The Washington Redskins have some intriguing pieces at the safety position. And figuring out who will be the team’s top backup should be very interesting.
For the first time in quite a while, the Redskins appear to have hope at the safety position. Following a season that saw Montae Nicholson and D.J. Swearinger fare well as the starting safeties, the team is now just searching for depth behind them. And they appear to have an abundance of that this offseason.
The Skins really have done a good job of adding unheralded players with the potential to grow into bigger roles. Sure, they may not have a great backup, but they have some solid players who could lock down the role. The question is, which player will they entrust to take on that job?
The backup safety battle is one of the more interesting ones on the roster, as the Redskins are going to be looking to find someone who they can count on to do a variety of different things. And as it stands, many of their backups are specialized in one area and not necessarily another. With that said, here’s a breakdown of how the candidates stack up in this position battle, and who should ultimately win.
The case for Deshazor Everett
Everett has the leg up on the rest of the competition this offseason for one reason. He’s a veteran.
Everett has been in the team’s system for a few years and he has experience as a starter. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2015 NFL Draft. Everett had once been considered a potential early-rounds prospect after a very good sophomore year at Texas A&M. However, after his regression in coverage, teams soured on him a bit and that caused him to go undrafted.
After Everett eventually came to Washington, just a few months after initially signing with the Bucs, he quickly impressed the coaching staff. He didn’t quite do enough to earn a role on the team’s active roster to start the season, but shortly into the year, he was promoted to the 53-man unit. And for the past three seasons, he has played a role in the secondary.
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In the NFL, Everett moved to the safety position, and there, he has turned into a solid, well-rounded player. He’s good against the run and has flashed solid coverage skills at times. While his cover ability is inconsistent, he can still be a weapon off the bench.
However, Everett has also made a big impact on special teams. In his first season with the team, he proved to be a core member of that special teams unit and has continued to do solid work in that regard for the past two years. This ability, coupled with his on-field experience at safety, gives him a nice resume, as he can serve as a versatile piece for the team.
Despite this, it does appear that Everett’s upside is, at this point, somewhat capped. Sure, he’s still just 26, but he had a chance to lock down a potential starting job last season and was unable to do that. Had he performed at least at a solid level while in the starting lineup, he could have at least locked up the No. 3 safety role. But, he didn’t do that and as a result, some of the younger players are garnering consideration for the spot.
Still, Everett is a savvy veteran who can provide the Redskins with a versatile piece off the bench. Given the more specialized skill set of the other candidates, it’s easy to envision a roster that features Everett as the top option off the bench, at least for one more season.
The case for Troy Apke
It’s difficult to build a compelling case for Troy Apke as the top backup for the Redskins team. While he was a high draft pick, he’s simply not polished enough to make an immediate impact as a safety this season.
Apke doesn’t have great technique. He takes poor angles on tackles and isn’t yet a natural in coverage. It’s clear that he has the potential to be a playmaker, but for the moment, he seems better served as a deep backup.
Apke’s likely role will come as a gunner on special teams. He has elite speed and could be a real impact player on that side of the ball. He will be able to take over for Fabian Moreau as a gunner on punt coverage, and that will give him a chance to work on his safety skills behind the scenes.
Realistically, the only case you can make for Apke as the top backup is that he was a fourth round pick. And that is not great logic. Yes, Apke was selected in the fourth round, but that wasn’t necessarily because he was ready to contribute in a big role. It’s because the Redskins wanted to add an athlete with high upside who could develop into a starter. But for now, Apke profiles as a below average player if he were forced into significant action.
Because of this, it seems highly unlikely that Apke will overtake Everett. There’s a chance that he could get some action at safety this year, albeit sparingly, but entrusting him with an important role on the defensive unit would be a mistake. His impact will be greater on special teams, and he seems firmly locked in as the fourth safety on the roster (or fifth if the team elects to keep five players at the position).
The case for Fish Smithson
Fish Smithson generated a lot of buzz during the 2017 offseason. Many thought that the undrafted free agent would have a real chance of making the Redskins final roster. That roster was one that didn’t have a lot of talent at the safety position, so it stood to reason that the highly productive Kansas Jayhawk would stand a chance.
However, Smithson didn’t manage to make the final roster. But, he did spend the whole season on the practice squad, and that gave him something that the other candidates for the backup position don’t have: experience with the Redskins. Smithson has spent more time with the team than any candidate, save for Everett. So, that could have an impact on the battle.
Earlier this offseason, NBC Sports Washington’s Rich Tandler spoke of Smithson and how he could end up being a backup option.
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"There is one carryover option. Fish Smithson, an undrafted free agent last year, made a good impression in training camp and he was placed on the practice squad. He was promoted to the 53-man roster in Week 16, and although he played only seven snaps on defense, his elevation to the roster ensured that the Redskins would keep his rights. Many thought that Smithson would be drafted out of Kansas in the late rounds last year. Scouts pointed out his physical limitations (he’s 5-11, 196) and his lack of impressive speed (4.55 in the 40 at his pro day) as reasons why he was not drafted. But they liked his football intelligence and his hard hitting. He may not be starter material, at least not at this point, but with a good offseason, he could be a reliable backup."
The Redskins don’t need Smithson to become a starter. They already have D.J. Swearinger and Montae Nicholson. What they need is someone who can step in and start if needed. And that may not be Smithson right now, but if he makes the roster, he could develop with extra time alongside Torrian Gray. He has the ability to succeed as a tackler and in coverage. And that should give him a real chance to prove himself in the preseason.
As our own Ian Cummings said earlier this offseason, don’t count Fish out. He could surprise some, and he may be more of a realistic roster option than some think.
Dark Horses: Quin Blanding and Kenny Ladler
The Redskins have done well to add some youth and upside at the safety position this offseason. While they don’t have much proven depth, they have added some players who could end up proving themselves in training camp and making the active roster.
One of those guys is Quin Blanding. The former Virginia product was considered by some to be a potential early Day 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Instead, he fell to the ranks of the undrafted and the Redskins happily scooped him up.
Blanding was a hyper productive collegiate safety who possesses elite tackling skills. He totaled 492 tackles during his four seasons and never had a season that saw him record less than 115. That is insane production for a safety. And on tape, Blanding shows the ability to pursue runners at the right angle, bears down on them quickly, and uses great technique and strength to wrap up players and bring them down. This skill could earn him a role as a safety/linebacker hybrid.
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The only concern with Blanding is that he may not have the requisite speed to be a centerfield type safety. That said, the tackling ability could overshadow this and he could easily find a role with the squad. It just depends on whether or not the Redskins believe that he is well-rounded enough to assume a backup role.
Meanwhile, Ladler may not be a well-known player, but he is solid in his own right. He played the past two seasons in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos, and he was a great combination player, succeeding in coverage and working as a solid tackler. He was once a member of the Buffalo Bills and had a quality college career at Vanderbilt. But if his CFL production is any indication, he may be ready for a role in the NFL.
Both Blanding and Ladler have some competition to beat out, but there’s a good chance that they could do it. Blanding is a hard-worker with a chip on his shoulder after going undrafted. And Ladler is ready to prove that he belongs in the NFL. Both guys bear watching in training camp, as they could shake up the safety depth chart, much like Stefan McClure did before the start of the 2018 season.
Who should win the battle and where the others could land
This battle is a tough one to pick a winner in. And at the end of the day, you could realistically justify any player taking the role. That said, the veterans should still have the advantage.
While I listed Everett as one of my five potential veteran cuts this offseason, I do think that he still has a very good chance of retaining the role, especially if the team elects to keep five safeties. And given the potential packed pieces they have at that juncture, there’s a chance that they might do that.
Of the younger pieces, there are two that stand out. Blanding and Smithson. I’m a huge fan of Blanding because of his excellent tackling ability, and I wouldn’t have been upset if they had spent their fourth round pick on him. That said, it may be better for him to spend some time on the practice squad to continue to develop his coverage skills. But either way, he should keep a role with the team moving forward.
As for Smithson, he’s the real wild card. If he shows enough growth to be the backup, the team might part with Everett and make Smithson their man. They did re-sign Everett to a two-year deal, but it had minimal guarantees. The Redskins essentially set themselves up to part with Everett if they find a replacement, and retain them if they don’t.
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If I had to pick today, I would have the Redskins keep five safeties. And of the players mentioned, Everett, Apke, and Smithson would all make the list, with Everett being the top backup. But this is one of the big battles to watch as the offseason rolls along. The Redskins are in good position to unearth a potential gem at this position.