The Su’a Cravens saga has come to a conclusion for the Washington Redskins.
The team traded Cravens to the Denver Broncos on Wednesday and will swap fourth and fifth round picks, while gaining an additional fifth round pick. ESPN was the first to report.
Washington will acquire the ninth pick in the fourth round, No. 109 overall, and the fifth pick in the fifth round, No. 142 overall. Denver will get the Redskins’ original picks, No. 113 and No. 149, along with Cravens.
The Redskins also received the 163rd overall pick, which originally belonged to Atlanta. They will earn another sixth-round pick in 2020 if Cravens appears in a playoff game with the Broncos.
The Redskins moved on from Cravens, a 2016 second-round draft pick, after the 22-year-old safety missed the entire 2017 season. Cravens left the team a week prior to the regular season, telling teammates he intended to retire. Redskins coach Jay Gruden said Cravens was going through personal issues.
Washington placed Cravens on the season-ending reserve/left squad list in September, shortly following reports emerged Cravens was interested in joining the team. The Redskins put Cravens on the list two weeks before the deadline.
The Broncos and the Redskins reportedly discussed a trade earlier in the month at the scouting combine, but didn’t agree to a deal. Per Pro Football Talk, the Redskins were asking for a third-round pick.
In December, Cravens’ then-agent announced his client had been cleared for resuming football activity after dealing with post-concussion syndrome. Cravens has dealt with multiple concussions playing football, dating back to college. He missed two games during his rookie year because of a concussion.
When healthy, Cravens looked promising. He played in 11 games in 2016, recording 33 tackles and a sack at inside linebacker.
Last offseason, the Redskins switched Cravens to safety, his natural position, and planned to pair him alongside free safety D.J. Swearinger. Washington struggled to fill his spot, especially once rookie Montae Nicholson missed time with injuries.
Nicholson is expected to start next season for the Redskins, who could also look to add another safety in the draft.
Cravens still has three years left on his rookie contract, meaning the Broncos acquired a player with potential on a relatively cheap deal. The Broncos, who already have a strong defense, traded cornerback Aqib Talib to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason to save $12 million in cap room.
Two years removed from a Super Bowl victory, Denver is trying to bounce back from a disappointing 5-11 record in 2017. If Cravens continues to develop, he should be able to help the Broncos.
The Redskins, meanwhile, got relatively good value for a player who didn’t play a down last year. While they didn’t meet their reported asking price, Washington was still able to move up in the draft — acquiring an extra pick in the process.
Washington now has eight picks in next month’s draft.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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