The Washington Redskins were pleased with their NFC East-winning 9-7 season last year, but they know they still have a long way to go until they are consistent competitors. No one can deny the strides quarterback Kirk Cousins made over the final 10 games of the season, the breakout year tight end Jordan Reed enjoyed or the promising flashes seen from a few defensive rookies. But if Tony Romo had stayed healthy for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington would have been singing a very different tune right now. That's why it is crucial for the team to continue improving this offseason and avoid any sort of plateau.
However, adding talent to the roster may prove difficult. The Redskins were expected to have around $24 million in salary cap space for free agency before franchising Cousins, which ate into their available cash. General manager Scot McCloughan can open up some additional room with a few moves, but Washington won't be competing for any of the top names at positions of need (Malik Jackson, Danny Treveathan, etc.). But there is one player the Skins absolutely should sign: outside linebacker Junior Galette.
The Redskins took a chance on Galette last offseason with a one-year deal only for him to tear his Achilles in the preseason. While no one is dressing this up as a blessing in disguise, it does lower his asking price on the open market. Galette would fill a need as a pass-rusher, as the Skins tied for the 14th most sacks (38.0) in the league last year. He notched 31.5 career sacks in 64 games with the New Orleans Saints, including back-to-back double digit campaigns from 2013-2014.
Washington needs help at every level of their defense right now, but re-signing Galette would help ease some of that pressure. Putting him into a pass-rushing rotation with Ryan Kerrigan (9.5 sacks) and Preston Smith (led all rookies with 8.0 sacks) would give the team a few different looks to get after opposing QBs. McCloughan could then focus on the team's other defensive needs (DL, LB, DB) in the upcoming NFL draft.
