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Could Pierre Garcon Be A Surprise Roster Cut By The Redskins?

By Jacob Camenker

Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon (88) is tackled by Atlanta Falcons strong safety Kemal Ishmael (36) in the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon (88) is tackled by Atlanta Falcons strong safety Kemal Ishmael (36) in the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pierre Garcon has performed well for the Redskins over the course of his career, but could his time with the club be coming to an end?

Every year in the NFL, there ends up being some surprising roster cuts at the end of the preseason. The list of cuts can consist of high upside young players, former high round draft picks who were deemed busts, and most often, veterans who are on the decline. The Redskins do not have a lot of veterans who could fit into this category, but one name who could end up closer to the roster bubble than one would think is Pierre Garcon.

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Garcon is entering his fifth year as a member of the Redskins where he has been a solid No. 2 receiver. He was the top receiver for the team back in 2013 when he recorded a league-high 113 catches. Since then, he has played second fiddle to DeSean Jackson. Garcon has seen his targets decrease since that great season and has recorded his two lowest yards-per-game totals of his career. His yards per catch have also been dropping. In 2012, he had an average of 14.4 yards per catch. As of 2016, it was down to 10.8.

The statistical regression of Garcon is just a small factor that the Redskins would use when determining his status on the roster. The team would really consider releasing him for two reasons. The first is the younger receivers that are on the roster. The second is the money that Garcon would cost them.

The strength of the Redskins currently is definitely their receiving corps. One of the reasons that Kirk Cousins was able to be such an effective starter last year was the talent of the group. Jackson and Garcon did a good job as starters, but the unit really got a boost from rookie wide-out Jamison Crowder and tight end Jordan Reed.

Crowder quickly developed into one of the better slot receivers in the league and caught 59 passes for 604 yards on the year. He could thrive if given a chance to get more targets. Meanwhile, Reed was healthy for most of last season and put up eye popping numbers: 87 catches, 952 yards, and 11 touchdowns. He used his athleticism to beat opposing defenders and he really replaced Garcon as Cousins’ second favorite target.

Aug 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Rashad Ross (19) catches a touchdown pass in the second quarter against the New York Jets at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Rashad Ross (19) catches a touchdown pass in the second quarter against the New York Jets at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

Those players alone are not enough of a reason to get rid of Garcon. However, the team did spend a first round pick on Josh Doctson and third year receivers Ryan Grant and Rashad Ross have given the team excellent depth. If the team decided to only keep five receivers, then Garcon could end up being the cut solely for financial reasons.

Garcon is under contract for just one more season with the Redskins, according to Spotrac. He is on the books for a cap hit of $10 million. He is due $7.6 million in base salary over the course of the season and if the Redskins think that they can use their younger players to make up for that production, they could release him to save money. Of course, they could just as easily bite the bullet and elect to pay the 30-year-old as they look to repeat as NFC East Champions.

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At the end of the day, there is no reason to think that the Redskins are definitely going to release Garcon. It is, however, possible that they will look to release or trade him at before the season. There are no guarantees in the NFL, and if the Redskins think Garcon is declining, they may not want to keep him on the roster any longer at his price tag.

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