The Washington Redskins are coming into 2015 looking to bounce back from another tough year and in free agency names like Frank Gore, CJ Spiller, Mark Ingram, Michael Crabtree, Jermaine Gresham and Torrey Smith could be options for the team to give Robert Griffin III some offensive support, as Jay Gruden needs more playmakers to get things done for RG3.
The Redskins had a tough season in 2014 under Jay Gruden in year one and now the team is hoping to bounce back in 2015. The team has some money to spend in free agency if they want to and they also have some significant players of their own to deal with, including Niles Paul, Brian Orakpo, Leonard Hankerson, Tyler Polumbus, Roy Helu and Brandon Meriweather. The team likely will not sign all of those players back, but Orakpo is a target they could go after along with Meriweather or Paul.
The Redskins made some significant moves this offseason, including bringing in Scot McCloughan to take over as general manager. That is an important move for the franchise, as player development has not been great over the past couple years and McCloughan has a strong track record coming in. McCloughan has had experience with the Seahawks and the 49ers and those are two teams that the Redskins are hoping to emulate over the next few years with him in charge of personnel.
CSN Bay Area reports that Gore could be a main target for the Redskins, as he has connections to McCloughan and could help the team give some support for Alfred Morris. Matt Maiocco writes at CSN that McCloughan is a huge fan of Gore after drafting him with the Niners and he has given him high praise over the years. McCloughan has even said that he wants to hire Gore when he retires to be a scout if he has the power to do so.
McCloughan now has that power and with the Niners likely letting Gore walk, the Redskins could be a perfect landing spot. Gore is a consistent running back and while he is 31, he still has some gas in the tank and could be perfect as a compliment to Morris. Gore wouldn't have to be the typical backup, but the decreased carries could help him last longer in the league. Trent Baalke has said that the team wants to keep Gore, but with Carlos Hyde also in the backfield, it's conceivable they let him walk.
Gore comes in after rushing for 1106 yards last season and he has had at least 1000 yards in eight of the last nine seasons. Gore set a career high in his second year with 1695 yards, but he has been as consistent as anyone in the league during his career and could bring that to Washington. CJ Spiller and Mark Ingram could be potential targets if Gore is signed by someone else, while Jermaine Gresham could be a fit as well. Niles Paul is a free agent and Jordan Reed dealt with numerous injuries and adding a tight end could be huge for RG3 in making a comeback after a terrible 2013-14.
