One of the Washington Redskins’ many areas of need this offseason is at the tight end position, and there is a new name that could be popping up on the free agency market sometime soon that might be of interest to many people in the coaching staff and front office.
Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen, who is entering the 14th season of his career, is seemingly at a crossroads with his current team. The Panthers are now under a new coaching staff after Ron Rivera was fired and hired by the Washington Redskins, and Joe Brady, the offensive coordinator that would be coaching Olsen in 2020, is four years younger than him. On top of that, Olsen is due $8 million this next season, and some think that the team could choose to move on from him rather than retaining him for another year. According to a post from Pro Football Talk, Olsen said after the 2019 season that he sees the “writing on the wall.”
However, just because his time may be done in Carolina, that doesn’t mean that his NFL career needs to come to an end. Is it possible that the Redskins choose to bring him in to help their rebuild? The situation makes perfect sense if you break it down.
At age 34, Olsen is an established veteran that could act as a meaningful voice in a locker room that has been going through many changes this offseason. He also has a load of experience under the new coaching staff in Washington, as he played under Rivera for the coach’s entire tenure in Carolina. In addition, Olsen’s age doesn’t mean he’s washed up either. Go ahead and look at Adrian Peterson and tell me that a 34-year-old can’t make a difference in the NFL. in 2019, Olsen played in 14 games, where he had almost 600 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He may not remain as one of the best tight ends in the NFL, but he sure is better than any option that the Redskins have at the current moment.
The Redskins are likely to look for a game-changing tight end in free agency, but it seems like choosing to save that money and turn their attention to a blocker/pass-catcher in the draft would better suit them. Meanwhile, they can bring in Olsen to give a couple of last great years to the offense, while a young tight end is groomed underneath him.
We’ve seen Rivera bring a whole host of coaches and executives over with him from Carolina already; what’s one more established player?
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