Free-Agent Contracts WFT Must Pursue After Preseason

The Washington Football Team managed to win the NFC East in 2020 despite its 7-9 record. Now, Washington is looking to make the jump from division champ to legitimate title contender.

The Football Team significantly revamped its passing attack this offseason. It added quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and pass-catchers Adam Humphries, Curtis Samuel and rookie Dyami Brown. With the team returning the bulk of last year's second-ranked defense, Washington could indeed be a contender.

Still, there's time to make a few more roster adjustments before Sunday's opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Football Team cut down its roster to 53 players—along with the rest of the NFL—on Tuesday. However, here are three free agents Washington could consider making room for following the preseason.

OT Rick Wagner

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This offseason, Washington made the curious decision to part with longtime starting right tackle Morgan Moses. While the Football Team is set to start rookie second-round pick Samuel Cosmi at the position, keeping an experienced veteran for depth would make a ton of sense.

This is why Washington should bring in veteran right tackle Rick Wagner. Saahdiq Charles is on the roster, but he has just one game of NFL experience.

Veteran right tackle Wagner, on the other hand, has played for eight seasons and made 96 starts. He started nine games for the Green Bay Packers last season and appeared in all 16 contests. He was responsible for one sack and no penalties in 610 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Football Team is relying on the 38-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick to lead its offense this season. Upgrading his protection by adding a piece like Wagner would be wise.

WR John Brown

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Washington used a third-round pick on Dyami Brown to add a deep-threat element to their passing attack. If they are at all interested in adding even more potency to their vertical passing game, they should scoop up wideout John Brown.

Brown signed with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason but was released as part of final cuts. He spent the previous two seasons with the Buffalo Bills and had a 1,000-yard campaign in 2019 before the arrival of reigning receptions leader Stefon Diggs.

A proven deep threat, Brown has seven seasons and 4,748 receiving yards on his resume. With a career average of 14.8 yards per catch, he has the physical tools needed to take advantage of Fitzpatrick's big arm.

While the Washington receiving corps already appears to be much better than last year's group, adding Brown could be what makes it great.

LB Mark Nzeocha

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The Football Team has a dominant defensive front seven. It has some intriguing pieces in the secondary—like safety Kamren Curl and cornerback William Jackson III. While the linebacker group welcomed rookie first-round pick Jamin Davis this offseason, the second-level depth remains the one question mark of the defense.

Adding veteran linebacker Mark Nzeocha could help Washington address that.

While Nzeocha has only made three career starts, he has appeared in 54 games over six seasons. He played 32 games for the San Francisco 49ers between the 2018 and 2019 seasons and appeared in five games last year before landing on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury. In all, Nzeocha has produced 40 tackles, a sack and an interception in the NFL.

While perhaps not an exciting choice, adding a seasoned backup like Nzeocha would go a long way toward strengthening the depth behind Davis, Jon Bostic and Cole Holcomb.