Vinny Cerrato knows if Book’em Dano Snyder wants his coffee black or with cream & sugar. The unknown is whether Vinny can acquire the players needed to make the Redskins a playoff contender. What? Again you are saying that we already know the answer? The same answer to the question if Dano can build a winner?
Again, it’s a bit too early to tell. However, the track record is not on the coffee boy’s side.
The Redskins media guide gives Vinny credit for singing Bruce Smith & Deion Sanders. He also gets credit for signing free agents like Irving Fryar and Mark Carrier. No one seems to be taking credit for Jeff George or Brandon Lloyd. Also, no one believes that Vinny had anything to do with the big-name signings, those were all Book’em Dano.
Vinny has had success with choices likes of LaVar Arrington, Chris Samuels, Sean Taylor, and Carlos Rogers & LeRon Landry. This year we will know about Jason Campbell. However, my mother would have been able to pick a starter with a top 10 selection in the draft.
It must be said that the Vinny hasn’t had a lot of late picks in the draft as the Redskins under Book’em has traded them for veteran players. It is a philosophy that really isn’t working. The Skins always seem to be to slow (old) and lack depth. Vinny does has 2006 on the record as a good draft when the Skins picked up Kedric Golston, Reed Doughty, Anthony Montgomery and Roger McIntosh, all of whom have played and contributed.
This year was different only because Cincinnati would not trade Chad Johnson to us for a couple of No. 1 picks. Thank God for Cincinnati. Naturally, we traded our top pick but not for an over paid veteran, but for 2 second-round selections. This allowed the Redskins to draft 10 players, the most during the Snyder era. While it is too early to tell the real quality of the draft, all 10 made the team but none are expected to start. The down side is none of the 3 second-round draft choice is going to start or expected to play against the Giants.
The fact that all 10 of the draft choices made the team is cause for concern. Here are some scenarios.
1. Worst case – new coach Jim Zorn and his staff didn’t have the final say on who made the team
2. Not so good -- The Redskins are lowering their salary cap to jump back into the free agent market next year.
3. Best case – these draft choices were actually better than those cut and the Redskins will be a deeper team.
Don’t discount the last scenario as none of those on the final cut were any great shakes. Marcus Mason was a local favorite but really couldn’t be out the running backs in front of him. While there is reason to worry to punter Frost’s crying about his competition with Brooks being rigged, weren’t we tired of Frost’s inconsistency?
The concern is that those players cut were either drafted or pick up on Vinny’s recommendation.
Vinny, Vinny, Vinny.