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Ranking the Redskins’ impending free agents in order of importance

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 09: wide receiver Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins reacts after a play in the first quarter against the New York Giants at FedExField on December 9, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 09: wide receiver Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins reacts after a play in the first quarter against the New York Giants at FedExField on December 9, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FL – DECEMBER 16: Josh Johnson #8 of the Washington Redskins drops back during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on December 16, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL – DECEMBER 16: Josh Johnson #8 of the Washington Redskins drops back during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on December 16, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

8. QB Josh Johnson

When the Redskins signed Josh Johnson to their roster as their fourth quarterback of the season, few expected him to do much. In fact, it was originally expected that he would just backup Mark Sanchez. Then, after the Sanchize collapsed, Johnson took over as the starter.

Johnson had a decent run as the team’s starter. He kept them competitive in a few games and didn’t really implode until the season finale. All things considered, he performed well in limited action, and he should get another chance to prove himself.

I’ve been an advocate of re-signing Johnson, and here’s what I said about that topic shortly after the end of the season.

Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders /

Washington Commanders

"If the Redskins decide that they don’t like many of the options on the free agent market, it may behoove them to bring back Johnson. After all, Johnson would come very cheap and has a knowledge of the team’s offense. He may not be a consistent option if needed as a starter, but in this scenario, he would almost certainly be backing up McCoy. And if he was needed for a few games, he could keep the team afloat. That’s all you can ask for from a backup in the NFL. Re-signing Johnson wouldn’t be the type of home-run move that the team has been trying to make at the quarterback position for the better part of the last decade. But, he would provide some stability and in the case that McCoy went down, Johnson could at least keep the team competitive if he can avoid turnovers."

While Johnson could play a role for the team, it’s not necessarily important that they re-sign him. The team can rely on Colt McCoy as the starter or target one of the quarterbacks in the 2019 NFL Draft. They have already met with a number of prospects at the Senior Bowl, so they are clearly doing their due diligence at the position.

Also, it’s worth noting that Johnson is unlikely to be a hot commodity on the open market. He fits the Redskins system well, but they are pretty much the only team that the journeyman would have a legitimate chance of making. So, he can’t be considered a high priority as there won’t be competition to re-sign him.

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