Hours after acquiring quarterback Kyle Allen, the Washington Redskins made a second trade Monday — sending cornerback Quinton Dunbar to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
Dunbar had requested a trade last month once talks for a contract extension stalled. Over the weekend, it was reported that the Redskins were actively listening to offers from other teams about the cornerback.
The Redskins ultimately decided to move on from Dunbar rather than give him an extension, but it creates a large hole in their secondary. The 27-year-old was Washington’s best cornerback last year, grabbing a career-high four interceptions. He was also ranked as the second-best cornerback in the league, according to the advanced analytics website Pro Football Focus.
But Dunbar’s contract was set to expire after the 2020 season, and the receiver-turned-cornerback had dealt with injuries in each of the last two seasons. In 2018, he missed nine games with a nerve injury in his leg and missed the final three games of 2019 with a hamstring injury.
Dunbar joins a Seattle defense that ranked 18th in defensive DVOA (efficiency) last year. At 6-foot-2, he fits the profile of the kinds of taller cornerbacks that have thrived in Seattle’s system. The Seahawks, of course, famously built the “Legion of Boom” — spearheaded by safety Earl Thomas and cornerback Richard Sherman, two players who are no longer in Seattle.
The Redskins, meanwhile, will need to find a starter on the outside. The team signed cornerback Kendall Fuller last week, but the 25-year-old plays mostly in the slot. Washington also has Fabian Moreau, Jimmy Moreland and Greg Stroman as options to start on the outside. The team also released cornerback Josh Norman earlier this offseason.
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