NFL Free Agency isn't over yet, but we're nearly through the first month and a large majority of players have already signed. Though they still have some needs, the Washington Redskins are among the teams that are pretty much done being active on the open market. The front office didn't have much cap space to work with, but they found a way to make a few moves, including keeping quarterback Kirk Cousins on the franchise tag.
This grades include trades, retirements, signings, re-signings and releases. With that in mind, here's our free agency grade for the Redskins.
Key Additions/Re-Signings:
QB Kirk Cousins, WR Terrelle Pryor Sr., WR Brian Quick, TE Vernon Davis, DT Stacy McGee, DT Terrell McClain, DL Ziggy Hood, SS D.J. Swearinger
A good number of these were re-signings, headlined by Cousins and Davis. Keeping Cousins was priority No. 1 for the Washington in free agency, and while they didn't sign him to a long-term deal, bringing him back was a must.
In terms of new additions, Pryor and Swearinger immediately stand out. Pryor recorded over 1,000 yards for the Browns in his first full year as a wide receiver, and he did so with terrible quarterback play. With another year of improvement and better quarterback play, Pryor could be in for a breakout year. Swearinger will provide Washington with a high energy, aggressive, hard-hitting safety who is excellent against the run but can struggle in coverage.
The other notable signings (Quick, McGee, McClain) were only necessary because of personnel losses, and while they are solid additions, none of them are really improvements.
Key Losses/Cuts:
WR Pierre Garcon (49ers), WR DeSean Jackson (Buccaneers), DL Chris Baker (Buccaneers), DE Ricky Jean-Francois (Packers)
The Redskins were expected to let either Garcon or Jackson go, but to lose them both was a significant blow. Baker was also a productive player that they're now trying to replace by rotation (McGee, McClain signings). Jean-Francois was a major locker room presence, but his cap hit simply wasn't worth his production.
Grade: C+
It remains to be seen if the Redskins really improved, since they signed replacements for all of the players they lost. Head coach Jay Gruden said that he likes taller receivers, and both Pryor and Britt are much taller than Garcon and Jackson, so they did succeed in that area. But, no moves they made were really game changers.
Follow our Washington Redskins news page for all the latest Redskins news!
Back to the Washington Commanders Newsfeed