getty Austin Hooper #81 of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Washington Redskins haven’t made many big splashes in free agency thus far. The team mostly has signed players on one-year deals, hoping to find pieces that fit into the culture that new coach Ron Rivera is implementing.
Yet, the franchise made attempts to bring in offensive weapons. It offered a massive deal to Amari Cooper (who chose to re-sign with the Cowboys for less money). Washington also pursued Austin Hooper and the tight end admitted that he strongly considered the team before agreeing to join Cleveland.
“It really came down to Cleveland and Washington. At the end, I chose to be a Brown,” Hooper said during a Sirius XM Radio interview (via NBC Sports Washington). “Redskins were definitely a team that had shown interest I would say. Definitely, a solid organization with another talented young quarterback, so that was going to be my next landing spot.”
Hooper’s deal with the Browns is for four years and $42 million. The tight end previously said that Baker Mayfield recruited him to town.
Redskins Tight End Depth Chart
The Redskins will enter next season without its top two tight end options from last year. Vernon Davis chose to retire and the team opted to move forward without often-injured Jordan Reed.
Washington snagged Logan Thomas, a former quarterback who has converted to tight end, and former Green Bay Packer Richard Rodgers in free agency. The team also has blocking tight end Jeremy Sprinkle on the roster (signed through the 2020 season).
Washington’s Quarterback Situation Remains Underwhelming
While the franchise revamped the defensive side of the ball, it seems as if the offense may not look all that different from a personnel standpoint, including at quarterback.
Yes, the Skins brought in Kyle Allen via trade, though it appears that the club will roll out Dwayne Haskins to start the season.
Haskins doesn’t have the same kind of backing from the Redskins as other QBs in his rookie class, like Daniel Jones in New York and Kyler Murray in Arizona. It’s not a given that Haskins will be named the starter in Washington and even if he wins it, he may not be given a long leash.
“Quarterback is a position you’ve got to have competition in,” new coach Ron Rivera said during the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this offseason. “Very competitive competition.”
Allen, who started 12 games (13 appearances) for Rivera last season, may be that competition but he’s hasn’t proven to be that skilled at throwing the football in the National Football League.
He appeared to be a risk-averse game manager, tossing seven touchdowns and no interceptions over his first four starts in Carolina. He followed that up by throwing 16 interceptions over his next nine appearances.
As I wrote in the Redskins 7-Round Mock Draft, the team needs to take Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa at all costs.
Telling their defensive-minded head coach that they are passing on Chase Young will be no easy conversation. Young is a cornerstone piece that would set up the franchise for years on the defensive end, though he can’t provide the kind of ceiling that an elite quarterback can. Tua would give the team a better chance at that coveted asset, though all signs point to Washington heading into camp with Allen and Haskins vying for the starting spot.