The Washington Redskins have less than a week before they have to make roster cuts. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five extremely hypothetical trades the team could explore making before the NFL season starts.
The 2019 NFL season is almost upon us, and that means that one of the darker days in the NFL calendar is coming. Over the course of the weekend, teams will have to trim rosters from 90 to 53 players. While many of the briefly unemployed players will be re-signed to practice squads days later, there will still be many, many players that see their NFL dreams come to an end.
Throughout the week in the lead up to roster cuts, there will be a lot of activity from the 32 NFL teams. After all, there is still one preseason game left, and teams do have to field a roster for that one. That said, players that have secured a roster spot don’t often play much in those games. So, teams sometimes have to make minor moves to ensure that they have enough depth at every position. Otherwise, the fourth preseason game would be tough to evaluate and thus, would be more pointless than it already is.
Because of the need for depth at various positions for both preseason and regular season games, teams could be more active on the trade market than usual. There are already some strong trade winds blowing in the NFL, so it seems that something is going to happen. And the Redskins will be a team to watch at this time.
The Redskins have a disgruntled star (Trent Williams) and an unsettled tackle position as a result. They also have depth at some positions and could potentially attempt to trade some of their excess depth to accrue draft assets. Nothing is guaranteed, but they are in a position to buy and sell at some positions. It’s just about whether or not they’re willing to make a move.
With that in mind, it’s time for the fun part of the NFL season where we get to project some potential trades that could make sense for the Redskins. Now, it’s important to note that these are just some ideas and frameworks for deals. These aren’t likely to happen by any means, but they do at least make some sense for the two teams involved.
So, let’s have some fun. Here’s a look at some potential trades the Redskins could consider, starting with one involving their aforementioned disgruntled star.
OT Trent Williams to Houston Texans for a 2020 first-round pick
Let’s start with the obvious one. Trent Williams has been holding out from Redskins camp all season. He says he doesn’t want to play here anymore, but the team hasn’t budged. But if he truly isn’t going to report, then the team needs to salvage his value and trade him to a tackle-needy team.
The Texans would certainly qualify. The Texans have one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and they have done very little to fix it in recent seasons. They did draft a couple of players in the first two rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft in Tytus Howard and Max Scharping, but Howard was largely considered to be a reach and will need time to develop. Scharping, meanwhile, may be a better fit on the inside for the NFL level.
Currently, the left tackle position options in Houston are Matt Kalil, Howard, former 2017 fourth-round pick Julie’n Davenport, and former Cleveland Browns 2017 fifth-round pick Roderick Johnson. This seems to be the human embodiment of this GIF, barring a surprise.
Oh, and did I mention Deshaun Watson was sacked a league-high 62 times last year? The Texans really can’t afford to let Watson get crushed like that again, especially after seeing what just happened with Andrew Luck, who had poor protection for years which led to many of his injury woes.
One would think that the Texans would have learned from the David Carr debacle that having a quality offensive line would be important. But, I digress.
In any case, Williams would be a massive upgrade for the Texans. He would solidify the left side of the line for two years while affording Howard the time to develop. And even though he’s already 31 and has missed time recently with nagging injuries, he would be a boost to the team immediately. And that would be huge for the squad, as they have a big window to contend with the Colts weakened by Luck’s departure and the excellent talent they have surrounding Watson and on defense.
The Texans could potentially be convinced to give up a first-round pick for Williams and a little bit more. This framework is similar to the Duane Brown deal that the Seahawks pulled off with the Texans a couple of years ago. The Texans would be giving up a first-round pick as opposed to the two Day 2 picks the Seahawks got, but Williams is a superior player and Houston can afford to give up their pick if it makes them more of a contender in 2019.
Also, it’s possible that the teams could execute a late-round pick swap as a part of this deal. Or, the Redskins could throw in an extra player to the deal that the Texans may have interest in and the Texans could throw in a late-round pick. But either way, this basic framework of this deal would make sense for both sides, though a deal involving two second-round picks could also be intriguing.
One more note: The Redskins don’t seem likely to trade for Jadeveon Clowney if the Texans do part with him. He’s due to get a big contract and the team just drafted Montez Sweat to complement Ryan Kerrigan. They’re better served to try to get draft capital that they can use to add low-cost rookies, though the idea of pairing Clowney with Kerrigan, Sweat, Jonathan Allen, and Daron Payne is certainly a fun one.
Fifth-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for OT Cordy Glenn
Okay, so hear me out here. Say the Redskins trade Trent Williams, but they still aren’t satisfied with their situation at left tackle. They still have Donald Penn and Geron Christian, but if Penn or Morgan Moses goes down, Christian being forced into action wouldn’t be ideal.
And let’s not pretend that Penn hasn’t been rusty in his own right since signing with the team. He should be solid enough to get the job done at left tackle, but if the team could work out a trade to pick up some extra offensive line help, it wouldn’t hurt.
While the team could ideally acquire a guy like Laremy Tunsil, they would simply have to give up too much to get him. So, how about a guy that has been a solid starting left tackle since he broke into the league with the Bills in 2012?
Washington Commanders
Cordy Glenn has started 90 of 91 games for the Bills and Bengals since coming into the league. He has been a solid option on the left side of the offensive line and his 6-foot-6, 345-pound frame has given him the ability to be a powerful, immovable piece on the offensive line for the past seven seasons.
That said, Glenn has had some health concerns during his career, and he’s actually dealing with a concussion at the moment. The Bengals also drafted the successor for the soon-to-be 30-year-old tackle in the 2019 NFL Draft in Jonah Williams, but Williams is likely to miss his rookie season with injury. But beyond this year, Glenn’s status with the Bengals is uncertain, as he has an out in his contract and may be moved to guard.
Still, Glenn could help the Redskins now and if the Bengals decide that they aren’t going to be contenders this year (spoiler: they’re not going to be) they could look to offload Glenn for an asset. A fifth-round pick could make sense given the age, injury risk, and contract status of Glenn. But in Washington, he could be a nice fill-in for Trent Williams. And if he stayed with the team beyond the 2019 season, they could restructure his contract and move him to left guard while they look for his successor. After all, that’s what the Bengals were planning on doing this year.
If the Redskins can pick up a first-round pick in a Williams trade, offloading a late-round pick for a bridge option would be sensible. Glenn could hold the fort and the relatively low-cost move could help to make the left side of the Redskins’ line and their tackle depth just a bit stronger. And like it or not, that’s important for the team given that their coaching staff is on the hot seat.
QB Colt McCoy to Indianapolis Colts for conditional late-round pick
The shocking retirement of Andrew Luck has changed the short-term and long-term outlook of the Colts. Long term, they don’t have an answer at quarterback, Short term, Jacoby Brissett will get a chance to prove himself. And he could do a good job as the starter.
But behind Brissett, the cupboard is relatively bare.
The Colts do have Chad Kelly, an intriguing talent who is likely to win the No. 2 job, but he is going to be suspended for the first couple games of the season. So, the team will need a backup for Brissett and Phillip Walker isn’t likely to cut it. They probably would want a veteran, and as I outlined in a recent piece, a guy like Colt McCoy could make sense.
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"If the Colts do look for some quarterback help, a logical place for them to shop would be in Washington. The Redskins have three capable quarterbacks in their QB room in Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, and Colt McCoy. The team is probably leaning towards keeping all three at the moment, but perhaps they could be motivated to move one of the veterans for the right price. That said, Case Keenum is currently projected to start the season, so the team likely wouldn’t move him barring a change of heart. If the team were to move any quarterback, it would likely be McCoy, who has fallen behind in the quarterback battle as he looks to recover from a season-ending leg injury."
Of course, this is contingent upon McCoy being healthy, as he has missed time as he continues to deal with complications from his surgically repaired knee. But if the Redskins could get an asset in exchange for him, they would have to consider it, as Keenum and Haskins should theoretically be capable of quarterbacking the team for at least this season. McCoy could help mentor Brissett, serve as veteran depth with Kelly out, and just provide depth at the position in general.
McCoy is far from the only veteran the Colts could target. Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer stands out as another option for the squad while Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater could be a more expensive option with higher upside. But again, it appears the Colts are just looking for a backup at most to add a veteran presence to that young room.
If that’s the case, the Redskins should try dangling McCoy to see if they can get Indy to bite. If not, there’s no harm done, but it’s definitely worth making a call.
WR Josh Doctson to Seattle Seahawks for a conditional late-round pick
Is Josh Doctson going to make the Redskins roster? At the moment, that isn’t clear. While it seems possible that the team could keep him around, they also have plenty of intriguing depth on their roster. And given that Doctson is in a lame-duck year, getting rid of him may make sense, especially if the team has no plans to keep him beyond the 2019 season.
Doctson may not look like an interesting commodity on the trade market, but a receiver-needy team could be willing to take him on for a late-round pick. After all, Doctson was a first-round pick and does have the potential to emerge as a possession-based No. 2 receiver at the NFL level.
One potential contender that could use some receiver depth is the Seattle Seahawks. Though the Seahawks figure to use a run-heavy offense, they still need to have some receiving options in their offense. Tyler Lockett is locked in as Russell Wilson‘s top target, but aside from him, they don’t have any proven options. They did draft three rookies in D.K. Metcalf, Gary Jennings, and John Ursua, but Metcalf is hurting and they don’t have much proven depth. So, grabbing a guy like Doctson could make sense.
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While Doctson hasn’t lived up to his status as a first-round pick with the Redskins, he does have the potential to become a solid receiving option. He may just need a change of scenery. Doctson’s 6-foot-2 frame could make him a logical complement to the smaller Lockett and his presence would afford the Seahawks the opportunity not to rush Metcalf back into action. And maybe in a new offense, he could finally emerge as a contested catch and redzone threat.
For the Seahawks, acquiring Doctson for a conditional sixth or seventh-round pick would be sensible, as he would add experienced depth and they could easily move on from him if he doesn’t live up to expectations.
And for the Redskins, parting with Doctson may give them a chance to keep a roster bubble guy like Darvin Kidsy or Jehu Chesson on as a seventh receiver. Plus, they would guarantee that they would get compensation for Doctson’s departure, and it would likely match anything that they could get in terms of compensatory picks if Doctson were to walk away from the team.
There won’t be a lot of suitors for Doctson, but all it takes is one team to buy into his potential.
TE Vernon Davis to New England Patriots for OT Dan Skipper and conditional seventh-round pick
This is it. The moment you’ve all been waiting for. A trade that involves a player-for-player swap.
On the surface, this move may not make much sense for the Redskins. Davis has been a more-than-solid backup for the squad, and Jordan Reed has been injured constantly during his Redskins career. In fact, Reed is currently dealing with a concussion right now, the seventh of his career, and his status for the season opener is unknown.
So, the question becomes, why would the Redskins willingly trade one of their top backups when that very player could start the season as a starter? The answer is simple.
Davis is in the twilight of his career. At this point, it doesn’t seem likely that he will factor into any plans that Washington has beyond this season. The 35-year-old is in the final year of his contract and if the Redskins aren’t going anywhere (which seems likely) it would make sense to give Davis a chance to play on a contender. And it just so happens that the Patriots could use some depth at tight end.
Currently, the Patriots have a glut of players at tight end with little to no proven track record. Ben Watson is the lone player to have significant starting experience, but he is suspended for the first four games of the season. Matt LaCosse figures to be the top option while he’s out with Ryan Izzo, Lance Kendricks (also suspended one game), Stephen Anderson, and Eric Saubert (recently acquired via trade) all vying for roles behind him.
While Izzo has been decent in the preseason, relying on the former seventh-round pick and LaCosse to fill the void of Rob Gronkowski may not be palatable for the Patriots. If they could get Davis as a rental for relatively little cost, perhaps they could do it.
If the Redskins are willing to part with Davis, he could net the team a conditional late-round pick. But in this trade, I also have the Patriots giving up Dan Skipper. The 6-foot-10 Skipper has been a journeyman so far in his career, but he has had a nice offseason with the Patriots and could have the upside of a solid swing tackle. He’s only 24, but he is on the roster fringe for the Patriots, as the team may go light on the O-Line, especially thanks to the recent solid play of 2018 first-round pick Isaiah Wynn.
The Redskins could scoop Skipper up in a trade, have him shore up the tackle depth, and challenge Geron Christian for the swing tackle job. It would be a nice, high upside move and if he develops well, perhaps he could help to fix some of the depth issues that the team has had at the tackle position in the absence of Williams.