The Washington Redskins have other roster decisions to make outside of Kirk Cousins and his contract. While the return of the quarterback is a priority for the franchise, they have other key decisions to make that could shape the remainder of the offseason. The Redskins got a lot of production out of Cousins, but questions remain around several other offensive stars as the futures of players like DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Alfred Morris begin to come into question.
Since the Redskins no longer have to focus on finding the right starting quarterback, they have the ability to prioritize the rest of the offense around him. According to John Keim of ESPN.com, the focus right now falls on Garcon rather than Jackson. The veteran receiver will be a $10.2 million charge to the salary cap while the Redskins could save $8.2 million by releasing him. Keim reports that the Redskins will ask Garcon to take a pay cut and the receiver is expected to say no. Keim reports that the Redskins are high on Garcon and they like the leadership and knowledge he brings to the field.
However, he and Jackson are an expensive duo. Jackson is set to earn $9.25 million next year, but the team would only save $3 million by releasing. That reason alone means Jackson stays over Garcon. The Redskins could easily draft someone to replace Garcon and be a cheaper charge to the salary cap while also being younger in age. Given the lack of depth already on the roster, the Redskins will have a tough decision to make with Garcon. Releasing him means the Redskins could chase players like Marvin Jones, Travis Benjamin or Jermaine Kearse to help Cousins next season.
A decision on Morris will be just as difficult. Head coach Jay Gruden likes Morris and the running back likes the Washington Redskins. However, Morris has not been the same player he was his rookie year. He is a model teammate, but he produces negative yardage more than positive. The Redskins downfall in many games in 2015 was their lack of a run game. With Matt Jones playing behind him, Morris could find himself the off man out. If the running back agrees to less money, he could stay put, but that is no guarantee right now.
"When I first came into the league, no matter what team I went to, I just wanted to do my whole career with the same team," Morris said, via ESPN.com. "That's still my goal. I would love to return, but a lot goes into that. I haven't thought about that. You all keep bringing it up, but we'll see what happens."
The decision of the wide receiver position will be harder than the one at running back. If Garcon does not agree to a pay cut, the Redskins could be forced to part ways with a franchise favorite. Nothing will be ruled out right now heading into the offseason.
