Quarterback, Running Back, and Wide Receiver Free Agent Targets for Redskins
Washington has many holes collectively on both sides of the football, and when you include the pending free agents currently on the roster, the holes may become more significant. Roster turnover is typical, and coaches adjust accordingly. Expect Washington to have plenty of cap room heading into this off-season. Vice President of Player Personnel Kyle Smith and Head Coach Ron Rivera will be entering their most critical part of the season for the first time together. Assessing the many different free-agent options around the NFL, the options for these three positions make the most sense at this time:
Quarterback: Blaine Gabbert (30) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, A.J. McCarron (29) – Houston Texans, Kyle Allen (24) – Carolina Panthers (ERFA)
The Redskins are expected to retain only Dwayne Haskins and Alex Smith at the quarterback position. Assuming Alex Smith is still not be ready by the start of the 2020 season, the Redskins need a quarterback or two in the off-season. The most familiar player for Washington to target would be Kyle Allen. Allen, who had his best professional season in 2019, is an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA), which means he may become available if the Panthers do not offer him a one-year league-minimum deal. Alternatively, Blaine Gabbert and A.J. McCarron are unrestricted free agents. Gabbert and McCarron are proven veteran backups, not starting material, but can be viable options for spot duty while also providing Haskins additional insight.
Running Back: Carlos Hyde (28) – Houston Texans, Jordan Howard (25) – Philadelphia Eagles
The Redskins currently have Derrius Guice, Bryce Love, and Adrian Peterson under contract. Assuming that Washington keeps Peterson by exercising its club option for the 2020 season, then the Redskins are in good shape at the position. They would only need to address the running back position through the draft. However, based on how the coaches felt about Peterson, primarily former head coach Jay Gruden, Peterson is not guaranteed a spot on the roster. Carlos Hyde and Jordan Howard are cheap options for Washington and are good backs who can produce very well in a rotation that Washington likes to use.
Wide Receiver: A.J. Green (32) – Cincinnati Bengals, Robby Anderson (27) – New York Jets, Devin Funchess (26) – Indianapolis Colts, Travis Benjamin (30) – Los Angeles Chargers, Phillip Dorsett (27) – New England Patriots, Demarcus Robinson (25) – Kansas City Chiefs, Breshad Perriman (26) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There is a need for a veteran presence at the wide receiver position. In 2019, the Redskins best receivers were three rookies; however, playmakers are still needed. Terry McLaurin was a great addition to Washington, but the position group is still deficient. Robby Anderson ($12 million annually expected) and A.J. Green ($9 million annually expected) are the longshot targets in this group. Furthermore, A.J. Green will likely draw much interest from presumably contending teams in 2020. The same can be said for Robby; however, if he is going for the money in his first free-agency, he will cast a wider net. Travis Benjamin and Devin Funchess, though both are talented, are coming off a season in which they only played five and one game respectively and should be relatively cheap. Demarcus Robinson and Breshad Perriman will be solid additions to the position group, too. Perriman had a brief stint in Washington, and will likely see better opportunities in free agency if he does not re-sign with the Buccaneers. However, if Washington presents the opportunity to him to come back, Perriman would be the desired option for Haskins, whose aggressive nature will be an ideal situation for Breshad to be a part of.
Expected annual money in this article are provided by spotrac.com