Scot McCloughan’s To Do List: Part 4 – Linebackers

Nov 17, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Redskins linebacker Perry Riley (56) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Redskins 24-16. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Perry Riley

Perry Riley missed the first 2 games of his career due to injury in 2014. Riley has been a starter at ILB for the Redskins for 4 and a half years. He signed a 3 year contract in 2014 and will count over $4,000,000 against the salary cap in 2015.

In week one versus Houston, Riley had a 0.81 rating. He struggled some trying to contain Arian Foster and the run game and had a 0.70 rating. His pass defense was better with a 0.96 rating.

Riley is a good tackler who can excel when playing with the game in front of him

Riley was great in week 2 versus the Jaguars as most of the team was. He had a 1.08 rating with a 1.00 rating versus the run and a 0.97 rating in pass coverage, His 2.00 rating on 5 QB rushes was excellent.

Riley is a good tackler who can excel when playing with the game in front of him, His pass defense is good when he sits in zone and is able to see the play happen. He is not as good when he has to turn and run with the receiver. Riley had a combined 15 passes defensed in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

One of Riley’s strongest assets is being an effective blitzer. He has 9.5 sacks in his short career. He had 2 of them in the 2014 season.

I previously graded Riley with a 0.94 rating versus the Colts in week 13. I also gave him a 0.90 rating the week before in San Francisco.

In week 15 versus the Giants, Riley continued to play well with a 1.02 rating. His run defense earned him a 1.18 rating while his pass coverage was a 0.89 rating. He finished with 10 tackles for the game, one of 5 games in which he had double digit tackles.

One of Riley’s strongest assets is being an effective blitzer

Riley struggled containing the run  in the first half versus the Eagles. He finished the game with a 0.63 rating versus the run and a 0.91 rating overall. His pass coverage was excellent with a 1.10 rating.

In the finale versus Dallas, Riley had a 0.85 rating. His run defense was a 0.69 rating and his pass defense was a 0.97 rating. Riley’s run defense was definitely subpar over the final 2 weeks.

Next: Will Compton