On February 4, 2004 I wrote the following:

“In short, don't expect Kellen Winslow II (don't even get me started on that II) to be wearing the burgundy and gold.”

And since the end of the NFL regular season I’ve been telling anybody who would listen (a list that grows shorter by the day) that there was no way that a Joe Gibbs-coached team would select Kellen Winslow in the NFL Draft. I was adamant about this. I even got into an argument with a guy at Jiffy Lube about this very topic; an argument that ended with me making fun of his Prius and then stealing the TV antenna so he and all the others waiting for their “30 minute” oil change couldn’t watch Judge Joe Brown. But then for some reason, I backed off. It wasn’t until recently that it happened, but at some point I began to believe the Redskins might take KWII. I even wrote this in my mock draft:

If they do stay at #5, Gibbs will probably go with Winslow.

I don’t know why I changed my mind, but I suspect it had something to do with all the experts who claimed that Gibbs couldn’t resist a do-it-all tight-end. And maybe all the press reports about “inside sources” (ie, the UPS guy who delivers to Redskins Park) claiming the Redskins were going to take Winslow got to me also. I should have known better. I did know better. But I was, as Manfred Mann said, blinded by the light; revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night. There was never any way Gibbs was going to take Winslow. I don’t care about the press reports that said the Redskins only decided to take Sean Taylor 48 hours before the draft started. I think that deep down, Joe Gibbs always wanted a Chris Cooley-type player, a prototypical tight-end who can run-block, pass-block and catch the ball when needed. That’s not what Kellen Winslow is. Winslow will be like Tony Gonzalez. He’ll catch 75 balls, have five touchdowns and average about 11 yards-per-catch. He’ll make the Pro Bowl, have lots of catches that show up on NFL Primetime and he’ll be the best pass-catching tight-end in the league. But the knock on Winslow has been his blocking. It won’t matter to the Browns who will build their offense around Winslow’s receiving talents. To the Redskins though, Winslow’s inferior blocking skills did matter. Gibbs needs a guy like Clint Didier. A player who can line up as an H-back or tight end. A guy who will need to grab 35 receptions, usually for 12-15 yards, and 5 or 6 in the end zone. Winslow will be the focus of opposing team’s secondary. A Gibbs guy should be the focus of opposing team’s defensive lines and linebackers. And when that happens, the tight-end should free up for a few plays a game for big receptions. He won’t be a main target, he’ll be more of a not-so-secret weapon. The selection of Sean Taylor and rejection of Kellen Winslow should serve as a reminder that: 1) Joe Gibbs is running the show, not Dan Snyder and 2) Never listen to the press.

Sean Taylor, Safety, University of Miami
5th pick, 1st Round
It was a bit discomforting to see Drew Rosenhaus, an agent who gets his clients so much money that he probably could have gotten J. Lo $3 million to star in Gigli Returns, sitting in Taylor’s pad in Florida. But it means that Taylor is going to get paid. It will probably take a signing bonus in excess of $15 million to get the Taylor into camp.
That’s a lot of money for a safety, but apparently he’ll be worth it. Some say he’ll be just like the Cowboys Roy Williams.
If he is, Dan Snyder better keep his checkbook in his pocket because Williams was probably the most overrated player in football last year.
Listen, big hits don’t make you a great safety. They’re fun to watch, but they don’t make up for average coverage skills. Williams is one of those guys that everybody thinks is good because his reputation says so. Kind of like Derek Jeter.
Williams will be alright because he has Bill Parcells as his coach. And if there are holes in Williams’ game, then you know Parcells will have them fixed by September.
Sorry about digressing like that, I’ve had that Roy Williams thing on my mind for a while now.
The Redskins needed defensive line help, but without any marquee d-line prospects in the draft, their hands were tied picking at #5. (Tommie Harris was the first defensive lineman drafted, he went to the Bears at #15.) And since there were apparently no enticing offers to trade down, the Redskins made the right pick with Taylor.
Now Matt Bowen can move back to strong safety, his original position and Fred Smoot and Shawn Springs will get some much-needed help in the secondary.

Chris Cooley, Tight End, Utah State
81st pick, 3rd Round
The Skins essentially traded a second-round pick next year for Chris Cooley.
Under Dan Snyder and his trained-puppy Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins have been handing out draft picks like they were flyers for strip clubs in Times Square.
But this is a player Washington has had their eye on for a while and under Gibbs he should prove worth the investment.
The 6’4 tight end was one of only a few players brought in to Redskins Park that wasn’t projected to be a first-rounder, meaning the Skins had their eye on him for a while.
Gibbs is said to be enamored with Cooley’s potential as an H-back and red-zone threat.

Mark Wilson, Tackle, California
151st pick, 5th Round

Jim Molinaro, Tackle, Notre Dame
180th pick, 6th Round

Wilson, a durable tackle from Cal, and Molinaro, more of a project pick, will be penciled in as backups for the season. And with the way the Redskins o-line gets banged up during the year, that means he should get ready to play.
It seems strange that the Skins didn’t pick up any defensive lineman late in the draft. True, the team hasn’t had much success picking defense in the late rounds (Mario Monds, Greg Scott), but it is still the most glaring need for the team.
Does selecting two tackles signify that Chris Samuels is on his way out in Washington? It’s no secret that Samuels and his agent (Jimmy Sexton) don’t want to renegotiate his contract for this season, when Samuels will have an $8.75 million cap hit. The Skins can afford that this season, but in 2005 Samuels will count an unwieldy $10 million against the cap, and if he doesn’t renegotiate, he could be cut.
Who makes these contracts in the first place? Do Snyder and Cerrato have no foresight? Don’t answer that.

2004 Redskins Draft Grade: Draft grades 48 hours after a draft finishes are even more stupid than people who dress their dogs up in sweaters. I refuse to give one.
In 2000 Peter King gave the Bears a C- for a draft that included Brian Urlacher and Mike Brown. The Steelers got a B+ from King for the same draft. His rationale? “I have a sneaking suspicion that [5th round pick]Tee Martin will be the Pittsburgh quarterback late in the season.”
Of course, this is the same guy who insisted that Danny Wuerffel would lead the Redskins to the playoffs in 2002.