Washington Redskins: Paul Richardson will fill the void of DeSean Jackson

The Redskins receiving corps is looking solid. Most people believe that Josh Doctson will be the No. 1 receiver. I, however, disagree with this viewpoint.

Don’t get me wrong, Josh Doctson will be extremely productive this season, but the focal point of the receiving group should be Paul Richardson. At first, I wasn’t that excited about the signing. After some thought, I was convinced otherwise.

One of the biggest areas of need for the Washington Redskins was a deep threat. Redskins nation had high hopes for Terrell Pryor Sr., but that was a failed experiment to say the least. Once the Redskins realized that Pryor wasn’t the answer they turned their focus to Josh Doctson and Jamison Crowder. While these receivers are talented, they aren’t mean to be primary deep threats.

Doctson is better used as a possession receiver that can produce yards after the catch. The Redskins should also use Doctson in the red zone more often. As for Crowder, he’s a quick slot receiver that’s effective over the middle of the field. When these two are in their respective positions, they can be lethal weapons.

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Washington has missed the production of DeSean Jackson. Last season, Vernon Davis had the highest yard per catch number with 15.1. It’s not a good thing if the tight end is the primary deep threat for the team. When Jackson was with the Redskins he averaged 17.9-20 yards per catch. Jackson’s speed was a tremendous asset something that the Redskins didn’t account for when he headed to Tampa Bay.

Richardson is set to fill the shoes of DeSean Jackson. With Seattle, Richardson produce 703 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns, with a 16.0 YPC average. These numbers wouldn’t be impressive to most, but to Redskins fans they should be. Crowder lead the team with 786 receiving yards. Richardson was close to his numbers with 22 less receptions.

For 2018, I expect Richardson to have anywhere between 65-75 receptions, which will dramatically boost the numbers fashioned from last season. I think he ends up producing around 1,000 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns this season. Of course, I’m assuming Alex Smith continues to play at a high level.

Richardson’s play will allow for more single coverage for Doctson and Crowder. Doctson will be able to get those much needed jump balls on the field and in the red zone. In addition, Crowder will have room to work over the middle to expose opponents defenses.

Richardson signed a 5-year, $40 million contract this off-season. The organization should continue to be excited since they will have some stability on the outside. He’s only 26 and is just entering the prime of his career.

Next: Greg Manusky has the pieces for an aggressive defense

This was a great move by the Washington Redskins. They will soon reap the benefits of investing Paul Richardson.

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