The Washington Redskins drafted Josh Doctson in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, with hopes that Doctson would emerge as a star beside veterans Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson. Now, three years later, on the tail end of a troublesome developmental curve, the Redskins appear to be preparing for the eventual departure of Doctson.
Being a former first-round pick, Doctson had a clause in his contract that allowed the Redskins to lock him up for an extra year beyond his standard four-year term. Called a fifth-year option, the fifth-year option is intended to give teams more time to negotiate with their highest-quality players, or, at the very least, give them more time to glean value from their assets.