While Washington may have selected a pair of seventh-round edge-rushers, they still lack reliable depth behind Chase Young and Montez Sweat. Thanks to the shallow depth chart, plenty of pundits have wondered whether Ryan Kerrigan would re-sign with the team. When asked about the chances of signing the franchise sack leader, GM Martin Mayhew refused to explicitly mention anyone by name. However, he did hint that the team could look to add a veteran in the coming weeks.
“There will be guys who are released, and we’ll keep an eye out for guys on the streets,” Mayhew said, via NBC Sports Washington. “We’ll probably have some try-out guys during our minicamps. We definitely plan to upgrade that position through the offseason.”
Kerrigan would be a natural fit for the role; he already served as a backup in 2020, so it’s not like the fan favorite would put up a stink about not starting. Despite starting only one game last season, the 32-year-old still had a productive season, finishing with 5.5 sacks and six QB hits. It’s obviously been a while since Kerrigan was a Pro Bowl-caliber player, but his pass-rushing prowess and versatility would still be an asset to any defense.
Of course, Mayhew doesn’t have any true connection to Kerrigan, so it wouldn’t be a shock if he looks elsewhere for reinforcement. The GM also seemed to be a fan of his two late-round picks, Baylor’s William Bradley-King and Penn State’s Shaka Toney.
“We drafted these guys with the idea that these guys can contribute this year,” Mayhew said.
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