NFC East Overview II: The Washington Redskins

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Hi again, y'all. Here is my NFC East Overview, Part II: The Washington Redskins Edition. Unlike the Eagles overview, which was compiled prior to any preseason games, this edition comes to you following the Final 53 cut down. I hope to have the Part III, the Dallas Cowboys, ready by mid-next week. That edition will also serve as a scouting report for Sunday night's Giants/Cowboys game.

Washington Redskins: Intro

Jay Gruden is entering his fourth year as Redskins head coach. Owner Danny Boy Snyder is apparently happy with Gruden, having signed him to a two year contract extension last March 04. Gruden, who is highly respected as an offensive intellect, was OC for his brother Jon's Tampa offense 2002-2008. He was also OC under Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati 2011-2013. The Redskins did change offensive coordinators this off-season. Former OC Sean McVay left to become head coach of the Rams. McVay was replaced by quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh. On the defensive side, former DC Joe Barry, perhaps a bit unfairly, was fired. Barry was replaced by LB coach Greg Manusky, who has extensive experience as an NFL defensive coordinator.

Gruden arrived in Washington in 2014. He inherited a quarterback mess left by his predecessor, Mike Shanahan. The 2014 Redskins had Robert Griffen III, Colt McCoy, and Kirk Cousins all split time as the starting quarterback. Cousins emerged as the best of the three, logging 43% of the snaps. Ultimately, the Redskins floundered through a 4-12 season (which was a one game improvement over Shanahan's 3-13 finale.) In 2015, Gruden settled on Cousins as his starting quarterback. Colt McCoy was moved to permanent #2 back up while RG III played out the final year of his contract as the scout team quarterback. The Redskins responded to win the NFC East title with a 9-7 record. They lost in the playoffs to Packers, 35-18.

The 2016 Redskins came close to returning to playoffs. In fact, if not for a rather odd Week 8 27-27 London-based tie with the Bengals, the Redskins would have qualified as the final wildcard. That said, the Redskins were still in the running for the final wildcard right into their final game; a 19-10 loss to the Giants sealed their elimination.

All this said, 2016 showed some chinks in the Redskin armor. Prior to the season, the Redskin front office was unable to reach a long-term contract with free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins.  The Redskins ultimately slapped the franchise tag on Cousins, resulting a one year, $20 million cap hit on the QB. These monies were in addition to the $1.8 million paid to Colt McCoy and $484K to 3rd string back up Nate Sudfeld. In fact, the 2016 Redskins were worst in the league in salary cap ratio (#1 on offense, #31 on defense). Keep in mind that the miniscule monies spent on defense included contracts for Pro Bowlers Josh Norman and Ryan Kerrigan. With so little cap expended elsewhere on D, the Redskins defense suffered a dearth of talent across the board. This was particularly true in regards to the secondary. In the end, the Redskins finished the year 28th in the league in defensive yardage (although a bit more respectable #19 in points allowed.) 

The salary cap issue came to a head this past off-season. After once again botching the Cousins Contract Issue, the Redskins re-applied the franchise tag to Kirk, costing them $24 million for his services in 2017. If you couple this with the $3.6 million due McCoy, Washington has $27.6 million, or about 16% of their total cap, tied up at the quarterback position. This situation left them with much too little money with which retain their excellent wide receiver pairing of Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon. Jackson was signed by Tampa Bay; Garcon by the 49ers. To help fill this void, the Redskins signed former Brown Terrell Pryor to a one year deal. They also signed the highly disappointing ex-Ram WR Brian Quick. Another loss to the offense is longtime center/guard Kory Lichtensteiger, who retired this offseason. On the defensive side, OLB/DE Trent Murphy suffered a torn ACL in PS Game 1 against Baltimore and will most likely miss the entire season. The Redskins also lost DEs Chris Baker (Tampa Bay) and Ricky Jean-Francois (Green Bay) to free agency. Noted defensive signings are linebackers Zach Brown (Buffalo) and Chris Carter, DTs Terrell McClain (Dallas) and Stacy McGee (Oakland), and safety DJ Swearinger (Texans).


Washington Offense

2017 will be Jay Gruden's first season in Washington without Sean McVay as his offensive coordinator. Matt Cavanaugh, the former quarterbacks coach, is the new OC. Cavanaugh has previous experience as an OC, both in Chicago (1997-1998) and in Baltimore (1999-2004). Upon McVay's departure, Gruden announced that he henceforth he would be more actively involved in the offensive play calling. Sound familiar? Still, by all accounts, Gruden and Cavanaugh work well together, so I would expect a smooth transition.

The Redskins offense is Jay Gruden's offense. A version of the WCO, it contains (by my observations) elements of the 1980s Joe Gibbs Redskins and the Giants offense under Kevin Gilbride. Per Gruden himself, "We have a base philosophy on offense. Trying to get everybody involved, short passing game, receivers doing a lot of the work after the catch, the good hard play-action, taking some shots down the field, being very diverse in what we do." Gruden likes a balanced attack, with about a 2/3 ratio of run/pass. The Redskins' offense is a yardage eater: in 2016, they finished 3rd in the NFL in total yardage and 8th in first downs. That said, it is not a ball control offense; at 30:04, its TOP ranked 21st in the league.

The Redskins run 12 personnel about 35% of the plays; 11 personnel about 65%. On occasion, they may even run out 13 personnel. The Redskins pretty much never run zero or two backs out of the backfield; they do not carry a fullback on the roster. At times, they will line up a tight end in the backfield, but, generally, their 12 package features both tight ends utilized up on the line as receivers, sometimes with either player lined up with a hand in the dirt off the outside shoulder of the tackle. In fact, I have witnessed the Redskins in a perfectly balanced formation, with tight ends up tight on either side of the LOS, a wing back off the outside shoulder of each TE, a single back aligned in an I formation behind the quarterback, and the QB under center. 

The Redskin offense is decidedly a "big play" offense. In 2016, the Redskins were 2nd in the NFL with 70 completions of 20 plus yards (one behind New Orleans) and were tied for 4th in completions of 40 plus yards with 13. They were 2nd in the NFL in passing yardage at 297.4/game; their 8.2 passing Y/A was also the league's 2nd best. The Redskins run a variety of pass plays: in cuts, seam patterns, bubble screens, deep go patterns and out cuts. Gruden definitely does like to like to spread the ball around. In 2016, six different players caught at least 44 passes.

As stated, Gruden prefers a balanced offense with a 2/3 split of run plays/pass plays. To maintain this average requires an efficient running game. That the Redskins do have. Although they were 21st in the league with 106.0 RYG, they maintained an average of 4.5 Y/C (9th in the NFL) while finishing 6th in rushing touchdowns with 16. The big play potential of the offense translates into the running game: in 2016, the Redskins had 10 running plays of 20 plus yards (12th) and four plays of 40 plus yards (tied for 2nd). And Gruden definitely likes to get the running backs involved in the passing game: in 2016, Redskin backs caught 70 passes on 89 targets (a 79% completion rate) for 502 yards, 7.2 Y/C, and three touchdowns. The Redskins run a variety of patterns out of the backfield, including screen passes and flares out into the flat. One of their favorite plays is a wheel route run by the back out of the backfield and down the sideline.

Offensive Line

The 2016 Redskins had one of the better two-way offensive lines in the NFL. The line gave up only 23 sacks, 4th best in the league, while run blocking to the tune of 4.5 yard/carry (9th best). In addition, the Washington offense, given its varying array of screen passes and misdirection plays, demands a multitude of responsibilities from the offensive line. From what I witnessed this preseason, the 2017 edition is struggling a bit across the board. I suspect that it might be hard-pressed to repeat its 2016 performance.

Trent Williams is one of the better left tackles in the NFL. The #4 overall pick out of Oklahoma in the 2010 draft, the 6'5", 320 lbs Williams is a five time Pro Bowler and two time All Pro. Now entering his eighth season, the 29 year old Williams is in the prime of his career. He did serve a four game suspension in 2016 for PED use.

Left guard Shawn Lauvao was a 3rd round pick of the Browns in 2010. He was signed by the Redskins as a UFA in 2014. A fine player, the 6'3", 308 lb Lauvao did miss two games in 2016 due to injury but started the other 14. The 29 year old Lauvao is entering his eighth season. Although not a Pro Bowler, his play is of that caliber.     

Brandon Scherff is the Redskins' right guard. Scherff was the #5 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Coming out of Iowa, the 6'5", 319 lb Scherff was drafted as a tackle but was moved by the Redskins to right guard. He responded well to the switch, making the All-Rookie Team in 2015 and the Pro Bowl in 2016.

Right tackle Morgan Moses was a 3rd round pick of the Redskins in 2014. A pleasant surprise, Moses could not be supplanted by Scherff for the right tackle spot, necessitating Scherff's move to RG. A big man (6'6", 335 lbs), the Virginia alum is another fine player. He signed a contract extension last April.

With the retirement of Kory Lichtensteiger, Spenser Long is the new designated starting center. Problem is, Long had a knee scoped a few weeks back and will most likely miss Week 1 against the Eagles. A longer term injury to Long could seriously affect the line as his back up is untested rookie Chase Roullier. The 26 year old Long, a big center at 6'5", 318, is entering his 4th year in the league. He was a 3rd round pick of the Redskins in 2014.

Back up center Chase Roullier is a rookie 6th round pick out of Wyoming. The 6'4", 317 lb Roullier is a smart kid who majored in Mechanical Engineering. He was the 1st Team All Mountain West Conference Center as a senior. Still, a September 10th opening day start against the Eagles' fierce defensive front will be, to say the least, a daunting test.

Ty Nseke is Washington's swing tackle. Although only in his 3rd NFL season, Nseke is already 31 years old. He filled in credibly last season at left tackle during Trent Williams' suspension. Nseke, a very big man (6'6", 338), played his college ball at Texas State.

Tyler Catalina is a rookie UDFA. Collegiately, he played three years at Rhode Island before a one year stint at Georgia. He beat out fellow rookie Kyle Kalis and 3rd year vet Arie Kouandjio for the final O line spot. Catalina is a big, strong kid (6'6", 325) but still a bit of a raw talent. Catalina, a four year starter in college, played right tackle as a freshman before converting over to LT. The Redskins moved him to guard, where he has looked good this preseason. Catalina's versatility was the deciding factor in his making the final cut.   

Running Back

Robert "Fat Rob" Kelley is a bowling ball style runner with a big upside and an even bigger backside. Last year, as an undrafted rookie, the 6'0" 233 lb Kelley managed to supplant former first teamer Matt Jones as the backfield's heavy lifter. He rushed for 704 yards on 168 carries (4.2 T/C), six touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also caught 12 passes on 18 targets for 82 yards (6.8 Y/C) and one touchdown. The 24 year old Kelley played his college ball at Tulane.

Chris Thompson is the Redskins' change of pace back. A 2013 5th round pick out of Florida State, the diminutive (5'8", 191 lb) Thompson has developed into a fine player. In 2016, he ran for 356 yards on 68 carries (5.2 Y/C), three touchdowns, but two fumbles. He also caught 49 passes on 62 targets for 249 yards (7.1 Y/C) and two touchdowns. The 26 year old Thompson is entering his 4th season with the Redskins.

Mac Brown was signed as a UDFA by the Texans in 2015. Brown never played for the Texans and was signed by the Redskins in 2016. He was used sparingly by the Redskins, running for 82 yards on 8 carries (10.2 Y/C) and one touchdown. He played in college at Florida.

Samaje Perine is a 21 year old 4th round rookie out of Oklahoma. Perine (pronounced PEE-rine) is the all-time leading rusher at Oklahoma (4,122 yards) despite coming out as a junior AND splitting time with Joe Mixon. At 5'11", 236 lbs, Perine has the low-to-the-ground road-grader physique that Jay Gruden seems to like out of his running backs.

Wide Receiver

The Redskins offense took a huge hit this off-season when they lost wide receivers Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon to free agency. To partially offset this loss, they signed former Cleveland Brown Terrelle Pryor to a one year, $6 million contract. Pryor, who was the nation's highest rated recruit coming out of high school, was a quarterback at Ohio State. Drafted by the Raiders in the 3rd round of the 2011 draft, he originally played QB in Oakland before converting to wide out in Cleveland. In 2016, Pryor caught 77 passes on 140 targets for 1007 yards (13.1 Y/C) and four touchdowns. At 6'4", 228 lbs, the 28 year old Pryor is a big physical receiver who is an obvious stud athlete. Still, his late career conversion to receiver bundled with a lousy catch/target ratio resulted in a mediocre one year "show me" contract with the Redskins. He was quite spotty in his play with Kirk Cousins this preseason, catching only two passes for 28 yards. The Redskins need him to big-time to step up his play if they are to even approach their offensive success of 2016. I am not so sure it is going to happen.

Jamison Crowder is a 24 year old third year player out of Duke. He was a 3rd round pick in 2015. A textbook slot style receiver, the 5'9" 177 lb Crowder excels in short slant routes, bubble screens and the like but also has the ability to burn a secondary deep. In 2016, Crowder caught 67 passes on 99 targets for 847 yards (12.6 Y/C) and seven touchdowns. He is also a terrific punt returner; in 2016, he averaged 12.1 Y/R on 27 punts, including an 85 yard touchdown return in a win against Baltimore. There is no question that Crowder was terrific in 2016 as a #3 receiver. Can he repeat this success without Jackson and Garcon? That will be tough.

The Redskins had high hopes for Josh Docson when they selected the former TCU star with the #22 overall pick in the 2016 draft. Unfortunately for Washington, he was lost for the year in Week 2 against Dallas. The 6'2", 208 lb Docson caught only two passes total. He was hurt most of this preseason, catching only one pass. One wonders if Docson will be for the Redskins what Thomas Lewis once was for the Giants: a never healthy 1st round bust.

Ryan Grant was the Redskins #4 wide receiver in 2016. In 2017, he may move up a notch. The Redskins hope that Grant, a supposed favorite of Jay Gruden, can improve upon his 2016 minimal production of 9 catches on 19 targets, 76 yards (8.4 Y/C), and zero touchdowns. The 26 year old 4th year player is 6'0", 206 lbs. He was drafted out of Tulane in the 5th round of the 2014 draft.

The Redskins signed Brian Quick this off-season as an UFA. Selected by the Rams in the 2nd round (#33 overall) of the 2012 draft, Quick never really developed into anything other than an average-to-mediocre receiver. Quick had his best season in 2016, catching 41 passes on 77 targets for 564 yards (13.8 Y/C) and three touchdowns. Now 28, the six year veteran out of Appalachian State is in danger of washing out of the NFL. At 6'3", 218 lbs, Quick certainly has the tools. Problem is, does he now, or has he ever, have the desire?

Tight End

Jordan Reed is terrifically talented tight end. Big and strong, he runs great routes, has terrific hands, and is willing and capable of catching the ball in traffic.  In 2016, the 5th year player out of Florida made his first Pro Bowl while catching 66 passes on 89 targets for 686 yards (10.4 Y/C) and six touchdowns. Reed had an even better year in 2015: 87 catches on 114 targets for 952 yards (10.9 Y/C) and 11 touchdowns. At 6'2", 246 lbs, Reed is a big strong guy who nonetheless is often injured. He was out injured for four games in 2016 and has missed a total of 18 games in his first four seasons. Reed was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2013 draft.

The 33 year old Vernon Davis is entering his 12th season in the NFL. That said, the 6'3, 244 lb Davis is showing no signs of slowing down. In 2016, Davis caught 44 passes on 59 targets for 583 yards (13.3 Y/C) and two touchdowns. Unlike Reed, Davis is a durable player, having missed only five games in the last nine years. Davis is a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time All Pro. Like Reed, he is a great route runner, catches just about everything, and willingly catches the ball in traffic. He was originally drafted by the 49ers with the #6 overall pick of the 2006 draft.

28 year old Niles Paul is a seven year player out of Nebraska. The 6'1", 242 lb Paul missed all of 2015 with an ankle injury and eight games in 2016 with a torn labrum. Paul is a converted wide receiver who is nonetheless a fine blocker; he often lines up in the backfield as a lead-blocking fullback/h-back. Paul can be effective as a receiver: as a trog TE/WR in 2014, he caught 39 passes on 52 targets for 507 yards (13.0 Y/C) and one touchdown. Paul was drafted in the 5th round of the 2011 draft.

Rookie Jeremy Sprinkle was the Redskins 5th round pick in the 2017 draft. At 6'5", 252 lbs, Sprinkle is a big, strong young man. Although looked at primarily as a blocker, he did catch 33 passes for 380 yards (11.5 Y/C) and four touchdowns in his senior year at Arkansas. Sprinkle caught two passes for 20 yards this preseason.

Quarterback

Will the Kirk Cousins saga ever end in Washington? Sure it will, in about six months, when Cousins leaves the Redskins for free agency. The Cousins Contract Issue is perhaps the most botched contract mess in the history of sports. The Redskins entered it facing two choices: bite the bullet and sign Cousins to an expensive long term deal solidifying their quarterback position for years to come, or: cut the loss, let Cousins walk away as a free agent, and look in another direction for the quarterback solution. Instead, they did neither, fiddle-faddling around with two consecutive franchise tags that cost $44 million which solved nothing except to ensure that they would be priced out of Cousins range come 2018. The Redskins front office should be ashamed of itself. Problem is, the front office is owner Danny Boy Snyder, and he has no shame.

To me, Cousins is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He was originally taken in the 4th round of the 2012 draft as insurance against the potential bust of RG III. Cousins took a few years to develop before truly blossoming in 2015. He has a strong arm, a good touch, good feet, can run when needed, and does a fine job of reading the field. In 2016, the now 28 year old former Michigan State Spartan completed 406 of 606 passes (67% completion rate) for 4917 yards, 8.1 yards/attempt, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also ran 34 time for 96 yards (2.8 Y/C) and four touchdowns. For his efforts, Cousins was selected to his first Pro Bowl.

Colt McCoy is one of the 800 quarterbacks drafted by the Browns since their franchise was re-established in 1999. McCoy was a 2010 3rd round pick out of Texas. Colt came to Washington in 2014 and was part of that season's three headed starting QB mix. In 2016, McCoy made $1.8 million while not playing a single down; in 2017, he is slated to make twice as much, most likely with an identical amount of playing time. Colt isn't really a bad quarterback, he is just not very good. At 30 years old, his days as a full-time starter are probably over. That said, I have no doubt that he is still capable of coming off the bench and playing credibly in a pinch.


Redskins Defense

The 2016 Redskins played a 3-4 defense under former DC Joe Barry. Somewhat undermanned due to the lopsided cap expenditures on the offense, Barry's defense finished near the bottom of the league in most defensive categories. Perhaps conscious of his defense's shortcomings, Barry concentrated his efforts in one defensive category: quarterback sacks. In fact, the Redskins finished 9th in league in total sacks with 38. That said, given that the Redskins ended up #28 in total defensive yardage at 377.9 yards/game, the sack total was not good enough to save Barry's job. 

Outside linebacker coach Greg Manusky, himself a 3-4 proponent, was promoted as Barry's replacement. The systems employed by the two coordinators are quite similar. Both more closely resemble a 5-2 college style spread defense than the 4-0-4 line set of the 3-4 defense of the 1980s Giants. Both employee outside linebackers that are in reality stand up defensive ends. Physically, these players all fall into the 6'5", 260 lb range and are regularly rotated throughout the game. The inside linebackers are more traditionally sized in the 6'2", 240 lb range. These players are employed as tackling machines that roam about in the middle of the field and take most of the defensive snaps. The corners are given tight m-2-m coverage responsibilities; the safeties are aligned at multiple depths.

The big difference between Barry and Manusky is within the interior line. Barry had a preference for a particular type of defensive lineman: about 6'5" tall, 295-300 lbs, strong, athletic. Every one of Barry's D linemen fit this phenotype, which pretty much describes the size and abilities of a traditional 3-4 DE. Barry eschewed the larger "medicine ball" two gap nose tackles utilized in more tranditional 3-4 defenses. Manusky, recognizing that the Redskins were in need of such players so as to shore up their porous run defense, brought in several players in the 325-345 range to audition for these positions. The Redskins front office also worked hard, both in the draft and in free agency, to increase the overall quality and depth of their defensive personnel. The success of these efforts is yet to be determined.   

Defensive Line

Evander "Ziggy" Hood is a versatile player who moves all along the defensive front. Typically aligned as a 3, 4, or 5 tech, Hood may move inside as a 2i, one, or even zero tech NT. A former 2009 1st round pick of the Steelers, the 6'3", 299 lb former Missouri Tiger stops in Jacksonville and Chicago before coming to Washington. He signed with Washington in 2016. Hood was a mainstay of Joe Barry's line, playing on 60% of the defensive snaps. He finished the season with 33 tackles (17 solo/16 assist), one sack, one forced fumble, and 3 passes defensed.

The Redskins added depth and experience this off-season when they signed Terrell McClain away from Dallas. Originally a 2011 3rd round pick of the Panthers, McClain played the past two seasons with the Pokes. In 2016, McClain had his best season since his college days at S. Florida, recording 39 tackles (21/18), 2.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. The 6'3", 302 lb McClain is a strong candidate for a starter's job. At the least, he will add strong rotational depth to the D line.

Phil Taylor Sr, the former 2011 1st round pick of the Browns, had pretty much sewn up the Redskins' starting nose tackle job until he went down with a season-ending quad injury in last week's preseason game vs Cincinnati. The Redskins now turn to Stacy McGee to fill that role. A 6th round pick in 2013, the 6'3", 341 lb McGee played in nine games (all starts) for the 2016 Raiders. He finished the season with 17 tackles (14/3), 2.5 sacks, and two FFs.

Anthony Lanier impressed enough this camp to convince DC Greg Manusky that he is worthy of a roster spot. The second year player out of Alabama A & M was signed as a UDFA in 2016. He played in four games as a rookie, mostly on specialty teams. He did recover a fumble in overtime against the Bengals  that helped seal a tie. This preseason, the 6'6", 286 lb Lanier recorded seven tackles (4/3) and one sack.

Second year player Matt Ioannidis was the Redskins 5th round pick in the 2016 draft. The former Temple Owl played in ten games, recording 9% of the defensive snaps and 19% of the ST snaps. He finished the season with eight tackles (6/2).

Jonathan Allen was the Redskins' 1st round pick (#17 overall) in the 2017 draft. The former captain of the Alabama defense recorded 154 career tackles (78/76), 45 tackles for loss, 28.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, and three forced fumbles. His 28.5 career sacks is second in school history, surpassed only by NCAA and NFL Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas. In 2016, Allen recorded 69 tackles (33/36), 16 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns. He won the Chuck Bednarski Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Ted Hendricks award. At 6'3", 288 lbs, Allen is slated to start at defensive end in the Redskins 3-4 system. 

Outside Linebackers

Ryan Kerrigan is one of the NFL's premier 3-4 outside linebackers. A 1st round pick of the Redskins in 2011, the former Purdue Boilermaker has 58.5 career sacks. His 6'4", 259 lb frame is prototypical of what the Redskins look for from their trog OLB/DE position. In 2016, Kerrigan recorded 33 tackles (25/8), 11.0 sacks, two PDs, and 2 FFs. For these efforts, he was selected to his second Pro Bowl.

OLB Preston Smith, a 2015 2nd round pick out of Mississippi State, is developing into a fine player. In 2016, the 6'5", 265 lb Smith recorded 39 tackles (23/16), 4.5 sacks, one interception, and 3 PDs. His rookie 2015 season was, at least statistically, even more impressive: 30 tackles (20/10), eight sacks, 4 PDs, 3 forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Smith is a nice match on the edge opposite Kerrigan.

The Redskin OLB unit took a big hit when Trent Murphy went down with an ACL tear in preseason Game 1 against Baltimore. Already facing a four game suspension for PED use, Murphy was IRed and will most likely miss the entire season. The 2014 2nd round pick out of Stanford has been terrific from the get go. 2016 was his finest season as he recorded 46 tackles (27/19), nine sacks, 3 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one pass defensed.

The Redskins have high hopes for rookie 2nd round pick Ryan Anderson. Unfortunately, a stinger suffered against Baltimore has sidelined him since and his status for Game 1 against the Eagles is questionable. The 6'2", 253 lb former member of the Alabama Crimson Tide had a flat out terrific senior season, recording 61 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, nine sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and three PDs. Anderson's career stats at Alabama were 128 tackles (64/64), 40 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and one interception return for a touchdown.

Razor thin at OLB, the Redskins are hoping that Junior Galette can recover at least some of the effectiveness he displayed in New Orleans prior to the injuries that sidelined him the past two seasons. In the two year stretch of 2013-2014, Galette, playing under then Saints DC Rob Ryan, recorded 85 tackles (61/24), 22 sacks, four PDs, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Galette has since suffered two consecutive Achilles heels injuries and did not play a down in either 2015 or 2016. He has seen limited action this preseason, recording two tackles and a sack. At 29 years old, the 6'2", 254 lb Galette is still relatively young, but his recent injury history puts his long-term NFL future in doubt.

Inside Linebacker

Mason Foster and Will Compton were the starting inside linebackers in 2016. Foster, a seven year veteran, was originally drafted by Tampa in round 3 of the 2011 draft. Foster, who played his college ball at the University of Washington, is a prototypical 3-4 inside linebacker: 6'1", 250, good form tackler, doesn't make mistakes. He had a fine season in 2016, recording 123 tackles (88/35), one sack, one forced fumble, and three passes defensed. Foster played on 70% of the Redskins' defensive snaps.

At 6'1", 235, Will Compton is slightly smaller than Foster. That said, he doesn't play small. A 4th year former UDFA out of Nebraska, Compton is a good form tackler who recorded 103 tackles (60/43), one forced fumble, one interception, and five passes defensed. Compton played on 85% of the Redskins' defensive snaps.

This offseason, the Redskins, looking to upgrade their inside linebacker unit, signed former Buffalo Bill Zach Brown. A six year veteran, the 27 year old Brown made the Pro Bowl in 2016, recording an amazing 149 tackles (97/52), 4.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, one interception, and four passes defensed. Despite his success, the Bills let Brown walk as a UFA and the Redskins signed him to a very reasonable one year, $2.3 million contract. The 6'1" 251 lb Brown was the Titans 2012 2nd round pick, having played in college at North Carolina. Brown is quite durable, last year playing on 91% of Buffalo's defensive snaps. To me, he was a flat out steal by Washington.

The Redskins brought back 3rd year player Martrell Spaight. A 2015 5th round pick out of Arkansas, Spaight played mostly on specialty teams last season, but did manage to play on 13% of the Redskins defensive snaps. He recorded 18 tackles (13/5), one interception, and one pass defensed. A big motor guy, the 6"0", 243 lb Spaight plays always at a high energy level.

The Redskins also brought veteran ILB Chris Carter. Carter, a career long journeyman, is playing on his 5th team in seven years. In 2016, he split time between the Colts and the Ravens. Playing mostly on specialty teams, he recorded eight tackles (5/3). This preseason, he recorded six tackles (4/2) and 1.5 sacks. The 6'1", 240 lb Carter was originally a 2011 5th round pick of the Steelers. He played in college at Fresno State. 

7th round rookie Josh Harvey-Clemons played his final two college seasons at Louisville after having started out at U of Georgia. As a senior, he was Second Team All ACC, recording 61 tackles (33/28), four TFL, and two sacks. At 6'4" 226, JHC is a bit of tweener. A safety in college, he was converted to linebacker by the Redskins. He played very well this preseason and was second on the team with 15 tackles (12/3). In the final game against Tampa, he returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown. This play no doubt sealed his roster slot onto an already bloated linebacker unit.

Cornerback

Josh Norman is the type of player you love having on your team but hate as an opponent. That said, Josh's brash, trash-talking personality does not hide the fact that he is one of the finest cornerbacks in the NFL. Josh was originally the Panthers 5th round pick in the 2012 draft. Playing for little known Coastal Carolina, few had heard of him coming out of college. Soon enough, his talent emerged for all to see and he was quickly recognized as a terrific m-2-m shutdown corner. In 2015, despite making 1st Team All Pro, he left Carolina in a contract dispute and signed with the Redskins as a free agent. At 6'0", 200 lbs, Josh is a legitimately tough guy who is a force defending the run. And he is quite durable: in 2016, he played on 96% of the Redskins defensive snap counts. His stat line for 2016: 67 tackles (52/15), 19 passes defensed, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

Bashaud Breeland is a 4th year player who was a 2014 4th round pick out of Clemson. Breeland, who made the NFL All Rookie Team in 2014, seems to have regressed a bit of late. In fact, in 2016 he was downright toasty, getting burned early and often. His stat line for the year: 61 tackles (50/11), 11 PDs, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one sack while playing on 70% of the defensive snaps. At 5'11", 195 lbs, Breeland certainly has the looks of an NFL cornerback. The Redskins have not yet given up on Breeland: he remains the starter opposite Norman.

Second year corner Kendell Fuller was a 2016 3rd round pick out of Virginia Tech. In his rookie season, the 5'11", 198 lb Fuller played in 13 games with six starts & overall played on 43% of the snap counts. He had 40 tackles (32/8) and 2 passes defensed. The Redskins like Fuller a lot; he is, at present, their #3 corner.

Quinton Dunbar is another of the Redskins' young corners. Originally signed in 2015 as a UDFA out of Florida, he is talented enough to have actually taken a few snaps in 2016 at wide receiver, catching one pass for 31 yards.  On the defensive side, he played 27% of the snaps, racking up 25 tackles (23/2), five PDs, one interception, and one fumble recovery.

Fabian Moreau is a rookie 3rd round pick out of UCLA. As a senior, he was Honorable Mention All Pac 10, finishing the year with ten PDs and two interceptions. Over four years, he recorded 148 tackles (98/50), 28 PDs, three interceptions, one FF and one fumble recovery. His preseason stat line consists of four tackles (3/1). At 6'0", 198, Moreau does have a corner's prototypical measurements. The Redskins like what they see of Moreau, but to me he looks a bit raw. He will start the season a bit down on the depth chart.

Rookie Joshua Holsey is a rookie 7th round pick out of Auburn. The Redskins have been pleasantly surprised by what they have seen out of Holsey this camp and decided to give him a roster spot. In 2016, the Auburn alum recorded 30 tackles (27/3), 10 passes defensed, and three interceptions. This preseason, Holsey had four solo tackles and a sack. To me, Holsey looks very raw. He will, no doubt, see quite a bit of time this season on special teams, but I doubt if he will be on the field very often with the defensive unit.

Safety

This off-season, the Redskins signed veteran DJ Swearinger to help shore up a leaky safety unit. Still only 26 years old, Swearinger will be playing on his fifth team in five years. In 2016, he played in all 16 games for Arizona, starting 12. He recorded 66 tackles (58/8), 8 PDs, three interceptions, and 2.0 sacks. Although, by trade and ability, Swearinger is more properly a strong safety, he will most likely start for the Redskins at free safety.

Per the Redskins, Su'a Cravens is making a permanent move to strong safety. The Redskins 2nd round pick in 2016, the 6'1", 224 lb Cravens, was recognized as a tweener coming out of USC, where he had played linebacker. Cravens split an injury-riddled rookie season between linebacker and safety before making the permanent switch this camp. Cravens was hobbled by a meniscus tear last season that carried over into 2017, limiting his playing time in the preseason games. He is slated to start at strong safety against the Eagles.

If Cravens is unable to play, Deshazor Everett will most likely be his replacement. The Redskins really like what they have seen from the 3rd year former UDFA out of Texas A & M. Still, he is quite raw: in 2016, he played on only 3% of the defensive snap counts, recording four solo tackles, one interception, and one PD. He has looked good this preseason, finishing tied for fourth in tackles (8/3/11). Greg Manusky has been impressed enough to slot Everett as 3rd on his safety depth chart.

Rookie Montae Nicholson is a 4th round draft pick out of Michigan State. A nice player for the Spartans, his three year stats include 200 tackles (109/91), 4.5 TFL, four interceptions, and one forced fumble. In 2016, he led the team with 86 tackles (39/47). He has looked good in camp and preseason, recording seven tackles (3/4). Nicholson has the size (6'2", 216) to play strong safety and the speed (4.42 forty) to play free safety. He is coming off surgery for a torn labrum; it does appear that he has recovered quicker than expected.

Stefan McClure came out of nowhere to make the Redskins as their 5th safety. He was signed by the Colts in 2016 as a UDFA, was cut, came back in December as a member of their practice squad, and released after the season. Collegiately he played at Cal, where he quite uniquely was team captain for three consecutive seasons. He certainly isn't a ball hawk, having only two interceptions over his four year college career. I question whether he made the team mostly to hold a roster spot for DeAngelo Hall, who presently sits on the Redskins PUP list.

The Redskins just can't seem to cut the cord with DeAngelo Hall. A former 1st round (#8 overall) pick of the Falcons in 2004, Hall is a three time Pro Bowler at cornerback who has 43 career interceptions and 138 passes defensed. A few years back, it became apparent that the aging Hall had slowed to the point where he could no longer play corner. Rather than cut Hall, the Redskins opted to move him to safety, a curious decision given that the diminutive Hall has never been known for his tackling ability. Hall's move to safety has been unproductive and injury-ridden. He and the Redskins just agreed to halve his 2017 salary to $1.1 million in guaranteed monies. He currently sits on the PUP list and is eligible to return to the active roster for the October 23 game against the Eagles.


Specialty Teams

Dustin Hopkins returns as the Redskins kicker. In 2016, he finished 23rd in the league in field goal percentage. Hopkins was 7/9 in attempts 40-49 yards; 3/7 in attempts 50 plus. He made 36 of 39 extra points.

Tress Way returns as punter. In 2016, he finished 20th in the NFL in average yardage with 45.1 Y/K and 26th in net yardage at 38.9 Y/K.He dropped only 15 punts inside the 20, which was dead last in the league.

The Redskins were 4th in the NFL in punt returning at 11.9 Y/R. Jamison Crowder, who had all but one of the Redskins punt returns, recorded one 85 yard return for a touchdown. In kickoff returns, the Redskins were 20th in the league at 20.1 Y/R. Chris Thompson was their primary kickoff return man.


Final Thoughts

I see the Redskins as a team in transition. Unfortunately, given the long-term chaotic quarterback situation, that transition appears to be headed downward. The most dominant question on offense is at wide receiver, a unit that has seen a serious drop in talent compared to 2016. The usually strong offensive line has looked inconsistent this preseason and the center position remains in question. On the defensive side, the all-important outside linebacker position is razor thin in depth; a single injury could seriously disrupt their pass rush. Despite the Redskins' boasts that the cornerback unit is now deep and talented, its quality remains quite questionable. And the biggest defensive issue remains at safety, where positional changes, untried young players, and very questionable quality makes the success of this unit highly suspect.

Overall, I see the Redskins as a team that will slip a bit this season. They are in no way a push over and will be a tough team to play against, but serious deficiencies, particularly on defense, will most likely keep them out of the playoff hunt. They will struggle to reach 8-8; a few key injuries could drop them to 6-10.

Brian
   

[MightyGiants]

kick

[bighitterdalama]

Thanks Rich. I almost had the Big One thinking it got lost.

[Uni]

Excellent read!

"Robert "Fat Rob" Kelley is a bowling ball style runner with a big upside and an even bigger backside." 😅

I know it's Bleacher Report, but interesting analysis of Cousins and his lack of ability to throw with anticipation, which was not necessary by design and personnel. Without McVay and Jackson and Garcon, he might not even come close to the production of the past 3 years:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2730551-kirk-cousins-is-in-serious-trouble-without-desean-jackson-sean-mcvay

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[XNYrnLA]

Wow...that is a really detailed report... thanks
I agree with your assessments but due to perceived improvements by the Giants and Eagles, I see them as a 5 win or worse team this year.

[Bob In PA]

Brian: Great job again. 

When the final installment is completed, I hope you'll give us your prediction of how you believe the division will go this season.

You will have studied all three NFC East opponents in so much depth that I would be interested in learning your conclusion, and of course the Giants' chances of finishing first.  LOL

Bob