Outside of the cut downs that will take place before the 2020 NFL season starts, all 32 rosters in the league are pretty much set, for the most part. As it stands now, the Washington Redskins have some hope for a successful season, but when looking at the rest of the NFC East, there’s little chance that they can make it to the top half of the division, barring an incredible season.
When looking at the other teams in the division, and predicting who is going to finish where, however, it got us to thinking… If the Redskins were living in a world where they could choose one player from each team to add to their roster, who would best suit them? Who would look better in the Burgundy & Gold, and how much better would the team be because of it?
It may never happen, but it’s at least entertaining to think about. Let’s dive in. Of all the Dallas Cowboys players, who would be the best suited in Washington?
WR Amari Cooper — Dallas Cowboys
This is an easy one, seeing as the Redskins were seemingly close to actually getting Cooper on the roster in free agency earlier this year. While he ended up turning down a deal worth more than $100 million to stick with the Cowboys, picturing Amari in the Redskins offense — alongside Terry McLaurin and on the receiving end of some bombs from Dwayne Haskins — is intriguing.
It’s fair to wonder if his presence would stunt the growth of McLaurin, but it’s easy to think that Haskins would be far better off with Cooper on the depth chart. His route-running and sure-hands alone would add a viable threat to Washington’s already impressive stack of offensive weapons, and a veteran presence in the receiving corps would be a bonus as well.
CB Darius Slay — Philadelphia Eagles
Looking for a lockdown cornerback who can take advantage of a quarterback that is frantically looking to get rid of the ball while being under constant duress thanks to an above-average defensive line? Look no further than Darius Slay. The three-time Pro-Bowler has been near the top of the hierarchy of NFL cornerbacks for several years now, and his dominance in man coverage has helped him garner a reputation among defenders that helps shift offensive mindsets even before the game kicks off.
Though the Redskins should feel fairly confident with both Kendall Fuller and Ronald Darby starting on the edges, while Fabian Moreau and Jimmy Moreland serve valuable minutes as well, adding a lockdown defender like Slay would take this Redskins defense from a solid unit to one of the best in the NFL.
TE Evan Engram — New York Giants
It was arguably the Redskins’ biggest roster-hole going into the 2020 offseason, and it remains just that after the lineup has been figuratively set; Washington has a desperate need at the tight end position. He may not be Zach Ertz, but Evan Engram is a young and dynamic player who has a sky-hight ceiling in the NFL if he can stay healthy.
One of the biggest downfalls for Haskins in his rookie season was the lack of a TE threat on offense to which he could dump the ball off to in emergencies. If you were to add an athletic freak like Engram to his disposal, the completion numbers would rise, the third-down conversions would pile up, and everyone’s opinion of Haskins would surely rise.
