Washington Redskins: Three under-the-radar free agents to watch

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 31: wide receiver Brice Butler #19 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates his touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 31, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

No. 1 – WR Brice Butler – Dallas Cowboys

What’s better than getting a steal in free agency? Taking that player from a bitter rival.

Brice Butler has never been more than a depth player for the Cowboys. In three years with the team, he’s never logged more than sixteen receptions and three touchdowns.

While he hasn’t been a premier option, however, he has been reliable. He logged a catch percentage value of 65.2% in 2017. He was only thrown at 23 times, and yet, he managed to record 15 receptions. And these weren’t your average bubble screens and slant routes. Butler was a premier deep threat for the Cowboys, averaging over 21 yards per catch on the year.

2017 was the first season that Butler recorded more than 300 yards in his entire career, and his production as a deep threat likely has him eager to fill a more productive role elsewhere. The Cowboys haven’t gotten all that they can out of Butler, and time and time again, he reminds them why they made a mistake. He’s likely to test the market in 2018, and he could end up being the missing piece that the Redskins have needed all along.

Butler stands 6-foot-3, possessing great length for an outside receiver. His catch percentage shows that unlike some Redskins’ receivers this year (Looking at you guys, Doctson and Pryor), he rises up to the occasion when a 50-50 ball comes his way. There are issues with his consistency, and he falls victim to injuries more often than most, but he has all the tools to be a valuable weapon in the Redskin’s passing attack.

Next: Simulating the entire Redskins' offseason: Releasing Kirk

Of course, we said that about Terrelle Pryor. And we said that about Josh Doctson, who is looking more and more like a bust as his career starts to pan out. Caution must be taken with this route, but if Butler can realize his potential with the Washington Redskins, then everyone would benefit. He has the potential to be a special player, and if the Washington Redskins can pay a reasonable sum to lock down his talents in D.C., they should strongly consider doing it.

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