Quinton Dunbar's future with the Washington Redskins is up in the air, and Ron Rivera and Co. have reportedly finally made a decision on what to do with their top cornerback. According to Pro Football Talk, Washington is making Dunbar available in trade.
Dunbar started in 11 games for the Redskins in 2019 and made 37 combined tackles, eight passes defensed and four interceptions. With Josh Norman benched, Dunbar stepped up in a big way for Washington. This upcoming season is the final year of the $10.5 million deal Dunbar signed ahead of the 2018 season, and conflicting reports have surfaced about his desire for a new contract, to leave Washington or maybe both. Dunbar has been active on Twitter thanking fans for his time in Washington and saying that he is "thankful for new beginnings."
If the Redskins opt to release Dunbar, they could clear around $3.4 million in 2020 salary cap space. It's likely, however, that at least one other NFL team will be interested in acquiring his services and not want him to hit the open market. Dunbar, who turns 28 this offseason, has recorded 150 combined tackles, 35 passes defensed and nine interceptions in 58 career games. Injuries have played a major part in his career, however, as the University of Florida product has never played a full 16 games over his five seasons in the league.
Dunbar's situation appears to be much like the one former Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay recently escaped. Slay wanted both a new contract and a new team, and got both when the Lions sent him to the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this week.
As previously mentioned, Dunbar is the Redskins' best cornerback -- a position which is already considered a weakness on Washington's roster. Rivera has tried to beef up the secondary over the past week, signing former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Kendall Fuller and former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Sean Davis, but Dunbar would be a big loss.
