Grading The Washington Redskins Free Agent Departures So Far
Letting Pierre Garcon Walk For Five Years, $47.5 Million
Initially when I heard that Pierre Garcon was getting this kind of a deal, I thought it was ridiculous. Sure, Pierre Garcon is a great possession receiver who will be able to play well into his 30s in the right environment. With his great route running skills, he will be able to have an impact for a very long time. All that said, paying nearly $50 million to a receiver over the age of 30 seemed like a dangerous proposition.
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However, after looking at the deal that Garcon got from the San Francisco 49ers, it was not as bad as it initially appeared. Garcon is only slated to make $20 million in guaranteed money, and his dead cap hit after year three of the deal is only $4.8 million (per Spotrac.com). That will give the team some flexibility in case Garcon regresses as he ages.
Still, I can definitely see why the Redskins would not want to pony up that kind of money. The team has a lot of younger players that will soon be due contract extensions including Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, right tackle Morgan Moses, and receiver Jamison Crowder. They cannot afford to spend recklessly, so why they did what they did is understandable.
At the end of the day, I cannot be too hard on the Redskins for this one. I will say it is just about an average move, as the pros and cons of signing this deal were relatively even.