In previous years, the Washington Redskins’ defensive line has been the perfect place for unheralded players to show their worth.
The Washington Redskins admittedly hadn’t made a point out of addressing the line until fairly recently, and before they did, their line, for better or worse, was the place where lesser known players gained the opportunities they needed to shine.
Phil Taylor nearly rose back to the starting ranks through this perennial inefficiency, and Ziggy Hood and Anthony Lanier also found ways to stick amidst competition of lesser intrigue.
Those kinds of players, however, will find it much more challenging to climb through the ranks this year. Over the past two years, the Washington Redskins recollected their common sense and bolstered their defensive line rotation, adding and developing key contributors such as Jonathan Allen, Matt Ioannidis, Daron Payne, and the aforementioned Anthony Lanier.
With Tim Settle in tow as well, and with both Stacy McGee and Ziggy Hood vying for the sixth spot as solid depth options, the Washington Redskins suddenly don’t have much room on the defensive line for under-the-radar players. That said, Jim Tomsula has shown he can coach anyone up. And if a player has the necessary traits, he could rise above the competition.
It’s far from a guarantee, but a chance could be all Tavaris Barnes needs. Barnes has some traits, but he’ll need to make the most of this offseason, as well as his association with Jim Tomsula, to make it work. Nevertheless, this Unheralded Player is more than training camp fodder. With a proper chance, he could be a part of the Washington Redskins’ scary defensive front.
Who is Tavaris Barnes?
A three-star prospect out of Jacksonville, Florida, Barnes was a part of the 2010 high school recruiting class, a class that saw players such as C.J. Mosley, Jonathan Hankins, Robert Woods, Dominique Easley, and Jordan Hicks move onto the next stage of their football careers. Current Washington Redskins T.J. Clemmings and Arie Kouandjio were also parts of this class.
Unlike the names listed above, Tavaris Barnes wasn’t a highly-rated recruit. He fell well outside the top 250 prospects, but nevertheless, he still garnered plenty of interest. His final choice involved schools such as Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, and South Carolina. He’d ultimately choose Clemson.
With the Clemson Tigers, it would take time for Barnes to work his way into an increased role, but he eventually did, peaking in 2014, when he logged 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble in thirteen games played. At the conclusion of his college career, over an uneven four years, he accrued 46 total tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks.
Barnes’ production in a strong rotation wasn’t enough to get him selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. He would end up signing with the New Orleans Saints after the draft, and there, he managed to stick around for his first season as a beneficiary of an underwhelming defensive cast. He failed to muster any meaningful playing time, garnering just five total tackles in his first season.
After his rookie campaign, Barnes was waived by the Saints. He spent the 2016 offseason with the Seattle Seahawks, but was released after just four months with the team. He spent the 2016 campaign without a place to call home, and after another brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Clemson product found his way to Washington. The Washington Redskins signed Barnes to their practice squad in early November, and on the first of January, they gifted him with a futures contract for 2018.
Player Breakdown
Described as a project by countless media outlets over the course of draft season in 2015, Barnes, thus far in his career, has done nothing to prove the accusers wrong. Making the Saints’ roster as an undrafted free agent was notable, but he failed to assure himself a second chance, and ever since, he’s spent his career searching for another opportunity.
On the surface, it might seem like Washington is one of the worst places to be searching. But Barnes has two circumstances on his side in D.C., even if all the others are mounting against him. He perfectly fits the team’s scheme as a 3-4 end with the ability to shift inside in nickel, and he’ll finally be paired with a position coach who might be able to unlock his talents.
Unlocking one’s talents is always the key when working with projects, and Barnes has undeniable talent. At 6-foot-4, 284, Barnes has very good size and proportional length, and he’s an above-average functional athlete for his size. He ran a 4.80 at the NFL Combine in 2015, suggesting that he has the explosive ability to be disruptive, if he can reach full his potential.
More from Riggo's Rag
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
Barnes’ traits, unfortunately, seem to be his greatest strengths, and even traits, without polish and proper coaching, are useless to both player and team. Barnes, for all his positive traits, has failed to latch on, despite multiple opportunities from teams who were hurting on the defensive line at the time of Barnes’ respective signings.
The Washington Redskins aren’t hurting on the line; Far from it, in fact. But this could be Barnes’ last chance. He’ll be 27 years old in November, and he hasn’t yet had a confluence of adequate coaching and scheme fit as perfect as this in his three-year career. He has that in Washington. Jim Tomsula is known for his ability to harness player traits and help players reach their full potential. He did this recently with Matt Ioannidis and Anthony Lanier.
Tomsula has a lot to work with in Tavaris Barnes. And although Barnes’ career trajectory suggests that he hasn’t made much progress, in terms of adding to his technique and his arsenal of pass rush moves, his natural athleticism and his good speed-size combination gives Tomsula a baseline on which he can develop something. To summarize it all in one word, Barnes has potential. But he’s running out of time to work toward it.
How Tavaris Barnes can make the roster
Barnes won’t be beating out any of the Washington Redskins’ top five defensive linemen. Those slots are largely set. Barnes’ window onto the Washington Redskins roster is a small one, but it’s there, nonetheless. It is the sixth spot on the defensive line. Barnes will have to battle Ziggy Hood, Stacy McGee, Phil Taylor, and Ondre Pipkins for it.
Of those players, Barnes has the most promising traits as a 3-4 end, and he’s fairly high on the upside scale as well. But again, it comes back to the burning question: Can he put it all together with Jim Tomsula?
Ziggy Hood and Stacy McGee figure to be the top two candidates for the sixth spot, given the Washington Redskins’ recent improvements at nose tackle. Hood gives the team a reliable veteran presence, while McGee gives the Washington Redskins a bit of run stopping security on the middle. He can also play end, albeit to a lesser degree.
Barnes has both these players beat, in terms of explosive ability, but he’ll need to find some consistency, and work on his fundamentals over the summer. If there’s anyone who can mold raw talent and direct it efficiently, it’s Jim Tomsula. But despite that, Barnes is growing older, and it’s fair to wonder how much practice time the Washington Redskins would dare to invest in an aging project who’s never shown what he can do in the NFL. He could find a way onto the rotation. But he has an uphill battle ahead of him, just like any other Unheralded Player.
Next: Assessing the Redskins UDFA offensive linemen
The key is Tomsula. If he buys into the potential, and if Barnes works well with Tomsula’s style, then he could find himself undergoing a mid-career resurgence with the Washington Redskins as a rotational spark plug. He’ll have to show quite a bit to convince the team to part ways with both Ziggy Hood and Stacy McGee, if they ultimately keep six. As past Unheralded Players have showed us, it isn’t impossible. It never is.