Last-Minute Guide to Washington Redskins' Free Agency

Under the direction of owner Daniel Snyder, the Washington Redskins, if anything, have been predictable. They win the bidding wars for the top free agents but not games on the gridiron.

Hired to be the new general manager, Scot McCloughan has been brought in to change this plight. We've seen this script before, though. So you have to ask yourself, will McCloughan really be an orchestrator of change or just the latest puppet dangling from Snyder's strings?

Approaching the March 10 start of the 2015 league year, we'll soon get an answer to this question. While the team only made subtle changes to its roster in head coach Jay Gruden's inaugural season in town, an overhaul is now in order. 

After all, 2014 was the team's fifth losing season in six years. So for the last time, let's preview Washington's free-agency outlook.

Cap Space

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They may have a rep for spending too loosely, but in reality, the Redskins haven't spent enough in free agency.

Washington is one of 10 teams under the "minimum spend" provision negotiated in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, according to John Clayton of ESPN.com.

Spread out over four years, starting in 2013, each team is required to spend at least 89 percent of its cap space. Washington is currently at 87 percent.

A team that entered the offseason with roughly $15 million in cap space, the Redskins are currently sitting on $25 million after the release of Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen, according to Over the Cap.

By cutting ties with the likes of Chris Chester and Tracy Porter, the team could save an additional $6 million.

With 14 teams boasting more cap space, Washington will have to pick its spots once free agency opens.

Pending Free Agents

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Unrestricted free agents

• OLB Brian Orakpo
• T Tyler Polumbus 
• RB Roy Helu Jr. 
• DE Jarvis Jenkins 
• S Brandon Meriweather 
• WR Leonard Hankerson 
• TE Niles Paul 
• NT Chris Neild 
• WR Santana Moss
• QB Colt McCoy 
• S Ryan Clark 
• CB Justin Rogers

Exclusive rights free agents

• S Trenton Robinson 
• RB Chris Thompson 

Restricted free agents 

• S Duke Ihenacho 
• K Kai Forbath 
• T Tom Compton 

Washington entered the offseason with 17 pending free agents. As you could expect from a team coming off a 4-12 record, though, the Redskins haven't been proactive in retaining many of these players.

Last year's starting safeties, Ryan Clark and Brandon Meriweather, are two free agents who won't return. Clark announced his retirement, and NBC's Dianna Marie Russini reported that the team's plan was to not bring Meriweather back.

To date, the Redskins have only re-signed three players: Tom Compton, Duke Ihenacho and Niles Paul.

Of the three, Paul is the lone player to receive a deal of substance. Washington signed Compton and Ihenacho to one-year deals both worth $660,000. As for Paul, gauging from his contract, he figures to be in the team's long-term plans:

"

TE Niles Paul resigns with #Redskins for 3 years, source says. He can earn up to a little under $10 million

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 6, 2015"

The team's highest-profile free agent, Brian Orakpo's fate in D.C. remains clouded. Via Russini, Orakpo was engaged in contract talks with the Redskins:

"

Redskins and Brian Orakpo had been working on a long term contract extension, told "it's not looking good" Falcons are very interested.

— Dianna Marie Russini (@NBCdianna) March 3, 2015"

With the market for Orakpo growing, according CSN's Tarik El-Bashir, the odds of him returning will only decrease if the team allows him to test the waters.

Team Needs

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Where to begin?

Well, for starters, the Redskins defense. Blame former defensive coordinator Jim Haslett all you want. But know this: Washington didn't finish 20th or worse in scoring defense each of the past five seasons because of coaching alone. 

Bereft of talent on this side of the ball, the team can engineer improvement by simply spreading the wealth. According to Spotrac, only 22.2 percent of the team's cap in 2014 went to the defense.

Sporting what Football Outsiders ranked as the league's worst pass defense last season, McCloughan and Company would be wise to funnel some money toward the team's pass rush and secondary.

Not only will the Redskins be in the market for two starting safeties, but with the durability of Tracy Porter and DeAngelo Hall a lingering issue, depth at cornerback is also a need.

While the pass rush was supposed to be the defense's strength in 2014, for much of the season it was Ryan Kerrigan-or-bust.

Washington was 21st in the league with 36 sacks, and Kerrigan was responsible for 13.5 them.

Shifting to the offensive side of the ball, protecting the passer has to be the team's chief concern. Robert Griffin III's transition into a pocket passer didn't help matters, but 58 sacks allowed is an indicator of poor play up front. At guard and right tackle specifically, the team is in need of an upgrade.

Top Targets

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Players can't officially sign deals until March 10, but the legal tampering window opened Saturday. This provides teams with an opportunity to negotiate terms and gauge the interest of prospective free agents.

And by all accounts, the Redskins haven't thrown their hat into the fray for any major free agents. Surprise, surprise.

According to ESPN.com's John Keim, the team has instead expressed interest in signing mid-tier free agents such as Stephen Paea and Marcus Gilchrist.

A defensive tackle with the Chicago Bears the past four seasons, Paea would complement recent signee Ricky Jean-Francois if Washington brought him aboard. While Jean-Francois' strength is defending the run, Paea has pass-rushing chops. The first year of his career that he didn't miss any games, he posted a career-high six sacks in 2014.

With his durability being a concern, though, it's sensible for the team to be also looking at Terrance Knighton, per ESPN's Josina Anderson.

Looking to Gilchrist, he was the right-hand man to star safety Eric Weddle in San Diego. He brings to the table what Clark and Meriweather lacked, sure tackling and durability. He's appeared in 62 of 64 career games, and Pro Football Focus rated him as the fifth-best tackling safety in the NFL last year.

There's also his familiarity with new defensive coordinator Joe Barry. Gilchrist doesn't boast the ball skills you'd expect from a former cornerback—five career interceptions—but he's the stable force Washington has long needed to man the back end of its defense.

Likely as a fallback option, Taylor Mays is also a target of the Redskins, per ProFootballTalk (h/t Keim). Similar to Meriweather, Mays makes his bones near the line of scrimmage and as an enforcer.

On the offensive side of the ball, the team was linked to Derek Newton of the Houston Texans, per The Washington Post's Mike Jones.

But as luck would have it, the offensive tackle re-signed with the Houston Texans, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. With the team's re-signing of Compton and its investment in 2014 third-round pick Morgan Moses, Newton's $26.5 million deal had to be too rich for Washington's taste.

In a surprising twist, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport has reported the Redskins' interest in signing running back Justin Forsett. 

Backup running back Roy Helu is a free agent, but considering the season Forsett had in 2014—1,266 rushing yards—you have to wonder about Alfred Morris' future in D.C. Not only is he a free agent after the 2015 season, but his rushing output has declined each year in the league. Furthermore, his contributions in the passing game are minimal.

With the noticeable absence of marquee free agents like Devin McCourty and Mike Iupati being linked to the team, thus far, McCloughan has lived by his creed to tread lightly in free agency.