The Washington Redskins’ own version of a ‘Woj Bomb’ was dropped on Monday afternoon when ESPN’s John Keim reported that star-cornerback Quinton Dunbar requested to be released or traded from the team.
Dunbar, who is 26-years-old and entering the final year of his contract, worth $4.4 million, is not guaranteed any salary going forward. It was reported on Monday morning that Dunbar was not planning to attend Organized Team Activities this spring as to avoid the injury risk that comes with it. Seeing as none of his contract is guaranteed anymore, this does not come as a surprise.
What is a surprise, though, is the fact that Dunbar wants out completely. Under the old regime, before Bruce Allen was fired, Dunbar had been in contract extension talks and seemed to be making progress on a new deal to keep him in Washington. However, with Ron Rivera now in the building, those talks have reportedly not continued.
On the base level, this situation could take the Redskins down several different paths. Let’s lay out what might happen over the next several months as this continues to unfurl.
Do the Redskins Trade Dunbar?
This seems like an interesting question to start with, as they seemingly have no other options. But, considering everything that happened with the Trent Williams situation, it’s safe to ask.
The Redskins could arguably do well on the open trade market with Dunbar, as he rose to become one of the best pass-defenders in the NFL in 2019. With one more year on a cheap salary, Dunbar is an incredibly valuable asset to any contending team with a shot at competing for a championship. Think about what a team like the Philadelphia Eagles could do with Dunbar in their secondary? That’s not to say that the Redskins would ever trade Dunbar to a division rival, but just an example of his value.
It’s not hard to think that the Redskins could get a draft pick as high as a second-rounder for a player of Dunbar’s magnitude, which would be highly valuable for Washington in a year where they are without a second-round pick.
Who Plays Cornerback for Redskins Now?
This is obviously the most pertinent question. Heading into the 2020 offseason, cornerback was already one of the biggest needs for Washington to address, and that was with Dunbar in the rotation. Now, take away one of the best players on defense, and you have a pretty dire situation.
Both Fabian Moreau and Jimmy Moreland saw some nice playing time in 2019, and both showed some promise for the future, but you’d have to be crazy to enter the regular season with those two as your CB1s.
Now, with Dunbar out of the pictures, if that indeed is how this all plays out, look for Washington to be heavy buyers in the free agency market this year, as it just became their No. 1 roster need.
Does This Change the Redskins Draft Strategy?
Is Chase Young a sure thing anymore? It’s a question that has to be asked. With the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Redskins have a highly valuable asset that the could do a number of things with. Of course, one of those things is draft Young, who is thought to be the best player in the draft. Another option is to trade the pick away, picking up a hoard of draft picks in return.
Let’s say that the Redskins trade the No. 2 pick to the Miami Dolphins, who have the No. 5 pick. The Dolphins would draft QB Tua Tagovailoa, and Young would likely go No. 3 to the Detroit Lions. At No. 5, the Redskins would miss out on Young, but they could take Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah, who is the draft class’s top cornerback prospect. They would also have a number of other picks to work with as they try to fill out their roster.
This is absolutely not a sure thing, but the bombshell of Dunbar wanting out has to at least force the Redskins into considering their options with the No. 2 pick.
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