NFL Free Agency Preview 2012: Washington Redskins
By Zac Snyder
The Washington Redskins will be looking to fill several voids in their roster via free agency this year. The only issue with this offseason is that everything seems to hinge on Washington’s moves early in free agency with respect to Peyton Manning. Manning has officially hit the market as of last Wednesday and with the franchise tag being handed down by many NFL teams, the greater picture of who will and won’t be available come March 13th is becoming clearer.
The Redskins top target seems to be Peyton Manning at this point. Manning is a proven winner and with his work ethic and rapidly recovering physical stature should be ready to go for training camp. Manning is a viable option, but not the greatest fit for the Shanahan’s offense. If the Redskins are not or cannot make a move up the board for April’s draft, look for them to make a major play for Manning or our next free agent.
Matt Flynn is another potential suitor for the Washington Redskins at quarterback. He is much younger than Manning, faster and is seemingly injury-free. Flynn is still unproven, even with his six-touchdown performance against Detroit last season. Flynn seems to be a better fit for the Redskins as opposed to Manning who would make more sense in Miami or Arizona.
Whether Washington lands their man at quarterback in free agency or the draft, they will most-likely add a wide receiver via free agency. This years big fish is San Diego’s Vincent Jackson. At 6’5”, Jackson is the ideal big target the Redskins are looking for. Whether Griffin III, Manning or Flynn land in DC, Jackson knows he will see the majority of the throws and having an owner like Dan Snyder that’s willing to pay players doesn’t hurt the ‘Skins chances.
The Redskins will probably focus the bulk of their time and resources on bolstering their offense, as opposed to last year when the focus was primarily defense. Many of the burgundy and gold’s choices will hinge on their strategy for landing a quarterback and unfortunately even Dan Snyder doesn’t know exactly what’s going on in Mike Shanahan’s head.
Preview provided by Kevin Mawyer. Check out Riggo’s Rag for more on the Washington Redskins.