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With a war chest of salary cap room, the Redskins were supposed to spend their way out of the NFC East cellar. Instead, it was a collection of sensible moves with few wow moments.
Meanwhile, Washington made a series of commonsense moves.
Re-signing inside linebacker Jon Bostic was doable given others on the market weren't any better and more costly. A two-year, $5 million deal is cheap overall for a steady tackler.
Signing Atlanta guard Wes Schweitzer was a touch surprising since Wes Martin played well in relief of an injured Scherff last season. Schweitzer-Martin may be a camp battle for the left side while the signing gives Washington needed depth.
Adding outside linebacker Thomas Davis at 37 years old seems like a Monte Coleman move. The latter was a steady locker room influence for the Redskins in the 1990s as a reserve and Davis may do the same after playing for coach Ron Rivera for eight years. That Washington doesn't know whether Reuben Foster will return after a 2019 offseason injury makes Davis valuable insurance.
The Redskins signing journeyman outside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis to a one-year deal was just bargain hunting. This will be Louis' fifth team in six years and every NFL team has someone who offers experience as a reserve.
Washington grabbed Pittsburgh free safety Sean Davis for depth. Davis started 40 games over his first three seasons before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the 2019 opener. Davis signed a show-me one-year deal that limits the Redskins' risk if not healthy.
Overall, it wasn't the big start hoped under new coach Ron Rivera, but then he's better known for a steady approach rather than quick-fix deals.