Washington Redskins pre-2018 NFL Draft roster analysis
By Ian Cummings
Tight End
Starters: Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis
Reserves: Jeremy Sprinkle, Manasseh Garner, Chris Bazile
There is a fair bit of uncertainty surrounding the Washington Redskins situation at tight end. Jordan Reed is returning from injury once again. It seems routine for the former Pro Bowler, and it’s fair to wonder if Reed, who will turn 28 years old later this offseason, has much value relative to his contract moving forward. His cap hit this year skyrockets to over $10 million, and although the Washington Redskins have a potential out in which they save around $14 million, while incurring $13 million in dead cap, it doesn’t seem realistic for them to give up on Reed this early.
Let’s not misinterpret this message. Reed, when healthy, can be one of the best in the league. He’s shown that his ability to find creases in the linebacking core is matched by few in the league today. However, above all, availability matters. Without it, players cannot contribute in the ways that they promise. Reed’s availability has been severely limited over the years, and it’s easy to wonder if it’s worth keeping Reed around on his hefty contract.
A trade seemed like a viable option to resolve the Reed situation earlier in the offseason, but it seems as if that window has passed, and now the Washington Redskins are stuck with a hyper-injury prone starter at tight end and an aging backup in Vernon Davis. Davis turned 34 years old earlier this year, and as ageless as he seems to be, there will be a time when he falls off the proverbial cliff. The Washington Redskins, with the uncertainty surrounding Reed, would do well to be prepared for that event. After all, Davis is Reed’s safety blanket.
Behind those two, last year’s fifth-round pick, Jeremy Sprinkle, waits in the wings. Sprinkle has the size and the blocking ability to be a very important contributor in due time, but he’s relatively unproven, and for now, he can best be recognized as depth at tight end.
Nothing more can be said for Manasseh Garner and Chris Bazile. Garner, with his size, is best suited as a full back and a special teamer, reminiscent of a discount Niles Paul, while Bazile, a 2016 undrafted free agent out of Grambling State, is an unknown quantity. AT 6-foot-4, 249, he has good size as a possible receiving threat. But his skill sets are likely underdeveloped.
In the 2018 NFL Draft, it would serve the Washington Redskins to find more depth at this position. It would not be appropriate to draft a tight end early on, as other positions such as running back, cornerback, defensive line, and offensive interior warrant those selections. But in Rounds 5 through 7, the Washington Redskins should follow the same blueprint they did with Jeremy Sprinkle last year, grabbing a young tight end with good size and good upside as a receiver. They need to have an insurance plan. But they don’t need to buy a new car altogether.