Capital Gains

Mike Ditka started it. Buffalo wanted to help. Bill Walsh joined the cause, and now Jerry Jones appears willing to assist the Washington Redskins’ rise to prominence.

Dennis Green just plain surrendered.

The only thing the Redskins need to do now is find an engraver who can correctly etch their name on the Lombardi Trophy.

Two days before the NFL draft and five months before the first regular-season game, it’s over. They can go ahead and play the games, but the final outcome of the 2000 NFL season has been purchased/acquired by the Redskins in a series of off-season moves that has left everyone else behind.

Washington won the NFC East Division title a year ago by two games and has added Buffalo defensive end Bruce Smith, Detroit defensive back Mark Carrier and Minnesota’s Jeff George, the No. 3-rated passer in the league, to back up Brad Johnson, the No. 5-rated passer.

Throw in two of the top three selections in Saturday’s draft, possibly the signing of Dallas cornerback Deion Sanders sometime this June, and the NFC East’s continued emphasis on mediocrity in Philadelphia, New York and Arizona along with the decline of Dallas, and the Redskins have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

“I think it’s a little early to be talking about the Super Bowl,” said Coach Norv Turner, who saved his job with six wins in the team’s final nine games. “What we’re talking about now is doing the work to become a good team.”

Not much work involved when New Orleans Coach Ditka calls and says he has no idea how to put together a good team and would like to make one more colossal blunder before being fired.

Ditka gave the Redskins six draft picks last year to move up in the draft to select running back Ricky Williams. That’s a bad deal, made worse in that he also gave away two 2000 draft picks as part of that trade--the Saints’ first- and third-round picks. That’s eight players for the Redskins and one seemingly spoiled brat for the Saints.

Walsh, like Ditka, trying to capture the magic of glory days long gone, began this off-season by trading the No. 3 pick in Saturday’s draft to Washington to move back to Nos. 12 and 24. Walsh used similar tactics in the early ‘80s to build the 49ers into a dynasty, but as Ditka learned, history doesn’t always repeat.

In Dallas, Jones has made it known he can no longer pay Sanders big money and probably will set him free after June 1, a beneficial salary cap for teams throughout the league. Sanders has let it be known that he would like to play for a winner, identifying Washington as his choice to win it all this year.

“We’ve talked, but where it goes I have no way of knowing,” Turner said. “You just want to get as many good football players as you can.”

Or, in the case of the Bills, you want to get rid of as many good football players as you can, which is the only way to explain why they allowed Smith, a Buffalo icon, to leave.

“When they said Bruce Smith was available, I didn’t need to watch film to know that this was a guy who can help us,” Turner said. “He’s the kind of guy who can get a team over the hump. He played in 18 games last season, and the last game against Tennessee was probably his best of the season.”

It’s all falling into place for Washington. In Minnesota, Coach Dennis Green has been on a stupid binge for two years now, botching last year’s draft and misplaying the quarterback game this off-season. He overpaid Randall Cunningham last year and will probably release him after June 1. He didn’t want George, went after Dan Marino, lost Marino, suddenly wanted George and then lost him to Washington. Green goes into the season with Daunte Culpepper and Bubby Brister, while Washington counters with Johnson--another former Viking--and George.

The Redskins have the second and third choices in the first round, and if Cleveland keeps the first pick and selects Penn State defensive end Courtney Brown, the Redskins will take Alabama tackle Chris Samuels and Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington.

“You can’t go wrong with either Brown or Arrington,” Turner said. “Most people say this draft has three or four great players available--we know we’re going to get two of them.”

That leaves everyone else scrambling to see who will lose the NFC championship game to Washington or represent the AFC and lose in the Super Bowl.

A team by team look heading into the draft:

ARIZONA: The Cardinals, in desperate need for positive publicity as they attempt to win a new stadium deal, signed a center for $8.6 million. That ought to fire up the locals, who probably won’t take the time to learn how to pronounce the name of former Ram Mike Gruttadauria before the team moves elsewhere.

Draft needs: The Cardinals, ranked No. 29 on offense, scored only 19 points in the first quarter of play last year and leading rusher Adrian Murrell has signed with Washington. They need a running back and will probably take New Mexico linebacker Brian Urlacher.

ATLANTA: It’s not hard to understand why two of the Falcons’ top pass rushers left--they wanted the chance like everybody else to come back and sack Chris Chandler. Chuck Smith signed with Carolina and Lester Archambeau went to Denver. The Falcons gave $14.2 million to shaky receiver Shawn Jefferson, who probably dropped the check.

Draft need: Atlanta has no first-round pick. The Falcons could have had the fifth pick in this draft but gave it to Baltimore a year ago to take the 42nd pick last year: tight end Reggie Kelly. Remember, Dan Reeves is a friend of Ditka’s.

BALTIMORE: Last year the Ravens signed quarterbacks Scott Mitchell and Tony Banks. This year they picked up Trent Dilfer. The Ravens insist they are trying to win. Loaded on defense, they added more scoring punch on offense with signing of Denver tight end Shannon Sharpe.

Draft need: Coach Brian Billick, who had Randy Moss and Cris Carter in Minnesota, would love Peter Warrick. But the Ravens desperately need a running back and can take Virginia’s Thomas Jones with the fifth pick. They also have the 10th pick, acquiring it from Denver, which could land them Florida’s Travis Taylor.

BUFFALO: The Bills have lost Smith, running back Thurman Thomas, cornerback Thomas Smith, guard Dusty Zeigler, safety Kurt Schulz and wide receiver Andre Reed. Doug Flutie has been waving a white flag, only he’s too short for anyone to notice.

Draft needs: The Bills will play against Peyton Manning twice a year and appear defenseless in the secondary. Tennessee safety Deon Grant appears to be a likely candidate to replace Schulz at free safety. Then again, Flutie will be available because Rob Johnson will be playing quarterback.

CAROLINA: The offense improved under defensive-minded Coach George Seifert, but the defense collapsed. Carolina added four defenders through free agency to bolster the league’s 26th-ranked defense, including one of the game’s best pass rushers in Chuck Smith. This should solidify the Panthers’ quest to remain 8-8.

Draft needs: In somewhat of a surprise, the Panthers finished the year with the second-best passing attack. Therefore protecting quarterback Steve Beuerlein is a priority, making Tennessee guard Cosey Coleman a pick to satisfy a need with the 23rd choice in Round 1. Nothing more exciting for the fans than a first-round pick used to select a guard.

CHICAGO: The Bears added seven players through free agency and traded for Saint receiver Eddie Kennison to replace Curtis Conway, who signed with San Diego. An arm transplant for Cade McNown might have come cheaper. The league’s 29th-ranked defense gets a big boost with signings of Dolphin safety Shawn Wooden and cornerback Thomas Smith.

Draft needs: Miami tight end Bubba Franks would upgrade the offense, but if Arizona passes on Urlacher, the Bears won’t.

CINCINNATI: Quarterback Jeff Blake left for New Orleans, which tells you how bad Cincinnati is. The Bengals have been uncharacteristically active in free agency, signing defensive end Vaughn Booker from Green Bay and defensive tackle Tom Barndt from Kansas City, and may trade running back Corey Dillon on draft day.

Draft needs: The Bengals can give young quarterback Akili Smith a game-breaker in Warrick. NFL scouts have now determined that Warrick is too slow; these are the same guys who banished Kurt Warner to the Arena League.

CLEVELAND: Lots of movement, the kind you would expect from an expansion team that was projected by some to compete for a division title and fell on its collective facemask with two wins. The Browns spent $30 million signing Pittsburgh defensive end Orpheus Roye . . . so maybe they’ll win three games this year.

Draft needs: The Browns need more offensive weapons to complement Tim Couch, but will use the first pick in the draft on Brown . . . so maybe they’ll win four games. The Browns are open to trading the pick to the Jets, who now have four first-round picks and covet Arrington.

DALLAS: The Cowboys are headed over the cliff. Jones gave Chan Gailey two years and no players, and now tight end Eric Bjornson has gone to New England, linebacker Randall Godfrey to Tennessee and defensive end Kavika Pittman to Denver. The trade for Seattle receiver Joey Galloway gives the Cowboys a deep threat, essential for a team that should be playing from behind much of the year.

Draft needs: The Cowboys do not have first- and third-round picks or a cornerback to replace Sanders. They have promoted defensive coordinator Dave Campo to head coach, but the guy on the headsets could very well be Jones.

DENVER: You play for Coach Mike Shanahan, you better rent rather than buy. Shanahan released four players, including defensive ends Neil Smith and Alfred Williams, and added almost a dozen, including quarterback Gus Frerotte.

Draft needs: A quarterback, because it doesn’t appear that Shanahan is enamored of Brian Griese. Denver got the 15th pick and additional choices from Baltimore for the Broncos 10th choice. Denver’s probably in position to take the fourth-best receiver available.

DETROIT: The Lions signed Jacksonville running back James Stewart to replace Barry Sanders, who is doing TV commercials. They also added Schulz at safety and signed Mike Tomczak and Steve Stenstrom to replace Frerotte as Charlie Batch’s backup. That’s like a baseball team loading up on middle relievers and having no one to save the game.

Draft needs: The Lions pick 20th and need to shore up their offensive line, which could put Wisconsin tackle Chris McIntosh along the same line as last year’s top pick, Wisconsin tackle Aaron Gibson.

GREEN BAY: The Packers geared themselves up a year ago to beat Minnesota, and Tampa Bay ran off with the NFC Central title. Now they appear to have lost more than they have gained in free agency, hiring a bunch of journeymen to replace Booker, who signed with Cincinnati, and Keith McKenzie, who signed with Cleveland.

Draft needs: They can’t cover Randy Moss and now they have Keyshawn Johnson in the same division. They also have a tight end, Mark Chmura, who may be headed to jail.

INDIANAPOLIS: It has been a quiet off-season for the Colts, who are on the verge of greatness with Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison just beginning their careers. General Manager Bill Polian has been right two years in a row, taking Manning over Ryan Leaf and James over Ricky Williams.

Draft needs: It’s time to stockpile talent with the Colts picking No. 28. Brigham Young linebacker Rob Morris could take the pressure off Cornelius Bennett, recovering from a knee injury.

JACKSONVILLE: Many think the Jaguars have the best talent in the league, and adding the veteran skills of Tampa Bay linebacker Hardy Nickerson will help. But unless Coach Tom Coughlin eases off the throttle, the Jaguars figure to be too uptight to go the distance.

Draft needs: Tony Boselli is coming off a knee injury, and the Jaguars need to keep quarterback Mark Brunell on his feet. With the 29th pick they should take the best offensive lineman available, such as USC’s Travis Claridge.

KANSAS CITY: Here’s a blockbuster possibility: Barry Sanders playing running back for the Chiefs. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, it appears Coach Gunther Cunningham wasn’t pleased with his personnel a year ago. The Chiefs have signed 20 free agents, and while they may have added more quantity than quality, they have serious voids to fill after losing safety Reggie Tongue to Seattle, defensive tackle Tom Barndt to Cincinnati and tackle Glenn Parker to the New York Giants.

Draft needs: If the Chiefs take a running back, behind-the-scenes efforts to land Sanders probably failed. If they don’t take a running back, they are either intent on finishing third in the division or are closing in on Sanders.

MIAMI: New Coach Dave Wannstedt begins business without safety Wooden but has added 14 free agents, including New England guard Heath Irwin, Buffalo’s Thomas and Saint running back Lamar Smith. Add them all together and they still don’t make up for the loss of Dan Marino.

Draft needs: The Dolphins, directed at the time by Jimmy Johnson, gave their first-round pick to Carolina two years ago to select cornerback Patrick Surtain with the 44th choice. Johnson comes across at times just like Ditka.

MINNESOTA: Green has flipped out. Instead of immediately re-signing George and making a run for the playoffs, he hemmed and hawed and now has Brister. He has also put himself in position of being fired at the end of the season. He lost center Jeff Christy to rival Tampa Bay, defensive end Duane Clemons to Kansas City and cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock to Carolina.

Draft needs: Green threw away the first round last year, taking Culpepper and defensive end Dimitrius Underwood, who walked out on the team. The Vikings pick 25th and still need a defensive end, although they probably will have to settle for a cornerback such as Jackson State’s Rashard Anderson.

NEW ENGLAND: The Patriots released seven players, including tight end Ben Coates, running back Terry Allen and offensive tackles Bruce Armstrong and Zefross Moss because they were all Bill Parcells loyalists. The Patriots signed running back Raymont Harris, but they still lack a Curtis Martin-like back.

Draft needs: The Patriots gave up a first-round pick to hire Bill Belichick as head coach. It won’t be long before they experience buyer’s remorse.

NEW ORLEANS: New General Manager Randy Mueller, who left Seattle, did what most anyone would do after the Ditka regime: Find some real football players. Mueller released Billy Joe Hobert and signed Blake from Cincinnati. Hey, no one is saying Mueller knows what he is doing. He added another 17 free agents, including Minnesota receiver Jake Reed.

Draft needs: The Saints do not have a No. 1 pick but have a repentant Williams, who says now he didn’t mean to trash his teammates and the city of New Orleans.

NEW YORK GIANTS: The Giants lost safety Percy Ellsworth to Cleveland and cornerback Jeremy Lincoln to Denver, while adding linebacker Micheal Barrow from Carolina and Zeigler from Buffalo. As usual the Giants acquired no excitement.

Draft needs: The Giants have the 11th pick and a chance probably to take the second running back in the first round. You have to run the ball when your starting quarterback is Kerry Collins. Do they go after Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne?

NEW YORK JETS: Why would you let Parcells determine your future knowing he’s going to become a broadcaster as soon as the draft is over? Who would you rather have, Keyshawn Johnson or LaVar Arrington? They say Arrington is the next Lawrence Tayor? On the field or off?

Draft needs: You have the chance to add four quality players to your roster or go after the first pick. What do you do? Are the Jets one player away from contending for the Super Bowl? Hint: The answer is no.

OAKLAND: The Los Angeles Times has obtained a copy of the Oakland Raiders’ playbook: Rich Gannon will throw the ball to Tim Brown. Big secret, huh? Who else is he going to throw the ball to? Ricky Dudley? James Jett? Curtis Conway? Oops, he’s playing for the Chargers.

Draft needs: Coach Jon Gruden has done more with less on offense than anyone else in the league. No running back, no prime-time quarterback, no No. 2 receiver, so count on the Raiders taking a linebacker.

PHILADELPHIA: No one seemed interested in signing any of the Eagles’ players. What a surprise. Signing Tennessee tackle Jon Runyan makes up for all those poor draft picks along the offensive line the past decade. The Eagles, though, have become the Bengals of the NFC.

Draft needs: The Eagles need help along the defensive line, pick sixth and should get the fifth-best player available in the draft in Florida State defensive tackle Corey Simon unless someone swings a trade with Baltimore.

PITTSBURGH: The Steelers benched Kordell Stewart a year ago, tried to make a receiver out of him again and begin this season with him as their starting quarterback. Can you say “Chad Pennington?” Pennington is expected to be the only quarterback taken in Round 1, but is he worth the eighth pick?

Draft needs: The Steelers need a receiver capable of jumping higher than anyone else to catch Stewart’s wayward passes. If they don’t take Pennington, 6-foot-5 Michigan State receiver Plaxico Burress will chase down Stewart’s throws.

ST. LOUIS: The Rams lost their starting right tackle in Fred Miller, center in Gruttadauria and their head coach in Dick Vermeil. But they still have the NFC West to pick on, and finishing second to Washington is nothing to be ashamed about.

Draft needs: Time to find some backup help along the offensive line, which means its time to sharpen the darts. Look for someone like Arizona State’s Marvel Smith to get the kiss on the cheek from Georgia Frontiere.

SAN DIEGO: The Chargers have had an effective off-season. Say again. The Chargers have had an effective off-season. What they have lost, they have replaced, but the price they are paying for Leaf and his inability to become an effective contributor probably dooms them.

Draft needs: The Chargers could have had the 13th pick, which they need desperately, but surrendered it to Tampa Bay for Mikhael Ricks, taken in the second round two years ago. The NFL should give the Chargers a do-over. Every year.

SAN FRANCISCO: The 49ers are in full retreat. Walsh wants to grab a bunch of draft picks and reinvent himself. He doesn’t want Steve Young back in uniform and will probably not let him pass the team’s physical examination. This will make for a very long year in San Francisco.

Draft needs: The 49ers need a quarterback, and almost everyone has Pennington going there unless hijacked by Pittsburgh. San Francisco can probably land Pennington by moving further back in the first round.

SEATTLE: The Seahawks, who lost six of their last seven, have lost Galloway, defensive lineman Sam Adams, safety Darryl Williams, center Kevin Glover and linebacker Darrin Smith. They still have quarterback Jon Kitna, which may not be a good thing.

Draft needs: Without Galloway, someone needs to be hired to catch the ball. Georgia Tech’s Dez White and Jackson State’s Sylvester Morris are the next-best available receivers after the top three.

TAMPA BAY: How can anyone argue with the acquisition of Johnson, considering the Buccaneers’ inability to locate the end zone a year ago? The signing of Christy and Randall McDaniel will give young quarterback Shaun King time to find Johnson.

Draft needs: The Buccaneers no longer have a first-round pick, but Warren Sapp & Co. aren’t complaining after securing someone like Johnson, who will insist upon scoring.

TENNESSEE: The Titans remain on their game. They lost Runyan, but filled his spot with Miller at tackle. They also added Godfrey at linebacker and convinced Neil O’Donnell to stay behind Steve McNair. It’s hard for good teams to keep their players, but the Titans look poised for another run.

Draft needs: After facing St. Louis’ passing blitz and losing cornerback Anthony Dorsett to the Raiders, a cornerback such as California’s Deltha O’Neal might find a home.

WASHINGTON: Hail the Redskins. New owner Dan Snyder, who is doing his best Jerry Jones imitation, will have the entire NFL rooting against him this season. Snyder is spending money, and his arrogance and poor treatment of Turner have not gone over well with his peers.

Draft needs: The addition of Samuels fills a big-time leak along the offensive line, and one of the Penn State defenders gives new defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes a fighting chance to improve the No. 30 defense.

NFL Draft Order

The order of selection for the first round of the NFL draft Saturday:

1. Cleveland; 2. Washington (from New Orleans); 3. Washington (from San Francisco); 4. Cincinnati; 5. Baltimore (from Atlanta); 6. Philadelphia; 7. Arizona; 8. Pittsburgh; 9. Chicago; 10. Baltimore (from Denver); 11. New York Giants; 12. San Francisco (from Washington via Carolina); 13. New York Jets (from Tampa Bay via San Diego); 14. Green Bay; 15. Denver (from Baltimore); 16. New York Jets (from New England); 17. Oakland; 18. New York Jets; 19. Seattle (from Dallas); 20. Detroit; 21. Kansas City; 22. Seattle; 23. Carolina (from Miami); 24. San Francisco (from Washington); 25. Minnesota; 26. Buffalo; 27. New York Jets (from Tampa Bay); 28. Indianapolis; 29. Jacksonville; 30. Tennessee; 31. St. Louis.

Redskin Off-Season Additions

Washington aimed to improve its defense, ranked next to last in 1999, and then added security at quarterback behind oft-injured starter Brad Johnson.

DRAFT 2000

NFL DRAFT

* Saturday: 9 a.m., ESPN, Rounds 1-3

* Sunday: 8 a.m., ESPN2, Rounds 4-7