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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 23: Wide receiver Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins celebrates with offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe #79 after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter against the New York Giants at FedExField on November 23, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 23: Wide receiver Jamison Crowder #80 of the Washington Redskins celebrates with offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe #79 after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter against the New York Giants at FedExField on November 23, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

4. OT Ty Nsekhe

Nsekhe is the most underrated free agent the Redskins have to deal with. In fact, I considered slotting him higher on this list. He is a talented swing tackle that could start for a lot of teams in the NFL. And if the team loses him, they will have some decisions to make on the offensive line.

Without Nsekhe, the team would be forced to operate with Geron Christian as their top backup. Christian was a third-round pick, so this shouldn’t be considered a problem. However, Christian looked awful as a rookie before landing on Injured Reserve, and it will be hard to trust him in such an important role, especially considering the injury woes the team has had on the offensive line in recent seasons.

Trent Williams is still one of the best left tackles in the league, but he has been dealing with knee injuries for the past couple of years. The last time he played a full 16-game season was in 2013. So, the backup tackle is bound to see some action, especially considering that bookend Morgan Moses has had ankle issues of his own.

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Because Nsekhe is a plug-and-play option, the team hasn’t had to worry about the backup tackle position in the past few years (save for when they were really decimated by injuries). If he is gone, they will have to rely on Christian or pick up a versatile super-sub like Dalton Risner in the draft to help out their line. Nsekhe’s potential departure would essentially open up a new need that doesn’t already exist.

It’s possible — if not, probable — that a team on the free agent market targets Nsekhe to be a starter. He may be 33 years old, but a desperate squad (or a contender) could opt to give him a multi-year deal to serve as a starter. And besides, he doesn’t have too much tread on the tires, so perhaps he could play a bit longer than the average tackle. No matter what, his decision will be a big one for Washington, as their line is one of the weaknesses that will need to be fixed this offseason.

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