The Washington Redskins need to add some talent at edge rusher. Here’s a look at some of the guys they could target at the position in free agency.
Two seasons ago, few would have aniticpated the Redskins’ rush linebacker position becoming a potential weakness. In 2017, they had Ryan Kerrigan, Preston Smith, Junior Galette, and Ryan Anderson on the team. With Kerrigan, Smith, and Galette finding success while Anderson developed, it looked like one of the deeper units on the team. Oh, how things can change rapidly in the NFL.
Now, at the start of the 2019 offseason, Kerrigan and Anderson are the only players currently under contract. Galette was out of the league last year and seems unlikely to return to Washington after he turned down what the franchise thought was a fair offer to bring him back. Smith is set to hit free agency, and it’s unclear whether or not he will return to the squad.
Kerrigan and Anderson aren’t bad, but the team needs more depth. Kerrigan is coming off his third-straight season with double-digit sacks (13), but he turns 31 in August. A decline could soon be coming for the team’s most consistent player and at the very least, the Redskins have to plan to find a potential successor soon. Meanwhile, Anderson simply hasn’t developed a lot since being a second-round pick. Perhaps he will make the leap, but he can’t be trusted as a starter yet.
Because of these facts, the Redskins will have to actively pursue help on the edge this offseason. They could do it in a draft that has a lot of edge talent, but the free agent market also has some nice options. So, here’s a look at some exterior players they may target to help bolster their pass rush.
Note: Preston Smith is not included among these free agent options, as these are merely external options for the team. We addressed Smith’s importance to the team when we ranked their free agents in order of importance last week. For more on that, click here.
In the first three seasons of his career, Dante Fowler has sack totals of four, eight, and four. Usually, that would be a good thing for a part-time player, but this actually isn’t great for Fowler as he comes with some baggage that teams will have to deal with in order to be comfortable adding him.
Fowler has already played for two different teams during his four years in the NFL. He wore out his welcome with the Jacksonville Jaguars and was traded to the Rams before the 2018 trade deadline. There was frustration that Fowler, the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, never developed into a starter, and there were some questions about his work ethic. That’s part of why the Jaguars elected to trade him. That’s also why he may not see a hot free agent market this offseason.
Because the Jaguars declined Fowler’s fifth-year option before the season, Fowler is slated to hit free agency with a bunch of other quality pass rushers. He won’t be a priority signing as a result, and he may find himself waiting as some of the other top pieces on the market fall into place. Also, since Fowler has never had success as a starter, it seems probable that teams are going to view him as a backup or rotational player. So, he may not get as much money as he’s hoping to.
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The pass rusher market can be tricky, as numerous teams may decide to put the franchise tag on their top edge players. Pass rushers are arguably the second or third most important position in the NFL right now behind quarterback and offensive line, so they come at a premium. That will help Fowler recoup some of his value, especially if fewer players end up available come March.
For the Redskins, Fowler is a player with upside. If they can get him on a one-year, “prove it” deal, he would be well worth the investment. He has all the upside in the world and if he’s properly motivated, it’s possible that he could become a double-digit sack artist. After all, we saw him post eight sacks in a limited role in 2017, so anything is possible. The question will just be, are the Redskins the right environment for him? Or will they not be able to get the most out of the former first-round pick? Either way, they should at least give him some consideration as a buy-low option.
In 2016, it looked like Shane Ray was on his way to becoming a solid starting edge rusher in the NFL. Working across from Von Miller and in tandem with DeMarcus Ware, Ray notched a career-high 8.0 sacks and generated growth as a pass rusher. The former first-round pick appeared to be growing, and it seemed that he would soon be a quality starter for the Broncos.
That never quite panned out.
In the past two seasons, Ray hasn’t been able to do much. He has struggled to get on the field and stay on the field. In 2017, he missed half the season due to injuries and only was able to notch a single sack. In 2018, he ended up playing in a rotational role behind first-round stud Bradley Chubb, and that rendered him ineffective. Ray played just 23.5 percent of the defensive snaps and logged a single sack. It became clear that his Broncos career was coming to an end.
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Now, Ray seemed highly likely to hit the free agent market. And while his recent numbers haven’t been too promising, there’s a chance that in a bigger role, he could emerge as a potential starter as his early days in Denver suggested. Turning just 26 in May, Ray still has an immense amount of upside and some team out there could unlock it.
The Redskins may be willing to take a chance on a guy like Ray. They could use some depth on the edge, and Ray has just as much upside as anybody out there. He doesn’t have to turn into a starter, but he will have the upside to if necessary. But if he’s signed, he can either work in tandem with Ryan Anderson, a draft pick, or Smith (if he re-signs) and really function as a rotational edge rusher for the ‘Skins. He could take a cheap, short-term deal and see if he can up his value and try to hit free agency again in a year or two.
All Ray really needs is to be given a chance. We’ve seen what he can do when he is healthy and when he gets playing time. He’s the perfect buy-low candidate for a Redskins team that needs all the talent and depth they can get. If they don’t want to make a big splash on the edge, Ray would be the perfect candidate to come in and potentially emerge as a quality starter in the future.
If the Redskins try to find someone who definitively could replace Smith, Dee Ford would be one of the best options on the market. Ford was one of the Chiefs’ top pass rushers last season, totaling 13 sacks and really emerging as the top rush linebacker on the squad.
Ford would add something to the Redskins’ pass rush that they have been lacking. That is speed. Ford uses his quickness and athletic ability to win at the line of scrimmage. He is on the smaller side at just 6-foot-2, 252 pounds, but that allows him to be lightning-quick and it makes it difficult for tackles to get out and deal with him off the snap.
Ford would be an ideal complement for Kerrigan. Kerrigan’s style is to use his combination of strength and motor to win at the point of attack and generate pressure that way. He is a better athlete than most give him credit for, but he doesn’t come close to reaching Ford’s level.
Having Ford’s speed-based attack on one side paired with Kerrigan’s strength-based skill set on the other side will add another element to the Washington defense. And, it will continue to open up more opportunities for the team’s interior line — much like Ford’s presence did last season with Chris Jones.
The only question about Ford is whether or not he will actually be available. The Chiefs may slap him with the franchise tag, as teams don’t like to give up young, talented edge rushers. Also, Ford is a bit older than Smith and if he’s more expensive, the ‘Skins might be better off re-signing their own guy. Still, Ford projects as a good fit in Washington, so if Smith leaves, Ford could be the logical replacement.