6 Free Agents Who Won't Be Signing with the Washington Redskins

Let's be honest, the Washington Redskins' wish list for free agency may as well be an omnibus. This team will enter the NFL's veteran meat market needing a quality safety or two, another cornerback, a pass-rusher, a gap-filling defensive lineman and a couple of road-graders for the trenches.

Santa Claus couldn't deliver that many gifts in one night. In reality, Washington's free-agency activity will likely resemble those holiday seasons when your dream gift didn't arrive and in its place was an ugly sweater.

That means the top-notch free safety you've had your eye on in the AFC East, or the hulking nose tackle looming large in the West, won't be entering Redskins Park in March.

But until cold, hard reality sets in, there's surely no harm in dreaming. Here are six ideal-scenario free agents who would immediately upgrade a patchwork roster but ultimately won't sign.

A Dose of That Cold, Hard Reality

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If it weren't for those pesky cap numbers. It's not like Washington doesn't have room under this year's cap. It's just not enough room to insert an Ndamukong Suh onto the roster.

In fact, the projected numbers, although they vary slightly, indicate some cost cutting and smart shopping will be in order this March. OverTheCap.com puts this team's estimated cap space at $13,731,264. Meanwhile, Spotrac.com has the final tally at $11,718,251.

Whichever tally is closer to the truth, new general manager Scot McCloughan and team president Bruce Allen have no choice but to be selective in this year's market. That will mean turning away from the instant-impact types who would immediately add some star power at those obvious positions of need.

But it will also mean making some tough choices regarding this team's own three most useful free agents.

Devin McCourty, FS, New England Patriots

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It won't just be the cap that prohibits plucking Devin McCourty off a Super Bowl-winning roster, although the numbers certainly don't favor the Redskins in any pursuit of the New England Patriots free safety.

The 27-year-old potentially enters free agency one year after collecting a $3.92 million base salary from the Pats, per Spotrac.com. Getting McCourty to leave a perennial contender for the Lombardi Trophy—to a join a franchise frankly snakebitten since lifting the biggest prize in sports back in 1992—would likely take close to triple that figure.

In other words, McCourty is just too rich for Washington's blood. Which is obviously a shame considering he has all the attributes this team needs at the last line of its defense.

The converted cornerback has steadily blossomed into a quality center fielder. He's got a great understanding of zone coverages and route progressions and patrols the deep middle with expert authority.

McCourty is certainly the dream fix for Washington's longstanding weakness at free safety. Yet, rather than driving a Brinks truck up to the champ's home, the Redskins may try to emulate McCourty's career path.

Specifically, the team may try to have veteran DeAngelo Hall emulate it. The 31-year-old who tore the same Achilles twice last season could make the switch to free safety, per Mike Jones of The Washington Post:

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He has worked at free safety off and on during offseason practices in the last three years, and he occasionally shifted back to that spot in games in 2012 and 2013.

Hall once said that he sees a role similar to how the Packers used Charles Woodson – transitioning him from corner to safety, but moving him around the field with varying responsibilities depending on matchups – as the likely job for him during the latter stages of his career.

"

Those are certainly bold plans for an experienced pro who is as inconsistent as he can be brilliant. Yet, given the relative paucity of quality at safety in both free agency and the draft, giving Hall a try is definitely a cost-effective option.

Terrance Knighton, NT, Denver Broncos

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Want to solve the main problem with Washington's 3-4 defense? Then just plug Terrance Knighton, all 331 pounds, and the rest, into the middle of the line at nose tackle.

Sounds simple, right? Well, not necessarily.

On the one hand, the Redskins could be encouraged by information from B/R insider Jason Cole. He believes Denver will let Knighton test the market, at least initially.

But Cole also states how that willingness is prompted by ongoing concerns over Knighton's fluctuating weight. He certainly wasn't in ideal playing shape during the 2014 season.

There's also the very real prospect of a bidding war for Knighton's services. The player dubbed "Pot Roast" could be courted by two former coaches.

A prime contender has to be an Oakland Raiders team now guided by Knighton's former defensive coordinator and onetime head coach, Jack Del Rio. The player has an obvious desire to reunite with with his sideline mentor.

B/R analysts Jonathan Vilma and Chris Simms both feel the Silver and Black would have to "break the bank" for Knighton. That's a key phrase, one obviously implying what Simms calls "big-time money."

As if the Raiders looming isn't enough, there's also previous Broncos head coach John Fox's presence in Chicago. He's hired 3-4 guru Vic Fangio to run the Bears defense. Fox also knows how well Knighton can anchor a hybrid front.

Entering an auction with this many insider connections would be a dangerous move for Washington. It's how they've overpaid in the past.

Brian Orakpo, OLB

The Redskins won't use the franchise tag on Brian Orakpo again. Not after seeing him register just half a sack in seven games, before missing the next nine with yet another injury.

That's not the context in which you part with over $14 million, per B/R analyst Chris Simms in the above video. The decision will leave Orakpo seeking a new contract.

But this time he isn't coming off a 10-sack season, so he won't get the money his camp will feel his talent merits.

In truth, Orakpo's ability probably does justify a loaded deal. At his best, he certainly has tremendous value on this defense.

The 2009 first-round pick is the bookend to breakout star Ryan Kerrigan, he of 13.5 sacks during Orakpo's absence in 2014. Orakpo is the classic weak-side rush man opposing blockers fear.

Pair a fit-again Orakpo and buoyant Kerrigan together and offensive coordinators and quarterbacks will endure panic attacks deciding where to slide protection. That's how every good 3-4 is supposed to work.

But it won't work that way in Washington. With 2014 second-round pick Trent Murphy on the roster and draft and free-agency classes loaded with potential replacements, McCloughan has the room to low-ball Orakpo's contract.

You can hardly blame him given the player's trouble staying healthy and consistent. Even though Orakpo's presence makes this defense better.

Mike Iupati, G, San Francisco 49ers

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Mike Iupati is exactly the kind of mean, inside mauler Washington's O-line desperately needs. The trouble is the same could be said for around half the league.

Iupati will command a premium on the veteran market the same way every quality guard does. The Redskins don't even have the inside track to the powerful 27-year-old.

McCloughan was no longer on staff by the time the San Francisco 49ers drafted this formidable trench warrior in the first round in 2010. There's also the matter of Iupati's position.

He's at his destructive best at left guard. That's the same position Washington head coach Jay Gruden tabbed Shawn Lauvao to play last offseason.

Few fans could dispute Iupati is a significant upgrade over the ex-Cleveland Browns starter. But it seems unlikely Washington will give up on Lauvao just yet.

The franchise is certainly going to be less inclined to when it considers the type of money required to land Iupati. Consider the six-year, $46.8 million deal the Tennessee Titans handed to Andy Levitre in 2013.

Here's a scary thought: Iupati is a better player than Levitre.

Washington needs offensive line help in the worst way. But the team would be smart to turn toward the draft to find it.

Niles Paul, TE, and Roy Helu Jr., RB

Can McCloughan keep Niles Paul and Roy Helu Jr. in town? He certainly should, but new deals for both seems a stretch.

Paul enjoyed his finest season as a pro in 2014. He used his wide receiver-like skills in a tight end's body to become the kind of weapon the brittle and inconsistent Jordan Reed should be.

Paul snatched 39 passes for 507 yards. Though he scored just a single touchdown, the 25-year-old was a nice weapon in the passing game.

B/R analyst Chris Simms believes "somebody will pay" Paul. His move skills and production will translate to a good deal on the open market.

But it's not one Washington is likely to match. With Reed still on the roster and more naturally talented, it's easy to believe McCloughan won't see entering a bidding war for Paul as a priority.

More important, the player himself will likely jump at any offer that makes him the definite starter in another city. Any suitor who tracked Paul's performances last season is sure to make that offer. Perhaps the Atlanta Falcons, who have ex-Redskins assistants Kyle Shanahan and Raheem Morris on staff, and couldn't replace Tony Gonzalez in 2014?

By a similar token, Helu may have finally grown weary at waiting for more carries in the same backfield Alfred Morris calls home. Nobody said it would be easy taking touches away from a three-time 1,000-yard workhorse, but Helu still looks like a player used too seldom.

The 2011 fourth-round pick has already expressed his enthusiasm for testing this year's market, via Zac Boyer of The Washington Times:

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I’m very excited, because it’s the first time I’ve gone into an offseason where I guess I get to see what else is out there and I’m not restricted to a rookie pay scale. There’s great possibilities out there that I’ll probably look into for the benefit of my family’s future.

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CSN Washington reporter Tarik El-Bashir believes Helu wants "a bigger role." That's a shame considering his quickness and creditable receiving skills. However, as Simms notes, Helu may not be dynamic enough for Gruden's vision of a third-down back.

Saying goodbye to both Paul and Helu would rob Washington's offense of two very useful pass-catchers. They are the kind of rotational players essential to a modern, multiple-package attack.

Yet both have the talent and bodies of work to justify more reps than the Redskins are likely willing to offer.

Many will have a keen eye on how McCloughan approaches his first draft in charge. But the ability to spot bargains and unearth gems in free agency will be just as valuable to a team with modest cap room and so many areas of concern.

If McCloughan is shrewd, he'll still find veteran help at one or two weak positions without throwing dollars at the top end of the market.