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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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LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 18: Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Redskins gets a hug from Jonathan Cooper #72 after rushing for a three-yard touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Houston Texans at FedExField on November 18, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 18: Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Redskins gets a hug from Jonathan Cooper #72 after rushing for a three-yard touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Houston Texans at FedExField on November 18, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

6. OL Jonathan Cooper

Cooper’s path to the Redskins was certainly an odd one. He was once the seventh overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the notoriously bad 2013 NFL Draft. He was unable to make an impact there and was traded to the Patriots as part of the Chandler Jones there. He didn’t play a regular season game for the Patriots and finished the season on the Browns.

Then, in 2017, Cooper was scooped up as a low-risk, high-reward signing by the Dallas Cowboys. There, he turned into a serviceable starter at left guard and signed with the 49ers the following offseason. However, he didn’t make the team and hung around on the free agent market until the Redskins came calling midway through the season.

Cooper ended up starting four games for Washington after being signed off the street. And in that role, he was solid. He wasn’t a liability and seemed to be an upgrade over the injured Shawn Lauvao. Unfortunately, Cooper went down with an injury of his own and was forced to miss the rest of the season.

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Cooper is still a fairly young player. He is just 29 and since interior linemen can play into their mid-30s, he could have three to five solid years left in the tank. The Redskins should look to lock him into a cheap, multi-year deal to serve as a spot starter or backup on their line. He demonstrated that he still has talent in limited time with the team, so bringing him back would be a good move.

Still, Cooper isn’t one of the bigger priorities. After all, he is a journeyman who was unsigned until the middle of the season. It’s possible some other teams will want in on the Cooper sweepstakes this time around, but also, he could be easily replaced with a mid-round draft pick if he left. Cooper is still someone that the team should look to re-sign, but there’s no guarantee that will happen.

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