Report: Redskins shopping several players including LBs Zach Brown, Mason Foster

The Washington Redskins are going to have to open up some cap space if they want to get a big-time free agent acquisition. They are reportedly shopping a couple of their starting linebackers, Zach Brown and Mason Foster.

The Redskins entered the free agent period with very little cap space, but there were always ways that they could open more. They have a handful of players on their roster that could be cut to open up space, but they had yet to make a move on that front.

With the legal tampering period beginning, it’s now becoming clear why they have yet to release anyone. They may be trying to offload a couple of their players via trade.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Redskins are actively shopping a couple of the players they have at the linebacker position, Zach Brown and Mason Foster. Pelissero first reported this on Twitter.

For most of the offseason, it has been a foregone conclusion that the Redskins would cut one or both of their starting linebackers from last year. Both had issues in coverage and with the team adding Reuben Foster, one was going to be pushed into a sub-package role. With Brown sporting an $8.75 million cap hit and Mason Foster’s cap hit sitting at $4.25 million, there was a clear path to making more space.

However, trying to trade Brown, Foster, or both would actually be a very sensible move. The free agent class is weak at the inside linebacker position, so the Redskins could attempt to flip them to linebacker-needy teams and recoup some late-round draft picks. It’s unlikely that they would get much for either, but even picking up a seventh-round pick or swapping late-round selections in a deal is worthwhile.

We’ll see if the Redskins gain enough traction to make a deal, or if they’ll be forced to cut either to open the space to guarantee they can sign a free agent. The mentioned interest in C.J. Mosley makes sense in this scenario, though his market value could skyrocket if teams get into a bidding war for him.

The linebacker position is certainly one to watch for the Redskins, as there could end up being a lot of shuffling there. Stay tuned for the latest news, as it seems likely that something will give at that position in the coming days.