Logan Paulsen

Redskins 2015 free agents: Keep ’em or let ’em go?

By Jake Russell

The Redskins are expected to have 16 players with free agent designations when the new league year begins on March 10. The open negotiation period between free agents and other teams opens on Saturday but deals can’t be signed until Tuesday at 4 p.m. The team will need to make several big decisions.

Assuming restricted free agents Kai Forbath, Trenton Robinson and Justin Rogers, and exclusive rights free agents Chris Thompson and Rishaw Johnson all return, the team will be left with 11 unrestricted free agents, meaning they are free to sign anywhere after March 10.

Safety Ryan Clark was set to become an unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year deal last year. The 13-year veteran instead opted to retire after a lackluster 2014 season.

The team re-signed tackle Tom Compton on February 27, who was slated to become a restricted free agent. Compton played in all 16 games in 2014 and started the final nine games in place of soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Tyler Polumbus.

Exclusive rights free agent safety Duke Ihenacho was re-signed on March 4. As an ERFA, the fourth-year veteran would have had to either re-sign with the team or retire.

Below is a list of the team’s 11 unrestricted free agents.

Keep ’em:

OLB Brian Orakpo

Photo by Brian Murphy.

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Redskins Pros and Cons: Week 13

By Jake Russell

Early on, the defense, especially Indiana native Ryan Kerrigan, showed they wanted to win this game.

A sack-fumble created by Kerrigan that gave the Redskins offense the ball at the Indianapolis Colts’ 15-yard line was followed up with three plays for eight yards resulting in only a field goal.

The next Colts drive lasted only four plays when safety Ryan Clark notched his first interception since 2013 and gave the Redskins the ball back at the Colts’ 45-yard line. The offense again put up a dud, mustering only a three-and-out and a punt to the Colts’ 17-yard line.

After trailing 21-3, the Redskins put together strong scoring drives to end the first half and begin the second half to cut the Colts lead to 21-17.

That was as close as it would get the rest of the game.

At the end of the day, Andrew Luck put up a monumental performance by going 19 of 27 for 370 yards, five touchdowns and one interception on the way to a 49-27 drubbing. The loss knocked the Redskins down to 3-9, marking their ninth losing season since 2002.

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Redskins Pros and Cons: Week 8

They weren’t supposed to win. No chance. No way. Not on primetime.

The Dallas Cowboys were fresh off their sixth straight win and two weeks removed from upsetting the reigning Super Bowl Champions on the road.

Meanwhile the Redskins barely slid by the hapless Tennessee Titans after turning to third string quarterback Colt McCoy.

Oh yeah, and the Redskins are bad during primetime games. Like coming into the game 3-17 in primetime games since 2008 bad.

But as the saying goes, that’s why you play the game. Turns out the Redskins had some fight left in them and managed to pull within three games of the NFC East lead, a feat that didn’t seem likely not too long ago.

Under the direction of McCoy, a 20-17 overtime victory was in order.

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