Washington Redskins: Greg Olsen should be priority free-agent target
Greg Olsen is done in Carolina and the Washington Redskins should be first in line to make a run at the veteran tight end in free agency.
Things are starting to look up for the Washington Redskins. Yes, that might be a strange thing to say for a team that just went 3-13 and earned the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. But this offseason has already gotten off to a beneficial start with Bruce Allen dismissed and Ron Rivera brought in to be the new head coach.
Furthermore, the Redskins are laying cornerstones for their roster. While far from perfect, Dwayne Haskins flashes solidly in his rookie season, they should get Chase Young with the aforementioned second pick in the draft and have talented players like Terry McLaurin, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen and more to grow with.
Of course, the hope not too long ago was that tight end Jordan Reed would be one of those cornerstones, particularly after his 2015 season. In that year, Reed caught 87 passes for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games. The talent has always been there for the Florida product but the issue has been staying on the field.
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Those 14 games in 2015 are the most he’s played in a single season. His issues with concussions are heavily concerning as are his issues with staying healthy otherwise as well. And with the potential to save $8.5 million by cutting him this offseason, a rebuilding Washington team might benefit from doing so.
At the same time, a tight end can be incredibly valuable to a young quarterback such as Haskins. He can be a safety valve and a reliable option that can help build confidence by keeping drives and plays alive. So how could the Redskins move on from Reed and still give Haskins that necessary option at tight end. The answer is simple: Greg Olsen.
On Thursday, the Carolina Panthers announced that the franchise and the veteran tight end are mutually parting ways after Olsen spent nine years with the team following four years in Chicago to start his career.
While Olsen, who will be 35 years old at the start of the 2020 season, isn’t the pass-catching threat for the future in Washington, he could be a cheaper and quality option at tight end as he hits the free agency market.
It’s true that Olsen has not been the picture of health in recent years, playing in only 30 of a possible 48 games over the past three seasons. Having said that, he’s remained productive and valuable when on the field. And if the Redskins can give Haskins that option at a cheaper price while also reuniting the tight end with Rivera, who he’s obviously familiar with, then that could be terrific for the young quarterback’s early development.
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Signing Greg Olsen wouldn’t be a flashy option or anything that would make Washington a contender in the NFC East immediately. But this is a team that’s building and developing under a new regime. Olsen can make that transition easier for the signal-caller and to help the locker room under Rivera’s guidance. All told, signing the veteran to a budget free-agent deal would serve the Redskins quite well moving into 2020.