Three questions the Redskins must answer before free agency
By Ian Cummings
No. 2 – Should in-house free agents be prioritized by the Redskins?
The Redskins have long received scrutiny for failing to hold onto and develop their own drafted players. This offseason, they have a number of players at positions of need who also happen to be entering free agency, such as Preston Smith, Jamison Crowder, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
Despite none of these options proving themselves to be more than journeyman starters, save for maybe Preston Smith, they could garner preference from a Redskins team that has, so far, favored continuity this offseason, keeping Jay Gruden around for another year.
But should in-house free agents be prioritized by the Redskins? Should exterior value be ignored, simply for the sake of continuity and “building from within”? This is a question the Redskins need to explore and find the answer to, because there are many suitable free agents at positions of need this offseason, especially edge rusher and safety.
By focusing on the right positions, Washington could set themselves up for a more productive and flexible draft season. If they weigh their options disproportionally, however, they could set themselves up for an underwhelming 2019 campaign.