Report: Redskins release defensive tackle Stacy McGee

With their cap space dwindling, the Redskins are starting to cut cumbersome contracts.

The Washington Redskins expressed a desire to trade away some such contracts a few days ago, as reports surfaced that they were shopping starting linebackers Zach Brown and Mason Foster. There were also miscellaneous reports that other players were being shopped as well.

Ultimately, however, no trades came to pass, and now, the Redskins will be forced to cut some of those players without compensation. The first cut of the 2019 offseason has occurred, with both Jason La Canfora and Mike Garafolo reporting that veteran defensive tackle Stacy McGee is headed out the door.

McGee’s release comes with little surprise. The Oklahoma product first signed with the Washington Redskins in 2017, but he never came close to providing an impact that matched his five-year, $25 million contract. In his first season with Washington, he was little more than depth on run-stopping downs, and in 2018, he was further buried on the depth chart by an entourage of Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, and Tim Settle.

McGee leaves the Redskins with three years remaining on his deal, and while his release incurs approximately $2.4 million in dead cap, it frees up the $4.675 million cap hit he was set to receive as payment for the 2019 season. His signing, an inequitable one from the start, ends in a premature release, as was predicted from the very start of the 2018 season.

The Redskins shouldn’t miss a beat with McGee gone. The starting trio of Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and Matt Ioannidis is not-so-slowly morphing into one of the league’s best defensive fronts, and behind them, Tim Settle and Caleb Brantley provide solid, young depth, each with tangible upside. The Redskins are not a team without warts, but on the defensive line, there is much to like, and now with McGee gone, the composite value of the position group goes up.

McGee is likely to be the first of several cuts for the Redskins. To stay up to date with all the latest developments, as the new league year begins, be sure to stick with us here at Riggo’s Rag, as we’ll keep you in the loop.