The Washington Redskins have plenty of needs to address heading into the offseason, but the most pressing has to be the ineffectual secondary.
As the 2014-15 season ended, Washington's secondary featured three players with a combined five seasons of NFL experience...and a 35-year-old Ryan Clark. The Redskins gave up 8.2 yards per attempt last season - 31st out of all 32 NFL teams - and ranked dead last in passing touchdowns allowed with 35.
From this season's results, it's clear that the Redskins can't become playoff contenders until they make some serious upgrades to the secondary. The first order of business should be finding a replacement for Ryan Clark, who doesn't look like he has much gas left in the tank at this point. Undrafted rookie Akeem Davis was Washington's backup free safety this year, but showed nothing that would indicate he's the answer going forward.
The Redskins have been strongly linked to Alabama safety Landon Collins, easily the best safety prospect in the 2015 draft. Collins can play both safety positions, and his vision and technique make him an obvious choice for Scot McCloughan.
In addition to Collins, the Redskins should look to the free agent market to add an experienced cornerback or two. Darrelle Revis might be a long shot, but Tramon Williams (31), Kareem Jackson (26) Bradley Fletcher (28) and Antonio Cromartie (30) should all be on Washington's radar.
Fixing the secondary won't immediately turn the Redskins into a contender...but it's a mandatory step in the process. Look for Washington to make it a high priority as the free agency period draws closer.
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