2018 Free Agency Database - (Signed: WILLIAMS - McPhee - Scandrick - P-Rich) - (Lauvao, Bergstrom, Nsehke, Taylor, Z. Brown and Quick re-signed)

[fordranger76]

16 hours ago, Monk4thaHALL said:

If you have a post on Norwell, presumably praising him, from September, or October, or November, or any goddamn time from before now, I'd love to see it.

I like Norwell. And would love the signing. And did speak about him before. Not sure why you are being argumentative about it.

[RemoveSnyder]

1 hour ago, fordranger76 said:

I like Norwell. And would love the signing. And did speak about him before. Not sure why you are being argumentative about it.

 

It's the cold war. I'm a monster. I apologize. 

[JamesMadisonSkins]

I will say that we have quite a bit locked up in the OL. Moses, Trent are making big $$ and Scherff will get his soon. I’d prefer to invest draft picks in the OL. And we kind of did with Long / Kiandjio but they just haven’t “panned out” as you’d expect. Maybe this is the year we hit on a 3rd or 4th rouns Guard who comes in and makes an immediate impact. 

[BurgundyMalaise]

On 12/19/2017 at 8:48 AM, Reaper Skins said:

Depth players is the name of the game.  Here are some players that i think could be gotten cheap but still make an impact:

 

My free agent priority signing:

 

**John Brown from the Cardinals*** (Gonna be a steal for someone.  Health issues caused a down year this year, but explosive potential. I think he can have a huge comeback year with a better QB getting him the ball)

 

.

 

 

Other bargain players I think could contribute:

 

Jeremy Hill from Bengals (Familiar with Gruden's system)

 

James White from Patriots (Pass catching back that seems to be expendable only due to their depth at the position)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't like this approach at all.

 

John Brown is a damn good player and he has hands but what's the point of having he and Crowder be top 3 receivers at the same time?You sign him, might as well trade Crowder, who is still on a rookie deal.

 

Those who think we need a speedster to replace Jackson but DeSean was no slouch at using his catch radius, although on the subpar side. Brown and Crowder though, can't make some catches DeSean could.

 

One of our new receivers needs to be a sure handed guy who can consistently put hi body at 45 degrees on the sideline and make the catch. Garcon was one of those. We need a Jordy Nelson or prime Larry Fitzgerald on the team. Not another blazer who mainly catch the ball with their body.

 

Jeremy Hill just plain stinks. He's like a rich man's Rob Kelley but who even knows if he's that being that's he's been getting banged up more than necessary. He does not deserve to be a top RB on a good team. We need a slasher that can go between the tackles that is not Chris Thompson, who needs to remain in his current role

 

EDIT: Yeah just saw he had a season crushing ankle injury. No Thank You, Sir.

 

 

 

[Peregrine]

We need to bring in a speedster receiver who can take the top off of a defense.  Doing that frees up a lot for us as a team, and we missed that this past year.  You dont need a #1 receiver that can do that, but a guy capable of that doesnt need much except for speed.  

 

It means safeties play deeper, and a team is more likely to play 2 safeties.  This frees up underneath routes to Reed/Davis and Thompson/Crowder.  It also frees up the run game more.  The third thing it does is it frees up Doctson more, he gets less safety help to his side, and he gets to face teams 2nd fastest CB.  Doctson has deceptive speed, he wont outrun the fastest corner on some teams, but he will the #2 guy on deep routes.

 

I think thats basic balance.  Dont just get 3 speed receivers.  Dont just get 3 posession receivers.  Mix your team with a tall possession receiver, a speedster, a quick slot guy, a big TE, and a pass catching back.  Thats much harder to cover than 5 guys who do roughly the same thing and allow the defense to shrink the field.

[SemperFi Skins]

http://nfltraderumors.co/jamison-crowder-open-contract-extension-redskins/

 

Jamison Crowder Open to Contract Extension with Redskins

[skinny21]

@Peregrine

 

I don't even know that we need a speedster, just someone that can create separation.  In fact, I'd prefer a guy that can run all the routes well and has the burst to gain a step to a guy that is mostly just a deep threat.  

 

I guess what I'm saying is I'd prefer more well rounded players to more one trick ponies.  Our TEs are a good example - we have to good pass catchers in Davis and Reed, and one decent blocker in Sprinkle.  Thing is, you don't have to worry about the first two in the run game and you don't have to worry about Sprinkle in the pass game.  So teams can add a man to the box if Sprinkle is in and leave an extra guy in coverage if Reed is in.  With a TE that can do both, teams have to choose - do we put an extra man in the box and risk that TE getting over the backers, or leave both safeties playing off and risk that TE opening a hole for the back?

 

With that said, we are lacking speed from the receivers (and backs).  Crowder is fine, but Doctson, Harris and Grant aren't going to run away from defenders on crossers and posts very often.  Maybe Davis helps there, but we've seen nothing from him yet.  So I do agree we need to add more speed, but it doesn't have to be someone like Jackson.  

 

 

Rereading my post, I'm being a little unfair - it's not like you're saying we need a guy that is a speedster and nothing more.  

 

@SemperFi Skins After the season he had, I bet he is, lol.  Might be a smart time to try from the 'Skins perspective though, too - extend him while his value is slightly lower.  

[Skinsinparadise]

Interesting article about FA -- theory is the big spenders are now the winners of FA not the frugal teams anymore

 

https://www.theringer.com/2018/1/9/16867564/playoffs-salary-cap-free-agent-spending-jaguars-eagles-patriots

 

One of the seismic changes to the sport over the past few years has been to the salary cap. In the past six years, the cap has exploded from $120 million to $167 million. In the past four seasons, it rose a minimum of $10 million a year. Meanwhile, after the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, rookie contracts became significantly cheaper, and opened up even more cap space. The competitive balance of the league is changing drastically because of it, and the market for players has become more complicated than ever before.

“It’s the biggest untold story in football,” said former Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns president Joe Banner. “With the excessive amount of available cap space, close to a billion dollars—some teams can’t mentally keep up with that.”

 

Incredibly, six of the top 10 2017 spenders in free agency, a period formerly reserved for desperate teams to throw money at anyone, made the playoffs: the Patriots, Titans, Rams, Vikings, Panthers, and Jaguars (who spent $20 million more than any other team).

[pjfootballer]

Maybe they need to set the cap at a certain number without raising it, for about 3 to 5 years, so teams can adjust to it.

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

Go figure, Bruce is late to the party on that change in the NFL as well.

[skinny21]

11 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

Go figure, Bruce is late to the party on that change in the NFL as well.

You know, my first thought was, "that sounds about right", but then I thought of Norman's contract, the extensions for Williams, Kerrigan and Reed, and even the one year deals for Brown and Pryor... and now I can't decide.  

[JamesMadisonSkins]

This may sound crazy ... but what would you guys consider to be a fair 1 or 2 year deal for Terrell Pryor? I know he's easy to chalk-up as a bust, but he seems to have a strong work ethic and I have to imagine he's got a chance to still reach some of the lofty expectations that were set for him. I would imagine he'd be open to another 1-year prove it deal. If we don't land an Allen Robinson type, I'd be okay with continuing to kick the tires on that one.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

55 minutes ago, JamesMadisonSkins said:

This may sound crazy ... but what would you guys consider to be a fair 1 or 2 year deal for Terrell Pryor? I know he's easy to chalk-up as a bust, but he seems to have a strong work ethic and I have to imagine he's got a chance to still reach some of the lofty expectations that were set for him. I would imagine he'd be open to another 1-year prove it deal. If we don't land an Allen Robinson type, I'd be okay with continuing to kick the tires on that one.

Doesn't sound crazy to me...and as for what I'd be willing to offer?

 

I'd say a 1 year deal for about 5-6m. Basically what he made this season.

 

I'm sure Pryor would only want a 1 year deal, hoping to have a breakout season and get the big deal he's seeking.

[KDawg]

You can’t pay Pryor anywhere near as much as he made this season if you want to bring him back. 

 

Thats dollars against a cap where we have to spend big money on Cousins and Brown. Assuming we try to sign both. And for a guy who was inactive or completely unproductive in the time he was active. Not worth the money. At all.

 

If theres even the slightest thought on bringing him in, it has to be on an extremely cheap deal or you let him go. 

[JamesMadisonSkins]

1 minute ago, KDawg said:

 

If theres even the slightest thought on bringing him in, it has to be on an extremely cheap deal or you let him go. 

I'm thinking $3-4 million, which is cheap for a WR. But I'd much rather give ARob a big deal

[skinny21]

I can see the thinking there on Pryor, but no.  The resources are too valuable and I dislike the idea of another 1 year deal.  I'd much rather draft a couple mid rounder-late rounders and have them compete with some UDFAs... or target Richardson, or perhaps guys like Brown (ARI), Decker, Wallace, Aiken or even Quick.  

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

More speed: At receiver. That was the message toward the end of the season and it's one Jay Gruden reinforced on his coaches show last week on NBC. They want a fast guy opposite Josh Doctson. It's not that Doctson is slow -- he's not -- but they want a home-run threat on the other side, someone who can help clear out a side. In other words, a guy like DeSean Jackson. They don't need to spend what it would have required to retain Jackson, but they could use a Tyler Lockett-type if nothing else. Two potential free agents with speed: Marqise Leeand Paul Richardson (his agent is the same as Pierre Garcon's). The latter might be too pricey.

The Redskins still like pending free agent Ryan Grant a lot and will try to retain him. Still, they want to find a guy who can change a game with one play. And someone who might make a defense worry about using eight men in the box to defend the run.

 

Other younger free agents include San Francisco's Carlos Hyde and Cleveland's Isaiah Crowell; Redskins players raved about him before and after a 2016 meeting. But whether the Redskins go that route or the draft is too early to know.

 

"That's something we'll have to look at," Redskins coach Jay Gruden said when asked if the starting back already was on the roster. "There's a skill set that each one of [the current backs] brings to the table that are exciting. My dad, who was a running back coach his whole life, he always said that durability is the most important trait and we've got to have somebody that can play and be available. Easier said than done this day and age as physical as the game is and injuries happen, but it'd be nice to have a guy for 16 weeks pounding it. I hope he’s on the roster. We'll see."

 

http://www.espn.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/35369/redskins-non-kirk-cousins-needs-include-running-back-speedy-receiver

[HigSkin]

Decent bottom to top of the Skins FA rankings...

 

https://www.fanragsports.com/ranking-all-redskins-free-agents-for-2018/

 

20. Arthur Jones, DT – Signed on Nov. 1, Jones promptly dislocated his shoulder. On Nov. 12, he was placed on the injured reserve list. This could be the 31-year-old’s last taste of being an active NFL player.

19. Montori Hughes, DT – Washington just signed Mr. Hughes to a futures contract last week. He played 25 games over four seasons with the Colts and Giants. For now, shrugs.

18, DeAngelo Hall, S – No disrespect intended with this ranking for a player who just completed his 10th season with the Redskins. Hall seemed to recognize his playing career is over based on comments at season’s end. It was seemingly out of respect that the organization kept him last season considering his age, numerous injuries and declining skills. The media also played the respect card by not questioning the decision more openly. Either way, Hall may very well land a job with the Redskins in some capacity. It just shouldn’t be on the 53-man roster.

17, Brian Quick, WR – He finished with six receptions in 10 games and helped some on special teams. The receiver spot needs help, but it seems Washington will go for that with an outside free agent or in the draft while giving kids Robert Davis and Maurice Harris longer looks.

16. Terrelle Pryor, WR – Well that was terrible. Overlooked in the hype of the Redskins adding the dynamic athlete was that Pryor did not actually know how to play the position. Do not forget: Jay Gruden benched the lengthy target before his late-November ankle surgery. Attitude played a part in his exit from Cleveland and Pryor was not exactly beloved by some teammates in Washington. Some team will take a chance on Pryor’s Superman act. The Redskins do not need Clark Kent back.

15. Tony Bergstrom, OL – A sneaky helpful utility option after injuries decimated the line. He could easily return depending on whether Redskins select any linemen in the draft.

14. Phil Taylor, NT – Out of football since 2014, Taylor won the nose tackle job last summer before suffering a season-ending quad injury late in the preseason. Sure, the big man could surprise again this summer, but the Redskins cannot sit back and assume Taylor is the answer.

13. Dustin Hopkins, K – Rather steady during his three seasons with Washington, Hopkins ranked only 21st in field goal percentage last season, missed his two attempts of at least 50 yards — he isn’t the longest off the tee. One would think he will face competition this summer even if he ultimately keeps the gig.

12. Will Compton, ILB – A locker-room leader who lost his starting job and barely took the field on defense before injuries struck elsewhere. He could be a fallback if Zach Brown and Mason Foster do not return.

11. Shawn Lauvao, G – Pro Football Focus ranked the try-hard Lauvao 74th among 82 guards last season. He has missed 22 games over the last three seasons with injuries. The Redskins have needed a left guard upgrade. Time to get one.

10. Chris Carter, LB – The special teams stalwart suffered a fractured fibula in December. One would think the Redskins want him back.

9. Niles Paul, TE – The kind of leader Washington should keep; the vocal Paul spent his entire seven-year career with Washington. How much the team will spend for a blocking tight end behind Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis is unclear.

8. Mason Foster, ILB – The run defense cratered after losing rookie lineman Jonathan Allen in Week 5 and then took another dip when Washington placed Foster (shoulder) on IR after Week 7. Foster tweeted displeasure over the decision, but eventually recanted. How deep the true hurt for Foster and what else the Redskins accomplish at ILB during the offseason are major factors here.

7. Junior Galette, OLB – It’s kind of amazing Galette wasn’t among the many injured players after missing the previous two seasons with Achilles injuries. The toughest blocks he faced all season were from teammates Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith playing ahead of him. The pass rusher finished with three sacks. He publicly expressed a desire for more playing time late in the season and could bounce accordingly.

6. Ryan Grant, WR – The Redskins need a physical and steady target opposite Josh Doctson. Grant, a Gruden favorite, is that guy. He just might not be that guy for starter money. A final stat line of 45-573-4 made him top-three in all categories. If the Redskins pass on spending big for a headliner option in free agency, they could stay with their in-house option.

5. Bashaud Breeland, CB – There is no questioning the talent. Breeland can play. No. 1 cornerback, no, but he has the game to battle elite receivers. The Redskins do not realistically have the cap space to pay big bucks for another corner unless they release Josh Norman. They also have built up ample CB depth over the past two seasons.

4. Trent Murphy, LB – A one-year prove-it contract makes sense for both sides following a lost 2017. Murphy gets a chance to rehab his image following a league suspension and show what he has following knee surgery. Washington gets a look at a player who collected nine sacks in 2016.

3. Spencer Long, C – Keep the 2014 third-round pick, but move him back to guard, his original position, while Chase Roullier takes over at center. That’s an option – an option that depends on whether Long wants to remain at center. This is a major question in the middle of the line if Long bolts.

2. Zach Brown, ILB – The speed threat arrived last year with a one-year deal, played through a painful Achilles injury, and led the NFL in tackles before sitting out the final two games. Though limited in pass defense, Brown upgraded the middle of Washington’s defense.

1. Kirk Cousins, QB – You need a viable quarterback for a chance at success. Cousins is viable and sometimes much more. There is no clear fallback option. Based on the neverending contract situation, there is a clear divide on his value. It also remains unclear if Camp Cousins truly desires a long-term deal here — or just how much the Redskins believe he’s the man. Either way, the year-to-year saga must end this year, certainly from the team’s perspective.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

A  speed receiver seems to be a common refrain.

 

If you listened to Cousins during his Q&A he discussed this need as well.

[KDawg]

Not sure we need a speedy receiver. We need a possession guy. 

 

Crowder is plenty fast. But he can’t be the primary focus of the passing game if we want him to be effective.

 

We have a workhorse receiver on Grant, speed in Crowder. Sure another quicker guy would be nice (but I’d imagine Bibbs or Thompson to play a little bit of that role to keep them both involved...)

 

What were missing is what Garçon brought. Tough, gritty possession receiver with a set of stones. 

[CTskin]

@HigSkin I can't argue about much on that list other than moving Phil Taylor way up. Definitely worth a $1Mish offer. Sure, preseason is preseason, but he showed he's still got it. Can he stay healthy, how will he be coming back from another season-ending injury, I don't know, but he's worth the dice roll... i'll do anything to keep Ziggy off this team next year.

 

Also, I'd move Foster up as he'll offer great value, and then move Bree and Galette down to the bottom with Pryor. I wouldn't mind keeping Bree, but I wouldn't pay him more than $4M and I'm sure he'll command more on the market. It's Moreau time.

[Silvernon]

Calvin Ridley and James Washington must be higher up the big board. Not the worst way to go, but I hope for front seven. 

[Conn]

I really don't think Crowder is fast at all. Not in that Desean Jackson way. He's quick and he can create separation at the intermediate level but he's not a huge threat downfield. He needs to be used in more of a poor man's Jarvis Landry way, and there's nothing wrong with that. 

 

Our offense does need that downfield dimension, but I don't know where we get it. A budget signing like Travis Benjamin a year or two ago would probably be smart, and John Brown could qualify as that type of signing. If his sickle cell issues that caused his chronic hammy injuries is taken care of, but that's above my pay grade. Whoever said he had too much overlap with Crowder to be worth a fair deal, I don't agree at all. Brown is an excellent downfield target with blazing functional speed. Crowder is not really that. Unless you think Doctson is a huge bust, I wouldn't be bothered by Brown's 5'10" height either. The speed in our receiving corps can come from someone who isn't also tall and dominant at the jump ball, it's okay if Crowder isn't the only smaller guy. As long as we also have bigger guys to fill other roles.

 

Speaking of Doctson, evaluating him and his potential growth is one of the biggest tasks this FO and coaching staff is faced with this off-season. You can't even give a guy who will most likely command WR1 money even coming off an injury, like Allen Robinson, a sniff unless you are convinced Doctson is a complete bust. It's just not a smart way to allocate cap dollars if you think Doctson could be the real deal. He's flashed but overall I'm unimpressed, given his college tape and his pedigree, by what he's shown in the NFL. But again, above my pay grade. 

 

The best value signings in FA, and best value in trades for WRs, have proven again and again to be undervalued possession guys who just catch the damn ball and do their jobs. Crabtree, Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, Robert Woods, Sanu, etc are all recent examples of this. 

 

A guy who might fit this vein, who may hit FA if the Jags focus more on signing prototypical WR1 Allen Robinson, is Marqise Lee. He had a slow start to his career as he polished the technical side of his game but he's supremely athletic. I didn't say freakishly fast, mind you. But he's a great athlete after the catch. Kinda like Juju Smith-schuster this year. He's a hard worker. He's young considering the age he was when he declared for the draft. And he's been productive recently as the game slowed down for him. He's not a stud. His hands aren't Velcro like Landry, He's not a deep threat like potentially Brown. He's not a jump ball dynamo like Robinson. He's not going to be a beast WR1. But because of that he could be undervalued and underpaid in FA compared to some others, like the names I mentioned above. Other than being vicious after the catch, he doesn't really have a trump card like some guys, he's just well-rounded. I think he could provide what we've been missing since Garcon left, with more TD upside--the guy is kind of a RB after the catch and a bully looking for the end zone. And his pedigree in college was pretty insane, and he came out young, so it's possible he's not near his ceiling. 

 

Edit: Just saw the link above. Lockett could be a good fit as well. Hasn't proven to be a consistent (or consistently available) deep threat in the NFL but has shown flashes of major-league explosiveness and playmaking ability. Also helpful in the return game. I was very jealous when the Seahawks traded up with us a few years ago and took Lockett, to be honest. Crowder was a pretty good consolation prize. 

[carex]

why would a futures contract FA like Montori Hughes end up on a list of impending FA?

 

3 hours ago, KDawg said:

Not sure we need a speedy receiver. We need a possession guy. 

 

Crowder is plenty fast. But he can’t be the primary focus of the passing game if we want him to be effective.

 

We have a workhorse receiver on Grant, speed in Crowder. Sure another quicker guy would be nice (but I’d imagine Bibbs or Thompson to play a little bit of that role to keep them both involved...)

 

What were missing is what Garçon brought. Tough, gritty possession receiver with a set of stones. 

 

Slot guys seem to have a different type of speed than the Skins are looking for.  I'm no student of the game, but I can't think of many primarily slot WRs who ended up being known for going straight down the field for deep balls

[KDawg]

8 minutes ago, carex said:

why would a futures contract FA like Montori Hughes end up on a list of impending FA?

 

 

Slot guys seem to have a different type of speed than the Skins are looking for.  I'm no student of the game, but I can't think of many primarily slot WRs who ended up being known for going straight down the field for deep balls

 

Then defining it as a “speedy” receiver is a misnomer. I think the term people are looking for is “flanker” or “Z”.

 

”Speedy” is general and applies to any fast receiver. We have a fast receiver. We also have a guy who could pan out as a Z in Doctson. Year 3 for a receiver is the prove it year.

 

We’re missing an X/Split End.