Computer updates Redskins' projected win total

The Washington Redskins haven't advanced past the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs since winning Super Bowl XXVI just over 28 years ago, and after a 3-13 season they'll begin another rebuild to start the 2020 season. Jay Gruden was fired early in the 2019 season and the Redskins have since gone on to hire Ron Rivera as their new head coach.

Rivera went 76-63-1 in nearly nine seasons as the head coach of the Panthers before being fired late last season. He led them to Super Bowl 50 back in 2016, which they eventually lost to the Denver Broncos.

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With Rivera now in Washington, many have speculated that the Redskins might be interested in acquiring Cam Newton either via trade or free agency. But Newton has been on the trading block for days and nothing has happened as of yet and the Redskins do appear to be committed to seeing what they have in former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins.

The Redskins also looked to improve their offensive line by spending nearly $19 million combined on Wes Schweitzer and Cornelius Lucas, providing added protection for Haskins and hopefully providing some push for Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice up front. Washington also spent $40 million over four years to bring cornerback Kendall Fuller back, who they drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft before trading them to the Chiefs with a third-round pick for Alex Smith during the 2018 NFL offseason.

Those additions should help the Redskins, but will it be enough to offset the loss of Ereck Flowers and the security blanket that Case Keenum provided? The Redskins still have nearly $27 million in cap space to work with and could certainly use some playmaking ability at wide receiver and more offensive line upgrades to give Haskins a fighting shot. The defense also needs more help after finishing 27th in yards and points allowed last season.

However, the draft will (and should) be their primary focus as they rebuild this roster. And according to the SportsLine Projection Model, thus far it looks like the Redskins have moved a couple of steps back in order to help them move forward. The model simulated the NFL season 10,000 times and predicts that the Redskins win 5.3 games on average and make the postseason just 3.9 percent of the time.

That's a slight drop from the 5.5 projected wins the model predicted prior to the start of free agency. Meanwhile, William Hill Sportsbook currently lists the Redskins at 200-1 to win the 2021 Super Bowl, which is tied for the longest odds in the NFL.