Grading the Redskins inside linebackers on the 2017 performance
Zach Vigil
Usually, players who are cut after training camp and play on a practice squad before being cut again are only added for depth purposes. Usually, these players don’t end up being starters down the line. But don’t tell that to Zach Vigil.
Vigil ended up finishing the 2017 season on the Redskins active roster, but getting there was a journey. In 2016, he was waived by the Miami Dolphins and landed with the Redskins off waivers. He earned a small role as a special teams player in a couple of games, but never was able to do anything more. This offseason, he competed for a spot in the crowded middle linebacker corps and he lost out. Vigil ended up being cut and signing onto the Buffalo Bills practice squad. He remained there until Halloween, when the team parted ways with him.
Following that, Vigil spent a couple of weeks as a free agent before the Redskins decided to sign him. At the time, the team has lost both Compton and Foster to injuries and were desperate for some depth. Vigil was going to provide that, but it appeared that he would end up being the fourth linebacker. That changed after he was brought into the team.
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Vigil ended up starting six of the seven games he played for the team. In his new role, Vigil looked comfortable and was an excellent tackler. Perhaps playing next to Zach Brown helped him out, as that has done for many of the other linebackers, but Vigil even played well without him. He’s a great tackler and at one point, he recorded 14 in a single game. He looks like a very solid player and has the ability to function as a low-end starter.
Vigil’s season didn’t go as planned. He didn’t get to an active roster until Week 11. But still, considering that he is just 26, he has a lot of upside. He proved that he belongs in the NFL this year, and it seems like the Redskins will keep him around for another offseason.
Sometimes, things just click all at once for a player. That appears to be what happened to Vigil this year. He deserves high marks for the work he put in to improve and I would consider trusting him as the third linebacker next year should Compton or Foster walk. If not, he’ll be great in the No. 4 role.