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Redskins Free Agency: Three best wide receiver fits for the team

By Damien Bartonek

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 28: A.J. Green #18 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs onto the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paul Brown Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 28: A.J. Green #18 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs onto the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paul Brown Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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CARSON, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 08: Devin Funchess #17 of the Indianapolis Colts can’t come down with the catch while pursued by Brandon Facyson #28 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter at Dignity Health Sports Park on September 08, 2019 in Carson, California. The Chargers defeated the Colts 30-24 in overtime. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
CARSON, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 08: Devin Funchess #17 of the Indianapolis Colts can’t come down with the catch while pursued by Brandon Facyson #28 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter at Dignity Health Sports Park on September 08, 2019 in Carson, California. The Chargers defeated the Colts 30-24 in overtime. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /

3. Devin Funchess

By no means is this what you would consider the “sexy” free agency pick up, but it is one that the Redskins could use immediately.

With obvious ties to Ron Rivera, Devin Funchess could surely pick up the Redskins offense rather quickly even with new offensive coordinator Scott Turner at the helm.

Funchess has never truly “popped” off the screen as you watched him, but his skill set could be used in this Redskins offense. Funchess, a big-bodied, 6-foot-4 possession receiver that has had some NFL success under Ron Rivera, could truly look to rejuvenate his career after the injury-filled season that was last year.

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Funchess can come into Redskins park and add a dimension that was missing last season. The Redskins had no sort of in-between game as it pertains to the passing offense. There were no real chain movers, as this passing offense was truly an offense where every pass that was thrown traveled under five yards in the air. Of course, you had a couple of outliers, but that was truly it. They were outliers, The Redskins offense was one dimensional and that is being nice.

In years past, Funchess has used that 6-foot-4 frame and had a bunch of success moving the chains. His prior two seasons, in 2017 and 2018, saw him secure 75 catches that went for first downs.

Back in 2017 under Ron Rivera, Funchess had a remarkable year at just 23 years old. He secured 63 balls for 840 yards and eight touchdowns. The following year, injury held him out for two games, but he still secured 44 balls for 549 yards and four touchdowns. He has a career-long reception of 52 yards and an average yards per touch of nearly 14 yards.

Funchess hasn’t had the highest catch percentage in the world nor has he had Larry Fitzgerald type hands by any stretch. But as a possession receiver, I don’t expect numbers like that. He can come in, already understanding the Rivera regime and pick up the offense rather quickly considering he’s played under Scott Turner’s dad, Norv, in Carolina since he debuted in the NFL.

Being able to make timely first-down catches, even as a low-cost rotational receiver whether it be on second and third down, could go a long way for a Redskins offense that is entirely unproven. Coming in, Funchess will be playing the position similar to what he did in Carolina. The 2017 season was the only one in which he played a bunch of X-Reciever. Now, coming into a program where he’ll be looked at as the Z, can put him in positions to recapture success as he did in his Carolina days.

It’s a very realistic option for the Redskins to sign Funchess, as he is coming off a one-year, $10 million deal last season but he only played in the first game for the Colts before going out for the season. He’ll be looking for a new start, the Redskins will be able to sign him on an incentive-heavy deal, and he can come back and play for a coach that brought the best seasons out of the Michigan native.

For a low-cost, I believe he can be well worth the contract you give him. The Redskins have a true X-Receiver in Terry McLaurin, and as a Z-Recieve, Funchess can give you solid production at just 25 years old.

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