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Redskins need to consider shutting down injured players following loss

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 10: Tackle Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins covers his face with a towel against the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at FedExField on January 10, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 10: Tackle Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins covers his face with a towel against the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at FedExField on January 10, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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The Redskins seem adamant that they will not sit their starters even though they are effectively eliminated from playoff chase. They may want to reconsider that notion.

In the aftermath of their loss to the Dallas Cowboys, there was a lot of disappointment surrounding the Washington Redskins. They were expected to have a shot at beating the Cowboys, but instead they failed miserably and were crushed 38-14 by a Cowboys team that had scored a combined 22 points in their previous three games. With their season now effectively over, the team is going to have to consider making some changes to their team. One will be the personnel they choose to roll with going forward.

The Redskins have suffered a ridiculous amount of injuries this year. They have 15 players on Injured Reserve, but they also have numerous players on the active roster who are dealing with injuries. Notably, Trent Williams has played through a tough knee injury, Morgan Moses is dealing with many small injuries, Jordan Reed pulled a hamstring, and Matt Ioannidis is playing with a club on his hand. These are just a few of the guys who have been banged up.

According to ESPN’s John Keim, the Redskins and Jay Gruden aren’t considering sitting many of their guys right now. About Williams particularly, Gruden said, “If he’s good enough to finish the season, he will finish the season. We need him. Kirk [Cousins] needs him.”

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While that logic is all well and good, and Cousins definitely does need the extra protection from Williams, they can’t afford to risk further injury to their stars. Williams is already likely to need surgery at the end of the season, so he should really start to rest up and prepare for that.

Meanwhile, Reed hasn’t been healthy all year so shutting him down makes more sense. As for guys like Moses and Ioannidis, they can continue to play if they are healthy, but if they are even a little banged up, sitting seems like a good idea. They don’t necessarily have to go on Injured Reserve, but Gruden can put them on the inactives list and get a look at the younger players on the roster.

Next: Is it time to part ways with Jay Gruden?

Right now, it seems unlikely that the Redskins are going to shut their players down. But, if they lose to the Los Angeles Chargers in their next game, then they may shift their ideology. There’s no reason to further risk injury to the team’s star players. It’s time to start evaluating the depth they have on their roster to see which players are worth keeping in the future.

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