Jumping Through Hoops for Hooper?

The Redskins have virtually no choice. They are hell bent and they need to be to find a starting tight end.

That's going to come at an extreme cost.

Especially if their top target is Austin Hooper, because everyone that wants a pass catching tight end is coming after that dude.

The Redskins are one of the teams that have a strong interest in tight end Austin Hooper, a source tells me. Falcons letting Hooper reach free agency. Two-time Pro Bowler, at age 25 and ascending, sure to be an attractive option for teams.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) February 28, 2020

So how much should the Redskins be willing to pay for Hooper who racked up 75 catches for 787 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games for the Falcons last year?

Spotrac.com puts his calculated market value at $9.9 million per year on a five-year deal worth under $50 million.

That's a lot of dough for a tight end that isn't blazing fast or an exceptional route runner like Jordan Reed was/is but Hooper has played in more games than Reed over the last few seasons (not hard to do) and he's a red zone threat, which the Redskins desperately need.

To me, the Redskins have to pay almost whatever it takes on this one, because they are so in need.

They are even more in need for this one position than corner, because the market is much more bare here.

Eric Ebron would be an excellent option at a much lower cost but he tends to be much more inconsistent.

Chris Russell is the Publisher of RedskinsReport.com & Sports Illustrated's Washington Redskins channel. He can be heard on 106.7 The FAN in the Washington D.C. area and world-wide on Radio.com. Chris also hosts the "Locked on Redskins" Podcast and can be read via subscription to Warpath Magazine. You can e-mail Chris at russellmania09@Gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @Russellmania621.