Cut Players the Skins Should Consider (and Avoid)

NFL teams are cutting down their rosters to 53 today, which means other teams may release players of use to the Skins. Here are two players the Skins should consider signing, and two others they should avoid.

Consider Signing

• Fernando Velasco (Center) - Velasco was cut by the Titans after starting all 16 games last season, and he has experience in a zone-blocking scheme. Meanwhile, the Skins have reportedly cut both their backup centers Kevin Matthew and Tevita Stevens. Sure, starting guards Lichtensteiger or Chester could play center if needed, but then the Skins would be playing backups at both the center and guard positions.

• Antoine Winfield (Cornerback) - Winfield was cut by the Seahawks, who have very good depth in the secondary.  Winfield is old by NFL standards (age 36), but he started 15 games last year for Minnesota.  Meanwhile, the Skins are thin in the secondary and will lean heavily on rookies. Winfield could provide much needed veteran depth. Unfortunately many other teams will be interested in Winfield as well. [Edit. Winfield has decided to retire.]

Avoid

• Vince Young (QB) - On the surface Young may seem like someone who shares RGIII's skill-set and could do well in the Skins read-option offense. But he's not that someone. Young's throwing accuracy is terrible, and according to an NFL personnel director he's not intelligent enough to remember let alone execute an NFL-caliber offensive scheme.  

• Tim Tebow (QB) - Again, some may view Tebow as someone who shares RGIII's skill-set.  But Tebow has terrible fundamentals, even worse passing accuracy, and has shown no improvement over his NFL career.  Two years ago I stated: "Tebow has no chance ... to be an effective QB. He is not accurate enough, his release takes too long, ... and he doesn't read NFL defenses quickly or accurately enough."  I stand behind this claim.

Interestingly, the Skins appear to be keeping 4 QBs, including Pat White, on their 53-man roster.  However, this is likely because they want to trade Pat White for a late-round draft pick.  It is unlikely the Skins will keep 4 QBs for the bulk of the season, and it is unlikely they would cut Rex Grossman since Grossman is the only QB on the roster who knows the offense well and has no recent injuries.

[Edit: Mike Jones over at the Washington Post makes the very good point that keeping Pat White on the roster this week gives the Skins a mobile, left-handed QB to practice against. It just so happens that next week in game 1 of the regular season the Skins face the Eagles, who are led by a mobile, left-handed QB named Michael Vick.]

For your convenience, here is an updated list of Skins cuts: http://espn.go.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/196/washington-redskins-cut-update