Will Washington Redskins re-sign Brian Orakpo?
Washington Redskins outside linebacker Brian Orakpo recorded just a half-a-sack in seven appearances last season before hitting the injured reserve, and injuries continue to be an issue for Orakpo, who is one of the league’s more consistent edge rushers outside of his injury woes. Last offseason, the Redskins decided to slap the franchise tag on him after some reluctancy, but it’s clear that the team isn’t interested in tagging him again, which NBC’s Dianna Marie Russini is now reporting.
It would make no sense for the Redskins to take the upgraded cap hit that would come with franchising Orakpo, so the only chance he stays is if both sides are able to come to terms. Given that Orakpo has suffered two major injuries in the past three seasons, he isn’t going to get a legitimate long-term deal from the Redskins, who are likely understandably leery about Orakpo’s ability to hold up. If he does get three years, then he wouldn’t get much guaranteed money.
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Based on how well Ryan Kerrigan played last season, you get the feeling that the Redskins might not even see Orakpo as their best outside linebacker or even their second-best front seven player after signing Jason Hatcher last offseason and watching him thrive as a standout interior pass rusher. Orakpo’s good and forms a scary OLB duo with Kerrigan, but you get the feeling that the Redskins don’t value him as much as another team might.
Just as the Redskins seem to be leery about handing Orakpo a significant amount of cash, so too should Orakpo be leery about re-signing with the Redskins without hitting the open market. His injury history will negatively impact his earning potential, and it’s hard for an injury-prone player to want to bet on themselves by taking a prove-it deal. Orakpo is 28 and in position to make one last payday, so it isn’t inconceivable for him to try to re-boost his value with a new team on a one-year pact this offseason despite the risk of crushing his own value with an injury.
What helps Orakpo immensely, however, is the fact that he’s most likely the second-best impending free agent 3-4 outside linebacker behind Jerry Hughes. Derrick Morgan, Jason Worilds, and Pernell McPhee are three other top options at the position, but Orakpo is still someone who can cash in on the open market due to the value of consistent edge rushers. Plus, Morgan and Hughes could easily re-sign with their teams, which would make Orakpo the most proven option by some distance.
It’s easy to forget that Orakpo was unquestionably the Redskins best defensive player in 2013, recording ten sacks with consistent disruptiveness against the passer despite commanding plenty of extra attention from offenses. Throw in 60 tackles and some solid run defense, and you get a well-rounded OLB who more than made up for the lack of splash plays that have caused him to be unfairly criticized by some Redskins fans.
Despite the fact that Russini is reporting that both sides are at the bargaining table, I can’t help but feel that they will ultimately part ways this offseason after holding things off for one year with the franchise tag in 2014.
After all, the OLB-desperate (and that’s putting it mildly) Atlanta Falcons could show interest in him if he doesn’t re-sign with the Washington Redskins, and there are plenty of teams who would be in the market for a well-rounded OLB that was sixth at the position in Pro Football Focus’s “Pass Rushing Productivity” in 2013.
It will be interesting to see how the other edge rushing pieces fall into place, as a guy like Philadelphia Eagles scheme versatile edge rusher Brandon Graham could also complicate the market for Brian Orakpo if he isn’t able to agree to a deal with the Redskins. And while Washington can ill-afford to lose much talent on defense, they also have to be conscious of how much money they’ll have left over for other positions.
They are desperate for help in the secondary after failing to address the position properly last offseason (well, with the exception of the drafting of Bashaud Breeland), and even though losing Orakpo will hurt the secondary, at least they have Hatcher and Kerrigan.
Since he’s a dependable pass rushing source and a highly competent run defender per the position, I’m sure the Redskins would love to have Orakpo back for another season or two. The problem is that they have questions about his health, they don’t seem to be as high on him as other teams might be, and it seems like they’ll only want to re-sign him at a team-friendly rate.
Sep 14, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (98) celebrates against the Jacksonville Jaguars at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
At this stage of his career, Orakpo is in a position where he needs to think about cashing in on a big payday and netting himself some financial security down-the-road, so he can’t afford to take a team-friendly deal, especially with a team that isn’t a true playoff contender.
Orakpo could make more money on the open market given his body of work, the value placed on pass rushers, and the fact that there are teams like the Falcons that could value him more (especially since they need him more without a Kerrigan-type already entrenched at the position).
In all honesty, it might make sense for both sides to go in separate directions, and most of the rhetoric surrounding these talks is “Only at the right price”.
The Redskins most likely won’t be willing to pay top pass rusher money for Orakpo, and, well, they have perfectly legitimate reasons for feeling this way. Orakpo is a darn good player, but it’s those injuries standing in the way.
His market will be impacted by competition from other players at the position, but he theoretically stands to make more money if he’s able to hit the market due to the fact that he’ll most likely have multiple teams trying to bring him aboard.
If he has to settle for a reduced deal, he might have more of a chance of taking a deal to his liking with different teams giving him options, because he will be 29 by the time the season starts and probably only has a couple of more years of high-level play.
Next: Should the Redskins try to draft Dante Fowler?
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