NFL Free Agency: Washington Redskins Moves Will Tell the Team's Direction

It'd sure be nice if, for once, a coach or a GM was asked a question about possible offseason moves and answered sincerely. I'm not so sure that would be a good business move, though.

Imagine this: A reporter asks Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan about how the team is going to handle defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth once the NFL lockout is lifted. The coach smiles, leans into the reporter's handheld mic and says:

"We hate having him, but we hate the idea of him getting his way worse. Plus, Snyder is riding me on the money he spent for this guy."

"So, we're keeping him until we get at least a third-round pick, or until Week 6. He won't see playing time, of course. And by then, if we don't have any takers, he can go out to the market. That's the meat of it. Questions?"

That's probably not going to happen in this dimension of the Redskins universe. Fortunately, we don't need pressroom answers to figure out how the organization is going to approach this season. Basically, when the final 53-man roster is set in early September, it should tell us all we need to know. 

But the true signs of the organization's direction will show in this upcoming free-agency bonanza. Will they revert back to the spend-happy 'Skins of old? Will they be more thrifty and continue rebuilding with a youth campaign? Or will it be somewhere in the middle?

Here are some trends to look for when the free agents start rolling into Ashburn, Va.

Character

They may keep up the newfound approach of accruing high-character players, who are certain to give maximum effort on the field and leadership off it. This started in the draft, and maintaining that criterion for veteran players would seem to make sense.

After all, adding more toxic personalities in the locker room could undermine any prior efforts to improve team chemistry and work ethic.

Age

This team started to get younger in the draft, but many of those picks are long shots to make the final cut. Meanwhile, Shanahan has seen how far away this team truly is from perennial playoff contention (you'd like to think that, anyway).

Will it make sense to sign 30-year-old vets that aren't going to be around once this team is actually ready? The coach may not have a choice, because he's already facing pressure to turn things around.

(And that's another issue. I listen to the sports radio stations and way too many 'Skins fans are demanding immediate success, or else. I don't get it. Everyone has been bashing owner Daniel Snyder for making rash decisions, yet when there's an opportunity to take the slow and steady route, fans bristle at it. We can't have it both ways.)

Ability

They could take a stab at a playmaker at cornerback or wide receiver to finally give this team some flash, which it hasn't seen in quite some time. It could be fun if it works, or it could completely backfire on Washington like it always seems to.

No matter how you spin it, everyone can agree that Washington is short on talent. Other teams aren't really intimidated by having to game-plan against the 'Skins.

Santonio Holmes or Nnamdi Asomugha could instantly change that problem, but at what price? With so many holes on this team, one impact player could cost as much as four or five second- and third-tier free agents who can also contribute.

Position (Too Obvious, Right?)

As stated earlier, there are lots of holes to fill. We all scratched our heads when six rounds of the draft had come and gone and there was not an offensive lineman among Washington's picks. It would seem brutally obvious at this point that offensive line is a need (this has probably been written or said five million times over the last five years of Redskins offseasons).

On the other hand, this team's strength right now (yes, it does actually have one) is on the defensive side. If they shore up the nose tackle and cornerback spots, and maybe grab a middle linebacker and defensive end too, they can solidify one phase of a massive project this year. Then, next year, they can go to work on offense.

Price

This was touched on earlier, but it's a key factor under the soon-to-be-new CBA salary cap and salary floor. The 'Skins could have more than $20 million in available cap room that they're actually required to spend on players, which can go a long way if they want to re-package their signings into bonus portions that aren't counted against the cap.

The combination of contract balancing and sheer cap room could give Shanahan the opportunity to seek out many overlooked players, and flesh out the roster more.

We all expect free agency to be uniquely flooded when it starts, but those left behind will be eager to sign for a ham sandwich. The alternative for them would be missing crucial preseason or regular-season games, which is when players make their money.