THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504210640
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ASHBURN, VA. LENGTH: Long : 201 lines
Listening to Washington Redskins general manager Charley Casserly, you're not sure whether he's more interested in his team's first-round draft pick or the one right before it, property of the Houston Oilers.
If the draft goes the way some experts expect and the expansion Carolina Panthers pick Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter, Jacksonville nabs Southern Cal offensive tackle Tony Boselli and the Oilers pluck Alcorn State quarterback Steve ``Air'' McNair, Washington likely will keep its pick.
The Redskins will choose, Casserly said, between ``somebody who can score points and somebody who can get to the quarterback.''
The point-scorer almost certainly would be Colorado wide receiver Michael Westbrook. The pass-rusher most likely would be either Miami defensive tackle Warren Sapp or Florida defensive end Kevin Carter.
Westbrook, 6-foot-3, with great speed (consistent 4.5 40-yard dashes) and a knack for running precise pass routes, moved ahead of UCLA's J.J. Stokes and Ohio State's Joey Galloway with his work at the Indianapolis combine. He is considered the type of physical presence Washington coach Norv Turner would love to put out beside Henry Ellard.
``I don't want to put pressure on anybody, but we expect the guy two or three years down the road to contend for playing in the Pro Bowl,'' Turner said. ``We're going to evaluate a half-dozen players, say this is the best guy there, and take him.''
Westbrook's work habits also excite the Redskins, something they can't say about Stokes, who was out of shape and sluggish at the combine. Galloway may be the fastest of the three, but he is just about 5-8, a factor that has scared most teams with top-10 picks.
Sapp, 6-1, 275 pounds, has brilliant quickness rarely seen in a defensive tackle. The Redskins, and other teams, have minimized the impact of Sapp's having tested positive for marijuana at the combine. Sapp has denied any accusations of regular drug use and says he would gladly submit to daily drug testing by whatever team selects him, if that's what it takes to restore his reputation.
The Redskins may be a step ahead of the rest of the league in their evaluation of Sapp. Defensive line coach Bob Karmelowicz not only coached Sapp at Miami, he was the one responsible for shifting Sapp from offense to defense.
Another factor in Sapp's favor is that the Redskins spent the bulk of the offseason fortifying the center of their defense, signing safeties James Washington and Stanley Richard and linebackers Rod Stephens and Marvcus Patton. A tackle of Sapp's vast potential could finish that process.
But Carter, a prototypical defensive end at 6-5, 295 pounds, would fill another chronic need - a pass rusher. Ken Harvey led the Redskins last year with 13 1/2, but he virtually pressured opposing quarterbacks alone. Washington has more tackle prospects than ends on its roster now - Tim Johnson, Bobby Wilson, Marc Boutte, Lamar Mills, Anthony Abrams - and third-year end Sterling Palmer has been a bust.
Carter has the reputation for taking plays off and not always giving maximum effort, something at which Sapp excels. But some league scouts say that information is false, that it's the offshoot of internal problems within the Florida coaching staff.
But the real fun for Casserly would come if the Oilers opted for someone other than McNair - and talk is that new Oilers quarterback coach Jerry Rhome would prefer to stick with veteran Chris Chandler, whom he coached with the Arizona Cardinals, and draft someone like Westbrook.
That would leave McNair and the other highest-rated quarterback, Penn State's Kerry Collins, available and make the Redskins prime targets for trade offers that could net them extra choices. Coming off a 3-13 record last season, the team could use all the help it can get.
``If Jacksonville passes on a quarterback and Houston passes on a quarterback and (Kerry) Collins and (Steve) McNair are there, there will be teams wanting to come up to us to get one,'' Casserly explained. ``If more than one team comes up, we may get an offer we can't refuse.
``Both quarterbacks, and what Houston does, are the wildcards. Houston does not have a young quarterback and was hit hard by free agency in the defensive line. Nobody knows what direction Houston will go.''
The Minnesota Vikings, who have two No. 1 picks - the 11th and 24th of the round - have been most-often mentioned as being interested in trading up for McNair. They also have two second-round choices.
A deal that would net Casserly both No. 1s, or some combination of first- and second-round choices, could appeal to the Redskins. Depending on the mix, the Redskins might still be able to meet their receiver needs with Stokes at No. 11, and get a prized defensive lineman like Hugh Douglas of unheralded Central State in Ohio or Florida State's Derrick Alexander.
Casserly said a decision like that wouldn't be made until the Redskins were preparing to pick on Saturday.
``Nobody has given us something to think seriously about,'' Casserly said. ``Teams won't come after you unless a player is there that they want. Nothing will happen until we're on the clock Saturday. The first three teams don't have a young quarterback to develop.''
Casserly also didn't rule out the Redskins making a surprise pick at a position thought to be relatively solid. Quarterback, safety, linebacker, punter and kicker are out as early-round draft possibilities. Everything else, however, is fair game, even if it wouldn't necessarily fill an existing void.
``We want to take the best football player available, then set that player into a need,'' Casserly explained. ``This is not the only way to acquire players. We acquire players through free agency, trade, and there will be a scaled-down market after the draft and we will probably be able to get some players after the draft who will help you. It may be for just one year, but you're better off doing that than reaching for a player.''
ASHBURN, Va. - Listening to Washington Redskins general manager Charley Casserly, you're not sure whether he's more interested in his team's first-round draft pick or the one right before it, property of the Houston Oilers.
If the draft goes the way some experts expect and the expansion Carolina Panthers pick Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter, Jacksonville nabs Southern Cal offensive tackle Tony Boselli and the Oilers pluck Alcorn State quarterback Steve ``Air'' McNair, Washington likely will keep its pick.
The Redskins will choose, Casserly said, between ``somebody who can score points and somebody who can get to the quarterback.''
The point-scorer almost certainly would be Colorado wide receiver Michael Westbrook. The pass-rusher most likely would be either Miami defensive tackle Warren Sapp or Florida defensive end Kevin Carter.
Westbrook, 6-foot-3, with great speed (consistent 4.5 40-yard dashes) and a knack for running precise pass routes, moved ahead of UCLA's J.J. Stokes and Ohio State's Joey Galloway with his work at the Indianapolis combine. He is considered the type of physical presence Washington coach Norv Turner would love to put out beside Henry Ellard.
``I don't want to put pressure on anybody, but we expect the guy two or three years down the road to contend for playing in the Pro Bowl,'' Turner said. ``We're going to evaluate a half-dozen players, say this is the best guy there, and take him.''
Westbrook's work habits also excite the Redskins, something they can't say about Stokes, who
was out of shape and sluggish at the combine. Galloway may be the fastest of the three, but he is just about 5-8, a factor that has scared most teams with top-10 picks.
Sapp, 6-1, 275 pounds, has brilliant quickness rarely seen in a defensive tackle. The Redskins, and other teams, have minimized the impact of Sapp's having tested positive for marijuana at the combine. Sapp has denied any accusations of regular drug use and says he would gladly submit to daily drug testing by whatever team selects him, if that's what it takes to restore his reputation.
The Redskins may be a step ahead of the rest of the league in their evaluation of Sapp. Defensive line coach Bob Karmelowicz not only coached Sapp at Miami, he was the one responsible for shifting Sapp from offense to defense.
Another factor in Sapp's favor is that the Redskins spent the bulk of the offseason fortifying the center of their defense, signing safeties James Washington and Stanley Richard and linebackers Rod Stephens and Marvcus Patton. A tackle of Sapp's vast potential could finish that process.
But Carter, a prototypical defensive end at 6-5, 295 pounds, would fill another chronic need - a pass rusher. Ken Harvey led the Redskins last year with 13 1/2, but he virtually pressured opposing quarterbacks alone. Washington has more tackle prospects than ends on its roster now - Tim Johnson, Bobby Wilson, Marc Boutte, Lamar Mills, Anthony Abrams - and third-year end Sterling Palmer has been a bust.
Carter has the reputation for taking plays off and not always giving maximum effort, something at which Sapp excels. But some league scouts say that information is false, that it's the offshoot of internal problems within the Florida coaching staff.
But the real fun for Casserly would come if the Oilers opted for someone other than McNair - and talk is that new Oilers quarterback coach Jerry Rhome would prefer to stick with veteran Chris Chandler, whom he coached with the Arizona Cardinals, and draft someone like Westbrook.
That would leave McNair and the other highest-rated quarterback, Penn State's Kerry Collins, available and make the Redskins prime targets for trade offers that could net them extra choices. Coming off a 3-13 record last season, the team could use all the help it can get.
``If Jacksonville passes on a quarterback and Houston passes on a quarterback and (Kerry) Collins and (Steve) McNair are there, there will be teams wanting to come up to us to get one,'' Casserly explained.
``If more than one team comes up, we may get an offer we can't refuse. Both quarterbacks, and what Houston does, are the wildcards. Houston does not have a young quarterback and was hit hard by free agency in the defensive line. Nobody knows what direction Houston will go.''
The Minnesota Vikings, who have two No. 1 picks - the 11th and 24th of the round - have been most-often mentioned as being interested in trading up for McNair. They also have two second-round choices.
A deal that would net Casserly both No. 1s, or some combination of first- and second-round choices, could appeal to the Redskins. Depending on the mix, the Redskins might still be able to meet their receiver needs with Stokes at No. 11, and get a prized defensive lineman like Hugh Douglas of unheralded Central State in Ohio or Florida State's Derrick Alexander.
Casserly said a decision like that wouldn't be made until the Redskins were preparing to pick on Saturday.
Casserly also didn't rule out the Redskins making a surprise pick at a position thought to be relatively solid. Quarterback, safety, linebacker, punter and kicker are out as early-round draft possibilities. Everything else, however, is fair game, even if it wouldn't necessarily fill an existing void.
``We want to take the best football player available, then set that player into a need,'' Casserly explained. ``This is not the only way to acquire players. We acquire players through free agency, trade, and there will be a scaled-down market after the draft and we will probably be able to get some players after the draft who will help you. It may be for just one year, but you're better off doing that than reaching for a player.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Redskins are high on Colorado wide receiver Michael Westbrook,
who has great speed and runs precise pass routes. His stock rose
after his performance at the Indianapolis scouting combine.
Photo
Warren Sapp was coached by the Redskins' line coach at Miami. He or
Florida's Kevin Carter might join the Skins if they opt for defense
with their top pick.
by CNB