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The 5 O’Clock Club: Sweeping up the slop — 6 offensive free agents that we haven’t tackled yet

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere…

Houston Texans v Seattle Seahawks Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

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.

Wide Receiver

Marqise Lee, Jaguars

Indianapolis Colts v Jacksonville Jaguars Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 192 pounds

Age: 26

Entry to NFL: 39th overall, 2nd round, 2013 draft (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Career Stats

Contract

Spotrac estimates that if Maqise Lee were to sign a free agent contract, it would be for 4 years, $30m ($7.5m APY).

How would he fit with the Redskins?

Marqise Lee, 26, has played second-fiddle to Robinson in the Jaguars offense but has flashed enough upside when targeted by Blake Bortles to feel confident that his best football lies ahead.

Lee finished the 2017 season with 56 catches for 702 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. He’s totaled 119 catches, 1,553 yards and six scores over the last two years. His ability to make the most out of every catch is an appealing trait, especially for a guy whose price tag will fall well below Robinson and Jarvis Landry, the two headliners in free agency at receiver.

Pro Football Focus issued Lee a 77.0 grade, a mark similar to his career-best 77.9 in 2016. His grade ranked 37th among all receivers.

Lee is an unexciting but reliable free agent prospect, hauling in 60 catches and 700-800 yards per season, but much the same could be said for Pierre Garcon who is similar size, and had similar production when he was signed as a free agent by the Redskins in 2012.

I think Lee could provide a similar return to the team as Garcon — a competent veteran who is a tier or two below the level of OBJ and Julio Jones, but still able to provide depth and talent to the receiving corps without breaking the bank.

Tight End

Jimmy Graham, Seahawks, Saints

Seattle Seahawks v Dallas Cowboys Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 265 pounds

Age: 31

Entry to NFL: 3rd round, 2010 draft (New Orleans Saints)

Career Stats

Contract

According to OverTheCap, Jimmy Graham signed a four year, $40 million contract with the New Orleans Saints on July 15, 2014. He was later traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

Spotrac estimates that if Jimmy Graham were to sign a free agent contract, it would be for 3 years, $20.1m ($6.7m APY).

How would he fit with the Redskins?

The Seattle Seahawks simply never used Jimmy Graham to his full potential, the way the Saints did. I think that the player probably lost a lot of the career luster that he’d had in New Orleans following the trade to the West Coast.

There are reports now that the Saints are interested in a reunion.

I suspect that a return to New Orleans would be good for Graham. Payton and Brees proved from 2011 to 2014 that they know how to use the big tight end’s skills.

You know who else knows how to use big, talented tight ends? Jay Gruden. And Alex Smith.

I have no doubt that Jimmy Graham would thrive in the Redskins 2018 passing attack.

Unfortunately, with Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis already under contract, the Redskins already have their quota of high dollar and aging tight ends, so the likelihood of seeing Jimmy Graham in burgundy & gold in 2018 -- while an enticing prospect — has a Dumb & Dumber ‘so you’re saying there’s a chance’ chance of happening.

Tyler Eifert, Bengals

Houston Texans v Cincinnati Bengals Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 250 pounds

Age: 27

Entry to NFL: 21st overall, 2013 draft (Cincinnati Bengals)

Career Stats

Contract

Spotrac estimates that if Tyler Eifert were to sign a free agent contract, it would be for 4 years, $30.4m ($7.6m APY).

How would he fit with the Redskins?

In the past 4 seasons, Eifert has played in 1, 13, 8 & 2 games. That’s 24 games in 4 years — an average of 6 games per season.

He makes Jordan Reed look like an iron man.

Does any Redskin fan want this guy on the roster?

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jets, Buccaneers

Carolina Panthers v New York Jets Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 262 pounds

Age: 25

Entry to NFL: 38th overall, 2nd round, 2014 draft (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Career Stats

Contract

Spotrac estimates that if Austin Seferian-Jenkins were to sign a free agent contract, it would be for 3 years, $12.4m ($4.1m APY).

How would he fit with the Redskins?

  • 38 games
  • 105 receptions
  • 1070 yards

These sound like statistics for 2 12 seasons, not the 5 full seasons that Sefarian-Jenkins has been in the league.

Here’s a news report from 2013:

The Jets have gotten zero production from the tight end position this year, so it looks like they’ve decided to beef things up by adding a former second-round pick.

The team announced on Monday that they’ve claimed Austin Seferian-Jenkins off of waivers. The Jets should be a good match for ASJ because they both had rough weekends. Seferian-Jenkins was cut by the Buccaneers on Friday in a move that came shortly after he was charged with a DUI in Florida.

The DUI arrest was the second one for Seferian-Jenkins since 2013.

The arrest in Florida was the last straw for Bucs coach Dirk Koetter, who clearly became annoyed with ASJ’s attitude over the summer. Back in August, things got so bad that Seferian-Jenkins was actually kicked out of practice by Koetter.

The tight end had been in Tampa Bay since 2014, when the Buccaneers made him the 38th overall pick in the NFL Draft. Before being cut by the Bucs, Seferian-Jenkins had tallied three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown in 2016.

I was frankly surprised to read a recent article saying that the Jets should bring him back:

Tight ends with Austin Seferian-Jenkins skillset don’t grow on trees. The Jets would be insane not to bring him back. Seferian-Jenkins is only 25, and just starting to scratch the surface of his potential.

Frankly, when you’re a veteran player entering your sixth year in the league and people are citing “potential” as your great strength, that’s a red-flag for me.

This guy would provide a young, big-bodied tight end at a low price, but — really — I’d rather take my chances with a mid-round draft pick, or a slightly more expensive free agent like Trey Burton.

Offensive Line

Ryan Jensen, Ravens

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 318 pounds

Age: 26

Entry to NFL: 6th round, 2013 draft (Baltimore Ravens)

Contract

Spotrac estimates that if Ryan Jensen were to be signed to a free agent contract, it would likely be 5 years, $44.6m ($8.9m APY).

This is tricky. Spotrac estimates Jensen will draw almost $9 Million per year on average. This puts him just under what the Falcons pay Alex Mack and what the Cowboys pay Travis Frederick.

The importance of offensive linemen and the scarcity of good young ones coming available in the modern NFL is likely to cause a bit of a bidding war when free-agency begins, with Jensen’s bank account being the ultimate winner.

How would he fit with the Redskins?

Ryan Jensen started 16 games for the Ravens last season. Jensen is young and considering he has just one year as a full-time starter under his belt, he still has yet to hit his ceiling.

He has the ability to move over to guard if the ‘Skins still want to keep Chase Roullier at center

Receiver Mike Wallace praised the offensive line’s performance and specifically brought up Jensen.

“Jensen is Jensen. He almost had like four fights, so you know, good day,” Wallace joked.

Defenders have a different reaction.

Outside linebacker called Jensen a “savage,” and an “old-school mauler who likes to rumble, likes to fight.” Inside linebacker C.J. Mosley called Jensen a “butthole.”

”I take that as a compliment,” Jensen said when told about the comment.

The thing is, the Ravens love it.

”He’s a great competitor,” Mosley said. “You want that kind of play with all your players, especially on the O-line. He’s not going to let anybody big boy him.”

“The thing that you see with him the most is how nasty he is on Sunday and the style that he plays with,” quarterback Joe Flacco added. “You need that kind of player. You love to have those guys on your side.”

I actually didn’t know who Jensen was before I wrote this article. After reading about him, I get the feeling he could be a good replacement for Spencer Long.

Given his limited play during his 4 years in the league, I doubt whether anyone but the Ravens is likely to be willing to pony up $9m per year for him.

If he’s actually available on a slightly more reasonable contract (say, $6.5 or $7m) then I probably wouldn’t actively complain if the ‘Skins signed him to help fill the hole at left guard.

Justin Pugh, Giants

New York Giants v Tampa Bay Buccaneers Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 301 pounds

Age: 27

Entry to NFL: 19th overall, 2013 draft (New York Giants)

Contract

Spotrac says:

Seriously? Who’s gonna pay this guy more than $3.5m per year?

How would he fit with the Redskins?

Don’t you get the feeling that if the Giants draft Quenton Nelson, then he’ll turn out to be the biggest draft bust since Ryan Leaf? The G-men seem totally incapable of drafting, developing or buying free agent offensive linemen and getting any real return.

Pugh is just not good.

I certainly don’t think he can help the Redskins as a starter, and I don’t really think he’d be all that valuable as a backup either. Drafted 19th overall, I gotta wonder if Pugh’s career could’ve been different if he’d just been drafted by a different franchise.

Does the Giants curse follow him if he leaves in free agency?

I’m hoping the Cowboys sign him.

Poll

Which of these offensive free agents would you most want to sign as a Redskin in 2018?

This poll is closed

  • 35%
    Marquise Lee - WR
    (203 votes)
  • 10%
    Jimmy Graham - TE
    (58 votes)
  • 2%
    Tyler Eifert - TE
    (14 votes)
  • 3%
    Austin Sererian-Jenkins - TE
    (21 votes)
  • 44%
    Ryan Jensen - OL
    (254 votes)
  • 2%
    Justin Pugh - OL
    (17 votes)
567 votes total Vote Now
Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Redskins Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images