Despite going 3-13 in 2019, the Washington Redskins saw a change of fortune when it comes to one aspect of football where they’ve struggled mightily over the past decade. They saw a number of wide receivers that they drafted realize their potential early and often.
Though Terry McLaurin was undoubtedly the star, the trio of rookie receivers — McLaurin, Steven Sims Jr., and Kelvin Harmon — all flashed a great deal of potential and gave Redskins fans hope that they might have a solid group of playmakers going into the future. Still, though, that doesn’t give Washington an excuse to get complacent. While the WR production was better than average for the Redskins in 2019, that’s nothing that a sophomore slump or injury bug can’t render irrelevant.
If the Redskins plan to keep the ball rolling and actualize their success in the future under a new coaching staff and a young group of playmakers, they’ll need some additional help on the outside. Luckily, Washington has a chance to be major spenders in the free agency market this offseason, and there are a few intriguing names that fans need to look out for, should the Redskins choose to bolster their receiving corps.
AJ Green — Cincinnati Bengals
It’s easy to forget because of his absence in 2019, but Green is one of the more talented receivers in the NFL, and he always poses the threat to completely take the game over when given the chance. Though his time with the Bengals has been a little underwhelming, a lot of that can be attributed to the quarterback play he’s been subjected to in the ‘Red Rifle’ Andy Dalton.
Despite his concerning injury history — Green has missed 29 games over the past four seasons, including the entire 2019 season — he still has been widely productive while on the field. In the four seasons where he’s played all 16 games, he has a total of 40 touchdowns with an average yards-per-catch well into double digits. Green would also present a nice veteran presence in the locker room that could help the young receiving corp in Washington as they learn to grow in the spotlight in the NFL.
Unfortunately for the Redskins, this may be the one year where Green may prefer to stay in Cincinnati, as they likely bring in Heisman-winning QB Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. But still, it would be smart for the Redskins to at least make it be known that they are interested when the free agency period rolls around.