The Washington Redskins did a lot to address the weakness they had on the defensive line. As a result, they will be able to part with some dead wood before the 2018 NFL season.
In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins did a great job of adding to their defensive line. The team was one nose tackle away from having a potentially elite front seven, and the team added two quality candidates in Da’Ron Payne and Tim Settle in the draft. Both should help them address the issues they had against the run, and that will get them a chance to earn early playing time.
However, as is usually the case, additions to the roster will often mean that teams have to subtract at the same position later. The Redskins already got started on this by releasing Terrell McClain and A.J. Francis after the draft, and they will definitely need to cut a potential contributor on the defensive line when they pare down their roster.
As it stands, Payne and Settle seem like locks on the roster, while former first rounder Jonathan Allen, solid pass rusher Matt Ioannidis, and high-upside third year man Anthony Lanier figure to be the five players who will almost certainly make the team’s final roster. However, the team will probably carry six or maybe even seven linemen, but they have three candidates to fill those roles.
The trio of veterans on the bubble are Stacy McGee, Ziggy Hood, and Phil Taylor. All could have a potential role on the Redskins, and here’s a deep dive into how each might fit in on the team’s final roster.
Stacy McGee
During the 2017 offseason, the Redskins had supposedly fixed the problems that they had on the ground. They did this by adding Terrell McClain and Stacy McGee in free agency. Both were supposed to help the run defense to improve as they profiled as solid run stuffers.
In 2017, the results from McClain and McGee were mixed. The former lacked the fit to be productive in the 3-4 scheme, and he was quickly pushed out of the Washington rotation. McGee filled more of a role with the defense, and he went on to have a decent season.
McGee provided exactly what he was brought in for: help in the run game. He totaled 44 combined tackles during the season and was generally solid on early downs. He played most of the season as a starter and on the team’s starting front, he was the primary run stuffer. And in that role, he was good.
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However, McGee offered virtually nothing as a pass rusher, which was to be expected. McGee is more of a big bodied, strong player than anything else. He doesn’t have great quickness or speed or athleticism. He’s a 6-foot-3, 341 pound man who eats up space. And that’s what he focuses on doing.
McGee is a better fit in a 4-3 defense, as he fits more naturally at the nose tackle in that scheme. He doesn’t have a natural fit in the Redskins 3-4 front, and that’s why he played mostly end. It was close to how he’d fit in a 4-3, but not quite the same. This lack of a perfect fit could cause the team to part with him sooner than many thought, but it’s possible that he could end up being a casualty.
It’s also worth noting that McGee has the most money remaining on his contract, and if the Redskins parted with him, they would take a dead money hit. That may encourage the team to keep him around for another season, even if he’s only an average performer, as they have an out after the second year of the contract.
With McGee, you now what you’re getting. A run stuffer with little upside at this point in his career. He is still a fine rotational piece and if the Redskins decide they need to keep him to help with the run defense, it would be a sensible move. But still, he is firmly on the bubble.
Ziggy Hood
Ziggy Hood has had a fascinating career. A former first round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009, the Missouri product was widely considered to be a bust through the first seven seasons of his career. In Pittsburgh, he was given a chance to function as a starter, and he didn’t do enough to impress the team. After that, he bounced around from Jacksonville to Chicago before finally landing in Washington.
Hood signed a futures deal with the Redskins during the week of Super Bowl 50. It wasn’t expected that he would do much other than battle for a reserve role with the team. However, Hood greatly impressed Jay Gruden with his work during that offseason, and he earned a job as an opening day starter at left end. And in the first game of the season, he looked good there.
However, after an injury to nose tackle Kedric Golston, Gruden was forced to kick Hood inside to nose tackle. Hood had experience playing the position a bit in Pittsburgh, but he wasn’t a natural fit because of his lack of functional strength at the position. Hood’s skill set is based more off quick movement and athleticism, so putting him at nose tackle wasn’t exactly the best for him. But, he never complained and played 30 games at the position in the next two seasons.
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With Payne and Settle coming in as potential options at nose tackle, Hood will be able to move back to his end position, which will probably suit him better. He could work out as a potential rotational interior pass rusher, and that is something that the Redskins could use. He might end up being an ideal backup behind Jonathan Allen, and his positional versatility could come in handy too.
Hood does come with some concerns. First of all, he is 31 years old, so he may be advancing into the twilight of his career. He could still have a few good seasons left in the tank, but he could start to regress at any point. So, that is something to keep an eye on.
But, the bigger point with Hood is that he struggled to stop the run as the nose tackle in the Redskins defense. Because of his below average ability in this area, he may not be able to play a substantial role, especially if he declines athletically at any point. So, this is the biggest thing working against Hood.
What Hood does have going for him is that the coach likes him, he is versatile across the line, and he has pass rushing ability. That might be enough to get him onto the final roster, especially given the injury concerns the Redskins had on the defensive line last year. Having a reliable option would be nice for the team.
Phil Taylor
Phil Taylor is an interesting option on the Redskins roster. They re-signed him to a cheap, non-guaranteed deal after signing him as a free agent during the 2017 offseason. Taylor had looked good during the offseason workouts before he suffered a quad injury during the preseason. Taylor landed on Injured Reserve as a result, and he didn’t play a down.
This has been a familiar sight for Taylor for the past few seasons. Taylor hasn’t played a down in the NFL since 2014. And in that season, he only played in five games. Taylor has been plagued by injuries throughout his whole career, and it’s fair to wonder if he will ever be able to stay fully healthy again.
Further complicating the matter for Taylor is that he really only fits at the nose tackle position in the Redskins defense. He has a 6-foot-3, 343 pound frame and while he is an athletic player, it just wouldn’t be as good a fit at the end position. So, that could limit him to playing the nose tackle position.
At the same time, this could benefit Taylor. The Redskins could want to keep an extra nose tackle around, given the trouble they have had at the position since they switched to the 3-4 defense. And if they don’t think that Settle is ready for a primary backup role, Taylor could be the stopgap there.
Taylor has concerns. He is injury prone, but he has a lot of upside. Keeping him over McGee or Hood would be a major risk. But if the Redskins are confident in the young talent they have, it could be worth the investment. It will all depend on how well each player performs during the preseason.
Verdict
Obviously, it’s too early to tell right now who would win the final spot on the Redskins defensive line. The important thing is that the team has options across the unit. And that is something that they have been lacking for quite some time.
In the event that the Redskins keep just one player, I imagine that they would opt to go with McGee. He has some versatility, is the youngest, and would also eat the most dead cap space if cut. So, holding onto him for another season could work fine, as he has the makings of a strong rotational player.
If the team kept a second, it would be a true tossup between Hood and Taylor. While Taylor might have more upside, I would assume Gruden would roll with Hood as his man. Hood has the versatility and could provide veteran leadership and work as a plug-and-play guy in the event of an injury. He may not be the best player, but he can be a fine rotational pass rusher provided that all can stay healthy.
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The defensive line will be the most exciting position to watch in the 2018 offseason. With new talent and veterans battling for spots on the depth chart, it should be hyper competitive. And there’s no doubt that these three players will do everything they can to try and make the final roster.