Washington Redskins: Latest Free-Agency News and Rumors
With the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine soon to be in the rearview mirror, the Washington Redskins' focus will soon shift toward free agency.
While new general manager Scot McCloughan has said all the right things since being hired regarding building through the draft, the reality is, Washington will be a player in free agency.
If Daniel Snyder owning the team isn't reason enough for you to come to this conclusion, then the litany of holes on the team's roster should bring you around to this line of thinking.
Team President Bruce Allen expects the Redskins to have at least $20 million in cap space once free agency opens, per Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com, but where will the team allocate these funds?
Let's find out. Here is the latest free-agency news and rumors concerning Washington.
Dan Williams a Free-Agent Target?
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The team's deficiencies in other areas may cause it to be overlooked, but the Redskins' defensive line is another position group that could undergo a makeover this offseason.
Jarvis Jenkins is the only key free agent, but both Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen carry large cap numbers in 2015. Because Cofield and Bowen together tie up $15.6 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.com, both have to be viewed as potential cap casualties.
With Washington lacking a true nose tackle to anchor its 3-4 front, Chat Sports' Brian Rauf believes the team should enter free agency with its sights on nose tackle Dan Williams.
Williams isn't much of a pass-rusher—two sacks in five NFL seasons—but there's no denying the impact he has as a run defender. A situational player with the Arizona Cardinals, Williams' run-stop percentage of 9.1 percent placed him seventh in the NFL, according to John Kosko of Pro Football Focus.
Needing to combat the potent rushing attacks within the NFC East, Washington would be wise to gauge his interest once free agency opens in light of this.
Brandon Meriweather Is Unlikely to Return
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Let's just call it addition by subtraction. After three seasons marred by injury and suspension, the word out of D.C. is that Brandon Meriweather is unlikely to return to the team in 2015, according to Mike Jones of The Washington Post and Breaking Sports News:
"Washington Redskins not expected to re-sign S Brandon Meriweather - @PostSports http://t.co/s9agHfyUST
— Breaking NFL News (@sporting_nfl) February 17, 2015"
With Ryan Clark recently announcing his retirement, this means the team will enter free agency and the draft looking to acquire two starting safeties.
Unlike their tackles or coverage assignments, though, this duo won't be missed. Clark's return to Washington wasn't a triumphant one. Clark led all safeties in missed tackles last season with 22, according to Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus.
As for Meriweather, he appeared in just 24 of 48 regular-season games. Noted for his ball skills earlier in his career, he netted just three interceptions in this time span.
Phillip Thomas is an internal option the team could turn to. But coming off a season in which it allowed a league-high 8.2 yards per attempt, Washington should do its due diligence and explore a variety of alternative options.
Jeron Johnson's Washington Connection
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One of McCloughan's finds from his stint with the Seattle Seahawks, safety Jeron Johnson was cited by CSNWashington.com's Rich Tandler as a possible target to fill one of the Redskins' vacancies at safety.
Buried behind Kam Chancellor on Seattle's depth chart, Johnson saw limited action last season. Over the course of his four-year career, he's appeared in 46 games and tallied two sacks and 43 tackles.
While these aren't numbers that'll jump off the page at you, Johnson did receive a glowing review from SB Nation's Danny Kelly, h/t SB Nation's Ed Valentine:
"Hasn't gotten a ton of action because of the players in front of him (Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas), but when he's played he's been solid. He's a box safety more than anything -- strong against the run, a strong tackler, physical, tenacious.
He's a mainstay on special teams. Is useful in "big nickel" situations where you want a little more speed without sacrificing too much in tackling ability.
"
The Seahawks' leading tackler on special teams, even in the event he can't nail down a starting gig, Johnson could make an impact on this unit for Washington.
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Kai Forbath's Future Is Up in the Air
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After Washington's selection of Zach Hocker in last year's draft, it seemed a mere formality that Kai Forbath's days in D.C. would be over.
Look at him now, though. Not only did he convert 24 of 27 field goals, but after being limited by a groin injury to start the year, he improved his performance on kickoffs. He had a career-high 18 touchbacks in 2014.
A restricted free agent, Forbath's resurgence came on cue. And therein lies the problem. According to OverTheCap.com, his $570,000 salary last season was 25th in the league. Knowing that Washington has already once tried to replace him, Forbath's pending raise has The Washington Post's Liz Clarke wondering if he'll in fact be back next season.
With the free-agent market seemingly always littered with veteran kickers, the Redskins should let cost dictate whether or not they bring Forbath back into the fold next season.
Vernon Gholston's Shot at Redemption
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Looking for a pass-rusher to pair with defensive cornerstone Ryan Kerrigan, the Redskins will give draft flameout Vernon Gholston a tryout with the team, according to CSNWashington.com's Tarik El-Bashir.
A reclamation project of sorts, Gholston's last NFL action came in 2010. Formerly the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, he failed to record a sack in 45 games with the New York Jets.
At the age of 29, it remains to be seen if Gholston still boasts the elite athleticism that led to his dominant performance at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine. And even if he does, you should remember that not even Rex Ryan was able to coax much out of his talent.
Still, with little at stake here for Washington, there's minimal risk in the team kicking the tires on a player with Gholston's physical gifts.
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