Redskins: Three positions to avoid spending big on in free agency
By Ian Cummings
No. 1 – Edge Rusher
The early signs point to the Redskins letting Preston Smith walk, as he could get a contract with as large an annual value as $13 million. If Smith gets that kind of money, then the Redskins are better off replacing him in the 2019 NFL Draft, for a number of reasons.
Reason No. 1? The potential Smith replacements in free agency, if they’re worthwhile, will almost certainly cost more than Smith himself. Trey Flowers, who is considered to be one of the top free agent options at edge rusher, will command a whopping $15.7 million, per Spotrac. And because so many top-tier edge rushers were franchise tagged by their respective teams, the value of the remaining players will only be driven up, further nudging the cap-starved Redskins out of the race.
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Luckily for the Redskins, if there’s a time to sit out free agency at one of their biggest impending needs, it’s now, in 2019. The 2019 edge rusher draft class is incredibly top heavy, with Nick Bosa, Brian Burns, Josh Allen, Montez Sweat, Clelin Ferrell, Jachai Polite, and Jaylon Ferguson all garnering first-round hype. At No. 15, they could take the best available of those players, or they could draft Chase Winovich or Christian Miller in Round 2. Either way, the Redskins get a starter opposite Ryan Kerrigan, for a fraction of the price it would take to find one in free agency.