Only a handful of NFL teams will have more cap space this offseason than the Redskins, and the team intends to take advantage of that flexibility by being active in free agency, according to general manager Bruce Allen. As John Keim of ESPN.com details, Allen told SiriusXM NFL Radio hosts Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan that his club is looking forward to exploring the free agent market.
“We’ll have some room,” Allen said. “We’re gonna have some room to do some things. But we have some players who are free agents, and we’re going to talk to them first, to try to retain them. But we have the ability to maneuver around, and we’ll be active in free agency.”
Among those pending free agents for Washington are several players on defense, including linebacker Brian Orakpo and defensive backs DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson. While the Redskins will likely make an effort to retain Orakpo and perhaps a few others, I’d expect the club to focus in free agency on retooling a unit that allowed 478 points in 2013, tied for the second-worst mark in the league.
Although the Redskins also figure to add some talent through the draft, the team’s first-round pick belongs to the Rams, meaning Washington’s plan to explore the free agent market is somewhat born out of necessity. Without that second overall pick, the Redskins’ best opportunity to add an impact player or two will likely come via free agency.