Sources: Redskins will let Bashaud Breeland test free agency in 2018

Bashaud Breeland has had a roller coaster four seasons with the Washington Redskins. It appears that they are going to let him test free agency in 2018.

Over the course of the past four years, there hasn’t been a player who has frustrated quite as much as Bashaud Breeland has for the Washington Redskins. In his first two seasons coming out of Clemson, Breeland looked like a No. 1 corner and was very impressive as a rookie. He consistently provided quality coverage and many expected that he would be an impact player for the team. Then, everything changed when Josh Norman signed.

In 2016, Breeland was torched relentlessly in coverage to start the season. This stemmed partially from Joe Barry’s inefficient strategy to isolate Norman and Breeland on opposite sides of the field. This allowed opponents to attack Breeland with their top receivers and this destroyed his confidence. In 2017, Breeland has been better, but he’s still been prone to being beaten by top caliber receivers.

The past two seasons of Breeland in action were disappointing enough that the Redskins are reportedly going to let him test free agency. According to NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay, sources close to the situation say that Breeland is going to hit the open market. It doesn’t seem like Breeland is going to get a big offer from the Redskins. That makes sense, as I pointed out recently in my preview of the Redskins free agent defensive backs:

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"Since Breeland is going to be an unrestricted free agent hitting the open market, the Redskins are going to have to deal with a lot of bidders who are desperate for a potential No. 1 corner. Since the Redskins already have Norman, they are not going to want to overpay Breeland. Granted, Norman hasn’t had a great season, but he has been dealing with a rib injury. Besides, releasing Norman is a possibility, but it would still put some dead money towards the cap which would hurt the Redskins.Further complicating Breeland’s return is the fact that the Redskins have both Fabian Moreau and Kendall Fuller waiting in the wings. The latter has turned himself into one of the best slot corners in the league while the former was a third-round pick in 2017. Still, expecting a leap from one of them in the 2018 is possible. Fuller could probably play well outside now if the team needed him to."

Breeland’s potential departure really boils down to three things. The first is the lack of consistency he has showed over his four year career. The second is the amount of money it would cost the team to keep him. And finally, the young talent that the Redskins already have should be ready to take on bigger roles in 2018. Thus, there’s no need to overpay Breeland to stay when the team could have an equal caliber player on a rookie contract already on the team.

Next: Previewing Redskins free agent defensive backs

Also, it’s worth noting that some team will pay Breeland big in an effort to find a true No. 1 cornerback. The Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, and Seattle Seahawks could all use some cornerback help, so perhaps Breeland will be on their radars. Either way, don’t get too attached to the idea of keeping Breeland this offseason. It appears that he will be going elsewhere to play.

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