Randle El, Carter Restructure Contracts

The Washington Redskins are a team that needs improvement in several areas to win in the beast that is its division. Being more than $5 million over the salary cap most certainly wouldn't leave them much flexibility this offseason, so some cuts or contract restructuring is necessary.

Defensive end Andre Carter and wide receiver Antwaan Randle El have done their part, agreeing to contract extensions which are essentially pay cuts. Each player had a deal set to expire after 2012, but each will now run through 2015.

Carter's new deal saves the team about $2.4 million in 2009, and lowers his case salary from $2 million to $1.5 million. Randle El's new deal saves $2 million in cap space for next season, and lowers his base salary from $4 million to $1.5 million according to sources.

The Redskins still have work to do before Feb. 27th, but they do have a few players -- like Jason Taylor, for one -- who could easily be released.

The moves from Carter and Randle El could be construed as selfless, but in the NFL there is always the threat of being cut. I still like, though, the idea of a high-paid athlete taking less money -- especially when it's a person the caliber of Randle El -- so I'll look at the glass-half-full side and commend the two players for putting team ahead of individual (especially in a division housing the Cowboys).

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-12-2009 @ 7:07PM

dukepride05 said...

Wow, read this article again. Your grammar is AWFUL. How are you a writer?

2-13-2009 @ 1:13AM

Todd said...

Wow, read your comment again. Who gives a crap about the grammar right now?

2-12-2009 @ 10:29PM

Adam said...

The caliber of Randle El? You know, he's not very good. He's a 3rd WR playing 2nd, and is just terrible at punt returns. He had to restructure to save his job, and he barely deserves it as it is. If the Redskins had any confidence in last year's rookies, he'd be gone, along with James Thrash. Unfortunately, the rookies were typical of Redskins draft picks and underperformed, so ARE better thank them for his job.

Carter is adequate, but needs some help on the rest of the line, and Jason Taylor is too expensive to keep. I wouldn't have been upset if ARE and Carter were cut, along with a number of other players.

2-13-2009 @ 12:03AM

Matt Snyder said...

I said "person the caliber," because I know from personal experience that Twaan is a great guy off the field. That statement wasn't meant to discuss his on-field talent.

2-12-2009 @ 11:03PM

showtimejc88 said...

^^^ Just adding to what Adam said...

Yeah, Randle El is a slot receiver playing 2nd string. You see this kind of thing all the time. Its tough to find a good quality #2 guy. There could be worse, but personally I would rather let Devin Thomas play 2nd string, let him develop, and Randle El would flourish at his natural slot position. Mix in Malcom Kelly and you've got a pretty tight receiving corp (and its time to stop throwing the ball to James Thrash)

2-12-2009 @ 11:35PM

Zorin said...

I agree about Thrash. I never liked the Randel El pick up to begin with. Nice guy, but we got taken on that move.

I agree with using Malcom Kelly (6'4? 219) and Devin Thomas (6'2? 218) Nice, big bodies for JC to throw to, both short and long situations.

2-12-2009 @ 11:46PM

gland68 said...

if you are looking at it as the high paid player graciously taking less money the glass should be half full. kudos to dukepride05.

2-13-2009 @ 12:02AM

Yeah, I fixed that oversight. Thanks.

I'm not really sure how that qualifies as "grammar," though.

2-13-2009 @ 9:15AM

Philip Recchia said...

I could easily see randle el playing a awesome slot receiver,, I've thinking that for awhile. He could come close to "wes Welker" for the Patriots.. He's got the quick feet and moves. I really like and agree with everything that "Showtime" said.. Devin Thomas will prolly step up this yr and if so we'll have some nice recievers.. Now that I think about it though.. With us running the west coast offense that doesn't leave too much room for a slot WR??

2-13-2009 @ 1:01AM

Randle El seems like a stand up guy from what I've seen and I'm sure he's a great teammate, but professional athletes never do anything unless they personally benefit. Randle El was a $6.1 million hit to the cap (which, in 2009, will be more than Clinton Portis and just half a million less than Santana Moss), and if he wasn't willing to restructure, he'd probably be gone. Maybe he could have signed somewhere else, or maybe these guys saw the price of job security, and accepted it.

2-13-2009 @ 1:02AM

That was meant to be a reply to Snyder. Damn my poor clicking.

2-13-2009 @ 11:48AM

Scally said...

The reason why those guys are getting paid that much money is because they done something that warren the coaches and owners to offer them that type of salary.
So, for you to mouth off like that, it only shows how much you know about the issue. And that is not much.

2-13-2009 @ 5:25PM

I beg to differ. What has Randle El done? About 1600 yards, 8 TDs, 136 rec in 3 seasons with the Skins. Some guys get close to that in one season. That's just average for a 2nd WR (probably below average), and is easily replaceable. Plus, he's close to last in punt returns.

Carter had a good year last year, and just average, 4 sacks, this past season. Average players should get average money.

Big contracts-- any contract, really-- should be about future potential, not what they did in the past. I don't see much coming from a lot of guys on the roster. Their performance could be replaced by cheaper FAs and draft picks, and would have a better likelihood of improving over the years.

2-15-2009 @ 6:59PM

drive97explorer said...

Okay so you all are rght on the fact that Matt Snyder is a horrible writer and ha no friends haha jk.. and the whole Randel El deal, but the problem starts and allways ends with the quarter back. In this case its Jason. Jasn has a grat deep ball of course but he also has horrible quarterbcack fundamentals. his release of the ball is so slow, his foot work is Hidious. Their is no way Jason Campbell can take the skins back to the glory land and e a sucessful team. I think we nead to start from the round up and put colt in and see what he can do with the ball. If colt isn't in the huddle in the next three season, he's just going to end up like another Todd Collins and be the mistery 3rd string quarterback, But as I allwas say "Change" is hear in washington hahahahahaha McCain 2012