The Redskins might not have made many splash moves this offseason, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as head coach Ron Rivera clearly has a plan in place for his 2020 roster. The team did try to grab wide receiver Amari Cooper in free agency, but there was a lot of money involved. With the draft on the horizon, there's plenty of places to fill some needs, but some of these free agent moves seem to be low key, but huge impact. Let's see some of the players the club has signed.
Logan Thomas
Tight end is a big need for the club and Thomas seemed like a nice depth piece. Thomas was a fourth round draft pick for the Arizona Cardinals in 2014, but had to transition to tight end from quarterback later in his career (he had been the starting quarterback for Virginia Tech). Thomas has also spent time with the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants before his transition to tight end in 2017 where he then became a member for the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. His numbers don't reflect his impact on the field (16 passes caught and one touchdown in 16 games in 2019), but he provides versatility and is a good blocker which should open a lot on the field particularly in screen pass plays and in the rush.
Wes Schweitzer
With the departure of Ereck Flowers and with an offensive line in desperate need of improvement, Schweitzer signed on for three years and $13.5 million ($4.5 million cap hit). Schweitzer was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 2016 draft and played for four seasons before testing the free agent market. He had played in 15 games for the Falcons in 2019 and started in seven of those. Pro Football Focus has him ranked as 56th out of 80 qualifying players in his position.
Kendall Fuller
Fuller is returning to the Redskins after the trade that sent Alex Smith to Washington from Kansas City and having helped the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in February. Fuller was always highly praised especially after he was a third round draft pick by the Redskins in 2016. After two seasons in Kansas City, Fuller decided to test the market and was highly coveted, but ultimately signed with Washington for four years, $40 million. In 11 games played for the Chiefs in 2019, Fuller had 49 tackles, a sack, and two passes defended.
Kevin Pierre-Louis
Pierre-Louis is signing a one year, $3.45 million contract with the Redskins after coming from the Chicago Bears. This seems to be more of a depth piece move as Pierre-Louis puts up solid numbers. He was a fourth round draft pick by Seattle Seahawks in 2014 and was traded to Kansas City. Pierre-Louis has also played for the New York Jets before catching on with Chicago. In 14 games played for the Bears in 2019, Pierre-Louis recorded 37 tackles, an interception, and three passes defended.
Thomas Davis
Davis had been a long time member for the Carolina Panthers and was one of the best linebackers in the game, however age caught up to him and isn't quite the same player he once was. That doesn't mean he isn't valuable as at age 37 he provides depth and can help mentor players. Davis was a first round draft pick in 2005 and played with them through 2018 as he helped them earn multiple playoff appearances and a Super Bowl appearance in 2015. He played with the Los Angeles Chargers last season in 16 games where he recorded 112 tackles, a sack, and two passes defended. He will have familiarity with the defense that Rivera provides as Rivera coached him in Carolina.
Sean Davis
Davis has an opportunity to start at safety opposite of Landon Collins after signing a one year, $5 million with the Redskins. Davis was a second round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016 out of Maryland, so he has some familiarity with the D.C. area. In 2019, Davis played one game, but he recorded five tackles in that game. He finished the season on the injured reserve.
J.D. McKissic
McKissic has been around the league for quite some time, but figures to be a third down back as the team hopes they will be able to utilize his speed correctly. McKissic also has the ability receive. He was an undrafted free agent and caught on with Atlanta, but didn't play until he was picked up by Seattle. He also has played for Detroit. In 2019 for the Lions, McKissic played in all 16 games where he rushed for 205 yards on 38 carries (5.4 yards per carry), while also nabbing 34 receptions for 233 yards and a touchdown.
Cornelius Lucas
Lucas is signing a two year, $5.3 million contract with the Redskins, but he seems to be the perfect fit to be utilized as a swing tackle, something the team has lacked since Ty Nsekhe left. Lucas does at least provide depth. He was an undrafted free agent in 2014 and caught on with Detroit. Since then, he has also played for the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, and Chicago. In 2019 for the Bears, Lucas played all 16 games including eight starts.
Peyton Barber
Outside of Fuller, Barber might be one of the more significant names here as Barber is a very good player. Barber had made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being an undrafted free agent in 2016. With Tampa Bay in 2019, Barber played in all 16 games rushing for 470 yards on 154 carries (3.1 yards per carry) as well as 16 receptions for 115 yards and seven touchdowns. Barber does provide the same skill set as McKissic and it will be interesting to see how they will be utilized. Barber signed a two year contract worth $3 million.
Richard Rogers
Rogers had been a standout tight end for the Green Bay Packers for several seasons and now has a chance to help contribute for the Redskins. Rogers was drafted in the third round in 2014 by Green Bay and helped the team make the playoffs a few times. He had signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018, but did not play in 2019 due to injuries. He has a chance to utilize his skill set in Rivera's offense in 2020.
Jeremy Vujnovich
Vujnovich is a journeyman offensive lineman who should provide depth for the Redskins. He was an undrafted free agent and signed on with Green Bay in 2013. After two seasons with the Packers, he played with the Indianapolis Colts as well as Arizona. He should be able to compete for a starting role in camp.
Cody Latimer
Latimer should help bolster the wide receiving core with his skill set. Latimer was a second round draft pick by the Denver Broncos in 2014 and helped them win a Super Bowl in 2015. He has played for the New York Giants the last two season and has now signed a contract with the Redskins. Last year for New York, Latimer played in 15 games as he nabbed 24 receptions for 300 yards (12.5 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. He is also a special teams specialist as he had 570 kickoff return yards in 2019.
Ronald Darby
Coming from Philadelphia, Darby is here to prove that he can still be a top notch shutdown cornerback in this league as he is playing on a one year, $4 million deal for the Redskins. Darby was a second round draft pick in 2015 by the Buffalo Bills and became a very good corner. In fact, the Eagles traded for Darby in 2017 helping them to win the Super Bowl. He has dealt with injuries though recently and is now playing on a prove it deal. In 2019 for Philadelphia, Darby played in 11 games as he recorded 37 tackles, two interceptions, and 11 passes defended.
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