Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Redskins have a lot of issues that they need to address on the offensive side of the ball and getting Pierre Garcon the ball should be at the top of the list. When Robert Griffin III first came into the league, it seemed like him and Garcon were going to be a lethal combo for years to come, until the addition of DeSean Jackson. That was a great addition for the Redskins, but they forgot about another good receiver they have.
The Redskins brought Garcon over from the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. The potential was there and he was one of the top free agents going into that year. The Redskins snagged him and gave him a five-year, $42.5 million contract. This deal included $13 million guaranteed and about $8.5 million of annual salary. That seems a little much looking back on it because the production has been lacking this past year, but at the time, it was well worth the money. The Redskins leading receiver at that time was Santana Moss and, let’s be real, Moss was great, but he should only be a second option at receiver, not a No. 1. His glory days were far behind him. Adding Garcon was a no-brainer and turned out to be a big upgrade from what they had.
In 2011 Garcon had 70 receptions and 947 receiving yards, with six touchdowns as a Colt. Those are great numbers for a No. 2 wide receiver. Reggie Wayne was the No. 1 option that time. Based on this year, we could assume that Garcon would thrive at being a No. 1 receiver. His first year with the Redskins was marginal, mainly because Griffin and Alfred Morris dominated the field. He still was our leading receiver in a sheltered offense. The 2013 season was his big year. He totaled over 1,300 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He touched the football around 70 times, which led the NFL. He showed that he is a tough-nosed receiver with great hands. He’s the physical receiver who the Redskins needed and finally got.
He is the guy who is going to grind for every single extra yard when he gets the ball. There is not one receiver who benefits more because of the style of play of Garcon than Jackson. Jackson is the pretty boy who makes all the sexy plays on the outside and gets most of the recognition in doing so. He should be thanking Garcon.
Yes, the Redskins should be attempting to get the ball to Garcon more to help his mental state of things, but they don’t need to just give Garcon the ball just to make him happy. It is more than that. They need a physical receiver who can go anywhere on the field and is not afraid of contact. He brings a tough, physical, bring-it attitude that the Redskins need. Every team needs this type of receiver — the receiver who will play a little bit on the dirty side, get in opposing players faces and stands up for teammates when needed. That is the type of identity the Redskins need. They don’t need the diva title who gets them in the news. They need to bring the hard-nosed mentality that Garcon has to the entire team.
Garcon is meant to be a wing-man to Jackson, and that’s perfectly fine. Everyone can come to terms with that. What people cannot come to terms with is when Andre Roberts gets touches. All his targets should be geared towards Garcon. Roberts is terrible and brings no significant help to the offense and Garcon needs to be the guy that the Redskins send over the middle. He wants the contact, so why not give it to him?
Jackson is going to need help after a fantastic year. Safeties are going to be leaning slightly to his side of the field now. The Redskins had their year to make Jackson happy and give him all the touches. That clearly did not work out for them in the end. Time to get back to spreading the ball and not to favor one receiver. The offense will be more productive when it has two weapons on the outside, not just one. A great one-two combo is in the team’s grasp and the Redskins need to take advantage of it. If they do, the NFC just might get a little more heated this coming season.
