Free agency has the potential to radically alter the look of Jay Gruden’s offense in Washington.
Wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon are both set to become free agents on March 9, which means the Redskins run the risk of saying goodbye to 135 catches, 2,046 yards and seven touchdowns from last season. Gruden said that the players would be “hard to replace” if they left, but that the team has plans in the event it happens.
“I’d love to have both back, I’d love to have one back. If we’re unfortunate to lose them both, I’m not going to blink,” Gruden said, via ESPN.com. “I feel good about Jamison Crowder, Ryan Grant and Josh Doctson. I love the fact that Mo Harris got a lot of work in. He’s going to develop.”
Doctson is a key to any plans that don’t involve Jackson and Garcon. The 2016 first-round pick barely played as a rookie due to an Achilles injury, but has made some progress in his rehab of late to raise hopes that things will play out more smoothly in Year Two.
Even if it does, there’s a lot of hope involved as Grant, Doctson and Harris caught 19 passes between them last season. That may have the Redskins in the market for a veteran addition if they are moving forward without Garcon and Jackson in a week or so.