coaching change that followed pushed Reed to full-time tight end for the Gators for the next two seasons.

Reed comes to the Redskins as a receiving tight end who is undersized for a blocker. He could put pressure on Niles Paul whose development at tight end has been slow. His presence probably means that fan favorite Chris Cooley is one step closer to the broadcast booth. Starting tight end Fred Davis is working on a soft probation with a one-year contract.

However, it is Reed's possabilities for the read-option that piques Hog Heaven's interest.

The Shanahans are up to something.

Shanahan says TE Reed was the top rated TE/WR on board, has the speed and versatility to be able to line him up on line or WR. #HTTR

— Redskins (@Redskins) April 27, 2013

With the 85th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft the Washington Redskins select Florida tight end Jordan Reed – more proof that Mike Shanahan is not drafting to need.

A nugget I forgot from before: New #Redskins TE Jordan Reed is the brother of #Ravens WR David Reed.

— Zac Boyer (@ZacBoyer) April 27, 2013

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He's not strictly a safety to fill the shoes of Madieu Williams, but in David Amerson the Redskins picked a player who fits Jim Haslett's schemes. Amerson is physical and can play corner or safety according the scouting report on him from Optimum Scouting. 

"Amerson shows good playing strength on the perimeter. He wins the majority
of his tussles with wide receivers and can definitely bump-N-grind in the air
against the bigger bodied pass catchers. He plays the game in bursts and
rarely reaches a max speed unless in a chase. He doesn't possess the sought
after deep speed in a outside cornerback to keep up with Ferraris like
Baltimore's Torrey Smith or Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace 40-50 yards down the
field, but his ability to read and react to the QB is a true asset in the
defensive secondary and allows for more turnover opportunities.

"He has therange of a free safety, covering ground with fewer steps than most and of
course, has terrific hands for the interception. In my opinion, Amerson has
the finest pair of hands on a college defensive back since UNC's Dre Bly." 

The Redskins selected Amerson with the 51st pick in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Welcome to Washington, Mr. Amerson.

It's draft day 2013, coming just one day after every other team's draft day 2013.  Let's lock in on some names the Redskins may focus on.

LB Arthur Brown

Along with TE Travis Kelce of Cincinnati, the Kansas State product would fill the hole on the roster that has been missing since the team non-tendered Byron Westbrook: obscure brother of a more famous Eagles player.

Brown fits the inside linebacker position of the Redskins perfectly.  Nominally, he'd pay the "middle linebacker" position in this defense, although in a 4-3 system he'd more technically be a weakside LB. He can run with tight ends down the field, attack the quarterback downhill, and is perhaps the best open field tackler in this draft.  Which, at the end of the day, is the kind of thing that every team needs: blocking, and tackling.

LB Manti Te'o

Te'o isn't quite the system fit that Arthur Brown is, but he might have a better chance of being there when the Redskins pick at 51 overall, and he's a better overall football player than Arthur Brown.  Manti Te'o is a very young London Fletcher clone.  He probably lacks Fletcher's overall football intelligence, but certainly isn't lacking his football instincts.  There may be value in the abiity to have Manti wreck people on special teams for a year while London Fletcher pushes his consecutive starts streak as far as he can.

OLB Jamie Collins

Perhaps the most underrated remaining pass rusher on draft boards.  Tank Carridine of FSU has garnered a lot more attention than Collins has, but Collins was a do-it-all defensive end for Southern Miss who would give the Redskins some leverage in Brian Orakpo contract talks.  I know that the Redskins would rather wait until the third round to draft Collins if they could, because he has no obvious role until sub-packages, but players who rush the quarterback well are incredibly valuable regardless of how many edge rushers you already have on your roster.

WR Justin Hunter

Has the profile and makeup to be a major touchdown scorer in the NFL.  Would profile in immediately as Pierre Garcon's backup, and then a year or two down the road, could be a cheaper, more realistic option for a team that is going to have to switch it's salary structure from receiver-dominated to quarterback-dominated.

WR Stedman Bailey

Could help the Redskins win, immediately.  He's not a Garcon-replacement, but if you take a look at the Redskins contract situation at receiver, both Santana Moss and Josh Morgan are scheduled to be free agents next year.  Morgan may be a mid-season extension candidate depending on his performance, but Bailey is the top receiver in this draft to some people (and near the top for me), and could slot in for Josh Morgan very early on in his career.  He would be a great value pick for the Redskins at 51.

Trading down

I'd put heavy odds on the Redskins to trade down from 51.  There are just so many players I like still available that it's too easy to target a player at 51 that can really help.  The Redskins may be able to do more damage about 7-8 picks later, or even trading down into the very top of round three.

... Robert Griffin III.

On this day a year ago the @redskins helped make my dream a reality. #AppreciateEverything

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 25, 2013

Of course, RGIII joined the Redskins last year as the result of Mike Shanahan and Daniel Snyder's bold move to trade up for him. Washington traded its first round 2013 pick to St. Louis. We have a passing curiosity in what the Rams do with that pick, but when Roger Goodell announces their selection every Redskins fan will hear "the Washington Redskins select Robert Griffin III" and feel the chill all over again.

That's all the excuse I need to rebroadcast this 2012 Hog Heaven video taken at FedEx Field when Mike Shanahan selected the savior of Redskins football. (Excuse me while I cheer.) 

The Redskins moved up from their No. 6 pick in 2012 to the Rams No. 2 pick. They packaged their second round pick and the first round picks in 2013 and 2014 in the deal.

The move paid off so well that the 'Skins' first round pick fell in value to the 22nd overall in this year's draft. If Washington improves more, that 2014 first round pick could be even lower, say the 25th overall pick. That would make RGIII even more of a bargain. How is that possible?

Lets do some trade value math here using a standard Draft Value Chart. For purpose of this exercise, we'll discount the point values by 25 percent for a Draft one year away and by 50 percent for a Draft two years away. We'll be optimists and say that Washington's (Rams') first pick in the '14 Draft will be the 25th overall.

In this analysis, the Redskins gave up the equivalent value of the 32nd, or 33rd overall pick in 2013 and today's equivalent of a second round, 53rd overall, pick in 2014.

The actual value of those picks gets real on Draft Day of the year in question. That 22nd pick today is real enough to the Rams.  But, it's not worth as much to the Redskins when exchanged for a legitimate franchise quarterback on the roster. No one the Rams select will be as much a sure thing as Griffin was.

Andrew Luck and Griffin III were once-in-a-lifetime sure things. You would not strike such a bargain for any of the quarterbacks in this year's Draft. The better the Redskins with Griffin perform, the less value those traded away picks are to Washington ... and the more expensive Griffin becomes to the team.

Holy Moly, the Redskins have to start negotiating a contract extension with Griffin after the 2014 Draft. His contract will be in the neighborhood of $150,000,000.00. Don't dare let this kid hit free agency after 2015. How are the Redskins going to do that and keep Alfred Morris, too?

I don't know, but someone on Hog Heaven will tell you.

HAIL!

2013 NFL Draft Schedule

Live at Radio City Music Hall, Manhattan, New York, New York
Thursday, 8:00 PM ET, Round One
Friday, 6:30 PM ET, Rounds Two and Three
Saturday, Noon ET, Rounds Four through Seven

Broadcast, ESPN, NFL Network, Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 88

Redskins Draft Party

The Redskins are holding their annual Draft Party at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland on Saturday, April 27, 2013. It's free, but they do want to know you are coming so they can sell you stuff. If you are a Redskins fan, you don't mind that sort of thing. It's as close as most of us will get to players. I just bet that the second and third round selectees will be there too.

Order your tickets online here.

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Should the Washington Redskins select disgraced LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu in this weekend's NFL Draft? Hog Heaven contributors Scott Hirsch and Anthony Brown are in opposite camps. Youthful Hirsch is all in on the Honey Badger. Old school curmudgeon Brown is aghast at the thought.

Anyone want Dez as their GM? RT @dezbryant: A lot of great players in this draft but @mathieu_era is the best player in the draft.

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 25, 2013

Not sure I want my team taking draft tips from Dez. RT @rapsheet: RT @dezbryant: @mathieu_era is the best player in the draft.

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) April 25, 2013

We are one day away from the 2013 NFL Draft, two days away if you are a Washington Redskins fan. There is no suspense about Washington's first round choice. It's Robert Griffin III. We get to celebrate that again Thursday when the Rams use the Pick we threw in for the savior of Redskins football. But who will the 'Skins select in the second round?

The smart money says Shanallenhan will pick a defensive back, probably a safety, with their 51^st pick. Hog Heaven is not so certain, but we'll save that for another post. John Keim, Washington Examiner, wrote up an interview with former Redskins DB Matt Bowen and an unnamed coach for his email list on April 12 on what to look for in a DB. Here are excerpts of Bowen's comments with our (RHH) thoughts.

1. Don’t expect an immediate starter. Especially if the Redskins don’t draft a safety until, say, the third round. The adjustment is not easy and can’t be underestimated.

“You draft someone in the third round and they’ll have a tough time beating out Reed Doughty,” Bowen said. “Fans don’t want to hear that."

Bowen pointed out that revered safety Sean Taylor struggled in his rookie season.
_________________________

RHH Thoughts: Talent-rich teams draft players with the following season in mind. Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris are exceptions that prove the rule that rookies need time to adjust to the NFL. For every RGIII rookie success, you can point to a Perry Riley or Rob Jackson who took several seasons to develop into starters, not to mention flops like Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly and Chad Rinehart. The fix for Washington's secondary is already on the roster.   
_________________________

2. Don’t go crazy over the 40-yard dash times. Yes, it’s important. No, it’s not everything. I’m sure you know this already, but what coaches should know and keep in mind is that players train all offseason to run the 40 at the combine. By the time the games roll around in September, they’re probably back to the speed they originally were. Quickness matters more than straight-line speed.
_________________________

RHH Thoughts: We are less impressed by a DB's forward speed than in how fast he can peddle backwards. In coverage it's more important to take the correct angle to defend the pass. Yessir, geometry is better than velocity for safeties.
_________________________

3. Find playmakers, but don’t be fooled by guys who make plays. Yeah, that’s sort of contradictory, but it’s true. A coach singled out N.C. State corner David Amerson, whom he is not high on, as a guy who will make plays but gives up more than he makes.

Bowen agreed with this assessment.

“I’d rather have a safety that doesn’t get beat,” he said. “What I want to see out of safeties is good angles to the ball, good range and good closing speed. Do you have the ability to get to the middle of the field from the top of the numbers? If you can’t, how will you play in the NFL in the middle when they throw a deep ball? That has nothing to do with speed. If a safety is a 4.5 or 4.6 guy, so what? If he takes good angles to the ball, it’s like he’s a 4.4 player.
_________________________

RHH Thoughts: We are constantly annoyed by fans who judge DBs solely on interceptions. Cornerbacks and safeties have three jobs: make stops, defend passes, and force turnovers ... in that order of importance. INTs, and big hits, are icing on the cake, but there must always be cake. Cake without icing can be boring, but icing without cake can kill you.
_________________________

4. Don’t go overboard talking about safeties covering in the slot. Yes, it’s important that they showed this ability in college, because it speaks to their athleticism and talent. Bowen, though, said he always red flags the comments that talk about a safety being able to play in the slot.

“For as much as everyone says it’s a deep safety class, don’t expect one of these kids to be a nickel just because he looked good on tape against Texas A&M. The same is true with [Tyrann] Mathieu. Everyone says he’s a nickel corner, draft him in the third round. That’s asking a lot of him. Does he have great footwork? Does he have enough ability to open his hips and run with NFL receivers in the slot? That’s asking a lot of him."
_________________________

RHH Thoughts: There goes that name again, Tyrann Mathieu. Honey Badger draws a lot of pixels for one not considered the best safety in this Draft. Hog Heaven touched on him in three earlier posts. There is time for one more before Friday, if only in a cynical play to draw eyeballs here.
_________________________

5. That’s not to say you can’t play a rookie safety. If a player proves himself in camp, of course he deserves a shot. And there’s a way to help him: good veteran corners and a strong front seven. The Redskins have veteran corners, though neither is a Pro Bowler at this stage, and they have a front seven that is considered the strength of the defense.

“I loved playing with Champ Bailey for a reason. I knew he always would be in the right spot and always on his guy. He hardly ever got beat. And another thing is the front seven. You don’t want your safety to be exposed in cover-2? Then get to the quarterback.”
_________________________

RHH Thoughts: We already wrote that the best way to help the secondary might be to improve the pass rush through the Draft.
_________________________

6. Finally, look for something you can work with, the coach said. And it can’t just be speed.

“Usually, those guys, you try to put them in, and they cost you and they last a year or two years,” the coach said. “They have to have something more to them than that.”

When the Redskins drafted players such as Doughty, Chris Horton and Kareem Moore in the later rounds, each offered them something they hoped to build around. In the first two, it was their toughness.

“That’s the first thing you have to look for,” the coach said. “That will carry over into everything. They can learn technique and work on physical skills.”

John Keim (twitter: @john_keim) will jump from the Washington Examiner to The Washington Post to cover the Redskins on July 1. That's a win-win-win for Keim, The Post and for Redskins fans. We extend our congratulations to all.

Ex-Redskins (2003-05) safety Matt Bowen (twitter: @MattBowen41) writes for the National Football Post.

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No more running backs running low with their pads and heads down (also known as the 'Stop Alfred Morris' rule)

Proposed:

• Automatic suspension and fine for ball spinning after a catch or touchdown (Garcon rule).
• No more quarterbacks sprinting down the sidelines (Griffin rule)
• No more cut blocks (Trent Williams rule)
• No spending sprees for free agents after coming off a cap penalty year (Allen rule)

Withdrawn rule suggestions:
No more kickoffs (would have helped Kai Forbath, so they stay)

Important reminder - all Seahawk urine tests are to be tampered so that Richard Sherman can continue to be 'spiked' with Adderall.  Redskins urine tests are to be supervised by the local FBI.

Can you think of new ways to help the Giants and hurt the Redskins? Then send your application to NFL c/o Roger Goddell and you may find yourself employed!

Editor's note: Contributor Scott Hirsch is of the opinion that playoff runs are year-long campaigns and not just restricted to the football season.