What Happens to Ryan Kerrigan Now?

[MKnight82]

3 minutes ago, e16bball said:

Norman is untradeable.

Kerrigan is one year removed from back-to-back 13 sack, Pro Bowl seasons. He had a rough year, but he closed with a flourish (3.5 sacks in his last 3 games). I think teams will look at the leap Preston Smith made after getting away from Manusky and figure they can still get some quality play out of Kerrigan for another couple seasons. I expect he’d fit easily into any locker room, which is another consideration that would hold significant weight with good teams especially. 

The fit with New England is obvious, he’s clearly a Belichick type addition. The Ravens may lose Judon, and even if they keep him, they need another pass-rusher. They were already sniffing around Kerrigan at the deadline apparently. The Rams may lose Fowler, and if they do, all they have is Clay Matthews. Which would be a nightmare for them. Suggs is pretty clearly going to retire after the season, which would leave KC with Frank Clark and a big bag of mediocrity as pass-rushers as they try to strike during the Mahomes rookie contract. Houston would be another option, they now have a gaping hole across from Mercilus where Clowney used to be — and they’re last among playoff teams in sacks. Even Chicago, they had to watch Mack get double and triple-teamed all season because Leonard Floyd can’t threaten QBs from the other OLB spot. If they’re looking to get back to elite defensive status, they need another pass-rusher too.

Anyway, you can name pretty much any team that has aspirations of competing but doesn’t have multiple quality pass-rushers. They’d all be interested in Kerrigan, I’d think.

And I don’t think the contract is that bad. It’s definitely pricey, but it’s only a one-year commitment. Plus, given his age and his “expiring contract” status, he’d be an obvious candidate for a team-friendly extension to spread out the cap hit.

But why are we dumping him for a 3rd, when we could wait a year, he can break the sack record, and we will likely get a 3rd or 4th round comp pick when he leaves anyway?

[e16bball]

4 minutes ago, turtle28 said:

And Josh Bynes is when he's not playing behind 700 pounds of defensive tackle? 

Perhaps not. Just brainstorming ideas. Like I said, I don’t have many great ideas for SLB, and I suspect it ends up being Ryan Anderson for the 2020 season. 

[e16bball]

12 minutes ago, MKnight82 said:

But why are we dumping him for a 3rd, when we could wait a year, he can break the sack record, and we will likely get a 3rd or 4th round comp pick when he leaves anyway?

Because we need that pick now, and not a possible comp pick in 2022. 

I’m not sure we can count on him bringing back even a 4th round comp pick when he does leave. Even if we lost more FAs than we signed next offseason, and thus qualified for comp picks, he’d have to sign somewhere for at least $8-9M AAV just to get a 4th — and is that really likely at age 33, coming off a season where he transitioned to a new defense and played somewhat sparingly as a rotational pass-rusher behind two younger guys? I just can’t see it. 

You were dead on with the Cousins thing: if you’re not keeping him long-term, trade him before you lose him for (basically) nothing. That same logic applies to Kerrigan, too. We’re not keeping him long-term, Young and Sweat are the future on the edge here, so it’s time to get what we can while we still can. 

Now, if the best we can do is a 5th or 6th, okay, screw it. Keep the guy. I’m not necessarily trying to just give him away or do a salary dump. But I think we could get something of value. 

[Woz]

20 minutes ago, MKnight82 said:

But why are we dumping him for a 3rd, when we could wait a year, he can break the sack record, and we will likely get a 3rd or 4th round comp pick when he leaves anyway?

Comp pick would be at the end of 2022 3rd as opposed to being in the middle of the 2021 3rd? As nice as it would be for Kerrigan to get the team sack record, wouldn't it also be nice for him to have a shot at playing on a legitimate playoff contender for once in his career?

[MKnight82]

3 minutes ago, e16bball said:

Because we need that pick now, and not a possible comp pick in 2022. 

I’m not sure we can count on him bringing back even a 4th round comp pick when he does leave. Even if we lost more FAs than we signed next offseason, and thus qualified for comp picks, he’d have to sign somewhere for at least $8-9M AAV just to get a 4th — and is that really likely at age 33, coming off a season where he transitioned to a new defense and played somewhat sparingly as a rotational pass-rusher behind two younger guys? I just can’t see it. 

You were dead on with the Cousins thing: if you’re not keeping him long-term, trade him before you lose him for (basically) nothing. That same logic applies to Kerrigan, too. We’re not keeping him long-term, Young and Sweat are the future on the edge here, so it’s time to get what we can while we still can. 

Now, if the best we can do is a 5th or 6th, okay, screw it. Keep the guy. I’m not necessarily trying to just give him away or do a salary dump. But I think we could get something of value. 

Cousins was different though, you can only play one QB on the field at a time.  I’m just not sold on dumping a potential 10 sack guy for a 3rd round pick regardless of his age.

[MKnight82]

For me it would have to be a 2nd round pick, a 3rd isn’t enough.

[MikeT14]

6 hours ago, MKnight82 said:

For me it would have to be a 2nd round pick, a 3rd isn’t enough.

Would you do something like swap our 3rd for their 2nd, and get a 4th? Granted the 3rd to 2nd would probably be like .... 10 spots? 15?

[Woz]

On 12/31/2019 at 1:53 AM, MKnight82 said:

For me it would have to be a 2nd round pick, a 3rd isn’t enough.

Personally, I am with MK on this one. As we have seen from this year, not every edge rusher comes in and dominates as a plug in replacement. It takes time. Unless Kerrigan is absolutely get blown out by Young and Sweat, I would hang onto him for 2020 and let him walk after next season when his contract expires.

That being said, if the right deal comes calling (as much as I hate to say it, New England makes a ton of sense), I wouldn't hang on to him just out of nostalgia. For the record, it would take more than a 2nd from the Patriots given that they are almost assuredly going to have the pick at the bottom of the second. I personally would also try to move him to a place where it would be a good fit (not just going to send him to Las Vegas (that feels so weird to type)).

[MikeT14]

44 minutes ago, Woz said:

Personally, I am with MK on this one. As we have seen from this year, not every edge rusher comes in and dominates as a plug in replacement. It takes time. Unless Kerrigan is absolutely get blown out by Young and Sweat, I would hang onto him for 2020 and let him walk after next season when his contract expires.

That being said, if the right deal comes calling (as much as I hate to say it, New England makes a ton of sense), I wouldn't hang on to him just out of nostalgia. For the record, it would take more than a 2nd from the Patriots given that they are almost assuredly going to have the pick at the bottom of the second. I personally would also try to move him to a place where it would be a good fit (not just going to send him to Las Vegas (that feels so weird to type)).

 

On 12/31/2019 at 8:09 AM, MikeT14 said:

Would you do something like swap our 3rd for their 2nd, and get a 4th? Granted the 3rd to 2nd would probably be like .... 10 spots? 15?

For example, the Jets 3rd is worth 195 (pick 79), and my math says the difference oh that swap would be 234 points (Pick 48 and 110 for Kerrigan and 66) . Another example would be Pittsburgh (who doesn't have a 4th right now), swap of 49 & 101 for 66 and Kerrigan (difference of 246 or roughly the 70th pick).

[LoganF89]

Sorry to tell you guys but Kerrigan isn’t gonna fetch a 2nd, at his age he may not even fetch a 3rd

[Woz]

1 hour ago, MikeT14 said:

For example, the Jets 3rd is worth 195 (pick 79), and my math says the difference oh that swap would be 234 points (Pick 48 and 110 for Kerrigan and 66) . Another example would be Pittsburgh (who doesn't have a 4th right now), swap of 49 & 101 for 66 and Kerrigan (difference of 246 or roughly the 70th pick).

I might consider this the day of, if someone I was really in was dropping. However, it would have to be a real good need/value proposition (a 20-something best prospect at ILB or TE if he fell into the high 40s/low 50s?).

However, I wouldn't make the deal before the draft started.

[e16bball]

If Kerrigan wasn’t here, and someone came in suggesting that we should trade a late 2nd or 3rd for Justin Houston or Clay Matthews, they’d be laughed right out of here. People would instantly point out that those guys are aging, declining, expensive, not a great scheme fit, and destined to back up our two potential young stars in Young and Sweat.

And they’d be right. That would make no sense. Why would we, a currently non-competitive team with hopes of competing in a couple years, be interested in a guy in the twilight of his career who would simply clog up our salary cap and play sparingly as a reserve? And more importantly, why would we choose that over a Day 2 draft pick that could easily become a valuable long-term contributor to a competitive Redskins team? It’s a no-brainer to choose the pick over the player.

But because it’s our aging, declining, expensive reserve LB/DE, that no-brainer is becoming a no-go. And I’m about as sentimental as they come, but for the life of me, I can’t wrap my head around it.

We’re not talking about a release or a straight salary dump here, we’re talking about a really valuable draft pick. A late 2nd (the last time we used one was on Derrius Guice) or a 3rd (the last time we used one was on Terry McLaurin) could bring us a franchise cornerstone, or at least a quality contributor, during Haskins’s prime. Keeping Kerrigan allows us to watch him play 300 snaps as an undersized 4-3 DE on a bad team next season, and then leave in FA with the faint hope that we might possibly get a decent comp pick for him in the 2022 draft. To me, it’s not even close. If I got one of those offers, I would snap it up so quickly your head would spin. 

[Thaiphoon]

27 minutes ago, e16bball said:

If Kerrigan wasn’t here, and someone came in suggesting that we should trade a late 2nd or 3rd for Justin Houston or Clay Matthews, they’d be laughed right out of here. People would instantly point out that those guys are aging, declining, expensive, not a great scheme fit, and destined to back up our two potential young stars in Young and Sweat.

And they’d be right. That would make no sense. Why would we, a currently non-competitive team with hopes of competing in a couple years, be interested in a guy in the twilight of his career who would simply clog up our salary cap and play sparingly as a reserve? And more importantly, why would we choose that over a Day 2 draft pick that could easily become a valuable long-term contributor to a competitive Redskins team? It’s a no-brainer to choose the pick over the player.

But because it’s our aging, declining, expensive reserve LB/DE, that no-brainer is becoming a no-go. And I’m about as sentimental as they come, but for the life of me, I can’t wrap my head around it.

We’re not talking about a release or a straight salary dump here, we’re talking about a really valuable draft pick. A late 2nd (the last time we used one was on Derrius Guice) or a 3rd (the last time we used one was on Terry McLaurin) could bring us a franchise cornerstone, or at least a quality contributor, during Haskins’s prime. Keeping Kerrigan allows us to watch him play 300 snaps as an undersized 4-3 DE on a bad team next season, and then leave in FA with the faint hope that we might possibly get a decent comp pick for him in the 2022 draft. To me, it’s not even close. If I got one of those offers, I would snap it up so quickly your head would spin. 

Agreed! And I love Kerrigan as much as anyone else (only have his jersey now of all the active players)

[Doc Draper]

I have a different opinion and expectation ( surprise lol)

if I’m Rivera I keep Kerrigan for some of the reasons stated- we don’t get much trading him, he’s a leader by example... and put him as starting strong side DE, the position he should have been playing his whole career with his hand in the dirt and never dropping into pass coverage. . He brings value in veteran leadership and hard work, can we get him to take less money? Probably, and I’d try as long as Total guaranteed money is not increased 

Edited January 3, 2020 by Doc Draper

[naptownskinsfan]

2 hours ago, e16bball said:

If Kerrigan wasn’t here, and someone came in suggesting that we should trade a late 2nd or 3rd for Justin Houston or Clay Matthews, they’d be laughed right out of here. People would instantly point out that those guys are aging, declining, expensive, not a great scheme fit, and destined to back up our two potential young stars in Young and Sweat.

And they’d be right. That would make no sense. Why would we, a currently non-competitive team with hopes of competing in a couple years, be interested in a guy in the twilight of his career who would simply clog up our salary cap and play sparingly as a reserve? And more importantly, why would we choose that over a Day 2 draft pick that could easily become a valuable long-term contributor to a competitive Redskins team? It’s a no-brainer to choose the pick over the player.

But because it’s our aging, declining, expensive reserve LB/DE, that no-brainer is becoming a no-go. And I’m about as sentimental as they come, but for the life of me, I can’t wrap my head around it.

We’re not talking about a release or a straight salary dump here, we’re talking about a really valuable draft pick. A late 2nd (the last time we used one was on Derrius Guice) or a 3rd (the last time we used one was on Terry McLaurin) could bring us a franchise cornerstone, or at least a quality contributor, during Haskins’s prime. Keeping Kerrigan allows us to watch him play 300 snaps as an undersized 4-3 DE on a bad team next season, and then leave in FA with the faint hope that we might possibly get a decent comp pick for him in the 2022 draft. To me, it’s not even close. If I got one of those offers, I would snap it up so quickly your head would spin. 

I am sentimental towards our guys as well, and that's why I want them to trade Kerrigan.  Let's give him a chance to chase a ring for once.  Great post.