ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Redskins promised that NFL free agency would be quiet for them this offseason. No surprise, but general manager Scot McCloughan stayed true to his word.
The outside free-agent signings included a defensive end that projects as a rotation player (Kendall Reyes), a pair of special-teams aces that will provide depth at safety (David Bruton) and linebacker (Terrance Garvin) and a tight end who was once a star and now appears on the down side of his career (Vernon Davis).
“We as an organization are not going to live in free agency,” McCloughan said at the NFL league meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., last month. “But if we have an opportunity to make us better for the right price, we’re going to stay on them. All the sudden if the value gets much higher than we think it’s worth, then we’re out.”
That’s the lesson McCloughan learned as a scout with the Green Bay Packers in the 1990s and applied as an executive in two stints with the Seattle Seahawks and as general manager of the San Francisco 49ers. He will not deviate from it.
Where Washington was aggressive was in identifying which of its own 21 free agents it wanted to keep and who it was willing to let go. Gone are running back Alfred Morris (Dallas Cowboys), nose tackle Terrance Knighton (New England Patriots) and inside linebacker Keenan Robinson (New York Giants).
But McCloughan kept two of his quarterbacks: Kirk Cousins, who signed his franchise tag tender for $19.95 million and will at worst be with the team for next season even if a long-term extension can’t be agreed upon before July 15, and backup Colt McCoy.
Meanwhile, the biggest departure was quarterback Robert Griffin III. There was no surprise there, either. Griffin, the No. 2 pick in the 2012 draft, a Heisman Trophy winner at Baylor, was active for one of 17 games last season after losing his starting job near the end of training camp. He signed with the Cleveland Browns, ending a chaotic four years in Washington.
Other key departures: Veteran safety Dashon Goldson and defensive end Jason Hatcher were cut, in large part, because they made too much money given their production.
The needs are obvious heading into the draft. The Redskins have bodies at strong and free safety, but no long-term solution at either position. The inside linebackers are solid, but limited. They absolutely need to add a young corner and could stand to get younger on the defensive line, too, especially in the middle given Knighton’s departure.
On offense, Washington must replace Morris and the draft gives them the chance to find someone to pair with Matt Jones at running back. The Redskins also need a developmental quarterback — Cousins and McCoy are the only two on the roster.
They also might begin to prepare for the departure of wide receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, both turning 30 this year and playing at exorbitant salaries. Garcon is a free agent at the end of the season. Jackson can be cut for minimal salary-cap punishment when the 2017 league year begins next March.