Redskins: Drafting an RB makes more sense than signing DeMarco Murray

DeMarco Murray was cut by the Tennessee Titans on Thursday afternoon. The Washington Redskins should take a look at him if they want to add a veteran, but they’re better off drafting a player at RB.

It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that DeMarco Murray wouldn’t be returning to the Tennessee Titans. Towards the end of the season, Derrick Henry started to improve and looked like the long-term starter for the Titans. With Murray due $6.5 million with no guarantees, he was a logical cut option.

On Thursday, that did happen and now Murray will join the free agent market. While Murray is 30 years old and does have a history of being injured, he’s still a solid player and could be a starting running back for another year or two.

The Washington Redskins could consider signing him. Recently, I highlighted Murray as a possible player who the Redskins could be interested in if cut. Here’s what I said about him at the time.

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"With the Redskins, Murray could end up being a good stopgap as the team looks to find a long term answer at the position. Murray could hold down the fort in conjunction with Chris Thompson and Samaje Perine and if the team doesn’t see a lot of development from the latter-most player, they could then target a game changer in future drafts."

This would be a solid plan for the team, but only if they don’t believe that they will be able to land one of the potential starting running backs in the 2018 NFL Draft. This draft class is loaded with solid running back prospects and while the team probably won’t use a first round pick on one, they could get a guy like Nick Chubb, Ronald Jones, or Kerryon Johnson in the second round of the draft. They could also trade down from the No. 13 spot to put themselves in position to draft Sony Michel or Derrius Guice.

If the Redskins don’t think they will land one of the top five backs in the class, then the team could consider signing Murray and waiting until 2019 to invest in the running back position. Still, it seems like drafting a running back would be a better idea. But, if Murray comes cheap, perhaps the team could sign him to a one-year deal and still grab a second round talent to fix a position that could use some upgrades.

Next: Assessing free agent defensive linemen market

For now, Murray is just a name to watch. He could be a logical fit depending on what the Redskins draft and free agency plans are. Only they know what those are so for now.

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