The Redskins 2019 NFL Draft hype is already building, but there’s one crucial order of business to address before April comes along: Free agency.
Everyone says teams are built through the NFL Draft, and in a sense, they’re right. But free agency can play a key role in both making and breaking a team, as the Washington Redskins have experienced over the course of the team’s history.
In the successful days of old, the Redskins used free agency to acquire experienced contributors, earning the moniker “Over the Hill gang” for their increased age preference. They have almost no draft history to speak of for the better part of the 1980s, but the strategy paid off; Joe Gibbs’ veteran-laden team won three Super Bowls in less than a decade, cementing a place in NFL history as a great dynasty.
In recent years, however, the less glamorous side of free agency has revealed itself to the Redskins, as players like Albert Haynesworth, Adam Archuleta, Terrelle Pryor, and Terrell McClain stand as just a few examples of the team’s inability to find value deals, and their tendency to force splash signings, in bouts of desperation. The splash signings have receded over time, but the inconsistency has not, and now, in 2019, the Redskins don’t have a lot of margin for error.
So who should the Redskins sign in free agency? Who might they have to cut to create space? Who should they re-sign? Who should they let go? In this installment of the Riggo’s Rag Podcast, contributor Matt Hines joins the usual crew of myself, Nathan Britton, and Jacob Camenker to discuss! To listen, and hear the latest about Landon Collins, Preston Smith, and more, you can click the play button below.
With free agency fast approaching, with the start of the new league year set on March 13, the Redskins don’t have much more time to make their decisions. For any rumors, updates, speculation, and more, be sure to stick with us here at Riggo’s Rag throughout the course of the 2019 offseason!