Bargain Hunting in Washington?
Washington will surely be scanning the waiver wire on Saturday for a tight end, receiver or even offensive lineman. They aren’t likely to find much.
With NFL practice squads increasing from 10 to 16 this season, that’s 192 fewer players available league wide for an emergency pool. Coupled with teams only reducing from 80 to 53 plus the practice squad leaves only the bottom 12 coming off rosters.
Good luck finding help there.
The current free agent crop isn’t much help, either. Teams are always reluctant to sign a vested veteran before the Sept. 13 opener because it guarantees an entire season’s salary. Better to wait until week two when only paying by the week.
Overall, Washington’s hope of filling several positions now mostly comes down to living with what they have. But, there are a few options.
It was curious Washington didn’t address tight end over the offseason after losing veterans Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis. Incoming offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s father Norv used tight ends heavily as Washington’s head coach from 1993-2000, turning journeymen Stephen Alexander and Jamie Asher into effective playmakers. While the son has his own thoughts, Scott Turner is still heavily influenced by his father’s system so a pass-catching tight end should have been a bigger priority.
The best move might be luring Davis out of retirement. But, this coaching staff didn’t work with Davis to know he was still an effective player until missing the final 12 games last season with a concussion. Davis, 36, has plenty of post-football options so he’s a longshot to return unless an emergency need comes later this season.
Former Denver tight end Jeff Heuerman is worth a look. The 2015 third-rounder’s best season was 31 receptions in 2018. While he’s a Plan B signing for any team, Washington requires more veteran presence in the middle when quarterback Dwayne Haskins needs a safety valve option under pressure.
Veteran tight ends Adam Shaheen (Miami) and Cameron Brate (Tampa Bay) are possible cuts on Saturday. Shaheen only played 27 games in Chicago over three years before traded to Miami for a conditional seventh-rounder. He could be out after the Dolphins bolstered their depth.
Brate comes off two lackluster seasons with the Buccaneers, who now have Rob Gronkowski. One cautionary point of taking Brate is he tested positive for COVID-19 last month before returning. Washington may not want to risk bringing him in, especially with coach Ron Rivera soon to begin cancer treatments.
Meanwhile, Rivera is obviously concerned with his offensive tackles after trading for Las Vegas’ reserve David Sharpe on Tuesday. The best available free agent is former Cincinnati lineman Cordy Glenn, but if Rivera really wanted him that would have already happened.
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Washington is opting for promising youth at receiver rather than trying a veteran like Jermaine Kearse. The 30-year-old was injured last year in Detroit. He’s probably the best available receiver who will get picked up somewhere after the openers. Just not in Washington.
That Rivera recently mentioned seven or eight positions remain unsettled shows Washington is looking for help. They just won’t find much come Saturday’s league wide cutdown.
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Rick Snider is an award-winning sports writer who has covered Washington sports since 1978. He first wrote about the Washington football team in 1983 before becoming a beat writer in 1993. Snider currently writes for several national and international publications and is a Washington tour guide. Follow Rick on Twitter at @Snide_Remarks
