Washington Redskins: Time to look at Jordy Nelson’s price tag

The Washington Redskins still haven’t done anything to address their problems at wide receiver, but free agent Jordy Nelson could be a short-term fix.

The Washington Redskins passing attack was, in a word, bad last season. If they don’t want to duplicate that, adding receivers is a necessary move. This hasn’t been done yet though. However, luckily there’s a veteran who can bring a lot to the team still available in Jordy Nelson.

Now, the poor passing game could be attributed to a few things, like quarterback play. Alex Smith was doing a solid job of not turning the ball over before his injury, but was still on-pace to not even hit 3,500 yards on the year. That would’ve put him at 18th in the NFL. It gets a lot worse when you consider he’d be passing a lot of other players that didn’t appear in all 16 games last year.

After Smith, the Redskins took a massive dive at the position. Colt McCoy might’ve been able to steer the ship in the right direction, but went down with a leg injury himself the very game. That meant Washington spent five weeks with Mark Sanchez and Josh Johnson at the helm. You can forgive the passing offense for suffering in that time.

However, don’t blame this all on the quarterbacks. Washington didn’t produce much to help them when it came to targets.

Last season, the Redskins had just one receiver/tight end with more than 50 catches (Jordan Reed had 54). Only two other targets caught more than 30 (Josh Doctson with 44 and Chris Thompson, a running back, with 41). After them, the next two on the list were Jamison Crowder (29 receptions) and Maurice Harris (28 receptions). Crowder is now with the New York Jets, while Harris went to the New England Patriots.

When it comes to yards, only two topped 500 (Reed with 558 and Doctson with 532). After them, no one even reached 400. Crowder was third on the list with 388 – and again, he’s not there anymore. Crowder was also tied with Reed and Doctson, as well as Paul Richardson and Vernon Davis for the team lead in touchdown catches — with two.

None of this screams giving help to whoever is playing quarterback.

To be fair, Jordan Reed is an elite tight end when he’s healthy. That’s the problem though, he’s rarely healthy. He’s never appeared in more than 14 games in a season. Even when Reed does play, he misses chunks of the game more often than not. Doctson improved last season, but shouldn’t be a number one. Richardson could be a nice target, but again isn’t an elite option for a quarterback.

Then there’s Jordy Nelson. A lot of people will argue that Nelson’s over-the-hill. He’ll be 34 at the start of next season and has seen his numbers dip in recent years. Let’s look at those numbers, though.

Last season, Nelson played for the Oakland Raiders, a team with quarterback problems itself. He appeared in 15 games and had sporadic playing time at different parts of the year. Despite that, Nelson racked up 63 receptions for 739 yards and three touchdowns. In case you weren’t paying attention, all three of those numbers are better than anything produced by anyone in the Redskins offense last year.

That’s not all though. His 71.6 percent catch rate was higher than any receiver (not counting running backs because of all the screens) with more than 10 targets. It is worth mentioning that Trey Quinn had a preposterous 90 percent catch rate, but on just 10 targets. He should be a solid slot receiver if he can get healthy.

At 6-3, Nelson would also immediately be the second tallest receiver on the roster. Cam Sims is the only one taller, and he doesn’t have an NFL reception yet. It’s not just size, though, as Nelson has always had great speed, even at his age now. This package of size and athleticism makes him a fantastic deep threat target, as well as someone who can go across the middle.

Nelson’s best years may be behind him, but he’s still productive. Besides, those “best years” really aren’t that far in the past. In 2016 (back when he was with the Green Bay Packers), he reeled in 97 receptions for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns. That’s just two seasons ago.

The best part though, is that it’s hard to imagine Nelson would command a massive contract anymore. After the Raiders cut him, there’s been interest from some teams, but nothing has happened yet. He could be looking for a one-or-two year deal to finish his career.

If that’s the case, Nelson would be perfect for the Redskins. Not only can he still play, but he’d be a perfect fit. The 10-year veteran would look great on the outside opposite Doctson, and be a strong compliment to Quinn, Richardson and Reed on the inside. Imagine what he’d be able to teach the younger receivers like Doctson as well. That type of leadership is invaluable.

The Washington Redskins need to address their receiving corps at some point this offseason. Adding through the draft could be a solid option. However, in doing so, they’re only exacerbating one of their problems. They have a lot of unproven receivers without much guidance.

Bringing in Nelson is a way to solve their short-term problem of needing production from the position right now. It would also solve their long-term problem at the position, as he could help the young receivers blossom into players that could help the franchise for years. It’s time to give him a call.