Report: Trent Murphy deciding between three teams, including Redskins

Trent Murphy has received a lot of interest on the free agent market. The Washington Redskins are still in the mix, but they will have some stiff competition from two other teams.

Trent Murphy has gotten a lot of interest on the free agent market. After missing the 2017 season due to an ACL tear, Murphy was set to become a free agent with one high-quality season under his belt. In 2016, Murphy recorded a career-high nine sacks and was one of the best players on the Redskins defense. He used his physicality and motor to pressure quarterbacks, and that appeals to many teams on the free agent market.

Earlier in the week, it was reported that as many as 10 teams would be interested in Murphy. Despite the concerns with his injury and his four-game suspension for PEDs, teams are intrigued by his skill set.

Since that report, Murphy has narrowed down the teams that have interest in him. Per ESPN’s Jenna Laine, the three teams left standing are the New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Redskins.

I'm told that the Patriots are among the three final teams (including the Bucs) in the running to land Redskins outside linebacker Trent Murphy. https://t.co/cjRfqhdeyb
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) March 14, 2018

These teams all make sense for Murphy, and the competition may be enough to dissuade him from returning to the Redskins.

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Of course, the most notable team on here is the Patriots, who are coming off a season that saw them lose in the Super Bowl. The biggest weakness on the Patriots team right now is their lack of pass rush, as they don’t have any consistent threats aside from Trey Flowers. Murphy would be a logical fit for their scheme as a starter.

Bill Belichick and his defensive coordinator like to use a hybrid defense that utilizes a 4-3 base that also runs a lot of 3-4 concepts. Murphy’s 6-foot-5 frame, his strength, and his versatility would allow him to play multiple positions in these fronts, including defensive end in the 4-3, rush linebacker in the 3-4 concepts, and he could move inside to tackle or five-technique depending on what the Patriots are running. Thus, this fit would be acceptable and would allow him to start and have a big role with the team.

With the Bucs, Murphy would play end in a 4-3 scheme and would also be a starter for them right away. He would line up across from Robert Ayers and in all likelihood, Murphy would become the top pass rusher on that defense. The only concern with the Bucs is that they appear to be further from the playoffs than the Patriots and Redskins, so it just depends on if he cares most about winning, starting, or getting money.

The Redskins are going to be hard pressed to retain Murphy. They can offer him a solid contract and familiarity with their defensive scheme, but they also can’t hand him a starting job. Murphy would probably be the primary backup behind Preston Smith and while he would see a lot of playing time, he would still be splitting snaps. For that reason, the Redskins would appear to be behind the Patriots in the race for Murphy.

Next: Why Paul Richardson is a perfect fit with the Redskins

This is free agency, so nothing is set in stone. Andrew Norwell supposedly had narrowed his list to three teams before the Jaguars came out of left field to sign him. As time goes on, more will be known about Murphy. We’ll keep you posted on the latest developments as free agency moves forward.

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