Need to Know: 8 Redskins starts to be free agents
Here is what you need to know on this Wednesday, July 10, 15 days before the Redskins start training camp.
Lots of contracts up in 2014
The most talked about Redskin who is going into his contract year is Brian Orakpo. The five-year deal he signed after he was the 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft will run out after this season. Although there has been a little buzz about an extension this summer, for many reasons it seems very likely that Orakpo will go into the season with an expiring contract.
Although he is the most talked about starter who could be an unrestricted free agent in 2014, he is not the only one. Here is a quick look at some of the other Redskins who are going into contract seasons.
WR Josh Morgan: He had an OK 2012 season as he led the team in receptions with 48 but his average of 10.6 yards per catch was the second lowest of his career. Surgery to clear up lingering issues from his 2011 broken ankle should help.
TE Fred Davis: Seasons ended prematurely by a drug suspension and by an injury have left Davis playing on a one-year deal. A big season would help both the 27-year-old and the Redskins.
ILB London Fletcher: There are lots of questions here. Will Fletcher want to come back in 2014? Would the Redskins give a contract to a linebacker who will be 39 before the start of the 2014 season? Of course, much depends on how Fletcher plays this year.
ILB Perry Riley: If Fletcher goes, they certainly can’t afford to lose Riley, who appears to be the guy they are grooming to call the defensive signals. In fact, even if Fletcher stays in 2014 they need Riley for the long term.
CB Josh Wilson: Wilson probably is never going to make a Pro Bowl and many Redskins fans seem to think the team can do better at the position. But those fans had better be careful what they wish for; they could also do much worse.
CB DeAngelo Hall: The Redskins released Hall in a salary cap move in March but brought him back at a greatly reduced salary. The conventional wisdom seems to be that David Amerson will be ready to start next year and that Hall will be expendable. We will see.
SS Brandon Meriweather: Unless he can stay healthy and prove to be the ideal strong safety for the Redskins’ 3-4 defense—something we saw very briefly in one game in 2012—it seems unlikely that the team will be interested in bringing him back. He will be 30 before the 2014 season starts.
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