Redskins: Five biggest cut day surprises in Washington

No. 1 – The Redskins finally ended the Josh Doctson saga

Before recently, it was expected that the Redskins would, in an act of futility, keep Josh Doctson on the roster for the final year of his rookie contract. But as more and more receivers began to flash their talents on the field during preseason, it became apparent that Washington needed more open spots at receiver, and the purpose of keeping Doctson came into question.

At the end of it all, the Redskins opted to release Doctson, when no one would trade for him, and as painful as it may be to let go of a former first-round pick without any compensation, it was the right decision to make. Doctson had already stated that he wasn’t going to be in D.C. next year. The Redskins had other, younger receivers with upside, who deserved more opportunities. Taking Doctson’s modest cap hit, to strengthen that flexibility, was a sensible move, and a necessary cost.

In theory, it would have been nice to get a compensatory pick for Doctson, when he would inevitably leave in free agency. But Doctson also said he had nothing to prove this year, and with receivers such as Terry McLaurin and Paul Richardson coming back into the fold, Doctson was bound to see a decrease in snaps. It’s unlikely he would have fetched anything more than a sixth-round compensatory pick, in a free agent class that’s set to potentially include A.J. Green, Emmanuel Sanders, Devin Funchess, Amari Cooper, Robby Anderson, and others.

It’s unfortunate that Doctson’s time in D.C. ended so unceremoniously. But perhaps this event will put a chip on his shoulder, and help him start anew somewhere else. At the end of the day, it makes more sense to give opportunities to high-upside players who might still be here in 2020, than to limp through a season with divorce papers waiting to be signed, in hopes of getting only marginal compensatory return.