The Washington Redskins invited 46 tryout players to their rookie minicamp. They could find some quality players in that bunch.
Every year, NFL teams bring a lot of players into their rookie minicamps on a tryout basis. Usually, they are younger players who have either been in the league for a year or so and haven’t stuck around. But all of them have potential. And every year, players from these tryouts end up making the 90-man rosters of teams.
Last year, the Washington Redskins brought in almost 40 players to compete, and they eventually signed Tevin Homer, Nico Marley, and Manasseh Garner to their 90-man roster. None made the final squad, but Garner did make the practice squad. So, some value can certainly be found in this market.
For 2018, the Redskins have brought in a whopping 46 players to their rookie minicamp. That is a ridiculous amount of players, but it’s good that the team will be scouting potential depth, in case injuries become a problem once again. With that said, here’s a look at three of the invitees who could have a shot at making the 90-man roster.
Last year, the Redskins decided to sign Nico Marley after giving him an invite to rookie camp. Marley was an undersized but productive linebacker who impressed during the offseason. While he didn’t make the final roster, he was in contention for a spot, and his tackling ability and instincts gave him a chance to make the team.
Ty Schwab could be a similar player. Schwab comes with more size than Marley, as he has a 6-foot, 240 pound frame. Still, that’s a bit small for a linebacker in the NFL in terms of height. Especially since Schwab’s playing style would make him more of a combination middle/outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.
That said, Schwab was a productive player for Boston College in his final season. He notched 107 tackles with 4.5 sacks and two interceptions during his senior year in 2017. It looked like he was going to be one of the next solid linebackers to come out of BC, and maybe had a chance to be a late-round pick. Instead, he went undrafted and didn’t make a team in 2017.
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The Redskins should take a long, hard look at Schwab during camp. It’s possible that he has untapped potential, and it’s clear that he has good instincts when watching tape. He overcomes athletic deficiencies and is able to make tackles when he needs to, and seems to be able to break to the ball well. Not to mention, he has good tackling technique, which is a staple of linebackers coming out of Boston College.
Schwab may not make the Redskins team, as they are deep at linebacker. But, he has practice squad potential and could provide value on special teams. In the event that Washington wants to bring some special teams help onto their roster, Schwab could be a logical fit. He could remain on the 90-man unit until the preseason and then would jockey for a position on the roster. As it stands, he is one of the better options of the 46 tryout players so he should get some consideration.
There’s always intrigue surrounding the quarterback position during the offseason. And that’s because there is a dearth of true talent at the position across the NFL at the moment. Though there are still a good amount of franchise quarterbacks out there, the depth at the position is lacking, and that makes any potentially solid player have a chance to stick around.
Nick Stevens would qualify as such. The former Colorado State quarterback was a three year starter from 2015-2017, and he had a lot of success with the team. During his career, he completed 62 percent of his passes for 70 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He was particularly good during his senior season, in which he held a 29-to-10 TD-INT ratio and threw for a career-high 3,804 yards. However, despite his success, the Rams always finished 7-6 with him as a starter.
Stevens went undrafted in 2017, which wasn’t a major surprise. In his player profile, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said the following of Stevens.
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"Stevens is highly-respected by teammates for his ability to fight through adversity and come out on the other side as a productive, consistent quarterback. He lacks the build and arm talent of a draftable quarterback, but he does check the accuracy box. He should make it into a camp where he has an outside shot of landing a QB3 spot if he finds the perfect fit."
Despite the concerns, it’s possible that Stevens could become a fine No. 3 quarterback as Zierlein mentioned. He was an accurate quarterback and was able to throw the ball well close to the line of scrimmage. If he can show an ability to do that coupled with improved accuracy in the intermediate game, it’s possible that he could try and win the third-string spot with the Redskins.
For now, Kevin Hogan is immensely favored to win the third-string job. But, if Stevens can impress with his throws and show improvement, the Redskins could consider adding him to the 90-man roster.
Having talented quarterbacks is never a bad thing and if the Redskins want someone to push Hogan, adding Stevens to the roster could be a smart move. After all, he is a respected, smart quarterback who has experience under center. So, why not take a flyer on him?
If there’s one player out of the tryout group who has proven potential to be on an NFL roster, it’s JaCorey Shepherd. Shepherd was a former sixth round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015. He never played with the Eagles, after tearing his ACL during his rookie preseason. At the time, he was considered to be in the running for the team’s nickel back role. But the injury prevented him from doing that.
After staying on the Eagles practice squad for part of 2016, the San Francisco 49ers scooped up Shepherd and gave him a role with the team. It wasn’t on defense though. It came on special teams.
Shepherd served as the primary kicker returner for the 49ers, and he was met with success. During the year, he had 21 returns and averaged 21.7 yards per return. That was good for 19th in the league, and would have been a slight upgrade over the Redskins kick return game that year.
Given that the Redskins have had problems with their return game over the course of the past couple of seasons, Shepherd could be kept on the 90-man roster because of his proven ability in this area. At the very least, he would give the team a depth option to backup what they already have. So, why not keep him around, especially with him being further removed from his ACL tear.
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If the Redskins are going to keep anyone from this tryout group, Shepherd would be the most sensible. He has experience in an area that the Redskins need, and the team would be well served to carry extra cornerback depth into the preseason. So, don’t be surprised if Shepherd is signed to the 90-man roster after the tryout period.