Redskins reportedly decline Quinton Dunbar’s request for contract restructure

Quinton Dunbar has demanded that the Washington Redskins trade or release him. And now, it’s coming to light that Dunbar reached out about a contract restructure and the ‘Skins declined the conversation.

Coming into the offseason, the Redskins had some serious questions at the cornerback position outside of Quinton Dunbar. But now, those questions include Dunbar within them.

This offseason, Dunbar requested a trade or release from the Redskins entering the final unguaranteed season on a three-year extension he signed on the first day of 2018. Dunbar is likely hoping to earn some guaranteed money in that final year and may have considered another extension had he not expressed a desire to leave Washington.

That said, Dunbar did reportedly reach out to the Redskins about making a “reasonable contract restructure” this season, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson. But the Redskins declined to discuss the matter.

That news certainly doesn’t bode well for Dunbar’s long-term future in D.C., as it seems that the two sides may be engaged in a stalemate. And when that happens, as Redskins fans saw last year with Trent Williams, things can get ugly.

The fact of the matter is that Dunbar is one of the better corners in the NFL when healthy. He is a playmaker with good length and ball skills and fits well as a No. 1 corner. In 2019, he had 37 tackles, four interceptions, and eight pass defenses despite playing in just 11 games.

But therein lies the rub with Dunbar. He is an excellent talent, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy in recent seasons. He’s never played a full 16-game slate and he has played in just 18 of 32 games over the course of the past two years. Because of that, it will make it difficult for the team to feel confident investing in him with a long-term, lucrative extension.

They’d still probably consider it, but may be content to wait a year to see if Dunbar can stay healthy. Then, they could tag him if they were afraid he would sign elsewhere.

Still, the team should at least consider hearing out Dunbar’s plea for a restructured contract. If they showed some goodwill and guaranteed at least part of the $3-$4 million that he’s owed, that would likely go a long way and at least make Dunbar consider sticking around when the time comes for his next deal. And guaranteeing that money wouldn’t be a massive cost for the team, especially if it means that they can keep Dunbar around for another season.

Alas, it seems that the team doesn’t want to cave to Dunbar’s demands. That’s fair for a new coaching staff and front office, as they don’t want to appear to be pushovers, but losing Dunbar could cause the secondary to be a bigger issue than it already is in 2020.

Right now, it looks like the Redskins will have to add a couple of corners in the 2020 offseason. They’ll need to find one to start on the outside and maybe two if they’re not comfortable with Fabian Moreau and Dunbar forces his way out. For now, the situation is fluid, but this situation appears to be a messy one for both Dunbar and the Redskins.