Redskins can’t fall victim to inflated linebacker market value in 2019
By Ian Cummings
To pay or not to pay. That’s always the question for the Redskins in March.
This year, that question is a bit more complicated for the Washington Redskins, who’ll have just $21 million at the start of the new league year on March 13. They can cut players to make that allotment larger, and reports have surfaced that they are trying to trade certain cumbersome players, such as Zach Brown and Mason Foster.
Freeing up cap space, and losing dead weight, is a good way to perform upkeep on a roster, but it’s rendered useless if the money is spent unwisely. This year, the Redskins run the risk of going through the work to free up cap space, only to spend it where it shouldn’t be spent.
Case in point? The Redskins are reportedly heavily interested in Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley. Mosley, an Alabama product, is a competent starting linebacker. He’s known as a tackling machine and a thumper who’s inconsistent in coverage. Sound familiar?
C.J. Mosley‘s limitations aren’t being considered, however. Instead, he’s viewed as one of the best players on the open market. And after Kwon Alexander, formerly of the Buccaneers, received a contract worth $13.5 million annually from the 49ers earlier today, reports suggest that Mosley could command up to $16 million in annual value. That’s more than All-Pro players like Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly. Mosley’s gone to four Pro Bowls. But he should not be the top paid linebacker, especially for a team strapped for financial flexibility. You only pay that money for superstars. As serviceable as Mosley may be, he doesn’t fit that description.
Ask yourself. Does that seem like an efficient use of funds, for a team that could have two young, cheap starters waiting in Reuben Foster and Shaun Dion Hamilton? In a modern NFL where inside linebacker is the fifth most important defensive position, behind safety, interior defensive line, cornerback, and edge rusher? I don’t think so.
Next. Predicting the landing spots for Redskins free agents. dark
The Redskins should know better than to fall for the inflated linebacker market, but as of now, it seems as though they’re looking to clear cap space, in an attempt to continue the crimson overhaul of their defense. It’s a strategy that appears both smart and short-sighted at the same time, but if they pay Mosley $16 million a year, it won’t be smart at all.