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Washington Football Team: 15 key roster decisions team will soon make

By Jonathan Eig

LANDOVER, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 08: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Football Team runs with the ball in the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at FedExField on November 08, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 08: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Football Team runs with the ball in the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at FedExField on November 08, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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Nov 8, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) runs past New York Giants cornerback Logan Ryan (23), Giants cornerback Isaac Yiadom (27), and Giants outside linebacker David Mayo (55) en route to a touchdown in. The fourth quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) runs past New York Giants cornerback Logan Ryan (23), Giants cornerback Isaac Yiadom (27), and Giants outside linebacker David Mayo (55) en route to a touchdown in. The fourth quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Long Term Deals: Offense

Normally, I’d address free agents first, but Washington is in a peculiar position. They have one – and only one – player who needs to be locked up as soon as possible.

Terry McLaurin is the most important player on the team. He is clearly the best offensive player they have. Halfway through his second season, he has already demonstrated his elite on-field talent. He is also a leader, who was recently chosen as team captain.

Washington will win over the next year or two because of their defense, but you only go so far in today’s NFL without a dynamic offense. Right now, Terry McLaurin is the only sure thing WFT has on offense. He becomes a free agent in 2023, and you could put off negotiating a long-term deal for another year. But they should not wait. They should make signing McLaurin to a long-term deal priority No. 1 his offseason.

The only other offensive player they might consider locking up this off-season is J.D. McKissic. McKissic is on a team-friendly contract that keeps him around for another year, and at 27, he is getting on in years for a running back.

Still, OC Scott Turner clearly likes having him in the backfield with super-rookie Antonio Gibson and that lineup has looked better and better the more Turner gets to work with it. Keeping McKissic around an extra year or two makes sense.

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