Fabian Moreau is a favorite among Washington Redskins fans. But will he be able to capitalize on a chance to earn a starting job?
Getting Fabian Moreau in the third-round of the 2017 NFL Draft was a huge get for the Redskins. Some considered Moreau to be a potential late first-round pick in the draft before he tore his pec at his UCLA pro day. As a result, Moreau slipped, and the Redskins were able to benefit by snatching him when they did.
Moreau’s draft status has many clamoring for him to get a bigger role in 2018. And that’s definitely sensible. The Redskins let Bashaud Breeland walk in free agency while Kendall Fuller was traded as a part of the Alex Smith deal. Now, there’s an opportunity for Moreau to seize a starting job, but will he be able to do it?
Training camp should help to clear up that question, which is one of the biggest questions on the Redskins team. Here’s a look at Moreau’s outlook for training camp and the rest of the season.
Moreau’s 2017 season
Moreau spent most of the 2017 season buried on the Redskins cornerback depth chart. With the starting trio already set, and Quinton Dunbar serving as the main backup, Moreau was stuck in the fifth corner spot for most of the season. As a result, he played just 59 defensive snaps and defended one pass.
However, Moreau did carve out a pretty important role on special teams. Moreau worked very well as a gunner thanks to his elite speed. That made him force a lot of opponents into fair catch scenarios and he also had a handful of tackles. His work on special teams showed that he has upside, but his lack of seasoning at corner is what is holding him back from being a sure-fire starter at corner this upcoming season.
What Moreau must show at training camp
More than anything else, Moreau has to prove that he is making strides as a cornerback. Last year, Moreau barely saw action at the position, but that was more due to depth than anything else. This year, he has a chance to step into the starting lineup. And he has to prove that he’s ready for that.
The major knock on Moreau coming out of college was that he didn’t have great instincts or ball tracking skills as a corner. While his speed and physicality were unmatched, slow play recognition can doom cornerbacks on downfield passes, especially double moves, so Moreau needs to show that this won’t be a concern. Because nobody likes a corner that gets burned on every play.
As I pointed out earlier in the offseason, it’s also important for Moreau to capitalize now, as Kendall Fuller is no longer with the team. Here’s what I said about what his offseason focus should be back in early February.
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"This offseason, the main focus of defensive backs coach Torrian Gray should be to develop Moreau. He could end up being the second best corner on the team, behind Norman, if he can make the leap like [Kendall] Fuller did between his second and third seasons. Moreau may not be as good as Fuller, but he certainly looks the part and should be a key part of the minor rebuild in the secondary."
To take advantage of this opportunity, Moreau has to prove that he has made strides and is ready to step into a starting role. Showing versatility and ability to play the nickel wouldn’t hurt either. But either way, Moreau has to flash the skill set that made many consider him a potential first-round pick before he got hurt in the draft process.
Moreau’s main competition
There are two positions that Moreau will be battling for this season. They are the No. 2 corner and the slot corner position. There are two men that might block his path to getting that done.
On the outside, Quinton Dunbar seems favored to win the No. 2 corner spot. Dunbar was re-signed in the offseason instead of Bashaud Breeland, and the Redskins seemed to show faith in the former undrafted receiver. Dunbar has made strides in each of his three seasons in the league. And given that he’s only been playing the corner spot for those three years, there’s reason to believe that he still hasn’t reached his ceiling.
Dunbar has been a steady performer, so beating him out won’t be easy. Moreau will have to show very good discipline and improved instincts if he wants to oust Dunbar from the starting spot. For that reason, he might have a better chance of winning the nickel spot.
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Orlando Scandrick is currently the favorite to start at nickel, whether the Redskins fans like it or not. Scandrick was brought in as a veteran presence to help provide experience to a young cornerback group. And given that he is the only player with a great deal of experience in the slot, he seems favored to start the year there.
To beat Scandrick, Moreau just has to show that he’s more of a playmaker than Scandrick. Like Dunbar, Scandrick would represent the safer, steadier pick for the spot (provided that he can stay healthy). With his blazing speed and good physicality, Moreau could become a threat to receivers trying to cross the field and may be able to unseat Scandrick due to his athleticism. That seems like the best way for him to earn a job that will keep him on the field in most scenarios.
Elsewhere on the roster, rookie Greg Stroman could push for the nickel spot as well, but he seems more like a special teams player. He’ll probably take a path similar to Moreau’s and spend one season primarily on special teams before making a bigger impact on defense.
2018 outlook for Moreau
Many want to anoint Moreau as the successor for Breeland and the future No. 2 corner for the Redskins. That could happen, but there are still a lot of hurdles he must overcome before winning a starting spot.
Moreau has the talented needed to be a starter. There’s no question about it. He could be one down the line, but it might be that he just needs a little more time before he’s ready for a big role in the defense. If he struggles to become a playmaker, the team could make him the primary backup and ease him into a bigger role. It all depends on how he plays.
One thing is certain. Josh Norman likely won’t be back with the Redskins in 2019, at least not at the price he’s at, so Moreau will get a chance to start in either 2018 or 2019 barring massive changes to the Redskins roster. And with Torrian Gray in the fold, young defensive backs stand a good chance of developing into quality players. So, there’s a lot of reason to be confident in Moreau.
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Moreau, Dunbar, and Scandrick will be a part of what might be the best position battle on the Redskins. It starts in training camp, and it will be intriguing to see if the youngest member of the battle can do anything to unseat either of his more experienced teammates.