Latest On DeSean Jackson
It sounds like DeSean Jackson won’t be on the market for long. The receiver is expected to agree to terms with a team on Thursday, the first possible day that players can sign, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. The Redskins and Buccaneers are in the mix for his services, along with “multiple other teams.” 
Our newly-updated positional rankings (based on talent, not earning power) have Jackson listed as the fifth-best WR out there, behind Alshon Jeffery, Terrelle Pryor, Kenny Stills, and Kenny Britt, but ahead of Brandon Marshall and teammate Pierre Garcon.
We first learned of the Buccaneers’ interest in Jackson last week. The Bucs have Mike Evans, but they don’t have much after him, so Jackson would be a great fit as their WR2. If they want him, however, they’ll have to pony up considerable cash as his market grows.
The Eagles have been heavily connected to Jackson for months and although they are not specifically mentioned in Florio’s filing, they might get in on the bidding this week. If that’s the case, I believe nostalgia will factor into his decision, if the numbers are all roughly equal.
Jay Gruden Extension An Impromptu Move
- Jay Gruden‘s two-year Redskins extension came together quickly after an impromptu meeting at the Combine, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports. Team president Bruce Allen and Gruden’s agent, Bob LaMonte, met in Indianapolis and agreed to tack two more years on top of the two that remain on his initial Washington deal. La Canfora notes how this will help counter some of the concerns about GM Scot McCloughan‘s status with the team.
Trent Murphy Facing Four-Game Ban
Redskins outside linebacker Trent Murphy could have a delayed start to his 2017 season. The fourth-year edge defender is facing a four-game ban for the use of performance-enhancing substances, Master Tefatsion of the Washington Post reports. Murphy has appealed the suspension, per Tefatsion.
Murphy operated as a valuable off-the-bench rotational presence for the Redskins in 2016, playing behind Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith. This suspension standing and depriving Murphy of his September slate would be a rough start to what stands to be his contract year. Washington acquired the pass-rusher in the second round of the 2014 draft.
Since, Murphy has started 23 games, with his primary audition season occurring in 2015. Murphy started 15 games for the NFC East champions that season, vaulting into the lineup after Junior Galette suffered the first of his summer season-ending injuries. However, as a bench presence, Murphy shined, registering nine sacks last season. Only Kerrigan’s 11 outpaced that total. Going into 2016, Murphy had just six career sacks.
He did so after initially gaining weight to move to defensive end, but when Galette tore his Achilles’ tendon for a second time in two years, Washington moved Murphy back to outside linebacker. After shedding the excess weight, he became one of Washington’s best pass-rushers. Now, the team could have issues at outside ‘backer, given Galette’s injury history and this prospective suspension.
Chris Baker Expects Redskins Offer Soon
Chris Baker‘s representatives met with Redskins brass at the Combine. The veteran defensive lineman expects to receive an offer from the team on Tuesday, Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. Jones describes the talks as “encouraging,” but JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports that as many as six teams have expressed interest in Baker.
As free agency’s legal tampering period begins Tuesday, Baker can see what the market will look like for his services. The Redskins are now beginning to ramp up talks with the defensive end, potentially along with other free agents the team prioritizes, as that date nears. This comes after a February Jones report indicated the team and the 29-year-old interior defender weren’t on the same page.
Baker registered 10.5 sacks over the past two seasons and profiles as one of the top interior defenders available in free agency. He ranked 18th among interior defenders (4-3 defensive tackles, 3-4 nose tackles and 3-4 ends) in the opinion of Pro Football Focus last season. Among 3-4 ends, Baker may rank behind only Calais Campbell. Both are set to cash in on contracts that could take them into their mid-30s.
The Redskins have Baker and wideouts DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon looming as their top free agents after choosing to apply the franchise tag to Kirk Cousins for a second straight year. They stand to possess just more than $34MM in cap space.
Redskins Extend HC Jay Gruden
The Redskins and head coach Jay Gruden have agreed to an extension that will keep Gruden under contract through the 2020 season, which John Keim of ESPN.com was the first to report. Gruden had two years left on his original five-year pact, all of which was guaranteed, and this new extension tacks an additional two years onto the end of that deal.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter observes, this marks the first time club owner Dan Snyder has extended a head coach since he bought the team in 1999. No head coach has lasted more than four years under Snyder, who has had seven head coaches and one interim coach during his tenure.
Interestingly, this move comes just as fans and analysts are beginning to wonder if Snyder is up to his usual tricks with respect to GM Scot McCloughan. As PFR’s Sam Robinson wrote last night, McCloughan is absent from this weekend’s Combine, which has caused agents of free agents to question the stability of the organization. Indeed, agents and other league insiders wondered if there was more to the story than the team is letting on — McCloughan’s absence has been officially attributed to the death of his grandmother — and some agents are taking this as a sign to steer their clients away from Washington.
Gruden, 50, has guided the Redskins to a 21-26-1 record during his first three years at the helm, but he has gone 17-14-1 the past two years, and he captured an NFC East title in 2015. It is the first time Washington has posted consecutive winning seasons since 1996-97.
The Redskins, though, remain at an organizational crossroads given the uncertainty that surrounds their GM and their quarterback situation, and given the fact that Gruden will be working with two new coordinators in 2017, Greg Manusky (DC) and Matt Cavanaugh (OC).
Scot McCloughan’s Status Affecting Redskins’ Free Agency?
The Redskins are operating in Indianapolis without their general manager, with Scot McCloughan‘s absence from the Combine being attributed to the death of his grandmother. However, agents of free agents — ones representing Redskins UFAs and some who represent other teams’ recently expired contracts — are questioning the stability of the organization, Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports.
Said agents and other league insiders wondered if there was more to McCloughan’s absence than the team is letting on, and some are taking this as a sign to steer their clients away from Washington. One agent likened the Redskins to being in “disarray” and was wondering who was calling the shots for the franchise presently. “I’m not exactly sure who’s in charge over there now,” an agent told Jones.
The uncertainty surrounding McCloughan’s standing within the organization will prompt two agents who represent big-name UFAs from other teams to advise those respective clients to avoid signing with the Redskins, Jones reports. However, multiple agents told ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter they’ve been in contact with McCloughan recently.
Prior to this absence, McCloughan was not permitted to talk to the media at the Senior Bowl. And Jones reported in February team president Bruce Allen was applying pressure to the third-year Washington GM to focus on repairing the team this offseason. Missing the Combine raises the degree of difficulty regarding that task. Allen, though, said this week that McCloughan could resume draft preparation next week.
Jones notes the Redskins are likely to focus on second-tier free agents who won’t be as selective as the marquee names, possibly minimizing this distraction. Regarding their own UFAs, multiple people familiar with the Redskins’ free agency plan indicated to Jones that both Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson will price themselves out of D.C. Garcon could earn between $7-$10MM per year, Jones notes, while Jackson’s annual value may head toward $12MM. A Garcon return has league insiders split, with some saying he will test the market and others indicating the Redskins will swoop in early next week with an attempt to retain him. The team hasn’t met with Garcon yet, though.
Latest On Cowboys’ Tony Romo Decision
Jerry Jones fielded 33 Tony Romo-related questions today in an expansive interview today, and while nothing has been decided about a possible trade or release just yet, the owner will not be watching his longtime franchise quarterback play for the Redskins.
A Romo-to-Washington scenario is a non-starter for Jones, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. There is also an unspoken understanding, per Hill, that Romo will not sign with the Redskins if he becomes a free agent. A report circulated on Friday that had a three-team blockbuster trade — one sending Romo to the Redskins, Kirk Cousins to the 49ers and draft picks to the Cowboys — hovering as a possible scenario.
Jones emphasized the team will treat Romo respectfully here and not trade him to a destination where he wouldn’t want to land. The owner met with the 36-year-old quarterback before the Super Bowl at Cowboys headquarters. Romo did not ask to be released, Hill reports, but the two Cowboys cornerstones did discuss the possible outcomes of this process. No other meetings between the two are scheduled, although the sides will communicate, Hill reports.
Jones added the team will make a decision sooner rather than later but won’t be held hostage by the start of free agency on March 9.
“It is implied that we will work in the best way we can for the mutual interest of Tony and the Cowboys,” Jones said, via Hill. “That’s important here. Now we’ve got to abide by every league rule. We can’t have agreements without it being within the boundaries of the NFL. But when you’ve got a situation like we got, we’ll do the do-right rule. That’s it. That is it. Very important. We do the do-right rule. We have that kind of relationship.”
Romo has been rumored to be seeking a starting role with a contender. The Broncos and Texans appear to be the qualifiers here, with the Chiefs having every notable franchise decision-maker publicly commit to Alex Smith. Helping Dallas facilitate a trade isn’t out of the question for the 15th-year veteran, but he expects to be released. Jones would want Romo to stay in Dallas if possible but understands that might not be what the quarterback wants.
“He’s considering options,” Jones said. “Obviously, we all know that he’s going to have the opportunity to look at whatever situation, if there are situations, he’s going to have an opportunity to look at it. He gets to say and control this situation every bit as much as we do.”
Redskins To Meet With DeSean Jackson
The Redskins’ starting wide receivers during the mid-2010s appear set to play for different teams in 2017, but their previous employer hasn’t given up hope in re-signing Pierre Garcon or DeSean Jackson just yet. But it’s Garcon that could still have a path back to Washington, Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). However, some league insiders can see both players leaving the nation’s capital for more money elsewhere.
Jones describes both 30-year-old wideouts as having generated a good bit of interest around the league, but Jackson is the player whom the Redskins expect to draw a bigger offer from another team. That said, Washington is still expected to meet with the deep threat’s camp before the legal tampering window opens Tuesday. The team hasn’t met with Garcon yet, and nothing is set up on that front.
Another potential sign the Redskins believe Jackson will be too expensive to keep: DraftAnalyst.com’s Tony Pauline hears Jackson will command an offer worth north of $12MM per year. Only seven wideouts earn that on average. All are younger than Jackson.
While mutual interest appears to exist between Jackson and the Eagles, they would also be fine settling for Garcon, per Pauline. Garcon could cost more than $9MM annually. The former Colt’s drawn interest from at least five teams besides the Redskins.
Kirk Cousins Yet To Sign Franchise Tag
- Kirk Cousins has yet to sign his Redskins franchise tender after doing so immediately last year upon being tagged, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. Florio offers that Cousins’ wait may be in hopes of the team rescinding the tag, a la Josh Norman last year. Cousins said in January he’d sign the tag, worth $23.94MM, and Florio notes that not happening after four days shows something isn’t right. Of course, the Cousins negotiations stand to be complex this offseason, and it’s still incredibly early in this process. No other tagged performer as signed his tender yet.
Three-Team Tony Romo Deal Drawing Skepticism
Houston’s last known stance on this matter surfaced more than a month ago, when owner Bob McNair said the team intends to draft a quarterback. Romo was not believed to be an option for the Texans at that point. Since, Romo’s been connected to the Broncos, Chiefs, Redskins, 49ers, Bears and Bills — with a scenario now involving a three-team trade between the Cowboys, 49ers and Redskins being the most unique — in what’s becoming quite the complicated race. But the Texans are an obvious fit, Brock Osweiler‘s contract notwithstanding, due to their hole at quarterback and strong defense.