There is over a month until free agency officially begins in the NFL, but the Washington Redskin seemingly got the ball rolling last week by clearing up some cap space and getting ready to go shopping on the open market.
But who are they looking at, and what position do they plan to spend some money on? We’ve gone over the needs before, and a number of players that would fit those needs. However, that just tells you what’s on the wish list. Now we need to put them all in order. Here’s our definitive ranking of free agents that the Redskins should look to snag this offseason.
No. 10 — FS Tre Boston
The free safety position isn’t a major area of need for the Redskins, but depending on what they decide to do with Montae Nicholson, who has been decently productive, but has struggled with some off-the-field stuff in the past, it could become one of their biggest priorities. It wouldn’t come as a total shock to see Ron Rivera and the new coaching staff decide to start fresh at the position and look to sign a top-end safety.
Sticking with a trend that has been realized in Washington as of late, it makes a lot of sense to continue the string of Carolina Panthers that have flocked to the Redskins. With Ron Rivera at the helm and a bunch of his former assistant coaches underfoot, plus the potential additions of CB James Bradberry and TE Greg Olsen, a trip to Washington might sound appealing for Tre Boston.
With 14 interceptions in his career, Boston would bring a great ball-hawking presence to the Redskins secondary, and his brief stint as a strong safety in Arizona with the Cardinals points to his ability to be a run-stopper as well — he has averaged 75 tackles per game over his last three seasons. Boston made just over $2.5 million in 2019, but he could stand to receive a solid payday once free agency rolls around if he were to sign in Washington.
No. 9 — WR Demaryius Thomas
The five-time Pro Bowler is definitely on the back-nine of his career, and he’s struggled to find the right fit ever since being traded by the Denver Broncos in 2018. However, his veteran presence is exactly what the Redskins could use in the WR room as a young and talented group looks to find their footing in the NFL.
It wouldn’t be fair to expect the type of production we saw from Thomas from 2012-2014, where he totaled 35 touchdowns. However, Thomas could act as a reliable receiver out on the numbers while McLaurin and Harmon work to spread out the defense.
Thomas signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the New England Patriots in 2019, and the Redskins could get him on a similar deal in 2020.
No. 8 — LB Mychal Kendricks
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. A linebacking core that consists of Kendricks, Reuben Foster, and Cole Holcomb is nothing to bat an eye at.
No. 7 — WR AJ Green
It’s easy to forget because of his absence in 2019, but Green is one of the more talented receivers in the NFL, and he always poses the threat to completely take the game over when given the chance. Though his time with the Bengals has been a little underwhelming, a lot of that can be attributed to the quarterback play he’s been subjected to in the ‘Red Rifle’ Andy Dalton.
Despite his concerning injury history — Green has missed 29 games over the past four seasons, including the entire 2019 season — he still has been widely productive while on the field. In the four seasons where he’s played all 16 games, he has a total of 40 touchdowns with an average yards-per-catch well into double digits. Green would also present a nice veteran presence in the locker room that could help the young receiving corp in Washington as they learn to grow in the spotlight in the NFL.
Unfortunately for the Redskins, this may be the one year where Green may prefer to stay in Cincinnati, as they likely bring in Heisman-winning QB Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. But still, it would be smart for the Redskins to at least make it be known that they are interested when the free agency period rolls around.
No. 6 — TE Greg Olsen
One thing that’s certain is the Redskins’ need for a dynamic tight end who can stay healthy in Washington. Greg Olsen doesn’t exactly fit that criterion, but he does offer another route that the Redskins could take.
Should Washington bring Olsen in — something they’re reportedly negotiating on as we speak — it would likely be a solid move for the next 1-2 seasons, but not much more than that. This signing would only be defensible should the Redskins also draft a TE in April and work to mold him under Olsen’s leadership over the coming seasons. There are several young tight ends who have made quite the impression this year in college football, mainly Dayton’s Adam Trautman and LSU’s Thaddeus Moss.
He may not fit as the No. 1 TE for the future in Washington, but as a veteran presence to help a rookie who is being inundated by the NFL world at large? It would be hard to find someone more cut out for the job.
No. 5 — FS Jimmie Ward
We highlighted earlier the several different ways that free safety could playout for the Redskins, but there is a scenario in which Washington needs a dynamic player in the secondary.
If that’s what you’re searching for, look no further than Jimmie Ward, from the San Francisco 49ers. Throughout his career, Ward has moved all throughout the secondary, so he would easily contribute wherever the Redskins need him. However, adding a ball-hawk like Ward to the deep middle alongside Landon Collins would be potentially deadly. Ward may only have two interceptions in his career, but over the last couple of seasons, he’s allowed no more than a 58% completion percentage, and he had 60 tackles in 2019.
Top-end talent at the free safety position is often hard to come by, so it wouldn’t be crazy to think that Ward would find his way into a contract that offers eight digits per year. If the Redskins decide to move on from Nicholson, it couldn’t hurt to give Ward a look at the position.
No. 4 — CB Byron Jones
Like James Bradberry, the addition of CB Byron Jones to the Redskins defense would go a long way to improve the secondary and alleviate a major need in Washington. Unlike Bradberry, Jones is arguably the top cornerback on the open market, and he will undoubtedly be paid as such.
In his past few years in Dallas, Jones has been playing up to the level of some of the top pass defenders in the NFL, all while being paid less than $5 million per year. His ability to shift between the CB and FS position seamlessly only boosts his value, and he could expect to cash in on that this offseason.
Though Jones is a better player than Bradberry, he is lower on our list because of the cap-hit he would bring with him. While cheap production at the cornerback spot isn’t hard to find, getting a player like Jones will force you to write a hefty check. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to see the former Cowboy sign a deal north of $12-13 million per season, as he lands somewhere as the franchise cornerback.
No. 3 — CB James Bradberry
Josh Norman is gone, and Quinton Dunbar is reportedly on his way out as well. That leaves Fabian Moreau, Jimmy Moreland, Aaron Colvin, and a handful of other names you probably don’t know to shore up the cornerback position. That’s not going to cut it. Even if Dunbar ends up walking back his trade request, the Redskins still need to hit the free agency period with a strong desire to sign a pass-defender, and James Bradberry arguably makes the most sense out of anyone.
At 26-years-old, Bradberry has played his entire career in Carolina under Ron Rivera, and he’s expressed interest in following his old coach to Washington this season. Unlike the incumbent CBs in Washington, Bradberry has been able to largely avoid the injury bug thus far, missing just four games in his career, and coming down with eight interceptions and three sacks while on the field.
He isn’t the top CB on the market, and his desire to play for the Redskins has been made known. While Bradberry surely wants to get paid coming off of his rookie contract, I bet the Redskins could sign him for a 4-year/$15 million contract and bolster their secondary.
No. 2 — RG Brandon Scherff
You could argue that Brandon Scherff is the most important free agent for the Redskins to re-sign this offseason; that’s how important we think he is to the front line. After being picked in the first round of the 2015 draft, Scherff has been able to become one of the best right guards in all of the NFL, and he has stated that he wishes to spend his entire career with the Redskins. Keeping Scherff in Washington is more than just X’s and O’s — it helps represent what the Redskins are at the very core.
We’ve long posited that it would be wise for Ron Rivera to reach an extension with Scherff as early as possible, so as to set the tone for the rest of the team heading into his tenure. While it is still possible that the two parties are able to reach an agreement before the March 18th deadline comes around, there has been no movement or word on that front as of late.
If the Redskins were to re-sign Scherff, it would go a long way to keep continuity on the ride side of the line, and he would have a chance to work under new offensive line coach John Matsko, who is widely believed to be one of the best OL coaches in the league. If we are also to operate under the impression that Trent Williams will find his way back into a Redskins jersey over the coming months, then a Scherff extension quickly turns the Washington front five from an area of need into one of the teams biggest strengths. A big component of that is Scherff though. He’s stated that he wants to be a Redskin for life, and they need to make him one.
No. 1 — TE Austin Hooper
Tight end is quite possibly the biggest position of need for the Redskins heading into 2020, and Austin Hooper is arguably the most attractive name at that spot on the open market. At age 25 with four seasons under his best — the last two of which he was named to the Pro Bowl — Hooper has racked up 16 total touchdowns and has just five dropped passes in the last two years. On top of all the in-game stats, what may be the most encouraging number for Hooper is 5; the total number of games he’s missed in his career. After the 2019 season was lost in part because the Redskins were unable to have a healthy option at the TE position, that durability is definitely a large selling point.
There are a number of teams who will be after Hooper once free agency rolls around, so he won’t come cheap to the Redskins. If Washington were to convince Hooper to come to D.C., they would likely have to give him close to $10 million per year in order to do so.
