Thoughts on NFL draft picks #s 1 and 2

Let me step out of my box for a moment. Most of the time, I let CC handle NFL draft stuff. He spends a ton more time researching this stuff, watching the players, and working on NFL draft than I ever do. But this weekend's trade by the Washington Redskins seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I like Robert Griffin III a lot more than CC does. I thought he was pretty accurate, and did a good job going through reads and progressions, and was much better in both aspects than Cam Newton. And Newton was a much better than I'd imagined for Carolina.

But even if Griffin is a better QB, he's smaller, and needs help. Particularly on the OL, which the Panthers have a pretty good unit protecting Newton with Otah, Gross, Kalil, Wharton, etc, but the Redskins have a disaster. They have no RBs, their best WR is Santana Moss's ancient legs or Jabar "I steal from high school kids" Gaffney. Newton had, in addition to that line, two great rushers, an elite WR, and two strong TEs. Griffin's got nothing but cap space. Now, the Redskins will spend money, although they have never spent it wisely.

So to recap, Newton looks like a worse QB, but had much better tools around him to succeed. Griffin looks like the better QB, but will have a load of crap to help him out. And football is the most team oriented of the major sports. A QB can't operate without a line to give him time, a WR to catch, or a RB to keep Ds honest. He needs help, no matter how good he is. And RG3 will have no help. The Redskins don't have any now, and can't add any to help him thanks to giving up their 2nd round pick this year, and #1s the next two years. Yeah, RG3 might be a great QB, but we may never know if he gets his head knocked off two years in and becomes skittish like David Gloves Carr. The Rams on the other hand, just got loaded. They can keep retooling around Sam Bradford, giving him some OL and weapons to throw too. Or if he keeps breaking, they just might have the #1 pick next year (thanks to Washington) and can land Matt Barkley, and then give him help in an OL or WR with their own #1 pick.

And on that note, would Indianapolis change their mind if they knew their pick could bring in an arguably better haul? Maybe add a 3rd or 4th on to this year's 1st and 2nd, maybe another #1 a few more years out, if not both. Do that deal, and pass on Luck, you can keep Peyton, and actually have pieces to improve the declining roster around him. Or if he can't come back, you can go again with the Barkley and plethora of picks as mentioned above for the Rams. It'd be a win-win regardless of Peyton's declining health and age. Dumb move imo by Indianapolis not letting Luck go for the bevy of future beauties, and dumb move by Washington adding what may be a franchise QB who even if he is everything they dream about, won't be able to show it thanks to a dumpster fire of an OL and no WRs or RBs worth a damn.