As the Washington Redskins look to enter the 2020 free agency period and fill out their roster with valuable pieces going forward, they need to recognize the number of holes that have developed in the depth chart.
While at first glance, you can notice that the wide receiving corp needs help, and a playmaking tight end might bolster the passing game, what’s more important than both of those things is that rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins has time to drop back and find his receivers downfield. None of that happens if the Redskins don’t find a valuable offensive lineman to hold down the left side of the front.
This is where the Redskins have several options going forward, and the situation could likely play out in several different ways. After Trent Williams held out for the 2019 season, the Redskins were left searching for an answer at the position, and though Donald Penn was serviceable for the season, he is not the answer going forward. The way we see it, there are three answers to this problem; you get Williams to come back to the team and give him the contract extension he is asking for; you draft a left tackle in 2020 and hope that he can develop into a young player that makes a difference in his early years; or you look to spend some money in the free agency market in 2020 and choose to patch that hole with a relatively expensive bandaid.
If you believe that option three is the most likely to succeed, here are some names that you should look out for in March.
D.J. Humphries — Arizona Cardinals
Humphries is a young and dynamic player who was drafted in the first round of the 2015 draft, and he’s getting set to test the free agency market for the first time in his career.
In his four years with the Cardinals, Humphries moved around the offensive line a bit and battled injuries at times, but he played 100 percent of snaps in 2019 and became a valued member of the Arizona locker room. Standing at 6-5, 307 pounds, Humphries has the size to be dominant on the left side of the line.
It may be hard to pry Humphries away from the Cardinals this year, however, as the team has shown a liking for his presence in the locker room, and Arizona is also projected to have upwards of $70 million available in salary cap this year. If they want to shell out a nice payday for the up-and-coming left tackle, he would be hard-pressed to say no. However, if the Redskins get the chance, they could do a lot worse than signing Humphries to be a part of what they’re building in Washington.
Greg Robinson — Cleveland Browns
After six years of experience in the NFL, Robinson is now moving into the second half of his career as one of the premier left tackles in the league. After being drafted by the St. Louis Rams, and also spending time with the Detroit Lions, Robinson most recently played in Cleveland, where he is in the closing weeks of a one-year, $9 million contract with the team.
Cleveland could very well choose to keep him around after he played 15 games in 2019 and only committed 10 total penalties. With a young and hopefully improving quarterback in Baker Mayfield, stability at the left tackle position could be a major goal for the Browns going forward, and new head coach Kevin Stefanski is sure to do whatever he can in order to help his offense succeed.
As an unrestricted free agent, however, Robinson could listen to any offer that he pleases, and it might be more enticing for him to play in Washington under Rivera and a reinvigorated team. If the Redskins get a chance at him, they would likely have to shell out a nice chunk of change, but it would be worth it if that means the left side of their line is less of a worry.
Kelvin Beachum — New York Jets
Beachum is about to hit the free agency market for the first time since 2017 after completing a three-year contract with the Jets. After starting his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and spending a year with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Beachum really found a nice role for himself in New York where he has helped to give young QB Sam Darnold some time to work in the pocket. For that reason alone, the Jets could undoubtedly offer Beachum a nice chunk of change in order to keep some stability on the front line as they hope to enter a stretch of success going forward.
In his 13 games in 2019, Beachum rarely committed mistakes, racking up only 7 penalties in that time. His durability has also been key to his success, as he played 100 percent of snaps in both 2017 and 2018. A nagging ankle injury caused him to miss a few games this past season.
Standing at 6-3, 308 pounds, Beachum would form a nice wall on the left side of the line, assuming that the Redskins choose to re-sign Ereck Flowers at the left guard position, which many believe he will do after having a bounce-back year in 2019 with Washington.
