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D.J. Swearinger becoming Redskins captain speaks of his profound impact on the team

By Jacob Camenker

GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 13: Defensive back D.J. Swearinger #36 of the Arizona Cardinals during warmups prior to the start of the the NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at University of Phoenix Stadium on November 13, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals won 23-20. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 13: Defensive back D.J. Swearinger #36 of the Arizona Cardinals during warmups prior to the start of the the NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at University of Phoenix Stadium on November 13, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals won 23-20. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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D.J. Swearinger was signed by the Washington Redskins during the 2017 offseason. On Tuesday, the young safety was named a team captain after just a few months with the team.

The Washington Redskins made a couple of important announcement for their squad on Tuesday. In addition to releasing their first depth chart of the 2017 regular season, the team announced who their captains would be. It was expected that the team would mostly stay status quo with their captains from last year. That proved to be a true as Kirk Cousins, Trent Williams, and Niles Paul all reprised their roles as team captains.

However, one notable player was added to the ranks of the captains this year. It was D.J. Swearinger, a first year Redskin who signed with the team in the offseason. After spending a couple of seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and just one as a starter, he felt ready to take on a big role. Coming to Washington certainly gave him that.

The Redskins had a hole at the safety position since the passing of the late, great Sean Taylor. Swearinger came in to lead the transition to younger, all-around safeties after many years of uninspiring play from the group. He and Su’a Cravens were supposed to be leaders at the position, but Cravens is now pondering retirement. Because of this, Swearinger is going to have to be the leader at the position. If the news on Tuesday proved anything, it is that Swearinger will be ready to lead.

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This offseason, Swearinger has been nothing but a positive influence on the Redskins defense. He has been a vocal leader on and off the field, and has quickly garnered respect among the players. He not only leads by example, but he is there to help encourage other players to succeed. That is something that teammates are always looking for in a captain.

Some may wonder how Swearinger will be able to replace the man who was the defensive captain last year, Will Comtpon. While Compton is still on the team, he is now in a reserve role serving as the primary backup at middle linebacker. He was beaten out for a starting job by free agent signee Zach Brown. Compton is a great leader who also plays with fantastic energy, but it seems that the Redskins wanted to have a captain who was a starter for the team. Nothing against the reserves by any means, but having a captain who plays the majority of snaps can often help lead teams on the field.

Compton, for one, does not appear to be harboring any resentment. He tweeted out congratulations to his teammates, and expressed excitement for the season. He will continue to be a class act, and is still undoubtedly one of the team’s leaders.

Next: Unheralded Redskins - Where are they now?

What all this boils down to is that the Redskins are finding players who are capable of leading their defense to greatness. They don’t quite have the personnel to field a top notch stop unit yet, but they could soon. Adding a guy like Swearinger, whose boundless energy has been absolutely terrific, will only accelerate their growth as the team feeds off one another to become a stronger unit. Swearinger’s worth cannot be underestimated, and he is definitely a guy to watch as the season draws nearer.

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