Scot McCloughan’s To Do List: Part 3 – Defensive Line

Oct 27, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Washington Redskins defensive end Stephen Bowen (72) chases down Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno (27) in the second quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Bowen, DE

Stephen Bowen is another candidate to be cut prior to June 1st. His $8 million cap hit will not be carried into the 2015 season. The Redskins would save $5.5 million by cutting Bowen.

Bowen only played in 8 games in 2014 after spending the 1st half of the season on the PUP list. Bowen had no sacks on the season and only 1 QB hurry despite getting a chance to start and play significant minutes late in the season.

Bowen had a 0.65 rating versus the Eagles in week 16. He was particularly poor versus the run with a 0.42 rating. He had a much better game against Dallas with a 0.88 rating overall and 0.89 versus the run.

Bowen probably should have been cut before the 2014 season

Bowen still shows the ability to be a good player but with his age (30), salary and natural decline, he is only worth risking a minimum salary. His prorated bonus of over $2.5 million will count against the cap whether he is with the team or not.

Bowen probably should have been cut before the 2014 season. My guess is that McCloughan will release him this off-season. It surely won’t be hard to replace his numbers from the past 2 seasons.

Next: Kedric Golston