The Redskins have begun talking to Perry Riley‘s camp about a new contract for the linebacker, but the two sides don’t appear close to reaching a new deal yet, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Riley is one of several Redskins defensive starters poised to hit unrestricted free agency next month.
Riley isn’t necessarily viewed as one of the top free agents on the market, but he has started each of Washington’s last 40 games over three seasons, and is still just 25 years old. Considering London Fletcher plans to retire and Brian Orakpo is also eligible for free agency, retaining Riley figures to become one of the Redskins’ top priorities this offseason.
According to Jones (via Twitter), there are those who expect Riley to seek a contract similar to the one signed by Dolphins linebacker Dannell Ellerbe a year ago. Ellerbe inked a five-year pact that will pay him $7MM per year, with a $14MM overall guarantee. The Redskins have significantly more cap flexibility than usual this winter, but if Riley’s asking price is that high, the team figures to let him test the free agent waters in March to gauge his worth, tweets Jones.