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Examining if the Redskins should trade or keep Ryan Anderson

By Jacob Camenker

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 08: Ryan Anderson #52 of the Washington football team lines up for a play in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on December 08, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 08: Ryan Anderson #52 of the Washington football team lines up for a play in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on December 08, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 01: Ryan Anderson #52 of the Washington Redskins after being ejected for a hit to the head during the third quarter during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 01: Ryan Anderson #52 of the Washington Redskins after being ejected for a hit to the head during the third quarter during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

The case for keeping Anderson

While trading Anderson may be appealing, there are reasons to keep him around. Most importantly, it seems like both Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio have an appreciation for Anderson’s abilities.

“Ryan Anderson is a guy that we obviously have to find a home for. We have to find how we can use Ryan with his particular skill set,” Rivera said, per Standig.

“We’re excited about (Ryan) getting more opportunities,” Del Rio said, per Standig. “Looking at the film, he did some nice things. So yeah, we’re looking forward to getting Ryan involved.”

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So, that’s praise from both the head coach and defensive coordinator. That’s generally positive. Is it a bit non-committal? Sure. But that’s because he may be more of a backup/rotational player for the team, so they probably don’t want to overhype him.

Beyond the coaching staff’s admiration for Anderson, there are other facts that can be proposed as counterarguments to trading him.

While the Redskins may not want to pay Anderson a lot of money, they may not have to if he proves only to be a backup. Say he finds a place as a hybrid linebacker/end, plays 30-35 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, and serves as a quality rotational player. He may command some interest in free agency, but armed with over $85 million in (projected) cap space for 2021, the Redskins may be able to keep him. And if he’s not getting a massive deal from another team, perhaps they’d be willing to keep him at a lower cost to continue as a top depth player.

In short, if Anderson is a backup and no team views him as a starter, the Redskins could retain him for backup money. And that may be worth considering when looking at Anderson’s age and production.

Anderson will only turn 26 in August and he is coming off the best season of his career. He played 16 games (four starts) and logged 44 tackles and four sacks. He was excellent against the run and capable as a pass rusher. That said, his ability to force fumbles — he created five on the year — was excellent and at times, game-changing. If he can continue to develop or at least show a similar type of production again, he may be a worthwhile investment.

It may not be feasible for the Redskins to keep Anderson beyond this season if he does have another solid year. But why not hold onto him and find out? If he outperforms expectations, he may not be affordable, but the team will likely get a compensatory pick if that happens. If he’s merely solid, they can keep him at a backup rate.

The only non-optimal outcome would occur if Anderson outperforms. The team would then lose a chance to get a pick for him. Still, it would just be a Day 3 choice at most, so it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

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