Hog Heaven writers Anthony Brown and Scott Hirsch had a private debate on whether the Redskins should pick one of football’s bad boys, LSU’s troubled defensive back Tyrann Mathieu in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Scott believed the Honey Badger was too good a talent for the Redskins to bypass. Washington was then and still is in sore need of DB talent.
I believed that a team short on Draft picks – the ‘Skins traded its 2013 first round pick for RGIII – and with Tanard Jackson already on a yearlong suspension should not risk its pick on another player lacking impulse control. Mathieu is not the ideal height for the position either.
Neither of us knew that Jackson’s future held another yearlong suspension. Jackson is a middlin’ talent, but his absence left a void at free safety. That’s Mathieu’s position.
Former Redskins returner and football analyst Brian Mitchell says NFL teams must consider players with red flags. Elite talent is too thin to be dismissive of players like Greg Hardy, Kong Suh and Mathieu.
That logic that led the New England Patriots to extend Aaron Hernandez’ contract to their later regret.
But Hog Heaven sees Mitchell’s point. It’s part of the landscape. We are holding our noses anyway after the atrocious performance by Redskins safeties in 2014. Why not a player with issues?
“We are not in the business of well-adjusted human beings.”
~ NY Giants GM George Young
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