Ron Rivera has made swift changes to the Washington Redskins’ roster by releasing Josh Norman, Paul Richardson, and Jordan Reed.
Ron Rivera is wasting no time making sweeping changes to the Washington Redskins.
Having released former All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman and wide receiver Paul Richardson last week, the Redskins parted with tight end Jordan Reed on Thursday after he missed the entire 2019 season.
The departures of the trio represent overdue moves for a franchise that has long been in dire need of a rebuild.
By getting the salaries of Norman, Richardson, and Reed, who has seen his career derailed by concussions, the Redskins are finally embracing one significant change required for this team to compete.
Following these early offseason moves, the Redskins have $60.8 million of cap space to work with, according to Over The Cap.
The Redskins are well stocked on both sides of the trenches and have some intriguing young pieces in the form of wide receiver Terry McLaurin and cornerback Jimmy Moreland.
However, Washington is in need of more weapons for Dwayne Haskins. Beyond Moreland, corner is also an area of concern, while additional talent off the edge to supplement interior rushers Da’Ron Payne, Matt Ioannidis and Jonathan Allen would be a significant boost to the defense.
It remains to be seen whether the Redskins will push to re-sign three-time Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, but the releases of Norman, Richardson and Reed provide them with more ammunition to potentially do so.
On the downswing of his career at 32 years old, Norman was unlikely to be a part of Washington’s long-term plans. Reed should probably look towards retirement given the number of concussions he has suffered, and Richardson’s continued presence on the team could have taken snaps away from promising receivers such as Kelvin Harmon and Trey Quinn.
Rivera has swiftly recognized they would have little role to play on a team seeking to build around the young talent on the roster. Adrian Peterson and Ryan Kerrigan can still provide the necessary veteran experience and, in making the swift and astute decision to cut Norman, Richardson, and Reed, Rivera has afforded Washington more financial wiggle room in a crucial first offseason at the helm.
The road back to prominence will be a long and arduous one for a Redskins team that finished a dismal 2019 season with a 3-13 record. However, through these early decisions, Rivera has provided evidence he is the right man to lead them back to relevance.