Sheriff Rivera Makes a Few Smart Moves

The Redskins solved some issues, created new ones and dominated the NFL headlines for one day. Rick Snider on some ultimately smart decisions.

The Redskins essentially traded a starting cornerback for a backup quarterback. There aren’t too many times that would be considered a good deal, but the Redskins made the best of a bad situation.

Washington sent its fifth-rounder for Carolina quarterback Kyle Allen on Monday only to receive Seattle’s fifth-rounder hours later for disgruntled cornerback Quinton Dunbar. 

The moves signaled Dwayne Haskins won’t be pressed for the starting job while angry players are dispatched at whatever price, meaning Trent Williams is likely gone for a third-rounder.

Overall, it has not been the aggressive spring expected under new coach Ron Rivera given a mountain of salary cap money. A generous grade would be a C-minus after free agency netted cornerback Kendall Fuller, safety Sean Davis and left guard Wes Schweitzer and some depth. That’s not enough for a 3-13 team that needs numerous replacements and upgrades that won’t be filled by the draft.

The deal for Allen was a smart one. Allen is the only one who will know incoming offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s scheme, which will be paramount if offseason camps are cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic. Allen’s no threat to Haskins if the latter plays even remotely well, but could be a spot starter if needed.

Dispatching Dunbar is also smart. Rivera doesn’t need poison in the locker room so if Dunbar thinks the sun shines brighter in Seattle, best of luck. A 3-13 team won’t miss a player who missed 14 games injured the past two years.

The downside is losing a starter for a fifth-rounder, but Dunbar’s bad attitude made teams wary of trading for someone in the final year of their contract. Maybe he’s wildly unrealistic and this proves merely a one-year rental. It would have been nice to get a fourth, but teams can simply draft one if they like next month. Seattle got a steal only trading a fifth.

Now, does that low return signal bad news on trying to trade Trent Williams? Well, nobody expected to gain a first-rounder with only one year left on his deal. Maybe Washington could have received a first last fall when teams were desperate to replace injured players, but that’s just another of the bad decisions by former president Bruce Allen.

Meanwhile, Williams is threatening to hold his breath until turning blue if the team doesn’t release or trade him. Why, he may even say something naughty about people no longer with the team. Seriously, Williams should just continue to suffer in silence while waiting to be traded.

The reality now is the Redskins will be lucky to get a second-rounder for Williams and may settle for a third-rounder. The draft is flush with left tackles with four expected to go high in the first round. Williams is a 32-year-old holdout with an equal number of injuries and suspensions to match his seven Pro Bowls. Rivera knows even if forcing Williams to play the final season he won’t get much out of his team captain and the Redskins don’t need that. So, a third-rounder is probably the coming compensation.

Escaping Allen’s awful tenure isn’t easy. The Redskins are forced to settle for scraps . . . for now.

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Rick Snider is an award-winning sports writer who has covered Washington sports since 1978. He first wrote about the Redskins in 1983 before becoming a beat writer in 1993. Snider currently writes for several national and international publications and is a Washington tour guide. Follow Rick on Twitter at @Snide_Remarks.