Tag: paul richardson

5 wide receivers the Jets should avoid in free agency

Jets Wire takes a look at five wide receivers that the Jets’ front office should steer clear of in free agency.

The Jets need to find some receivers this offseason, but that doesn’t mean they should just go after any free agent pass-catcher.

Following a 2019 season that showed minimal production outside of Jamison Crowder and Robby Anderson, the Jets really didn’t get enough production from the position. Now, Anderson could walk in free agency, leaving the team even thinner at the position.

Joe Douglas has to do a better job than his predecessor in targeting playmakers who will help Sam Darnold. This year’s wide receiver free agent class is top-heavy, with Emmanuel Sanders being the prize target after Amari Cooper and A.J. Green are both likely tagged. With that, there are also players at the receiver position that the Jets shouldn’t touch.

Let’s take a look at five receivers the Jets should avoid come free agency.

Paul Richardson

(Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

On Valentine’s Day, the Redskins elected to part ways with Paul Richardson just two years after signing him to a massive five-year, $40 million deal.

The Redskins hoped Richardson could stretch the field for them. In two seasons, however, Richardson played just 17 of 32 games, catching 48 passes for 507 yards and four touchdowns.

In 2019, he was shut down with a shoulder injury and was placed on injured reserve for the second consecutive season after dealing with a nagging hamstring injury throughout 2018.

If the Jets allow Robby Anderson to walk in free agency, which seems more possible by the day, someone like Richardson could catch their attention. They’re better off either re-signing Anderson, targeting someone like Breshard Perriman or finding his replacement in the draft. It’s a hard sell to fans that you’re banking on an injury-hampered wideout — who seems like a product of Russell Wilson — to be your deep threat.

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Should the Broncos go after WR Paul Richardson?

Paul Richardson has been cut by the Redskins and he might be a possible target for the Broncos.

The Washington Redskins moved on from several players on Friday, including veteran wide receiver Paul Richardson. Because the Denver Broncos need more depth at receiver, Richardson is a player to keep an eye on.

Richardson (6-0, 180 pounds) is a speedy receiver who entered the league as a second-round pick out of Colorado with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014. In 2017, he had a breakout season, catching 44 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns.

After a career year in Seattle, Richardson signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Washington Redskins in 2018. He was healthy for just seven games that season, catching 20 passes for 262 yards and two scores.

Richardson was healthy for 10 games with Washington last year, catching 28 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns. He has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, missing 32 games — the equivalent of two full seasons — over the last six years.

If he is healthy, though, Richardson could give quarterback Drew Lock another weapon on offense. Should Denver pursue the 27-year-old wide receiver? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below!

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Young and cheap talent could lead to major success for Redskins in near future

The majority of Washington’s production comes from a number of young and cheap players, which leads to a hopeful bright future.

In the midst of the NFL offseason, while teams prepare for the free agency period and the draft, the value of a young player can often be lost.

While the Washington Redskins made four moves on Friday that cleared upwards of $15 million in salary-cap space, it’s important to note one of the core reasons they were able to do so. It starts with their success in recent drafts, and their ability to rely on young players to produce while on cheap contracts.

The Redskins released WR Paul Richardson Jr. on Friday, making it so they don’t have to pay him approximately $6 million in 2020. When comparing the price they would have to pay for the discouraging and rather inconsistent play they would have gotten from Richardson in 2020, consider this — Washington is set to pay roughly the same amount to arguably their top five offensive players next year.

If you were to couple together the 2020 contracts for QB Dwayne Haskins, RB Derrius Guice, and WRs Terry McLaurin, Kelvin Harmon, and Steven Sims Jr., you get a cap hit of approximately $6.5 million. If you were to add Bryce Love’s $773,583 cap hit, plus Adrian Peterson’s $3 million hit should the Redskins pick up his team-option, you’re left with roughly 90% of your offensive production coming from about $10 million out of your salary cap.

That stat alone should allow the Redskins to hopefully compete in 2020, as they will have a great deal of money to spend on outside talent this offseason, and potentially build a real contender under the new coaching staff.

When you look at teams who have had recent success in the NFL, most of them did so while leaning on cheap talent who produced above their price tag. The Kansas City Chiefs were able to win the Super Bowl this season because QB Patrick Mahomes acted as a $4 million cap hit when he was performing like a $40 million quarterback. If Haskins is able to make a leap and play well above his contract value, and the rest of the young core is able to continue their progression, the Redskins will be in a position to succeed in the coming years, and a couple of playoff runs aren’t out of the question.

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Should the Seahawks pursue a reunion with Paul Richardson?

The Washington Redskins released former Seahawks wide receiver Paul Richardson. Should Seattle pursue a reunion?

Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Paul Richardson was cut by the Washington Redskins after two injury-riddled seasons, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Richardson was originally drafted by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2014 draft, spending four seasons with the team and hauling in 95 receptions for 1,302 yards and eight touchdowns before signing a massive five-year, $40 million dollar deal with Washington ahead of the 2018 season.

While his time in Washington did not go so great, and he was never a huge contributor in Seattle, Richardson would make sense as a free agent signing for a Seahawks team that is in the market for more help at wide receiver.

For starters, Richardson seemed to really gel with Russell Wilson in their final year together, when he recorded six of his eight touchdowns and converted an excellent 77.3 percent rate of his receptions into first downs – which was fourth in the league.

If he can stay healthy, Richardson would fill a role similar to the role Josh Gordon had for a few weeks in Seattle as a possession receiver, making him a nice compliment to Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.

The Seahawks will certainly look far and wide for more receivers this offseason, and while there are plenty of options on the open market and via the NFL draft, a reunion with Richardson would give them someone with familiarity to the system and the requisite skill set to pair nicely with the team’s current personnel.

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Redskins currently rank No. 9 in available salary cap in NFL

A couple of significant moves gave the Redskins some wiggle room in the salary cap, and it portends to their desire to spend in free agency.

The Washington Redskins were the biggest movers on Valentine’s Day, making a number of roster decisions that set them up with a better look at the future.

It was announced early on Friday that cornerback Josh Norman and wide receiver Paul Richardson Jr. were being released by the team, a couple of moves that anybody who has been following the Redskins could have told you were going to happen. However, a couple hours later, the Redskins also announced that they would be letting DE Chris Odom and DB Kenny Ladler walk as well. Neither Odom or Ladler played significant roles in Washington, but their departure cleared up over a million dollars in cap space.

Now, with free agency about a month away, the Redskins are in a prime position to be major spenders. As it stands now, Washington has over $52 million available to them, which ranks No 9 in the NFL when it comes to available cap space, according to Over The Cap. They could also continue to climb those rankings if a couple of other moves are made pertaining to Jordan Reed and Ryan Kerrigan.

As the free agency period gets closer, more and more teams will dump salaries and rid of aging contracts in order to bolster their budget. Washington should be right there with them when March 18th rolls around, though, and they’ll look to add some highly-valuable pieces in the near future.

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WR Paul Richardson to be available for Cardinals, should they want him

The Redskins are releasing him after two disappointing, injury-riddled seasons.

The Arizona Cardinals are expected to add at least one wide receiver this offseason. They could add one before free agency even begins.

The Washington Redskins will release speedy receiver Paul Richardson, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo, in a salary-saving move.

Richardson has speed to separate and has a reputation of making some very tough and clutch catches when needed, but his time in Washington did not pan out. He signed a five-year, $40 million deal in 2018 after four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

In two seasons, he caught 48 passes for 507 yards and four touchdowns and ended both seasons on injured reserve.

His best season was in 2017 with the Seahawks. Playing in all 16 games for the only time in his career, he caught 44 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns.

The Cardinals need someone on the outside at receiver to stretch the field and Richardson can do that. The Cardinals have also taken advantage of pre-free agency releases to add players to their roster. Last year, they signed cornerback Robert Alford, linebacker Brooks Reed and tight end Charles Clay after they were cut by their teams.

After two disappointing seasons in Washington, he isn’t likely to command much, but his injury history and lack of overall production except for one season very possibly could keep the Cardinals away from him.

But the possibility is there. When healthy, Richardson is the type of player the Cardinals need and he wouldn’t need the volume of targets to be effective, as the Cardinals have Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk who should get plenty of targets.

He would not be a splash signing and his injury history would make some fans call it a typical Cardinals move, but if the price is right, could it really hurt?

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 257

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Ep. 256

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Josh Norman and Paul Richardson Jr. are out — What’s next for Redskins?

The Redskins seemingly kicked off the 2020 offseason on Friday after cutting bait with some players, who what’s the next domino to fall?

For the first time this offseason, the Washington Redskins made some roster moves on Friday morning that signifies the new regime is making themselves at home.

It was reported on Friday morning that the Redskins cut ties with both cornerback Josh Norman and wide receiver Paul Richardson Jr., both of which were expected to happen this offseason. Now, with the two veteran players on their way, what does that mean for the Redskins salary cap? And on top of that, should we expect any more moves to be made in the near future? Let’s break it down.

Heading into the 2020 offseason, the Redskins were projected to have just under $40 million available in cap space. With the release of Norman (due $15.5M in 2020) and Richardson Jr. (due $8.5M in 2020), the Redskins will be able to increase that total number by about $19 million, according to Over the Cap, giving them almost $60 million to work with this offseason.

While Norman and Richardson were the two most obvious cuts that the Redskins could make, there are a few more players on the docket who shouldn’t get comfortable. Another expected route to cap-relief is reaching a settlement with TE Jordan Reed, who has been unable to see the field much over the past few seasons due to injury. Reed missed the entire 2019 season due to a concussion he suffered in the preseason, and many have encouraged him to retire this offseason. If the Redskins are able to part ways with his contract, they will free up another $8.5 million.

Aside from Reed, there are a couple of players who know they could be released, but it’s probably unlikely to happen due to their standing with the team. I’m talking about Ryan Kerrigan and Adrian Peterson. Kerrigan is entering the final year on his contract, where he is due $11.5 million. It seems pretty obvious that the Redskins don’t want to pay an aging edge rusher that type of money going forward, especially if Chase Young is drafted in April, relegating Kerrigan to a situational role. Some people with knowledge of the situation have posited that the Redskins will choose to re-structure Kerrigan’s contract, which will extend his time in Washington while alleviating his cap-hit per year. Team owner Dan Snyder is said to be very close to Kerrigan, so it feels unlikely that they would cut him loose.

Peterson is in a similar position to Kerrigan — he may not have the time-tested loyalty in Washington, but the immense respect is certainly there. At age 34, AP has one year left on his contract with the Redskins, but they have a team option on the deal that they technically don’t have to pick up. Peterson has been an incredibly solid piece of the offense over the past two seasons as he’s stepped up in the wake of injuries to RB Derrius Guice. If the Redskins were to retain Peterson, it would only come as a $3 million hit to the cap.

Though the offseason technically started for the Redskins back in December of last year, it feels like today marked the official beginning of the 2020 NFL year in Washington. The new regime is cutting bait with old players and starting to build a roster of their own. Now things are going to get interesting.

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NFC East News: Redskins release CB Josh Norman, WR Paul Richardson

The Washington Redskins are releasing Josh Norman and Paul Richardson ahead of free agency

Free agency is fast approaching and the Washington Redskins got a headstart on things, releasing star cornerback Josh Norman and wide receiver, Paul Richardson.

Norman signed a five-year, $75 million contract with Washington ahead of the 2016 season, and the team will save $12.5 million by letting him go. At 32 years of age, Norman isn’t the right fit for the Eagles and Howie Roseman and company will definitely look elsewhere.

In his last two seasons with the Redskins, Gordon allowed 16 touchdowns through the air, after only allowing 13 touchdowns in coverage over his first six seasons in the league per Pro Football Focus.

Redskins cut ties with WR Paul Richardson Jr.

The Redskins are clearing up cap space on Friday after the announcements that Josh Norman and Paul Richardson have been released.

That shoe didn’t take long to drop.

The Washington Redskins have cut ties with wide receiver Paul Richardson, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, which will save the team approximately $6 million in 2020.

The release of Richardson was expected to happen soon, especially after the Redskins cut ties with veteran cornerback Josh Norman on Friday morning. It was reported earlier that the Redskins were likely on their way to releasing Richardson, unless the two parties were able to agree on a restructuring of the contract, where Richardson would take a pay cut. Obviously, that didn’t happen, and Richardson is now left free to search for a new team.

In 2018, the Redskins signed Richardson as a free agent for a five-year, $40 million contract that seemed a bit lofty, even at the time. Since then, Richardson has struggled to stay healthy, and even when he was healthy, the veteran WR failed to produce. With the emergence of WR Terry McLaurin and Steven Sims Jr., it’s no question that Washington could better use the money set to go to Richardson in 2020 elsewhere.

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Ranking the Redskins 7 biggest decisions to make in the 2020 offseason

With a new coaching staff and some money to spend, the 2020 offseason could be the most important for the Redskins in years.

The Washington Redskins are in a solid position as they look to enter the offseason, which is set to really get underway after Sunday’s Super Bowl LIV. With a new coaching staff, an encouraging core of young players, and several pieces who are set to enter the prime of their careers, there is a good chance that the Redskins could find themselves competing for a spot in the playoffs in the near future.

Something that will only further help this quest is making the right calls during the 2020 free agency period, which is set to begin on March 18th, at 4 p.m. ET. As it stands now, the NFL Salary cap is expected to increase this season to somewhere between the range of $196 million $201 million, which gives Washington approximately $48 million in cap space to work with. However, a few roster decisions concerning veteran players can be made to nearly double that available cap space, and make the Redskins real players at the negotiating table. Here’s our ranking of the most pertinent moves that Washington should choose to make this season.

No. 7 — Cut CB Josh Norman (Saves $12.5 Million)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 01: Josh Norman #24 of the Washington Redskins embraces head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers before their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

This seems like the easiest decision that the Redskins can make this offseason, and it should be the first thing on their to-do list. Norman’s time in Washington probably didn’t go exactly how he envisioned it, but that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t a valuable and loyal member of the team for several years.

After signing a $75 million contract with the team in 2016, making him the highest-paid CB in the NFL, Norman started to show his age a bit down the stretch, and it culminated in him getting benched for a number of rookies, practice players, and guys signed off of the street at the end of the 2019 season. The writing has been on the wall for Norman this past year, and it seems that he will likely be searching for a new team ahead of the 2020 season.

However, there is a slight chance that he stays in Washington, no matter how much the fans may disagree with the decision. The only argument to be made for keeping Norman is that his former coach in Carolina, Ron Rivera, is now in Washington, and he has shown the ability to put Norman into areas of high success in his career. Still, it seems like the best place for the 32-year-old defensive back is somewhere other than the nation’s capital.

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