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

Training camp is on the way, and when it hits, there’ll be plenty of questions for the Redskins to answer.

It’s been a slow summer season for the Washington Redskins, as well as about thirty-one other NFL teams. But nevertheless, there has been some action, sprinkled in between weeks of idleness.

Just last week, the Redskins managed to acquire Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander in the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft. The move was a good one, capitalizing on available potential, but the question remains how Adonis Alexander will fit with his new team.

We cover that, and much more, in this edition of the Riggo’s Rag Mailbag! Turn the page, and take a look at the answers to some of the offseason’s toughest questions.

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.

Want to hear more about Adonis Alexander? Check out our latest podcast!

Offense featuring a fullback?

For a little bit, it seemed like the full back was a dying breed in the NFL. Until it wasn’t.

The Redskins took a hiatus from the idea of a full back for a time after releasing Darrell Young years ago, but after the recent success of players such as Kyle Juszczyk, Patrick Dimarco, and Andy Janovich, the full back has undergone a bit of a resurgence.

The Redskins didn’t invest heavily in the position this offseason, but there is one player on the roster who could be an intriguing weapon for them, in that regard: Undrafted rookie and former West Virginia Mountaineer Elijah Wellman.

Standing at 6-foot-2, 235, Wellman has very good size, and he could be a full back, tight end hybrid, if Randy Jordan can coach him up and help him adjust to the pace of the NFL. Wellman’s physical traits aren’t spectacular, but he’s a very willing blocker, and out of the backfield, he could help open lanes for Derrius Guice, taking pressure off of the offensive line. While the line handles the defensive front, Wellman can be Guice’s guide through the hole, taking the linebacker out of the equation and allowing Guice to roam in open space, where he’s most dangerous.

As a playmaking fullback, in the mold of Juszczyk, Wellman’s potential is unclear. He was underutilized at West Virginia, leading to underwhelming stats. But at his pro day with the Mountaineers, he showed that he possesses surprising athleticism and agility. Among other results, he logged a 4.82 40-yard dash, a 33-inch vertical leap and one of the team’s fastest three-cone drills, timed at 6.83 seconds. Those aren’t out-of-this-world numbers, but for a fullback, that’s decent, at the very least. In the Redskins’ scheme, he could become a fairly effective receiving threat.

As is the case with most roster decisions, Wellman’s fate is only partly in his hands. The Redskins will need to decide if they value a full-time fullback more than they do an extra player at another position. They could simply use a reserve tight end as a fullback; Manasseh Garner fits the hybrid mold that Niles Paul was sometimes used in.

And if they’re feeling extra frugal, they could just use Robert Kelley as a part-time fullback, or even Ryan Anderson in power running situations, as they did sparingly last year (If Anderson commands more defensive reps this year, then this idea immediately loses feasibility, and it isn’t very feasible to begin with). As Jay Gruden stated in an NBCS Mid-Atlantic video, “he blocked the wrong guy both times, but he went out and did it”. Anderson’s the last resort. Kelley and Garner are both possibilities at the position, and Kelley saves a roster spot somewhere else if he takes on the fullback role.

Whatever options remain available, if the Redskins desire a true fullback, then Elijah Wellman is their best bet. But if they value versatility and view the role of a fullback as expendable, or available to players at other positions, then Wellman could be facing stacked odds in training camp. He shouldn’t be counted out, nonetheless.

Quantifying quarterbacks

As is often the case with the NFL offseason, there’s nothing concrete quite yet. But there’s only one variable in every possible quarterback scenario for the Redskins, and that’s Kevin Hogan.

Kevin Hogan is, more or less, in control of his own destiny. The Redskins traded a conditional sixth-round pick for him, seeing his acquisition as a low-risk move with the potential for respectable dividends down the road.

If Hogan can impress, he can lock down a spot on the Redskins’ roster. At just 25 years old, he’s the youngest quarterback on the Redskins’ roster by seven years. If he shows promise, and Jay Gruden feels he can mold him, then Hogan could make a case to be the team’s next long-term backup. His starting hopes seem slim, at this point in his career. But he has the tools to stick around.

That said, Hogan has a couple factors working against him in his pursuit of job security. One is Colt McCoy. McCoy, with his experience in the Redskins’ system, is clearly the No. 2 quarterback. Upon the acquisition of Kevin Hogan, there was some speculation that he might steal McCoy’s job, but McCoy dispelled that notion in OTAs, taking all backup reps and connecting for big plays regularly, often with Robert Davis.

More likely than not, the Redskins aren’t getting rid of McCoy. The only spot Hogan can earn is the No. 3 quarterback slot. And he can do it, but he’ll have to play well enough to negate the second factor working against him: The Redskins’ roster depth.

This factor will be harder to work against. Unlike years past, the Redskins have an excess of depth at skill positions across the roster. Wide receiver, inside linebacker, and cornerback are areas clogged with talent. The Redskins could keep as many as four running backs, six receivers, and six cornerbacks, with a mass outlier not out of the question. This doesn’t bode well for Hogan. With McCoy already in tow, if the Redskins decide to keep a treasure trove at another position, then Hogan, the third-string quarterback, would be one of the most expendable players on the roster.

It seems simple, but that’s all there is to it. It all comes down to Kevin Hogan. Colt McCoy isn’t leaving, unless a perfect coalescence of factors spring together (Hogan plays so well that the team feels obligated to keep him, and they also want to stock up on excess depth). If Hogan impresses enough to stay, then the Redskins will keep three. If not, then Alex Smith and Colt McCoy will be the only two quarterbacks on the roster.

It’s all up to Hogan. In a way, that might be what he wants. But he has a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

Premier preseason matchup?

This is a good question. I like this question. It’s a reminder that preseason is less than a month away. The Redskins’ first game is on August 9. From then on, it’s three more weeks of roster battles, and on September 9, the Redskins open their regular season in Arizona.

But until the season opener, we’ll have to make do with preseason excitement. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Redskins have some intriguing matchups on the horizon in August, and many position battles will be settled in that time.

In Week 1 of preseason, the Redskins play the New England Patriots in Foxborough. The next week, they travel back home and host their training camp partners, the New York Jets. In Week 3, the burgundy and gold hold position and battle against the Denver Broncos, and in Week 4, they travel to Baltimore to face down the Ravens.

Each of those games provides a unique element. The Broncos’ defense is always a challenge, and the third game is often dubbed the “dress rehearsal” before the season. The Redskins will practice with the Jets all through training camp, making their preseason matchup an enticing culmination of that training. But when I think about which team I look forward to facing the most, I’m most conflicted between the Patriots and the Ravens.

The Patriots matchup draws my attention, for obvious reasons. It’s just preseason, but going up against Bill Belichick is always exciting. The Patriots, as always, are a team with adequate depth, at the very least, and while the Redskins might not see much more than their second and third-string players, but that game will give the Redskins and Jay Gruden a first-hand look at how Belichick prepares his players, and how they stack up.

On the flip side, the Ravens, in Week 4, give the Redskins a roster that’s just as deep, and arguably more talented on the defensive side of the ball. The two cities sit just an hour away from each other, and also an hour away is the Redskins’ former first-round quarterback, Robert Griffin III. It’s more of a storyline than anything, but this tepid reunion between the Redskins and the Ravens’ third-string quarterback is notable. If nothing else, it gives the Redskins’ depth players a chance to play against a quarterback with immense starting experience.

All things considered, I give the edge to the Patriots as the team I’m most excited for the Redskins to face in preseason. That Week 1 matchup will give fans a good idea of how prepared the Redskins are, prepared to the league’s gold standard, and it could set the tone for the rest of the preseason.

Position coach problems?

Manuel Mitchell brought up an interesting reality in his question: Why aren’t any of the Redskins’ greats, such as Darrell Green and Art Monk, awarded jobs as position coaches? After all, they’re some of the best to play their positions in league history.

In a vacuum, it would be a huge plus to have the first-hand insight of Green and Monk on the coaching staff. Many position coaches boast careers in the NFL as players, but few can say they transcended the competition, earning gold jackets in the process.

That said, there’s a whole lot more that goes into coaching than experience as a player. As a player, you job is to hone your craft on the field, personally using your talents to compete. But a coach’s job isn’t as simple. Coaches must teach players. While players can work with clashing personalities on the field, to an extent, if a coach can’t get through to a thicker personality, he’s failed his job.

Coaches don’t necessarily have more on their plate than players; Both have countless things to juggle with every task. But coaches can’t just know the game. They have to convey and communicate what they know in a way that relates to their players. Otherwise, they won’t get the best out of what they have.

That’s not to say that Darrell Green and Art Monk would be bad coaches. But perhaps it just isn’t for them. Green is currently the Associate Athletic Director of George Mason University. Art Monk, upon retiring, co-founded Alliance Merchant Services, taking on a business career path. Every player’s off-the-field passion is different. Some (many) are better coaches than players. Others are better players than coaches. For Green and Monk, the latter might be true. They seem okay with it.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Redskins seem to be in good hands already. Torrian Gray hasn’t wasted any time since becoming the Redskins’ defensive backs’ coach. He’s overseen developmental successes like Quinton Dunbar, Montae Nicholson, and, most notably, Kendall Fuller, who became one of the NFL’s best slot cornerbacks under Gray’s watch. Ike Hilliard has a less compelling track record as the team’s wide receivers coach, but he’s helped Jamison Crowder build a reputation as one of the league’s more consistent slot receivers. In 2018, the hope is that Josh Doctson can make a sizable leap under Hilliard’s watch.

Bonus – Interior offensive line issues

There’s been a lot of commotion surrounding the Redskins’ left guard situation, and it’s easy to see why. There aren’t a lot of glaring holes on the team’s roster. Thus, the team’s lingering uncertainty on the interior of the offensive line stands out.

A lot.

Before training camp and preseason, any statement regarding the team’s left guard situation is full of subjectivity, but here’s my two cents:

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Shawn Lauvao is the starter. There’s a 99.5 percent chance he remains the starter all the way to Week 1 of the regular season. Health permitting, he won’t lose the job beyond that point.

I wasn’t a fan of the Redskins re-signing Lauvao, but when the news of Arie Kouandjio’s season-ending injury surfaced, the move made sense. Behind Lauvao, the Redskins have a number of unproven players, and little else. Tony Bergstrom is the best of the bunch, but he may be viewed as the backup center first, and a spot-starter at left guard second. He filled in well when he needed to at center last year, and he’s likely the team’s backup plan to Chase Roullier, if Roullier were to go down with an injury.

Tyler Catalina and Kyle Kalis fall in behind him. Both have decent traits, but until proven otherwise, both are undrafted free agents with some catching up to do. Catalina was afforded starting experience with the Redskins last year, and while he had his good moments, particularly as a run blocker, he looked exactly as an undrafted offensive lineman would be expected to look: Flustered and ill-prepared for the NFL stage.

That’s not a slight to Catalina. Kalis’ rookie season went a similar way with the Colts. Both players can make a leap this offseason, but until there’s concrete information on either’s evolution, neither should pose a threat to Lauvao’s job security.

Personally, I think we make too much out of the Redskins’ left guard situation. It would have been nice to add a higher-caliber guard this offseason. Looking back, I would have swapped out the Troy Apke pick for an offensive lineman. But that’s in the past. The stage is set. There are options on the free agent market at left guard, but you could say the same about free agent kickers, and it wouldn’t mean anything more. No one brought in via free agency is going to provide more security than Lauvao, and many would provide less.

The Redskins could opt to fish around the trade market, but such an aggressive move would be considered unlikely at this stage, while the rosters are taking shape, and anyone available in a trade, at this point, might have just as many question marks as Shawn Lauvao. Joshua Garnett in San Francisco comes to mind as an example. He lost the starting job to Laken Tomlinson, another former early-round bust. If the 49ers were willing, the Redskins could find a way to make a deal, but there’s no guarantee he’d stay healthy and beat out Lauvao.

Lauvao is the Redskins starter, and whether we like it or not, they’re comfortable with him. He’s likely to have a rapport with the rest of the line, which will have three of their four Week 1 starters returning from last season. That familiarity gives him an edge, and many options on the free agent market have the same problems that Lauvao is known for: They’re aging, they have injury concerns, and they’re inconsistent.

It’s nice to think about how we might be able to improve, but right now, it looks like there won’t be any change. Maybe preseason cuts will bring someone else onto the market. But to say they’d automatically take Lauvao’s job is a bit premature. Lauvao is a favorite of Bill Callahan’s. Perhaps there’s a reason for that.

Yes, Lauvao is a below-average starter. When healthy, he’s a decent run blocker. Lately, his good health has been a lot to ask for. But the Redskins don’t have many other options. They put themselves in this situation. They seem ready to roll with it. “Complicit” might be a better word.

Next: Projecting the Redskins' starters ahead of training camp

Thanks to all who participated in the latest Riggo’s Rag Mailbag! If you have any possible questions for our next one, feel free to ask, as well as express your thoughts on this week’s questions, in the comments section below!