NFC East 2018 offseason roundup: Redskins
20 March 2018 NFL News & Updates
You probably are well aware of all the moves and signings Howie and company have made this offseason but as the reigning champs, we’ve got to defend the crown against our closest enemies in just a few short months.
Let’s take a look at the decisions one of our NFC East division rivals has made since the Super Bowl (that the Eagles won):
Redskins
The Redskins were the first franchise to make a move this offseason trading cornerback Kendall Fuller and a 2018 3rd round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for Quarterback Alex Smith.
Fuller was a promising cornerback for the Redskins secondary to lose especially with the team was expecting to let Bashaud Breeland walk in free agency. Recently, the team signed recently released Cowboys CB Orlando Scandrick to a 2-year deal.
RETAINING/ REVAMPING THE 2017 ROSTER
The Redskins have their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future as Kirk Cousins moved on to sign with the Vikings this offseason and were able to retain LB Zach Brown and kicker Dustin Hopkins.
Players from the 2017 roster who signed elsewhere to this point are: LB Trent Murphy (who missed most of last season due to suspensions and a torn ACL), starting OC Spencer Long and TE Niles Paul. WR Ryan Grant is reportedly expected to sign with the Colts sometime Tuesday.
At this point, Bashard Breeland has yet to sign a contract due to an injury that will cause him to potentially miss the beginning of the 2018 season.
There has been little word of interest in WR Terrelle Pryor, who was on a 1-year deal last season. It is not likely that he will re-sign with the Redskins due to a poor performance and the fact that they committed to free agent WR Paul Richardson instead.
SUMMARY
The Redskins went 7-9 last season so revamping their roster should have been expected. Being able to keep Zach Brown is a win for their defense. Brown was very productive but let’s be honest, their secondary has taken a hit losing both Breeland and Fuller.
A big concern for the Redskins has been injuries lately, especially last season, so it is curious to me why they’d spend money this offseason bringing in players with a history of injuries like Orlando Scandrick and Paul Richardson.
You have to give the Redskins credit for being aggressive and getting Alex Smith in the wake of mishandling the Kirk Cousins situation. Overall, I think the organization is weaker than they were in 2017 at this point but luckily for them, they have the draft to address some of the issues they face right now.