Washington Redskins: Why re-signing Junior Galette is now critical

Preston Smith is set to be a free agent in 2019 and could command a huge salary

This is a bit further off, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Preston Smith gets a huge payday in 2019. Smith has been one of the better pass rushers in the NFL in recent years and thanks to his athletic ability, he could end up becoming an elite player soon.

I know what you’re thinking. Smith is prone to bouts of inconsistency on the field. Case and point, he logged 4.5 sacks in the first five contests of the 2017 season before going six games without a sack. Then, in the final five games, he notched another 3.5. While that can be frustrating at times, it’s worth noting that Smith consistently gets pressure and helps to set up other for sacks, even when he isn’t the main beneficiary.

In the event that Smith has another good season, he has two, eight sack season under his belt already, he could become a prime target on the free agent market. If Murphy can get $7 million annually for one season of nine sack production, imagine what Smith will get if he can crack double-digit sacks. Also, Smith’s 6-foot-5 frame and freakish length make him a good fit in most schemes, and coaches will be drooling over his athletic potential.

If the Redskins can’t lock up Smith long term before 2019 free agency, and they probably will have trouble doing that, then they could potentially lose him. Sure, they could slap the franchise tag on him in 2019 if needed, but that only will work for so long. Having a quality insurance plan in place until they figure out his contract would be helpful.

That’s where Galette would come in. He could be that third guy and if Smith walks in 2019, he could start as a placeholder for a year, provided that he can stay healthy. And that might buy just enough time to get Anderson ready for a starting role. So in short, having extra depth is never a bad thing.