Fresh off a surprising 2015 season that saw them win the NFC East division crown, the Washington Redskins must now get better for the 2016 season. With their division in flux due to coaching changes in New York (with the Giants) and in Philadelphia (with the Eagles), the Burgundy and Gold are actually in a good place with some much needed stability within the staff.
There are four things that the Redskins must do this offseason and throughout training camp if they want to stay atop their perch.
They are:
1. Re-sign Quarterback Kirk Cousins
Signing Cousins should be Priority No. 1 for this franchise. The only question is: Should the contract be a four- or five-year deal? Or: Should the NFL’s passer percentage leader (68.9) have the franchise tag placed on him?
Some will argue that Cousins played his way into a big contract but that he still has not defeated a winning team in his career and perhaps should not be paid as if he did. And whether expected or not, the NFC East in general was down this year due to injuries and bad coaching.
Placing the franchise tag on Cousins allows the team a chance to see him perform for yet another season as the starter and against a far more daunting schedule. For instance, six of the team’s opponents next year are still in this year’s playoffs.
Against four teams with winning records this year (the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers), Cousins could not lead Washington to victory.
Because the quarterback position has been a revolving door in D.C. over the past two decades, getting this call right is of chief importance for team management.
2. Restructure/Renegotiate Overpriced Contracts
There are several players who, albeit have had productive runs in Washington, have salaries that will be cap killers in 2016.
Wide receiver Pierre Garçon is a player who has had a record-breaking run as a Redskin. Regardless, he may be asked to restructure his contract or be released. In 2016, his salary would count $10,200,000 against the team’s cap. With the expected release after the Super Bowl of quarterback Robert Griffin, III and his hefty 2016 salary of $16,155,000, Garçon’s salary would place him as the second-highest-paid player next to left tackle Trent Williams ($10,668,750).
As a receiver that would be more like the fourth option in an offense that features tight end Jordan Reed and wider receiver DeSean Jackson before him, there is no way Garçon can stay with that price tag.
Another player who could be asked to do the same thing as Garçon is fellow wide out Andre Roberts. He accounts for $5,000,000 in 2016 and has not lived up to the big contract he signed when coming here from Arizona. With younger options in house like Jamison Crowder and/or Ryan Grant, it’s hard to see Roberts playing with that price tag in the nation’s capital without a salary restructure or an outright release.
The team could get a cap break if defensive end Jason Hatcher retires as he has alluded could be a possibility right after the Green Bay playoff loss. If he does retire the team would save $8,734,375 against the cap.
3. Continue to Draft Well
General Manager Scot McCloughan was hired by the team this past offseason to revamp their talent evaluation process and strike gold in the draft. For all intents and purposes, McCloughan accomplished that feat during his first draft class and helped cultivate a positive and competition-driven locker room.
The 2015 draft class is still a work in progress but with major contributions from Crowder, offensive guard Brandon Scherff, outside linebacker Preston Smith, running back Matt Jones and safety/cornerback Kyshoen Jarrett; there is no debate that the players in this draft class were great additions to the ball club.
If McCloughan’s 2016 draft class can be of the magnitude of this 2015 class than the Burgundy and Gold could be NFC East favorites for the foreseeable future.
4. Acquire the Right Free Agents
It is no secret that Washington has overpaid free agents in years past, only to see these players’ underachieve drastically on the field. Having a full season under his belt will equip McCloughan to better address the aforementioned draft — and free agency — so that he can continue to get the proper fit of players.
The team has several holes to fill… it will be interesting to see if/how those holes are filled.
A few position requirements that need to be met are wide receiver, running back, center, the defensive line, middle linebacker and safety. The team may also look to draft a young quarterback to back up the incumbent starter, Kirk Cousins.