6 Bargain-Bin Free Agents Who Could Fill Big Holes for Washington Redskins

They're few and far between, but in Alfred Morris and DeSean Jackson, the Washington Redskins have their share of players on bargain contracts.

Boasting roughly $14 million in cap space at the moment, according to Mike Jones of The Washington Post, Washington will need to acquire a lot more if it plans on improving last year's 4-12 record.

With that in mind, let's look at six bargain-bin free agents the Redskins should pursue this offseason.

S Marcus Gilchrist

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With Brandon Meriweather and Ryan Clark set to hit free agency, the Redskins will be in the market for two starting safeties this offseason.

The draft is an avenue the team will explore to fill this hole, but Washington will still need a veteran presence on the back end, ideally a player that isn't on his last leg—sorry, Clark.

Still in the prime of his career, Marcus Gilchrist fits the billing. Overshadowed by Eric Weddle in San Diego, Gilchrist proved to be a solid player in his own right. Right behind Weddle, Gilchrist was rated as the fifth-best tackling safety in the league by Pro Football Focus.

For comparison's sake, Clark was ranked 55th in this category and led all safeties with 22 missed tackles.

Back to Gilchrist, though, he's durable too. He's played in 62 of 64 games in his career. Likely to go under the radar with Devin McCourty and Tashaun Gipson headlining this year's crop of safeties, Washington should jump at the chance to acquire Gilchrist.

TE Lance Kendricks

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It may have been overlooked in the regular season because of the deficiencies the team had in other areas, but the play of Washington's tight ends in 2014 was rather inconsistent. 

Injuries played a part in this, as starter Jordan Reed was in and out the lineup. As a result, with his role constantly changing, Niles Paul never found his niche within head coach Jay Gruden's offense. 

Still, in looking at Reed, Paul and Logan Paulsen, it's evident that the Skins don't have a complete tight end on their roster—a tight end like Lance Kendricks.

In addition to being an asset in the running game, Kendricks proved to be an effective receiver in St. Louis. Serving as the backup to Jared Cook, he tallied 27 receptions, 259 yards and five touchdowns this past season. 

Knowing the affinity Gruden had for using multiple tight ends in his time with the Cincinnati Bengals—he used two-tight end sets 56 percent of the time in 2013—a bigger role could await Kendricks in D.C. if he was brought aboard.

TE Rob Housler

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Provided that Kendricks isn't available, Washington should target Rob Housler as its backup option. Relegated to blocking in head coach Bruce Arians' offense, Housler's receiving skills were underutilized in Arizona. 

The Cardinals' poor quarterback play and a cluttered depth chart played a role, but he finished with just nine receptions for 129 yards in 2014. It should be noted, though, that in 19 combined starts in 2012 and 2013, Housler registered 84 receptions and 871 yards. 

So as you can see, the potential is there for Housler to produce. Oh, and as SB Nation's Danny Kelly details, the same can be said about his athletic ability:

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FA TE Rob Housler ran the 40 in 4.46, with a 37" vert, 9'9 broad jump, and a 6.9 3-cone at 250 lbs at the 2011 combine

— Danny Kelly (@FieldGulls) February 8, 2015"

With Reed's durability a lingering question mark, it makes sense for the Redskins to target a player in Housler who can replicate what he brings to the table from a matchup standpoint.

DT Dan Williams

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Long in the tooth along the defensive line, depth predictably became an issue for Washington last season. The likes of Barry Cofield, Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher all missed time to injury.

With a need to get younger and bigger up front, particularly at nose tackle, the team should look into acquiring a player like Dan Williams. 

He's only a rotational player—he appeared in just 24.3 plays per game, according to Josh Weinfuss—but that's precisely what the Skins need to keep their defense fresh. Especially when you factor in the uptempo offenses within the NFC East. 

Last season, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Washington surrendered 4.7 yards per rush against no-huddle offenses. Then there's the short-yardage conversions teams had via the run on third and fourth down against this defense. Opposing offenses converted at a rate of 58 percent in 2014.

Williams isn't much of a pass-rusher, evidenced by his two career sacks, but in the team's base defense and in short-yardage situations, there's a place for him to make an impact as a run defender.

LB Dan Skuta

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Can Ryan Kerrigan get some help, please?

In 2014, Kerrigan and blitzing stood as the only ways Washington could get to the quarterback. It was 21st in the league with just 36 sacks, and Kerrigan was responsible for over a third of that total.

With the presence of Brian Orakpo and second-round pick Trent Murphy, that wasn't supposed to be the case. Orakpo was hurt, though, and Murphy didn't have a smooth transition from college to the NFL.

So even with ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. projecting the Skins to take a pass-rusher with the No. 5 overall pick, the team needs a proven player in this spot.

Enter Dan Skuta. A backup player for much of his six-year career, Skuta got an opportunity in San Francisco, and he took advantage of it. Filling in for the suspended Aldon Smith, he tallied five sacks in eight starts.

A placeholder of sorts for Washington's green pass-rushers, Skuta's ability to transition to special teams makes him a perfect fit in D.C..

CB Patrick Robinson

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It's safe to say the Tracy Porter experiment was a failed one. After setting a career high for games played in 2013, he regressed to the mean his first season in Washington. In other words, Porter returned to being his injury-prone self, as he appeared in just three games.

With DeAngelo Hall coming off not one, but two surgeries on his Achilles tendon, the Redskins have little choice but to explore the free-agent market for another experienced cornerback.

How about Patrick Robinson?

He hasn't lived up to the billing of a former first-round pick, but there's no denying Robinson's talent. Robinson boasts the speed and agility to match up with receivers on the outside and in the slot.

It's confidence, though, that's seemingly always been his issue. And it wasn't until he was demoted for a spell last season with the New Orleans Saints that he overcame it.

Speaking to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, Robinson touched on this very subject.

"I think when I lost my starting job, I was thinking, 'This cannot get any worse. And I can only go up from here.' So I just kept working hard, staying focused, just doing my job, that's it," he said. 

With his performance against Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers last year serving as a reminder of his vast potential—he had three pass breakups in the contest—Robinson is the type of player the Skins should target to bolster their porous pass defense.