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Washington Football Team: Players team could trade away before deadline

By Jacob Camenker

Sep 13, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team defensive end Ryan Kerrigan (91) celebrates with quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. (7) after receiving a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team defensive end Ryan Kerrigan (91) celebrates with quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. (7) after receiving a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 31, 2020; Washington, DC, United States; Washington Football Team defensive end Chase Young (99) and linebacker Ryan Anderson (52) walk onto the field prior to a practice at Fedex Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2020; Washington, DC, United States; Washington Football Team defensive end Chase Young (99) and linebacker Ryan Anderson (52) walk onto the field prior to a practice at Fedex Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

EDGE Ryan Anderson

Could Washington deal both of their Ryans on the edge? It’s possible. Ryan Anderson is set to be a free agent next year and the former second-round pick almost certainly won’t be returning to Washington.

The reason for this is simple. Anderson doesn’t fit well into Jack Del Rio’s 4-3 scheme. Anderson was always seen as a better fit as a 3-4 edge rusher. In the 4-3, he’s a positionless player, stuck between the SAM linebacker spot and the defensive end position. Del Rio has used him at end and Anderson just hasn’t done much as a result.

So far this year, Anderson has just six tackles. He has no sacks and just one tackle for loss in his rotational role. After he logged 44 tackles and four sacks last year as a four-game starter, there was some hope that he would re-emerge as a solid weapon off the bench. That hasn’t come to fruition.

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Anderson needs to go to a team playing the 3-4 to be at his best. He was never a strong pass rusher, but he was excellent at setting the edge against the run in his rush linebacker role. And occasionally, he could get pressure with his strength and physicality. Unfortunately, his smaller frame (6-foot-2, 255 pounds) just doesn’t translate to the defensive line in a 3-4 scheme.

Some teams will look at Anderson as a nice buy-low opportunity. He’ll cost nothing more than a late-round pick and should have a chance to emerge as a quality rotational player in the right system. The Titans and their 3-4 defense stand out as a good fit for him as do the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams are vying for playoff spots and could use more depth off the edge.

If Washington could choose, moving Anderson would probably be preferable, but his overall market remains to be seen. There should be enough interest in moving him to make a deal, and doing so would allow the likes of James Smith-Williams and Nate Orchard to get more snaps and prove that they belong on the team as backups long-term.

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