Upgrade or Downgrade: Making the Call on Washington's Offseason Additions
The 2015 offseason has proven uneventful yet productive for the Washington Redskins and the ongoing overhaul of their franchise culture. New general manager Scot McCloughan has been a stabilizing presence in the front office, and the typically tumultuous free-agency period turned out to be understated.
History has not been kind to the Redskins and their free-agency forays, but this offseason has been vastly different from years before.
As positive as this offseason has been, it wouldn't be an offseason without some level of criticism. Not every signing can be a winner, however unimportant it may seem at this point.
Here is a review of the free-agent signings and whether or not each is an upgrade or downgrade for the Redskins roster.
Upgrade: Ricky Jean-Francois, DE
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Despite recording career highs in both tackles and snaps in 2014, the Indianapolis Colts saw it fit to release Ricky Jean-Francois in February. Shortly thereafter, Jean-Francois' former GM from his days with the San Francisco 49ers, McCloughan, brought him into the fold for the Redskins.
For the Redskins, the signing gives the defense another big body to add to their formidable rotation up front, and it also brings experience into the mix.
Stephen Bowen and Jarvis Jenkins are gone for different reasons, making Jean-Francois a great addition for the Redskins, who just parted ways with the aforementioned pair of defensive ends.
Downgrade: Ty Nsekhe, T
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Tom Compton is not the answer at right tackle for the Redskins despite the team re-signing him this offseason. Tyler Polumbus, mercifully, is no longer a part of the roster, which means the 'Skins are strapped for depth as well as talent at the position.
Ty Nsekhe—formerly of the St. Louis Rams, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Montreal Alouettes, San Antonio Talons, Dallas Vigilantes, Philadelphia Soul and Corpus Christi Sharks—is most certainly not the solution to either of those problems.
The only reason that Nsekhe has any value is that he replaces Polumbus as the de facto 6'8" tackle on the roster. More than likely is that he'll be another training-camp body since Morgan Moses is expected to compete with Compton for the starting job.
Upgrade: Stephen Paea, DE
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Long story short on Stephen Bowen and Jarvis Jenkins is that they simply weren't getting the job done for the Redskins at the defensive end positions.
Bowen missed 14 games over the past two seasons and would have brought an $8 million cap hit to the Redskins in 2015.
Jenkins, despite showing promise early in his career, never found any sort of consistency and always ended up being considered a potential breakout player for the next year. It never happened.
Stephen Paea, meanwhile, has improved since being drafted in 2011, 12 picks after Jenkins. He notched six sacks last season, more than Jenkins has in his career, as well as forced two fumbles.
Pairing Paea with Jason Hatcher, who battled injuries and still came out with 5.5 sacks last season, will go a long way toward bolstering Washington's pass rush up front, creating more opportunities for their linebackers.
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Upgrade: Tyler Larsen, C
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As opposed to Ty Nsekhe, who amounts to an extra body and a boost in size, Tyler Larsen could sneak in as a starter for the Redskins at center.
Yet another addition of sheer size, Larsen may push Kory Lichtensteiger for snaps given head coach Jay Gruden's fondness for bigger linemen.
Larsen stands at 6'4" and weighs 313 pounds—two inches and almost 20 pounds more than Lichtensteiger—and is a center by trade, as opposed to a transitioned center. If Gruden is intent on beefing up his offensive line, Larsen would go a long way toward that and wouldn't merely be a big body.
Larsen has good awareness and can adapt to the hybrid zone-blocking scheme that the Redskins run, though that may change if Gruden invests in a bigger, less mobile line all around.
Downgrade: Michael Hill, RB
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It was surprising to see the Redskins do very little to retain running back Roy Helu this offseason. Granted, he may have wanted a starting role and could have earned a nice contract given his ability as a pass-catching running back, but the two-year, $4 million deal that he signed wasn't outlandish.
Michael Hill has limited experience and will have an uphill battle to beat out Silas Redd and Chris Thompson for touches.
Hill spent time on the practice squad last season, so his addition is more of a promotion than an outright signing, but he still doesn't add much to the roster. The Redskins weren't strapped for depth even with Helu signing with Oakland.
It's not that Hill is a horrible addition—he's just not one who really upgrades the position.
He's good at catching out of the backfield and has solid speed to go with tenacity, but is that enough to replace the boost that Helu brought to the offense?
Upgrade: Jeron Johnson, S
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The entire secondary was a mess for the Redskins last season as well as for the past several seasons, if we're being totally honest. Though the need at free safety may have been more pressing, they made a smart move by avoiding the pricey options on the market or holding out for a risky prospect in the weak 2015 draft class.
Jeron Johnson, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks, should be a steal for the Redskins, who had no viable options at strong safety heading into the offseason.
Brandon Meriweather performed admirably in Washington, but it was clear that he was not a long-term solution very early on in his tenure.
Johnson had the luxury of playing behind two of the NFL's best safeties in Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor during his days in Seattle. So not only did he learn from two of today's best, but he also put in time on special teams and showed that he can be reliable in any role for which the Redskins need him.
If he's pinned as the special teams ace, Johnson is an upgrade over Niles Paul, who will be seeing more duties at tight end on offense. If he is a potential starter at strong safety, he is an upgrade over the now-departed Meriweather as well as Duke Ihenacho, Phillip Thomas and Trenton Robinson.
Upgrade: Chris Culliver, CB
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Washington's biggest investment this offseason has been the four-year, $32 million deal given to cornerback Chris Culliver, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers.
In his second year, David Amerson regressed mightily and looked overwhelmed at times. It didn't help that rookie Bashaud Breeland, who was thrust into the starting lineup due to injuries to DeAngelo Hall and Tracy Porter, looked infinitely better by comparison.
Culliver, who is not without his troubles off the field, turned in an excellent 2014 campaign despite recovering from a torn ACL that caused him to miss the 2013 season.
For the Redskins, Culliver will be an instant starter, likely displacing Amerson to play alongside Breeland. Culliver held opposing quarterbacks to a 66.5 passer rating in 2014, which is part of what made him a top-15 cornerback in the NFL last season, per Pro Football Focus.
Culliver fills a position of need and allows the Redskins some flexibility in the secondary, particularly to utilize Hall at free safety.
Upgrade: Terrance Knighton, NT
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It is rare for the Redskins to make such little noise in an offseason, let along come away with arguably one of the biggest steals in the free-agent class.
Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton joined the 'Skins on a one-year deal worth up to $4.45 million with $2.95 million guaranteed.
Knighton will be filling a gap left by Barry Cofield, who was released at the end of February and had been injured for much of the last two seasons. Cofield appeared in just eight games in 2014 and was slated to earn over $14 million in the final two years of his deal.
After initially looking for $8 million a year and finding no takers, Knighton found himself settling for a little more than half of that with the Redskins.
What do the Redskins get? The centerpiece of the Denver Broncos' second-ranked run defense. Knighton may be a two-down player, but few nose tackles boast his run-stuffing ability.
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