Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 25, 1994 TAG: 9404250092
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: ASHBURN LENGTH: Medium
The Redskins used their first two picks in Sunday's NFL draft to select their quarterback of the future and a massive offensive lineman they hope will help keep him healthy.
In the first round, Washington used the third pick to grab Tennessee's Heath Shuler, the clean-living quarterback they insisted they had coveted since March. In the second round, they selected Tre' Johnson, a 312-pound offensive tackle from Temple.
"This was one of the big factors in me being interested in the job in Washington," coach Norv Turner said, referring to the chance to develop a young quarterback as he did Troy Aikman with Dallas. "The fact that the Redskins had the No. 3 pick and there were two good quarterbacks available and the opportunity to watch and help develop a young quarterback played into my thinking."
The quarterback the Redskins rated just behind Shuler was Fresno State's Trent Dilfer, taller and with a more accurate passing touch than Shuler. Washington officials said they had been hooked on Shuler since March 17, the date of a workout he staged for NFL scouts.
It was that day they took in the full scope of his athletic talent - the fact that Shuler high-jumped 6 feet, 9 inches in high school, played center on the basketball team even though he was 6-foot-2 and starred as a catcher in baseball.
"Over the long haul, it was Heath's overall ability that pushed him over the top," Turner said. "He's quick with the football, he's accurate with the football, he has great escape ability and he has the ability to avoid the big hits. There were lots of things in each film I watched on him that would get you excited."
Shuler will be Washington's most mobile quarterback since Joe Theismann (1974-85), another factor that gave him the nod over his more stationary rival.
He also is the first quarterback the Redskins have drafted with a first-round pick in 33 years - or since Norm Snead.
"It's a big day," said Charley Casserly, Washington's general manager. "Any time you select a quarterback this high in the draft, it's an important day. We've had to make some tough decisions since last season, and one area we decided we needed to improve was quarterback."
The Redskins failed to obtain the wide receiver or defensive linemen many predicted they'd select with their second pick.
They lost their shot for a well-regarded college receiver when Cincinnati took San Diego State's Darnay Scott with the initial pick of the second round.
Earlier, they lost their shot at a quality defensive end when Henry Ford went to Houston with the 26th pick of the first round.
That left Johnson, thought by some experts to be gone by the time the second round began. A terrific athlete who played for a bad team, the Redskins chose to ignore stories of Johnson's problem with weight and his lack of consistency to draft someone they feel may start at right tackle this season.
Johnson, a left tackle for the Owls, will begin competing for Ed Simmons' spot at right tackle. He also might play guard.
"I'm ecstatic," Johnson said. "To have a chance at being a real Hog - it's a lineman's dream."
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB