The 5 O'Clock Club: Which Redskin would you want to have back?

The 5 o’clock club aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.

This week will be the second time Alfred Morris will return to FedEx Field since the ‘Skins front office allowed him to walk in free agency in favor of Matt Jones, following the end of Alf’s rookie contract in 2015. Seeing a great guy like Morris sign with the Cowboys — for $1.75m per year!! — was a crushing blow. I felt betrayed when the Redskins let that happen.

But Alfred is not the only former Redskin that the team has faced, or will face, in a game this season. In fact, pretty much every team in the league has a burgundy & gold infection somewhere on their roster or coaching staff.

To illustrate, let me quickly highlight the teams that make up the first half of the Redskins 2017 regular season schedule.

In Week 1, the Redskins faced the Eagles, who loved Nate Sudfeld so much that they signed him to their practice squad and paid him $540,000 per year — the same money he’d have gotten if he had been signed to the 53 man roster.

In Week 2, ex-Redskins Derek Carrier and John Sullivan suited up for the Rams against the team they had both played for in 2016. Of course, we can’t forget that the Rams head coach worked for the Redskins for seven years; Sean McVay is a Redskins success story.

The Oakland Raiders — the Week 3 opponent — of course, featured former Redskin draft pick David Amerson as their starting cornerback.

You have to dig a little deeper on the Kansas City squad, but there on the Practice Squad is former Redskin Isaiah Williams.

The San Fransisco 49ers, of course, are chock full o’ former Redskins, starting with the Head Coach, Kyle Shanahan. The roster includes Pierre Garcon, Aldrick Robinson, Logan Paulsen, and CJ Beathard (who’s kind of an ‘honorary’ Redskin due to his bloodline).

This week brings the Cowboys to town, and — as mentioned at the top — with them will be former draft pick and holder of many Redskins franchise running records, Alfred Morris. On the defensive side of the ball, until his sudden recent retirement, the Cowboys lined up Stephen Paea, who suited up in burgundy & gold for a while in 2015.

Even the Seahawks, whom the Redskins will play in Week 9, have a Redskin castoff on their roster — Terence Garvin, who is listed on at least one depth chart as the Seahawks starting LOLB.

I could continue, but I’m sure you get the idea by now. Former Redskins players and coaches dot the rosters of virtually every other team in the NFL.

In many cases, those former Redskins had worn out their welcome with the ‘Skins front office and the fans by the time they left, or nobody really cared that they were gone because... well, they just didn’t contribute that much to the Redskins team.

Sometimes, though, it hurts to lose a player. Some because they were performing at a high level when they left (looking at you Pierre & Desean). Others because we just loved them for kind people they were (shout out to Alf!). Sometimes the pain came when a player who didn’t live up to expectations in DC went somewhere else and found success (David Amerson looks much better in Silver & Black than he ever did in Burgundy & Gold). And then there are those players who split the fan base right down the middle (put 10 Redskins fans in a room, then watch the fight that erupts when you say “Brian Orakpo”).

So, without reaching back into the past for retired greats who are no longer playing; but instead, looking around the league at Redskins who are still employed in the NFL doing pretty much what they were doing when they were here, I wanna ask the question:

Which Redskin would you want to have back?

Please vote, and we’ll all want to “know your why”, so please share your thought process in the comments section.