Washington Redskins: Who Stays and Who Goes in 2015 Free Agency?
Not that free agency has done them many favors, but the Washington Redskins currently have around $15 million in salary-cap space, according to OverTheCap.com. Knowing the team can clear more space with the ouster of some overpaid veterans, this number is likely to grow.
Still, before exploring what this year's free agents have to offer, the Redskins first have to decide the fate of their own.
In a class short on headliners, let's take a look at Washington's most impactful free agents and determine who stays and who goes.
QB Colt McCoy
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You can decide if it's a good thing or not: Colt McCoy was in all likelihood the Redskins' best quarterback in 2014.
He either started in or was responsible for two of the team's four wins. Additionally, of Washington's three quarterbacks, he proved to be the safest and most accurate with the football. McCoy completed 71.1 percent of his passes and had an interception rate of 2.3 percent.
Still, while McCoy had a respectable showing in his five games of action, he's not the Skins' long-term answer at quarterback.
This isn't to say that Robert Griffin III or Kirk Cousins is either, but in the cases of both players, it's a possibility the team can't rule out just yet. Cousins has struggled with ball security, but he's had flashes (Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles) where he's looked the part of a starting quarterback.
As for Griffin, a combination of injury and an inability to pass from the pocket has held him back from fulfilling his vast potential.
So save a trade of either player, these are the two quarterbacks who should head the Skins' depth chart in 2015. With most NFL teams steering away from carrying a third quarterback on their active roster, this leaves McCoy as the odd man out.
If the team is to carry a third quarterback, the practice squad seems to be the place it will stash him.
Verdict: Goes
LB Brian Orakpo
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And you thought Griffin was injury-prone. Tearing his pectoral muscle for a third time, Brian Orakpo's 2014 season was over after seven games.
Designated as the team's franchise player, Orakpo's play in that time span never justified the $11.45 million price tag he carried into the season.
A steady contributor when he's been healthy—he had between 8.5 and 11 sacks in four of his first five seasons in the league—Orakpo failed to even meet those standards. He finished the year with just 24 tackles and half a sack.
With a long-term deal out of the question because of his injury history, Washington has to ask itself if it wants him back on a one-year, incentive-laden contract.
The answer should be no, though. The Skins have already spent a high draft pick on Trent Murphy. And the way the top of the upcoming 2015 NFL draft is shaping up, via ESPN.com, another highly touted pass-rusher could fall into the team's lap.
All told, it's come time for Washington to bid Orakpo adieu.
Verdict: Goes
OT Tyler Polumbus
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Looking back on Tyler Polumbus' time in D.C., it seems unfathomable that he started 42 games in four seasons.
Year after year, he was considered a weak link along the offensive line by a long list of detractors. Just peep what we'll call Polumbus' timeline of ineptitude.
Here's a quick glimpse into his first full season starting in Washington, 2012:
"Sheard bursts around LE, awful block by RT Tyler Polumbus, sacks Cousins. Never slowed him down. Sheard showing 2011 pass rush form lately.
— Browns RapidReports (@CBSBrowns) December 16, 2012"
Long in the tooth, Justin Tuck's six sacks against Polumbus and company in 2013 likely played a key role in him garnering a two-year, $11 million deal from the Oakland Raiders the following offseason:
"The Redskins have made Justin Tuck relevant again in 2013. He should send a check to Tyler Polumbus & Chris Chester. #Redskins #Giants
— Bryan Manning (@bdmanning4) December 29, 2013"
A long time coming, Polumbus was finally benched in Week 8 of this past season:
"Tom Compton is going to start at RT for #Redskins vs. Dallas. Over Tyler Polumbus.
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) October 24, 2014"
It wasn't all bad, all the time with Polumbus—JP Finlay of CSNWashington.com cited a strong stretch he had during the 2012 NFC East title run—but with cheaper alternatives already on the roster, the team has little incentive to bring him back in 2015.
Verdict: Goes
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S Ryan Clark
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The Redskins just can't seem to get the timing right when it comes to Ryan Clark.
Evidenced by his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington erred in letting him walk after the 2005 season. It was a case of a team quitting on a player before he reached his potential.
Fast forward to this past season, and the Skins were guilty this time of acquiring a player who was past his glory days.
Missed tackles were a staple of Washington's defense in 2014, and Clark was one of the many offenders. He was one of the leaders in the secondary, and another stain on Clark's hands were the repeated breakdowns the team had in coverage.
His totals of 102 tackles, one interception and three passes defensed are more than respectable, but in light of his deficiencies in coverage and in defending the run, the Redskins should look elsewhere for a starting safety.
Verdict: Goes
S Brandon Meriweather
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Injuries and suspensions defined Brandon Meriweather's time in Washington. He suited up for just 24 of 48 games.
And when he was in uniform, he didn't make much of an impact. A player who posted three seasons with at least three interceptions prior to landing in D.C., Meriweather didn't register an interception at all in 2014.
As a result, outside of his contributions as a blitzer, he brought little to the defense—an attribute you can apply to a litany of players within the secondary. Missed assignments and coverage lapses were consistent problems of Meriweather's.
Set to open the 2015 season at the age of 31 with a checkered injury history, Meriweather has outlasted his usefulness in Washington.
Verdict: Goes
RB Roy Helu
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The first dilemma the Redskins have on their hands: What should they do with Roy Helu?
He's productive. Over the course of his four-year career, he's rushed the ball at a clip of 4.4 yards per carry. This past season, he averaged a career-high 5.4 yards per rush.
He's a multipurpose back. Helu had 44 receptions, two touchdowns and 477 yards in 2014. Knowing how little Alfred Morris contributes to the passing game, this makes Helu the perfect complement to the bruising back.
It's a compelling case on the surface; all that really matters is the position he plays, running back. With this position being devalued more and more—see DeMarco Murray—the second contract for most backs won't come from the team that drafted them.
This is a category Helu will fall under. While unproven, Chris Thompson and Silas Redd will allow the Skins to move on from Helu. Redd and Thompson would be a drop-off from Helu in terms of production initially, but the duo will barely crack $1 million in salary next season, according to Spotrac.com.
Money isn't everything, but in the case of a part-time player like Helu, it's going to be the deciding factor under these circumstances.
Verdict: Goes
TE Niles Paul
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An afterthought prior to the season, Niles Paul proved in 2014 that all he needed was an opportunity to show he belonged. With Jordan Reed suffering an injury early in the season, he got just that.
Paul finished the year with 39 receptions and 507 receiving yards, both career highs. Behind a hot stretch to open the year, he actually ranked as one of the top tight ends in catches and yards early on.
Mind you, this was coming from a guy who had all of 14 catches the three seasons prior.
Knowing that head coach Jay Gruden utilized multiple tight ends in his time with the Cincinnati Bengals, the mindset in Washington was that Paul and Reed would form a potent duo once they were able to play together.
That never happened. Upon Reed's return in Week 6, and somewhat before that, Paul's production tailed off. He went on to surpass 20 yards receiving and two receptions in a game just twice the rest of the season.
Still, with Reed's durability a question mark, the 'Skins should bring Paul back into the fold, even if it's only as an insurance policy. The only other tight end is Logan Paulsen, and as we all have come to learn, his hands are Brandon Bostick-level suspect.
The first, and maybe the last, on this list, Paul is a keeper.
Verdict: Stays
WR Santana Moss
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Coming off his 14th NFL season, Santana Moss has been cheating Father Time for a good minute now. He's long lost the speed and quickness that got him drafted out of Miami and helped him accumulate 66 touchdowns, 10,283 receiving yards and 732 receptions in the NFL.
Relegated to holding his helmet on the sideline most of the year, Moss has 10 receptions for 116 yards in 2014. Considering that receiver is in actuality the Redskins' deepest position with the likes of DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Andre Roberts and Ryan Grant on the roster, there's little sense in bringing Moss back.
Verdict: Goes
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