Here are the moves the Washington Redskins should consider when free agency opens at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday:
Sign Damon Harrison: He’s the top free-agent nose tackle on the market, but he’s a two-down player, so that will limit his value. If the Redskins can add him for $4 million per year, they’d have a player in his prime who has been durable and excellent versus the run.
Sign Ian Williams: If Harrison is too expensive, Williams is a good second option. (The draft is full of defensive linemen; I’d sign one of these players and still draft a lineman.) Williams stayed healthy for the first time in three years and produced in San Francisco. He’s a nose who could play tackle in their nickel package. But his main job has been stopping the run.
Sign Lamar Miller: You don’t want to spend big money at running back, so this isn’t necessarily the way they’ll go. But Miller would give the Redskins a runner with breakaway potential. He can help in the pass game and has low mileage on his legs because he’s only 24. But if Miller wants to be the featured guy, as reported, Washington might not be the best fit considering the Redskins have, and like, Matt Jones. If Miller is willing to be part of a rotation, he could do well in this offense. Another option is the Jets' Chris Ivory.
Sign Jaye Howard: Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan was with Seattle when the Seahawks drafted the defensive end in 2012. He was cut after one year but has blossomed in Kansas City and would help improve the run defense. Howard has done OK pushing the pocket, too. But the Redskins need to vastly improve their run defense.
Sign a cornerback: The Redskins could always bring back Will Blackmon for depth, but if they want to get a little younger, they have options with players such as Patrick Robinson or Jeremy Lane. McCloughan was with Lane in Seattle, so he knows Lane can play both inside and outside. His injury history could lead to his being a bargain. The Redskins have starters Bashaud Breeland and Chris Culliver and have high hopes for Quinton Dunbar. But they need depth at this position.