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Redskins: 1 free agent to avoid at every position in 2019 offseason

By Jacob Camenker

NEW ORLEANS, LA - SEPTEMBER 09: Vinny Curry #97 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waves to fans after a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 9, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - SEPTEMBER 09: Vinny Curry #97 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waves to fans after a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 9, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TN – DECEMBER 2: Josh McCown #15 of the New York Jets walks off the field after losing to the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – DECEMBER 2: Josh McCown #15 of the New York Jets walks off the field after losing to the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

Quarterback: Josh McCown, New York Jets

The Redskins obviously have an issue at the quarterback position. With Alex Smith unlikely to play in 2019 and eating up over $20 million in cap space, the team is going to have to get creative with their possible solutions. They have a number of potential options, but Josh McCown may not be a great one for them.

McCown has proven to be one of the best backups and spot starters in the NFL since 2013. While he isn’t always able to win games, he keeps teams competitive and has a reputation as a great mentor. It’s likely that he will go into coaching following his NFL career, and he’s definitely a guy to have around if you’re looking to develop a young quarterback.

That said, McCown would only be a very temporary solution for the Redskins. He turns 40 on the Fourth of July, so he has just a season or two left at most. While he could come in and hold down the fort in Washington for a season, it just wouldn’t make sense for the team to entrust him with that role.

As it stands, the Redskins have Colt McCoy under contract, and they may be willing to give him a chance to start if they can’t find an upgrade they like. They’ll need to bring in competition for him, but they would be more likely to bring back Josh Johnson and add a rookie quarterback to do that. Adding a 40-year-old to compete as a starter for one year wouldn’t make a lot of sense unless the team wanted to bring him on as a mentor to a young quarterback.

In short, if the Redskins go the veteran route, they need to bring in someone who either knows the system or has some sort of long-term upside. If the squad viewed McCown as a future quarterbacks coach, that could incentivize them to sign him. But in reality, they should mostly steer clear of the veteran quarterback market and if they do add one, he should be on the younger side.

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