News broke on Thursday afternoon that shook up the Washington Redskins’ free agency blueprint. It’s not that they weren’t expecting Trent Williams to move on, but now it’s a sure thing that they will have to try to replace him for the 2020 season. While finding a starting-caliber left tackle can be done in the NFL draft, it is much more likely to be done in free agency — especially considering that the Redskins are likely to be without a second-round pick, unless one is received in the trade for Williams.
We are now less than 2 weeks away from free agency officially beginning, and a lot has changed since we last stepped back and took a look at the hierarchy in which the Redskins free agent targets stand. Some have signed, and some have been franchise tagged. Some have been simply removed from the board, now that a bigger need presents itself. So let’s get into it; here’s our updated ranking of free agents that the Redskins should look to snag this offseason.
No. 10 — WR Amari Cooper
As far as free agent wide receivers go, you couldn’t do much better than Amari Cooper, who is likely to cash a nice check this free agency period. After being traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, Cooper has quickly returned to his early-career form and became a great No. 1 option for Dak Prescott. Now, with his future in Dallas up in the air while Jerry Jones and Co. look to figure out what to do with Prescott, it would be a perfect time for Washington to try and nab Cooper.
While he is the top WR on the market, he is also low in our rankings simple because of the money he would require in order to be brought in. Wide receiver isn’t one of the absolute biggest needs on the roster, though a solid veteran would be a great addition. I would be surprised if the Redskins ponied up and paid Cooper.
No. 9 — RB Kenyan Drake
Like Amari Cooper, Kenyan Drake would be arguably the most exciting player that Washington could look to sign in free agency this year, but there are undoubtedly bigger needs to fill. Still, it was reported on Thursday that the Redskins would be interested in Drake should the Arizona Cardinals let him hit the open market, and imagining a backfield with him, Adrian Peterson, and Derrius Guice is awfully intriguing. Thow a healthy Bryce Love into the mix, and it’s hard not to salivate.
Drake could come on a semi-friendly deal as well, with most projections having him sign a short deal worth $8-9 million. For a dynamic offensive threat who can work in both the rushing and passing game, that’s hard to pass up.
No. 8 — 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. 7 — LB Mychal Kendricks
Linebacker is a major area of need for the Redskins, but they are reportedly expected to help shore up the position by bringing back Jon Bostic, who played well for them last season after being brought in on short notice in the offseason. Still, another veteran LB couldn’t hurt, and my favorite FA option has been 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 strong 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 rotation that consists of Kendricks, Reuben Foster, Cole Holcomb, and Jon Bostic is nothing to bat an eye at.
No. 6 — FS Jimmie Ward
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.
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. 5 — LT Cedric Ogbuehi
With Trent Williams up and out of here, the left tackle position just became one of the biggest needs for the Redskins to fill going forward. As it stands now, second-year player Geron Christian Sr. is the starter on the depth chart, but that won’t stand throughout the offseason. The Redskins could look to draft another young LT, but they’ll be unlikely to find a starting-caliber player outside of the first round. That leaves free agency.
Unfortunately, this is a tough year to need a left tackle and be given the free-agent market to find one. There are only a few solid left tackle options that are under the age of 32, and many of them have yet to find a solid starting role for their prospective teams. Cedric Ogbuehi is one of the most solid options at the position, at 28-years-old. He was a former first-round pick from 2015, and he’s had a solid career as a swing tackle despite battling with injuries.
Ogbuehi is probably one of the Redskins’ best cheap options at the position, but they will have to put a lot of trust on his shoulders that he can perform.
No. 4 — CB Byron Jones
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. However, he won’t come cheap. 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 someone like James 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 — LT Kelvin Beachum
In a sparse left tackle market, Kelvin Beachum stands out as the most attractive option for a team that just had their seven-time Pro-Bowler left to find a trade. Beachum has been a solid player for the New York Jets for the past three years, and he graded out with an above-average PFF blocking rating in 2019, despite the Jets being far below the midline on the offensive front.
Unlike Trent Williams, Beachum will likely come at a much cheaper number, closer to $10 million per year, rather than the $20 that Williams would have required. Though he is getting a bit past his prime at age 31, it would make sense for the Redskins to try and sign Beachum on a 1-2 year deal while they look to draft a young LT and develop both him and Geron Christain.
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.
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