Washington finished their preseason at 2-2 and now face the hardest part of the offseason, roster cuts. Jay Gruden and staff will have to trim the roster from 90 to 53 by 4:00 p.m. this Saturday.
The team has already made some cuts Friday before the deadline, including 11 year veteran defensive back Will Blackmon. The Redskins will be busy Friday night into Saturday’s deadline and come Monday will have the final 53 that will suit up against Philly next weekend.
The regular season is less than a week away. What has been a busy offseason for Washington is coming to an end. The team has gone through huge changes from the front office debacle that was Scot McCloughan’s embarrassing departure, or losing offensive coordinator Sean McVay, who Cousins has thrived under the past two years as the team’s starter. However, a bright spot this offseason has been the teams ability to bring in talent. Landing big name free agents Terrelle Pryor and Zach Brown were huge gets for a team that struggled on defense, and watched two 1,000 yard receivers leave via free agency.
Thursday night, Washington took the field in Tampa for the final game in the preseason. With another watered down product on display, players looking to earn one of the few remaining roster spots set out to make their case. Having just one final chance to show they are worthy of a roster spot, Jay Gruden and his staff will have ta tough task this weekend deciding who isn’t going to suit up Week 1 against Philly.
The NFL did away with their cut to 75 men this offseason, causing rosters to get trimmed from 90 to the final 53 on Sept. 2. With a strong draft class, and some great free agent signings, Washington’s coaching staff will have to let some talent walk, a great problem to have. Each week of the preseason another bubble player seemingly flashed while on the field making Gruden’s cut job much harder. With the Philadelphia Eagles matchup just over a week away, who helped build their case to earn jersey for Week 1?
3. Mack Brown
The third year back has become a fan favorite since his monster game against Tampa last preseason. With former third round pick Matt Jones falling out of favor in Washington, Brown has managed to put himself in a nice spot to be the fourth running back on the team’s opening day roster. Brown was the feature back in Thursday nights preseason showdown making the most of his opportunity, carrying the ball 18 times for 69 yards.
Browns numbers don’t tell the whole story of his strong night. Brown worked around some poor run blocking, something that has plagued this team all preseason and dating back to last year. Brown also was able to break through first contact and gain yardage by beating defensive angles on the outside. Brown’s ability to make defenders miss, and his down hill running style could help Washington who constantly struggles to move the ball on the ground. However, with Rob Kelley, Samaje Perine, and Chris Thompson already being roster locks, Brown’s spot isn’t guaranteed.
Because Jones appears to be on the way out of Washington, Brown’s future with the team seems bright. Brown should be able to grab a roster spot with Washington, knowing he will probably be picked up before they are able to sign him to the practice squad. Brown helped his chances to make the team on Thursday night, and will find himself on an opening day roster somewhere even if the Redskins let him go.
2. Nate Sudfeld
Nate Sudfeld was a sixth round pick in the 2016 NFL draft and has been a Redskins project for two years now. He drafted as the guy who can come in and become a solid career backup for Washington. While Sudfeld hadn’t shown much in his year plus in Washington, Thursday night’s game was a strong outing for the second year passer that should land him a roster spot on the final 53.
The young signal caller went the distance for Washington playing every offensive snap and looked sharp doing so. Sudfeld completed 22 of 33 passes for 228 yards and posted an 86.4 rating. Throwing crisp, accurate passes, Sudfeld raised eyebrows and silenced those who claim he should be on the outside looking in for Saturdays cut deadline.
Ball placement and poise were key for the passer and it showed when he made impressive throws down field, and was able to escape a collapsing pocket and get the ball out before he was sacked. Sudfeld reassured the coaching staff of his potential and most likely cemented his spot on the team.
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Sudfeld more that likely secured his spot on the team for a second year in a row. The project quarterback was drafted with the hopes he would one day be able to develop into a quality NFL starter or backup. With Kirk Cousins playing on another one year deal, the chance he leaves this offseason is high.
Washington would need another quarterback to compete with Colt McCoy and Sudfeld has shown promise, and is familiar with the system. The former Indiana passer could one day find himself being the full time starter for Washington, if the cards fall in his favor and Cousins bolts to join Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Should that happen, Sudfeld could be in line to take over and lead Washington as the quarterback of the future.
A.J. Francis
Nose tackle Phil Taylor was lost for the year during Sunday’s game against the Bengals, leaving Washington looking for a big body up front. Struggling against the run was been an issue for this defense last season. Taylor was looking to be an answer to that problem.
Leaving a massive hole in the front seven, Washington is forced to find a new man to stuff run lanes with short notice. A.J. Francis showed Thursday, he may be that man. The 6-foot-5, 330 pound lineman racked up 3 tackles and was able to use strength to stand strong in the center of the defensive line filling rushing lanes.
First round pick Jonathan Allen appears to be a potential cornerstone piece along the defensive line and should help stop the run this upcoming season. Francis could find himself lined up next to the rookie defensive end and be heavily relied on to plug the middle, allowing Allen and the other ends to penetrate the backfield and shut down opposing running backs and pressure quarterbacks. Francis’ big body is an asset that Washington can’t afford to let go with the loss of Taylor and should be kept around for that reason.
Francis isn’t going to be an All-Pro but, what he brings in terms of size will help the front seven, and should allow for fewer conversions on the ground, an area where Washington was dreadful last year.
Next: Analyzing Redskins performance in Preseason Week 4
Francis would be just another roster cut had Taylor stayed healthy, but was able to make the most of an opportunity he needed. With a spot open and Ondre Pipkins, another nose tackle looking to fill Taylor’s spot, being cut it would appear Francis is safe from getting bad news by Saturday’s deadline. Expect Francis to be a rotational piece in the middle with Ziggy Hood and newly acquired Stacy McGee getting the majority of reps at nose tackle in Week 1.