11:38AM Wednesday
February 27, 2013

The salary cap space the Redskins don't have will force them to cut corners and make difficult decisions, and it could cost them one of their more versatile and popular players.

Pending unrestricted free agent linebacker Lorenzo Alexander told John Keim of the Washington Examiner that the Redskins initial offer was "not close."

Alexander's a Pro Bowler on special teams, and a versatile reserve on defense. That's exactly the kind of player that might become a luxury for a team dealing without a full deck.

"They offered me a deal but obviously at this point I'm not going to jump into it and sign right away," Alexander said. "There's a lot of stuff going on. At this point we'll play the waiting game and be patient and see what's the best thing to do for myself and my family. Hopefully that's with the Redskins. I don't expect them to outbid anybody but from what I've done and sacrificed and what I've earned on the field, obviously that's going to bring a certain dollar amount. There will be interest from other teams. But you really know when free agency starts what your value is.

"I'm willing to take less for the Redskins, but they have to be close. They can't be way off."

They can't get into bidding wars, because they've been docked $18 million worth of cap space by the league, though they're rattling sabers in hopes of getting some relief.