3 Redskins Veterans Who Could Be Cut After the NFL Draft
By Michael Luciano
The Washington Redskins have a pivotal draft ahead of them, as new head coach Ron Rivera will need to make good use of the No. 2 overall pick while surrounding Dwayne Haskins with perimeter talent.
The remaking of the Redskins roster is going to unfortunately force a couple of longtime veterans out of town as the team looks to get younger. These three could be handed their pink slip after the 2020 draft.
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3. RB Adrian Peterson
Peterson was an effective battering ram last year, even at the age of 34, but it's not inconceivable that the Redskins part with the future Hall of Famer given how deep this running back class is. Derrius Guice and former Stanford star Bryce Love are both on the depth chart, and Washington should look to add someone who can help Haskins as a receiver.
2. OLB Ryan Kerrigan
2019 was a true nightmare for Kerrigan. Not only did the four-time Pro Bowler miss the first games of his nine-year career, but he recorded just 5.5 sacks after three straight seasons of at least 11. With an $11.6 million cap hit, Washington might need to bite the bullet and release Kerrigan (or send him elsewhere). The Redskins are expected to use the No. 2 pick on pass rusher Chase Young and pair him with promising second-year player Montez Sweat.
1. QB Alex Smith
Smith's injury during the 2018 season likely ended the career of one of the more reliable starting quarterbacks of the last decade or so. The Redskins should find some way to get Smith off of their books and provide him with fair compensation considering he's on the payroll until 2022 and has a higher cap hit than any other Redskins player. With Haskins the starter and Kyle Allen the backup, why pay Smith all that money not to be on the active roster?