As free agency approaches and teams assess their needs for the upcoming season, many franchises find themselves looking for cap space to make moves and cutting players with hefty, undesirable contracts to make their wish lists possible. The Washington Redskins annually fall into that category, and have begun the process by restructuring the contracts of defensive end Andre Carter and wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, freeing up around $4 million in cap room for next season. However, those moves alone do not get the Redskins under the salary cap and cuts or more restructurings will be necessary to comply.
Washington has a handful of aging players whose absorbitant contracts are not matching the production expected from them on the field. At the forefront of that list is defensive end Jason Taylor. While Taylor more than likely will be headed to the Hall of Fame, he is also headed towards 35, and will make $8.5 million dollars next season despite missing most of last year with knee and calf injuries. Taylor will be the second highest-paid player on the roster, $800,000 behind Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samules.
Taylor was acquired from the Miami Dolphins when starting defensive end Phillip Daniels tore his ACL the first day of training camp. That afternoon, Washington sent a 2009 second-round draft pick, as well as a sixth-round pick in 2010. However, because Taylor was brought in via trade, the Redskins can cut him without taking on any dead cap from his contract. Taylor is scheduled to make $8.5 million next year, but by cutting him, the Redskins could save all of the $8.5 million and use that money elsewhere.
While I know many Redskins fans were not supporters of the Taylor trade, myself included, there is a chance for redemption. Look at it this way, by cutting Taylor right now, the Redskins traded second- and sixth-round picks for $8.5 million in free agency money. Washington does need to get younger as a whole, so trading away draft picks isn't the right direction to take, but what's done is done so putting the best spin on it helps.
Jason Taylor has been a phenomenal player for the last decade, but the Redskins traded for him in the twilight of his career and it's time to cut its losses. Using his salary in free agency to bring in two or three players at positions of need will be much more valuable than overpaying a player past his prime for one last go-round.
Washington has a handful of aging players whose absorbitant contracts are not matching the production expected from them on the field. At the forefront of that list is defensive end Jason Taylor. While Taylor more than likely will be headed to the Hall of Fame, he is also headed towards 35, and will make $8.5 million dollars next season despite missing most of last year with knee and calf injuries. Taylor will be the second highest-paid player on the roster, $800,000 behind Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samules.
Taylor was acquired from the Miami Dolphins when starting defensive end Phillip Daniels tore his ACL the first day of training camp. That afternoon, Washington sent a 2009 second-round draft pick, as well as a sixth-round pick in 2010. However, because Taylor was brought in via trade, the Redskins can cut him without taking on any dead cap from his contract. Taylor is scheduled to make $8.5 million next year, but by cutting him, the Redskins could save all of the $8.5 million and use that money elsewhere.
While I know many Redskins fans were not supporters of the Taylor trade, myself included, there is a chance for redemption. Look at it this way, by cutting Taylor right now, the Redskins traded second- and sixth-round picks for $8.5 million in free agency money. Washington does need to get younger as a whole, so trading away draft picks isn't the right direction to take, but what's done is done so putting the best spin on it helps.
Jason Taylor has been a phenomenal player for the last decade, but the Redskins traded for him in the twilight of his career and it's time to cut its losses. Using his salary in free agency to bring in two or three players at positions of need will be much more valuable than overpaying a player past his prime for one last go-round.
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