Free Agency 2019: Guards
February 20, 2019
by Steve Thomas
We’re deep into the dead zone now, just waiting for the NFL Combine to come around and for the start of free agency. With not much else going on, it’s a great time to continue with my free agency preview series. I’ve already done tight ends (read it here) and safeties (read it here), both of which are pretty high on the Redskins list of needs. In similar fashion, left guard is a major problem for Washington right now, and has been for a few seasons. The Redskins have about $20M in available cap space, which is enough to bring in one or two moderately to high priced free agents. The front office could also create more room with a few key cuts if they see fit to do so.
The Redskins’ guard situation last year started off in fairly decent shape, with Pro Bowler Brandon Scherff on the right side and Shawn Lauvao on the left. Unfortunately, and in Lauvao’s case, predictably, everything fell apart when Lauvao went down with his annual debilitating injury just five games into the season and Scherff followed him to the injured reserve in week 8. Things really went off the rails at that point, and the Redskins were forced to play a series of has beens and never weres, only to watch most of those players succumb to injuries as well. By the end of the season, the Redskins had guys starting who probably should’ve been in another, lower caliber league. There’s no doubt that the Redskins have to make multiple moves either via free agency or the draft, or both, in order to get this group up to snuff as a legitimate NFL unit. Washington had a few candidates for the backup role, Tyler Catalina, Casey Dunn, and Kyle Fuller, but no starter-level player other than Scherff. As I’ve done for my prior two free agency previews, I have automatically eliminated every player age 30 or older because I don’t believe that a team in the Redskins’ position – meaning, a mediocre team that theoretically wants to build into a contender – should be signing players that age. They probably will, but they shouldn’t. Don’t be surprised if the Redskins bring in an older player to fill in this spot whether we like it or not.
This is a pretty craptacular group of free agent guards, nothing like the 2018 class that featured a truly elite player, Andrew Norwell, who got a gigantic contract from the Jacksonville Jaguars, and a slew of quality, proven starters such as Justin Pugh, Josh Sitton, and Jack Mewhort. The 2019 group is less than that, so much so that I have dispensed with my usual “Top of the heap”, “Second Tier” and “Other” categories, because there really isn’t a “Top of the heap”-quality player. There is a #1 on this list simply because someone has to be #1 more than anything.
I’d be remiss in failing to mention that the three top free agents available are Roger Saffold, Mike Iupati, and Ramon Foster. Staffold has started for the Rams for the past 9 years and is clearly the top-rated option on the market. He’s 30, but the truth is that I wouldn’t be too upset if the Redskins signed him, despite his age, as he’s been healthy the last 3 years and is a valued member of the Rams’ Super Bowl team. He probably deserves to be my “Top of the heap” selection, regardless of his age, but will command a large contract that the Redskins probably can’t afford. Iupati is 32 and has only played 11 games in the last two years due to injury. Foster started at either left or right guard for the Steelers for most of the last 10 years. He’s now 33; enough said (hopefully).
1. D.J. Fluker, 6’5” / 342, Seahawks, age 27. Fluker was a 1st round pick in the 2013 draft out of Alabama by the Chargers (then in San Diego). The fact that he was a member of the Crimson Tide probably gives him an automatic leg up in the Redskins free agent scoring system. Fluker was a day one starter, playing 78 games in six seasons, starting 74. The Chargers released him after the 2016 season, and since then he’s been with the Giants and Seahawks, respectively, with his 2017 season ending after week 9 with a toe injury and late in the 2018 season with a hamstring injury. The Seahawks transitioned to a gap scheme in 2018, which would work well with Adrian Peterson’s style of running (assuming he comes back). Fluker has a reputation as a mauler in the run game. He may not be a great choice for a team running a full time zone run scheme, but we saw the Redskins use a greater variety of run schemes this past season. Is Fluker a perfect prospect? Absolutely not, and his health is a big red flag, for sure, but if he can stay on the field, Fluker could be a solid and worthy starter on the left side next to Trent Williams. And, again, Alabama.
2. Jamon Brown, 6’4” / 340, Giants, age 25. Brown was a 3rd round pick in the 2015 draft by the Rams out of the University of Louisville. Another day one starter, Brown has played in 50 games, starting 38. He was the Rams’ regular starter at right guard in 2017. Brown was suspended for violation of the NFL’s drugs of abuse policy in July, 2018. When he returned from his suspension, he had been replaced as starter and was waived. Brown was signed by the Giants on October 31 and started the remainder of the year for New York. Brown has talent and could instantly come into Washington and effectively start. He should not command an outrageous contract, but the Giants want him back for 2019 and there will most likely be other competition for his services.
3. A.J. Cann, 6’3” / 325, Jaguars, age 27. Cann was drafted by the Jaguars in the 3rd round of the 2015 draft out of South Carolina. He was a day one starter for Jacksonville, playing a total of 60 games in four years, starting 59. He’s been inconsistent, but is also known as being fairly athletic by guard standards and has experience. Reports out of Jacksonville during training camp last year indicated that he had improved his footwork and technique in both run and pass blocking. He’s not a great player and is yet another one who will never be in the Pro Bowl, but he would be able to at least fill the role at a starting level; plus, he’s been able to stay healthy throughout his career. Cann may have at least some competition for his services, but can most likely be brought to Washington on a reasonable deal.
4. Quinton Spain, 6’4”, 330, Titans, age 27. Spain is a 2015 undrafted free agent from the University of West Virginia. He initially signed a 3 year contract, then played the 2018 season on his one year tender offer. Spain has spent his entire four year career in Tennessee, starting 6 games his rookie year before he became the full-time starting left guard in 2016. He’s played in a total of 50 games, starting 48. Spain is known as a grinder, smashmouth type of player who lacks athleticism. He is best served in a power scheme, not a zone scheme that requires significant coordinated lateral movement. The Redskins do run power, but also run a variety of other run schemes, so while Spain is an experienced NFL starter who, as an undrafted free agent, has earned his NFL career, but he is most likely not at the top of Washington’s list.
5. John Miller, 6’3” / 315, Bills, age 25. Miler was a 3rd round pick in the 2015 by the Bills out of the University of Louisville. Overall, he has played and started in 47 games in four seasons, all at right guard. Miller lost his job and was benched for most of 2017, but earned the starting slot back for the 2018 season. Miller is a serviceable guard with starting experience, although Buffalo’s offensive line was not particularly good last year in either run or pass blocking. He’s not going to make anyone’s All Pro or Pro Bowl list – he’s a league average player – but he could be brought in to Washington on a small contract and at least stabilize the left guard position at a legitimate starting level.
6. Jonathan Cooper, 6’2” / 308, Redskins, age 29. Cooper was a 1st round pick out in the 2013 draft of the University of North Carolina by the Cardinals. He is well traveled, with additional stops in New England, Cleveland, Dallas, and San Francisco before he was brought to Washington in early November in the midst of the Redskins’ latest injury run of devastating injuries. Cooper went down with an injury just four games later, but accounted himself fairly well during his short time in DC. Cooper is most certainly not a long-term solution at left guard but could possibly serve as a stopgap measure until a long-term solution is found through the draft.
7. Arie Kouandjio, 6’5” / 316, Redskins, age 26. Arie was drafted by the Redskins out of Alabama in round 4 of the 2015 draft. If you’d like to learn more about Kouandjio, please listen to our extended interview with him from 2016 by clicking here. Kouandjio has at various times been good, bad, and injured. He was waived in September, 2017, and found a home on the Ravens’ practice squad, but was brought back to Washington’s active roster in late October in the midst of the Redskins’ run of injuries that year. He suffered a quad injury in May, 2018, which sidelined him for the entire season. Had he not been injured, he had a shot at being the principal backup behind Scherff and Lauvao. He’s probably not starter-quality, but if he’s healthy, there’s a decent chance that the Redskins bring him back once again.
8. Max Garcia, 6’4” / 309, Broncos, age 27. Garcia is a 4th round pick from the 2015 draft by the Broncos out of the University of Florida. He has played 56 games, starting 41, at both left and right guard. He does have significant starting experience, but is considered to be something of an underachiever at Denver. The Broncos will most likely let him walk. He is another player in a big group of free agents who could be a serviceable but not great starter next year in DC.
9. Bryan Witzmann, 6’7” / 320, Bears, age 28. Witzmann is a 2014 undrafted free agent originally signed by the Houston Texans out of South Dakota St. He has played in a total of 37 games, starting 20. Witzmann has made his way around the NFL, with stops in New Orleans, Dallas, Kansas City, Minnesota, and Chicago after he was waived by the Texans prior to the 2015 season. He started at left guard for the Chiefs in 2017 and for 7 games for the Bears this past season in place of the injured Kyle Long. He is known to have decent athleticism and technique and can move laterally. Better in the run than in pass blocking. Very tall for a guard.
10. Eric Kush, 6’4” / 317, Bears, age 29. Kush was 6th round pick by the Chiefs in the 2013 draft. Played in 33 games, starting 12, at both left and right guard for the Chiefs, Rams, and Bears. Was outplayed and benched halfway through this past season. This is a “break glass in the case of emergency” type of option.
As you can see, there aren’t many great options for the Redskins in this group, at least not who can be long-term solutions to the left guard problem. Saffold is the best option on the market, despite his age, but it’s doubtful that the Redskins would be able to lure him to Washington. I did rank D.J. Fluker as number 1, principally because of his Alabama connection and because someone had to be at the top of the list, but the odds are that Fluker probably wouldn’t be a several-year starter for the Redskins. The most reasonable course of action may be to re-sign Jonathan Cooper and draft someone Washington’s scouts believe in to come in and be the long-term starter.
Do you have thoughts on the Redskins’ guard situation? Let me know in the comment section below.