Despite going 3-13 in 2019, the Washington Redskins saw a change of fortune when it comes to one aspect of football where they’ve struggled mightily over the past decade. They saw a number of wide receivers that they drafted realize their potential early and often.
Though Terry McLaurin was undoubtedly the star, the trio of rookie receivers — McLaurin, Steven Sims Jr., and Kelvin Harmon — all flashed a great deal of potential and gave Redskins fans hope that they might have a solid group of playmakers going into the future. Still, though, that doesn’t give Washington an excuse to get complacent. While the WR production was better than average for the Redskins in 2019, that’s nothing that a sophomore slump or injury bug can’t render irrelevant.
If the Redskins plan to keep the ball rolling and actualize their success in the future under a new coaching staff and a young group of playmakers, they’ll need some additional help on the outside. Luckily, Washington has a chance to be major spenders in the free agency market this offseason, and there are a few intriguing names that fans need to look out for, should the Redskins choose to bolster their receiving corps.
AJ Green — Cincinnati Bengals
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.
Robby Anderson — New York Jets
Anderson has a chance to cash in during this upcoming free agency period, but he might be the least known pass-catcher of any free agency receiver in 2020. Like Green, that can be accredited to the circumstances around him in New York.
Since going undrafted in 2016, Anderson has been a solid threat on the outside for the Jets, hauling in 20 total touchdowns in those four years, with a distinct ability to cash in on the deep ball. If you were to consider where Anderson would fit into the Redskins offense, his ability to detract from McLaurin on the opposite side of the field would pay dividends for Scott Turner and the Redskins. Not only would Anderson benefit from defenses that focus on shutting down the rookie burner, but he would also keep secondaries in check by not allowing them to load up on one side of the field and double Terry.
While Anderson would be less of a veteran presence in the locker room, and a couple of off-the-field issues might raise a slight area of concern, there is no doubt that he could take over as the WR2 in Washington and help the offense skyrocket into success.
Emmanuel Sanders — San Francisco 49ers
First and foremost, Sanders is last on our list because it will likely be the hardest to pry him away from what he currently has in San Francisco. After being traded to the 49ers from the Denver Broncos earlier this season, Sanders has seemingly been reenergized in the bay. Still, the right amount of money can get anyone to consider leaving what they have.
Like Green, Sanders would be an invaluable veteran presence in the Redskins’ locker room, and he also possesses the skills to rival McLaurin for the WR1 spot on the team, causing defenses to pick their poison.
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