The defense for the 2020 Washington Redskins is starting to shape up pretty nicely, and with a duo of highly-respected defensive coaches now in the door, there’s a chance for them to be pretty good this upcoming season.
Not only does the defensive line have a solid foundation, with the prospect of bringing in Chase Young — the best defensive end that college football has seen in years — but the secondary is young and talented, with a budding Quinton Dunbar and a promising group underneath him.
That leaves the middle of the defense to focus on. While the Redskins were forced to piece together a linebacking core in 2019 after Reuben Foster went down with a season-ending injury in OTAs, they look to be a little bit more sound at the position as they enter the offseason. Foster is set to return, and rookie linebacker Cole Holcomb had a stellar first season, where he presented himself as a solid piece in the middle of the Washington defense. Still, that leaves one spot for the Redskins to try and improve to allow their defense to take shape, and it’s highly possible that they take to the free-agent market in order to do so. Here are a few players that we think they should try to bring into Ashburn.
Mychal Kendricks — Seattle Seahawks
Kendricks has had a solid career in the NFL, and his nose for the football inside the box makes him a valuable addition to run-stopping efforts. In his past two seasons with the Seahawks, he has stepped up as a valuable playmaker at inside linebacker, with 90 total tackles and 12 tackles for loss. He also has shown a little bit of ability to get out into coverage, defending five passes with one interception in Seattle, to go along with his three interceptions during his six years with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kendricks is coming off of back-to-back one-year contracts in Seattle, the last of which was worth $4 million. 2019 was an average season for the 8-year veteran; he improved on a disappointing 2018, but it could be considered a down year compared to the numbers that he used to put up in Philadelphia. The Redskins could likely sign him to a short, two- or three-year deal that is easy on the salary cap, and allow him to help grow a young and promising defense. His stats don’t exactly line up with his name recognition, but this signing would surely get Redskins fans jazzed about the upcoming season.
Blake Martinez — Green Bay Packers
Martinez is one of the top free agents in the 2020 linebackers class, as he’s seen his career take off in Green Bay under defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. In 2019, Martinez totaled 155 total tackles, which marked his third straight season with more than 140. He also had three sacks, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one interception. The Packers finished as a top-10 defense in the 2019 season, and they’re one game away from playing for a Super Bowl ring as well — Martinez is one of the reasons why.
Martinez has been playing on a 4-year, $2.72 million contract in Green Bay, and he will likely be rewarded for his play on the field when he signs a new contract. Of course, as is the case with many players who play for a Super Bowl, Martinez’s future aspirations could go one of two ways. The Packers could win the Super Bowl and see their roster get ravaged by teams in free agency as their top free agents look to capitalize on the success. Or, they could lose short of a championship, and Martinez could choose to re-sign in Green Bay, touting the mantra of ‘unfinished business.’ However, if he’s on the market, it would behoove Washington to try and snag him.
Joe Schobert — Cleveland Browns
The Browns defense struggled quite a bit in 2019, but that doesn’t mean that all of their players were bad. It’s similar to the situation in Washington; even one of the worst defenses in the leagues can still have bright spots, and a select number of players should still be recognized for their ability to put up stats. That recognition should fall to Schobert, who finished the season with 133 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and four interceptions.
Schobert routinely impressed with his ability to rack up high-tackles numbers in a single game, putting up games of 16, 13, 11, 11 and 10, respectively. Like Martinez, he has been playing on a team-friendly, four-year, $2.97 million deal that will likely be rewarded once he hits the open market. Still, the Redskins are expected to have a little bit of flexibility in free agency this year, and Schobert is a player that they could definitely look at adding to the roster.
