Washington Redskins Free Agency: Better to Pay Asomugha or Braylon Edwards?

As NFL owners twist and turn waiting for the Players Association to accept the newly proposed collective bargaining agreement, fans are jittery with suspense.

At this point, it doesn't seem so much that fans are concerned about the football--as most people seem to believe that the 2011 season will happen. But what fans can't wait to see is how their team will spend once the free agency market is open. Better yet, what treasure will your team develop from some other team's released garbage?

Described as one of the deepest free agent classes in history, this shortened offseason is set to be an exciting one. One team in question of immense spending, as they are every year, is the Washington Redskins.

With a number of needs on a relatively shallow depth chart, many have speculated if the Redskins are prepared to go after guys like wide receivers Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Sidney Rice, or take a stab at filling holes on the defensive side of the ball with players like cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha or defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins.

Although the topic is debatable, the Redskins' wide receiver situation is very unproven at this point and the team is in dire need of some help in the defensive secondary.

Sophomore wide receiver Anthony Armstrong leads a group of receivers that welcomes three rookies from April's draft and hopes to have Malcolm Kelly return from IR and contribute. Although veteran receiver Santana Moss is expected to re-sign with the team once the lockout is over, I think it's best to say that nothing is a guarantee.

More so than the want at wide receiver is the need at defensive back. With the expected departure of seven-year veteran Carlos Rogers, the Redskins are left without much more than DeAngelo Hall. Third-year Maryland alum Kevin Barnes showed signs of solid play towards the end of last season and he appears to be the Redskins other corner opposite Hall heading into 2011. The question is, how confident is the coaching staff?

Going after a receiver like Braylon Edwards is a very hefty risk. Assuming Edwards is in search of top dollar, one has to view his entire career in order to justify his true value.

As a physical presence, Edwards is a coach's dream. Standing 6'3" and possessing the freakish athleticism to pull off anything on the football field, Edwards has almost everything it takes to be a solid No. 1 receiver in the NFL. But then you get a whiff of his hands. Edwards inconsistent catching ability over his seven-year career is a major drawback for teams looking to land their desired receiving stud. And the same should go for the Mike Shanahan and the Redskins.

Let's assume that Moss is in the plans and ultimately re-signs with the Redskins. Along with Moss, the team would return three sophomore receivers in Armstrong, Terrence Austin and Brandon Banks. Notably so, Banks receives very little action at the reciver spot. The team also returns third-year receiver Malcolm Kelly, as well as fifth-year veteran Roydell Williams.

Factor in the likely scenario that Shanahan signs all three of his rookie wideouts, including Leonard Hankerson, Niles Paul and Aldrick Robinson, and it's suddenly beginning to look like a pretty overpopulated position.

I'm not saying that these rookieS will start right away or that Edwards isn't better potential than Austin or Williams, but it just doesn't seem like a logical move in the way Shanahan has orchestrated his operation so far.

In an attempt to stick with the youth movement, bringing in a 28-year-old inconsistent receiver with a spotty track record of missing games just doesn't seem like the answer. And remember, Edwards will likely be looking for reasonably big money. Perhaps if Edwards was coming off of his 2007 season, in which he racked up 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns, he'd have a strong argument. But playing in 48 games and hauling in just 14 touchdown passes since then doesn't exactly make him my No. 1 target.

It's always entertaining to hear the people that bash/hate Nnamdi Asomugha. Not that they have any argument at all, but most always revert back to the fact that Asomugha has just 11 interceptions in his eight-year career, which averages out to be about 1.4 interceptions per year. 

But what those people don't understand is the fact that Asomugha rarely sees action on his side of the field. Rather than being your typical cover corner, Asomugha has built a reputation at being even better than a great cover corner. He's a lockdown corner. In other words, this dude is so good, opposing quarterbacks simply avoid his side of the field at all costs. Regardless of who the best receiver is on a team, Asomugha is covering him (and usually locking him down) when they play the Oakland Raiders.

Last year, Asomugha was named to Fox Sports' and USA Today's NFL All-Decade team. He has consistently been the least targeted corner in the league and he will certainly be the most sought after defensive player this offseason.

But, as desperate as the Redskins are at the position of cornerback, I'm still a bit weary on signing Asomugha.

The fact that he's 31 isn't my main concern. More importantly, I think the Redskins are in a very vulnerable position to get caught up in what Asomugha brings to the table and they could find themselves well overpaying for a player that could very well be done with football in four years.

I'm not assuming Asomugha will take the money and run, a la Haynesworth, nor am I predicting at what age he'll retire. All I'm saying is that Asomugha is interested in acting after football, maybe some sports commentating, and he is very involved in his philanthrpopic works outside of the game.

For the record, I am not against the Redskins signing Asomugha--but I think it's a very tough call when you're talking about paying him big money. Obviously the league's best players deserve the league's best contracts, but I believe the Redskins would be in a better situation if they attempted some bargain shopping with this offseason's cornerback market.

After Asomugha, the league's next top free agent corner would be Johnathan Joseph. At age 27, Joseph is a stud at this point in his career and would be an awesome pickup for the Redskins. However, like Asomugha, Joseph would require big money and he has already expressed interest in staying in Cincinnati.

Much farther down the list are a couple of names that, I believe, are very attainable and could be done so with financial responsibility in mind.

Former Maryland Terrapins star Josh Wilson was traded to the Baltimore Ravens during last year's preseason. As a free agent this summer, the 26-year-old Wilson could be a nice addition to the Redskins secondary and he'd likely inherit the role of No. 2 corner. Wilson is most commonly referred to as a speed corner, but his coverage skills are no slouch. Wilson also has experience as a kick returner.

Other thrifty options for the Redskins could be Richard Marshall in Carolina, Chris Houston in Detroit, Eric Wright in Cleveland and perhaps Fabian Washington in Baltimore (although his history of injuries is well-documented).

Also, we shouldn't forget about the number of players--good players--that will unexpectedly find themselves without a team after the newly implemented salary cap comes into effect. In combination with the expected free agent class and the bargaining of salary commitments, the Redskins could find themselves landing viable and cost-happy players to fill out there roster.

Whether it's the new brain that's running the Washington Redskins, or the fact that I'm becoming more and more obsessed with intelligent front office moves, I'm completely on board for a feasible and effective offseason for the Washington Redskins--one that doesn't have to be completely made up of the market's highest-paid players.