
It was time for a big move like the Redskins used to make. Instead, they went conservative again.
Help is not on the way. That would have been trading a fourth-rounder for Cleveland's Josh Gordon and signing former Dallas receiver Dez Bryant, not adding a couple backups.
Want to make a bold statement of going for the playoffs that might attract some fans into FedEx Field? Take a chance. Indeed, New England obtained Gordon, and no one worries about it tarnishing their Super Bowl trophies overflowing the case.
It's nice to have role models on your roster. But this is football. It gets a little rough out there. As long as players stay away from scandal, prison and pot off the field, that’s all you need.
Teams don't often get a chance to sign a difference maker during the season. There's a reason why the players aren't on somebody's roster. But the question is, do the Redskins want to make the playoffs? Because this offense has missed downfield playmakers since Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson departed in 2017 as free agents. Former first-rounder Josh Doctson saw two potential big plays slip through his hands against Indianapolis. Paul Richardson is on the clock with a bad shoulder.
The Redskins aren't interested in somebody else's problems, though. Still, whatever happened to taking a chance, like Darryl Gardener in 2002? The troubled defensive lineman was signed in training camp and became the team's best player that season. Whatever happened to giving someone a second chance? Certainly, the Redskins have done so with others.
Instead, Washington took a safe route. Unfortunately, it's the path to another lackluster season.