Washington Redskins
2019 Record: (3-13) 4th NFC East
2019 Season Recap:
Offense
Points: 16.6 (32nd)
Yards: 274.7 (31st)
Pass Yards: 175.8 (32nd)
Rush Yards: 98.9 (22nd)
Defense
Points: 27.2 (27th)
Yards: 385.1 (27th)
Pass Yards: 238.9 (18th)
Rush Yards: 146.2 (31st)
As we sit today and review everything that has transpired most
recently for the Washington Redskins, you can’t help but feel sorry for the run
of bad luck and misfortune they’ve endured.
For a team who looked to have turned a corner with Alex Smith
taking over as the starting quarterback, to being complete bottom feeders once
again after his catastrophic leg injury in 2018. Being forced to move in yet
another direction and draft Dwayne Haskins to potentially be the long term answer,
growing pains were felt all season long in 2019. The thought process was to use
Case Keenum as the veteran teacher to the young rookie, but his enigmatic play
forced the hand of the coaching staff to insert Haskins before he was ready.
What emerged was to be expected, as Haskins was a turnover machine as he learnt
the NFL game.
While all team stats fell to the absolute bottom of the league,
there is some level of optimism when looking over this roster. As the season
wore on, Haskins did look more comfortable and the progression of his pass
catchers was a welcomed sight. Even though this development was looking
promising, there is still much to iron out on this club.
With all the troubles over the past few seasons, ownership had
seen enough of the current regime and chose to move in another direction.
Hiring former Panthers bench boss Ron Rivera to hopefully right the ship, we
also like the potential of what could come to pass under his tutelage.
2020 Offseason WorkBook:
The Offense
When we dive into the positives this
offense currently has, the youth alone should get everyone excited. While the
jury is still out on Haskins being the unquestionable franchise passer, the
receiving core and running back situation has our mouths watering.
Starting off with Haskins – we still
struggle to provide a gleaming review of what he could eventually become. While
he does hold the measurables one would look for at the position, his decision
making is still a grave concern. Gifted with a strong arm which has carried him
throughout his football career, the NFL is a much different animal that will
exploit his inadequacy with each errant pass. While Alex Smith has already stated
he would like to return to the field and once again lead this team, coming back
from that injury could be near impossible. No matter our thoughts on Haskins,
our money is on him starting the 2020 season.
When it comes to the running backs the
Skins employ, when will we see a full season from potential star Derrius Guice?
Since being drafted in 2018, injuries have precluded him from gaining any
traction while he continues to rehab his wobbly knees. Offseason video has
again surfaced to showcase the health of Guice making cuts with ease, but at
this point, how much can we really trust. In Guice’s absence over the past two
years, Adrian Peterson has filled in nicely as he isn’t quite ready to call it
a career. Will a return to Washington again be in the cards, time will tell.
But even when discussing Guice and
Peterson, our mind tends to move toward Bryce Love and the prospects of him
taking over this backfield altogether. Before Love was lost to his own knee
injury in his senior season at Stanford, the potential was off the charts of
what he could become. Reviewing the tape from his junior campaign, Love was
able to amass a whopping 2118 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns – very
impressive. While at this point Guice will likely get the first crack at the
starting role, don’t sleep on Love eating into the workload while creating a
one-two punch Redskins fans will absolutely appreciate.
How can we review the Redskins offense
without discussing the supreme nature that is this wide receiver room? Starting
with a player we preached ahead of last years draft, Terry McLaurin made waves
in his rookie season proving all the scouts undervalued him. Looking the part
in being a true number one target, McLaurin should be the vocal point this
season in the pass game. While we love the potential from McLaurin, we must
throw support toward Steven Sims Jr as well. Sims Jr came alive in the second
half of 2019 as he showcased his splendid ability with speed and route running.
With these two men anchoring the ship – there’s a lot to like of the building
blocks on this offense.
The Defense
While it’s abundantly clear to see the
struggles this defense had last season, this side of this roster also holds
many positive that can be built upon come the offseason.
Beginning with the defensive line and
the great talent they hold, it all starts with Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.
These two mammoth men are the vocal points of this front seven which allowed
others to find room in rushing the passer. Both men are very young and should
be fixtures on this line for many years to come. While we did also witness something
of an emergence from Matt Ioannidis this season, its no question playing beside
Payne and Allen helped that production.
With the defensive line strong and
nothing to sneeze at, the line backing core also holds so much talent it’s hard
to contain the excitement. While Ryan Kerrigan has been a consistent
contributor for this club for many years, Montez Sweat proved to be very useful
and the eventual return of Robert Foster will bring with it a massive lift.
Although we may be putting the cart in front of the horse, Foster still has a
long way to go in his recovery to get back on the field. Nevertheless, this
front seven is already filled with ample talent, and could improve that much
more under coach Rivera.
If the glaring weakness must be called
out, the defensive secondary is the greatest issue at this point. Josh Norman
has seen better days as long miles appear to be catching up to his play. And
while Quinton Dunbar emerged over the course of the season to be a much better
player, he has recently requested a trade to get him out of Washington. Landon
Collins looks to be the only viable steady piece to the puzzle on this backend,
and this should be an area of much focus come this offseason for the
Redskins.
Team Free Agents / Team Salary Cap
Even with all the positives held on this
Redskins club, ironing out the salary cap has always been an issue due to overspending.
Heading into the 2020 offseason, Washington holds a decent 40 million in free
space, but only have slim number of valuable players to resign. Brandon Scherff
has to be on top of the priority list of player to re-up, but he’ll likely
fetch big dollars to stay on-board. Chris Thompson and Adrian Peterson also
figure to be in the plans for 2020, but we wouldn’t be shocked to see them sent
packing and hit the open market.
With that, when you start to dissect the
books, Alex Smith is the largest problem this team has in terms of occupied cap
space. Eating up a whopping 10.10% of their total money given, that is nothing
to overlook. Seeing Smith retire would be the best solution as the dead cap
rests at 32.2 million if released today.
On the positive side of things, money is
there if the Skins choose to cut bait with a number of players that are losing
value by the day. Josh Norman is a prime cap casualty based on his horrendous
performance from last season - saving 12.4 million with a mere 3 million headed
to dead cap if he is released. Jordan Reed is another player that we believe
has overstayed his welcome with the Redskins. This man has spent more time in
the medical room then on the field, and his 10.3 million dollar hit is
disgusting. Cutting Reed would save another 8.5 million on the books while
eating a meek 1.8 million to dead cap – a true no brainer in our minds.
With these simple moves, the Skins would
add another 20 million in free space to continue revamping this club. If Alex
Smith does end up retiring, an additional 21.4 million would be added which
could change the course of this franchise once and for all. The potential for
youth and free money is the fabric in how to build a long term winner – will
owner Daniel Schneider abide, or continue to overspend?
The NFL Draft
In terms of the NFL draft, Washington
holds seven picks to date while missing their second and sixth round
selections. With an extra fourth and seventh to round out their board, many
options reside as they have the second overall pick in the first round.
Many prognosticators have the Skins
choosing Ohio State standout Chase Young with their first selection, we could
see much more benefit in Washington trading back. While we agree that Young is
a supremely gifted talent that would help bring this defense to the next level,
stock piling picks to finally rebuild the right way will be key for this club.
With a few projected elite quarterbacks
to go in the first round, specifically the top 10-15 picks, Washington could
move back literally three or four spots and obtain a boatload of compensation.
The Dolphins and the Chargers appear to be ones looking to move up which could
warrant extra first round picks with a few sweeteners.
Nevertheless, Washington has the path of
a very bright future, but changing the way in which they manage everything is
paramount to new success. Coach Ron Rivera must be the voice of reason and this
club could soar.
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