London Fletcher and the Redskins couldn’t agree on a deal before free agency, leaving them vulnerable to his departure. But after nearly a week of free agency, one thing is clear: There isn’t much of a market for Fletcher. And that’s not a surprise. Before free agency, some longtime NFL personnel evaluators said there wouldn’t be much interest in Fletcher. He turns 37 soon; few teams want to pay big money to an aging linebacker. Despite his continued strong play, Fletcher can’t escape his age. How much time does he have left at a high level?
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It doesn’t help that the market for inside linebackers hasn’t been strong — with no movement.
Fletcher’s intangibles make him more valuable to Washington than anywhere else. He’s the best leader here in a long time. He understands the defense and serves as a coach on the field. He could add those traits to another team to be sure. But with Fletcher, sometimes it’s hard to appreciate what he’s about until he’s on your team.
It’s also true that Washington has no replacement for Fletcher on its roster. There are few options in free agency better than Fletcher, at least for the upcoming season. And the earliest the Redskins could pick an inside linebacker in the draft is the third round.
All along it was believed Fletcher would end up signing for around $6 million a year. It does not appear, as of now, that another team will pay him more than that amount. In the end he and the Redskins likely will find that they’re best for each other.
– John Keim
