With NFL free agency set to begin March 13, many Redskins players with expiring contracts will have the opportunity to re-sign with the team or test the open market.
Many of these players are unrestricted free agents, meaning they've accrued enough years of NFL service that they are free to join any team interested in signing them. But for others, the free agent process is a bit trickier.
Players with exactly three accrued NFL seasons are considered restricted free agents. They can negotiate with other teams and even accept offer sheets, but in those cases the Redskins have a chance to match those offers. If they choose not to re-sign a certain player, they might receive compensation -- such as a draft pick -- from the new club for giving up the player.
Below is a list of Redskins set to become free agents when the 2019 league year starts next week:
Tony Bergstrom, OL, UFA
Tony Bergstrom signed with the Redskins during the middle of the 2017 season to help sure up the offensive line. After an impressive stint with Washington, the Redskins re-signed him to a one-year deal. He played in 13 games and started eight of those contests for the Redskins last season.
Luke Bowanko, OL, UFA
The Redskins signed Luke Bowanko late in the 2018 season in response to their host of offensive line injuries. Bowanko wound up playing seven games for the Redskins and started the final three games of the year.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, UFA
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix arrived in Washington at the 2018 trade deadline. He was acquired from the Green Bay Packers for a fourth-round selection in the upcoming NFL Draft. In his time with the Redskins, Clinton-Dix started nine games at safety. He recorded 66 tackles, had three passes defensed, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
Jonathan Cooper, OG, UFA
The Redskins brought in Jonathan Cooper in November of 2018 to help bolster the offensive line unit. He proved to be a formidable option, starting four games before a bicep injury ended his season in early December.
Jamison Crowder, WR, UFA
A fourth-round selection in 2015, wide receiver Jamison Crowder has shown flashes of excellence in his four seasons with the Redskins. However, injuries have robbed Crowder of the opportunity to showcase his full potential. That was again the case in 2018, as an ankle injury kept him out for seven consecutive games and limited his final statistics, which included 29 catches, 388 yards and two touchdowns.
Michael Floyd, WR, UFA
The Redskins signed veteran Michael Floyd last September to improve their depth at wide receiver. He played in 13 games (three starts), catching 10 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.
Austin Howard, OT, UFA
Due to the injury issues with the offensive line, the Redskins signed tackle Austin Howard a few months into the 2018 regular season. He appeared in five games (one start) but ended up on injured reserve with a hip injury in mid-December.
Josh Johnson, QB, UFA
Despite not playing an NFL snap since 2014, Josh Johnson improbably became the Redskins starting quarterback after Alex Smith and Colt McCoy went down with season-ending injuries and Marc Sanchez was benched. In four games (three starts), Johnson threw for 590 yards and three touchdowns while running for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Zac Kerin, OG, UFA
Zac Kerin was another late-season addition to the Redskins offensive line. He appeared in two games after signing in December.
Arie Kouandjio, OG, UFA
Arie Kouandjio has had two different stints with the Washington Redskins. The offensive lineman spent two seasons in Washington after being a fourth-round pick in 2015 and then was brought back to Washington during the 2017 season. In 2018, Kouandjio suffered an offseason quad injury that resulted in season-ending surgery.
Shawn Lauvao, OG, UFA
The Redskins signed Shawn Lauvao in 2014 with the hopes he would become a starter on the offensive line. He's shown the ability to be a starting guard, but injuries have limited him to 46 games over five seasons. In 2018, Lauvao played in five games before a left ACL tear ended his season.
Pernell McPhee, OLB, UFA
The Redskins signed veteran linebacker Pernell McPhee to a one-year contract last offseason. In 13 games (one start), McPhee made 11 tackles, including three for loss, and recovered a fumble.
Ty Nsekhe, OL, UFA
Veteran Ty Nsekhe provided depth to the offensive line during his four seasons with the Redskins. He appeared in 54 games and made 16 starts during that stretch, including five starts in each of the past two seasons as the Redskins dealt with injuries up front. He primarily plays right tackle but has shown the aptitude to play at either guard or tackle position.
Adrian Peterson, RB, UFA
After 2018 second-round pick Derrius Guice suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason, the Redskins signed Peterson, one of the top rushers in NFL history, to a one-year contract. Peterson did not disappoint, starting all 16 games and becoming the oldest Redskins player since John Riggins in 1984 to run for over 1,000 yards. Peterson finished the season with 1,042 yards on 251 carries and scored seven rushing touchdowns.
Mark Sanchez, QB, UFA
With starting quarterback Alex Smith out for the season with a leg injury, the Redskins signed Mark Sanchez to back up Colt McCoy. But when McCoy suffered a broken leg two weeks later, Sanchez was thrust into the starting role. He appeared in two games before Josh Johnson replaced him for the remainder of the season.
Marcus Smith, OLB, UFA
The Redskins signed linebacker Marcus Smith in early December of 2018, only to waive him less than two weeks later. But in late December, the Redskins re-signed Smith, who appeared in two games last season.
Preston Smith, OLB, UFA
Linebacker Preston Smith has spent his entire career with the Redskins after they selected him in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. In his four seasons with the Redskins, Smith has played in all 64 games and has started every game the last three years. In 2018, Smith had 53 tackles (five for loss), four sacks, an interception and a fumble return touchdown. His long-term durability and production should make him a highly sought-after free agent.
Zach Vigil, LB, UFA
Since signing with the Redskins during the middle of the 2017 season, Zach Vigil has spent the last season and a half as a reserve linebacker. In 2018, he totaled 10 tackles across 14 games.
Maurice Harris, WR, RFA
Wide receiver Maurice Harris joined the Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2016, spending his first two seasons as a backup before emerging as a rotation starter in 2018. He played in 12 games last year, hauling in 28 passes for 304 yards.
Robert Kelley, RB, RFA
Robert Kelley burst onto the scene after joining the Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2016, rushing for 704 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie. Since then, however, he's struggled to stay on the field because of injuries. He's played in just nine games over the past two seasons.
Byron Marshall, RB, RFA
Injuries at the running back position prompted the Redskins to sign Byron Marshall in the middle of the 2017 season, but he too missed time with an ankle injury in 2018. He wound up getting just three carries for nine yards last season.
