Redskins: Riggo’s Rag Mailbag: QB depth chart, preseason, and more

Adonis Alexander to Washington

Let’s start with the big ticket item.

Adonis Alexander is a Washington Redskin. In last week’s supplemental draft, the Redskins put in a sixth-round claim for the former Hokie, and despite being the twentieth team in the waiver order, they were the first to take a chance on the 6-foot-3 defensive back.

Understandably, all the latest buzz around the Redskins has been centered on Adonis Alexander. He’s a local prospect with ties to current Redskins defensive backs coach Torrian Gray, and he has some physical traits that could bode well for him in the future.

That said, his current fit with the Redskins and their current personnel is unclear, and many have noticed that. Jimmy Williams asked this question, as did the two readers shown above. For now, Alexander is a cornerback. ESPN’s John Keim has stated that the team currently views him as such. But at cornerback, his path to a roster spot is filled with obstructions.

Josh Norman, Quinton Dunbar, and Fabian Moreau are roster locks. Orlando Scandrick isn’t necessarily a lock (his contract provides very few guarantees) but his veteran presence will undoubtedly be valuable in such a young group. Behind him, Joshua Holsey and Greg Stroman remain. Holsey is a former seventh-round pick who impressed in training camp last year, and Stroman is a sixth-round rookie who has natural coverage ability, as well as utility value as a punt returner. To top it off, at the rear of the pack, Danny Johnson and Ranthony Texada are two UDFAs who can’t be counted out.

I don’t see the Redskins keeping more than six cornerbacks, so to me, there are only two ways Alexander might find a way to sneak onto the team in September. Either he impresses enough under his former coach’s tutelage to convince the Redskins to part ways with Holsey or Scandrick, or he moves to safety.

Despite the learning curve at the NFL level, moving to safety isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility for Alexander. With a long 6-foot-3 frame and a penchant for physical plays, Alexander has a profile that fits the safety mold. He’s not overly fast, but his length somewhat accounts for his lack of top-end speed, and it’s worth noting that his best collegiate season came at safety. Interestingly enough, that was Alexander’s lone season at Virginia Tech with Torrian Gray as his coach.

Granted, the NFL is an entirely different game from the NCAA. But Alexander fits just as well, if not better, as a safety, and he has less competition there as well. Behind the sharpied-in starters, D.J. Swearinger and Montae Nicholson, the Redskins have Deshazor Everett, Fish Smithson, Troy Apke, Kenny Ladler, and Quin Blanding.

Of those backups, it’s hard to say that anyone is a roster lock. Deshazor Everett is the closest thing to it. He’s little more than average on defense, but his special teams prowess should keep his job safe, especially with the losses of Niles Paul and Chris Carter.

There’s a window for Alexander there. It’s a little early to predict how it might play out, but Alexander has potential in the back third, and the Redskins should be willing to experiment with him. After all, they spent a sixth-round pick in the supplemental draft. This is a very low-risk, high-reward proposition.

For roster spot purposes, Alexander has the best chance as a defensive back, a versatile chess piece who’ll be able to play at both cornerback and safety. He has experience at both positions, and hopefully, reunited with Torrian Gray, he can continue to unlock hidden parts of his game. The secondary is crowded. But if Alexander can separate himself with his versatility, he can stick. That said, he would be the easiest to stash on the practice squad, if it came to that.

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