Washington Redskins: Could Ryan Kerrigan be traded or cut?

The Washington Redskins have already started cleaning house but could veteran pass-rusher Ryan Kerrigan be the next out, either by trade or being cut?

Since the Washington Redskins made Ryan Kerrigan the No. 16 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft coming out of Purdue, the pass-rushing outside linebacker has been the model of consistency and production. In fact, you could make the argument that the 6-4, 265-pounder has been one of the most underrated players in the league throughout his career.

Prior to the 2019 season, Kerrigan had never finished with fewer than 7.5 sacks in a single season, which happened in his rookie campaign. Furthermore, he’d accrued at least 11 sacks in four of his eight previous seasons while totaling 84.5 quarterback traps in that span. And while he was limited to fewer than 16 games for the first time his career this past season (12), he still managed 5.5 sacks.

While never a superstar, Kerrigan has been the definition of a guy who simply gets the job done and, when on the field for Washington in 2019, he continued to do that. However, the Redskins have turned over new leaves this offseason, most notably hiring head coach Ron Rivera and firing Bruce Allen from his lead role in the front office.

More from NFL Spin Zone

And with Rivera in and Allen out, Washington has been cleaning house a bit. This past weekend, they released veteran cornerback Josh Norman and wide receiver Paul Richardson from regrettable contracts that were signed under the old regime. While Kerrigan isn’t on a regrettable contract, though, he could be the next familiar face to depart from the Redskins.

Recognizing a need for depth and youth on the edge last offseason, Washington used one of two first-round picks to select Montez Sweat out of Mississippi State, placing him in a rotation with Kerrigan and Ryan Anderson. After their 3-13 campaign, however, the Redskins now own the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and all signs point to them taking the best player available, Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young.

Young has superstar potential and, of course, would be coming in on a rookie contract and with his full career ahead of him. As he arrives, he also crowds the outside linebacker room a great deal. And Kerrigan is the obvious outlier amidst a young group on a rebuilding team.

Kerrigan is entering the final year of the contract extension he signed in 2015 with Washington and counts $11.7 million against the salary cap, per Over the Cap. While the Redskins are not hurting for cap space with north of $50 million in space this offseason, Kerrigan, who turns 32 years old prior to the start of the 2020 season, doesn’t fit the youth movement clearly taking place in Washington.

Moreover, Kerrigan could be cut or traded with no dead cap incurred by Washington, meaning they would recoup all of the $11.7 million he’s owed for the 2020 season. Subsequently, the Redskins would be wise to pursue a trade to see if they can get some sort of draft capital in return and, if not, then cutting Kerrigan — even if just to have cap space rolling over to 2021 under a new CBA — would still be in the best interest of the team given their current state.

Next. 2020 NFL Mock Draft: Redskins replace Haskins with Tua. dark

Make no mistake, Kerrigan has been everything that the Redskins could have asked for since he arrived. But at this point of his career and with the organization taking a new direction, the finances and his age make letting him loose the most plausible option. It’s not a certainty to happen but it’s one that shouldn’t come as a shock if it does.

Home/Washington Commanders