Five Surprising Cuts the Redskins Could Make This Offseason

Untouchable...I don’t think so. We’ve seen so many times in the NFL that players you would think were untouchable up and get traded away(see Antonio Brown and OBJ). Coaches may say that Player X is a cornerstone of our team’s foundation, then a month later, Player X is moved to the highest bidder.

The same can be said for players getting cut in the summer. Every preseason, teams make surprise cuts to players that their fan-base think are roster locks. Some of these cuts are due to age, high cap hits, or simply a decline in play. Whatever the reason, it’s very likely that the Redskins will make at least one surprise cut this summer before the regular season starts.

Below are five players who could be searching for another team come early September.

Josh Norman - If someone steps up and shines in training camp, it wouldn’t be completely unimaginable to see the Skins move on from Norman’s massive contract. I still think next year is the year they move on...but who knows.

Ereck Flowers - Flowers was given a surprisingly large contract to compete for the open spot at left guard. Granted he hasn’t looked good in OTA’s at left tackle, where he was forced to play due to the absence of Trent Williams and Geron Christian(recovering from injury), but he wasn’t signed with the hope he’d play there. If he can’t make it as a guard however, he may be cut this summer.

Colt McCoy - McCoy is still recovering from injury, and is expected to be ready for training camp in a few weeks, but the Skins already know what they have with the veteran backup, and if Case Keenum shows he can command Gruden’s offense, and the Skins decide to carry just two quarterbacks(which I am in complete favor of), McCoy could be the guy who’s gone. Heck, he’s probably be just a phone call away during the season if injury were to hit.

Adrian Peterson - For the first time in what seems like forever, the Redskins have surprisingly good depth at the running back position. Peterson joined the Redskins last year after injuries to the running back corp set in, and he rushed for 1042 yards and seven touchdowns. 2019 however brings a different situation. If Guice returns fully healthy(like he’s expected to) and Samaje Perine continues on the upward trend that that he’s reportedly been on this spring, the Redskins could choose to keep the two power backs on rookie deals, along with Chris Thompson and rookie Bryce Love, over the older, more expensive Peterson - who may not be game for sharing carries. Much of this could also depend on Love and Byron Marshall’s status once the preseason is underway.

Vernon Davis - The Redskins are not exactly stacked at tight end, and there are always question marks surrounding Jordan Reed’s health, but Vernon Davis, who turned 35 in late January, may be a camp cut due to his high salary, low dead money cap hit and decline in play. If Davis is cut, he saves the Skins roughly five million dollars in 2019. He’s not a very good blocker, he doesn’t play special teams, and it finally seems Father Time has caught up to him. It would take Jeremy Sprinkle, Matt Flanagan or JP Holtz and perhaps even Donald Parham stepping up for this to happen, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. I also think there is a chance the Redskins trade for a veteran tight end, or pick up a player who is a surprise cut in his own right this summer.