Hard Decisions: The solution to the $18MM offseason puzzle

My fellow arm chair GM's use this thread to post and discuss your solutions on how to make this team better if the $18 MM cap penalty stands. To make sure that this thread is different from others on the website please post all questions about the cap in the Redskins 2013 Salary Cap Status (http://www.thewarpath.net/salary-cap-central/51680-redskins-2013-salary-cap-status.html). Discuss draft prospects in the draft thread (http://www.thewarpath.net/nfl-draft-central/50089-2013-nfl-draft-prospects.html). This thread is for the Fans who know what should be done. Post your thoughts- who stays, who goes, and who do we get.

Free agency, draft, trades anything realistic. Cap number is $123mm, have at it!

Redskins Free agents [Keep/ Let go]:

Rob Jackson: Keep- Playmaker who did great things in the starting role.

Fred Davis: Let Go- This would be a hard move but unless we can get a team favorable contract it is a move that must be done. Plus his injury may change how dynamic he is.

Bryan Kehl: Let Go- Nice guy, marginal player

Tyler Polumbus: Let Go- Get a starter in the draft.

Brandon Banks: Let Go- Proved expendable

Nick Sundberg: Keep- Great LS are hard to come by

Kory Lichtensteiger: Let Go- Le Ribeus should start

Sav Rocca: Keep- Good punter one year contract

Darrel Young: Keep- One of the best FB in the game right now.

Rex Grossman: Let Go- A luxury player at this point.

Logan Paulsen: Keep- Proved to be an asset.

Madieu Williams: Let Go

Lorenzo Alexander: Let Go- Great guy and good player but I see him getting a better deal in Pittsburgh

Kentwan Balmer: Let Go- what did he do here?

Jordan Black: Keep-Solid back up

Kedric Golston: Let Go- Great guy but it is time to move on

Tyler Polumbus: Let Go -Maybe we can keep him but will he be able to take a back seat?

Chris Cooley: Let Go- Retire

Cedric Griffin: Keep- Started doing well and could add needed depth in the secondary.

Chris Wilson: Let Go- Almost forgot he was on the team.

Chris Baker: Keep- Did well and should at least compete again Chris Neild in the preseason.

Good thread

First thing I'm doing; I'm still taking the NFL to court over this bogus penalty. I'm going out with everything I can whether I can get $1 million or all $18 million or in between or $0, I'm not going out without a fight.

(this is where my post starts to look like a tax form of selections; if option 1 then this, if option 2 then that)

If we get money back, then there is no need to cut guys like Carriker, Hall and so on.

If we don't get money back I'm cutting/restructuring:

DHall $7.5
Santana Moss $3.7
London Fletcher (retirement?) $2.7
Josh Wilson $3.2
Jamaal Brown $0.2 (I'm copying this from CC post, but is it really $200,000 we save cutting him??)
Adam Carriker $2.2

I'm also extending Josh Morgan so that his deal this year is light, plus after the ball spike at Finnegan he was then proven to be a good player for us.

I'm also asking Cofield and Bowen who have $6+ and $5+ million to lower their salaries by $1 million

All this should free up ~$22 million in capspace

===
Priority Resignings/Replacements:
Fred Davis or similar TE: ($2.5)
Kory Lichtensteiger: ($2.5)
Darrel Young: ($1.0)
Logan Paulsen: ($0.6)
Lorenzo Alexander: ($1.8)
Nick Sundberg or similar LS: ($0.3)
Rob Jackson: ($1.6)
Sav Rocca or similar P: ($0.4)
Tyler Polumbus: ($1.1)
Cap Space Required for Re-signings/Replacements ($11.8)

The guys I bolded, I think MUST be re-signed. The guys I italicized, I'm on the fence about, they're on that 'take it or leave it deal'. I've read we're trying to sign Fred to a 2 year deal. Darrell Young is the 3rd best FB in the NFL, so he must be resigned. Logan was a great backup/blocker for us. The LS and P or good together.

===

Free Agency

I'm going after Corey Lynch for Safety depth
I'm signing him to a 3 year $8 million deal

IF we don't resign Fred we MUST sign James Casey the FB/TE/H back for Houston to a 3 year $12 million deal. If we do re-sign Fred we still should go after this guy. He's familiar with Kyles offense, and is a very versatile player. He's a step below Fred but steps above Logan Paulsen.

The last guy I'm going after is Greg Toler as depth for our secondary. He was injured a year ago and played in limited action last year. But when he played, he played very well. He's a local kid, and at the moment he has us, AZ, and Cleveland looking to sign/re-sign him. I'm offering him a 4 year $14-17 million.

Ryan Harris the RT for Houston who played for Shanahan in Denver, is good but injury prone. He's better than Polumbus (who isn't--nfldraftscout didn't even rate Polumbus among the best 35 RTs in todays game--ouch). I'm going to take a wait and see market approach with Harris. I see a deal of 1 year $1.75 million being offered to Harris.

As for the rest of the Redskins FAs
Keep
Cedric Griffin
Grossman (we don't if RG3 is playing week 1; kirk goes in and gets hurt, whos QB now?)
Baker

Let Go
Banks
Madieu Williams
Golston
Black
Cooley
Chris Wilson


Draft
S
CB
TE
RT
ILB
Backup RB
G/C
DE
WR

Names to throw out in the draft

Poyer, Trufant, McFadden, Rambo, Mathieu, Cyprien, Elam, Lester, Barrett Jones, Kyle Long, Schwienke, Kelce, Escobar, Jordan Reed, Jordan Pugh, Aboushi, Jamar Taylor, Bostic, Reddick, Theo Riddick, Tharold Simon, Duke Williams, JJ Wilcox, Phillip Thomas, Eric Reid, Shamarko Thomas, Johnathan Banks, Robert Alford, BW Webb, Nickell Robey, Sanders Commings, TJ McDonald, DJ Swearinger, Zaviar Gooden, Dallas Thomas, Reid Fragel, Terron Armstead, Braxston Cave, Alvin Bailey, Ray Ray Armstrong, Cooper Taylor, Shawn Williams, David Amerson, Lutzenkurchen, Quinton Patton, Terrance Williams, Josh Boyce, Swope, Stedman Bailey, Stills, Connor Vernon, Marquis Wilson, Brandon Kaufman, Reggie Dunn, Joseph Randle, Andre Ellington, Johnathan Franklin, Gillislee, Barner, Maysonett, Stephan Taylor, Ray Graham, Stoneburner, Fauria, Vance McDonald, Gragg, Kiko Alonso, Nico Johnson, Khaseem Greene, Brent Russell, Devin Taylor, Corey Lemonier, Alex Okafor, Te'o, Jesse Williams, John Jenkins, Brandon Williams, Jaime Collins, Shawn Porter, Brandon Jenkins, Alec Ogletree, Blidi-Wreh Wilson, and Brad Wing.

Any combination of these products with our 7 or more picks would be great

T.Jackson staying does help us slightly. If he has anything left it is owed to the Redskins.

Thank you Schneed for the Roster Cuts or Restructures:

DeAngelo Hall $7.5 (Cut)-I like him on the team but not at this price.

Santana Moss $3.7 (Restructure)- If we can draft great speed receiver Moss may become post June 1st cut

London Fletcher (retirement?) $2.7

Josh Wilson $3.2 (Restructure)

Jamaal Brown $0.2 (Cut)- Already gone

Adam Carriker $2.2 (Restructure)-

Josh Morgan- Extension lower the cap number this year.

We will Need: CB, T, S, LB

Free agent targets: Not saying we will get them, but make an attempt-
Aquib Talib
Greg Toler
Leodis Mc Kelvin
Ryan Harris
Winston Justice
Jake Long
Chris Clemons
Rolando McClain

I like what you have there Cult. I don't think Ray Ray will be drafted. I'm putting my ideas in piece by piece.

Some of these moves are no-brainers. When you get right down to it we don't have a ton of options.

I'm cutting Hall, Moss, Carriker, and Fletcher right off the bat. I'd try to bring Hall and Moss back with cap friendly deals but I'm not going to panic if I can't. If Fletcher wants to keep playing it will have to be with a much lower #. A 38 year old MLB isn't going to generate much interest in free agency so give him the time he wants to figure things out, just like last year.

I would probably give an extension to Josh Wilson and lower his cap # for 2013. The same could be done with Orakpo but his $3.5M figure doesn't bother me as much as Wilson's $5.3.

I'd look at some possible restructuring with Trent Williams, Cofield, Bowen, and Morgan. Though I get the idea our front office isn't thrilled with the idea of pushing off a lot of dough on future caps, so I can also see where they might choose to just play things tight against the cap this year and be frugal in free agency in order to preserve future cap space.

T.Jackson staying does help us slightly. If he has anything left it is owed to the Redskins.

Thank you Schneed for the Roster Cuts or Restructures:

DeAngelo Hall $7.5 (Cut)-I like him on the team but not at this price.

Santana Moss $3.7 (Restructure)- If we can draft great speed receiver Moss may become post June 1st cut

London Fletcher (retirement?) $2.7

Josh Wilson $3.2 (Restructure)

Jamaal Brown $0.2 (Cut)- Already gone

Adam Carriker $2.2 (Restructure)-

Josh Morgan- Extension lower the cap number this year.

We will Need: CB, T, S, LB

Free agent targets: Not saying we will get them, but make an attempt-
Aquib Talib
Greg Toler
Leodis Mc Kelvin
Ryan Harris
Winston Justice
Jake Long
Chris Clemons
Rolando McClain

I like your Clemons (forgot about him) mckelvin, and McClain suggestions. Forgot to include McClain as an option.

The others we aren't getting.

Should get interesting in the next week or two as to what we do.

Copying off Schneed's recommendations from the cap thread I agree with everything except I'd lean towards letting Lichtensteiger walk and plugging in LeRibeus in his spot and using that savings towards free agency.

Priority Resignings/Replacements:
Fred Davis or similar TE: ($2.5)
Kory Lichtensteiger: ($2.5)
Darrel Young: ($1.0)
Logan Paulsen: ($0.6)
Lorenzo Alexander: ($1.8)
Nick Sundberg or similar LS: ($0.3)
Rob Jackson: ($1.6)
Sav Rocca or similar P: ($0.4)
Tyler Polumbus: ($1.1)

IMO Matty is making all the right moves.

However, I might try to hang on to Kory L. Good line depth can be hard to find. But if Kory L leaves, there's no reason for panic or upset.

Kory's a very good run blocker, I'd keep him if doable at $2.5M. Wouldn't pay more than that, though. In general, my preference is to hang onto what we have as much as possible and forgo free agent signings. This is the final year of the cap penalty, I'd like us to keep going with what we have, let Griffin continue to develop and the team overall continue to gel, and then leap into action next year with free agency when we can afford to do it.

Another smart draft and just getting a lot of key players healthy puts us on a path to 11-5, IMO. As long as Griffin can get back. And that's even more reason not to delve into FA too much; if Griffin doesn't recover well it almost doesn't matter who else is on our roster.