Washington Redskins: 5 offseason needs

The Washington Redskins are facing an offseason full of questions. What positions do they need to address to ensure that they will be back in the playoffs in 2017?

The Redskins are just one year removed from the playoffs. If they can retain Kirk Cousins, they should be just a few pieces away from making another run in the 2017 season. With the NFC East improving dramatically in 2016, and the potential to only be better in 2016, what are the positions the Redskins must hit hard to ensure that they will not slip out of the contender conversation?

5. Offensive Guard

The Redskins have a pretty strong offensive line. However, if there were one position that is worth improving, it would be left guard. Shawn Lauvao is the weakest link on the unit, he is a free agent in 2018, and would save the team $4 million in cap space by moving on from him.

With Arie Kouandjio and Spencer Long on the roster, they have the depth to move on from Lauvao and still manage at the position if they were not able to find a big hit in free agency. However, there are some options in free agency worth looking into, and the added $4 million in cap space could certainly help reel in that fish.

Kevin Zeitler is the biggest fish and appears to be out of the Bengals market for retaining him. He may end up out of the Redskins price range as well, but he could also open the door for some value in the tier below him. Ron Leary, T.J. Lang, and Chris Chester are some options who would serve as affordable upgrades in this regard.

Of course, an even more affordable option would be the draft. It would not be a first round pick, but there is certainly the possibility of finding some value in the middle rounds when it comes to the interior line. They could have a rookie come in and learn behind Lauvao for a season, or they could toss him and have him compete with Long and Kouandjio for a starting spot as well. Either way, they will likely be addressing this position before many other on offense.