Grading each portion of the 2019 Washington Redskins offseason
Free Agency
The Redskins did pretty well in free agency this year. They didn’t overspend for many players and were generally smart with their overall strategy.
The big-name addition was Landon Collins. One of the best downhill playmakers at the safety position, Collins is probably the best safety the Redskins have had on their roster since the unfortunate passing of Sean Taylor. They paid a pretty penny to retain his services, but thanks to some handy contract work, he won’t cost much as a rookie. And having him locked up for five years should make him a key building block on an excellent-looking defense.
Elsewhere, Washington avoided overspending to add C.J. Mosely to their linebacker corps, so that was smart. They also took a couple of calculated risks on players like Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Ereck Flowers. DRC could provide veteran depth in the secondary, but they could part with him easily if needed (much like Orlando Scandrick last year).
Washington Commanders
Meanwhile, the team is planning on trying Flowers at guard. While that’s a risk, they have competition for him and aren’t paying him a lot for the one year that they have him. It’s a classic one-year, “prove it” deal.
Additionally, the team brought back veteran running back Adrian Peterson at a reasonable price. He should provide good depth behind Derrius Guice and should serve as a solid mentor. Keeping him in the fold was probably a positive move in that regard, though it remains to be seen if the 34-year-old will be effective as he continues on in the twilight of his career.
In terms of their departures, it was tough to watch Preston Smith, Jamison Crowder, and Ty Nsekhe walk, but all got more money than the ‘Skins could have realistically afforded. Perhaps they should have tried to get an extension done with one of them before last season began, but that is just nit-picking at this point.
The one player that they probably should have made a better effort to retain was Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. He signed with the Bears for just $3.5 million over one year. The Redskins could have kept him to shore up their depth at safety. With Collins, Clinton-Dix, and Montae Nicholson all on the roster, the team’s safety group would be a lot deeper.
Still, the long-term positives are good news for the Redskins, so they should be lauded for their efforts in free agency.